Random musings from the feminist Christian antiracist left – some having to do with Ubuntu
This is a follow-up to a post I did last year, “Does Android “fragmentation” actually affect end users?” Unfortunately, tech news sites keep referring to this Android “fragmentation” problem in the same tired old ways. Here are some recent takes on it: Has Google Done Enough to Keep Android Phones Up-to-date? Google: Android fragmentation ‘up… Continue reading What’s really going on with Android “fragmentation”
I just got my third Android phone. You can read about my previous experiences: T-Mobile MyTouch 3G First Impressions, Why people get Nexus phones: I rooted my MyTouch 4G after less than one day This time, I got a Nexus phone—the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. I’m just going to list the positives and negatives. These are… Continue reading Verizon Galaxy Nexus First Impressions
The Android app model is a bit different from the iPhone app model. For the last few years, iPhone apps have generally been pay-for apps, and Android apps have generally been ad-supported cost-free apps. The last two years, I spent exactly $0 on Android apps and was just fine with the functionality I had. I… Continue reading My Favorite Android App: Tasker
Whenever a new trojan appears for Linux, Mac OS X, or (now) Android, inevitably you get a crowd of ignorant panic-mongers up in arms saying “See? [fill in the blank] gets viruses, too! Ah ha! Better install that antivirus now.” Now, apart from the fact that so-called “antivirus” software is for all practical purposes useless… Continue reading Virus v. Trojan: not just about semantics
I’ve been using Android two full years now, trying out various apps and uninstalling the ones I don’t want. This is what I have left over. I’m someone who likes to play Angry Birds, and I also like to flash new Android roms from time to time. Losing that game data (completed levels, high scores)… Continue reading My Android App List
As I mentioned in last month’s post Rooting Someone Else’s Droid, I set up my sister-in-law with the rooted rom Cyanogen 7 Release Candidate 4 on her Droid. Unfortunately, recently it started acting buggy on her. One of the things I advised her to do was repair permissions. Another was to make a backup and… Continue reading Manually updating an Android rom
Don’t run a “task killer” app A lot of people think a task killer or app killer app will save you battery life. In fact, you’ll find it regularly in the top 20 for top free apps in the Android Market. When I bought my first Android phone in 2009, the T-Mobile salesperson recommended I… Continue reading Android Battery Saving Tips
I rooted my first Android phone (the MyTouch 3G) within a month of owning it, and I rooted my second Android phone (the MyTouch 4G) within a day of owning it. Rooting is sometimes an easy process and sometimes a bit complicated, but in my experience it’s always been worth the effort. My sister-in-law came… Continue reading Rooting someone else’s Droid