Absolutely must have Android Apps for Shoyo HTC desire

OK! If you google top android apps I pretty sure that it will generated huge list of web site from top 5, top 10, even top 50 apps!!! So what’s so difference with my? For my case, here are some of the apps that is ABSOLUTELY must have!!! If I gonna flash my phone, or format my phone or ever will I upgrade my phone, I pretty sure I will install all this apps into my phone (not unless I found any new and better one) As for now, I present to you the absolutely must have Android Apps for Shoyo HTC Desire!

Not in any particular order, all with QR code

1. Apps Organizer

Why? If you ever struggle with trying to put more program short cut, apps into your home screen. You will appreciate apps organizer, it allow you to tag your apps into custom categories and then putting it as widget. Just imagine creating multiple folders and putting your program short cut inside. With this, I can categories all my apps in one home pages, then use the rest of the home pages for other widgets.

2. Bar code scanner

This has been feature in multiple site, and it is also one of my personal favourite. It is basically a barcode scanner program that allow you to scan barcode or QR code, then it will try to search the products / website / android apps / contact etc from the web. It also can generate QR code for your existing apps / contact / web site and share it with others. Never fail to amaze my colleagues or friends.

3. ES File explorer

A file explorer program that allow me to access my LAN share folders through WI FI and copy / paste to my phone or pc. What more I need to say?

4. Funky expenses

If you are a person that very good in keeping your finances or expenses then this program is not for me. Else for people like me sometime just don’t know where my money go, Funky expenses provide me the ability to keep track my expenses while include my Bank and credit card account in check. You need to do a bit of debit & credit though.

5. GDocs

The ability to sync with my Google Docs while allowing me to edit those documents with a free price tag!!! Can I have an excel version also? >w<

6. Google Googles

I don’t really use this app very often, but the ability to scan a physical items and able to search the matching item is really really impressive!!! iPhone users gonna have this app really soon, so show this off to them before they get it!!!

7. GStrings

Please!!! Whatever is in your mind, this app is not what you are thinking about!!! Basically this is a guitar tuner programs to tune your guitar, and it is pretty accurate!

8. Handy Calc

A calculator that provide not just basic mathematic calculation, but scientific calculator, unit converter, variable and function and and and currency converter that actually include Brunei Currency!!!

9. Led Desire Light

If you already updated your Desire to Froyo 2.2, then you may not need this. Or else, an app that make use of your LED flash as torch light, or use it to generate morse code for fun. It is an app that you will appreciate when you need it.

10. Rock Player

The problems with Android is the inability to play multiple video format. As far as I am aware, default android player still have problems to play some div / avi files. So rock player is here for the rescue if you want to play other format. So far I have no problem with avi, div, flv format, playing 720p mkv will lag which is a bit disappointing for me, since those are most of the video format I have.

11. Bible

If you are a Christian and don’t mind to use your data plan or WI FI for Bible reading. This is by far the best online Bible I have come across. Support multiple format include NIV, NLT, and other popular format. What’s the price? Free!!!

12. MSN Talk

If you only use windows live account for chatting, which happen to most users in this region (or Brunei) and absolutely can’t wait for windows live to exist in Google phone (will they?) MSN talk is one of the best MSN chat clients I used, while Fring and others come second.

Is this all I have? Of course Not! I have lot’s more apps & games that I have installed to my phone are worth mentioning. But I feel that this are some of the programs that I just can’t go without it! The other apps like Facebook, twitter are default apps that you will have, and evernote / drop box has been mentioned all the time. I may blog about my choices of Android games in the future depends on the outcome. So continue to stay tune with me :)

Steps by steps of rooting HTC Desire and upgrade to Froyo version by Shoyo

After I acquire my HTC Desire for over a month, more and more I realize why so many peoples is into rooting Android device. I wouldn’t explain why you should root your phone and the benefit of it, since it is easily available when you google it. But I want to do is give a step by steps approach of rooting the device, this is the process that actually took me quite a while to find a methods that actually work for me. This methods work for me as I am using a unbrand and unlock Brunei version (which I believe is similar to Singapore set), so my methods may not work for you.

First of all, to make your life easier please backup all your stuffs in your HTC device before hand, and have your installer, updater downloaded and ready.

Steps 1:

1. Install HTC sync to your computer first, you can find the installer from the SD card that came with your HTC device, or you can download it from official HTC website.

2. Download unrevoked recovery and flash tools from this site. http://unrevoked.com/recovery/

After that you can follow the instruction on how to flash and root your device from this here. http://rootmydroid.co.uk/guides/desire/howto-root-your-htc-desire/ I basically follow his first steps to successfully root my HTC desire.

Once you root your device, then option on what to do with your HTC desire will open up tremendously. You can either keep it with Android 2.1 and start downloading some of the apps that only work with rooting device. Like market enabler from http://bit.ly/dpUKQP where it allow you to buy apps from Android market.

Steps 2:

This steps is assume that you want to prepare your SD card for A2SD+ or similar programs where you have to format and partition your SD Card to ext3 and Fat32 format. This are the easier 2 options that I found on internet. If you are not interested proceed to steps 3.

1. Download Rom Manager from Android market, then within the program you will have options to partition your SD Card. This one somehow didn’t work for me, so if this doesn’t work for you. Go to step 2.

2. Download Paragon Partition Manager 9.0 (Personal Edition) http://bit.ly/aiapSb and of course install it to your pc. Run the programs, then partition your card to 2 sections, first is your fat32 depends on your card size and 2nd partition for ext3. I will recommend to partition your ext3 to 512mb or maximum 1 gig, anything more than that is a waste, then the rest for your Fat32.

Steps 3:

Now, once you done with the first 2 steps, you will need to download the updated radio ROM (assume you want to flash your Desire to the latest Froyo 2.2) You can get official HTC Froyo ROM and radio ROM from http://bit.ly/8XKRan 

Download and install ROM Manager from Android Market if you haven’t done so, copy the radio ROM from your pc to your SD card (don’t put it into any folder within your SD card), restart your phone using the recovery function within the ROM manager option. It will go into recovery mode which is a black screen with some green text. Navigate to install .zip from SD card and look for the file you downloaded. Restart your phone after successfully update your Radio ROM.

Steps 4:

Finally, you are free to choose which ever custom ROM you want from the internet, XDA developer http://bit.ly/byx7oO have plenty of option for you. Personally I use Official Froyo 2.2 with A2SD+ support by ieftm http://bit.ly/b5ek2z

Download the ROM you want and copy it to your SD card, restart your phone using ROM Manager and navigate to install .zip from SD Card and flash it and enjoy your Froyo 2.2 and give a pat on your shoulder for a great well done job!

Once again, download all the files that you want to use before you proceed to rooting. If you necessary must keep all your apps, SMS, call logs and whatever, Google and download which ever backup option that suit you.

Beware that rooting device may void your warranty and I can’t held responsible for bricking your device. Furthermore, all credit should give to the creator to which ever site I link it from; I just merely put together the steps that work for me and hopefully work for you.

Feel free to share this to others if you find it useful and drop a comment if you can, enjoy ^w^

Blogger apps for android Blogger - droid

just came across this apps that allow you to post blog using your Blogger accounts.
You can find it in google market named "blogger - Droid"
Doing a simple testing for posting atm, while it cannot replace my windows Live witter anytime soon, but for some fast simple blogging with pictures, it is pretty amazing. I definitely can find some use to it.
The photo is taken by my colleague while she is playing my phone, and it is the only photo I can use for testing, so just bear with it :p

Published with Blogger-droid v1.4.8

I am now an Android Convert! Part II: Hopping into Android bandwagon.

The previous post I have mention about some of the dissatisfaction I have with winmo 6.5, and it is the reasons that I jump onto the HTC Desire. While it look like an impulse buy for most, I have been doing some research and read quite a few reviews, read users comment and quite a fair bit of reading regarding Androids and HTC desire.In fact, I struggle close to 2 month for holding the purchase for the reasons that the price just wasn’t right for my point of views and hope that I can get over it.

I wouldn’t blog review that’s too technical or in depth, since there are multiple web site already done that and they are more professional when it comes to this regards. I do not have the privilege or $$ to afford me to review ever single tech that is available. Though I will love to give them a trial run and give some personnel opinion. Here are some of the site that you can visit for a more technical/ professional reviews, for more you need to do your own research :p

Gizmodo

Engadget

GSMArena

Here’s a fast quick snap to show you the difference between my old HTC Touch against HTC Desire, you can see that the Desire real estate is way bigger than Touch. The width is about the same and Desire is slighty thinner than Touch for a few mm.

Initially, I though I will take me a while to get use to the size difference, but surprisingly it only took a day to acquire the size and I don’t feel much difference bringing Desire compare to Touch. Of coz, the huge 3.8” screen is a joy to use.

The performance of Desire is real freaking fast thanks to the 1Ghz SnapDragon processor and 16million color display do make the whole OS look more colourful, more contrast and sharper than Touch. The hand on experience that I have with HD2 if not mistaken is pretty similar to Desire; and I remember that HD2 didn’t wow me with the colour contrast due to limitation of WM6 which only capable to produce 65k colour. . .  Since I do not have a HD2 so can’t compare the performance, but I can pretty sure the core function of the OS is the same with Touch.

OK, the major beef I have against Desire thus far is the battery! I have tried various ways and cutting some of the active function and I can hardly get my battery pass 5pm without it running dangerously low. So far by 12pm i will have around 50%~65% with light usage of music listening, 1~2 OTA sync and etc which is pretty light usage. Desire somehow have problems with Bluetooth power management, bluetooth will eat my battery for lunch!!! Where my touch with bluetooth connected to my headset can still last me almost a day with phone call, sms, and music listening, for Desire wise it wouldn’t be able to last me pass 2pm. I was like “What the heck is HTC designer is thinking!!? Why give such a beauty to the mass and yet crippler it with battery life!!?” I think I will happily paid another %50~$100 more for another 4~5 hour juices from a single charges. Official spec mention that with 3G on, it can only last 8 hour. . . 

Then the 2nd problems I have is the limitations of available in build storage, I have downloaded approx 40+ apps into my androids and the phone have left approx 20mb and it started to prompt low memory warning once I try to download a few more apps. Since Android wouldn’t be able to install apps into SD card instead so I am stuck with the apps I have, if I want more I will need to uninstall some of the apps to give space for it. Windows phone can install applications straight to memory even as far as I can remember. Froyo 2.2 update by right should fix this issues by allowing apps to install to SD card, but the problems will still persist since it require the developer to enable this functions on their apps. No wonder so many Android user choose to root their phone in order to gain the ability to install apps into SD card. For me once I got my hand on a 16Gig Micro SD Card, I will most likely try to root my device also, or even try up the unofficial 2.2 ROM that is available atm.

I have this phone for almost 2 week, and I haven’t physically connect my phone to PC even one!!! Given that I use my old memory card which already consist most of my data (pictures, music, documents etc), but until now I still not need to connect to PC it show the ability of cloud computing. I get my contact, email, calendar, RSS news, apps download, status and documents all in sync and updated through internet. My Touch can get very close to it but I will still need to connect to PC through USB cable for calendar, documents sync and applications installation. Try this with iPhone?

Android with HTC sense by itself is wonderful, it give you 7 pages of Home tag to put whatever programs, widget arrangement the way you like it. If not mistaken, Nexus one give you 5pages while some Android device only give 3, 3pages of home tag will kind of cripple your user experiences depends on how you use it. With windows mobile, you are stuck with one screen with limited usage, though HTC sense on winmo allow you have various tag but it still no ways as flexible as the android version.

Then the rest is pretty similar even if you want to compare to other phone OS, android, winmo, iOS, web OS, blackberry all can do phone call, SMS, email, you tube, facebook and etc. So which one work better I think is depends on user preferences, for music and video playback I will said iOS is the king. Push notifications with email, SMS, device security I think Blackberry is still one of the best? For Android I think their multitasking ability is one of the best? Since I didn't really try blackberry and web OS so I can’t commend on their multitasking functions. Web browsing I will said Android have a bit of upper hand due to flash handling. You can said and argue as much as HTML5 being is the future (which I 100% agree with you), but it will take at least a years to 3 for web to fully embrace html5 (lot’s of site not even adopted to the web 2.0 standard yet), so flash is here to stay. Who know how flash will turn out in 2~3years time? Personally I think html5 and flash will continue to co-exist with one another.

Android contacts linkage with your social site like facebook, twitter, my space is a functions that you will wish you have try it earlier. Once you take the time to import your contacts to google contact, they will try to link your facebook / twitter / my space / flicker account automatically. Of course you will need to setup your facebook / twitter account in your phone in order to work. For some case where the link wasn’t setup properly, you then have to manually link the contact one by one; but once this is done, you can see their status updates on the contact pages, and also some other info like birthday (if they updated that in FB and you didn’t have it on your Google contacts)

For all of you considering of getting Desire, my advise is that if you can wait for another 6 month or so, please do. Because by then I’m pretty sure better HTC android device will surface and better pray that it come with at least 8G built in storage (with that I don’t think you will run into any storage problems, but of coz do get additional micro SD card for your video / movie needs while the built in storage for the system & apps usage). But if you absolutely cannot wait, HTC desire is one of the best hand phone you can get yourself into.

That’s about it for this moments, if you feel like knowing more about it, do drop in a comment and I will see what I can do.

I am now an Android Convert! Bye Bye Windows Mobile

I have been using HTC Touch for almost 3 years, and it is HTC Touch that bring me to the world of Windows Mobile platform that forever changed my point of view with smart phone usage. It come to the points that whenever I try to get myself a Nokia and etc, either the phone feel like toys or the OS feel like toys (except iPhone).

While I pretty happy with my HTC Touch, the limitations of the hardware & operating system has began to show it ages as time go by. I even tried to flash my phone to WinMo 6.5 to see how it perform. Sadly, it just doesn’t perform under my HTC Touch, it is so lagging that it became frustrated to use it, to add in the injury, my phone itself is also dying. Screen having problems, battery cant really last and the charger spoiled!!! LOL To be fair, I still can use a normal mini USB to charge my phone through PC, so is still useable.

But because of all this, I been looking at either iPhone, Androids, and Windows Phone 7 for my future purchase. I scrapped iPhone out due to me don’t want to be another “iPhone users” + some of the limitations that impose by Apple itself. Seriously, iPhone is useless without iTunes! But I can’t deny iPhone itself is a fantastic phone with the best amount of apps + best touch screen you can find on the market. Yet iPhone is just not for me (I have tried iPod myself)

I been honestly waiting for Window Phone 7 due to the integration of windows live with the OS. However since Windows phone 7 will only available by December, being a tech guys in profession; I know really well that early adopter will always suffer, any tech products require times for the market and hardware to mature. Just look at the first generation iPhone, iTunes, windows Vista and various gadget / software / applications / OS ; iPhone really started to mature after the 2nd & 3rd iterations. So for Windows Phone 7 I believe it need at least 6 month or more to mature, honestly I just can't wait that long; also by then there will have come up with better spec phone.

One of my major beef with winmo 6.5 is that although I can sync my windows live contact (this one works wonder!!!) + mail wirelessly, but there are absolutely no ways for me to sync my phone calendar with my windows live calendar. So if I want to sync my calendar, my only ways is plug into my pc and sync it with my outlook. . . . .

In terms of apps, Windows market place is still a joke. Honestly, if you are looking for winmo apps, it is better to google it yourself (where you can find millions of apps + games) then rely on Windows Market.

If you have actually tried HTC UI for windows mobile, I can absolutely assure you that you will not like Windows default theme. While it subject to user own opinion, to me HTC UI is one of the saving grace for windows mobile thus far, and it also one of the reasons that there are so many 3rd party UI provider on the market, because windows default UI is just not up to the task.

I can continue to bash the short coming of windows mobile 6, but it is really unfair to do so. How can I be so unhappy with such platform and still stick with it for 3 years? For me the pro outweigh the cons in various ways.

If you want Mircosoft Exchange support or Active Directory integration, no questions ask, windows Mobile will be your best bet! But in Brunei here, I haven’t come across anyone that need that. . .

Windows live integration is one of the best feature that Microsoft have implements, and still one of the major reason I stick with it. All my contact is sync with Hotmail contact, so whatever I changed on my windows live contact it will reflect on my phone once I synced. Best thing on that, is I can sync it wirelessly! Not need to plug in to pc, or limit to only this or that computer or software. I can honestly said OTA (On the Air) synchronization is really the future for smart phone platform, and it is good that Windows Phone 7 is working on it while iPhone still decided to stick with their almighty iTunes.

Contact / Calendar /Documents sync with pc using Active Sync is pretty good by its own, and you are allow to connect up to 2 PC for same data synchronization, so one for work, one for home. If you phone condemn or one pc die, you can get another windows mobile phone /pc and still retrieve the same data and sync it.

Applications out of windows market is still plentiful, though it is hard to find a great freeware, but some of the paid apps is really good. I been using SPB finances for my expenses tracking and Pocket E Sword for Bible reading, both are one of the best app I have and can’t live without.

Music player can’t compare to iPhone at all, but HTC music player is ways better on its own compare to windows media player; which cannot arrange song by track order, and I was like “What The Heck!!!” Thank God HTC music player can or else I might use other platform sooner :p

Windows mobile by nature is fully customizable, to the point you can change startup screen, icons or even flash it with other roms. Just think of it like your old pc that came with windows XP and then you decided to format and install Windows 7 instead. But windows mobile platform can do more than that, and that is why such community exist to cook their own rom and share it with others.

Hmmm, this is one of the longest blog that I think I have ever wrote thus far. I will continue on 2nd part with my general usage and opinion with Android next time :p