[shifuimam]

Originally Posted by starman 

Would you like to visit the farm where the beans were grown?

Stop being a bitch, Nance. You're being a bitch.

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by shifuimam 

It IS, however, rootable, which will enable to turn on the wifi hotspot for free and do things like freeze system apps

Verizon charges extra for tethering?

[starman]

Originally Posted by Laminar 

Verizon charges extra for tethering?

Everyone does, I believe. It's a ridiculous fee considering it doesn't fing matter WHERE the data comes from.

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by starman 

Everyone does, I believe. It's a ridiculous fee considering it doesn't fing matter WHERE the data comes from.

I don't pay extra for tethering my iPhone 5 on Verizon.

[starman]

Weird, because I know for a fact there are people that rooted their phones JUST to bypass that.

[subego]

ProTip: use a VPN if you're going to say "**** off" to your carrier's terms of service.

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by starman 

Weird, because I know for a fact there are people that rooted their phones JUST to bypass that.

How long ago did that happen? As of this time last year, Verizon allowed tethering with a Share Everything plan for free. Without the Share Everything plan, you just need a 3rd party tethering app. Or at least that's what it sounds like to me

[mindwaves]

Apple needs to come out with more than 1 phone. Actually, I was baffled when Apple continued to make older models of their phones for the lower-priced markets instead of making a different phone. Needs 2 sizes just like their iPod lines had 3 different sizes for 3 different kinds of people.

Technology is moving at an even faster pace than before. Pick up a Galaxy Note and you would be amazed at what it can do. Runs circles around what I can do with my iPhone 5.

And iOS 7 appears to be the same OS as iOS 1. I never used it of course, but based off the videos and pictures that I have seen, it seems to be the same, just with more features and refinement. That is mostly a good thing but it is stale.

In short, Apple needs 2 different sized phones and at least 2 different kinds of phones (not just continue to sell their older models as the cheaper version) with a better OS that fits the screen better.

Maybe I will be blown away by Sept 10, and I surely hope so.

[subego]

What can you do on a note which is running circles around me?

FWIW, that's more curiosity than challenge.

There's a little challenge though.

[ShortcutToMoncton]

I'm about to get a new smartphone and was deciding between iOS and some of the great new Android phones (been holding off for a while until the new iPhoneWhatever), but have just been finding out that iOS is the de facto standard for higher-end audio gear apps - many have no Android version at all. I've been lusting after Naim's network-streaming products that can be controlled via one's phone - only iOS, it turns out.

Hope the new one brings us some surprises.

[shifuimam]

Apparently Verizon got nailed by the FCC last year for charging for tethering, specifically on the 700MHz band they're using for their LTE network.

What Verizon's FCC tethering settlement means to you (FAQ) | Mobile - CNET News

That pretty much explains everything. If you're grandfathered in on an existing unlimited data plan prior to Verizon capping data across all their current plans, you can't tether for free.

I've tethered many times on both my iPhone and my Android phones without paying for tethering. I only do it when I'm in a situation where I need to do something and no wifi network is available, and I don't usually tether for extended periods of time. I use more bandwidth watching Netflix and Plex on my phone than tethering at this point.

My own experience has been that as long as you don't use inordinate amounts of data, your carrier's not going to know or care that you're tethering without ponying up $20 a month.

Originally Posted by subego 

What can you do on a note which is running circles around me?

FWIW, that's more curiosity than challenge.

There's a little challenge though.

My guess would be the Wacom digitizer and pen are a big selling point. Can't do that on an iPhone.

The biggest (loal) reason I picked the S4 over the Note II was because the Note II was just too big for me. When I have a lot of disposable income again I'm definitely getting an 8" or 10" Note, though.

[starman]

Pulled the trigger and got an S4. Picking it up later.

[shifuimam]

WHOOO! I CONVERTED SOMEONE!

/runs around flailing

Seriously though, you made the right choice. Let us know how it is!

[starman]

You're really happy with yourself, aren't you?

First impressions: LOVE IT.

Settings font size can be a bit smaller. I have to see if this can be changed.

I don't know how, but it knew my home's WiFi and password when I got to the house. Must have been sync'd from my Note 8. Neat.

That effing "Emergency Call" button when you have a PIN. Unlike the iPhone, when you press it, it goes right to 911. Now, I haven't done that myself, but I started researching how to get rid of it. YOU CAN'T, not without a custom lock screen or rooting your phone. I'm trying to find a good solution to it. There are tons of people saying "I accidentally called 911 X times in Y days". Wow.

My apps work on it, but the good thing is that one of them behaves differently when sideways. This will be good for development.

[shifuimam]

So since Chromecast came up earlier in this thread:

Dev's CyanogenMod tweak sends content from most apps to Chromecast (video)

You should be able to change the system font size somewhere in the settings - since I'm running CM10.2 now on mine, I can't tell you quite where it is - probably in either system or display settings.

I didn't know about the 911 call button thing...I just turned on security, and it went to the dialer in emergency call mode, but didn't actually place a call. That might be specific to the stock Samsung ROM. Also, for security - check out the pattern and facial recognition options. They're faster than a PIN, IMO.

Do iOS apps have different views in portrait/landscape? I was thinking they did, at least on the iPad...

[starman]

I may do the facial recognition. I don't know how well it'll work in a car.

iOS apps do have different settings but they're different layouts. Android runs off one layout. Or, if I CAN do another layout, I haven't found it in the docs yet.

[shifuimam]

Some of the apps and games I've used do have different layouts between portrait and landscape....like the file browser I use hides the file tree on the left side in portrait mode to save space, and one of my sudoku games rotates.

I like using facial recognition on my TF300...I make faces at it to unlock it. Nothing like glaring at an inanimate object to make it respond to you.

[Mrjinglesusa]

Originally Posted by starman 

Settings font size can be a bit smaller. I have to see if this can be changed.

Settings ---> My Device ---> Display ---> Font Size

[shifuimam]

If you root, there's an app to enable USB mass storage:

Enable the USB Mass Storage for Samsung Galaxy S4

Before anyone loses their shit, a few things to keep in mind:

Most Android phones use USB mass storage mode. This is good because it's universally compatible with any OS. It's bad because it unmounts the userspace storage (internal storage and/or MicroSD) while in use, which means you can't access anything in userspace until you unmount the device from the computer it's plugged into.

Samsung (and a few smaller players, like Vizio) chooses to use MTP instead, which causes the device to show up in Windows as a media device instead of a generic mass storage device - this makes it show up as a media device in Windows Media Player for syncing music, if you so choose. The other big benefit, IMO, is that this method does NOT unmount the userspace storage from the Android side, so you can access everything on your phone and your computer simultaneously.

The downside is that MTP is not supported in OS X natively. The upside is that because it's Android and you have full access to userspace as a normal file system (unlike iOS, which for most scenarios sandboxes data to only the application that created it), you can use any number of options to get files to and from the device - Dropbox, Google Drive, box.net, etc, and most file managers have built-in SMB, WebDAV, and SFTP/FTP support.

Also, as an aside, the native Chromecast support in Cyanogenmod won't be released until Google greenlights it.

[mattyb]

Originally Posted by starman 

Pulled the trigger and got an S4. Picking it up later.

Damn. I thought that Phileas and I might have persuaded you to go the Nexus root.

[starman]

Originally Posted by mattyb 

Damn. I thought that Phileas and I might have persuaded you to go the Nexus root.

The Nexus doesn't have 4G LTE.

[mattyb]

Damn, just noticed that I wrote root instead of route.

Getting old.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by mattyb 

Damn, just noticed that I wrote root instead of route.

Getting old.

Nah, that would not happen to anyone over 70 years old, so it can't be that bad

-t

[shifuimam]

Originally Posted by mattyb 

Damn, just noticed that I wrote root instead of route.

Getting old.

Well, in your defense, it sounds the same if you're speaking The Queen's English...

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by shifuimam 

Apparently Verizon got nailed by the FCC last year for charging for tethering, specifically on the 700MHz band they're using for their LTE network.

What Verizon's FCC tethering settlement means to you (FAQ) | Mobile - CNET News

That pretty much explains everything. If you're grandfathered in on an existing unlimited data plan prior to Verizon capping data across all their current plans, you can't tether for free.

I've tethered many times on both my iPhone and my Android phones without paying for tethering. I only do it when I'm in a situation where I need to do something and no wifi network is available, and I don't usually tether for extended periods of time. I use more bandwidth watching Netflix and Plex on my phone than tethering at this point.

My own experience has been that as long as you don't use inordinate amounts of data, your carrier's not going to know or care that you're tethering without ponying up $20 a month.



My guess would be the Wacom digitizer and pen are a big selling point. Can't do that on an iPhone.

The biggest (loal) reason I picked the S4 over the Note II was because the Note II was just too big for me. When I have a lot of disposable income again I'm definitely getting an 8" or 10" Note, though.

What's the status of AT&T + tethering, do you know?

[Cold Warrior]

att's mobile share plans include tethering.

[shifuimam]

I'm guessing that once AT&T and Verizon killed the unlimited data option, offering tethering for free was a way to turn attention away from the fact that you only get 2-5GB data to share among your entire family now.

[shifuimam]

So OP...how's it been so far?

[starman]

Originally Posted by shifuimam 

So OP...how's it been so far?

Very cute

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by Cold Warrior 

att's mobile share plans include tethering.

I guess I just need to sign a new contract with a new phone to get that or something? I'm assuming you mean that these plans no longer cost extra?

[shifuimam]

Originally Posted by besson3c 

I guess I just need to sign a new contract with a new phone to get that or something? I'm assuming you mean that these plans no longer cost extra?

An overview of device tethering - AT&T Wireless Support

My guess is that they're doing the same thing Verizon is doing, in order to remain competitive (whereas Verizon was forced to change their policies because of an FCC ruling).

If you are grandfathered in on an unlimited data plan, you probably can't tether without paying an extra fee. If you change your service plan to one of the current, limited-bandwidth data options, tethering is included.

Don't quote me on that, though. The link for "qualified plans" just shows all the currently-available data plan options, none of which are unlimited.

That page also mentions something about buying tethering for individual plans, so it's possible that tethering is only included in AT&T's version of Verizon's "Share Everything" plans.

[shifuimam]

Now that you've joined the dark side, you can use this awesome gadget:

Pressy - the Almighty Android Button! by Nimrod Back — Kickstarter

Unavailable for iOS because the API is too restrictive, and the app works with any version of Android starting with 2.3 (Gingerbread).

[Phileas]

That's very cool. Backed.

[Mrjinglesusa]

Originally Posted by Phileas 

That's very cool. Backed.

Ditto. One of the coolest Kickstarter projects I've seen. Brilliant.

[shifuimam]

I'd back it if I had any money.

[besson3c]

Just checked, AT&T still charges for tethering. What bullshit.

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Updates from OP? What you think, from the perspective of someone already deep into an Apple ecosystem and who does not want to waste precious time fooling around with system tweaks and mods etc? Is Android a viable way to go?

[mattyb]

Open source Android fork Cyanogen becomes $7m company • The Register

[Phileas]

Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton 

Updates from OP? What you think, from the perspective of someone already deep into an Apple ecosystem and who does not want to waste precious time fooling around with system tweaks and mods etc? Is Android a viable way to go?

The latest versions of Android are perfectly usable out of the box. They deliver everything iOS does, in a similar way. If you're ok with the stock setup, which is looking great these days, there's no time tweeking required.

If you like to fiddle around, change icons, change ringers etc, then that's not a problem - but not a requirement.

I was thinking about getting the new iPhone - I haven't found an Android phone yet that matches the iPhone's camera and industrial design, but the OS is holding me back. For me, Android is the better choice.

[shifuimam]

Originally Posted by mattyb 

Open source Android fork Cyanogen becomes $7m company • The Register

That is FANTASTIC NEWS. They'll actually have the money now to buy different handsets themselves to ensure that everything is 100% for all supported hardware.

I absolutely love Cyanogenmod. It does everything you need, does it well, and leaves out the fluff.

The newest version of CM integrates Google Voice with SMS, so you can still use your regular phone number for phone calls but text through GV, which means all of your text messages are automatically archived and accessible through the GV website. There's also going to be system-wide Chromecast streaming support as soon as Google greenlights public use of the Chromecast SDK.

[starman]

Over the last few weeks, I came up with the best way to describe Android vs. iOS (outside of the whole iTunes thing).

iOS: "Here's what you can do. No more." Like a parent with a child.
Android: "We're going to do our best to help you do what you want". Like a child that left home.

I haven't switched, and I won't. I'm still tied to the iTunes ecosystem and that's fine because I love iTunes Match and iTunes Radio. BUT, if it wasn't for that, I might have switched simply because I've outgrown iOS. I want MY phone to do more for ME, I don't want to be told what to do.

In any case, I wrote a whole blog post about it. It's long, 3500 words. Is iOS keeping up with modern technology? : Michael Gaines

[shifuimam]

Originally Posted by starman 

I haven't switched, and I won't. I'm still tied to the iTunes ecosystem and that's fine because I love iTunes Match and iTunes Radio. BUT, if it wasn't for that, I might have switched simply because I've outgrown iOS. I want MY phone to do more for ME, I don't want to be told what to do.

That's the kicker. If you buy DRMed content from Amazon or Google, you can use it on your iOS device. If you buy DRMed content from Apple, though, you're SOL if you want to switch to a new platform.

Also, for iTunes Match, Plex and Subsonic are both great for streaming your music on the go.

[Phileas]

Apple doesn't sell DRM music, haven't for years.

Most of my iTunes music (the past DRM part) is now available on my Nexus without problems. Music Manager watches my iTunes library, the minute I buy anything on iTunes it also goes to google's servers.

[Shaddim]

Originally Posted by mattyb 

Open source Android fork Cyanogen becomes $7m company • The Register

This is going to be good. I work with one of the principals involved and this really did look attractive. I can't wait to see what they bake-up over the next year,

[shifuimam]

Originally Posted by Phileas 

Apple doesn't sell DRM music, haven't for years.

Most of my iTunes music (the past DRM part) is now available on my Nexus without problems. Music Manager watches my iTunes library, the minute I buy anything on iTunes it also goes to google's servers.

I know Apple doesn't sell DRMed music, but they did for a long time, and there are still plenty of people with buttloads of DRMed music from iTunes.

Also, aren't movies and TV shows from iTunes still DRMed? Can you rent movies and TV shows in iTunes and play them on a non-iOS mobile device?

I realize the iTunes/FairPlay/iOS ménage à trois is less closed-off than it used to be, but generally you're still stuck in the universe in a way that prevents you from switching platforms.

Android somehwat has the same pitfall with apps, if you buy a lot of paid apps - but the upside is that there are lots of different brands and types of Android devices, so if you want something different, you can still keep all your apps.

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by starman 

In any case, I wrote a whole blog post about it. It's long, 3500 words. Is iOS keeping up with modern technology? : Michael Gaines

I suggest enabling permalinks on your blog, it would provide better SEO, if you care about that...

[starman]

Originally Posted by Phileas 

Apple doesn't sell DRM music, haven't for years.

Most of my iTunes music (the past DRM part) is now available on my Nexus without problems. Music Manager watches my iTunes library, the minute I buy anything on iTunes it also goes to google's servers.

I still have some that's .m4p, and you didn't even mention movies. I still have DRM'd videos.

[Brien]

I'm considering giving Android a try this time. I'm not wowed by the 5S and I really want a larger screen.

[Cold Warrior]

Apple’s iPhone 5 touchscreen is 2.5 times faster than Android devices | VentureBeat

[shifuimam]

My S4 seems pretty damn responsive. I'm happy with it.