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[Husker86]

Android GAF, any suggestions for apps to chat with a friend in Paris? I'm in the U.S. and looking for voice, text, video exchange, or whatever

Hangouts? Are they using an Android device as well?

WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Hangouts are all good options.

 

[kIdMuScLe]

Android GAF, any suggestions for apps to chat with a friend in Paris? I'm in the U.S. and looking for voice, text, video exchange, or whatever

Hangouts or LINE

 

[Frustrated_me]

WhatsApp is awesome.

 

[wilflare]

no love for Telegram?

 

[Mercury Fred]

Hangouts? Are they using an Android device as well?

WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Hangouts are all good options.

I'm actually not sure if he's on Android or not. I'll find out.

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. I haven't used Hangouts but don't really want to replace my whole, er, chat/ text infrastructure.

 

[JoeFu]

MKBHD review of the M8 makes it seem really really awesome. Sense looks better with every iteration. With the specific apps being on Google Play, the GP Edition of the M8 seems like a no brainer if you had choice between the regular or GPE.

 

[Emitan]

Fuck off, AT&T

http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/0...oster-feature-is-missing-from-atts-galaxy-s5/

 

[snacknuts]

I'm actually not sure if he's on Android or not. I'll find out.

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. I haven't used Hangouts but don't really want to replace my whole, er, chat/ text infrastructure.

Doesn't matter if he's on Android. As long as he's not on BlackBerry, he can use Hangouts. And it's not really replacing your whole chat infrastructure to talk to one person.

 

[Xyber]

Fuck off, AT&T

http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/0...oster-feature-is-missing-from-atts-galaxy-s5/

That sucks. Would it be possible to fix with a custom ROM later on maybe?

Also, reading that people have started getting their phones already sucks. My carrier here in Sweden haven't started shipping to anyone yet and I'm not even sure I will get mine on friday..

 

[VoxPop]

So I'm currently using Sidebar Pro and currently have it set as swipe from right edge of screen to access my apps. It's a pain in the ass sometimes because it blocks my from typing on the right side of my keyboard or messes with page navigation.

Currently I have Blinkfeed opening when I swipe up on my app drawer on the bottom right. Is there a way to make Sidebar Pro's apps come out when I swipe up on my app drawer? When I choose the app for the gesture, it only opens the settings. Even checked the activities section but only 1 option that does the same thing.

Also is there an app/tweak that allows me to swipe left or right on a homescreen (like changing pages) to open up an app?

 

[Emitan]

That sucks. Would it be possible to fix with a custom ROM later on maybe?

Also, reading that people have started getting their phones already sucks. My carrier here in Sweden haven't started shipping to anyone yet and I'm not even sure I will get mine on friday..

My phone shipped yesterday so there's a small chance it'll arrive today.

 

[Xyber]

My phone shipped yesterday so there's a small chance it'll arrive today.

What carrier?

 

[Emitan]

What carrier?

AT&T

 

[Xyber]

AT&T

Well then you're not in Sweden and that info is of no use to me!

 

[PaulLFC]

Well my replacement Nexus 4 turned up today, not updated to the latest software version for some reason. It still won't update to 4.4.2, it'll get to 4.4 fine but after that, nope.

It seems to be stuck in a loop at the moment, the update install bar gets to about 25% (about where the old phone would fail and show an error message) - instead the replacement just reboots and tries to install the update again - and carries on doing this over and over again.

Not sure what to do since this is the replacement phone, don't know whether to just leave it (doubt that will do anything as it's just rebooting over and over and failing at the same point in the update) or risk turning the phone off and seeing if it'll reboot properly.

Edit: Finally sorted. The phone eventually (after trying to install the update about 15 times I'd say) gave up, rebooted and prompty got stuck on the "4 circles" boot screen. I restarted it, it booted back into Android 4.4. Booted into recovery mode, cleared the cache and did a factory data reset, then tried the update again. I wasn't expecting it to work, but somehow it did, so I'm now on 4.4.2 and all seems well so far

 

[kehs]

You could try flashing the factory image.

https://developers.google.com/android/nexus/images#occam

 

[The Faceless Master]

GSM Arena review is a bit of a joke. S5 design better than last year's Note? Hell no!

not having fake stitching is pretty compelling.

 

[PaulLFC]

You could try flashing the factory image.

https://developers.google.com/android/nexus/images#occam

Thanks, I eventually got it sorted (edited my above post) but this will be an option if the issue happens again with future updates.

 

[NotBacon]

If you saw the stock Android settings, you'd see how deep these skins go.

Sense settings isn't bad, but Samsung's...ugh. There are four tabs with their own scrollable lists in Samsung settings menu...four tabs.

Oh that's nothing compared to Samsung or LG notification shades haha.

The notifications are off the screen. IN THE NOTIFICATION BAR.

Compared to....

 

[leng jai]

So Touchwizz is about as elegant as the Galaxy's exterior. I honestly never realised it was that bad.

 

[Toki767]

That's an LG screenshot, and honestly you can disable most of the clutter.

 

[NotBacon]

That's an LG screenshot, and honestly you can disable most of the clutter.

Yeah I was able to disable the remote and Q-slide functions but not the rest. It just seems ridiculous it can get to that point haha

 

[Avixph]

So Touchwizz is about as elegant as the Galaxy's exterior. I honestly never realised it was that bad.

No this is how Touchwiz looks like now:

When earphones are connected:

 

[Fatalah]

Moto X was sexy for the brief period I used it and everyone seems to love it.

Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Moto X+1

I have a strange feeling the X+1 is just an accessory, not an entirely new phone. The Moto X is still rolling out to new markets, like India. Too soon for a follow-up!

I'm team Moto as long as they stay smart. My Moto X is glorious, and so is my unlimited VZ plan.

 

[AlteredBeast]

Got the LG G2, which I mostly love. The battery life is amazing, the screen is incredible, the sound volume is loud and it is snappy as all hell.

I can get over the stupid back-only buttons, but I really, really dislike the notification pull down menu! What options do I have in getting rid of the toggles in there? Actually, if I could just turn off QSlide, it would probably be sufficient for me... Anyone know how I could get that out of there?

 

[The Faceless Master]

Got the LG G2, which I mostly love. The battery life is amazing, the screen is incredible, the sound volume is loud and it is snappy as all hell.

I can get over the stupid back-only buttons, but I really, really dislike the notification pull down menu! What options do I have in getting rid of the toggles in there? Actually, if I could just turn off QSlide, it would probably be sufficient for me... Anyone know how I could get that out of there?

iirc some OEMs don't let you disable some of those notification menus. iirc AT&T was the worst.

 

[Rewrite]

Only thing I'm not liking from the notification area of the new TouchWiz are the S finder and quick connect button. Any word if you can disable those? Aside from that, I have never had a problem with the look.

 

[NotBacon]

Got the LG G2, which I mostly love. The battery life is amazing, the screen is incredible, the sound volume is loud and it is snappy as all hell.

I can get over the stupid back-only buttons, but I really, really dislike the notification pull down menu! What options do I have in getting rid of the toggles in there? Actually, if I could just turn off QSlide, it would probably be sufficient for me... Anyone know how I could get that out of there?

When I was playing with it I just scrolled sideways through that list of toggles at the top of the notification shade, and a Q-slide toggle was in there.

 

[Shadownet]

Hey Gaf? Have you guys heard about the Oppo Find 7? It look amazing. Will the US be getting it??

 

[Toki767]

Samsung really iOS7'd up Touchwiz huh?

 

[VoxPop]

Samsung really iOS7'd up Touchwiz huh?

Nothing new. Samsung is like Apple's annoying little brother.

 

[Avixph]

Samsung really iOS7'd up Touchwiz huh?

At least it looks way better than previous versions.

 

[PaulLFC]

Is there anything for Android that would replicate iOS 7's search behaviour (swipe down from near the top of the screen anywhere in the launcher to bring up search)? This sounds incredibly lazy I know, but I really like that functionality on the iPad. It's pretty much the only aspect of iOS I prefer to Android.

 

[yyzjohn]

Is there anything for Android that would replicate iOS 7's search behaviour (swipe down from near the top of the screen anywhere in the launcher to bring up search)? This sounds incredibly lazy I know, but I really like that functionality on the iPad. It's pretty much the only aspect of iOS I prefer to Android.

If you swipe up from the bottom anywhere in android it'll bring up Google now with the search bar. (At least on stock Android)

 

[Blablurn]

So I'm currently using Sidebar Pro and currently have it set as swipe from right edge of screen to access my apps. It's a pain in the ass sometimes because it blocks my from typing on the right side of my keyboard or messes with page navigation.



Currently I have Blinkfeed opening when I swipe up on my app drawer on the bottom right. Is there a way to make Sidebar Pro's apps come out when I swipe up on my app drawer? When I choose the app for the gesture, it only opens the settings. Even checked the activities section but only 1 option that does the same thing.

Also is there an app/tweak that allows me to swipe left or right on a homescreen (like changing pages) to open up an app?

what kind of wallpaper, icon theme and clock are you using?

 

[PaulLFC]

If you swipe up from the bottom anywhere in android it'll bring up Google now with the search bar. (At least on stock Android)

Of course! Not sure why I forgot about that, shows how much I used that feature I guess! Thanks.

 

[Portugeezer]

Just got the LG G2. Very nice phone.

Huge screen, I am not used to these big 5inch+ phones yet, last phone was a Xperia Ray (nice phone but just 3.3" screen).

So much smoother than my previous phone.

 

[Daante]

He said he was willing to give 5 inch a try. Regarding the camera, it's fast (super fast, actually), photo quality is fine, and performs good in both light and dark conditions.

Yes, other phones have better camera, but that doesn't mean the device should be offhandedly dismissed.

The phone satisfies his other requests and is an appropriate candidate (speed, battery and, above all, looks). It's okay if he did his research and concluded the camera is not up to what he wants.

Thanks for all the advice.

As it feels now im somewhere between Nexus 5, LG G2, and maby Xperia Z2 or HTC M8.

I know both the Nexus 5 and the LG G2 most likley will get sequels this year. Nexus 5 sequel will probably hit Q3-Q4 and i think that is out of my time range. The LG G2 sequel rumors says May, but the phone will be expensive due to the tech thats inside.


Nexus 5:
I really like the looks of the Nexus 5, but i read that the battery life is so-so and that the camera was initially kinda bad, but after software update saw improvements. I also like the fact that the phone has ZERO bloatware, and that the pricepoint is highly attractive. Overall i think the Nexus 5 has the best visual apperance for my taste.

LG G2:
From the little iv read its basically better on every point compared to the Nexus 5 (?). It has a very good price , but i still think the Nexus 5 provides better visual looks, and the LG has bloatware (dont know how much it affects the user experience though).

Xperia Z2:
This phone seems to have the most functions i want, but it also comes with a high price.. I could get TWO Nexus 5 for the same price as ONE Xperia Z2. And in a world where mobile technology goes so damn fast i ask myself if it really is worth the money in the end. Im also unsure about the size dimensions on the Z2, it might be too big for me coming from my Xperia S with 4,3 inch screen.


HTC M8:
Same story as with the Z2, but the Camera seems so-so. The M8 "Sense" interface seems really good.


I have not had time yet, to visit a shop and feel how phones with screensize 5 inch and above feels in my hand/hands. I guess that would be my starting point.

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

I got an interesting issue. When I plug my GS4 into my PC, it sometimes kills the functionality of my current mouse, forcing me to use another mouse to restart my computer to fix the issue... I updated all the USB drivers and still have no idea why it will do it randomly. Fucking aggravating.

My mouse is a Steelseries Sensei Raw. It only kicks off that mouse and no other one. Everything else works.

Is it the phone messing with my system or is my system freaking out about what it is?

 

[Xyber]

Thank god, got a text today that my phone has been shipped. Feared I wasn't going to be able to mess around with it this weekend.

 

[Ocho]

I have not had time yet, to visit a shop and feel how phones with screensize 5 inch and above feels in my hand/hands. I guess that would be my starting point.

5 inches is not that big if you take into account phones are now thin/light. I have a Note 2 and people are amused it fits in their pockets. It's not THAT big (or people underestimate their pockets). Hope you find one you like.

 

[VoxPop]

what kind of wallpaper, icon theme and clock are you using?

Wallpaper

Icons

The clock widget I just made in UCCW

 

[Blablurn]

Wallpaper

Icons

The clock widget I just made in UCCW

muchas gracias! nice stuff

 

[tino]

OK, I have voiced my reservation of the "Project Ara" before (A.K.A google's lego puzzle phone) Every time I read news of this project on gadget blogs it pisses me off. The articles are so devoid of any actual detail it sound 100% like a kickstarter scam.

Ok, somebody believe in this project, humor me. Exactly what are the pieces google put in the back of the phone? Or let me ask the question another way, exactly what hardware that you don't need to use every day you can put it on an optional "puzzle" piece?

Do you need bluetooth? I certain use bt everyday, do you need wifi and GPS? Yes they are essentail functions of a smartphone. Almost every hardware feature you can think of, you need it every day. So besides different camera modules and battery modules, what exactly can you put on the puzzles? If you just want different battery come in different size/weight, you can do it now! On most of the Samsung and LG phones. I don't even know if you can separate the cpu/gpu from the connection hardwares. The way Qualcomm make soc nowadays they basically put everything including the GPS/bt/wifi/LTE in the same chip. Hell even home pc are going in this direction anyway.

This project makes no sense. It makes as little sense as most of the kickstarter stuff.

 

[kehs]

OK, I have voiced my reservation of the "Project Ara" before (A.K.A google's lego puzzle phone) Every time I read news of this project on gadget blogs it pisses me off. The articles are so devoid of any actual detail it sound 100% like a kickstarter scam.

Ok, somebody believe in this project, humor me. Exactly what are the pieces google put in the back of the phone? Or let me ask the question another way, exactly what hardware that you don't need to use every day you can put it on an optional "puzzle" piece?

Do you need bluetooth? I certain use bt everyday, do you need wifi and GPS? Yes they are essentail functions of a smartphone. Almost every hardware feature you can think of, you need it every day. So besides different camera modules and battery modules, what exactly can you put on the puzzles? If you just want different battery come in different size/weight, you can do it now! On most of the Samsung and LG phones. I don't even know if you can separate the cpu/gpu from the connection hardwares. The way Qualcomm make soc nowadays they basically put everything including the GPS/bt/wifi/LTE in the same chip. Hell even home pc are going in this direction anyway.

This project makes no sense. It makes as little sense as most of the kickstarter stuff.

Conceivable you could double up on wifi modules for faster through put. Even something like an ethernet module could help you tie into a local nas.

Did you see the phone that Google is using to map 3d environments? You could do that with an additional module instead of a whole new device.

There's companies, mainly in professional fields, working on creating things like scanners for blood sugar. People with diabetes won't have to carry around another piece of hardware with them.

Boom sound and a pico projector for doing presentations. Being able to add an LTE module or a whitespace module would be great and would allow even faster iteration of tech.

You work at a sensitive place of work? Remove the camera and you can still have your own phone. Slide in your work module and you don't have to carry a second work phone.

 

[AndyD]

Conceivable you could double up on wifi modules for faster through put. Even something like an ethernet module could help you tie into a local nas.

Did you see the phone that Google is using to map 3d environments? You could do that with an additional module instead of a whole new device.

There's companies, mainly in professional fields, working on creating things like scanners for blood sugar. People with diabetes won't have to carry around another piece of hardware with them.

Boom sound and a pico projector for doing presentations. Being able to add an LTE module or a whitespace module would be great and would allow even faster iteration of tech.

You work at a sensitive place of work? Remove the camera and you can still have your own phone. Slide in your work module and you don't have to carry a second work phone.

Yep. You can't limit your thought to consumer applications. This has huge implications for medical and other specialized industries because you can attach all sorts of sensors.

Although for consumers, some of the ideas they showed was that you could snap in a smaller screen and physical keyboard vs. a larger screen. Or a larger battery module vs. a battery module and a camera module. Or a speaker bar, mid size screen and a keyboard.

Take a look:

 

[Granadier]

What is AndroidGAF's consensus on the Nexus 5 now that is has been out for several months?

 

[ThatObviousUser]

What is AndroidGAF's consensus on the Nexus 5 now that is has been out for several months?

Still the best Android phone available.

 

[AndyD]

Still the best Android phone available.

Some would say its a tossup with LG G2, but you can't go wrong either way.

 

[Granadier]

Still the best Android phone available.

Some would say its a tossup with LG G2, but you can't go wrong either way.

Great to hear.

What kind of battery life does it have compared to an N4? (I have one currently)