Monday, May 28, 2012

Android Phone Fans

Android Phone Fans

[Discussion] How many of you like what you see in Chameleon?

Posted: 27 May 2012 12:32 PM PDT

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While I must admit that I was first intrigued with Chameleon, the custom launcher that is looking to raise funds on Kickstarter, based on what I read about it, the video demonstration has underwhelmed me. In the crudest of ways to describe it, it looks like it helps you create “themed” home screens, so that each screen is dedicated to a purpose, such as work, or reading, or entertainment. And using indicators such as time or the WiFi network connected to or location, it chooses the default home screen.

The issue I have with it is that I have always sorted my home screens according to purpose, which basically leaves only the variable default home screen as a feature that I don’t have. And it comes at a few costs in ability, too, such as you lose the capability to create folders, there’s no guarantee about support for smaller tablet screens (their own words, though they do mention they have tried to keep the UI dynamic), it looks like the only widgets you can have so far are those that they include, and that developers would need to use HTML5 to build custom widgets for Chameleon if they wished to do so.

Maybe I’m missing something, and I’d really like there to be something that makes me want to support it. But, so far, I just can’t seem to think of a great purpose for this. What about you guys?

Video walkthrough details Sony Xperia S ICS update

Posted: 27 May 2012 11:33 AM PDT

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Looks like the Ice Cream Sandwich update for the Sony Xperia S is right on track. This little video over here has been doing the rounds on the internet today, and though it’s in a foreign language, we can at least see the visual features of the updated software. Have a look, and as always, post your thoughts in the comments.

[via s-ense.net]

Get your camping kits ready, Londoners. First 50 Galaxy S III owners to be given tickets to the Olympics

Posted: 27 May 2012 11:20 AM PDT

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As if they aren’t fortunate enough to be the first ones to get their hands on the Samsung Galaxy S III, Londoners now have another reason to buy the phone as soon as the stores open: tickets to this summer’s Olympics. Just to be clear, you have to have pre-ordered the device, as these customers have been invited pick up their phones before regular customers are allowed to.

Considering the mess that was the ticket lottery system, this might actually be the easier way to watch one of the events at the Games (though which one hasn’t been specified). Samsung is clearly going on overdrive to promote their phone along with the Olympics, having earlier released a special edition of the Galaxy Note and an advertisement of the phablet that featured David Beckham (who is still heavily tipped to be part of Great Britain’s football/soccer team).

[via Android Central]

[App Review] FaceLock for Apps protects your apps, brings Face Unlock to Gingerbread

Posted: 27 May 2012 09:49 AM PDT

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Two things make this app stand out: firstly, it brings the Face Unlock capabilities of Ice Cream Sandwich to Gingerbread devices too. That’s impressive, because that means nearly 200 million more phones capable of being protected using the method. The second, which as the name suggests, is the ability to protect individual apps.

These are only my initial thoughts. I’ve been using the app for about half an hour, and will update this post once I have tested it extensively.

And I must admit, when it works, it works well. It’s accurate in several lighting conditions, and more importantly its quick. I tested it out by protecting my Gallery app (I hate it when I give my phone to a friend, and find them going through my photos), and it worked as it says it would.

I do have a few issues though: it seems to be taking quite an extensive amount of memory while running in the background (I spotted it at 24 MB) and more importantly I’ve found my launcher to slow down at times. Only rebooting makes the device usable again. I must add that I’m using a not-so-stable ICS ROM on my phone, so it might be running into problems with that too.

The setup is pretty easy, just open the app and take a few photos in different lighting conditions. A minimum of 7 are required, but they suggest 10-15. I took a few with me wearing my spectacles, too, since the lock didn’t initially identify me when I wore them. That helped, and I wonder if it’s possible to take a few with other people you’re OK with giving access to. You also need to enter a PIN which it uses as a backup.

The free version lets you lock only one app, and you can’t lock the phone itself. However, for $2.5 you can get that feature and lock as many apps as you want. It also locks your settings for you automatically. Give the app a try, and send in your comments.

[Google Play via XDA]

I can confirm: Rice does heal water-damaged cellphones

Posted: 27 May 2012 07:01 AM PDT

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Seeing your cellphone die is one of the worst things that can happen to you, especially if you were really close to it. It happened to me recently, on a day that seemed like just any other.

It’s ridiculously hot, with the temperature well over 40 degrees centigrade (over 104 degree Fahrenheit), and I’m sweating profusely while returning from college. After spending some time on a call, I notice that the device is heating up, and the screen’s pretty wet. I just wiped it with a tissue, and on reaching home saw the battery’s dead. That was expected, as I never got to juice it up before leaving. Connecting it to the charger, I just went about doing some chores.

When I tried to boot it up after an hour or so, it refused to. I tried again and again, but it just gave me a few vibrates and the LED blinked. I looked around XDA and everywhere else trying to find out what the problem was, but had to soon accept that the phone was water-damaged. The phone’s a T-Mobile myTouch 4G, and I’m in India. There wasn’t even a chance to get it repaired.

I soon came across the old rice tip, which I had read before but just brushed it aside thinking it to be on par with some of the ridiculous alternative therapies we read about. However, since the phone was nothing more than a paper weight, I decided I pretty much had nothing better to do with it. Taking out the battery, I buried it in a rice bowl and kept it away for a few days. The initial plan was to not touch it for 3-4 days, but I could resist after 36 hours.

IT WORKED! My phone booted right up and there’s no glitch whatsoever. And I’m sure if I saw myself in the mirror, this is what I would have seen myself doing.

Rice is now officially my favorite carbohydrate of all time.

DISCLAIMER: it also depends on extent of water damage. A friend of mine decided to go swimming with his Galaxy S2 (don’t ask me why). Rice couldn’t work it’s magic in that case.
Posted by at 8:12 AM

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