In which our charming protagonist attempts to configure his perfect "cloudbrain": a hand-held, Internet-enabled touch-screen device for mind-enhancement and capability augmentation. Based upon the (GNU/Linux-based) Android-powered Samsung GT-i7500, a.k.a. the "Galaxy", Glennji's cloudbrain allows him to intelligently process, store and access more data than he has ever been able to before.
I ordered my 'droid from Germany, and when it (finally!) arrived my initial elation slowly turned to a mild disappointment. I couldn't receive calls unless connected to 3G; the battery lasted perhaps 5 hours even with little use; the software was slow and laggy; and the keyboard required an extremely deft touch to avoid typing errors.
Luckily for me, all of these problems are software-based (and the software is just open enough that solutions will emerge from the community). So far, these are the things I've done to improve my cloudbrain friend.
Firmware Upgrade
The firmware that came with my Samsung (I7500VIAIG4? Something like that) was quite old (in Internet time, anyway) and so the first thing I researched was upgrading it. Luckily for me, the same friend who recommended buying the handset from Germany had already upgraded his firmware. I've upgraded to I7500XXII5 with ODIN and see the following benefits:
- a noticeably more responsive UI
- significantly better battery life
- the camera shutter button now launches the camera app (surprise, surprise!)
- a new "switcher" app for toggling autosync, GPS, wifi and bluetooth
http://androidforums.com/samsung-i7500/8364-new-firmware-samsung-new-pc-...
Power Manager ($0.99USD, ~60p)
Even before I upgraded the firmware I tried the free version of Power Manager, an app which applies "profiles" based on the state of battery and charge of the handset.
It's one of those utilities that you would be annoyed if it didn't ship with a "traditional" (non-upgradable) handset; with Android, I don't have any problem buying this for 60p.
Power Manager in the Android Market
Better Keyboard
This is what makes Android so much better than a more-closed platform *cough*iPhone*cough* -- if you don't like the default system keyboard (and I don't) you can replace it. e.g. with a Norwegian one, or a Japanese one, or whatever.
Better Keyboard suits me: the letter-proximity algorithm detects and corrects most of the mistyping so I can just thumb-away at speed without caring too much for accuracy.
(To set it as default, long-press on a text-entry field and select "Input Method".)
App Manager
This is worth it just so you can backup applications (non-protected ones, at least) to the microSD card. Just a useful app to have around.
Task Manager
It's great that Android can run processes in the background, but it is still nice to be able to shutdown apps when you want to, and some apps don't exit when you hit the "back" button, nor provide an "exit" menu option. So Task Manager gives you a way to view all running processes, CPU load, memory -- and most importantly, the ability to close processes with a long-touch.
Locale
Locale allows you to setup location-specific triggers and setting -- notification sounds, wallpapers, settings, etc. At the moment I only have one use for Locale: turning off the notification sound (a delightfully geeky Holodeck beep) once I get to the office -- which as it turns out is critical functionality if I don't want my work-colleagues to lynch me! (I don't.)
Better, 'though, is the fact that Locale has a plugin architecture, so other applications can get location-awareness quite easily. Bring it on!
Remember The Milk
I'm re-reading David Allen's "Getting Things Done" at the moment (thanks Kirk!), and RTM fits perfectly into the idea of "closing loops" and GTD. As a trusted, pervasive system, RTM lets me drop in location-specific tasks from the handset or a browser, get reminded when they are due and/or when I'm near the location, and to just unload my brain of all the background tasks that are running around in there. Good stuff.
Instant Messaging
Like most cloudheads, I've got accounts on several different Instant Messaging platforms: Jabber, Yahoo, MSN and even Facebook-IM. It's essential I have a single unified client for each of these -- I don't care how I connect to you, just that I can.
On my Linux desktops I have Pidgin. On Android, I've found eBuddy. Not completely convinced about it just yet (had to create a separate "eBuddy account", why?) but it does seem to work okay so for now, it stays.
App Organizer
This little app is brilliant, I kid you not -- it allows you to tag applications under particular categories, then create shortcuts on the home screen that launch a little window containing all the apps in that category. So I can have the music player, Spotify, last.fm and Shazam tagged with "Music" and a single Music icon which displays them all.
Seriously: who needs more than three home screens?
Notification Sounds
Case
There aren't too many cases available for the Samsung i7500 just yet, and those that are available are all on eBay (manufactured in China, perhaps?). So I've ordered one for £2.50 (including postage) with low expectations, and will let you know once it arrives this week.
Screen Protector
At the moment I've left the thick plastic on the screen, because the last thing I want is a visible scratch on my shiny new toy. Unfortunately, the plastic picks up greasy smears very easily: not ideal for a touch-screen. I'll have to find a smudge-resistant screen protector once the case shows up.
Spare Battery
What's left to do?
- Podcast: Google Listen? DoggCatcher?
- Flickr "sharing"
- Money, cashbook, budget
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