AT&T, Atrix and the Amazon Appstore

Lexington Reservoir - Los Gatos - Full Again!

Amazon launched their own Android AppStore on April 22^nd and most AT&T Android users found themselves missing out on the promotional Premium App-of-the-day being given away free. Other than ease of use, there is no reason to wait for AT&T (or whoever is ultimately able) to fix it and miss out on the freebees, just follow the step by step guide below.

1)     To install apps from sources other than Android Market without ‘rooting’ your phone, get a copy of Android Central Sideload Wonder Machine. You can get all the details and download this wonder machine from the Android Central Forum Post. Download the AC-swm-v10.zip file. Note: you must be signed in to see the download links. [Update: version 1.1 is released, it allows updates.]

2)     Unzip the file into its own directory – and remember its location. [Update: 1.1 must be in c:\]

3)     Next, go to Amazon.com and click on the Get Started section and have them get the app to you via email. You can get it on the phone too, but that will make the 1^st step a little more involved.

4)     Download the .apk file and make a note of where you save it.

5)     Next connect your phone to the PC using the USB cable and in the USB connection dialog select ‘None’. Your PC should install drivers off the phone, if not visit the Motorola Atrix ADB drivers site, download and install the drivers before re-connecting the phone.

6)     On the phone go to SettingsàApplicationsàDevelopment and then select the USB Debugging option.

7)     Now go to the directory where you installed the Sideload Wonder Machine and locate the program: AndroidCentral-SWM.exe and run it. You should see the following application screens Version 1 followed by Version 1.1 (notice the update check box):

8)     Click the “Choose ...” button, navigate to the location where you saved the .apk file, select it and you’ll be instructed to click the Go button in the above dialog.

9)     When you click Go, a command prompt box will open and you will be asked to hit any key to continue after you read some status messages. Following installation if you see the words “Success” you are all set.

Download the apps of your choice from Amazon using the Amazon Appstore App. Once you have done that, you’ll be presented with an Android Security Warning and all you’ll be able to do is OK it. To install the app, locate the .apk files on the phone’s internal memory and follow the steps below:

1.     Connect the phone using the USB and this time, select the USB Mass Storage option.

2.     Use the windows explorer to navigate to:

[driveletter]:\Android\data\com.amazon.venezia\cache\

The .apk files should all be waiting there with cryptic filenames beginning with the letters ‘vnz’.

3.     Copy these off the phone to a known location on the PC – then repeat steps 5 onward above and you are off to the races!

I am hoping this long winded method will be short lived and AT&T will restore Android’s freedom like it was meant to be - before updates begin to show up!

Enjoy!

[Soapbox: Finally! I'm back from the dark side! Refreshing to leave iJail. Shout out to nVidia Tegra 2! Check out the Atrix on Amazon Click: Motorola Atrix 4G Android Phone (AT&T)]

'i' Feel Squished by the iPhone

The iPhone 3Gs - I've had it now for just under a month and in the next couple of days I must decide if I am to keep it.

Why is it that such a remarkable piece of technology leaves me feeling squished and small inside? Like being given rules to live by that you fundamentally disagree with. In order to keep using the iPhone, I must surrender to the whims of, not one but two, corporations: AT&T and Apple. Let me express my thoughts - so you can share my dilemma.

• iPhones require the $30/mo for unlimited data plan, instead of $15/mo; and if I select podcasts larger than 10Mb, the download is unilaterally blocked until I connect to iTunes or have a WiFi connection. No recourse; No options; no way out. Leaves me feeling cheated.
• Being able to tether a laptop while traveling is a huge benefit - i was able to get it working during my last trip, but with the next update it will be shutdown; Leaves me feeling cheated, again. Unfortunately, I could jailbreak, but I feel subjecting users to need to do so is just plain wrong.
  
• Oh, the new 3Gs has video capture! I shoot a video and there is no way, that I know, to pull the video off in its raw form so I can edit it using tools of my choice. I'm told, if I have iMovie on a Mac, I'm home free. Not happening.
• Try sending a picture you just took with the camera - without warning, the picture is down sampled to 800x600 before being sent. Come on, give me a choice! Ask, seek permission - give the user the credit he is due, allow user to set defaults. Respect the user.
  
• iTunes - an iPhone user is FORCED to use iTunes - iTunes tries to take over my music library and promptly begins to convert my files.I have to iTunes to subscribe to podcasts and use sync to refresh the iPhone. I have not found a way to have the iPhone refresh over the air... I feel cheated, yet again.
• Frankly, I can't stand iTunes - how did it get to be so popular. Or perhaps it isnt, just because everyone has a ball and chain around their ankle wouldn't make it "popular". Why should I need iTunes even to delete consumed content on the iPhone?
• The processor on the iPhone 3Gs is plenty powerful - why can't I listen to streaming music while checking my email? Why must each application quit, most without keeping context, when a new activity is started. Multi-tasking and task switching is painfully absent on the iPhone.
• Battery life leaves much to be desired - I have had to resort to keeping the iPhone plugged in whenever I'm near a source and using an external battery pack.
• And then there is this: ATT has had system wide iPhone visual voicemail failures: http://shar.es/JzvV

There is more. Don't get me wrong, I could expand on things likable about the iPhone too: the App Store the UI, the browser, are all top notch; none of them would be empowering though and would make for a very long first blog!

So, without further ado, would you share your thoughts? What should I do about feeling 2nd class, about being subjected to arbitrary restrictions, about paying for undelivered service, about being 'squished'?

Please take the poll, add a comment and share your thoughts about the subject AND my very 1st blog! Thanks!

About the Banner: A Partially frozen Saddlebag Lake, off 120 Tioga Pass Road, late June, 2009.