Droid 101

Google released to the world the Nexus One Smart phone a little more than 6 months ago. The Nexus One is Google’s answer to what a real smart phone should be, and to all accounts they achieved their goal. In this gadget for every occasion world we live, the Nexus One stood as a testament that some things can actually be one size fits all. Power, speed, customization, and the ability to upgrade the system’s Android OS all while housed in a very sleek and dare I say sexy shell, not to mention having a Touchscreen that was vibrant and beautiful.
Google wanted to change the way phones where sold and marketed, which by all means was a noble idea, however they have partners to keep happy as well as not being able to advertise in a conventional sort of way made getting the Nexus One out to the masses difficult to say the least. In this short period of time the Nexus One has developed quite the following from modders to everyday users alike.
What Is the future of the Nexus brand? Will there be a Nexus Two? As of right now, Google says that there are presently no future plans to replace the Nexus One, and to which I say that SUCKS! Many Android users just want a light striped down version of Android from Google running their devices. So Google don’t let the Nexus brand die, give the Android community a worthy successor to the Nexus One.  I hope you hear us, in fact I know you do.

Nexus One, we here at Droid 101 salute you. It’s been a fun ride!

-D.Nix

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This is a tutorial on adjusting the ringer volume on a T-Mobile G1.

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If you have been eagerly waiting for the 2.1 update for your Moto Droid, today is your lucky day. Our friends over at MobileCrunch has laid out the step by step instructions on how to manually install the new update on your phone. So all you Droid users get to it, and if not you could just wait another week until Verizon rolls it out.

Here’s how you do it:

“*Download the update package from here. Don’t unzip it! If your browser         automatically unzips things (like Safari on Mac, for example), use a different browser. It MUST stay zipped.
*Rename the file from signed-voles-ESE81-from-ESD56.fa406da6.zip to update.zip. If you’re using an OS that doesn’t show the .zip extension, just rename it “update” — otherwise it’ll be called “update.zip.zip” and won’t work.
*Take the microSD card from your phone, plug it into a microSD card reader.
*Drag and drop the “update.zip” file into the main folder (otherwise known as the root folder) of your microSD card. Don’t go looking for a folder called “main” or “root” – we’re referring to the folder on your microSD card that   holds all the other folders.
*Turn your Droid off, and put the microSD card back in.
*Hold down the letter “X” on the keyboard. While still holding it, turn your   Droid back on. You should see an exclamation point icon appear on your     screen.
*Push the volume up button and the camera button at the exact same time. If nothing happens, do it again. When you get to the bootloader screen, you      know it worked. (Some folks are reporting that you need to hold the volume      up button and then tap the camera button right after. It’s a bit tricky, but     it’ll work eventually.)

*Use the d-pad to navigate to the “apply: update.zip” option, and choose the   file you just dragged onto your microSD card.”

Ok, simple enough right? What are you waiting on?

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For all those who are looking to pick up the new Devour here is some news from Best Buy’s Facebook page: The Devour will retail for $99 starting on February 25th, but the Droid will also be dropped to $99, and the Droid Eris is going to be free from Best Buy. Meanwhile, Verizon is sticking to its $149 pricetag at its own stores, which involves a $100 rebate. Well, I know where I would be heading to If were in the market for a Moto Devour. I’m just saying….

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Motorola as it seems has been quite busy as of late with the success of the Droid and Cliq handsets. Well, I’m sure their saying  hey why stop here this is the most action when have had in years right!? Motorola’s latest Android device is called the Devour and should be headed to Verizon next month.
Stand out specs of the device include 3.1-inch capacitive touchscreen, a touch-sensitive navigation pad, a pre-installed 8GB microSD card and Bluetooth support. One Interesting note; the Devour will be running Android version 1.6. Why not any two point O Goodness? hmmmm. But last but not least the device will have Flash lite which is really nice when you want to surf the web looking for all those Flash loving websites.

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A few months ago before the release of the Motorola Droid, there was a lot rumors floating around the internet about a phone called the Motorola Sholes. Motorola had not one but two great Android devices, so which would it be the Sholes or the Droid? Well turns out the Droid phone was the one that was released and the Motorola Sholes rumors vanished. Well, its a new year and once again the rumors of the Moto Sholes have returned, but this time with more info. Our friends over at Android and Me have sourced some specs for this  Android device. Also the phone is said to use T-Mobile’s frequency band. If so this will be great new for T-Mobile’s customers.

Display: 3.7 inch capacitive touch FWVGA (480×854)
Dimensions: 60.9 mm x 115.95 mm x 10.9 mm, Weight: 140 g
Processor: TI OMAP3430 (550 MHz ARM Cortex-A8 + PowerVR SGX 530 GPU)
Memory: 512 MB Flash ROM, 256 MB RAM
Camera: 8 megapixel autofocus with xenon flash. 720p HD video recording.
3G Network support: HSDPA 10.2 Mbps, HSUPA 5.6 Mbps
Wireless: WiFi 802.11 b/g with DLNA support
Operating System: Andorid 2.1 with Motorblur
Other: 720P HD video out via HDMI port

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Engadget has done it again. They scored their own Nexus One and have posted 10 minutes of pre-launch video. This video cover almost anything that you would want known about Google’s new phone. However, it leaves us wondering why big G would allow such “insight” before the their own public launch? Why give up the goods so early? We think that Google has a few more surprises up their sleeve. More to come…

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Continuing with Droid 101’s coverage of the upcoming Nexus One Phone. We have some new video of the Nexus One’s 3D benchmark test using Qualcomm’s Neocore.  All I can say is that 1Ghz Snapdragon processor is “impressive. Most impressive” . Video after the break…

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Check it Out.. This phone looks better and better everyday.

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Next week (Jan 5, 2010) Google is hosting their Android press gathering to officially announce the Nexus One Google Android Phone. The guys over at Gizmodo received an early look at the online site where the phone will be sold and has details on pricing and plans. The Nexus One Android phone will be $530 unsubsidized and $180 subsidized with a new 2-year contract with T-Mobile.
If you want the phone at the subsidized price of $180 you only have one rate plane to choose from. The rate plan is: $39.99 Even More 500 mins + Text + Web for $79.99. But in all honesty if you have a rate plan that is cheaper, it’s probably better to purchase the unlocked phone and save yourself some money over the long run.

Also if you cancel your plan before 120 days, you will have to pay the subsidy difference between what you paid and the unsubsidized price, so $350 in this case. Or you can return the phone to Google. You also authorize them to charge this directly to your credit card.

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