On to the questions!

Finally got some questions to answer from some coworkers!


Terms for this post:
SMS: Short Messaging Service, also known a text or text messaging
MMS: Multimedia Messaging Service, which is picture or video messages sent in the messaging app
SMS/MMS Thread: A thread is simply a conversation, or collection a of messages between yourself and one other contact.


1. Amy: 
   Customers/users have media(pictures) being stored to the internal memory vs. the removable SD card.
   First thing I would try is educating the user on how to activate "Mass Storage Mode" on their Android, when plugged in to a computer.  Which is easily activated by pulling down on the notification bar, and selecting the USB connection, which defaults to "Charge Only", and selecting Mass Storage.
     
   A vast majority of computers have generic drivers for a mass storage device, so no special software or access to the internet is required for this action.

   The next option to move the pictures, is to simply send them in an email.  Even to the phone's own Gmail account is good enough for this.  Try not to send them using picture messaging, or MMS, due to the pictures being reduced in size to fit the requirements of MMS.  Emailed pictures maintain their original size and quality, where MMS or picture messaged images are sent at a percentage of their original quality.
   In most Android email applications, you can attach multiple files/pictures to a single outgoing email.  Easiest way that I have found to do this is by going in to the phone's Gallery or Photos app, and holding you finger on a picture in the group you would like to send.  Doing this, the phone will allow you to select multiple pictures at once.
   Please take note, the Gmail will only allow you to send approximately 15MB of files per email, where most other email services will only accept emails 10MB or smaller to your inbox.  Keep the number of pictures sent with each email to around 5 or 6 for safety reasons.

   Please let me know if this doesn't help your situation.


2. Jennifer:
   Samsung Gem, or similar lower system memory phone, giving errors about low memory, can't receive incoming message
   There are three situations that come to mind concerning this issue, and they all can apply equally.
   First, by default Androids DON'T delete your texting/SMS history.  Unlike older phones, RAZRs or even basic keyboard phones, which delete any messages after they have 100-200, depending on model, Androids will NOT erase any SMS without you telling it to.
   On my personal phone I have Handcent to manage my SMS duties.  In one of my earlier posts on installing Handcent, I recommended going in to the original messaging app and disabling notifications, while in there you can make sure thse phone is also set to delete messages after a certain amount.  On my personal phone, the settings are 200 SMS and 30 MMS per thread.
   I have ran in to a couple phones that didn't have an option for auto delete, which I don't have a spacific app that I recommend to take care of this task (which are available), but do recommend keeping an eye on the size of some of your SMS threads.  A known glitch in Android is the inability to delete an SMS thread with over 1,000 messages in the conversation.  Both high-end and low-end Androids I've come across this, which, if I come across I will simply wipe the phone and have the customer start from scratch.
   Wiping a phone is usually the last thing I would ever do, but it is one situation that calls for it.

   Second situation, when the user/owner uses Gmail as their primary email address.  I've noticed, and come across a couple discussions about a memory leak in the actual Gmail app itself.
   My personal main Gmail inbox usually has around 1500-2000 emails, just in the inbox.  After a couple days I would get an error about low system memory, but still see over 100MB free system memory in phone information.
   To resolve this memory issue I installed K-9 email handler.  After installing K-9, go to the phone's main screen, Setting - Accounts, and turn off Gmail syncing.  After turning off syncing, go in to Settings - Applications - Manage Applications and uninstall the Gmail app and all updates.
   K-9 supports an IMAP and push connection to Gmail, so it will work just as easy and quick as the Gmail app, but only keeps the last 25 emails cached.  Helps email run a lot quicker, and reduces the memory requirement on the phone.

   Third, and easiest reason for low memory is too many apps.  No, not a single phone is designed to download and run every app available app from the Android Market.  Downloading every app that sounds cool, and not uninstalling the ones you'll never use again, will eat up your phone's memory.
   There are some apps out there to assist people who need to have EVERY cool app ever released.  I use one just to have all the free memory I can, which is App2SD.  Every app that is lists can be moved to the SD card, and free up some memory.  My dialer replacement, Dialer One is the only app I don't move to the SD, so it is always available to the phone, even right after a reboot.  I choose to install Dialer One since my current software doesn't include HTC's Sense interface, and I still wanted the ability to spell a name on the dial pad to call someone.  No digging through my contact list of over 800 listings.  Also, if you're in to Live Wallpapers, don't put any of those on the SD card, most of the time it will prevent them from loading.


   It's the end of a long day, and the first company kickball game.  I'm tired and out of questions.

NO TASK KILLERS!!!!

   Ask me more, I'm better at describing things here than over the phone.

Been absent for a couple days...

Crap! I have to reset my device...

Most of us have run in to this situation at least once. Contacts and media are the easy part. All your media SHOULD be saved to the memory card by default, there are some cases where the phone might be saving to internal memory (example: HTC Incredible 6300 has a habit of doing this if the memory card gets removed often). Which, requires a computer to easily move them to the memory card.

The most common question I get asked is, are my apps backed up?

market.android.com

Once logged in, click on my library. All apps that you have installed from the market, free and paid will be listed here. I'm not sure if it is for everyone, but my account has a glitch that keeps it from showing anything starting with the letter M or later.

The best part, is that you get to choose the apps you really want the second time around. Free up some extra memory to download some of those large games you've been scared of, likeHOMERUN BATTLE 3D!

Another reset opportunity is Apps2SD. Allows the moving of most apps to your external memory, freeing up even more space.

Here is a screenshot of my application manager, and how much free memory I have. I threw in a shot of my homescreen too, bask in it's simplicity, and yeah, it's the only screen with icons on it.

In the homescreen screen shot, I noticed my dialer. For anyone who doesn't have an HTC Android running Sense (HTC's own UI for Android), Dialer One has the Sense feature of spelling someone's name to call them.

Side note for my CSOKI buddies,

To make Droid life easier, when using the Cellbrite to transfer to any Android, try these steps to simplify things.

Set the machine up for what ever device you are transferring from. For the Android, select Smartphone for manufacturer, then Android CDMA for device and memory card for method. This setting has worked for all Verizon Androids that I've come accross. It just adds a step at the end of everything, of going in to contacts and hitting menu - import/export, and import from memory card. Cool extra that comes with this, is that it saves a copy of the client's address book to the memory card too!

All apps named in this post link to their download page in Google's Android Market, which works from either your phone or personal computer.

Give me some feedback people!

I answer any and all questions, but they have to be asked!

Task Killers/Battery WTFs....

   I have a strong stance on both types of apps.  DON'T!

   First, you bought a powerful pc in your pocket.  With near instant access to your email and social hubs.  Both of these types of apps have features that will restrict or completely cut off tools your phone uses to maintain it's connection to either communications need.

   What's the point of paying for instant email, when you have an app that doesn't allow it?

   Task Killers:  Originally, there was a valid use for these, which is pre-Android 2.0.  All handsets featuring a near-current build of Android has task management already built in to the system it self.  2.3 and above almost starts to follow your personal habits and regulates tasks accordingly.
   A couple other issues I've seen involving task killers, is the app restricting or killing the actual phone app.  In effect, prevents an incoming call from even creating a notification until a voicemail is left.  Or, doing a similar action to the SMS/Messaging app, which has created two different scenarios.  One, killing the app and not notifying of new messages, and another where the messaging app is regulated during composing or sending a message, and somehow sending it to an entirely different contact.

   Battery Savers:  I haven't seen any big problems associated with these, just annoyances.  One of the key ways for one of these apps to help save battery life is to restrict or completely cut the data connection to the network.  Not a big problem, but very annoying.  Sometimes the app even prevents you from manually turning the data connection back on, when you want to use it.
   These apps will also save battery life by cutting off other radios.  Such as WiFi.  But with the new Verizon Wireless limited plans WiFi is almost a necessity.  With using my WiFi when I can, so far this month I'm at .9 Gbs and I don't reset until the 21st.  Without WiFi I usually hit between 2.5-4 Gbs for the month.

   Most of the time, when I'm troubleshooting a client's phone, removing any of these types of apps solves most of the problems.  Just uninstall all found apps of these catagories, then PULL THE BATTERY OUT.  Not shut the phone down, pull the battery out!  Another optional step after removing them is to clear the Delvik cache, which is kinda on the advanced user side of things, but I will get in to doing that in a later post.

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   I'm always available for direct questions, which will be answered in a new blog post, feel free to ask!

Handcent Messenger

Handcent - Android Market link

   To start off, Handcent is an app from an independent developer, and can have bugs as any other app from the market.  Apps may be written by anyone, and sometimes they aren't perfect.  This is just a disclosure, and I've had very few issues with Handcent since starting to use it over a year ago.

   Every time I switch phones, this is the first app I install.  A complete replacement for managing SMS/MMS on an Android.  Supports easier group messaging and supports themes.

   After installing, there are some settings that need to be changed in the stock messaging app.  Go in to the stock messaging app and hit the menu button and select settings.  I keep all the auto-delete options turned on, since for some reason Androids have issues will large texting histories.  30 for MMS and 200 for SMS are my personal choices for those.  Other settings to change is in the notifications area, turn them all OFF, or uncheck the boxes. Handcent will manage notifications from this point forward.

   Number one reason I use Handcent is the incoming message pop up window.  When ever a SMS or MMS comes in a handy little box pops up and allows me to read or respond quickly, without switching apps.

   The group messaging is a very handy feature too.  The stock app only supports up to 10 recipients per message, where Hancent will allow you to send to your entire contact list if you wish.  Being able to select my sales area or the entire market has been quite handy.

   Comments?  Questions?  Let's hear it!

Starting off..

   I'm quite experimental when it comes to my various Droid phones.  I'm going to start keeping track of my progress and failures on here, to help anyone else looking in the same direction with their Droid phone.

   My current phone is the Sony-Ericsson R800x, or the Sony Play, on Verizon Wireless.  Previous model was the HTC Droid Incredible, ADR6300, which was the victim of most of my exploring.   sn: I'm a private rep for Verizon.  If anyone needs help with their service, wants to switch, or needs to get their hands on a spacific phone, let me know.

My next post I'll get in to the apps I use on a daily basis, and how they are running and customized.