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Toys with the new gig.

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
40,941
13,135
Portland, OR
I hope to have a fire HD soon, but been busy playing with the iOS6 iPod/iPhone's we have. Love the phone, hate the OS.
 

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
6,630
5,443
If you are using some random USB data cable the pin layout will cause most devices to only pull .5A. If you go to an ATT store or Amazon you can buy a charge-only cable or make one yourself:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007F1DV76/

http://blog.seani.am/2011/08/charge-only-microusb-cable/

The trade-off is that slower charging/lower amps will extend battery life.

Are you serious? Maybe the USB cables I threw out last week were charge only, damn things lit my external HDD up but it wouldn't spin, damn now I have to buy a charge cable.
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
40,941
13,135
Portland, OR
Yes, the problem with charge only cables is I need data for adb, unless I root the device and run adb wireless (that sucks BTW).
 

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
Yes, the problem with charge only cables is I need data for adb, unless I root the device and run adb wireless (that sucks BTW).
USB cables are very cheap and easy to find (especially compared to the new completely unnecessary proprietary lightning cable).

Leave the charge-only cable connected to your charger and use any other spare data cable for everything else...
 
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jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
40,941
13,135
Portland, OR
That's what I do now, but it's a pain when the Fire is "too low to power up, please plug in and wait 15 minutes" for 2 hours over USB. So I have to charge the device on the wall charger and wait at least 15 before I can do what I do.

Other devices don't have nearly the same issue as the Fire because the good USB cables I have do well enough to charge while using.
 

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
Its not a factor of "good" vs "bad" USB cables, its the draw the device needs to operate and charge and its charging circuit design. The standard USB cables will put some devices in data power mode even if the charger can put out more than that (a conservative design constraint as mentioned below). I would make sure you have a charge-only cable for the Fire if you don't like long charging intervals.

http://blog.seani.am/2011/08/charge-only-microusb-cable/

According to Verizon Wireless, the shortcoming of not being able to charge and operate the Novatel 4510L while plugged into a PC USB port is a design constraint and not a design flaw. Many PC USB ports fall short of the 500mA power spec and do not provide enough energy to both charge the batteries and power the MiFi radios.
 
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jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
40,941
13,135
Portland, OR
Well, I have ReTrack cable that does well enough for adb and charge for all devices I have minus the Fire. I have the USB cable that came with another device that can run the Fire and at least somewhat maintain the charge while using/testing over adb.

So for whatever reason my ReTrack cable doesn't do the same job as the other cable. That is what leads me to the "good vs bad" cable.
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
40,941
13,135
Portland, OR
OK, have set in motion a new hardware order.

Nexus 4
Nexus 10
Note 2

Looking forward to the Nexus 4 most (thanks syadasti). Also trying to get dev accounts for hardware pre-releases, but not sure if that will fly or not.
 

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
Lost power for 50 hrs. Watched hours of programming on the Nexus 7 I had recorded over a year ago when I had a DVR appliance - only used about 20% of the battery. Copied them from the laptop to a USB key to the Nexus 7.
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
40,941
13,135
Portland, OR
The Nexus 10 looks a lot better than an iPad with cover. The 4 might end up my new no contract personal phone. I still haven't upgraded my S1 because I am thinking of cutting my huge bill down.
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
40,941
13,135
Portland, OR
$420 32G mini.



I do have to say it is a lot nicer than the iPad "regular". Not worth $400, but it's lighter than an iPhone.
 

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
I don't see why they require WAN version for the GPS in all Ipads. All N7s have GPS.

N7 8GB is $159 at Staples on clearance, 16GB is now $199 at Walmart, and 32GB can be had for $244 shipped from JR.com after coupon.
 
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jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
40,941
13,135
Portland, OR
OK, I like the mini. Not as much as the N7, but the mini is a lot nicer than the iPad. It's basically a 7" iPad2. Wifi only, no retina display, overpriced, and "everyone has to have one" or something. :panic:
 

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,092
1,132
NC
I was super impressed that the HSPA+ version of the N7 was only $50 more than the regular version. That means for $30 LESS than the iPad mini, you get more resolution, GPS and cellular data.

That combined with Google's regular release of a totally reasonably priced Nexus handset may have me bouncing out of Verizon to a month-to-month plan next year. The N4 looks pretty but alas, it does not appear that it will arrive on CDMA/LTE infrastructures.
 

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
That combined with Google's regular release of a totally reasonably priced Nexus handset may have me bouncing out of Verizon to a month-to-month plan next year. The N4 looks pretty but alas, it does not appear that it will arrive on CDMA/LTE infrastructures.
The last generation Nexus CDMA phone isn't sold directly by Google either. It will probably be the same with the N4.
 
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jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
40,941
13,135
Portland, OR
Maybe its how iOS leaves apps running, but the mini is slow playing CSR Racing (a game we support) vs the other devices. The mini is SO not worth the price. Weak.
 

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
Maybe its how iOS leaves apps running, but the mini is slow playing CSR Racing (a game we support) vs the other devices. The mini is SO not worth the price. Weak.
The iPad 4 hardware seems decent other than being too big/heavy.
 

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,092
1,132
NC
The last generation Nexus CDMA phone isn't sold directly by Google either. It will probably be the same with the N4.
I know, but with the GNex, there were a bunch of rumors/ indications that Verizon was getting one. With the N4, that doesn't appear to be the case.
 

Jeremy R

<b>x</b>
Nov 15, 2001
9,698
1,053
behind you with a snap pop
An honest question for you people who use tablets all the time. If you could only get one tablet, would you go with a 7 or a 10 inch version and why? I am trying to decide between a Nexus 7 or 10. I would be using it really only as a "dicking around" device. Maybe a couple of work related items, and I am honestly not sure how much I would even travel with it.
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
40,941
13,135
Portland, OR
The 10" is too big for me to handle easy. The 7" is much better, even the heavier older ones are better than a light 10". The iPad mini is a great size, but the hardware/price make it a bad call for 90% of the folks out there IMO.

I spent all weekend with the mini and love the size, hate the OS and it's slow. If it wasn't also crazy expensive, I would say if you have other Apple products, it might be worth it for the size and ease of use.
 

$tinkle

Expert on blowing
Feb 12, 2003
14,591
6
An honest question for you people who use tablets all the time. If you could only get one tablet, would you go with a 7 or a 10 inch version and why? I am trying to decide between a Nexus 7 or 10. I would be using it really only as a "dicking around" device. Maybe a couple of work related items, and I am honestly not sure how much I would even travel with it.
for e-reading in bed, kindle is just the right size. anything larger gets a bit annoying after 15 min unless you're sitting up. hard to hold w/ one hand, in case one is inclined to have other online proclivities requiring ambidextrous uses

i would expect for traveling, there's nothing that significantly separates one from the other
 

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,092
1,132
NC
I had an HP Touchpad, which is a 10" tablet, and my girlfriend has an iPad 2, also a 10" tablet. Neither got/get used except when there's something specific we want them for.

My Nexus 7 gets used constantly. It's small enough that I frequently bring it to work to do network troubleshooting, or out and about if I'm going to be stuck somewhere I might want to read. Being able to use it one-handed is really what makes me use it more. It's also far easier to travel with, just from a weight/single-hand perspective. Insert jokes here.

I think the 7" tablet is much more versatile and I use it far more than I ever used the 10" tablets.
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
40,941
13,135
Portland, OR
The new list has been ordered today!

1 x Samsung S3
1 x Samsung S2
1 x Samsung Note 2
2 x Nexus 7
1 x Nexus 4 (no carrier)
1 x Nexus One
1 x Xoom 2
1 x HTC One X+
1 x HTC DNA :drool:

Last word was the Nexus 4 is sold out everywhere.
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
40,941
13,135
Portland, OR
Nexus 4 FINALLY got here. Wow, what a sweet phone. Screen isn't as big as the S3, but the Nexus 4 is slightly smaller, too. Wicked fast, great display, great feel with a grip edge. I love it, very nice piece of hardware. I am a fan.

Still waiting on the Nexus 10's :(
 

dante

Unabomber
Feb 13, 2004
8,807
9
looking for classic NE singletrack
Nexus 4 FINALLY got here. Wow, what a sweet phone. Screen isn't as big as the S3, but the Nexus 4 is slightly smaller, too. Wicked fast, great display, great feel with a grip edge. I love it, very nice piece of hardware. I am a fan.

Still waiting on the Nexus 10's :(
New toy:



And yesterday's screen capture:



So far I'm *loving* it, fast, intuitive, small, light, etc, and I don't even have a Sim card in it yet (should be here today). The only thing lacking is LTE, and apparently that's not *actually* lacking. No T-Mobile LTE in my area yet, so I'm going to wait and see what happens at the upcoming Google I/O before rooting...

(And yes, I was tempted to wait until Google's conference in another 2 weeks before buying, but it doesn't sound like the Nexus 5 is going to drop. I'll also be saving $40-45/month with my new T-Mobile plan and so it would cost me something like $40 just to wait and see what Google is going to reveal. Then if there's a mad scramble like with the release of the N4 and it's out of stock for the next couple months, it could end up costing quite a bit in higher monthly VZW charges anyway...)
 

dante

Unabomber
Feb 13, 2004
8,807
9
looking for classic NE singletrack
I heard (rumored) a larger-memory N4 with LTE. Considering the fact that the N4 currently *has* an LTE radio, they could even announce that it works with current N4s and just release an updated radio (or, rather, re-release the original .33 that it shipped with before they took away the LTE). Bumping up the memory to 16gb/32gb is a snap as well, and something they've already done with the N7 line previously.

Update. Tried to go with T-Mobile's "$30 for unlimited (5GB) web and text, 100min" and god it was a hassle. Supposedly it's only supposed to be sold through Wal-Mart, and supposedly it's only a pay-as-you-go (or possibly "prepaid"? Not sure of the difference between the two), but after a bit of hassle I'm now set up with it for ~$30/month. And it pulls the $30 from my credit card each month as well.

I think.

My phone works now for calls and data, but only when I'm connected to my WiFi (which I can understand for data, but it enables the phone calls as well, which run off of the T-Mobile towers instead of WiFi. And yet, when I turn off data, I lose voice as well.... My number hasn't been ported over *yet*, so I"m hoping that that'll clear everything up.

Their website is also an utter nightmare.

Seriously, why the F should it be this hard to sign up for a no-contract plan and just bill me each month?
 

wiscodh

Monkey
Jun 21, 2007
833
121
303
Seriously, why the F should it be this hard to sign up for a no-contract plan and just bill me each month?
straight talk.
Got a sim card, put it in, set up the apn, linked my cc, pulls 45$ month unlimited everything.
 

dante

Unabomber
Feb 13, 2004
8,807
9
looking for classic NE singletrack
^^^^That'll certainly be my next move if T-Mobile doesn't get their sh!t straightened out. The thing is I don't need unlimited voice minutes, so saving ~$15/month is appealing. I think it's partially due to a) it being a "Wal-Mart specific" plan and b) porting my number from an on-contract system like Verizon to a prepaid system like T-Mo.

Regardless, it's annoying as fvck.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,232
20,016
Sleazattle
I have been playing with this as of late. Up to 10,000 frames per second. I have been primarily taking video of plug insertions.

:brows:

 
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Jeremy R

<b>x</b>
Nov 15, 2001
9,698
1,053
behind you with a snap pop
Dante, you will not miss LTE on T-mobile as long as you are in an area to get their normal 4G. Its fast and works well. But if you get into some rural $hit and your phone says E, prepare for dial up flashbacks.
Good choice on the Nexus 4 as well. I was eyeing it, and then samsung updated my S2 to jelly bean 4.1.2,
and it works so well that I plan to hang on to it until the nexus 5 comes out at least. I also finally rooted my phone, and used titanium backup to remove all the crap on it. If I would have known how easy rooting is, I would have done it sooner.
 

H8R

Cranky Pants
Nov 10, 2004
13,959
35
My phone works now for calls and data, but only when I'm connected to my WiFi (which I can understand for data, but it enables the phone calls as well, which run off of the T-Mobile towers instead of WiFi. And yet, when I turn off data, I lose voice as well.... My number hasn't been ported over *yet*, so I"m hoping that that'll clear everything up.
Dude, keep that fvcker. The wifi calling feature is the ****. Say you're in half way around the world, near a wifi signal. You call home. It just uses your regular voice minutes. No need to unlock the phone and buy local sim cards, etc. You get all your texts, etc too.

Like Skye but it works better and you get your texts.

I've had the Galaxy S2 for awhile now and it rules. Zero problems, fast data, very few dropped calls. I love it.
 

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
6,630
5,443
The 10" is too big for me to handle easy. The 7" is much better, even the heavier older ones are better than a light 10".

Hmmmmm.........

I'm still not really an Android fan, had a couple of earlier Android phones and had a decent play with the Nexus 4 but I think I'll have a go at a Windows phone or tablet next, I was looking at a convertible i5 Tablet dock thingy but as soon as they heat up they roll the processor speed back which makes them a bit ****ty for messing round with photos/videos.

I still have XP tablet somewhere, it is awesome;)
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,570
24,185
media blackout
Dude, keep that fvcker. The wifi calling feature is the ****. Say you're in half way around the world, near a wifi signal. You call home. It just uses your regular voice minutes. No need to unlock the phone and buy local sim cards, etc. You get all your texts, etc too.

Like Skye but it works better and you get your texts.

I've had the Galaxy S2 for awhile now and it rules. Zero problems, fast data, very few dropped calls. I love it.
you're assuming dante ever leaves wisconsin
 

dante

Unabomber
Feb 13, 2004
8,807
9
looking for classic NE singletrack
Dante, you will not miss LTE on T-mobile as long as you are in an area to get their normal 4G. Its fast and works well. But if you get into some rural $hit and your phone says E, prepare for dial up flashbacks.
Good choice on the Nexus 4 as well. I was eyeing it, and then samsung updated my S2 to jelly bean 4.1.2,
and it works so well that I plan to hang on to it until the nexus 5 comes out at least. I also finally rooted my phone, and used titanium backup to remove all the crap on it. If I would have known how easy rooting is, I would have done it sooner.
We've got HSPA+ 42 here, and my T-Bolt was bottlenecked by the processor/ram and so even surfing the web on it was slow on my WiFi network... Still only got about 12-15Mbps down, which isn't too far off of the HSPA+. And, sine it has the LTE radio in it, I can actually get that when T-Mobile expands to this area.

you're assuming dante ever leaves wisconsin
Fvck no, I try not to! Aside from vacationing several times per year, leaving WI means sitting in a factory across from an old Chinese guy chain-smoking cigarettes and telling me that 5NT less on a crankset is going to bankrupt him. That, or worse, putting up with family........
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,570
24,185
media blackout
update: eff me in the ozarks! phone fell off the deck last night and landed on a cement paver. screen has more crack than whitney houston. back on a droid 2 :shakefist: