Regarding the Google sync issue, based n the limited research I did, Google sync actually isn't supported with android since they kinda built that into the OS. I am in the same situation, I had to share my calendars with each other and set up my secondary email as IMAP. If you find another solution, please post it.

11/10/2009 10:47:11 PM

I just went ahead and remote in to work & changed my Google Sync settings to sync with my personal account. My work email is pop so I didn't have any problems there. I doubt that I'll put too much effort into trying to "fix" the situation since I only used it to sync calendars wirelessly with my Blackberries before (I was always bad about forgetting to physically sync & back up). I don't really care where it comes from as long as it works.

On another note, I just checked out Google Maps while I was sitting in my living room. It pulled my position within 20-30' in less than 20 seconds and that's being downstairs with brick walls and 1 window close by (with shade drawn). I could never get better than the 3000 ft. circle with my Storm and it usually was pretty far off (showing me 3-4 miles off sometimes). Awesome that I actually have GPS that I can use when I'm not in my car now.

11/10/2009 11:20:59 PM

^ so can you use the google maps on the eris like the droid? like for navigation? I did not htink you could...

One thing the droid offers is turn by turn with google street view. it's bad ass...

11/11/2009 1:24:19 AM

eris has google maps - it does not have navigation

11/11/2009 2:31:31 AM

Right, no Google Navigation. You CAN get some poor man's navigation out of it but it's not nearly as nice as an actual Navigation program/unit. Basically, you pull up your location, get directions, & then watch the screen to stay on the road. After a few miles, you cross over into oncoming traffic and take out a family of 5. It's basically just useful if you want to find out where you are or what's around you (I used to use it... well, try to use it to find stuff when I'm out of town and am looking for something specific like a Lowe's Hardware or something).

11/11/2009 6:38:16 AM

looks like they got Google navigation running on the G1.

Quote :

"Google Navigation hacked onto T-Mobile G1 by Thomas Ricker posted Nov 11th 2009 at 2:01AM It's always a good sign when a device-specific product release becomes the focal point of the XDA development community: it means you've got a winner on your hands. Not that anyone ever doubted the intense demand for Google's new turn-by-turn Navigation introduced exclusively on Motorola's DROID. No more. Brave souls have now tweaked the original code to run on the original Android device, the HTC G1 running on T-Mobile. Anecdotal reports suggest that it's working great -- a good sign that we'll see a cooked ROM unveiled just as soon as feverish fingers can package the new code. "

11/11/2009 7:23:53 AM

I was looking at my plan last night. I'm not eligible for an upgrade til 12/23/09. Hopefully, Passion will be out by then.

11/11/2009 7:51:18 AM

ha. Verizon pwnt. Wonder if they'll raise the price on plans or phones if it passes.

Quote :

"Lawmaker to introduce bill on cancellation fees after Verizon's increase Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) said Monday she plans to introduce legislation to keep wireless carriers from unfairly raising penalties on consumers who cancel their contracts early. The decision comes after Verizon Wireless said last week it plans to double the early termination fees it assesses smart phone owners who ask to get out of their two-year service contracts. The new fees, which would total $350, are scheduled to go into effect Nov. 15. Klobuchar wrote a letter to Verizon Wireless CEO Lowell McAdam Monday, telling him that the decision was "anti-consumer" and "anti-competitive." She said more and more households are relying on wireless services as they cut the cord on landline phones. Charging hundreds of dollars for leaving a contract, even if a customer moves to an area that no longer has service by their provider, hurts consumers, she said. Wireless carriers responded last year to Klobuchar's criticism of the fees by pro-rating their penalties by the number of months served in a contract. The carriers say they try to keep customers in long-term contracts because they need to make up the costs they incur by selling phones at a steep discount. Klobuchar also wrote a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski asking that the agency also investigate Verizon's move."

11/11/2009 8:41:47 AM

i still think verizon's 'unlimited' 5Gb/month data plan is bullshit

11/11/2009 8:47:38 AM

i think verizon's data plans are ALL bullshit since they're expensive as all hell (but then, all verizon plans are expensive for what you get...bring back my alltel )

11/11/2009 9:25:30 AM

I'd much rather pay a much higher retail cost and have a month-to-month plan instead of these stupid contracts

11/11/2009 9:47:02 AM

Quote :

"i still think verizon's 'unlimited' 5Gb/month data plan is bullshit"

I think AT&T does the same thing with their broadband/data plans...

Quote :

"The reason that we spend so much time talking about the 5GB limit which applies to almost all companies’ Mobile Broadband plans is because charges for going over the limit are outrageous. In the case of Verizon Wireless, data usage beyond 5GB costs $0.25 per MB. Not too bad, you say? It’s just a quarter. But at that rate, 1GB costs $256. That’s right…$60 for the first 5GB and $256 for the sixth. As bad as that is, it compares very favorably to AT&T which will gouge you $503.31 for that same gigabyte. On the other hand, it’s horrible compared to Sprint which charges a relatively reasonable $51.20."

from:

http://mobile-broadband-services-review.toptenreviews.com/verizon-review.html

11/11/2009 10:19:42 AM

yeah, they all have the limits on mobile broadband. Not sure about the tethering add ons.

11/11/2009 10:44:18 AM

Quote :

"HTC Passion/Dragon Launching Mid-December? by Rob Jackson on November 11th, 2009 An image of what MAY be the Verizon-bound HTC Passion/Dragon’s screen may be exactly what you’re seeing below, with a BGR connect saying a mid-December release is likely: They’re in Baltimore. I’m in Baltimore. Hint hint Mr. anonymous picture taker guy in mostly cloudy 61 degree weather. And by the way, do you think a Mid-December launch would be the ultimate Big Red strategery? I mean, it WOULD put all those new Droid owners passed their 30-day return window."

[Edited on November 11, 2009 at 2:37 PM. Reason : some claim the photo isn't actually from an HTC device so it may all just be BS]

11/11/2009 2:32:47 PM

That definitely looks like the Sense UI.

Quote :

"I mean, it WOULD put all those new Droid owners passed their 30-day return window"

I was kinda afraid of that. I'm tempted to return my contract/phone on day 29 and wait to see if that thing actually comes out. If not I'll just pick up another Eris.

11/11/2009 4:10:29 PM

Not necessarily SenseUI, Beautiful Widgets for android is a good knock off of senseui

11/11/2009 4:39:38 PM

Just got my droid the screen switching seems slightly laggy, and the volume button is a little wiggly, but other than that, I love it. the screen is beautiful, i like the import of facebook contacts, GPS is stellar, sound quality is amazing...

11/11/2009 6:37:31 PM

Do you guys have any problems with pdanet on android? My pc app will just randomly disconnect from the phone every couple of minutes.

11/11/2009 9:15:19 PM

working flawlessly for me on Windows XP home, on my netbook. just for shits and giggles, do you have a replacement cable to try?

11/11/2009 10:26:43 PM

so it seems open home or ahome apps can change your home screen so that you can have a 'sense' look on any platiform.

From what I've read it doesn't affect battery life too much and it doesn't affect performance, just gives you the benefits of multiple homescreens, loads of widgets and a better interface than the standard dorid one.

Seems to be a droid running this would be the best bet.

As far as the music stuff is concerned, media monkey is great software for managing your library and snyncing your device. For those interested in podcasts, use a sepertate app as I believe it will incluide the podcasts in your normal music directory which can be annoying to have a podcast come up while on shuffle.

11/12/2009 9:56:54 AM

Quote :

"yeah, they all have the limits on mobile broadband. Not sure about the tethering add ons."

Not the case, I have an UNlimited plan with T-Mobile.

I purchased aHome for my G1, and then a month later I rooted it and was able to do any damn thing I wanted. I'd wait till the droid gets rooted before buying a home replacement app. They are making progress:
http://alldroid.org/viewtopic.php?f=210&t=431


BESTBUY - HOLY SHIT
Yesterday I went in to get my hands on the droid. A salesman was showing one to a couple in their late 40s early 50s. I kinda hovered because I wanted to hold the real phone they had, and not the plastic shit on display. Time goes by, they look frustrated and the fucker was hogging holding the phone... the whole time just using the virtual keypad. I walk over and say I was interested myself and if it were okay to watch.... a few minutes of watching this clown I just answer a few basic questions and pull out my G1, show them some apps, say their address and maps locates it... showed them widgets and how to change the background... he then said he was upset his GMAIL would not work with the phone... I was in disbelief... I corrected him and moved on.

How can BB sell phones when the CS guys do not know jack shit. They both ended up buying the Droid. I should get a commission for that sale, b/c the ass hat in blue was so uninformed it was laughable. The woman did say she called the local Verizon store and there were about 30 people in the store - hence they went to BB.

[Edited on November 12, 2009 at 3:23 PM. Reason : aerg]

[Edited on November 12, 2009 at 3:27 PM. Reason : zdbfh]

11/12/2009 3:16:05 PM

Quote :

"To provide the best network experience for all of our customers we may temporarily reduce data throughput for a small fraction of customers who use a disproportionate amount of bandwidth. Your data session, plan, or service may be suspended, terminated, or restricted for significant roaming or if you use your service in a way that interferes with our network or ability to provide quality service to other users. Some devices require specific data plans; if you do not have the right plan for your device, you may not be able to use data services. 3G coverage is available only in certain markets and on certain devices. Taxes, fees, and additional charges may apply. Domestic use only. See your data plan terms and T-Mobile's Terms and Conditions on T-Mobile.com."

Might want to re-read your terms of service. Technically they do have a limit. And the data plans on the broadband cards are 200MB and 5GB.

[Edited on November 12, 2009 at 3:56 PM. Reason : ]

11/12/2009 3:42:35 PM

^^ how's that different from every other experience with BB blueshirts?

11/12/2009 3:45:10 PM

^ I tether and stream movies all the time... I access my computer with gmote.... i upload videos and pictures.... there is no way I am capped for data.

^^ good point, I don't really shop there... bad experiences must be common there.

11/12/2009 4:17:02 PM

Quote :

"working flawlessly for me on Windows XP home, on my netbook. just for shits and giggles, do you have a replacement cable to try? "

No I don't. I was just using the cable that came with my phone.

11/12/2009 9:13:53 PM

^ gotcha. well i can't replicate that, sorry man. maybe reinstall the software, just to see if that makes any difference?

11/12/2009 9:27:38 PM

Quote :

"I tether and stream movies all the time... I access my computer with gmote.... i upload videos and pictures.... there is no way I am capped for data."

Yes there is, it just means you either aren't going over, or aren't getting flagged for going over... yet

11/12/2009 10:01:43 PM

tmobile police are after you now, man. you'd better change your username, quick!

11/12/2009 10:03:00 PM

I messed around with eris and droid at the crabtree verizon kiosk. I can't wait to get my droid phone. My upgrade date is Dec 23 and I'll be able to get $50 off of any phone that I upgrade to

11/14/2009 8:33:40 PM

I can't tell if it is the Eris hardware or Android 1.5 but the UI is really sluggish. I used it exclusively for a week and then went back to my iPhone 3g and was like "Whoa this thing is so fast". I think I'm gonna stick with the iPhone for now.

11/15/2009 11:55:04 AM

so my 2 year contract ends on 12/04 with verizon, does this mean that with the "new every 2" program i get $100 off PLUS the promotional price so the Droid would only be $100??

11/15/2009 1:11:04 PM

depends how much you pay per month.

11/15/2009 1:20:50 PM

$106 as it is for BB plan with extras

11/15/2009 2:18:25 PM

The NE2 is added to the discounted price. So if you're base plan is >79.99, you'd pay 199-100=99, or 199-50=149 if you have a lower plan.

11/15/2009 4:32:29 PM

nice, looks like me and my girl will be getting droids

11/15/2009 5:35:52 PM

Just make sure you are gonna want to stay with Verizon........It is gonna cost you enough to buy a used car to get out of a Verizon contract now, especially with multiple lines.

11/16/2009 8:03:52 AM

Saw two notes about the Droid and the Big Red V last night...

Droid experiencing external speaker problems, could be a software issue?
http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/15/droid-experiencing-external-speaker-problems-could-be-a-softwar/

Not sure what exactly they're reporting here, besides speaker issues. I haven't experienced it, as far as I know, but the post is a bit vague on the symptoms.


And, to follow up what ^ said...

Don't shop drunk: Verizon's $350 ETF is now live
http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/15/dont-shop-drunk-verizons-350-etf-is-now-live/

11/16/2009 8:26:55 AM

I wouldn't bet on the ETF staying $350 since verizon has apparently pissed someone off in the senate.

11/16/2009 8:35:08 AM

^^ Yea I thought it had been discussed here, but anyway I agree, increasing the ETF is a pretty shiesty thing for Verizon to do.

11/16/2009 8:52:42 AM

Why is it shiesty? Since when are companies out to make friends?

They saw the huge desire to have an iphone type smartphone on their network that people would rush to, and so you have to pay for it.

Either you wait until you are eligible for the phone, or you pay extra to be an early adopter.

Sure it sucks, but why not? Mo money Mo money.

11/16/2009 9:38:28 AM

I tend to agree with what someone said earlier in this thread about making people pay full price for their devices, then no ETFs or contracts. Let the consumer really vote with their feet. The thing is, in that scenario, the manufacturers would probably have incentive to sell more devices at lower cost, in order to continue to have their product in the consumer's hands. Prices of popular devices fall, no contracts, we all win.

11/16/2009 9:46:06 AM

I actually don't understand why they even still use the contract system

It is such an incredible headache.

If only one of the national chains would switch to a no-contract system, I would think they would all be forced to switch to keep competitive.

11/16/2009 10:37:19 AM

^ Subsidies and lock-in. They have less incentive to compete when their customers are contractually obligated to stick around for two or more years. There'd have to be a tectonic shift in their business before they'd consider doing away with contracts for the majority of their customers.

11/16/2009 10:48:20 AM

Quote :

"Either you wait until you are eligible for the phone, or you pay extra to be an early adopter. "

Because (in this case) upping the ETF only really hurts current Verizon members. What I don't understand is why they don't just make it so that if you're already a VZ customer (or AT&T going between AT&T phones -- whatever]) they just extend your current contract by two years.

11/16/2009 2:49:25 PM

They dont want someone going in every day, getting a smart phone for below cost, extending their contract by a day, and re-selling the thing on ebay for profit, while verizon loses money like a broken dam.

Even though I am one of the people that have had a problem getting a droid, I get why they do it.

11/16/2009 7:15:34 PM

ha, verizon isn't losing money from that.

11/16/2009 7:19:41 PM

Must Have App: Qik

11/16/2009 7:24:07 PM

Here is a recent article that sort of explains the game of Contracts and ETF's/

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/15/business/15price.html&OQ=_rQ3D1Q26scpQ3D2Q26sqQ3DwirelessQ26stQ3Dcse&OP=4cbc5b63Q2FXoczXQ3EjaZujjBtXtyyQ2FXQ27Q27XQ27fXzQ26Z6ScZZXQ27fQ20u6acQ25Q7CBgQ3D

The iPhone tried a lower subsidy model and sales sucked until they dropped the price under $200. The estimated actual cost of an iPhone is around $550. They tried selling it for $399 with a $20 data plan and the sales were crap, they dropped the price to $199 and raised the data plan to $40 and sales skyrocketed. Customers actually pay more over the contract term getting the phone for $199 and the higher data plan.

T-mobile has phones for full price now under their "even more plus" plan. If you buy the phone at the actual price, your service is way cheaper, and there is no contract. They can do this because they are no longer financing your phone.

11/16/2009 8:28:10 PM

its really about the perception of idiots. which is exactly why people dont mind financing a new tv at 22% - if the extra cost is over a period of time, it doesnt register to people

11/16/2009 9:41:47 PM

^ dang, I was about to post something similar

I would much rather have a higher upfront cost if the total lifetime cost will be smaller...but I guess we are in the minority

11/17/2009 8:42:33 AM