So there are a number of Android-based tablets on the horizon. These are presumably envisioned as intermediate devices to fill a niche between the smartphone and laptop, similar to the iPad. I'm not starting a thread to debate whether this niche exists, or the design of any specific device, but rather on how well Android and its apps can adapt to being used across multiple devices by the same user.
For me, when I try to envision a tablet in my life, I find it difficult to think of things that it could do but my phone (a Nexus One) can't. I think the point is a tablet doesn't really do new things, but it does them slightly better because of a larger screen. The thing is, I will likely want to switch back and forth between my phone and tablet depending on my real-world context, and I will generally want the state of those applications to stay in sync.
Take reading an ebook, for example. I will still want to read on my phone sometimes, when I just have a minute to spare and don't have the tablet with me, but when I sit down to a more lengthy reading session, I want the tablet to remember where I am in the book. This should be automatic. Similarly, any games I play should have my progress saved, and my bookmarks/history/etc should be synced too. The simple fact is, the additional value of a tablet seems so small, that if I have to put up another non-synced device in my life, it won't even be worth bothering. I'll just keep using the smaller screen of my phone.
Now, of course there are already things that DO sync. Email, calendar, contacts, etc. But those are distinct things with custom implementations specific to that type of data. Certainly every app developer could add a web service that syncs their app data, but why make everyone do that individually. Does anyone know of any plans to create a generalized Android app sync solution? (let me know if there's something out there and I missed it) This seems like something google would want to build at the OS level, but I haven't heard of anything like it.
Thoughts?
I just came across this post after running up against this problem in the real world. Just received my Notion Ink Adam and quickly started looking for a solution to sync things like my eBook placement and game save-state between my Nexus One and the tablet. Titanium Media Sync looked promising but as the product description indicates, it is only capable of one-way synchronization. This means you would have to manually run the sync task each time you started using one device or the other. Perhaps something that could be achieved with tasker and some scripting, but that's more management overhead than anyone would want.
I wish I was better at software development cause this is not a solution that could be tackled with the app inventor.
This is going to be a big shakeup for awhile... SugarSync, Dropbox, Bump, Hoccer, Titanium, Listables/BlueMuze (my apps), Amazon cloud sync, Google Books -- there are 100 solutions coming from different directions and for different puposes.
Then there will be video (which is even more insanely competitive) as everyone trys various DRM, cloud hosting and streaming. Then you have the carriers sitting in the middle putting data caps on stuff wondering if they can get a slice of the pie. Roku, SlingBox, Tivo, Boxee, TimeWarner, Viacom, NBC-Comcast, Verizion, Cablevision, ATT, Apple, --- SO MANY companies in this market.
This is partly why I created my apps, so that people could send data without the cloud sync ideology/methodology forced on them. But that's sort of tangential to the conversation, and specific for types of media as you said above.
Anyways, I think the competition will be good mostly. But we'll have to be careful to reward those who dont try to restrict usage arbitrarily. And be sure to punish those that stand in the way.
Also with regards to programming sync oneself, beware that it's one of those things that's deceptively simple sounding until you try and work out the actual code/details of how to do it.
We need this now more than ever!
Any new products out there that can help me synch my Captivate with my Color Nook?
Seraph321 said:
I find it difficult to think of things that it could do but my phone (a Nexus One) can't. Thoughts?
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Click to collapse
I can't agree with you more. I came to the same conclusion when I was looking at tablets.
However there are certain things I don't use right now because my battery temp will exceed 103°F when I'm using them (music apps, navigation, etc.) Phone is overclocked to 844 MHz so that obviously plays into the battery life, but if I had a tablet I could use those apps on the tablet to conserve my phone battery; currently my phone battery won't last more than a day :^(
There's also the possibility that because tablets would be more powerful than my MyTouch 3G Slide that I could scale back my phone CPU and use certain things on the tablet.
I'm holding off on tablets right now, I want to see where they go with the capabilities first before I jump on board.
Sent from my T-Mobile myTouch 3G Slide using XDA App
You said "I'm holding off on tablets right now". If you want to get your feet wet on the cheap, pick up a Color Nook of Craigslist. I've bought 2 now for $170 each.
At that price, who cares where the tablet market goes. When something comes along you like better, buy it, and give the Color Nook to someone as a gift.
I'm pretty confident the community will make a tablet more than worth owning. Even without the source code the xoom has been pretty handy. But from the first day of ownership I was wondering why it wasn't built in to have the phone and tab sync up. Even something more basic like chrome to phone for the phone to tab would be nice.
Just thinking out loud mostly.
My favorite tab sync mod,
Grab Google voice and grooveIP and have texts and voice calls come to the tab at the same time as the phone.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA Premium App
Great topic! As a developer and Droid X owner, I've been debating about getting a tablet, but my tablet would be an iPad so I can cross-platform develop.
Still, a very valid issue as to iPhone/iPad or Droid/Xoom synching. Haven't given it much thought, but the OP brings up some valid points.
If you have an e-book, grocery list manager and any other number of apps, *physical* synching would be a PITA in my opinion. I think some cloud-based solution like DropBox would be the best solution.
How this gets implemented is surely open to debate.
I haven't tried it yet but there's an app on the market called SyncIt Beta:
https://market.android.com/details?id=jug6ernaut.net.syncit
It's supposed to be able to sync your app data across multiple devices.
^ Shift Faced
I am sorry for bringing back a dead thread, however this is still something i am in looking for. I have a nexus S and a toshiba thrive tablet. As opposed to cloud based or something along those apps, i think an even easier solutions would be a device direct streaming type service so to speak. Have the devices communicate directly with each other over wifi or bluetooth. I mean to be perfectly honest, if i use it on the road, my phone is with me anyway so bluetooth is perfectly acceptable. and when i am at home, both are connected to wifi even if they aren't close enough for bluetooth. That would remedy the need of a cloud based service, and the issue of data privacy. As long as the data gets synced locally to the device, i should be able to break the sync and still continue to operate, then when the 2 devices are reconnected to each other they can just update the changes. I am not a developer, so i apologize if these requests seem monumental. However i was going to make the change to webOS because it natively had support for these features, which were immensely helpful. Until webOS sort of fell off the grid obviously (even though it was never really on it to begin with)
Try "Tablet Talk" the paid app is really worth it, it allows users to communicate from tablet to phones.
It's well worth the money
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Old thread. New Idea.
I came across this thread while searching for a solution to my problem. Thought it appropriate to post here.
Does anyone know of any virtual assistant apps or anything of that sort that will sync with other versions of the app on other devices?
For example, I have two android devices. I want to be able to talk to one and set a reminder at the house, and have the reminder come to a different device i have on me elsewhere.
So far the only way I can come up with to do this is to set a reminder through Google Calendar but was wondering if there was any other less clunky alternatives.
So I have a note ii and a precedent. Here is a list of things id like to do
Sync my note ii audio a2dp out to play ober the precedent
Sync alert and alarm awnsers n dismissals across devices as well as read emails
Power off device remotley [power on?]
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Questions should be posted in Q&A forums, not Development forums.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/announcement.php?a=81
See rule #15
Thread moved.
Related
I have just bought one for my dad, who needs my help quite frequently for basic functions. Is there an app out there, that I can use to see and control his screen. The only simple one I have come across is webkey, but that will only work for rooted tabs. Being remote, it is going to be a real challenge to root this, so just curious if anyone can point me to a good app for remotely managing the app. Thanks a lot.
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10 char
Did you found a solution? I would like to do that also,
Log Me In Rescue supports Android
secure.logmeinrescue.com/HelpDesk/Home.aspx
could you not just use vnc server?
Teamspeak also works.
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computer + old person = tech support.
I don't have a good solution to your problem (and I doubt there is one that would allow you to do this without your father first starting up a program each time he needs your help, which might require it's own tech support solution). Can I suggest that you take the GT10 back (unless you already have one, keep if for yourself!) and get him an ipad?
Before you jump on me and call me names, I just want to point out that the ipad does everything your father wants (probably) with the added benefit that tech support is always: "hit the button." My mom was about to buy an android phone, but when I realized that she A) doesn't need it; B) won't use any of the advanced functions; and C) I'd probably be doing daily tech support only to find out that she still writes down all her phone numbers into a paper book. I told her to get an iphone, and I'm very happy with that decision. She still doesn't know how to use it, and could probably have just stuck with the motorola razr v9 for her purposes, but she likes that she's "modern" and the novelty of looking something up while she's out hasn't yet worn off.
Don't get me wrong; I think that android is a far more capable system. For me, I'd choose an android tab over an ipad any day. But for mom, it was an easy choice. Only 2 days of calls, and she figured out that the solution was always to "hit the button." Phew.
abidamin said:
I have just bought one for my dad, who needs my help quite frequently for basic functions. Is there an app out there, that I can use to see and control his screen. The only simple one I have come across is webkey, but that will only work for rooted tabs. Being remote, it is going to be a real challenge to root this, so just curious if anyone can point me to a good app for remotely managing the app. Thanks a lot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can't remote control any android device. My company, not me, was attempting to create an app to allow them to perform remote tech support and setups for android devices but they ran into so many legal issues from all the developers and OEMs that create their flavor of Android. You can remote control computers but you can't remote control android.
As I posted in the accessories section of the forum, I promised my brain injured son a netbook or tablet for his birthday. (The injury was to his right brain and his left brain is normal.) He will be 37 on Friday, but in a lot of ways he functions around 4 to 7 years old. And he loves to play Angry Birds on my HTC EVO View.
The director of his adult day care program and I talked at length about it. We came to the mutual conclusion that giving him a tablet is extremely risky. It has to be a 7" tablet with a Gorilla Glass screen and a battery that is not removable. I will be driving to Best Buy to pick up the Flyer they are holding for me as soon as I finish typing this.
In addition to my concerns about physically protecting it, I also need to make sure he can only go to a few appropriate websites and not get into things like the market or change it's settings.
Advice would be appreciated.
there are apps on the market that will set passwords on the apps you choose so they are locked
Honestly, wait for the kindle fire tablet. It has a more closed system. Wont have the full market, and has been touted as kid friendly. Take a look, might work for your needs.
Thanks for the replies. As I said in the Accessories forum, we were on our way to Best Buy this afternoon when he told me he would rather have $50 to spend on anything he wants at Toys R Us instead of a tablet. So I'm off the hook, at least for the moment.
With 15 grandkids to buy Christmas presents for, not having to spend the money right now makes me pretty happy. Perhaps when it comes out, the Kindle Fire might be a better choice. It's pretty much a sure thing a tablet will be on his list for Santa...
My 5 year old uses my tablet a lot and I installed an app called Seal that blocks him from the Market, Settings, Email, and a variety of other apps I don't want him using. It is pretty cool! Also, if you download the Market app in the Flyer forums, under Settings, you can specify a password for paid apps. Seal is better because it just completely blocks Market and other apps....
The Flyer has a built-in "Kid Mode" app that can do what you need. The latest version of Kid Mode (available in the Android Market) allows you to choose a set of apps (like Angry Birds) that your child can have access to, while blocking access to the rest of the system.
Kid mode is the best bet I use it as well. My two year old daughter plays this Dora game and backyardigans all the time on my tablet. Kid mode locks everything else up except for the certain games I allow her to play
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TL;DR
This is an awesome little machine, and I'm very happy with it. And even though the price is slightly premium for a netbook and there are some issues you should not expect from such a pricey device, it's still definitely worth buying in my opinion. If you think you like the idea of the transformer (as in, a modular keyboard dock) or are impressed by the specs, then you should get it! It's as good as it looks and you won't be let down!
So, I was really looking forward to getting the Prime, as I needed a replacement for my laptop for studies, and I thought that the Prime would be the best investment as a laptop (which doubles as a tablet, sweet). Though, as I was looking around, I saw lots of reviews praising it as the best tablet ever, but on the other hand I saw a lot of complaints on the XDA forum from people who actually own it about what a terrible experience it is. So I just wanted to share what my experience is, and if you're considering getting the Prime (and particularly as a laptop), then this sums up what I think of it and if it's worth getting.
To start with the issues:
I've never even had the chance to test out the GPS, which should not be functioning, as you probably know. I sometimes wish the WiFi signal was stronger, but I don't think it's any worse than the other gadgets I have lying around the house. I just recently started getting the random reboots. Yeah, that's annoying. I think it has to do with the flash player (2/3 times it was with flash in the foreground, and the third time I just opened flash and switched to something else). You know what, I'm not worried because even though it will probably start to bother if it continues, I'm sure updates and fixes will follow.
What I'm really bothered by is some ICS tweaks to make it more keyboard-friendly and more desktop-like instead of phone-like. For example, I'm still looking for a decent browser that can be set to desktop user agents (to show desktop sites instead of mobile sites). Also, multitasking on this thing is awesome, until you have to open two files of the same kind (you need to get two PDF readers if you want to have two PDF files open at once). These too will be fixed with software updates or app updates. Soon people will realize that Android is also a computer OS and not just a phone OS. These software issues have nothing to do with the Prime and will get ironed out as time goes along, and it won't matter if you have the Galaxy Tab or the Prime.
But I should stress that I am in no way regretting getting this thing. This thing is comparable to a netbook in size and a laptop in power, and better than both together in battery life. The whole package is incredible: the looks, the screen, the power, the keyboard dock, the freakin' battery life, everything is just top notch. I literally can't convince you enough how pleased I am with the hardware. You couldn't find a netbook out there that competes with this on any scale - on ANY scale. And you'd have a hard time finding a laptop of this price with this kind of power. Just take a look at Shadowgun on youtube. Then imagine it looking three times better when it's actually in your hands.
I'm using it for studies, and I take notes with Google Docs - which could use some work, but you can bet Google will be updating it to work better on tablets. The best thing I like about this is that I use this as a laptop (which don't get more than several hours if you're frugal), and this one can run for almost two full (and I mean FULL) days without a charge. Before I got it, I had a hard time finding a review focused on the keyboard dock as a central input device (as if to replace a laptop). I'm glad to report, as a student, that it is. I can totally see myself seeing slides and taking notes on this, and never worry about finding a wall outlet. I'm hoping to post a video review on YT for students considering this tablet as a school device. Highly recommended.
All in all, I'm very pleased with this thing. If you're considering the Prime, ask away here if there's anything you're unsure about, I'll try to answer as best I can. But if you're reading this much in to the Prime, you should probably just go ahead and get it.
good honest review.
The complaint about being unable to open more than one document type at a time is a legitimate one, and applies to just about every mobile OS in existence. It really crystallizes why these devices are really good for some things, but in general do NOT replace notebook computers.
As an aside, one mobile OS that fixes this limitation is webOS, which DOES allow multiple instances of a document type to be open at once. Emails, PDFs, Web pages, you name it, all can be opened as separate documents and used as one expects--for example, refer to other email messages when writing a new one, jump back and forth between open Word documents to compare versions, etc. I really do wish that Google would adopt the webOS "cards" multitasking metaphor for Android. It's really too bad that webOS has generally been such a failure, because it really does have some unique strengths.
Sorry for hijacking the thread, but I think just needed to be said.
So glad we have yet another one of these threads... Oh wait.. That feeling is gas... Closing this thread before it stinks in here.
Sent from my Epic 4G Touch using Forum Runner
I searched the web (and the thread suggestions are not similar) and found very little on these matters, so...
Some background first -
I have now owned the G3 for 6 days. This is my first android os phone and first "smart" phone I have owned. The closest thing I've owned to this was an apple iPod touch. I'm not a big apple fan, (its the only device I own sporting their logo) but I have to say after spending some time with this G3 for the last few days, I am beginning to appreciate some of intuitive elements of their design. I didn't consider the apple phone due to their "proprietary" connects, no readily available battery removal, no flash and no microSD. These are all features I feel really should be very "basic" at this stage of tech. However, after spending a few days with this unit, I'm not thinking these phones are as "smart" as the marketing selling them. Perhaps I'm wrong. Please feel free to offer a different viewpoint!
Now, don't get me wrong, while the layout is fairly decent, the camera is nice, the phone (telephony) seems to work fairly well so far, and the screen sure looks pretty - even if a bit huge to get a comfortable grip on - but customization (at least in stock form) seems somewhat limited. This phone seems setup to waste time not to conserve it.
2 days ago I wrote my first post on this forum - stating that basically, from my perspective of a short time with this phone and furthering research - this thing needs rooted just to customize it to the level I think might lead to a productive mini-computer and that seems like a whole lot of time expenditure for a device of which the battery only lasts a short workday and one that you have to keep protected from pretty much anything (bumps, water, etc.).
So here are some questions that I have not found answers to:
1. Why does this phone disallow me to edit a contact?
considerations: Some contacts have the "edit pencil" available and some do not. I have some contacts synced from facebook which I cannot edit (no pencil icon appears), yet my wife who has recently obtained a samsung note 4 & she has the edit pencil on all of her contacts, even the facebook synced ones. Not only do I want to sync the contacts from facebook (and other places), but I want to remove the facebook app and then keep the contacts on the phone. Is there a way to do this without adding yet another app?
2. Getting rid of "Rachel from card services" - yeah tell me you people haven't dealt with this lady burning up your phone - chief call spammer of USA... No offense to Rachel, but I'm tired of answering her calls. Why is it that allegedly on other non-Verizon versions of the G3 the user is able to block spammer's calls (call blocking), yet this one doesn't? Where is this feature of this phone? Am I missing something here, because I have looked all over and I have not found this feature on the phone.
Multiple cases of lockup - meaning I tap on the screen on an icon designed to make something happen and yet nothing happens. No response. Zero. This seems to be intermittent, but it happens. Is this a typical experience with these phones?
I was sold on the G3 because I noted & appreciated some of the features that came with it - but now I find myself seriously considering returning this phone - but then if I did, what would I even replace it with?
Hi Guys
apologies if this has already been answered i did search and found a few pots but they didn't give me all the information i was hoping for or match my criteria exactly.
Ok so i have a 3 year old son,
his hand to eye coordination is coming along and ever since he's been able to unlock his mothers ipad we cant get him off it.
i have no problem with him using the technology at such a young age in moderation and im sure it can be quite educational with the right apps etc.
however using his mothers ipad is not ideal, its totally open he could accidentally press anything from in app purchases or anything that is available on the internet which is a scary thing.
we came to the conclusion that he needs his own tablet, that we can load with selected app's and he can play etc.
i looked at the tablets designed specifically for kids like the vtech's leapfrogs etc but im not exactly sure they will be the best way forward because they wont really grow with him yes they are probably great for a certain age range but as he gets older it will loose its usefulness.
i need something that's going to be pretty much a disposable price (£30/£60) lets be frank this is probably going to be destroyed on several occasions.
so i want want an android tablet the bigger size the better. I need it to be able to root the device as i want to take advantage fully of titanium back and restore direct to a replacement device if needed.
needs to be able to run sort of childrens apps available i know the can be a broad spectrum but lets just say the average ones (processor / memory consumption wise)
i have seen lots of different softwares to lock the os down, so only use certain apps etc but any other suggestions would be great. or anyone who has made something similar.
cheers guys
cap
There's a dedicated thread for such questions here,
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1620179
I'll close this thread.
Good luck!