[Q] Volume buttons for track change? - Motorola Droid RAZR

Been stalking the forums, but mainly for the OG Droid as that was my primary phone until recently.
Recently got a RAZR MAXX and am just looking for a few functions be carried over from my Droid on CM7.
The one I need most is to change tracks in a media player with long presses on the volume buttons while the screen is turned off.
Is there any way I can get this to happen, preferably without rooting? This phone is pretty new and I wanna wait to root it for a little while if possible.
I would be more than willing to root for CM, but haven't heard anything on if it's coming to the RAZR at all.

Last time i used Winamp for android there was an option for doing this.

Ill look in to that. Is there any way to make it default for any media player though? I use pandora a lot and while riding bike, i cant pull it out to change the track, especially with my gloves on.

The developer must include the feature in the app, its an API if I remeber well.I don't use pandora so i can't help you there, sorry.

I've had a look through, and haven't found anything in either apps that would allow this. I use both Winamp and Pandora on a daily basis.
I searched for a solution before throwing up this thread, but only found solutions for other devices. I saw pretty much I need either a ROM that includes it as a feature, or an app that will change the system file, and I'm guessing it needs to be rooted to do so.

I suggest you the app ttpod with track change by shake option.
Sent from my XT910 using XDA App

gosh yes! bump! i was just thinking the other day how much i missed my old WM6 phone with lots of hardware buttons on the front that i could map to do anything i wanted. i don't know if this trend to a screen only interface is so great after all. sure, it looks cool, but it's also less functional in some real world situations, especially driving!

Related

The Wifiphone

So I've recently swapped over from an Ipod Touch 3 to a Samsung Galaxy Player 5. There are things I love and things I hate about my new device, since I used my Ipod touch primarily as a smartphone whenever it was on wifi. Here are some of my observations and things I've found along the way that might help people make the switch:
~~ VOIP Calling ~~
I've tried several of the VOIP apps (gtalk, grooveip, etc) and they all share a common problem: there is a large delay on the line. When I had my ipod touch, I used to use an app called Talkatone and it worked beautifully with no delay whatsoever. Turns out, you can get it on android (although not through the market). Had to really dig to find this one, but boy is it worth it!The app is incredible and works out of the box with no configuration. No delay at all, no echo, each party can hear the other without a problem. And it's free (for now)!
RECOMMENDATION: Talkatone (google: "talkatone apk" and find the link to the official site. Sry I can't post the link )
~~ Texting ~~
Use the official google voice app for now and throw a widget on your home screen. I got so spoiled by bitesms/google voice integration on my ipod, but for now this is about as good as it gets. Eventually, chompsms or some competitor will integrate google voice so you can quick-reply to texts without leaving the app you're in. They say it's in the works, so keep your fingers crossed!
RECOMMENDATION: Google Voice App (market)
~~ Calendar ~~
Using lockinfo on my ipod really spoiled me as far as keeping track of my upcoming events goes, but android gives us a similarly simple solution in the form of Pure Grid Calendar Widget. Toss a 4x4 XL widget on your homescreen and have fun never opening your calendar app again
RECOMMENDATION: Pure Grid Calendar Widget (market)
~~ Music: Desktop Syncing ~~
Coming off of itunes is tough, as I'm sure you all know. I decided to use windows media player on my desktop to sync my music, since it allows easy syncing to external SD (important, since I have more than 8GB of music) and is easy to use, despite being ugly and clunky. To listen to music on my computer, I'll be using Zune (soooo much better than itunes!), since playlists and ratings should sync right over to windows media player and therefore, my android. Still playing around with this, though. Will update as time goes on.
RECOMMENDATION: ?
~~ Music: Your device ~~
If the stock music player had a widget that worked, I would have used that, but since it didn't and there seem to be no good widgets for it in the market, I swapped over to PlayerPro. So far so good, but still don't have much experience with this, so will update over time.
RECOMMENDATION: ?
~~ Browser ~~
Currently I'm using the stock browser, since it is relatively zippy and works with flash player. Tried opera mini, and love the speed, but compatibility is shaky. Still not sold on this one.
RECOMMENDATION: ?
~~ File Explorer ~~
Use ES File Explorer. Don't ask questions. Just do it. When/if you decide to root, it gets better. Before you root, it lets you change file extensions (stock does not). It's also free with no ads.
RECOMMENDATION: ES File Explorer (market)
~~ Keyboard ~~
I'm personally really liking Swype, but it does take up a lot of memory and the keys are very small in portrait when typing things you can't swype (usernames, passwords, email addresses, slang, etc). Not sold on this, but definitely better than stock.
RECOMMENDATION: Swype ?
If you guys can think of anything I've missed as far as decisions about android you have to make, please let me know so I can update this. Still relatively new to android. Thanks!
Hi,
I haven't tried it yet (using Sipdroid + GV + pbxes.com, currently), but here's a link for Talkatone.com and Android:
http://www.talkatone.com/android-preview.html
Jim
Thanks, that's the link I'm not allowed to post! Do you experience any lag when talking on the phone with sipdroid? I had really bad lag, but may have set it up incorrectly. Want to make sure my info's right. Thanks, again!
xxBrun0xx said:
Thanks, that's the link I'm not allowed to post! Do you experience any lag when talking on the phone with sipdroid? I had really bad lag, but may have set it up incorrectly. Want to make sure my info's right. Thanks, again!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
No, I haven't noticed any lag using Sipdroid+GV+pbxes.com on my SGP5. The only thing I've found is that I think it won't go into speakerphone mode on the SGP5. Works fine holding the SGP5 up to your ear, like a "real" phone .
I haven't tried it with the earbuds (suppose to have a mic on them already) or with a Bluetooth headset yet.
FYI, I downloaded the talkatone APK. It installed ok on my SGP5, and at first I couldn't call out. But I changed the compression to "none WIFI" and I think it worked ok after that.
However, whenever I pressed the "Speakerphone" icon, the talkatone app would FC, so it looks like they have some work to do (I know it's an "alpha"). I've uninstalled it from my SGP5 for now, since Sipdroid seems to work ok, plus the talkatone app puts up a ton of ads while it's running (like a new ad every couple of seconds?).
Later,
Jim
I find GrooveIP works pretty good, but will try Talkatone, thanks! Texting GV for sure.
edit: Trying Talkatone, not nearly as good UI as GrooveIP (no access to Google favorites, no contact pix), does seem to make calls fine. Speakerphone crashes app. Sticking with GrooveIP for now, until they officially release this thing.
I had Boat Mini as my browser for a year on my phone, but jus switched to Dolphin HD on my 5.0, very nice, especially the RSS section (Webzine). I have now eliminated Pulse because of it.
I really like the built in calendar, use Smooth Calendar Widget with it.
Don't listen to music a lot, but find Google Music nice (use it on my PC at home and work). For off-line I use Cubed, very nice UI and widgets, here'sthe link, it's hard to search for: http://www.appbrain.com/app/³/org.abrantix.rockon.rockonnggl
FX File EXplorer is great unrooted, but since I have File Expert on my phone, I'm using it on my 5.0, love this theme:http://www.appbrain.com/app/file-expert-dream-bubble-theme/com.geek.filexpert.theme7 My ONLY issue with it is it does allow reverse sorting (by date ends up newest last, which sux), but favorites pretty much solved that.
+1 Swype.
Like Any.DO for lists/google tasks sync.
Like Jango for radio/streaming favorites.
Like BMW and PowerTudor for pinpointing power issues.
Like this for weather (only beacuse it was a free Amazon app).
Like this for screenshots (at least for the 1st 14).
Like this for putting different pictures on screens.
And GO Launcher, Dropbox, Quickpic, and K9 are all better than stock.
My favorite game: http://www.appbrain.com/app/super-stickman-golf/com.noodlecake.ssg
xxBrun0xx said:
So I've recently swapped over from an Ipod Touch 3 to a Samsung Galaxy Player 5. There are things I love and things I hate about my new device, since I used my Ipod touch primarily as a smartphone whenever it was on wifi. Here are some of my observations and things I've found along the way that might help people make the switch:
~~ VOIP Calling ~~
I've tried several of the VOIP apps (gtalk, grooveip, etc) and they all share a common problem: there is a large delay on the line. When I had my ipod touch, I used to use an app called Talkatone and it worked beautifully with no delay whatsoever. Turns out, you can get it on android (although not through the market). Had to really dig to find this one, but boy is it worth it!The app is incredible and works out of the box with no configuration. No delay at all, no echo, each party can hear the other without a problem. And it's free (for now)!
RECOMMENDATION: Talkatone (google: "talkatone apk" and find the link to the official site. Sry I can't post the link )
~~ Texting ~~
Use the official google voice app for now and throw a widget on your home screen. I got so spoiled by bitesms/google voice integration on my ipod, but for now this is about as good as it gets. Eventually, chompsms or some competitor will integrate google voice so you can quick-reply to texts without leaving the app you're in. They say it's in the works, so keep your fingers crossed!
RECOMMENDATION: Google Voice App (market)
~~ Calendar ~~
Using lockinfo on my ipod really spoiled me as far as keeping track of my upcoming events goes, but android gives us a similarly simple solution in the form of Pure Grid Calendar Widget. Toss a 4x4 XL widget on your homescreen and have fun never opening your calendar app again
RECOMMENDATION: Pure Grid Calendar Widget (market)
~~ Music: Desktop Syncing ~~
Coming off of itunes is tough, as I'm sure you all know. I decided to use windows media player on my desktop to sync my music, since it allows easy syncing to external SD (important, since I have more than 8GB of music) and is easy to use, despite being ugly and clunky. To listen to music on my computer, I'll be using Zune (soooo much better than itunes!), since playlists and ratings should sync right over to windows media player and therefore, my android. Still playing around with this, though. Will update as time goes on.
RECOMMENDATION: ?
~~ Music: Your device ~~
If the stock music player had a widget that worked, I would have used that, but since it didn't and there seem to be no good widgets for it in the market, I swapped over to PlayerPro. So far so good, but still don't have much experience with this, so will update over time.
RECOMMENDATION: ?
~~ Browser ~~
Currently I'm using the stock browser, since it is relatively zippy and works with flash player. Tried opera mini, and love the speed, but compatibility is shaky. Still not sold on this one.
RECOMMENDATION: ?
~~ File Explorer ~~
Use ES File Explorer. Don't ask questions. Just do it. When/if you decide to root, it gets better. Before you root, it lets you change file extensions (stock does not). It's also free with no ads.
RECOMMENDATION: ES File Explorer (market)
~~ Keyboard ~~
I'm personally really liking Swype, but it does take up a lot of memory and the keys are very small in portrait when typing things you can't swype (usernames, passwords, email addresses, slang, etc). Not sold on this, but definitely better than stock.
RECOMMENDATION: Swype ?
If you guys can think of anything I've missed as far as decisions about android you have to make, please let me know so I can update this. Still relatively new to android. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I personally use Google Voice for texting, and Firefox for browsing. The new release is pretty slick.
First, I think we need separate threads for some of these since there could probably be entire discussions on each. Just a thought. And thanks to Bruno for starting this one.
I've just installed groove IP and tried it out a little. There is a lag plus folks on the other end report bad call quality. I have not played with the settings at all yet. Hope to do that tonight. I'll look at Talkatone once it hits beta or so. Going to look into Jim's solution tonight too as that sounds interesting.
If there are any folks who have been through the Groove IP setup on the YP-G70 already I'd appreciate hearing how your settings ended up!!
My Groove settings:
Audio settings: Echo nothing, Speaker "0", MG -6
Troubleshooting: KSO check, AP check, SV check, HiPerfWifiLock check
All others not checked or default. I don't talk much, but it seems to work. There is a number you can call that repeats back what you say so you can keep testing different settings: 909-390-0003
Mrktmind said:
First, I think we need separate threads for some of these since there could probably be entire discussions on each. Just a thought. And thanks to Bruno for starting this one.
I've just installed groove IP and tried it out a little. There is a lag plus folks on the other end report bad call quality. I have not played with the settings at all yet. Hope to do that tonight. I'll look at Talkatone once it hits beta or so. Going to look into Jim's solution tonight too as that sounds interesting.
If there are any folks who have been through the Groove IP setup on the YP-G70 already I'd appreciate hearing how your settings ended up!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're willing to give up the cloud-acceleration try Opera Mobile instead of Mini: it has good compatibility and Flash support, while still being pretty fast, so it doesn't lose any features from the default browser, making it an excellent alternative.
Thanks tcat. I'll try those setting tomorrow.
With regards to which browser I know that the Dolphin browser was very popular but was found to be tracking your surfing and phoning home - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1319529&page=31
In the above thread the Boat Browser seems to be the only privacy safe browser on Android. I am trying the Firefox browser right now.
Hey, just an update on this a few months later: Returned the galaxy player and got myself an optimus V from Virgin Mobile and WOW. Having internet everywhere was awesome Then I upgraded to a Triumph, and soon I'll be on Straight Talk (AT&T) using a Droid Razr. I traded my Ipod Touch straight up for the Triumph and it was basically brand new. Also, don't even want to tell you how cheap the razr was. Craigslist rocks. After playing with true phones, I can't honestly recommend the galaxy player 5 to anyone. It's simply too much money. You could pay a little more and get a galaxy nexus, which blows the player 5 out of the water in terms of specs, and if you decide you want a data plan, you can buy a sim card from straight talk and just use it for that, no monkeying around with voip apps. It costs more, but it is absolutely worth every penny, imo.
edited out reply
Can i use GrooveIP in Europe for free?or is calling only for USA numbers free?
Sent from my Samsung Toaster via XDA - If i helped ,click the Thanks button
Is there an app for international calling? From outside US or Canada to outside.
I did the opposite, went from an Optimus-V to the Player5.0, and use my V only about once per month. Now there are rumors that HTC 3D is coming to VM, if so I'll buy it. I don't like carrying 2 devices, and having data 24/7 is a big plus. I do have wifi at home and work, so the Galaxy is really all I need. GrooveIP works for me 90% of the time (since I get no cell signal at home, it's a must). But the 4.3" screen of the HTC at a much higher resolution will cause me to get rid of this wonderful Player to help pay for the HTC.... my grandfathered $25 unlimited is a deal that's hard to get rid of.
xxBrun0xx said:
Hey, just an update on this a few months later: Returned the galaxy player and got myself an optimus V from Virgin Mobile and WOW. Having internet everywhere was awesome Then I upgraded to a Triumph, and soon I'll be on Straight Talk (AT&T) using a Droid Razr. I traded my Ipod Touch straight up for the Triumph and it was basically brand new. Also, don't even want to tell you how cheap the razr was. Craigslist rocks. After playing with true phones, I can't honestly recommend the galaxy player 5 to anyone. It's simply too much money. You could pay a little more and get a galaxy nexus, which blows the player 5 out of the water in terms of specs, and if you decide you want a data plan, you can buy a sim card from straight talk and just use it for that, no monkeying around with voip apps. It costs more, but it is absolutely worth every penny, imo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@tcat007 Another solution that might help would be to try either Wifi Ruler or WiFi Jumper apps. These apps make your YP-G70 auto-connect to the nearest best wifi signal without any interaction just like a cell phone auto connects to the nearest cell tower.
Haven't tried them extensively yet but I'm thinking they will help bridge the gap between wifi phone and cell phone.
gVoice works best for me. no setup to do
After trying all the apps in this thread, I've found SIPdroid+pbxes works best for me. Audio delay is the smallest out of all of them, even though the interface isn't as pretty.
Thanks
Thanks for the recap

Apps you'd like to see?

Okay, so I've been dabbling with app development for a while now but I haven't found the motivation to actually work on a sizable project. I just don't have any good or interesting ideas.
So, I'm turning to you, XDA. Are there any apps that you'd like to see exist? Or any apps that you use that you'd like to see a better version of?
I'm not promising to actually do these and release them, I'm just looking for ideas to motivate myself to start on a project. Obviously, if I actually get something worthy of release, I'll share it.
So, any ideas? Thanks in advance.
I have way too many ideas and lack motivation lol I also have a very screwed up memory, like right now I can think of 5 ideas I had but I can't place them. One had to do with location but until I get home and find the notebook I write all my ideas in I couldn't tell you. Hell I can't even remember what happened 5 minutes ago with out seriously focusing on what happened 5 minutes ago
This is just my add kicking in but I wondered if I could parse an md5 checksum in android terminal emulator and it turns out md5sum utility is built it...neat!
The first app I ever wrote was born by asking myself, "What do I want my phone to do that it can't currently do?"
This made development much more enjoyable as it was something I was interested in and that kept me going and gave me the will to follow thru until it worked.
If you're looking to make an app for someone else, here's my suggestion:
I'd like a 1x1 toggle widget that does the following:
Toggle On (potato mode):
Screen Brightness at lowest
Bluetooth off
GPS off
Mobile Network off
WiFi off
AutoSync off
Toggle Off (radsauce mode):
Return to whatever settings I was using before pressing Toggle On
Nice.
I have a bunch of baby videos (baby Einstein and whatnot) in avi format that I use a third party player to play when traveling. The problem is that I can't give the phone to my daughter because she presses a button or something that stops the video. Same with YouTube vids. So i have to hold the phone the whole time.
Would love a kind of baby lock that disables the touchscreen and buttons but allows third party apps to run behind it (like third party media players and YouTube) so that she can hold the phone herself while her videos or music is playing. It should then be able to be unlocked by pressing a combination of buttons at the same time or something like that. This would be ideal on those long car rides. You parents know where I'm coming from...
There's an app out there already that does something similar, but it's limited to the stock video player only.
How's that for an app idea?
fachadick said:
I have a bunch of baby videos (baby Einstein and whatnot) in avi format that I use a third party player to play when traveling. The problem is that I can't give the phone to my daughter because she presses a button or something that stops the video. Same with YouTube vids. So i have to hold the phone the whole time.
Would love a kind of baby lock that disables the touchscreen and buttons but allows third party apps to run behind it (like third party media players and YouTube) so that she can hold the phone herself while her videos or music is playing. It should then be able to be unlocked by pressing a combination of buttons at the same time or something like that. This would be ideal on those long car rides. You parents know where I'm coming from...
There's an app out there already that does something similar, but it's limited to the stock video player only.
How's that for an app idea?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a pretty interesting idea. Sadly, I won't know if anything is possible until I give it a try, because I'll be learning a lot as I go (I already know Java and I've studied some guides to making apps, as well as a book that I have, but it isn't enough to just magic a useful app together). I'll keep a list and I'll give each thing a try to see if I can pull anything off.
Thanks!
louched1 said:
The first app I ever wrote was born by asking myself, "What do I want my phone to do that it can't currently do?"
This made development much more enjoyable as it was something I was interested in and that kept me going and gave me the will to follow thru until it worked.
If you're looking to make an app for someone else, here's my suggestion:
I'd like a 1x1 toggle widget that does the following:
Toggle On (potato mode):
Screen Brightness at lowest
Bluetooth off
GPS off
Mobile Network off
WiFi off
AutoSync off
Toggle Off (radsauce mode):
Return to whatever settings I was using before pressing Toggle On
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will consider this one as well. On the surface, it doesn't seem like it would be overly complicated.
fachadick said:
I have a bunch of baby videos (baby Einstein and whatnot) in avi format that I use a third party player to play when traveling. The problem is that I can't give the phone to my daughter because she presses a button or something that stops the video. Same with YouTube vids. So i have to hold the phone the whole time.
Would love a kind of baby lock that disables the touchscreen and buttons but allows third party apps to run behind it (like third party media players and YouTube) so that she can hold the phone herself while her videos or music is playing. It should then be able to be unlocked by pressing a combination of buttons at the same time or something like that. This would be ideal on those long car rides. You parents know where I'm coming from...
There's an app out there already that does something similar, but it's limited to the stock video player only.
How's that for an app idea?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As far as media players go, Mx player locks so u have to press the unlock on screen icon to unlock touch buttons.
While it doesn't work for YouTube app, u can use it as default streaming and to watch downloaded movies.
Issue ?partially? solved..
Ask me about my ability to annoy complete strangers!
Touch block comes to mind, last I checked it didn't offer a hardware unlock solution. It disables the touch screen, except for the notification bar. You lock and unlock from there
Thank both of you - I had no idea those were out there, I'll check both of them out!
How's about an app that let's you keep your extSDcard in your phone so that when flashing roms, said app would protect it from being reformatted. It's a pain in the arse having to unmount it/pull it out.
The U.S government wouldn't lie to us...would they?
I don't pull my external sd card when flashing ROMs and I've never had it get formatted. Do you use TWRP?
no app will protect you from recovery since there is no android environment to run the app. Theres also no reason to pull sd card from phone when flashing a new rom.
Iv actually been a lil preoccupied to do anything w/my phone. The only thing Iv done w/it is Zedomax's root method and have yet to flash any roms
The U.S government wouldn't lie to us...would they?
---------- Post added at 12:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:33 PM ----------
SoraX64 said:
Okay, so I've been dabbling with app development for a while now but I haven't found the motivation to actually work on a sizable project. I just don't have any good or interesting ideas.
So, I'm turning to you, XDA. Are there any apps that you'd like to see exist? Or any apps that you use that you'd like to see a better version of?
I'm not promising to actually do these and release them, I'm just looking for ideas to motivate myself to start on a project. Obviously, if I actually get something worthy of release, I'll share it.
So, any ideas? Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My other idea wasnt gud so how's about this one. There are quite a few games still floating about that were pre android. I guess this would be an emulator for pre android games. One that comes to mine is a game by glu 'Transformers'.
http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=muOBTLXUmqM&desktop_uri=/watch?v=muOBTLXUmqM
The U.S government wouldn't lie to us...would they?
There's a full java me port of that game, you just need to convert the jar/jad files and run it in an app called j2me player. Can't guarantee it will run but a lot of java games do
With JB android has started to meet expectations of using tablets and cells for audio engineering apps. I'm a comm engineer by day and run a recording studio by night and hate to admit the integrations of apple iPad etc work very well with multi track audio apps, up until now, android latency issues have preventd good audio multimedia apps so I would love to see more of that development. There is an app called audio evolution now which is amazing and touches the surface of android JB potential.
Sent from my EVO using xda app-developers app
Wasn't the latency due to the fact that android didnt use a realtime kernel? Every distro on the PC side that I've used, I've had to patch or replace the kernel to get realtime support for audio
How about a working Bluetooth keyboard and mouse software? One that actuallys good pairing and better features.
Side stepping the Bluetooth connection would challenge you a little. The kcm and no file with matching dictionary would also be a good challenge.
an app that can decompile and recompile apk
How about an app that let's you download apps that you know will run on your phone but the playstore says your device is not supported for that app. App device support bypass?
*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=
The U.S government wouldn't lie to us....would they?
*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=

Fooled again by Nokia?

Ok so. I've been really wanting so much to like this new Nokia Lumia 920. I've had been waiting to get rid of this IPhone 4 because I remember the days of my brick HTC Tilt and how customizable Windows 6 phones were. So far, I'm am disappointed. It isn't that I hate the phone. It is just that I expected more. I was expecting a lot out of this phone and it has not met the high standard that I (they) set for it.
The first major complaint is the camera. Are we being fooled into thinking it is that much better in low light. Yes, from what I've seen in reviews, it is better, but in my own experience, it isn't that much greater (I have tried auto and night mode). Am I too used to SLR pictures? The camera was supposed to be a big selling point! We have already been fooled once by Nokia about their "Pure View." (http: // articles.latimes.com/2012/sep/06/business/la-fi-tn-nokia-fake-ad-20120906) I wonder if all of this is just a scam. Now it seems that Nokia is owning up to more camera flaws (http: // pocketnow.com/2012/11/05/nokia-lumia-920-camera-fix). I really hope that this isn't a hardware issue and that they fix it right and not try any tricks. It isn't that the pictures/videos I take are bad, but they aren't that much greater(if they are greater) than the competition. Duped?
Battery life: I just switched from an IPhone 4 with no 4G LTE so i'm unaware of the battery consumption of 4G LTE but I have noticed that the battery sure does drain a lot quicker. I'm used to being able to go a couple of days without having to charge. I have noticed ways of getting the phone to last longer. Ff you run Nokia Drive beta, the GPS stays on in the background even when it is closed (you will notice a target at the top status bar remains on). You can turn the background option off, or you have to restart your phone to turn off the GPS and it can consume your battery. Yes, this should be an easy fix, but think about all the people that have to deal with this. Also there is not way to switch off 4G LTE.
Limited voice commands: I'm a big user of the voice commands to play my music. One of the first things I've noticed about this phone is that there are no voice commands from the touch and hold windows button that allow you to play your music. I get it that you can get the "Hey DJ" app and use voice commands for music, but why didn't they just integrate this into the OS so that I don't have to unlock my screen, and tap a few places. Isn't the point of voice commands so that you don't have to look at the screen.
Here are some other small complaints (Maybe some XDA developers could help cook up some changes.... I have paypal ).
No separate volume for ringer and music.
Internet explorer is limited when you search through Google
It is easy to accidentally press the back or the search when using the phone with one hand and reaching across the screen.
No apparent way that I have found to get the Nokia Drive Beta to repeat the last spoken direction.
No seeking option in visual voice mail. You have to listen to the whole thing all over again to get to one point in the voicemail.
Bottom line. This phone seems rushed and unpolished. I got it that some of these issues are OS issues, but come on! Am I expecting too much or isn't this the phone that Nokia was making such a large deal about? 10 more days to give this a try before my return policy expires. Come on Nokia and Microsoft. Change my mind!
Camera taking blurry pictures is a SW issue, as you probably know from having read about it, which hopefully theyll have sorted out fast in an SW update. The nighttime pictures Ive taken are very nice, though, so I dont know whats going on there.
Battery for me is fine, Ive only had my phone for a day, so I cant really say much, but the way its worked so far it seems about the same as my SGS3 in that department. Which is quite good. But of course, I need more time for that.
Voice commands I never was a big user of, since I feel like a moron walking around yelling commands in english (especially when Im in a non-english speaking country). But Im sure its annoying.
Volume thing I agree on, that should be an easy fix for MS to make, really.
Not sure what you mean by "limited" when searching through Google?
The accidental pressing is much like on the SGS3, really. Just a habitual thing, youll get used to handling the phone so you eventually dont mispress.
Iunno, I have a single real annoyance and that is wordwrapping in IE10.
i'm not sure what you were expecting from the camera, but the low light shots are some of the best i've ever taken with a smartphone. and i've had my share of smartphones (this year i've probably had between 8-10 different handsets from various oem's) the daytime shots are a little bit soft, but on par with some of the better smarphone camera's i've used, and it's something that is completely possible to fix via firmware updates (as in, it's not a hardware flaw, but rather a software one)
battery is pretty good for me, on par with my SGS3, it's so much better than my 4s on iOS6 though. there are a couple quirks that are causing the battery to drain rapidly, but people haven't been able to point the blame completely yet. some people have had google accounts getting stuck on syncing constantly and that is killing the battery and the only solution for now is a hard reset. it's an odd issue since it wasn't present in wp7.x and afaik the method wp8 uses to sync is the same as before. it's something that will most likely be fixed via software updates as well
limited voice commands are something that wp8 has the ability to deal with but i'm also bummed they didn't add more voice controls to the built in apps. music in general seems like a really rushed revamp in wp8 which is surprising since the zune software was quite well done in 7.x and was also a major feature which i liked a lot about windows phone. they're changing a bunch of stuff though so it's something that will probably be updated over time. personally i don't like voice commands outside of when i'm driving because i feel like it's faster to just use my fingers, but i understand your disappointment.
volume is something i agree on as well, why microsoft hasn't figured out this is something people have been wanting since 7.0 is beyond me, it really seems like a pretty simple change to make, especially when one is rewriting the entire OS.
accidental pressing is something that will lessen with muscle memory, i always have a lot of issues with button presses and a lot of typos when switching phones, but after a couple weeks you learn to do it a lot less.
i remember getting drive to repeat the last direction, but for the life of me right now i can't figure out what i did. if i figure it out, i'll post it.
the OS isn't for everyone, but for people who like the curated user experience a semi-closed system provides, but don't like apple's 1 handset philosophy it's a good platform.
i admit, i get bored sometimes and end up going to android, but almost always, after about a month of whatever the latest and greatest android handset, i always come back to windows phone. once you figure out your workflow on it, it's really the most efficient and fluid mobile OS out there.
Slai said:
Not sure what you mean by "limited" when searching through Google?
Iunno, I have a single real annoyance and that is wordwrapping in IE10.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Word wrapping is exactly what I mean when I say searching through Google is limited. If you use IE and search through google, at the top of the page, you get a: "This page adapted for your browser comes from...." If you search through through the built in Bing search, you don't get the word wrap. You get the actual page. This is very lame and I think its Microsoft's way of getting us to use Bing instead of google.
Also if you just enter the URL, there is no text wrapping.
Okay? Ive set Google as my default search engine in IE10, and while word wrapping doesnt seem to exist and double-tap to zoom isnt really working perfectly, I havent seen a big change from searching with google and searching with bing or just using a bookmark or directly typing in the url :s ?
vangj said:
Word wrapping is exactly what I mean when I say searching through Google is limited. If you use IE and search through google, at the top of the page, you get a: "This page adapted for your browser comes from...." If you search through through the built in Bing search, you don't get the word wrap. You get the actual page. This is very lame and I think its Microsoft's way of getting us to use Bing instead of google.
Also if you just enter the URL, there is no text wrapping.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This will happen if you have the 'defaul view' as desktop, if you select 'mobile' they will display fine, it is annoying, what I did was install the Google app and I just use that for my search and browsing.
Slai said:
Okay? Ive set Google as my default search engine in IE10, and while word wrapping doesnt seem to exist and double-tap to zoom isnt really working perfectly, I havent seen a big change from searching with google and searching with bing or just using a bookmark or directly typing in the url :s ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok so it does text wrap well if you choose the mobile option for internet explore. I for one do not like the mobile version and chose to set my settings to desktop (sorry still a newbie so i can't post links)
ht tp://postimage.org/image/w6w5t09ml/
If you set your IE settings to desktop and search with Google, you get a funky altered website that looks like this at the top.
ht tp://postimage.org/image/j1gnmwfr1/
It seems like the phone is sending to Google that it wants to still be a mobile phone. When you search with Bing you don't get this option. If you search with Google in Desktop mode, you can scroll to the bottom to get to the desktop site but it can be a hassle.
ht tp://postimage.org/image/5zuyx1rct/
Like I said, I like the desktop mode because I can zoom in and out and make great use of this huge screen.
Hoping google releases Chrome.
Yeah normally I like using desktop mode myself, but my most visited website works really well in its mobile form, so I figured "what the hell".
Would be interesting to see Chrome for WP8. I dont see why not, it is available for W8.
vangj said:
If you set your IE settings to desktop and search with Google, you get a funky altered website that looks like this at the top.
http://postimage.org/image/j1gnmwfr1/
It seems like the phone is sending to Google that it wants to still be a mobile phone. When you search with Bing you don't get this option.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you look at the URL of the page in your sample image, the URL is one on Google.com. It seems that Google recognized that you're on a phone and gave you a search results page that contains modified URLs that point back to Google itself (not to xda-developers.com) and that Google then proxied it for you, reformatting things to fit your phone.
Your complaint seems to be with Google for forcing you in to a "mobilized" view. Unless Google can't tell which "website preference" you're set to (mobile or desktop). I don't know how that preference gets conveyed in HTTP requests. Sorry.
vangj said:
Also there is not way to switch off 4G LTE.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Rogers variant has the "max speed" option to shut off LTE. The AT&T one doesn't seem to have that... so this is an AT&T issue, not a Nokia one. And if AT&T is doing this on Windows Phone, I'd assume they are customizing their Android phones similarly, no? (I have no experience with Android.)
vangj said:
Limited voice commands: I'm a big user of the voice commands to play my music. One of the first things I've noticed about this phone is that there are no voice commands from the touch and hold windows button that allow you to play your music. I get it that you can get the "Hey DJ" app and use voice commands for music, but why didn't they just integrate this into the OS so that I don't have to unlock my screen, and tap a few places. Isn't the point of voice commands so that you don't have to look at the screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is an OS issue, so not too much to do with Nokia. The voice commands in WP8 are extensible. That means 3rd party developers can easily create apps that support it. I think Urbanspoon, Hey DJ and Audible are already out and support voice commands (meaning you can launch the apps by long pressing the windows button).
I expect a lot more apps will add that feature because it's so easy to implement. That makes the lack of voice commands for the built in apps really strange.
EShy said:
This is an OS issue, so not too much to do with Nokia. The voice commands in WP8 are extensible. That means 3rd party developers can easily create apps that support it. I think Urbanspoon, Hey DJ and Audible are already out and support voice commands (meaning you can launch the apps by long pressing the windows button).
I expect a lot more apps will add that feature because it's so easy to implement. That makes the lack of voice commands for the built in apps really strange.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Uhm, you could always launch ANY app with your voice, even on WP7.
Those new apps support voice commands for other things. For example, from your start screen you might be able to say, "Urbanspoon, find nearby burgers" and it'll launch and go straight to finding burger restaurants around you. I have no clue what their apps actually support, but I know that it's possible to make an app that does that!

[Q] Father of special needs kid needs help with android setup

Hi,
This is a pretty special use case, and I hope you guys can help me put together a solution, that will help my family.
My daughter is severely autistic, but loves music. We have worked with CD's for years, but they get destroyed by herself, and are a constant source for conflict for a variety of reasons - because we need to control her access to them (music-time vs. sleep-time for instance) and control the volume. I have to think, I could come up with a technical solution, so we could avoid physical media altogether.
Here is what I would like:
Take our Nexus 7, fill it up with music (maybe google music), mount it on the wall in her room, hook speakers up to it and let her control it as she likes. However, we need to be able to override, ie. lock her out of it if necessary, control the volume etc. I also do not want her to be able to screw up the Nexus by doing other stuff on it, so I would like to be able to lock it to just the music app, unless myself or my wife unlock it to do some sort of maintenance.
To sum up:
- Nexus 7
- Control volume / lock remotely - from pc or another android phone
- Music software
- Access restricted to limited list of apps (music app first and foremost)
How could this be done on Android? What software should I use?
I hope you guys have some good suggestions, so I can get a nice solution to this. Thanks in advance.
Hi
Never really tried to do anything like this but maybe you could create another user profile that has limited functions, I don't know how limited you can be with this but any nexus seven model should allow for a second profile, only allow her to use this one
And in this profile use a launcher that allows you to hide apps if Google won't remove enough for you.
On this profile and the one you create for yourself have a lockscreen password of sorts as well
There may even be an app or launcher in the market to do something this similar.
As for remotely controlling it, I've never tried this, I know you can if it is wired... Actually if you have an adb shell opened on a PC and connect wirelessly to that PC with adb then you could use the PC to turn it off but it would disconnect at this point
Hope you find a working solution, feel free to bounce ideas or questions off me, best of luck!
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
peanutsy said:
Hi,
This is a pretty special use case, and I hope you guys can help me put together a solution, that will help my family.
My daughter is severely autistic, but loves music. We have worked with CD's for years, but they get destroyed by herself, and are a constant source for conflict for a variety of reasons - because we need to control her access to them (music-time vs. sleep-time for instance) and control the volume. I have to think, I could come up with a technical solution, so we could avoid physical media altogether.
Here is what I would like:
Take our Nexus 7, fill it up with music (maybe google music), mount it on the wall in her room, hook speakers up to it and let her control it as she likes. However, we need to be able to override, ie. lock her out of it if necessary, control the volume etc. I also do not want her to be able to screw up the Nexus by doing other stuff on it, so I would like to be able to lock it to just the music app, unless myself or my wife unlock it to do some sort of maintenance.
To sum up:
- Nexus 7
- Control volume / lock remotely - from pc or another android phone
- Music software
- Access restricted to limited list of apps (music app first and foremost)
How could this be done on Android? What software should I use?
I hope you guys have some good suggestions, so I can get a nice solution to this. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I may have a working solution for you, But just bare with me whilst i gather it together to make sure it works like i think it will, I'm heading off to sleep now for work but when i get out i'll be right back at it again and hopefully will be able to deliver a working solution for you tomorrow.
Thanks, look forward to what you have come up with.
peanutsy said:
Hi,
This is a pretty special use case, and I hope you guys can help me put together a solution, that will help my family.
My daughter is severely autistic, but loves music. We have worked with CD's for years, but they get destroyed by herself, and are a constant source for conflict for a variety of reasons - because we need to control her access to them (music-time vs. sleep-time for instance) and control the volume. I have to think, I could come up with a technical solution, so we could avoid physical media altogether.
Here is what I would like:
Take our Nexus 7, fill it up with music (maybe google music), mount it on the wall in her room, hook speakers up to it and let her control it as she likes. However, we need to be able to override, ie. lock her out of it if necessary, control the volume etc. I also do not want her to be able to screw up the Nexus by doing other stuff on it, so I would like to be able to lock it to just the music app, unless myself or my wife unlock it to do some sort of maintenance.
To sum up:
- Nexus 7
- Control volume / lock remotely - from pc or another android phone
- Music software
- Access restricted to limited list of apps (music app first and foremost)
How could this be done on Android? What software should I use?
I hope you guys have some good suggestions, so I can get a nice solution to this. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well i hope you can bascially connect the nexus to the speakers and use a app locker just sure u wont lock the music app then it would lock other apps and through it you can allow or deny access to other apps and check these links to remotely use the nexus via ur pc http://drippler.com/google/nexus_7#!766313
http://www.yumapk.com/how-to-control-your-nexus-7-on-pc-with-airdroid.html
Hope it might help!
Best of luck
Hit thanks button if i helped
After finally getting root on the device, I hours trying to get a VNC server to work - with no luck at all.
Airdroid works, and while it is pretty damn clever piece of software, it does not really allow me meet any of my requirements. Yes, I can lock the device, but I cannot turn off the sound or exit a running application.
Limiting a profile to just a few apps seems doable, but if we cannot control volume and access to the device remotely, I cannot wall-mount it and prevent her taking it and damaging or losing it. Having a connected to a PC permanently becomes to complicated.
I am considering maybe just putting all her music on a mediaserver, installing an app for it on the nexus (like Plex) - and then creating a kill-switch for the mediaserver. That way there is no local music on the device, and I am able to cut the connection to the music, which I think eliminates the requirement to remote control the device itself.
Did you try setting up adb wirelessly? This would at least allow you to kill the app or turn off device, I don't know if you could change volume though.
Looking through the app store their are many child lock apps, maybe dig around there a bit and see if there is something that has more controls that can be done remotely
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
If I may, the style of music makes a difference too. Easy listening gospel being the best and the Lord being the very top, He listens and His yoke is light.
peanutsy said:
I am considering maybe just putting all her music on a mediaserver, installing an app for it on the nexus (like Plex) - and then creating a kill-switch for the mediaserver. That way there is no local music on the device, and I am able to cut the connection to the music, which I think eliminates the requirement to remote control the device itself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have now set up plex with a specific section for her music, shared that folder with a user account I logged in with on the Android Plex App - and she can now see her music collection and play it. I have not yet found an elegant (read: wife friendly) way to "unshare" her music library - without taking down all plex server sharing. But I will figure something out.
I have also managed to limit the user profile on her nexus 7 to just the plex media player. However, there are many options for her to mess with in the player itself, that I am unable to lock down. I am also unable to let her use the youtube app, as it does not run on "restricted profiles" - but that was just a "nice to have", not a "need to have".
Input and ideas are still welcome.
peanutsy said:
I have now set up plex with a specific section for her music, shared that folder with a user account I logged in with on the Android Plex App - and she can now see her music collection and play it. I have not yet found an elegant (read: wife friendly) way to "unshare" her music library - without taking down all plex server sharing. But I will figure something out.
I have also managed to limit the user profile on her nexus 7 to just the plex media player. However, there are many options for her to mess with in the player itself, that I am unable to lock down. I am also unable to let her use the youtube app, as it does not run on "restricted profiles" - but that was just a "nice to have", not a "need to have".
Input and ideas are still welcome.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
try applocker it might let you active apps you need and deactive apps you dont and i dont have a solution for the music app thingy which has less settings.. Still working on it.. Ill let you know as soon as i find something. Till then try this one "Songbird Music App"
Please hit thanks if i helped!
Good Luck!

Generic n00b Android questions (yes ive searched for a while)

I hope this is an acceptable to place to ask generic questions, there doesnt seem to be a general/off topic section anymore, but rather seems to be device specific only.
Ive been using Windows Mobile/Phone since prob 2009 (HTC Touch Pro on Sprint). Now that T-Mobile is shutting off their 3G network in July, im being forced off of my Lumia 950 since it cant do VoLTE without a registry hack for IMS registering that i only ever got to work once. The main reason ive held out for so long, is the Lumia's did everything i wanted them to do and without extra apps etc.
Ive got my Nokia 8.3 pretty much set up the way i want and all the Microsoft apps and such on it so that it kinda feels more like a Lumia than a Samsung, but im still having issues finding the answers to some nagging bits.
Now for some questions:
1. Is there really no way to have the prox sensor default to Speakerphone during a call when its not next to your ear? The only answer ive found is "Tasker this, Tasker that" and i think its bullcrap that something so basic isnt part of Android, if its supposed to be so much better than Windows Phone/Mobile. I used my Lumia almost exclusively as a speakerphone cause it was just that good.
2. This is a REALLY annoying one, especially coming from Windows, why cant OneDrive integrate into the apps? Ive tried having folders available for Offline use and still cant access anything in them in any app save for the Onedrive app. Any article i find on this only tells you about the OneDrive app, but not how to get it integrated properly into Android. Or, is this even possible? I have thousands of pics in various folders, mainly for meme access, so i dont have to carry them solely on a device or SD card. But, i dont want to have to go to OneDrive first, then find the image, download to the phone, go back to the app i was in and then wait for the image to show up 5 mins later for use.
3. Loading files into Ringtones doesnt make them available for apps outside of the stock sounds for that app?
4. More incremental control over volume? Im used to the 1-10 ringer and 1-30 "all other sounds" control, but Android seems to be set at like 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%, or some other 'non single integer" increment. And its maddening that app sounds/notifications are so much louder than actual media voice/music/video sounds, but are tied together.
I think thats all i have for now. Thanks in advance.
Bumo?

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