Author Topic: Android Thread  (Read 43797 times)

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Offline The Chief

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Re: Android Thread
« Reply #475: November 05, 2013, 03:53:17 PM »
the point is that there shouldn't have to be

If I had one, I think I'd try and return it (they're still advertising Nexus phones as the first to get any updates without any fine print- https://play.google.com/store/devices/details?id=nexus_5_white_32gb)

Good luck doing that with Verizon, but yeah, sucks for everyone who bought the "real" GNex.  If you want a nice tidy ecosystem with a long support life, get an iPhone.

Offline HalfSmokes

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Re: Android Thread
« Reply #476: November 05, 2013, 03:59:11 PM »
Good luck doing that with Verizon, but yeah, sucks for everyone who bought the "real" GNex.  If you want a nice tidy ecosystem with a long support life, get an iPhone.

I'm on my wife's att corporate account, so at least I'd have a politer rep laugh at me. Apple isn't all great- I used numbers to track household expenses because I'm too cheap to buy excel or quicken for home- the last update took it from a crappy spreadsheet to an unusably bad tablet app exported to a desktop OS. In general, I've gotten to the point where I just hope an update doesn't ruin an existing program 

Offline Nathan

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Re: Android Thread
« Reply #477: November 05, 2013, 04:02:27 PM »
The Galaxy Nexus wasn't really even a Nexus device really, at least on Verizon.  Verizon was delaying the push out of OS updates (I think the official OTA update on Verizon is still only 4.2).  Apparently that's a big part of the reason the following Nexus devices haven't even been compatible with Verizon's network.

I'm considering going on one of the cheap pre-paid plans with a Nexus 5 in the future anyway, like the $45 unlimited Straight Talk with an AT&T sim, so it's got the same coverages as if you had an AT&T plan.

Offline The Chief

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Re: Android Thread
« Reply #478: November 05, 2013, 04:08:45 PM »
I'm on my wife's att corporate account, so at least I'd have a politer rep laugh at me. Apple isn't all great- I used numbers to track household expenses because I'm too cheap to buy excel or quicken for home- the last update took it from a crappy spreadsheet to an unusably bad tablet app exported to a desktop OS. In general, I've gotten to the point where I just hope an update doesn't ruin an existing program 

Yep, that's pretty much how I feel about any Google app anymore.  Anything they change is usually for the worse, or at least takes a lot of getting used to.

Offline The Chief

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Re: Android Thread
« Reply #479: November 06, 2013, 11:48:52 AM »
http://www.droid-life.com/2013/10/31/download-new-google-apps-from-the-nexus-5-dump-search-launcher-and-more/

Various Google apps from the Nexus 5/Android 4.4 system dump.  Most are straight installable.

Offline The Chief

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Re: Android Thread
« Reply #480: November 13, 2013, 09:24:21 AM »
Nexus 7 WiFi versions start getting 4.4 today:

https://twitter.com/Android/status/400441100436918272

Offline HalfSmokes

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Re: Android Thread
« Reply #481: November 13, 2013, 09:27:32 AM »
Nexus 7 WiFi versions start getting 4.4 today:

https://twitter.com/Android/status/400441100436918272

hmm

Quote
However, one of the biggest features—the new, Google Search-integrated launcher—is slated to remain a Nexus 5 exclusive for now. Google told The Verge that it might offer the new launcher on other devices "someday," but early screenshots from Nexus 7 tablets that have been updated show a launcher that looks much more like what Google shipped with Jelly Bean. That is to say, it looks like the "stock" Android launcher, and not the new Google-fied version.

doesn't seem to match

Quote
Nexus 7 comes with the latest version of the world's most popular mobile operating system, so it's fast, fun, and easy to make your own.

http://www.google.com/nexus/7/

I guess they're going the way of apple and offing 'most' of the new OS to legacy devices

Offline The Chief

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Re: Android Thread
« Reply #482: November 13, 2013, 09:33:10 AM »
Yeah I'm scratching my head on that, too.  Hopefully the "OK Google" part is the only thing missing as I would still like to have the other features of the new launcher.  Guess we'll see.  It's not like it's hard to acquire such things for those interested, but I like to keep my N7 bone stock as a reference point.

Offline The Chief

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Re: Android Thread
« Reply #483: November 13, 2013, 09:34:32 AM »
In other interesting news, the Windows-based Cyanogenmod Installer is now available in beta form:

http://beta.download.cyanogenmod.org/install

Offline HalfSmokes

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Re: Android Thread
« Reply #484: November 13, 2013, 09:40:26 AM »
Yeah I'm scratching my head on that, too.  Hopefully the "OK Google" part is the only thing missing as I would still like to have the other features of the new launcher.  Guess we'll see.  It's not like it's hard to acquire such things for those interested, but I like to keep my N7 bone stock as a reference point.

the download isn't available for my tablet yet. If it's just the OK google, I don't care. I will start caring if they really start holding back new features since the whole reason we bought a nexus tablet was to get the updates

Offline The Chief

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Re: Android Thread
« Reply #485: November 13, 2013, 09:41:27 AM »
the download isn't available for my tablet yet. If it's just the OK google, I don't care. I will start caring if they really start holding back new features since the whole reason we bought a nexus tablet was to get the updates

Exactly.

Offline The Chief

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Re: Android Thread
« Reply #486: November 15, 2013, 10:22:21 AM »
Couple of FAQs and list of supported devices for the CyanogenMod installer (which is now on the play store):

http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/CyanogenMod_Installer

Offline HalfSmokes

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Re: Android Thread
« Reply #487: November 15, 2013, 10:26:10 AM »
wife's nexus 7 still on 4.3 with the updater telling me that the software is up to date

Offline The Chief

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Re: Android Thread
« Reply #488: November 15, 2013, 10:30:32 AM »
wife's nexus 7 still on 4.3 with the updater telling me that the software is up to date

You can get 4.4 manually from Google's servers:

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/11/android-4-4-images-for-the-nexus-7s-and-nexus-4-now-available/

I gave up on waiting.  Been waiting on the new Hangouts app for weeks now and still doesn't update (even though the app store shows the new version).

You can also enable the Google Home (aka new launcher w/ "OK Google") by simply installing the APK.  All of the actual code is in the Google Search app itself and was just updated in the play store today:

http://www.androidpolice.com/2013/11/13/how-to-try-the-google-experience-launcher-with-translucent-bars-and-google-now-once-you-get-your-kitkat-update-apk-download/

(download link at the bottom - http://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=23212708291676903)

Offline The Chief

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Re: Android Thread
« Reply #489: November 17, 2013, 03:42:55 PM »
I know it's small stuff, but I really like that they removed the pause/preview when taking a picture in the 4.4 camera, and also that deleting a picture no longer prompts you "are you sure?"

Offline The Chief

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Re: Android Thread
« Reply #490: November 20, 2013, 09:58:29 AM »
RING RING RING RING RING RING RING, BANANA PHONE!



DING DONG DING DONG DING DONG DING, BANANA PHOOOOOOONE!!!

Offline The Chief

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Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Offline The Chief

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Re: Android Thread
« Reply #495: December 06, 2013, 12:43:37 PM »

Offline HalfSmokes

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Re: Android Thread
« Reply #496: December 06, 2013, 12:43:52 PM »
Is that the same as this one - is this a good starter tablet for a 3rd grader?

http://www.costco.com/.product.100070794.html?cm_sp=RichRelevance-_-categorypageHorizontalTop-_-PersonalizedClickCPInCategory&cm_vc=categorypageHorizontalTop%7CPersonalizedClickCPInCategory#BVRRWidgetID

depends on the kid. that tablet should be able to run almost any android app, android parental controls are decent, and samsung tablets have good build quality.

Offline imref

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Re: Android Thread
« Reply #497: December 06, 2013, 12:45:30 PM »
saw this yesterday: ~1% of Android phones run the latest Google OS versus about 70% of iPhones.  It's becoming a big issue for app developers  because of the wide variety of Android OS versions in the wild.

http://www.informationweek.com/mobile/mobile-business/ios-7-adoption-rate-wallops-android-44-kitkat/d/d-id/1112910

The crux of the issue:

Quote
Before an Android phone can be updated, the manufacturer needs to rebuild the platform for each specific phone for each specific carrier. The carrier then needs to approve the updated platform. This process can take months. Only after the carrier approves the updated OS will it be pushed out to end-user devices. iPhones and iPads don't need carrier approval to grab the latest OS.

Offline Nathan

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Re: Android Thread
« Reply #498: December 06, 2013, 02:15:11 PM »
saw this yesterday: ~1% of Android phones run the latest Google OS versus about 70% of iPhones.  It's becoming a big issue for app developers  because of the wide variety of Android OS versions in the wild.

http://www.informationweek.com/mobile/mobile-business/ios-7-adoption-rate-wallops-android-44-kitkat/d/d-id/1112910

The crux of the issue:


That's one of the reasons that Verizon initially rejected Apple when they were working on the first iPhone - Apple wanted control over software updates and not have to go through the carrier.  That's also one reason I like having a Nexus device - updates direct from Google.

First generation Nexus 7 for 159

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834230573&nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL120613&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL120613-_-EMC-120613-Index-_-TestTabletPC-_-34230573-L0B

I have this model for anyone interested, and it is a solid tablet.  I use mine daily, and after a year of solid use daily, the battery still provides me with 6+ hours of use as far as browsing the web and things like that.  Playing games of course reduce that, but I don't do that often.  As it's a Nexus device you'll be on the latest Android 4.4 kitkat, not the 4.1 version of jellybean as on the samsung.  I'm not sure how often samsung will support making updates for the costco tablet linked, or if they even plan on updating it any more at all.  I'm sure you could install a custom ROM like CyanogenMod to get newer versions if you'd like.

Offline Lintyfresh85

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Re: Android Thread
« Reply #499: December 06, 2013, 02:18:38 PM »
Picked up Galaxy Note 3. Love it so far.