Day 4: Okay, so what about Music?

I've tried a fair amount of these music apps, and I have to say, here's my top five:

5) Rhapsody

Pros: It's a well-designed, streaming music machine.

Cons: You have to pay for service. What do I look like an Iphone user or something?

Final Decision: Unless you're completely by the book... pass.






4) Last.fm 

Pros: It's a personal radio in your pocket.

Cons: A bit more annoying to use than Pandora.

Final Decision: If you want a personalized radio that trains itself to figure out what you want to listen, download Pandora.







3) Pandora

Pros: Quick, easy and many of use it on the computer anyways.

Cons: No offline mode.

Final Decision: If you want something, simple, easy and quick, this is the app for you.







2) Slacker Radio

Pros: Easy to use, great selection (millions of songs), and offline mode.

Cons: Some indie bands may not be found.

Final Decision: Definitely a great app, second best music app. It's free and there's an offline mode, so you can use it in the car when driving.






1) Grooveshark

Pros: My favorite app for music. There's a VIP mode, but the free version is amazing nonetheless. Just sign up for an account, and set up your playlists. It saves it in it's memory for recall and has an offline mode.

Cons: Practically none.

Final Decision: Huge library (including indie bands), quick downloads, and offline mode. The best app available.



If you have the time, try them all. If you don't Grooveshark will meet all of your needs.

Day 3: The Secret Menus (Better Cell Reception)

Okay, so I know that these are pretty common knowledge, but I figure I'd talk about the updated version of the following two menu's so you can access battery conditions (temperature, etc), check calibration settings, GPS and increase your cell reception.

Disclaimer: Educate yourself on any changes before you commit to them.


1) The Basic Menu

Dial "*#*#4636#*#*". In case you care, the numbers represent the word INFO on a numeric touchpad.

That will immediately bring a menu similar to the following:

On this one, your really can't do as much damage, just don't change any of the info. Scroll through and check out your battery temperature, and usage history for various programs.

2) The Expanded Menu

**I'd be careful on changing items on the following menu**

Dial "##7764726" then hit send. It will ask you for a SPC Password which is "000000". Once you typed that in, hit verify and it will bring you to the following menu:

You can scroll through all of the selections and hit the back button to get back to this screen (make sure not to hit back from this menu until you are done because it will restart your phone).

Now, to potentially get better reception, you need to do one of the two following things. The older version of the menu (like the one above), will have "04 Vocoder", so select that. If you have the new menu, you need to select "06 Test mode" first, then hit "Next" twice, until you see "Service Options". Select that drop down menu, and now both the old and the new version of the menu will show the same thing. There's a few options but here's the ones you have to remember:

Your phone most likely has "EVRC" selected. If so, select "EVRC-B" for better reception in metropolitan areas or "13K" for rural areas. Mind you these changes will have some effect on draining your battery slightly more, but you can always change it back if you don't think it's helpful. Once your done, just exit the menu (or hit "Back" on the new menu) and you're done.

Once again, most people know about these menus, and you shouldn't change anything you haven't researched extensively, but it's good to know you have the option. My favorite is having GPS on, and going to the test menu to see my exact coordinates.

If you've tried the cell reception trick, and have comments, please feel free to add your input.

Day 2 (continued): QR Coded

Okay, so you downloaded Barcode Scanner, but don't believe me that this a practical app. Well what if you just coded your own QR Codes to pass along.

Contact Information, RSS Feeds, or SMS, all in a simple little box. Try a few of the following:

Simple Code Generator

Delivr Code Generator

Zxing Code Generator

Rittr Customizable Code Generator

For the more advanced of coders:

Google Code Generator

Want the same power to go, download the Barcode Generator onto your Android phone and create a simple QR for any need:

Now wasn't that fun?

Day 2: The Essentials

Okay, so now you bought a droid. You feel good, Google feels better, and the world becomes a bit more connected. Now what? Well I would say you need the following bare essentials to get you through the day:

1) Advanced Task Killer

QR Code

Okay, you will discover quickly that a Droid unleashed will eat through battery power faster than a fat kid eats cake. That's because when they say it's a "multi-tasking" machine, they really aren't kidding around. So if you open an application and then close out of it, often times it's sucking up precious RAM just being on. The Advanced Task Killer works great as a front page quickie, that you open every once in a while, select all unused programs and hit "Kill". It's fast simple, and really helps with battery power. 

While I'm at it, also remember to occasionally go into "Settings"---> "Application Settings" ---> "Running Services" to keep an eye on what's running. Often times apps will have never been opened, but their access to check for constant updates will have them running in the background.

2) Barcode Scanner

Okay, so basically this is a must. This nifty little app helps you scan in any bar code and read the info provided. That includes Data Matrix and QR Codes. So let's say you want to know what your Cereal Box code says, just line up the barcode to the red line and scan, presto... info. What's more is you can search the Internet for that code to find additional info. Not enough? Well imagine being able to link to contacts, restaurant websites, and a host of other places through this nifty app.

Still not enough, well think of it this way. From now on, those QR codes you see above will be the fastest way to link to an app in the market place. Just scan and it takes you directly. Also its a cool way to impress people with your phone prowess (and it makes Blackberry users jealous, since they just pass around Pin's through this tech).

3) Dolphin Browser HD

So the little browser that comes with the Droid is a start. But compare it to Safari on an Iphone and you might start to get jealous. That's where you whip out your Dolphin Browser and send any Iphone fanatics back to Cupertino, CA (there's a great Google Maps app for that). First, it allows multiple tabs. Second you can train it to respond to finger drawings to cut down time. Third, with Flash, it comes pretty close to mimicking an actual browser. All in all, an awesome product.

4) Facebook

You knew this was coming right? Yes, I know, Facebook may or may not run your life yet, but it will soon (I'm pretty sure even Skynet is a little unnerved by the amount of information available about humans on-line). But why fight it, right, I mean the machines will come soon enough. So download the FB app (mind you the Droid comes with it's own version of "Social Networking", but it is terrible. This app is stream-lined and brings minute-by-minute coverage of what Timmy thinks about yellow fire hydrants (he thinks they're "weird").

5) ShoutOUT

This text-to-speech app is great because its relatively accurate, very handy, and most importantly, it's free. For those of us who went from keys to touch screen, typing long messages gets annoying. Here you just push a button, say it, and see it on the screen. Now, to be honest, it does occasionally screw up the words, and it doesn't understand slang or similar-sounding words as well as I'd like, but again, it's free. A particularly convenient alternative to typing while driving.

Congratulations, your Droid is now considered "basic".

Day 1: So you want a Droid...

Alright, first and foremost you have to pick a Droid right? Which means endless consideration of what you need, what you want, and what you are used to.

Here's the simple breakdown:

1)

Droid X

Pros: A media machine (8MP camera, HD Camcorder, giant 4.3 inch screen, and HDMI output)

Cons: Although you have hard-touch buttons below, there is no non-touch screen keyboard. Also this thing is huge, and feels very bulky in the pocket.


Final Decision: If you are into Facebook image posts, record video daily, or just want to be able to play HD videos on your TV, definitely pick up this puppy.





2)

Droid Pro

Pros: Brand new to the market, think of this as the easy transition for any Crackberry users (think Curve but more Googley). Plus (like the Droid 2 Global), it comes with the GSM/CDMA option.

Cons: Playing with this thing, you really feel like you're missing out because of how small the screen is. Of course it's bigger than a Blackberry Curve, but it still feels too compact for a touchscreen.


Final Decision: It's fast, easy, and the Blackberry style keyboard makes you feel at home. If you feel uncomfortable with change (or want to fit in at the office), get this little guy.

3)

Droid 2

Pros: An updated version of the first Droid phone from Motorola. Full keyboard, great sized screen, and fits in your pocket. 

Cons: The Camera is only 5MP (compared to Droid X), front buttons are only soft-touch, and still feels a bit bulky in the pocket.

Final Decision: Best all around phone, and the best option for getting the most out of your Android apps without losing access to a full keyboard.

4)

Droid 2 Global

Pros: All of the Droid 2 features plus a faster processor (1.2Ghz) and a CDMA/GSM option. Which is pretty revolutionary as Verizon is traditionally a CDMA phone, but this one takes SIM cards. Also, just like the standard Droid 2, comes in nifty white.

Cons: Same cons, but honestly for the few extra dollars completely worth it. Also please note that you typically have to ask for this to be shipped to you as they are not in stores. Be careful because they may not tell you this directly, make sure to specify.

Final Decision: This is the one I use, and it is amazing. Especially useful for international travelers, plus the fastest of all the Droids.

So that's about it for choices. If you think this decision is hard... wait until you actually open up the app marketplace.