New Android - Zopo ZP700 Cuppy...

Have been racking up more phone experience than I ever wanted to. Went through a couple of phones in a short period time. One of my Neobox phones lost its speaker so decided to splurge on a Samsung Mini. Then the Mini quite working too - dropped it really hard and it bounced under the moving truck.

Started getting gadget fever when I saw a cheap Chinese phone for $80 bucks. A flash deal that didn't flash - after ordering it they told me they were unavailable. WHAT? Chinese New Year? Oh well. Kept looking though and found a decent phone on Amazon - it was a Samsung imitation with decent specs for about $130 bucks. Didn't need one but decided to buy it
for my girlfriend.

It was pretty nice and it went up in price after I bought it before selling out. There was an issue with it not being rooted like advertised but Lisa liked it so we kept it. It was from a company called Lightahead selling on Amazon. They were quick to respond and said I could return it so when I began to look for a replacement for mine I started there.

Was trying to see how much phone I could get for a $100 dollars and they had a few that seemed to fit my bill. Read the specs on one but was concerned about what type of SIM card it used (regular, micro, nano) so I emailed them. Another quick response with the answer I was hunting for - regular - so I bought it. Everything went smooth.

Received it and began the process of checking out the features. Not too bad - uh oh! What do you mean its not a Samsung Galaxy? Wanted a Samsung imitation because of all the accessories. Although it looked like a Samsung Galaxy the guy at the mall assured me the case wouldn't work. That was just the beginning - on the way home I noticed that the 3G icon wasn't working so I started testing everything. In the end there was no 3G and it didn't even  have a GPS. I didn't know they made phones without a GPS.

Before receiving the refund, I  went ahead and purchased a Moto G with case. Was planning a trip and wanted it before l left - even splurged on fast delivery and big memory. So I was REALLY surprised when there was an issue. Couldn't believe I was having so much trouble with specifications. Had bought numerous phones with no problems but now two in a row. Went back to the Amazon web page and sure enough - nothing that said it didn't use a regular SIM card. Back it went - had to get out Lisa's old phone as a backup.

Bought my new Zopo ZP700 before I left on my trip. Had purchased two phones from DinoDirect and noticed they did not skimp on the specks but the unlocked phones on Amazon didn't match up. Decided to look else where for the best cheap phone I could find. After my past experience an imitation name brand accessories didn't concern me - would just have to make due with limited accessories. The THL brand of phones caught my attention but didn't want to wait six weeks to get it from China or Hong Kong. eBay to the rescue!!!:-) Didn't take long to find the Zopo - US only, buy now, top rated seller, etc. Complete list of specifications and it was sexy.

Actually had looked at the Zopo brand previously and it always scores high in reviews - $160 bucks seemed like a great buy. HiRes screen, 8mp camera, quad core, plenty of memory and compatible with Straight Talk SIM card for AT&T. One reason I do keep going back to the Chinese phones is that they always have the most recent version of Android and the ZP700 is no exception. Lots of nice features but not over done. The picture quality is great and its fast but one of the best features? - a huge speaker. Its visually bigger but the sound is the best I've heard on any phone.

I've had numerous phones but like this one the best so far. Android is polished and the Zopo ZP700 has the right balance of price and performance. It has a lot of features so find a web site and look them up. You won't be disappointed. Oh yeah - it has GPS and the network is awesomely fast. It even has an H+ icon that comes on frequently.

One more story about the phone: usually turn off my WiFi when leaving  the apartment in the morning, just to conserve battery during the day. As I was exiting into the lobby from the fifth floor I noticed that I was still connected. Can't be? How is this possible? Decided to ask Google Now about the weather to see if the WiFi was actually working. IT WAS:-) How could this be? I turned off the WiFi and tried to reconnect - nothing. It stayed connected from 5 floors down. Amazing phone....

System approach...

http://www.informationweek.com/mobile/mobile-devices/googles-android-contract-not-very-open/d/d-id/1113837

This is a continuous problem with all large scale strategic endeavors - a system is designed to work together in its functionality but somehow its function is seen as a threat or unsupportive of another system...

Cheap Phones...

So all my tricks did not help my phone - it died. The last test was a factory reset. No cell tower signal at all - I think I just wore it out. Wi-Fi just seemed to use more battery so I would just leave it on cell tower data all the time. Don't think it should have died though. Its funny because I'm using Lisa’s old one that I originally bought for myself. I've been through two to her one:-) Guess I push their limits - probably need to buy a quality one but it goes against my senseabilities. As a mater of fact I'm going to push the low end especially since its the low end phone that I'm using.

They are all from China but built with different specification and quality control. Its interesting that China has decided to develop their own operating system because Google Android has an official system design that has made it more expensive while the Chinese manufactories used their open source system to design more inexpensive phones.

Google is such a unique company that I always chuckle when so called industry insiders compare them to other companies. The recent news was lambasting them for selling off Motorola but as always, they are a technology company not a phone company. Lenova is a dominate supplier in China and now they will be able to sell officially licensed android phones in the largest market in the world.

However, I thought of replacing my Latin American Samsung Mini with a Moto G but its still too expensive to me. Two out of three phones dying within a relatively shirt time period not to mention the replacement phone I received while on Virgin Mobile. This time I'm gonna go sub $100 and check it out. Just bought a huge 5 inch phone with a Gorilla Glass screen for $120 so I'm gonna go with a 4 inch phone without the Gorilla Glass. Found one for $85 dollars.

But as before I know I'm going to have problems with my favorite game. It has has been updated many times and while trying to put back on my old phone I found a new problem. It requires an SD card now and this made it easy to nix the Moto G but I know there be a storage problem anyway. If I'm gonna have problems I want to save all the money I can...:-)

PS: The modular phone is on its way...

Android Bookmarks...

Bookmarks seem overly difficult on Android and if you've ever had to change phones then you may have experienced this. The built in management is terrible so I did what everyone does - downloaded an app to fix it.

Found a great one called "Bookmark Folders” by DynamicG. It used a special character, such as a dash (-) to recognize/create a virtual sub folders. Very simplistic and functional except on the backups. Google played havoc on bookmark backup programing especially if you don't use an SD card and would like to backup to the cloud.

It took a while but I found another program that worked seamless with ”Bookmark Folders”.  It backs up the default web browsers bookmarks to an HTML file. It too was on Google Play and its called ” Bookmark Sort and Backup” by Happydroid. It also  backs up the default web browser bookmarks to a directory of my choice - I can the send them anywhere.

Its my understanding that Chrome will soon be the default browser on future Android releases but it will be hard to beat the functionality of "Bookmark Folders". I will of course use them as long as I can.

Google Personalized News Login Failure....

Every so often now my Samsung SIII Mini does not login to my Google personalized news. It's very annoying since it's my start page and favorite bookmark. Noticed it again this morning when another change in Google+ came through.

I messed around with deleting various aspects of the browser security selections but with inconsistent results. Finally, it dawned on me - just remove all of it. With this in mind I went the the Settings application and selected Application Manager. Then swiped to change the tab to "ALL" and scrolled down to the selection "Internet".

Once there it's easy, just push the "Clear data" button. But there is a downside - all my bookmarks GONE! Fortunately I had backups. The Google bookmarks solution seems awkward even though the idea is good. I use the app Bookmark Folders by DynamicG that warns NOT TO USE if you are using Google's bookmarks.

I then went into my Bookmark Folder application and restored my precious bookmarks. I'm sure that Google will eventually perfect Google+ and the synchronized bookmarks but until then...

New Phone - Transferring Number from one carrier to another.

After receiving a couple of new phones, switching and trading with my girlfriend she decided that she wanted to keep her phone number. She was tired of changing cause she had went through a couple phones in the last year or two. Went with Straight Talk Sim cause it worked in any phone within network specs, had great AT&T coverage and at a great price.

Everything thing was going smooth and the online pages even seemed well designed until - IT happened. After filling out the Web form she received a call - PROBLEM. Wonder what it was? No way to find out but by their response system that included lots of waiting - NO FUN.

Turns out to be a simple problem that was not explained well. Straighttalksim.com asks for an account number of existing service but Boost Mobile does not give it to you. At least it's not your phone number that all of these no contract carriers give you. I can only really say that about two: Virgin Mobile and Boost Mobile. I was led to believe that your phone number is also your account. Not so.

Had to actually call Boost Mobile and ask them for tbe account number before I was able to get it. After that instead of going through customer service I went back to the Web pages and submitted a new request. THE REDULTS - went right through and had it up and running in a very short time.

The only problem was that I still had to eventually go through customer service but at least it wasn't because I didn’t have service:-) it was because I was billed twice. Oh well - didn't think that THAT would be a hard fix. Easy to see in the system...

Facebook Messenger

Just downloaded Facebook Messager to see how it works. Seems like any other texting software but except that it tracks your location - if you let it. Kinda cool but I'm not interested in publishing my location - I know where I'm at and where I'm going and I'm not usually lost:-) If I'm looking for someone I text them and ask where they are. I just don't get it.

What I AM looking to do is communicate thoughts and ideas. I think location is cool and there are alot of uses that have it built in - after 911 a system of location became a requirement in phones for governmental reasons and their may be an actual need. I just don't understand it's use in social media unless you're coordinating activities amongst alot of people or a specific type of group with specific spatial coordination requirements. Just doesn't see it as a typical social function.

Main goal: communicate ideas using words through multiple networks such as WIFI and all the G's. You know 2g, 3g, and 4g. I have a phone capable of communicating many things but I want it to communicate specifically what I intend and when a network, of some kind, is available.

I have a few pieces of software that I use on my Android to communicate: Heywire, Skype, and Google Talk. They all have their plus and minuses and now I know why I don't like Facebook Messenger so far. It DOES NOT WORK on phone networks.

Oh well, still kinda like it cause I DO DO Facebook I just don't have the app on my phone. Facebook seems to be creating a way to interact on an individual level that links interests but the experience is becoming less about common interests and more about linking add content to the right person. Think I'll keep Facebook Messenger though - just don't intend to share my location. At least in the automated sense. Just for the record, Google Talk works great on both WIFI and phone networks just as long as you are just texting. Heywire does too but it's hit and miss, depending on the country your in. Skype? Oh well - I use to like it but not so much now. I'm sure it's just the country I'm in.

Android Google Play Download Error (911)

2014-03-04: After my phone bounced a number of times on the blacktop I got out an old one that wasn't being used. Turns out it was the one I used to write this post. It was a good opportunity to see if there still was a problem with downloading large games from Google Play. Had heard rumors that it had been fixed in a newer version but to my surprise I had NO ISSUE installing Defense Zone. I had noticed that they had reworked their program a little too and now used Google Game. May need to update my post on Google Play Movies too:-)

Wow!!! I finally got a phone with some great specs and to go along with it a huge and  fast SD card to hold anything I want. My first ever Android ran out of memory but not this one - a 16GB class 10 card should do the trick.
First test was with movies - my favorite app for this is MX  Player by J2 INTERACTIVE.  It supports hardware accelerated graphics too and I've used it more than a few times while deployed in Afghanistan but the real reason was for games.
Gaming on Android is in its infancy and my taste for games is very narrow. I've had only a few games on all my previous phones,  solitaire and a drag racing game that I play sparingly but with my new phone,  I was in search of something that would tax my new hardware.
Oh my - I found it on Google Play, Defense Zone HD by ARTEM KOTOV. Like alot of the programs, there was a free demo version so it founds it's way onto my phone. The graphics are great and the game play - well it satisfies my desire for stratigic analysis. Played the demo over and over until I finally decided to buy it.
My purchases on Play are few -  I only purchased one other program called SwiftKey Keyboard by SwiftKey. They nabbed me in the same way, free demo and an awesome program. After I woreout the free levels on the hardest setting I decided to buy it - no easy task for me but I had to have it. As I anticipated playing my new game and watching the progress bar, my excitement soon turned to frustration - what the @&#+!
At the end of the download - after reaching 100% there it was AN ERROR - "Defense Zone HD could not be downloaded due to an error. (911)." I was in disbelief and tried two or three more times with the same results. Google Play support however is alive and well, they credited my account but the only explanation was - not a certified phone. I was very disappointed but once the initial shock wore off I used my uncertified Android phone with official Google search to look for an uncertified fix.
Took a while but finally found a reference for a similar problem on a custom Android ROM. There are many download errors but I was looking for (911) and this was a numerical match. The article indicated a Google Play problem with all programs over 50mb so I tested this theory. It was TRUE, at least with my uncertified Android phone but I wasn't buying it. My uncertified phone has two SD cards that seems to give most programs problems.
Could I fix my uncertified phone simply by changing some settings? My Neobox Tuna 2 runs Android 4.0.3 but under the settings menu is a selection for storage. Not sure about all Android phones but mine shows two SD cards but with only one slot. My guess is that the internal memory uses an inaccessible SD card slot for reduced cost but it seems to give some programs problems.  Other programs however read both with no problem and work as they should,  my immediate thought was a program issue that I could fix using the storage setting options on my phone.
The demo game I liked so well was under 50mb while the paid program was over so I had to find a demo over 50mb to test my theory. There are two settings for my phones storage that I thought would affect the download - one is the "preferred install location"  and the "default write disk". The preferred install has three choices: internal storage, sdcard,  or Let the system decide. Didn't even hesitate - selected internal storage. The default write disk has two choices,  sdcard and sdcard2. It's intuitive to think that the sdcard is the system card and from browsing it previously I knew this to be true - select. All I needed to do now was to find a demo - found it.
Defense Zone HD was created using a platform called Unity - Google found the website and I had a prospect: Shadowgun By MADFINGER Games. Found it quickly on Google Play and it downloaded NO PROBLEM. Opened it up and played it - NO PROBLEM. Couldn't believe it could be that easy so I un installed it,  changed the settings back and tried it again. There it was - the error, changed settings to internal and sdcard - installed. It seems like the Google Play 50mb download limit issue is actually an internal system issue. Even after all this I hesitated to download the game I actually wanted.
Thought about reasons why it wouldn't work for a couple of days. Played the demo as I thought about it until I wore out and mastered the levels. Kinda gave me a reason to try out my easy solution. Even after poking holes in my system settings experiment I still had doubts but they were only uneasy feelings. Defense Zone HD downloaded flawlessly on the internal sdcard settings and I'm still entertained.

New Android phone transfer exchange - backup and restore.

I liked my Neobox Tuna Android 4.0.3 phone so much that when the new model came out, with a dual processor and 4.0.4 OS,  I figured out a way to justify the purchase. After all,  I just had to have it. Those cheap, open root phones from Hong Kong are cadget heaven and satisfy my need to tinker. They are more like a tiny computer than a phone.

After fixing a small issue with the G-Sensor,  I noticed how improved the phone was. I had planned to give the first phone to my girlfriend and use the second one but it's hard to start ALL OVER without a little apprehension. Since I had actually planned this little swap I started looking for tools that would make the transition easier.

I've always used a custom home screen launcher and the introduction of Android ICS coinsided with a new one on Google Play called Holo Launcher by MOBINT Software. It allows for customizing menu's and icons, that's a must for me - it also has a backup for the settings and desktop shortcuts. I also use a note program called ColorNote by NOTES and Bookmark Folders by DYNAMICG and both of these have backup solutions also so getting back up and running wasn't going to be too bad.

Initially I downloaded App Backup and Restore by INFOLIFE LLC,  it worked great. It backs up all your apps as they are installed. Restoring them was easy also - so I had my plan.  Backup everything to my SD card and then, after a factory reset of my new phone,  start reinstalling. Just one more thing before I start, look on Google Play one more time. I was glad I did.

Having a rooted phone is the way to go - there are just so many options. As I looked through all the choices I came across Titanium Backup * root by TITANIUM TRACK,  it seemed full featured and got good reviews so I downloaded it too. The reason I chose this program was that it promised to backup programs and all their data. It also indicated that system information would be backed up also. This all inclusive backup was what I wanted - after all I had a few games that I wanted to save my progress on.

Titanium Backup is a little intimidating - system warnings popped up continuously even after I set the usual debug and installation location settings. There is just an over abundance of options and menu's and I really only end up using a couple of the batch commands. It does try to get you to use a donate version and a pro version but I'm not sure what they do. My experience was simple, I set the settings on my phone based on the warnings and at the main screen labeled ALL,  I selected my phones menu button,  which brings up the Main Menu. Then selected the  Batch Actions - ALL  menu that has a number of command groups, I used one command under "Backup"  and one under "Restore".

The Batch Actions - ALL  menu lists the commands in groups and each command contains the number of affected items scanned and listed on the right. Since I wanted to move everything to my new phone I looked for the highest number located to the right of "Backup all user apps + system data". I then selected the "RUN"  button to the left. The program then began backing up all my data to the directory that I had set on my SD card.

I had done some practice runs on my new phone so I did a factory reset, transfered my sim cards and memory card to my new phone. Since I still had "Backup and Restore" program backups, I installed the Titanium APK file from its backup directory and launched the program. I insured the settings on my new one reflect the same settings as on my old phone then went back to the Batch Actions - ALL  menu. I went directly to the "Restore"  category and found the highest number again on the right - it was next to the "Restore all apps with data" selection. I chose the "RUN"  command and set back to wait.

Wow - it did not disappoint. Everything looked just like my old phone and worked just like my old phone. My games retained their levels and there was no setup to do on anything. The only thing that did not transfer were my VPN network selections - no big deal. Since I had so much time not spent on reinstalling all my apps and settings I downloaded Open VPN and setup all my servers. The most amazing thing - even my old wallpaper was there.  Titanium Backup is Awsomeness!!!!

Calibrate accelerometer (G-Sensor) on Android 4.0.4

Received my second Neobox phone from a different Hong Kong vendor this time . Both were good deals with good specs when I bought them and both had the newest operating system at the time. However,  both had sensor issues that I found after  testing all their features. Could it be due to the long shipping distance and various mail sytems they traveled through?

My first phone,  a Neobox Tuna with Android 4.0.3, had an auto rotation problem caused by the accelerometer also. However,  after rapping hard on the back cover with my knuckle it began working and has ever since.  On my second phone I was not as lucky.

Just as the first, it's a Neobox Tuna also but with a duel core processor and Android 4.0.4. The auto rotation function was the first thing I checked and it worked erratic. I installed a  number of programs from Google Play to check the sensor and even tried a few that with a calibration option but nothing worked. It was very disappointing - these phones even have root access so fixing them is usually pretty easy.

Nothing! Couldn't find a fix but there were alot of people having the same problem. I then found a blog page describing a similar problem with an Android 2.2 device, he used a built in boot process called "FastBoot" but I kept looking anyway. I compared the sensor readings with my previous phone and it seemed to work fine but it needed calibrated.

I had to decide whether to keep it or send it back. It was a nice phone and the new version of Android had fixed alot of small issues. So I decided on a factory reset. The reset went through a nice setup process that I had never seen before that reminded me of a Windows process (rebuilt many a system), but it did not fix the problem. So I finally decided to try the "FastBoot".

Here is a description of the exact process I used to adjust the sensor:

1. Power down phone.
2. Hold volume down button down while turning power on.
3. Wait for black screen with light blue text with yellow text as highlight with blue background.
4. Screen title: Factory Mode with selections,  Full Test,  Item Test,  Test Report,  Clear eMMC, Version and Reboot.
5. Select Item Test using the volume up and down button then push the Home button.
6. There is a very long list of items: selected the G-Sensor Calibration > home button.
7. There are four items: Clear Calibration,  Do Calibration(20),  Do Calibration(40), and Exit.
8. Select Clear Calibration > Home button.
9. Lay on flat surface and do not touch while calibrating.
10. Select Do Calibration(20) > Home button.
11. Select Exit > Home button
12. No selection on this screen used Back Button.
13. Select Reboot > Home button.
14. This reboots back into regular interface and complete.
This calibrated the accelerometer and fixed the problem with the auto rotation. I was very happy because I did not have to return it and the auto rotation is such a great feature.