Replacement battery for Android Dev Phone 1

This is a long pending post that I wanted to write. In April, after about a year of purchase of my Android Dev Phone 1 (a.k.a. ADP1), its battery started draining out. It became so bad that that I had to keep the phone always on charging. While at home/office, I used to charge it using USB/AC power. While driving, I kept it charging using a nifty car adapter.

After about a week of frustration and laziness (to search for a fix), I decided to buy a replacement battery. But the question was, whom do I contact for the replacement battery? HTC? Google? or Brightstar (the distributor) ? Phew…. Read the rest of this entry »

My list of must-have Android apps

Ever since I ordered and got my Android Dev Phone 1 (a.k.a. ADP1), I have been taking it through various updates. The phone shipped with Android version 1.0 and upgraded to version 1.6. After 1.6, I opted to go for ROMs from CynaogenMod.

Each time, I upgrade my phone, I wipe off its data. This is because I took the upgrades as an opportunity to wipe off applications which I install, but do not use or use occasionally. But, following is the list of Android applications which I crave to install after each wipe off. These applications are my must-haves on my Android phone. Read the rest of this entry »

Twitter Updates for 2009-11-29

• @anindyar correct me, if wrong. On HTC touch P3450 #Android runs on top of Windows Mobile & not natively. If yes, it works as per many usrs in reply to anindyar #
• Easy is to opt for custom development & difficult to develop on a platform. Former is successful in short run, latter runs longer #
• @anindyar oh ok. U may (u may have already ) browse thru XDA forum http://forum.xda-developers.com/ for answers (if any) in reply to anindyar #
• @vinodunny wonder what u were upto to find this , followed by @anindyar desperately trying to install Android on his Windows Mobile phone in reply to vinodunny #
• Second #PHP project using ORM via Active Record in Prado http://bit.ly/5U3csY On the way to forget SQL? #
• Totem Movie Player using Subtitle Downloader plugin, downloads .srt files in directory $HOME/.cache/totem/subtitles/ #Linux #
• Besides showing ReTweets, @Twidroid (Twitter client) for #Android can optionally retweet using the new API. Settings>Use native ReTweet #
• Wish, processes can extend their hands to technology as far as technology extends its hands to them. #
• #Google's #Linux repositories http://www.google.com/linuxrepositories/ #
• While #Linux repository content http://tinyurl.com/28nq4b shows Picasa & #Google Desktop, it also has Chrome Browser (unstable) #
• RT @fossdotin: Online registration for FOSS.IN ends Monday night. Register now, or you pay flat 1000 INR http://foss.in/register #
• You are feeling rather upbeat today, but you still must be car… More for Leo http://twittascope.com/twittascope/?sign=5 #

Twitter Updates for 2009-10-01

• @bineshkutty the shrewdness of all businessmen kneel down before @aseemsood U will know when u meet him – assuming u guys havnt been meeting in reply to bineshkutty #
• #Google #Fail (very dissappointing) RT @vasudevg RT @gigaom Google-Android Developers Rift Widens http://bit.ly/1V9CvT #
• An update on #India 's Unique Identification Number for citizens http://tinyurl.com/ya8etq8 #UIDAI #NandanNilekani #
• #Tata #DoCoMo launches is GSM #mobile services in #Haryana #
• @pankaj_shukla you said OpenAmplify does Twitter analysis. I could not find about it. Pls help #
• RT: @TheGoogleWave: Google Offers Caveats, Teaser For Google Wave Preview http://www.is.gd/3Nb3H #
• Yatta! #HTC did it. #Android 1.6 a.k.a. #Donut update available for Dev phone #ADP1 via http://developer.htc.com/adp.html @shekharg Update! #
• RT @bookmyshow Mumbai Central covered. 3 new multiplexes on BMS – BIG RCity G'Kopar, Cinemax Odeon GKopar and Fun Chembur. 18 new screens! #

Twitter Updates for 2009-09-12

• What a coincidence. Was talking today with a friend about #Twitter alternatives and mentioned about #Yahoo #Meme and got a Meme invite! #
• @bineshkutty One of ur friends has opted out But wud #Yahoo #Meme lead to BBBB? in reply to bineshkutty #
• Seems I got 3 #Yahoo #Meme invitations – back to back. Got 3 mails with 3 different URLs to accept the invitation #
• @bineshkutty btw #HTC #Hero is launched in #India. Cool interface (HTC Sense), which includes a #Twitter. But no keyboard #android #
• @binesbehkutty cool that means u can earn 21 more friends besides me #
• @bineshkutty seems u havnt donated ur blood for a long time #NumberPortability #India in reply to bineshkutty #
• @bineshkutty http://trunc.it/1w5bm "Certain technical and COMMERCIAL (ref. blood) issues are to be resolved" #mobile #MNP #India in reply to bineshkutty #
• Life coming back to normal. Got my #ICICI ATM card back after > 2 months. The card was invalidated because I had availed over draft facility #
• @ICICIBank_Care Got ATM card back after 2 months. Issue was customer care directed us to branch with little clue on how to handle the issue in reply to ICICIBank_Care #
• btw till date I ask money (cash) from my dad and explain (or lie) to him where I spend (whether or not he asks). He keeps my ATM card #
• First take on #Yahoo #Meme. Pros: Simple web interface, very #Twitter like, known jargons like "followers" #
• First take on #Yahoo #Meme. Cons: separate (unnecessary) tabs for posting text, photo, video & music confuse while posting. Limited themes #
• While #Yahoo #Meme maintains the term "followers" (any TM issues here?) like #Twitter, it calls Retweets as Reposts #
• And seems #Yahoo #Meme users are called Memes (and Meme may refer to a single user). Posts (tweets in case of #Twitter) r called posts! #
• A quick google seach (ironic, that I didnt Yahoo! search ) did not reveal anything about the existence of a #Yahoo #Meme API #
• Is this http://meme.boxofjunk.ws/api.html the #Yahoo #Meme API ? I'm confused #
• A #WordPress widget for #Yahoo #Meme http://bit.ly/18GIHL #
• looking at the code of the #WordPress plugin http://tinyurl.com/mmc4qy for #Yahoo #Meme, found that Meme provides RSS feeds #
• #Yahoo #Meme may not have a API like REST, but it provides RSS – e.g. http://tinyurl.com/nahjnr #
• RT: @acarlos1000: @shekharg The #Yahoo #Meme API is based on #YQL, it uses SQL like language: http://bit.ly/jZFNb #
• Was lucky (fast) enough to get "shekhar" as #Meme name which makes my #Yahoo Meme URL: http://meme.yahoo.com/shekhar/ #
• Seems #Twitter has sent emails to all! its users informing about its new terms of service. Anyone who hasnt received this email? #
• This we know: "Twitter may stop (permanently or temporarily) …. and may not be able to provide you with prior notice." #Twitter #TOS #
• @vinodunny why not ? I'm already cross posting from #Twitter to #Facebook (using the Facebook app) in reply to vinodunny #

Twitter Updates for 2009-07-22

• Hon. Dr. #Kalam frisked: I think all VIP and VVIP should be frisked for security. Its unfortunate that it started with a honest man instead. #
• #Kalam #frisked there had been politicians who cancelled trips. But Dr. Kalam did not get offended. So no hype. It must happen to anyone. #
• @VineetBhatnagar tune into #timesnow news channel now for more on #kalam #frisked in reply to VineetBhatnagar #
• #microsoft bowed to #gpl to enhance #linux guest on #windows host and not windows guest on linux host. #hyper-v #
• #solar #eclipse: longest of the century: 6 min and 39 sec. Next total eclipse after 123 years #
• #Microsoft not to blame. It is #Novell http://short.to/kahs #GPL #Linux #Hyper-V #
• @121TWITman #Solar #Eclipse starts at 06:21 hours IST (Indian Standard Time) in reply to 121TWITman #
• @bineshkutty #VC investment for startups http://short.to/kami in reply to bineshkutty #
• @sharat_j @kbhargava #solar #eclipse seems varanasi has the best view. What's up at #bhopal? #
• @sharat_j @kbhargava no tv channel showing bhopal. Is it that bad? #tse22 #
• @hanrahat yes but those enhancements open sourced or released under GPL for other distros and OSS community? in reply to hanrahat #
• @hanrahat oh ok. My point was #Microsoft went for #GPL (a license which it is against) when it came to Windows host and Linux guest in reply to hanrahat #
• http://tinyurl.com/o8ucgv A short conversation between me & Hanrahan (Open Source Tech. Center, Microsoft) #Microsoft #GPL #Hyper-V #
• @aseemsood @sharat_j @kbhargava khaya piya kuch nahi, gilas thora barah aana in reply to aseemsood #
• @aseemsood exclusive eclipse pics http://twitpic.com/b6vs6 and http://twitpic.com/b6vtk from bhopal by @sharat_j and @kbhargava #
• @sharat_j wao! A perfect total eclipse: no Sun in the pic! in reply to sharat_j #
• hey #Firefox 3.5.1 #security update is not yet available for #Fedora 11 through Fedora's repositories #
• @aseemsood use #at command in #Linux to #schedule and execute a program/script at a specified time. Easier than #cron for one time runs #
• @sharat_j sahi hai sir. Jeetu in reply to sharat_j #
• RT @achitnis Does not look good for Windows Mobile RT @SimonJudge: HTC to increase Android adoption in place of Windows Mobile http://bit.l #

Twitter Updates for 2009-07-08

• And here comes the #Google 's Operating System! http://bit.ly/N1rNZ #
• @aseemsood ref: your wondering: refer to para 2 in reply to aseemsood #
• @aseemsood others excited too? They may have their own reasons. My excitement is coz Google OS is no longer a myth and its not GUbuntu in reply to aseemsood #
• @vinodunny offline document access & editing: stage was set long time back http://tinyurl.com/2rgrqt & available #google #docs #gears in reply to vinodunny #
• @aseemsood btw I have nothing whatsoever against #Ubuntu #
• @vinodunny you are right, #Microsoft #Win 7 on #Netbooks is likely 2 hve second mover advantage and tie up with OEMs w.r.t. #Google OS in reply to vinodunny #
• Unofficial #Google #Gears plugin for #Firefox 3.5. Works for me on Firefox 3.5 on Fedora 11 #
• @vinodunny oh sorry that makes win 7 the third runner in reply to vinodunny #
• @vinodunny and surely win xp is the front runner from the ms world and typical to ms is to kill its own front runner in reply to vinodunny #
• @vinodunny lets conclude: You are right about #Microsoft #Win 7 having the advantage over #Google OS w.r.t to ealier release and OEM deals in reply to vinodunny #
• @vinodunny your racers are running against each other. The other racers are running in another stadium called Freedom and Standards in reply to vinodunny #
• @vinodunny Google Chorme may offer a better deal just like #Android which may make Windows vendors (like #HTC) to move on in reply to vinodunny #
• @vinodunny The only reason I didn't bring it up is because I don't know till it happens & thats where Win7 may have advantage in short run. #
• @vinodunny i can only see the advertisment (marketing, money). Does the remaining content requires Silverlight ? in reply to vinodunny #
• @vinodunny why r u comparing #AppEngine with #Google OS. Also the article does not compare the AppEngine with #Azure. I wonder why? in reply to vinodunny #
• http://tinyurl.com/kwze3b started showing after installing #Moonlight 2.0 Preview http://tinyurl.com/cow8x3 on Firefox 3.5 on #Fedora 11 #
• But any subsequent clicks on http://www.windows4all.com/ leads to Object ref error with #Moonlight preview and #Firefox 2.5 on #Fedora 11 #
• @vinodunny not really. Google OS is using Linux kernel and there may be Linux apps Where did u read that it will be totally based on cloud in reply to vinodunny #
• @vinodunny arre web tech may not mean internet or cloud. The desktop apps may have web like interface and sync. Just like in android in reply to vinodunny #
• @vinodunny right. no point talking about it till we see it in reply to vinodunny #
• @achitnis at home? how much do u pay? in reply to achitnis #
• @vinodunny "Google Chrome running within a new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel" By G Chrome they r not referring to Linux kernel in reply to vinodunny #
• @vinodunny I think its a wrongly written post. They r referring to things differently at different places in reply to vinodunny #
• @vinodunny I think its a wrongly written post. They r referring to the OS differently at different places in reply to vinodunny #
• @vinodunny linux kernel will handle the device drivers – built in or as modules in reply to vinodunny #
• @vinodunny leave a comment at the google chrome os reg. ur query on the linux security arch in reply to vinodunny #
• @achitnis lol in reply to achitnis #
• @vinodunny nooo. Why normal users need to know that. Its a tech info that I shared with u. Kya hua beta, naraaj hai kya? Toffee, icecream? in reply to vinodunny #
• @vinodunny arre baba, chrome like other distros (post 1999) will bundle the drivers and devices will hotplug. No compile, install or modprob in reply to vinodunny #

Was about to buy an Android

I was thrilled to spot the news about unlocked developer version of Google’s Android based phone.The news revealed a network unlocked phone called “Android Dev Phone 1″. So far, the only Android based phone which has been available is T-Mobile’s G1 – which is a network locked phone and will not work in India (where I live).

Photo of Android Dev Phone 1 from Android Market

Note that the Dev Phone is meant for developers which just means there will be no support by any company (which includes Google, T-Mobile or HTC). Still it costs as much as a consumer phone (as mentioned later). Read the rest of this entry »