Slaves to a device...

Remember this commercial?




For those of you that DON'T remember, this was Apple's very first commercial from 1984, proclaiming that the domination of the PC that was known at the time was ending, and that a revolution was coming!  That revolution was EXTREMELY successful, and without Apple, the Macintosh, and all of their products to follow, we DEFINITELY would be a boring buncha' users.

Flash forward to today...

Today it was released that AT&T as a carrier officially SUCKS.  Most of us already knew that, and weren't surprised.  What WAS surprising was that more than half of the 60,000 consumers polled said that the only reason they stayed with AT&T was because it was the only provider that carried the iPhone.

I have absolutely nothing bad to say about Apple, or the iPhone, or any of their other products personally.  I've always felt that Apple's devices were just too easy, and simplified, without enough customization options for me, which for other people is perfect.  My computer knowledge started on an Apple IIe, munchin' numbers, racing they keyboard, selling lemonade, and roughing the long Oregon Trail, watching my whole family die along the way...  Poor lil' Zebadiah...

My point is this:  27 years ago, Apple started it's campaign to revolutionize the personal computer experience and today, we've become enslaved to a service provider we don't like because of the device we use.  What happened to our experimentalism?  There ARE other phones and carriers out there, guys, and though most of them may seem complicated, or "too much" they ALL have the basic functionality we're all used to and looking for, and who knows, after a lil' use you might learn something new!  Just because you know something well, doesn't mean that HAS to be the only device you use.  I know, I'm on a HUGE soap box, and it seems as though I'm HATIN' on the iPhone, but I'm not.  I would say the same about ANY phone and carrier...  If I felt that we were buying and using it simply to own "the cool".

Branch out, Coppertops!  Learn some junk!  I think you'd be happily surprised by what's out there, and what you can do!   I'm not even switch to Android.  That's just MY personal preference (at the moment).  'Tis the season to learn something new, and stop relying on what you already know.  That applies to more than just cell phones too!

That's just my 2 cents...  add your own!!  I wanna' hear what you think!

Andy Rubin live at "D"

Check it out!  Andy's talkin' everything Google at the "D" conference!  So far, he's previewed a Motorola Tab running Honeycomb...  and we JUST got Gingerbread!!

Google's Andy Rubin live from D: Dive Into Mobile

Update:  If you missed Engadget's live blogcast, here's the video, released just this morning!

I'm so proud! My 2nd attempt at a boot animation...

So I FINALLY figured out what Boot animations consist of, and it's basically just a bunch of .PNG images and a tiny text file telling the system how to play them...  While I was searching, I found a REALLY nice one, and added it to Virus Airbourne RC 4.7 (in beta, donate to Virus to get it too!) which I'm currently running...  I started thinking (and usually nothing good comes from THAT, but this time I got lucky...) and added my "web name" or "nickname" to it, and positioned it dead center in 111 images, and this is what I got out of it!!



It's about 1/4 speed from how it will be animated on my phone, but since I used Windows Movie Maker to put the images together, the minimum frame rates and speeds are theirs to control...

I'm gonna' try to get a video of the phone itself up, so I can share it in all it's glory once I add it to my phone.

Let me know what you think!

Gingerbread is HERE!!!!

FINALLY, after months of teasing, and half baked (get it?  :D) promises, Android version 2.3 AKA; Gingerbread is upon us!

First deployment will be on the Nexus S, which Best Buy has recently reopened their site to sell.

The Nexus S' available specs (From Android Central):

• Operating System: Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
• Display: 4-inch touchscreen
• Resolution: 800 x 480
• Processor: 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 Hummingbird
• RAM: 512 MB
• Internal Storage: 16 GB
• Battery: Lithium Ion 1500 mAh
• PC Connector: USB 2.0
• WiFi: 802.11 b/g/n
• Bluetooth: 2.1 + EDR
• Camera: 5 MP on the back + front-facing VGA camera
• Internet Calling Support: VOIP + SIP
• From what I understand, Google has gotten a bit savvy (greedy?) and excluded a micro SD card slot, so Network: Quad-Band GSM: 850/900/1800/1900, Tri-Band HSPA: 900/2100/1700
• US carrier: T-Mobileyou're stuck with only 16G (not that most will need more than that, but for those that do, expandable memory is always a plus).

BREAKING:  Android 2.3 to include keyboard controls for Playstation/other gaming?!?!

The Android SDK site has now been updated with the 2.3 download for developers.  Android central has an AWESOME list of all of the new features and toys to play with, available to devs.  To abbreviate, it consists of a New base Linux kernel version, New media framework, better Networking, and Dalvik runtime improvements.

Here's a lil' preview video released by Google, released Dec. 1st.



And here's the Android 2.3 User's Guide for a few more details you may be looking for.

That's about all I got for now, so here's every link I can find so far on the Gingerbread release!!

Android Central's report on the Nexus S site

XDA's report on the Gingerbread release

Android Central's list of toys for developers

Android Central's Nexus S back story

Android Central's Gingerbread release report

Forum discussions on Gingerbread:
XDA1
XDA2
Android Central

Need more input, Johnny 5?

Let me Google it for you!

Flashin' Fonts N junk...

Today I plan on experimenting with font flashing.  A developer by the code name Everevolv once posted a flashable font called 'Sony Sketch'.  It's the default for Everevolv's ROM, and my favorite font to date.  I use the .zip provided to flash Sketch over every ROM's default font.  Today I saw a font I really liked while watching 'Young Justice' with our kids, and I went searching...  I didn't find it, but I DID find these, and though I doubt any of them will look cool enough to replace Sketch as my favorite, it DID get the gears goin', and now I want to learn how to create a flashable font .zip to play with different font types...

I also plan on using THIS THREAD to learn how to create my own splash screen (image that shows just before the system boot animation while loading)...  I created an image that I'm using as my wallpaper, and would really like to play with it a bit more and possibly make it my splash screen when I start learning how to build ROMS! More on that later!

Follow this thread for updates if you too want to play with the fonts and stuff on your phone!

What's YOUR favorite font?  Would you like to use it as your Android device's font?

Green Friday

How many of you guys bought, or saw great deals on Android devices/accessories today?  Anything you might ask the big guy from the North Pole for?

I'm lookin' for a Galaxy or Archos tab in MY stocking!  What's on your Christmas wish list?

Let's learn TOGETHER!

My latest goal is to learn how to build a ROM, and Theme it, and not brick my, or anyone else's phone. I've been doing a TON of research on how to do this, and thought I'd share some of the resources I plan on using.  If you wanna' play too, here are the links!

1: dsixda's HTC Android Kitchen

Who is this kitchen for?

->Those who are brand new to "cooking" and want an easy place to start

->Those who just want to modify shipped ROMs or someone else's custom ROMs to their liking

->Those who are confused by all those scripts and complex commands required for building and extracting

2: How to theme a ROM

->To create themes, or to edit themes to your liking, you will need a working knowledge of android, adb, how to resign apk's, knowledge of your own O/S.

3: Evo Themes, Mods and More! (2.1+) The Playground

->This is a thread to help begin theming and moding the Evo to our likings. I only want to make this a friendly place to unite and create. No disrespect will be tolerated, no creations without proper credits as well, lets make creations and give fellowship.

These are just a few of the many I have and will be using, so stay tuned!  I'll be adding to this one as I find useful tools, and instructions!

If you have any helpful tips, tricks or tools, feel free to shoot 'em to me, and I'll try 'em out and put 'em up!

My new favorite Android pic!

My family and I are HUGE Star Wars fans (we don't dress up or go to conventions, or anything, just fans).  So when I saw this pic, it INSTANTLY became my new favorite.  Unfortunately the forum I found it on was old, and decrepit, so I couldn't find the artist's name.  The original had 2 other Jedi Droids on either side, but it kinda' looked like they were getting their asses kicked, so I blended them out, and tuned up the rest of the pic a bit.

REVIEW: Sprint's LG Optimus S & Samsung Fumble- I mean Intercept

A few weeks back, my fiancée found "the perfect phone" at Best Buy.  It was pink, running Android, and had a slide out, physical keyboard.  It was reminiscent of the G1, which she LOVED.  I felt it was a little cheap feeling, but if she was happy with it, I was too...  The next day, she wasn't happy anymore.  It was a Samsung Intercept.  I think the only thing it had goin' for it was that it was running Android (and only Eclair at that, so it was more like GONE instead of going).  The phone felt lighter and emptier than my 2 1/2 year old's playskool phone, and had about the same functionality.  It was un-updatable, dropped calls like an iPhone without a bumper, and NONE of the Android features had a chance on it's radio/hardware.  Basically, I could have gotten a better phone out of a 25C claw machine

(theeee CLAAAAAAWWWWW).

I was talking to the homies at VirusROM yesterday, and they too complained about their significant others complaints about the phones, so (kinda' as a joke) I suggested that while my Fiancée was out with the kids, she make a quick stop at Best Buy to chuck the phone at one of their larger windows (would have done more damage to the phone than the window) to request that Samsung kindly shove their Instinct up their asses.  She didn't, but when she got home, I talked her into checking online to see if anything comparable was available so she could make an exchange.  She called to find out about what options she had available, and while she was explaining that the phone drops EVERY call, the call dropped...  We found a replacement, and the rest is history.

We got her the  LG Optimus S and it's AMAZINGLY better!

It's a tad bit smaller than an iPhone, but works just as well as my EVO (which we originally got her when I got mine, but it was a little too much powerhouse for her).  It's a pretty basic phone, with a 3.2 mp camera, 320X480 display, and a microSD slot to name a few (Here are the full specs from Phone Arena).  I REALLY like that even though it's small, the screen still rotates to landscape when turned to the side.  This widens the on screen keyboard a bit, and hopefully complaints about typing will cease.  It came with Sprint's new ID service  installed, which I THINK is a way to theme your phone with icons, backgroundds and apps based on what you like to do with it and what you're interested in.  I'll have more on that after I steal it, and play with it a bit.  It was pretty annoying that the phone asked for her to choose an ID pack before the phone was even activated, and before she even knew what ID was.  Luckily I read a few reviews, and sorta' knew we could skip it.  In a nutshell, the LG Optimus is the perfect phone for the person who wants a smartphone but doesn't necessarily need a mini super computer in their pocket like I do (plus, it's rootable, so I'll have something to play with if I get bored some day).  Once again, she's happy therefore all is right with the world...

Web 2.0 Summit 2010: Points of Control

There are so many different types of gatherings these days, put together by Companies and their CEOs it gets a little hard to keep track of.  Most of them are pretty boring, but every once in a while there's an announcement of a new product or service that WE as users care about.  The rest is all millionaires playing "big bank takes lil' bank" or "anything you can do, I can try to do too, but most likely won't succeed".

I wasn't really interested in the Web 2.0 Summit (mostly 'cause I ALWAYS have the lil' bank, and I didn't even know about it until this morning :D) until I read on Android Central that Google CEO Eric Schmidt was opening the conference, and president of Global Sales Operations and Business Development, Nikesh Arora would be speaking later in the day tomorrow.  Since we've all been waiting on pins and needles, conveniently placed on the edge of whatever seat we're on for Gingerbread, Mr. Schmidt and Mr. Arora's involvement has me eager, to put it simply.

From what I understand, Web 2.0 is the conference where ALL of the tippy tops of ALL the biggest web/tech corporations get together, and decide what we ALL need, and how they can profit from it.  It's like that secret society that's gonna' run the world some day, but not so secret, and will still run the world some day...  The schedule is INTENSE, and includes speakers and presenters from Microsoft, American Express, Cisco, Yahoo, Zynga (poker chip stealing bastards...) and I Can Has Cheeeburger(?!  seriously?!).

There's also a REALLY sweet map that I don't understand (but it's pretty and I can move it, that's my definition of SWEET).  Cross your fingers and hope we get some good news outta' Web 2.0!  Some new Google acquisitions would be awesome!  Wonder if they're bringing cookies...