Ask NerdGirl: Headphones Setting Off Music, My Old Swipe, Is Google Dropping the Ball?, Palm to Android, and Kids Will Be Apes!
by n3rdg1rl
Jul 6, 2010 6:30 AM –
I hope all our readers in the USA had a fun and safe 4th of July! I know I did!
Hello NerdGirl,
First of all, thanks for your column. Super neat job!
Can you please tell me how to stop my music players starting automatically when I plug in my earphones? I find this very irritating when I try to use my earphones for YouTube or Google Listen.
This is a known bug in the software. It seems to be caused by the phone thinking that the insertion or connecting of a headset is a long press and therefore starts party shuffle. The unofficial name for this bug is the “Party In Your Pocket” bug. There is an app that can help with this. Download Headset Blocker for free. Just remember that it’s a widget and needs to be used as one to function.
If your phone is rooted you can install the AutostartsDisable Music Auto Start when Headphones Plugged in, Slide to Unlock, Google Android Beta Testing, Importing Palm Data to Android, Repairing Damaged Phone Parts app and go to Music Buttons Pressed >> Music and then click disable.
I loved the 2.0 style of swiping to unlock compared to what I have now on 2.1. Is there any way I can have the old style back?
There are apps on the market that allow you to change how to unlock the phone, however, there is no way to disable the one that your phone wants to use. This results in you having to unlock your phone twice. The only way, right now, to go back to that style is either rooting or putting your phone back to 2.0, both of which require a significant amount of effort.
Is it just me or do you sometimes get the feeling that Google shortchanged alpha and beta testing of the OS? Don’t get me wrong I absolutely love Android but it just irks me that some very common features such as the ability to text someone a contact, a decent alarm clock, music player are missing in the stock apps and we need to rely on third party apps. Is Froyo the answer to the meaning of life?
Many thanks,
Arun
Motorola Milestone running Android 2.1
With something like Android there are a few things to remember:
It’s pretty new. Windows has been around since 1985, Mac OS since 1984, and Unix since 1969. As far as phone OSs go Palm started in 1996, Windows Mobile in 2000, and even iOS started in 2007. Little baby Android was only born on October 21, 2008. It’s not even two yet!
It’s open source. It’s constantly evolving. It’s made like a starting point to do bigger and better things with. The apps are what make it what it is.
Yes, Froyo adds some great features: tips widget, dedicated shortcuts, improved security, remote wipe, Exchange Calendars are now supported, auto-discovery, Global Address Lists look-up, peek into picture stacks, camera onscreen buttons, LED flash for the camcorder, use as a portable Wi-Fi hotspot, switch between multiple Latin-based input languages, better performance of the browser, Dalvik performance boost, kernel memory management boost, and that’s just the end-user improvements. Is this the answer to all of life’s problems? No. Will 3.0 (Gingerbread) make 2.2 (Froyo) look like poo? Probably. Will people complain that 3.0 isn’t good enough? Of course! It’s the nature of the beast.
Now there are certain things that Google should be more on top of; better email search for example. There are tons of threads with people suggesting new functionality and improvements. There is no way that Google can get everything everyone wants.
Android is no different than any other piece of software in that some people will find it to be perfect and some people will find 1,000 flaws in it and many more will be somewhere in between.
Is there a way to import Palm data to Android? I currently have a Palm Centro and have been using Palm devices since 1996. It would be a difficult transition, otherwise.
You can. Before you go through the frustrating steps of moving things yourself, in most cases, the carrier will be happy to move it for you. I know Best Buy Mobile can move contacts, pictures, etc. in most cases. Sprint and Verizon do as well. Just bring your Palm in and tell them that you won’t get a new phone if you can’t transfer your information. They will most likely help you.
The problem with moving the data your self is that Palm has it’s own nifty way of organizing data that Google, and most other companies, throw a fit at. If you were to try it yourself you would most likely:
- Loose contacts
- Corrupt data
- Need to know a little bit of programming
- Be extremely handy with Excel
- Start doing your own version of the “Hulk Smash”.
Hi N3rD Girl,
I have a myTouch that was stolen by my 4th grade students. I got the phone back, only they damaged the battery contacts by smashing the battery in like an ape, I assume. Is it possible to replace just this one part and get it working again? I was able to get a replacement phone via insurance. A nice upgrade to the MyTouch Jack. It seems like a shame to sell it for 30 bucks or less when I’m almost positive one new part could fix the phone. Do you have any Ideas or links that could help me salvage this phone?
Thanks,
Archer A. Watkins Jr.
The contacts are part of the main board of the phone. You can replace this piece, however, working on a phone requires specific tools, precision, and patience. To get a main board, most likely you would have to buy another broken phone that has an issue such as the screen or the housing is cracked. By the time you spend the money on parts and tools, and factor in the hours of research and labor it would take, you are better off selling it for what you can get.
~n3rdg1rl
Tags:
Android Advice,
Ask NerdGirl,
Disable Music Auto Start when Headphones Plugged in,
Google Android Beta Testing,
Help with Android,
Importing Palm Data to Android,
Repairing Damaged Phone Parts,
Slide to Unlock,
Smartphone Help
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