OnePlus One vs Nexus 5

Last month in July, I purchased two Android phones: The Nexus 5 (N5) and the OnePlus One (OPO). I initially ordered the Nexus 5 because I was sick of waiting for an OnePlus invite that I signed up for in April. Up until then, I was using a Galaxy Nexus for two years and its overall performance was rather sluggish and could no longer hold a charge for half a day.

I got the white Nexus 5 (16GB). I had it only for a few weeks before I got a OnePlus invite in mid-July. I had to act quickly since the invite was good for only 24 hours. I was already happy with the Nexus 5, but here I was given an opportunity to try out something highly sought after. So after some talking I was able to find a new home for my Nexus 5 and decided to move forward to be one of the lucky few OPO owners.

My OnePlus invite email:

Nexus 5

I consider the Nexus 5 to be the best Nexus device that Google has made to date. I've used the G1, Nexus One, Nexus S, Galaxy Nexus, and the current one-- basically all the Nexus devices except for the Nexus 4 (I have a list of all the mobile devices I've ever owned).

Prior to the N5, I've always felt that the Nexus One was the best Nexus device for its time. I even wrote about my unboxing of the Nexus One back in 2010. The device still works well running an old Cyanogen ROM on it.

What I love about the N5 is that it's light, fast, and has a great battery life. I can get through a day easily with it. My carrier is T-Mobile and the reception is amazing on it-- I have 4G/LTE everywhere I went in Los Angeles. It's also a cheap device: $400.

At first I thought that the phone would be too big and uncomfortable to use. After using it for only a few weeks, I found that this wasn't the case at all. The Nexus 5 fits really well in hand and because it's so light, it's easy to maneuver around with one hand.

I cannot think of a single thing to dislike about this phone. None.

OnePlus One

The OPO is running Cyanogenmod 11s and it runs it rather well. A concern I had about ordering this device is that it is even bigger than the Nexus 5!

What I love about it is that it boots and feels faster than the Nexus 5. The screen is nice and big and the CM build is rather nice. It's a cheap, 64GB black model ($350)-- which has incredible value. A device of this build would normally sell for twice the cost! The battery life is also even better than the Nexus 5-- I can get through almost 2 days of regular use!

It comes with it's own special USB charger, which gives it a nice flair. The 64GB model comes with the black backing, which a lot of people like how it looks and feels. I can't agree with that, as I prefer my mobile devices to look more sleek than sandpaper.

The CM Theme chooser is nice, but for the most part it's not something I really care for. I actually prefer the standard icons from vanilla Android as opposed to any of the custom themes, wallpapers, icons, etc. I also don't care for the Trebuchet launcher that comes with CM. But again, I prefer Google Now launcher, which is available for devices running Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) and higher.

I also don't care for the camera much. Since I use my DSLR for my camera needs, I rarely use my Android devices to take pictures. As to the quality of the pictures produced, I don't really care for them as I tend to post process pictures I care about anyway.

What I don't like is that it's a heavier device than the Nexus 5. I can really notice it. The buttons aren't as nice as the Nexus 5. All the buttons don't feel as nice nor do I like the placement of the power button. It just feels a bit off in that I have to feel for where the buttons are. I also end up using the capacitive (software) screen buttons instead, and disabling the phone actual navigation buttons. The phone's navigation buttons are located too low on the phone, so it makes it hard to reach them without fumbling the phone out of your hand-- the balance is not there. Plus it's limited to just back, home, and menu-- which isn't quite the standard anymore.

The CM 11S build is also a bit buggy. I get app crashes consistently on certain workflows. I do hope that they get fixed in the next update. Even the Android L Preview is more stable than this ROM.

Final Thoughts

Between the Nexus 5 and the OPO, I actually prefer the Nexus 5. This is because my needs for disk space isn't very high. 64GB is more than I really need for my on the go device. I don't store my music collection or movies on my phone. The Nexus 5 has zero drawbacks, while the OPO is a bit uncomfortable to use with the build and bugs I experience.

I will of course be keeping my OPO device. I am considering flashing the Android 4.4.4 stock ROM (official) onto it. It's really awesome that it's even available already. But I think I'll stick it out until the next CM update.

**Edited August 10, 2014**
Added some more information on Cyanogenmod 11S regarding the theme chooser, launcher, and camera.

Fixing an Android Error Message - Error retrieving information from server

I have a Galaxy Nexus that recently got an over the air (OTA) update to Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean). Coming from 4.1.2 I was thrilled to see the new changes, particularly with their new panorama feature. But after the update I had issues with updating apps on the Google Play Store.

The Problem

I got the following error message:

Update for "Foursquare" could not be downloaded due to an error. (Error retrieving information from server. [RPC:AEC:0])



This would apply to any app, but for my case both Foursquare and Google Music.

I tried a lot of different things from clearing the cache of each of these apps as well as the Google Play app, to even uninstalling the Foursquare app and re-downloading it. None of which worked.

Solution

In the end, I found this link which pointed me in the right direction.

The workaround is to simply to go to Settings->Accounts&Sync->Google and removing my Google account. Afterwards, just add it back again. Then the error message disappeared and I could update/install apps once again.

Putting CyanogenMod on the Kindle Fire

After seeing the Nexus 7 tablet make its debut at Google I/O yesterday, it made me realize how my Kindle Fire (KF) is kind of lame. I reviewed the Kindle Fire back in November 2011.



To be fair though, my needs have changed. When I initially purchased the KF, I didn't want an iPad2 or a 10" tablet. I just wanted a simple reading device that could browse the web a bit and play some games. And that's exactly what the KF was, and still is.

My needs have changed in that I want more. I want Gmail. I want YouTube. I want more apps.

The problem is that over the past eight months, I haven't seen any big improvements happen from Amazon. The Amazon App Store has fewer of the apps I like available compared to Google Play. On top of that, the Google Apps such as Gmail and YouTube aren't available. To me, the biggest reason to use Android is Google's products and services: Gmail, Google Maps, YouTube, etc. These are all solid apps that should be on any Android device.

Besides the lack of Google Apps, there's no native Facebook app! The one in the Amazon App store simple redirects to a browser of the mobile site! This is incredibly misleading.

On top of all of this, there are other nuances with the KF: The UI sucks. The carousel and bookshelf is just stupid. I'm sure there are folks that like how this UI is rather simple. It's just not for me. I ended up installing Go Launcher EX alongside it. (See instructions on how to install it.) The volume UI also is not readily available-- requires an extra click to get there. The rotating wallpapers cannot be customized either.

Recalling all these frustrations, I got pretty close to pre-ordering the Nexus 7, which is priced exactly at $199, very competitively against the Kindle Fire.

But I didn't. Instead, I decided to just hack my Kindle Fire and see how close to a vanilla Android I could get.

Below are instructions I followed to get a custom ROM (Simple CyanogenMod 9) onto my Kindle Fire by rooting it. Disclaimer: I am not responsible for anything that goes wrong with your device if you attempt anything I have written and linked to below.

The instructions are pretty clear and I highly recommend reading and following them.

1. Get Kindle Fire Utility (I used v0.9.6). See instructions here.
2. Unzip the Kindle Fire Utility and install the drivers.
3. Root the device.
4. Install TWRP Recovery. For instructions, see: How to Root and Install Custom Recovery on Kindle Fire using Kindle Fire Utility.
5. Install Simple CyanogenMod 9 ROM (6-10-2012). For instructions, see: Amazon Kindle Fire: Flashing the Simple CM9 custom ROM.

Note, for the developers out there that have the Android SDK installed, the KF Utility has adb packaged in it already.

So, I was able to put Simple CM9 on my Kindle Fire using the instructions in the links listed above. Here's a picture my KF running Google Play that's downloading Google Chrome browser.


Here is a screenshot of my homescreen after some customizations.


Another screenshot of the Settings and tablet information.


Overall, it was a pretty simple process. Just follow the instructions. I was able to re-download my Kindle books again using Kindle app in the Google Play store. My Kindle Fire is just awesome now. Maybe I'm speaking too soon, as it hasn't even been a full twenty-four hours of running it just yet. I do notice that it sucks up the battery a lot more, but that should be obvious as I'm running a heavier UI and more apps.

These are exciting times aren't they? Microsoft has entered the tablet space (once again) with their Surface. Or at least the announcement of it. There's rumor of a new Kindle Fire from Amazon next month. A lot of competition, which in the end the consumers win.

**Update (January 8, 2013)**
Just wanted to add that there is a way to root the Kindle Fire from a Mac. Just use BreakDroid. The Kindle Fire Utility doesn't work on my Windows 8 Pro virtual machine like it did on Windows 7 Ultimate.

Also, I switched to use Jandycane instead of CM. Still basically the same steps as above, but it gives me Jelly Bean on the tablet. I don't expect any more updates for custom ROMs on KF simply because Google Nexus tablets are superior in every way.

**Update (August 7, 2013)**
A few weeks ago I switched back to using Cyanogenmod on the Kindle Fire (1st Generation). Overall it's been pretty good, but my KF is now my secondary tablet device since I got a Nexus 7 (2nd Gen).

Kindle Fire Review

I pre-ordered my Kindle Fire in early October. I've wanted an eReader device for a long time, ever since I've been traveling so much. Carrying books around is such a pain.

Like many others out there, I got my Kindle Fire on November 15, 2011. After a few weeks of using the  Fire, I felt I could give it a good review. I've used it for playing Words With Friends, some basic browsing on Amazon, and I finished reading the Steve Jobs biography on it.

Overall, I like the device. I like the size, weight, and dimensions. It's easy for me to throw in my bag on the go, and the battery life is pretty decent.

I'm a very happy Amazon Prime customer. I buy just about everything off Amazon as well as use their Cloud player. The device is ideal for someone those who uses Amazon's services. It's so easy to buy books, music, movies, and other items on Amazon. The device is inexpensive itself at $199. It's also literally half the size of the iPad2-- which I think is a good size as it's very portable.

There are some improvements I'd like to see, both hardware and software.

For hardware, the touchscreen isn't as smooth or responsive as on Apple's iPad2. This can be seen when touching the screen buttons. Often times I have to tap several times for it to register. There is no hardware volume controls. The volume is buried one level deep under the top right menu setting-- which is absurd from a user-interface perspective. Also, the power button, which is the only button, is located on the bottom of the device. It can be pushed accidently very easily.

For software improvements, I'd like to see Amazon wishlist integration. Also, the bookshelf home screen doesn't sit well with me. I wish there was an option for the regular Android desktop feel. The Facebook app that is installed by default, isn't actually a Kindle app. It's actually is a link to the Facebook mobile site in a browser-- very disappointing. And finally, I'd like there to be a setting to lock landscape and portrait mode. I tend to lie on my side reading, and hate it when my Kindle reader app switches to landscape view.

I know I've made comparisons to the iPad several times already. But I feel that I should formally say that the Kindle Fire isn't quite an iPad competitor, let alone a full fledged tablet. I think of it more as a really nice Kindle that has touchscreen, based on Android, and is cheap by today's standards.

If you are looking for tablet with tons of apps, this device probably isn't for you. If you are looking for an eReader, love shopping on Amazon, and play only a few app games, and don't want to spend $300-700, then you should consider the Kindle Fire.

Installing Thai fonts onto an Android device

I've received numerous requests asking for help on how to install Thai fonts onto an Android device after my initial post on Rooting my Nexus One and installing Thai fonts.  Since I do update my Android phone with the CyanogenMod ROM quite often (which wipes the Thai fonts on each install), I thought I'd share a simple shell script to help get Thai fonts onto Android.

This post does not cover how to root an Android device.  I will leave that to you to figure out.  But if you happen to have a Nexus One like me, check out the following link: Video: How to unlock and root a Nexus One.

Also, you will need to have the Android SDK on your system (hopefully Mac or Linux-- which is what the script is written for, although for Windows it won't be hard to figure out what commands need to be run-- hint: use .\adb.exe instead of ./adb in DOS or whatever command prompt and skip the shell script).

Those are the two prerequisites to installing Thai fonts: a rooted device and the Android SDK on your system.  Oh, and I guess how to run some basic knowledge of the command line in a shell (Terminal).

Let's begin.

1. Attach your Android device to your computer via USB and mount it.

2. Download: InstallThaiFontsOntoAndroid.zip.

3. Unzip it and you will see a folder.

The contents of the folder should be placed in the tools folder of the Android SDK where adb is.

4. Open up a Terminal (Applications->Utilities->Terminal.app) and go into the directory where your android SDK and go into the folder: tools.

5. You can test to make sure that your device is connected by the following command in the terminal:

./adb devices

6. And to mount it:

./adb remount

7. Make sure that the script, install_thai_fonts.sh, is executeable by running:

chmod +x install_thai_fonts.sh

8.

[Recommended] Now you are ready to run the shell script to install the six fonts onto the device.

./install_thai_fonts.sh

Or, if you don't wish to run the shell script...


[Alternate] Run the following line by line (you can copy & paste them line by line into Terminal):

./adb push ./fonts/DroidSans.ttf /system/fonts/DroidSans.ttf


./adb push ./fonts/DroidSans-Bold.ttf /system/fonts/DroidSans-Bold.ttf


./adb push ./fonts/DroidSerif-Bold.ttf /system/fonts/DroidSerif-Bold.ttf


./adb push ./fonts/DroidSerif-BoldItalic.ttf /system/fonts/DroidSerif-BoldItalic.ttf


./adb push ./fonts/DroidSerif-Italic.ttf /system/fonts/DroidSerif-Italic.ttf


./adb push ./fonts/DroidSerif-Regular.ttf /system/fonts/DroidSerif-Regular.ttf

If there were no error messages, then you should now have the Thai fonts on the Android device.

9.  Reboot and you will see Thai on webpages, SMS, and files names that are in Thai.

An Android Photoshoot with my new Camera Lens

I got my new lens in the mail yesterday.  It's a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens.

I was studying at the time, but once I got my email notification that it arrived, I rushed to pick it up and did a little photoshoot of my Android toy at the table I was studying at.  I played with the aperture for most of the shoot (in AV mode).  Afterwards, I used Adobe Lightroom to polish it up a bit (created a set of Black & White photos too).









Full album here.

Where I got the Android toy: Dead Zebra

LinkedIn Mobile Apps: No Love for Android

Got this in my inbox from LinkedIn.  iPhone: check.  Blackberry: check.  Palm: check....

No love for Android.

Android SDK issue on Windows 7 x64

I recently installed the Android SDK and Eclipse (32-bit) onto my Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit machine.  First thing I wanted to do was go through the Android Hello World Tutorial.

Well, I ran into the following error message:

'java' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program, or batch file.  SWT folder '' does not exist.  Please set ANDROID_SWT to point to the folder containing swt.jar for your platform.

I read somewhere that I should install the x64 Java version.  However, when I went to Java download page, it didn't even have the x64 version available to download.  Turns out that the problem was that I was using Google Chrome to browse there.  I had to use Internet Explorer (x64 bit version) to get the x64 Java link to even show up!

This worked for me, but you can check out the following link at StackOverflow:

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1919340/android-sdk-setup-under-windows-7-pro-64-bit

Rooting my Nexus One and installing Thai fonts

I just finished rooting my Nexus One and installed Thai fonts onto it. I had to use several websites to complete this task, but I wanted to collect them all into once nice place for any stumblers. The purpose of installing Thai fonts onto my Nexus One was to have the ability to read Thai on my Facebook app as well as some Thai websites.

Here's how to do it:

Step 1: Root your phone. You can read about that and watch a video: Video: How to unlock and root a Nexus One.

Step 2: Watch the Thai video of how this guy did it. Thai font for Nexus One. I also downloaded the Thai fonts here (source: Droidsans.com). You can read and see pics of the steps too at: Android Review: แกะกล่อง Nexus One ฉบับย่อ พร้อม Root ลงไทย By PDAMobiz.



Awesome.

My New Phone: Google's Nexus One

Yesterday Google gave a presentation on the Google Nexus One. I watched it on the Gizmodo Liveblog. Ten minutes after reading the blog and looking at the pictures, I was sold. I knew I was eventually going to get it, but I didn't know until that moment that that was the moment I was going to get it.

I bought the phone yesterday, 1/5/2010, at 1:05pm. Overnight FedEx shipping (free). It arrived today at 1:22pm. Awesome.

The Nexus One can be purchased here: http://www.google.com/phone

My Impressions of the G1 running Android

I've had my G1 for a few weeks now. My overall impressions are pretty good. I like the touch screen, I like the free applications available through the market app, and I definitely enjoy the web browsing experience on the 3G network over my old Blackberry Pearl on the EDGE network.



But I do have a few complaints:

• Battery Life is too short. I can maybe go for a maximum of 2 days without a recharge if I very minimal use of the phone. But I suppose this is understandable since it is 3G and touchscreen.
• 3G network still not available everywhere. I go to the Chicago suburbs, and I'm back on the EDGE network when I want to browse.
• Facebook's regular website is not G1 friendly. This is not the G1's fault. In fact I use the Facebook iphone website instead.
• Gmail's contact does not sync well. This is what pisses me off the most. Since your contact list is from your Gmail account (at least it should be for back-up purposes), it's a one way sync: Gmail app to phone. If you enter a new contact in the phone, it will not sync up into the Gmail app, or at least not quickly.

My First Blog Entry from my G1

My experience with the G1 has been pretty awesome so far. It arrived yesterday to my apartment's front desk at 12:05pm. I didn't get to it until about 5pm. I charged it and have been playing with it since. I'll probably do a review of it later.

T-mobile to ship G1 early?

As my friend Ben pointed out, it's possible that our pre-ordered G1 phones will arrive earlier than expected. Tomorrow, Monday, October 20, 2008 to be exact. Upon checking my order status on UPS.com, I found the following:



So it looks like my Google phone is here in Chicago, and is set to ship tomorrow!

Getting the G1 in one week

Next week, on October 22, I should be getting my pre-ordered T-Mobile G1, in black. Sadly though, in order to pre-order this device, I had to extend my contract with T-Mobile until September 28, 2010. I found out the exact date by a letter they sent me thanking me for choosing to continue my relationship and extending my contract with them.

Let me get one thing straight, I extended the contract only to get my hand on a device running Google Android. I love pretty much everything that comes from Google. Everything. And I want to be one of the first to get my hands on this toy. Even though it's costing me $300.


Links:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTC_Dream
• http://www.engadget.com/tag/G1/
• http://androidcommunity.com/tag/t-mobile-g1/