mytracks and updates

I have been using mytracks from google and am really pleased with the updates that now seem to help the ap work. I have noticed this as before while using my push-bike to cycle a route I have seen that there are hardly any missing parts or that the application freezes. have a look at the route I took with my tracks recently.

http://mytracks.appspot.com/

Hi, I'd like to share a Google Maps link with you.
Link:
View Dan And Me in a larger map 

sky map android g1 app for star gazing

Out of all the apps I have downloaded, I wanted to use sky map to look at the stars while on holiday. Only while away the days that I remembered to look up to the sky above, clouds stopped me. The app always boots up and can pinpoint stars and I have used it several times to show how good the android g1 phone is in comparison to others. The ability of the app to search and to show any stars that you see in the distance is exvellent.
Vinny
have a look at the video on googles site to explain in detail
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/planetarium-in-your-pocket.html

New app for finding nearby in android

I have always thought that it would not take long to use the gps and database of google to search local places. Below is the latest app from google which i have just downloaded. With the latest cupcake or ver 1.5 the app works quick to pinpoint your position then to find which service you need.

An example is to find the nearest chemist. I tapped on the plus. carried out a search and within a few seconds had a list of the nearest chemist. Clicked on the more info and went to the site. All opening times and location.

have a read of the google review:

Places Directory app for Android

Posted: 02 Jun 2009 11:58 AM PDT

As an engineer based in Taipei, I frequently travel to Google headquarters in Mountain View. When I'm there, I'm always looking for local businesses to try out, like coffee shops and restaurants. I also forget where the banks and ATM's are. While Search and Maps can help me find the information I need, it's nice to have the option to browse a directory of places, as well. For instance, if I need some money, do I search for an ATM or a bank? If I had a short list of business categories to choose from, I could just scan it to choose the right one. After talking to some colleagues, we decided to devote our 20% time to building an Android application that figures out what places are nearby and arranges them in a directory format. Friends and colleagues tested the app and found it handy, so we decided to launch "Places Directory" on Android Market as a Google Labs product.

As the name implies, Places Directory allows you to browse nearby places in categories like Restaurants, Movie Theaters, Hotels and Banks. You'll see distance and directions to the destination, and if you tap on the listing, we'll show ratings and photos. You can also call the business or view its location on Google Maps.



To download Places Directory to your Android-powered phone, search for "Places Directory" on Android Market. We currently support US English and Chinese. Try it out and let us know what you think by providing feedback in the comments below. In the meantime, I look forward to going back to Mountain View and finding some good local restaurants.

Android reboot for sound not working same as windows ??

I had sound issues on my android. I tried to play last fm and my music stored on sd card but no sound was out of the speakers or headphones. Thinking it was hardware i checked all the connections but found no issues.
Then thinking about window pcs and the normal reboot which cures a lot of issues....tried a reboot. It is the first time I have had to reboot in version 1.5 or cupcake and have been very pleased with all the apps which seem to be working smoother, quicker and up to now with not one reboot....well now to cure the sound a hard press on the power off button. Wait 30 seconds or more and start up. Tried lastfm and my music and sound is out of my speakers...strange hope this is not a regular occurence.
Vinny

After upgrading the firmware on the android to version 1.5 all apps have to be downloaded again. I thought I would share the apps I have downloaded with you.

twidroid

shopsavvy

mytracks

labyrinth lite

last.fm

twidroid, I use to update my status on facebook, take pictures and upload from my android phone.
shopsavvy, I have used to impress friends, Sometimes it will work on barcodes. Depends on the company.
mytracks, I have used on my pushbike and a previous update you can see my route around Croydon.
Labyrinth lite, I do not play games but like the idea of some for occasional use. A classic which makes use of the android phone.
last.fm I use on my pc and see it as a addition for my phone. Great to listen to music on the go.

Vinny

Upgrading to ver 1.5 cupcake

O2 UK (contract) mobile.o2.co.uk web password DNS: 193.113.200.200, 193.113.200.201 O2 UK (prepaid) payandgo.o2.co.uk payandgo payandgo -
http://www.quickim.com/support/gprs-settings.html#UK

Above are the settings if you are on O2 when adding the apn settings.

I had problems with updating the htc website and tried the link further down.
some of the issues i feel should be noted

I managed to put the 1 meg sd card fitted originally
I used this in a convertor card on a windows machine
I formatted the card in fat32
When I tried to reboot I hit the power off button instead of the return, back button and home
I was pressing alt + W, which wipes the data. You do not always need to do this
Then you have to add the apn settings and wifi info etc.
I formatted the sd card to fat32 again. This was the original card which they say could have had issues on it.

I used this guide to start me off the route to updating

alopecoid

View profile

(2 users) More options Apr 28, 2:10 pm

From: alopecoid ...@gmail.com>

Date: Tue, 28 Apr 2009 06:10:32 -0700 (PDT)

Local: Tues, Apr 28 2009 2:10 pm

Subject: Successful Update To Android 1.5: Here Is How I Did It

Hi,

Last night, I successfully updated my Android Dev Phone 1 (ADP1) to
use Android version 1.5. I am new to this process and hit a few snags
along the way, so I figured I would share my experiences in hopes that
they will possibly help others in the same situation.

It might be worth mentioning that I executed these steps on a MacBook
Pro running OS X 10.5.6, though I think these steps will work
regardless.

First, I stumbled across this page, which contains instructions and
links to all the necessary downloads:
http://www.htc.com/www/support/android/adp.html

****************************************************************
What did NOT work (for me):
****************************************************************

After reading the instructions, I downloaded the Android SDK (later I
found that I did NOT need to do this), and decided to go with the
"fastboot method". To make a long story short, no matter what I did,
executing "adb devices" would not list my device. Neither did
"fastboot devices".

****************************************************************
What DID work (for me):
****************************************************************

1. Download the "Radio Image" file (ota-radio-2_22_19_26I.zip) and the
"Recovery Image" file (signed-dream_devphone-ota-147201.zip).

2. Make sure that a MicroSD card is in the phone, and connect it to a
computer via USB (non-Mac users may have to install certain USB
drivers first). Select the USB notification when it appears on the
phone, and when prompted, mount the device.

3. Copy the "Radio Image" file (ota-radio-2_22_19_26I.zip) to the root
directory of the MicroSD card (I simply used Finder to do this) and
rename it to "update.zip". When finished, unmount the USB device (I
used the "eject" button in Finder).

4. Turn off the phone (by holding the "end call" button). While
holding down the "home" button, turn the phone on again (again, by
pressing the "end call" button). When you see the "!" icon, flip out
your keyboard and press the key combination ALT+l (that is a lower
case "L"). When you see the console-based menu appear, press the key
combination ALT+s. When the progress bar completes, press both the
"home" and "back" buttons on the phone at the same time. This reboots
the device, which should eventually bring up Android as normal.

5. Repeat step #2. Delete the "update.zip" file from the MicroSD card
(I did this using Finder).

6. Copy the "Recovery Image" file (signed-dream_devphone-
ota-147201.zip) to the root directory of the MicroSD card (I simply
used Finder to do this) and rename it to "update.zip". When finished,
unmount the USB device (I used the "eject" button in Finder).

7. Repeat step #4. When finished (and after a long initial boot), you
should be running Android 1.5. You can choose to repeat step #5 to
cleanup the unneeded file from the MicroSD card.

These are the steps that worked for me. Take them "with a grain of
salt", as I am not sure that they will work for everyone. One thing to
mention that didn't seem to be stated anywhere, is that this process
kept in tact all of my previous data, settings, and applications.
Again, just be cautious. Just because this worked for me, doesn't
necessarily mean this will work for everyone.

I hope this was helpful!

am now using the ver 1.5 or cupcake for t1 users

Vinny

Updating the dev android phones firmware

Have found a good link which explains how to update the android phone. As I have a G1 dev phone this method is for me.
Vinny

http://www.htc.com/www/support/android/adp.html

Picture taking with the android phone

the picture below was taken with the android camera. although the spec is 3mega pixel it is sometimes hard to get a decent pic. This time though the rays were caught on my bike. I think it makes a good pic......
Vinny

The android camera and twitter and gmail and sending

Sunday I visited box hill on my Ducati 916. Its a meeting place for bikers. While there I used my android phone to take a picture in twitter and also to send pictures by email. I have added the pictures below. There is a variety of ways to use.
I took a picture, saved to the sd card.
I took a picture, choose the share option and as I have twitter installed, I updated with a few short words. If you follow me on twitter you can see the pics.
I took a picture and choose the option to send them by Gmail to a friend.

One thing i have noticed is that the phone prefers to be in the up position. As if you are holding the phone to your ear, this way the picture fills the screen. If you use the camera in landscape, when viewed the picture is squashed to fit. See if you can see the difference below.

My tracks in shirley / first time

First time in using my tracks to record a bike ride around the local area. Took a while for the gps to get a setting but i started the ride without checking. i have uploaded on my twitter profile and sent to google maps. search for me Vincenzo Iaciofano.
Nice scenic route but with a couple of hills that test the muscles and gears. While loading the my maps app i also had last fm playing although i believe the signal was lost a few times and kept buffering....
Vinny

go to google maps
type in Vincenzo Iaciofano
see my journey today
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?utm_campaign=en_GB&utm_medium=ha&utm_source=en_GB-ha-emea-gb-bk-gm&utm_term=road

MYTRACKS AND TWIDROID how to keep track

have just downloaded mytracks and twidroid from the applications site. I see that the users keep track of their favorite routes for running or biking. I think an application like this would be great for the local users in towns. For instance if you know of local walks or bike routes in your area you can record the distance taken, the app will place on google maps giving an idea of inclines also and the routes taken and how long. Great if you want to improve times or even know roughly how long the trail is.
Having downloaded the apps i am looking forward to trying them out.
Vinny

link to the original post. Good you tube video with details.


http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/02/happy-trails-with-my-tracks-for-android.html

Sync of gmail and contacts for apple iphone and nokia

I have seen the apple iphone and have friends with nokia mobiles. As I am such an avid user of Google products, gmail, calender etc. I am surprised to see that Google is now offering to work with these other phones. Just received the mail below and you can see that now its possible to use your Google programs successfully with your phones.
I find that my android takes a while to sync up, maybe a few minutes but it is very helpful to keep contacts correct.
Vinny

Google Mobile Blog


Google Sync Beta for iPhone, WinMo and SyncML Phones

Posted: 09 Feb 2009 09:47 AM PST
One of the hardest parts about switching phones is getting your address book and calendar to your new device. We're making that process a little easier by releasing a beta version of Google Sync for the iPhone and Windows Mobile phones as well as a contacts-only version for phones that support SyncML.

For iPhone and Windows Mobile devices, Google Sync allows you to get your Gmail Contacts and Google Calendar events to your phone. Once you set up Sync on your phone, it will automatically begin synchronizing your address book and calendar in the background, over-the-air, so you can attend to other tasks. Sync uses push technology so any changes or additions to your calendar or contacts are reflected on your device in minutes. The connection is always on so you don't have to manually sync your phone after Sync has been set up. This means that when your colleague changes the time of the TPS report cover sheets meeting, you'll know about it right away.

Since Sync is a two-way service, you can make changes on your phone or in your Google Account. Your calendar and contacts are always up-to-date, no matter where you are or what you're doing. Also, since your data is automatically backed up to your Google Account, it's securely stored even if you lose your phone.

For devices that support the open SyncML protocol, Google Sync will allow for two-way contacts synchronization. If you're a BlackBerry user, a version of Google Sync is already available.



Following the Google credo to launch early and iterate, we're introducing Sync in beta. We encourage you to visit our Help Center to review device specific instructions and known issues. Also, please keep in mind that Google Sync may remove all existing contacts and calendar events from your phone, so make sure to back up any important data before you set it up. You can find more information on backing up in the Help Center.

To try Sync out, visit m.google.com/sync

Posted by Bryan Mawhinney, Software Engineer, Google Mobile

New app for the google android, last fm

One website i use from my desktop is also availble for the android. It was very quick to install and i have used a few times. Download the app from your phone or go to the web site at

http://www.last.fm/hardware/android

Vinny

First Google Android Application compare everywhere

For me the most important android applications are gmail, the calender and database with the phone numbers. The other apps are extra. I tend to use those features the most but I have started to look around and one of the first I downloaded and I have tried is compare-everywhere. The idea is you scan a item, the item will be shown and a search for the item will be carried out with costs on the web. Out of 5 products I tried only one worked, a can of wd40. It could be that barcode scans are ok as long as they are generic not detailed to the company. I tried an ikea product and it could not recognise the product. I even tried a packet of kellogs frosties but no success. I have recently shown friends and the best product to use seems to be either a record or dvd.
See my you tube link for the phone working and the applications.
Tell me what you think!
Vinny
site address
http://compare-everywhere.com/

The first tip? holding the clock face on G1 android

Holding the clock down on the home page.
Seems to empty the trash can.
Clock can be moved to the trash. Can be moved to another place on the page and stays in place.
Vibrates but why?

Checking the info from the T1 mobile android pdf, the info is not the same.

Using the android

Just found out that pressing the clock on the main page seems to empty the bin. Although I can not be sure and have been looking on the web. Made me think that the phone needs a user guide. Then I found on the web the user manual for the android phone T mobile. Lots of interesting tips to use the phone.
another site i found to search for apps from your computer is
http://www.cyrket.com/

Playing with android

The phone has arrived. to look at it is so small and easy to set up. I have just had to set up apn settings. the details was taken from a web site www.quickim.com/support/gprs-settings.html for my particular sim card. The android will work on any network.
It is all up and working. if you are used to the settings on a phone in depth there is nothing new. Lots of help on the web. I have found the user instructions online in pdf.

Applications on the Android phone

first i have to buy an android phone to try and develop an application. Also i would like to test out the applications and feed back on here. Look forward to your comments.....
Have placed an order for a unlocked phone today...