Can iTunes U podcasts somehow be played by Android and Windows Phone podcatchers? We’re looking for a cross-platform podcasting solution.
After patiently waiting for weeks with a phone that can barely function off a charger for more than 5 minutes, and no word from Apple on a software update (even “we’re working on it”), I’m moving on. If I wanted a phone with tons of bells and whistles, and shitty battery life, I might as well go Android. At least integration with my Google accounts will be better. And Virgin Mobile lets me get a recent model LG Optimus (Android 2.2) with an unlimited data/text plan for $35/month. So goodbye, AT&T and Apple. Maybe another day.
I’ve been a Firefox holdout for a while, but Firefox 5’s insane CPU-hogging was the last straw. Now that enough peripheral applications I use (like 1Password) work stably within Chrome, I’ve made the jump.
I use Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Voice, and several other Google services. So, is Android the next logical step? It might be, especially if iOS 5 is a crock.
We asked, and, boy, do our readers have some issues with their Android phones. Here’s a few of the biggest sticking points, how to fix them, and a few tiny-but-aggravating issues our commenters figured out on their own. Read on at Lifehacker »
I think Apple, Google, and AT&T have helped make up my mind. Here’s how it looks to me at this point: I get the new iPod Touch plus an Android smartphone (or cheapo phone phone).
Pros
- iPhone 4’s super-high density Retina display
- iPhone 4’s A4 processor
- iPhone 4’s front- and rear-facing cameras
- iOS stability and across-the-board level playing field
- Can make VoIP calls via Skype (iPod Touch)
- Can move to a network where you don’t have to wait for planets to align, stand in particular spots, or hold the phone with silicone-tipped tongs to make a freaking telephone call.
- Lower monthly cost (if I go with a phone phone)
Cons
- Have to carry an extra device
- Possibility of leaving/forgetting one device
- No more GPS for car/personal navigation or any location-dependent apps (if I go with a phone phone)
- Dependent on Wi-Fi hotspots for internet access
Of course, if the next iPhone comes out on Verizon, I might just get that. What do you think?
What to do when you’ve accidentally soaked your still-under-contract smartphone and it won’t revive?
A few days ago, I biked home in my rain gear, but absentmindedly forgot to close the zipper on the pocket that contained my iPhone 3G. Needless to say, it was dripping wet and dead as a doornail when I got home. Other people have real problems in this world, so I didn’t get upset or anything. It was my own negligence that made this happen.
On the advice of many friends and web sites, I dried off my iPhone, then sealed it in a box with uncooked rice and silica gel packets. Days later, my iPhone was no better than when I’d soaked it. Not that the advice wasn’t any good, but not all electronics make it through a soaking, especially when they’re still on while getting soaked.
AT&T let me know that I was not eligible for an upgrade for another 3 months, but they’d be happy to sell me a new iPhone 3GS + 2-year contract extension for $399(!). Uh, no.
So, I could borrow someone’s unused older non-smartphone just to have phone service, but would still be paying AT&T ~$80/month for 3G smartphone service I wouldn’t have access to. Or…I could terminate early (~$100, see below) and try a whole different tack.
Alternative 1: Verizon’s Motorola DROID
- Pros: Better network, technically superior phone
- Cons: Lose access to all iTunes library and apps
I don’t know anyone who’s singing the praises of AT&T’s wireless network except maybe the marketing firms paid by them. Switching to Verizon would be a welcome boost in call quality and coverage.
Then there’s Google’s Android 2.0 operating system, which would let me make use of all the great Google apps (free navigation, Google Voice, etc.) that Apple won’t allow in their App Store. (Note: There are Android-based phones from other providers I’m considering as well.) Plus, the DROID has several superior technical specifications, like a 5-megapixel imaging sensor, DVD-quality video recording, much higher-resolution screen, hardware keyboard AND landscape/portrait software keyboards, etc.
I’d be paying $199 to Verizon and committing to a 2-year contract, plus pay AT&T an early termination fee of ~$100 ($175 - $5/month in contract). That’s still $100 less than getting an iPhone 3GS, and I’d have a technically superior phone. Or…
Alternative 2: iPod Touch + Skype + Wi-Fi
- Pros: Super cheap monthly cost via Skype ($2.95!), retain all iTunes apps and music
- Cons: No camera, GPS; no phone capability outside of Wi-Fi hotspots; Skype app must be on to receive calls
I still need access to my music library and apps, so the iPod Touch is a natural alternative. For $2.95/month, I could have unlimited Skype calling to and from U.S. phones, and I’d just use my iPhone’s headset to make those calls. My obvious limitation would be Wi-Fi hotspot range, but I’m almost always around one of those.
I lose out on a camera, but have all the familiarity, apps, and music library I already have via iTunes, and $2.95/month is a LOT more palatable than ~$80/month for smartphone use. The definite other downside is not having phone capability in an emergency, should I not be in Wi-Fi range—or if I’m in a hotspot I don’t have authentication for. I could get some free phone with emergency usage plan for those situations.
Which way would you go?
