Guides

Guides on how to get the best out of your Android device as well as some useful Android related tips.

19/02/2010
New Custom ROM section of the site
Posted By Nick Hoddinott

New Custom ROM section of the site

Following on from a number of email requests from people looking for custom ROMs for specific handsets, we’ve started collecting together information on the best of the custom Android ROMs for different handsets. This is very much a work in progress and we will continue to update this section as and when we hear about new ROMs.
There are only a few pages in there at the moment, but more will be added as time allows.
The new Custom ROM pages can be found using the navigation bar under the site banner.
If you use and like one of the custom ROMs, please consider making a donation to it’s creator where possible. These guys and girls invest a lot of time in making our Android experience that little bit better. Read more

22/10/2009
Posted By Nick Hoddinott

Resolve reboot and force close issues on HTC Hero after ROM update

Most HTC Hero owners should have their phones updated to the latest ROM by now (stock or otherwise), but a recurring complaint I’ve heard from a number of people is that, after the update, they see a lot of force close issues and even the odd reboot for no obvious reason. The good news is, … Read more

02/10/2009
Posted By Nick Hoddinott

Learning to develop applications for Android

This week, I decided to take a look at the Android SDK, to see how straightforward it is to develop applications for Android. Now, my programming skills are pretty basic; I’ve not had to do much in the way of programming, other than simple scripts, since my university days, so I don’t expect to be … Read more

02/10/2009
Posted By Nick Hoddinott

Best Deals section Updated

I’ve updated the Best Deals section to reflect a couple of new HTC Hero deals I heard about this week, including one superb deal which sees you potentially getting a contract Hero at an overall cost (after cashback) that’s a good £40 cheaper than buying an unlocked, SIM-free Hero outright!Check my findings out here.

01/10/2009
Posted By Nick Hoddinott

Tips – Troubleshooting HTC Hero/G2 Wi-Fi connection woes

One common gripe among new HTC Hero/DROID Eris/G2 owners is wi-fi connectivity. Some folks find that they just can’t get their shiny new Android smartphones to connect to their home wi-fi setup at all. Considering how data hungry Android phones are, and how stingy some carriers are with their data allowance, wi-fi issues could be … Read more

29/09/2009
Posted By Nick Hoddinott

Guide – Capture screenshots from an Android device

If you ever feel the need to capture a moment from your Android phone for posterity, you’ll want to be able to grab screenshots from it. Here is the method used for taking screenies on your Android smartphone- If you’ve not done so already, install the Android SDK. Make a note of the install location … Read more

16/09/2009
Posted By Nick Hoddinott

Best deals- HTC Hero and Samsung i7500

***UPDATED- 2nd October 2009*** Looking for the best price for an Android phone or device?This is the first of what I hope to be a regular feature for the blog.  I’m going to have a scout around for pricing on Android devices and post up the best deals I can find.  Please feel free to … Read more

12/09/2009
Posted By Nick Hoddinott

Guide- Add custom ringtones and notifications to your Android device

This guide discusses the method for adding your own music or sound files to the phone for use as a custom ringtone. Read more

10/09/2009
Posted By Nick Hoddinott

Tips- Things you may or may not be aware of

Every so often I seem to find out about some tip or minor feature that I previously wasn’t aware of on my Android phone (tips and features I probably would have known about if I’d bothered to read the manuals).  So I thought I’d start to compile a list of these useful little tips and … Read more

10/09/2009
Posted By Nick Hoddinott

Guide- Configuring Exchange ActiveSync

I decided this morning to test the Exchange ActiveSync connection on my HTC Hero. I went through the account settings and authenticated with the server successfully, specified the data I wanted to sync, and then, when it came to finalising the settings on the phone, it failed – Error Failed to create the account. Please … Read more