Chrome RSS

Hey! Its been a little while but I'm back now and hopefully full of more little nuggets of something you might find helpful.

First up... I've been using Chrome for a while now and love how fast and simple it is. Xmarks works with it (although there's no need for it if you only ever use Chrome between your devices as Chrome has its own built in bookmarks sync function) but for a while it missed out on some simple things that made Firefox so handy. For example, RSS feeds. It was always handy to be able to see from the address bar when an RSS feed was available and be able to easily subscribe to it... well now, thanks to the following extension from Google.. you can do exactly that with Chrome

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/nlbjncdgjeocebhnmkbbbdekmmmcbfjd?hl=en-GB

Perhaps that little nugget wasn't worth the wait...

Android 2.2 on Dell Streak

as you'll know from previous posts, I own a Dell Streak mobile phone/tablet. If i'm honest I stopped using it for a while. The touch screen was ultra temperamental, any sort of moisture on the screen, either by body or atmosphere caused it to freak out, on a couple of occasions I was unable to hang up because of a couple of rain drops on the screen.. the only way to end the call was to take the battery out.

I had continued to use it as a satnav device in my car utilising the Rebel Sim adaptor to allow me to use an alternative networks sim card. this all worked really well.

Yesterday I got the black triangle popup to tell me that there was an Android update available.. woooo Android 2.2! So went ahead and tried to install the upgrade. I won't knock Google. I'm always impressed by their presentation and intuitive design (they're contacts system was dog poo not so long ago but it now very much sorted) however I will criticise Dells little input.

When you first try to install the update, it advises you to download another piece of software from Dell to backup all your settings etc. It then says to re-run the update program. Download, backup.. rerun update software, whereupon you're met by the same info.. download this software, back up your settings then re run the update program... I did this a few times getting more and more irritated.. by chance I clicked on the greyed out "back" icon which inexplicably took me to the page allowing me to download the actual Android update... totally random as you're not actually going "back" to anything..

Anyhoo, after a lot of swearing the update finally went through.. Android 2.2 looks great! it works really well and again makes the Dell even better than with 2.1 and that was fantastic compared to 1.6 which now by comparison looked like complete plop.

I'll try and put some screen shots up for you so you can see what its like.

One problem I've noticed and have seen mentioned on a couple of other sites involve the browser, it basically crashes every time you close it... which is better than it crashing when you don't want to close it I guess. I'm sure Google will release a little patch for that issue in time.

Fear not about upgrading to 2.2. It works really well and makes inputting text even easier than before. the off centre landscape keyboard has been sorted although its still not that comfortable typing with your thumbs. typing in portrait mode with one finger is still more comfortable.

Another major alteration is the portrait mode for the home screen. whereas with 2.1 it would always remain in landscape mode no matter how you held the phone, in 2.2 it actually rotates, which works really well.

BBC iPlayer on Nokia E71 download problems

if any of you have had problems finding a download link whilst using BBC iPlayer on your Nokia mobile phone, try connecting to your home wifi then revisiting the BBC iPlayer app.
Looks like O2 stifle the bandwidth enough for the option not to be offered inside the BBC app.
Oh and you need to remain connected to the same cell site to get the authentication code before playing your download for the first time, so do so before a train journey etc. I'm guessing as you move between cell sites your phone is assigned a new 'ip' address, making identification to bbc impossible?... Just a theory.
Sent from my Nokia phone

REBEL SIM... update

I've been using this for the last week... so far so good! the handset works just as it did with the O2 sim in it. the only difference I've noticed is it just doesn't tell you what network you're actually on. I'm guessing that has more to do with the fact I'm on a Virgin sim, who I'm fairly sure uses T-Mobiles masts.. which might have just confused the fudge out of the rebel sim device.

In summary, if you want to put a different operators sim in your Dell Streak.. use a Rebel Sim!

REBEL SIM RULES!!!.. screw you O2

Today I received my Rebel Sim gadget, I've mentioned it previously on here as a way of getting around O2's obnoxious little "the Streak can't be unlocked because its a network specific blah blah blah". I bought it in hope more than anything.. how can a little thing like that get around a simlocked phone.. how?... well it does!

It was very easy to set up, you get an SD card case with your Rebel Sim adaptor inside, as you can see from the picture above its shaped like your sim card, all you need to do is, using a hole punch, cut a hole in the tapered end of your sim card so that the chip can sit inside it (image on the left shows the chip) then, place the rebel sim against your operator sim card and insert into your Dell Streak (rebel sims are available for other handsets). I used a little bit of cellotape to keep the rebel sim and operator sim together (also makes slotting into the phone easier). Switch the phone back and on and whizz bang.. your phone is unlocked and works perfectly on any network.. so screw you O2. I got a sim only deal from Virgin which offers 1gb of data not the poxy 500 offered by O2.

If you fancy a Dell Streak but don't want to be tied to O2.. like me.. you can! for £15 from Rebel Sim

O2 are a bunch of tossers

Well after being told that O2 were sending out an unlock code, I received a letter a week later basically saying "you can't have an unlock code because this phone is special to our network and we want you to have the best service"... which really impressed me.

I've since found a really cool website called http://rebelsimcard.com/virtu/ which deals in unlocking phones without risking invalidating warranties etc.. I've ordered one for my Dell Streak and will let you know how it turns out.

A possible work around...

If that last post upset you as much to read as it did me to write.. then I'm sure you'll have gone off and made yourself a cup of tea.. or possible sobbed a little. Whilst on the phone I had the presence of mind to ask for the unlock code for my handset (if you've ever tried shoving an alternate sim card into your Streak you'll know what i mean).. anyway, this code will allow me to use any networks sim card in it. Bizarrely they have to post me this code and it takes up to 7 days.. I guess modern tech only gets us so far. Somewhere in Tibet there is a monk typing out (literally typing out on an old typewriter) unlock codes for mobile phones.

I couldn't find a picture of a Monk.. so here's a Monk-ey at a typewriter

A cunning plan.. I saw an advert in the Metro offering a sim only deal from Virgin for a 200 minutes, unlimited (there's that word again) texts and unlimited data. I'm planning on sticking the Virgin sim in the Streak and putting the O2 sim in my old E75. I love the Streak to bits however it does have its limitations.. perspiration and adverse weather being the latest.. during the commute to work, depending on the heat I perspire/sweat a little.. I always have around my side-burns.. so, when I press the phone against my lug hole the sweat transfers from my hair to my phone.. which renders the touch screen useless... similarly, rain drops effect the screen too.. its impossible to hang up on someone in anger with a touch screen phone if A) you're sweating B) crying C) outside on a rainy day.

I'll let you know how it goes.. take 2 phones in to the shower.. well.. not the Dell Streak because it won't work.