DROIDICAL

• New post: Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-02-27 (http://bit.ly/dAP69d) http://bit.ly/dAP69d ##Droid #Android_OS #
• Just removed Sipdroid http://appaware.org/gk from my #Android #Droid – via #AppAware #
• Just removed Word Of Mouth http://appaware.org/1vC from my #Android #Droid – via #AppAware #
• Just removed MeteorLiteWVGA http://appaware.org/13R from my #Android #Droid – via #AppAware #
• Just updated Twidroid http://appaware.org/1w on my #Android #Droid – via #AppAware #
• Just removed Shot 2nd Edition http://appaware.org/AT from my #Android #Droid – via #AppAware #
• Just removed fring http://appaware.org/h from my #Android #Droid – via #AppAware #
• Just removed FartDroid http://appaware.org/34 from my #Android #Droid – via #AppAware #
• Just removed Retro Defense Lite http://appaware.org/zb from my #Android #Droid – via #AppAware #
• I'm using #AppAware http://appaware.org for #Android #
• Just installed SeePU http://appaware.org/20 on my #Android #Droid – via #AppAware #
• Just installed abcOrganizer lite http://appaware.org/1y6 on my #Android #Droid – via #AppAware #
• Just updated AppAware http://appaware.org/d on my #Android #Droid – via #AppAware #
• Just updated SeePU http://appaware.org/20 on my #Android #Droid – via #AppAware #
• Just updated Hanping Chinese-English Dictionary http://appaware.org/8N on my #Android #Droid – via #AppAware #
• Just updated SeePU http://appaware.org/20 on my #Android #Droid – via #AppAware #
• Just updated TimeZone http://appaware.org/1u3 on my #Android #Droid – via #AppAware #
• Just updated Yelp http://appaware.org/aV on my #Android #Droid – via #AppAware #

• New post: Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-02-20 (http://bit.ly/b15OYJ) http://bit.ly/b15OYJ ##Droid #Android_OS #
• New post: Skype Out On Droid (http://bit.ly/bm4fEp) #android #skype #
• I'm using #AppAware http://appaware.org for #Android #
• Just updated gTasks http://appaware.org/10x on my #Android #Droid – via #AppAware #
• Just updated Last.fm http://appaware.org/kA on my #Android #Droid – via #AppAware #
• Just updated Twidroid http://appaware.org/1w on my #Android #Droid – via #AppAware #
• The 'just in' section of #androidmarket is showing almost all medical/fitness type apps.Is this some app space considered a new opportunity? #
• Just updated Slacker http://appaware.org/pc on my #Android #Droid – via #AppAware #
• Just updated Last.fm http://appaware.org/kA on my #Android #Droid – via #AppAware #
• Just updated SleepTimer http://appaware.org/rO on my #Android #Droid – via #AppAware #
• Just updated WordPress http://appaware.org/df on my #Android #Droid – via #AppAware #
• Just installed PlayMe http://appaware.org/OW on my #Android #Droid – via #AppAware #
• Just installed Worship Music http://appaware.org/fA on my #Android #Droid – via #AppAware #
• Just installed Shazam http://appaware.org/B on my #Android #Droid – via #AppAware #
• Just removed Shazam http://appaware.org/B from my #Android #Droid – via #AppAware #
• Just installed Tube Downloader http://appaware.org/42 on my #Android #Droid – via #AppAware #
• Just installed i Music http://appaware.org/c0 on my #Android #Droid – via #AppAware #

I have been trying to figure out the cleanest Skype Out solution on Android.  The official Skype app for Android really only does IM and then uses your mobile phone (minutes) for outgoing calling. This is actually not bad if you can spend the minutes or don’t call frequently. I always thought it would be cool to get a ‘real’ voip solution using my existing Skype account (without spending on another VOIP solution like SIP or whatever).

The two best options I have found so far are Fring and Nimbuzz. I found Fring to be a little buggy and cludgy on the UI side of things. I liked the clean Nimbuzz approach. Easy to see the diff between your different IM accounts. For Skype out type calling I could only call land lines if they were in my buddy list… and if I ’showed offline contacts’ in the menu. 

The other advantage to Nimbuzz is after the outbound call connects it gives you a dialpad (going through an automated system) which is handy. The bummer is if you want to call someone they have to be a contact on your list… you can’t just dial a number like you can in your normal skype client.

I have read of people enabling sipdroid with Skype out info but it hasn’t worked for me yet.  Until something better I will probably use Nimbuzz (which also works well for multi-headed IM client)…. so if you know of a another solution let me know.

This is a general reply to all the geek writers that keep reporting how terrible it is that there are all these different android devices out there for users to try to figure out.  This is just writing from your own perspective.

Most users are not going around and trying to figure out all the different ‘Android’ devices.  They are not like you.  They are not comparing Nexus One with Droid or looking at the differences between 1.5, 2.0, 2.0.1 and 2.1 to make their decision. They are not sampling every possible smartphone on the market, looking at trends, attempting to make sure they are on the ‘best’ platform or device.

I think for most people the search starts with the network provider, then goes from there, especially now that there are ‘options’ on each network.

• New post: Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-01-30 (http://bit.ly/d22QeP) http://bit.ly/d22QeP ##Droid #Android_OS #
• I just voted for "Offer a native Android app" what do you think? http://uservoice.com/a/iZzqO #8tracks #feedback #
• If you are looking for skype/wifi calling try nimbuzz. There is a trick to calling your regular contct… gonna have to blog it. #

• @droidninja I think this is really needed for android, hopefully it won't be carrier specific. in reply to droidninja #
• New post: Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-12-26 (http://bit.ly/c4dHSi) http://bit.ly/c4dHSi ##Droid #Android_OS #
• New post: Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-01-02 (http://bit.ly/bm1mdv) http://bit.ly/bm1mdv ##Droid #Android_OS #
• New post: Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-01-09 (http://bit.ly/czqDDX) http://bit.ly/czqDDX ##Droid #Android_OS #
• New post: Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-01-16 (http://bit.ly/aPwJcQ) http://bit.ly/aPwJcQ ##Droid #Android_OS #
• New post: Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-01-23 (http://bit.ly/9GKFJy) http://bit.ly/9GKFJy ##Droid #Android_OS #
• Last.fm scrobbler causes a skip I think, it's either that or my BT headset #
• @droidical sorry last.fm I think it's an droid bluetooth… if I change volume, the motorola headset starts blipping in reply to droidical #
• #youtube on #android always seems to lag and why can't it play any vids in my subs, but same video in a playlist works??? #

I saw a Motorola Bluetooth headset on sale at Amazon and decided to go for it.  Always wanted to be wire free but didn’t have a new enough device to take advantage of it, nor could I bare to even think about spending the type of money have have wanted for them.  There are better deals out there than before.

Take the one I got for example… 40$-ish from Amazon after shipping and tax, seemed like a decent enough deal (I think I missed this when they sold it at Verizon store for 24$ in one of their 24 hour sales).

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d.html/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/190-7720955-1250669?a=B002BH3I9U

Not really wanting to do a full review of the Motorola S305 headset for the Droid.  Suffice to say I can pair it and listen to music without having to mess with wires while working or working out.  Very cool feature that I did not realize about this headset is that it also has a mic built in.  If I get a call while wearing them I can answer as if I was wearing my regular bluetooth ear piece. I may shift it over to my mac for skype usage as well.

The *squelched* in the title really has nothing to do with the actual headset but with Android Bluetooth support.  Summary is that while a Bluetooth audio device will pair with your Android phone you can’t use any of the controls on the remote device to trigger functionality in Android. The most obvious is limited ability to push a ‘talk’ button on your Bluetooth ear piece it won’t do anything on your voice like… open the voice dialer.  Similarly, my new fancy headset has skip/repeat/pause/volume controls which do nothing on the Droid.

A lot of people discovered this when they bought the Droid and were a little upset in some cases and ready to return the device.

https://supportforums.motorola.com/thread/15939

http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Android+Market/thread?tid=68ee7bd469245477&hl=en

http://androidcommunity.com/forums/f41/voice-dial-and-bluetooth-4999/

So if you go through and read a bunch of these the deeper developer types will tell you it’s not Motorola or HTC that is to blame but Android Bluetooth ’stack’ itself that the big G needs to improve to make this happy (so you know who to blame).  Either way it’s kind of lame…. seems like it would be priority for a phone device to get working.

One consolation is that this only came to the iPhone with the 3G update (so I read) or their latest OS release… but that’s not too consoling to me. The only thing that consoles me is to know that it’s only a software problem and not a hardware or device issues so it CAN be fixed.

• @MGeekMobi I don’t think #multitouch is the biggest woe for #android right now, but it’s a symptom of it #
• Watched a buddy log into his mac and pull up live tv…definitely advantages to being all-apple #
• Just ordered #motorola headset from #amazon on sale for $40 bucks down from 100 http://short.to/12wdk #
• Droid keeps switching to 3G when I lock the screen when I am in range of my home wifi. #

• My #droid showing connected to 3G and wifi at once… some kind of glitch, keep waiting for 3G to turn off but stayed since last night #
• SD card not recognized on start up….little scary, restart cured #
• Paint PRO camera works nicely, I think better than built in camera software on the #droid #

• Wish androlib.com was faster or there was a better alternative #
• note to self: when using #droid for shopping list make sure you lock the screen before putting back in pocket or find a 'read-only' list #
• Wonder how google #nexus will do on selling without being able to touch. I was not going to get a #droid until I played with it. #
• #android and #droid devs, noticing auto brightness inconsistencies or full bright stuck with no keyboard backlight,switch setting on/off fix #
• Dazzboard should do a deal with Amazon…otherwise it's no itunes. #