While there are more manufacturers offering stock Android like OnePlus or Nokia, many still offer bloated launchers by default. Other launchers have been available for years. They can add various levels of customization or simplicity. A launcher can even speed up your phone.
Continue reading…smartphone
OnePlus 7T Unlock Guide
The OnePlus 7T is the third Onehttps://amzn.to/3b6TSlKPlus phone I’ve used in the last year. When my OG Google Pixel required charging multiple times daily, I “upgraded” to a Moto Z2 Force. That was a terrible mistake. I appreciated the near stock experience but my particular model was the AT&T version. Meaning no updates. Even when the Verizon version received them, AT&T didn’t. It was an annoying reminder of why I had purchased the Pixel or even the Nexus 6P before it. I wanted control over my phone.
Continue reading…Open Source Android Launchers in 2020
While there are more manufacturers offering stock Android like OnePlus or Nokia, many still offer bloated launchers by default. Other launchers have been available for years. They can add various levels of customization or simplicity. A launcher can even speed up your phone.
True to Hacking the Hike, all of the launchers on this list must be free and open source software. Many of these launchers have not been updated since the original list of Open Source Android Launchers was revealed.
Hyperion Launcher
Hyperion has a clean, stock look. The top search bar and swipe up app drawer are recognizable Android traits.
I prefer an AMOLED black theme. It helps battery life and more importantly, keeps my office dark. Transparent and light themes are available as well.
Sesame integrates directly with Hyperion. It can replace the Google search bar. For a complete Pixel launcher replacement, Google Feed is available as a separate download from Hyperion.
Some of Hyperion’s feature are locked behind a $2 add-on called Hyperion Supreme. I didn’t find anything I was desperately missing. Some options like gestures are included free elsewhere.
Fixing Google Photo Backups
With the recent update to Google Photos, Google has quietly opted to change which decide folders to backup. It’s only a minor inconvenience to change this setting.
Continue reading…Linux Sync Services
I love syncing data. I really do. Its simplified life from copying files to a flash drive to move from one computer to another. And then when I adopted my first smartphones (Palm Centro, Palm Pre) it was a hassle carrying data with me. I would take a picture and then need a data cable to download it to my computer.
Sync and backup services automate much of that now. I like to complicate things a little further though. I require services that work not only with Windows and Android (which most, if not all, do) but also with Linux. Specifically, I run Ubuntu and Fedora so some apps like Ubuntu One (which I like) don’t work fully for me. Thus, my great sync service face off.
adeptCloud
AdeptCloud lures users in with promises of free “unlimited files of unlimited size.” The trouble is that its not truly unlimited. This service does not offer free online storage like the others do. Its purely for syncing files and it relies on the storage space on the user’s systems. It does, however, work on Linux, Mac, and Windows as well as Android and iOS. It will not work on a mobile device alone. A desktop system is required to store the files and the mobile device will retrieve them from there. AdeptCloud says it will create a “mesh of storage” for easy access.
I am already disappointed with this service. When I tried syncing the files to Ubuntu, I couldn’t download anything. Why? Because they are on my desktop at home that’s turned off. I was also disappointed by the installation process. Dropbox can offer DEBs and RPMs but all adeptCloud offers is a lousy RUN file.
Online storage is available to business customers for a fee of $10 per month covering up to 10 employees.
Box
I like Box. Mostly. I’ve taken advantage of the free 50 GB promotion they’ve had at one time or another. Those 50 gigs make Box very like-able for me. What don’t I like? No native Linux support and poor sync support for Android. Other apps will automatically upload new photos from my phone. Not Box. Box can be synced with Linux using webdav. Still not on par with a native application. I keep Box around to backup the files I don’t need as often.
Copy
Copy offers pretty much everything I’m after: lots of free space (I have 17 GB now), Linux support (in the form of a tarball), an Android app, Windows support, and auto photo uploading. Given that this doesn’t have the space that my Box account does, I wouldn’t do a backup here. This will likely become my main service. Copy offers 5 GB for each referral (that’s 5 for me and 5 for you if you sign up) and doesn’t appear to have a limit. Its cheap too. For $100 a year, you can get 250 gigs.
Dropbox
This is the biggie. Dropbox is probably the most popular service around. It does offer strong Linux support (32- and 64-bit RPM and DEB) and a capable mobile app with automatic photo upload. Dropbox fails when it comes to capacity. It comes with 2 GB standard and referrals will only earn you 500 MB apiece. You also top out at 18 GB of free space. Paid upgrades start at $100 a year for 100 gigs. Because of several security gaps in the last few years, I don’t keep anything too important or private on Dropbox. It is still a strong syncing service and an easy way to share files.
Google Drive
Anyone with a Google account already has a Drive whether or not they use it. I love Drive for editing documents and I backup all of my school work to it. It has Android and Windows apps which sync all of the documents to my computers. Drive also comes with 15 GB of storage that’s shared with Gmail and Google+ Photos. However, anything created in Drive (Docs, Sheets, Slides) and pictures smaller than 2048×2048 do not count towards storage.
I have a rant against Google here. Google is a company that is basically built on Linux. Its servers run Linux. Its desktops are limited to Linux or Mac (special permission is required at Google to use Windows). Android and ChomeOS are built on Linux. Yet for some odd reason, they have not released a Drive app for Linux yet. Personally, I feel they could pay back some of their success with a few native apps for Linux.
There are alternative solutions here. I’ve tried Grive and Insync. Grive worked but it requires an active Internet connection. Insync is in beta for Linux and once out of beta will cost a one time fee of $10. I still utilize Drive though. My photos auto upload to Google+ and I keep my school work in Drive. Cost wise? 100 GB at $5 a month ($60 a year).
Skydrive
This is a service I want to use. It plays well with Android and my photos. It integrates tightly with Windows 8 but is still fine on 7. It comes with 7 gigs of free storage but the upgrades are dirt cheap. How about 20 GB/$10 a year, 50 GB/$25, or 100 GB/ $50? That’s on top of the free 7. I also appreciate that Skydrive gives the user the option to select MS Office XML format or OpenDocument Format for files that are created in Skydrive. The ability to create documents directly from Skydrive a la Google Drive is pretty awesome. This has a big advantage over Google because it creates the documents in the MS format.
Skydrive is lacking for me in the Linux arena. There’s no Linux support since it is, after all, a Microsoft product designed for Windows.
Ubuntu One
One is designed by Canonical for Ubuntu. Its made to backup Ubuntu and sync files between Ubuntu, Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. It generally does this well. It auto uploads photos from Android quickly but the ability to preview the photos on Android is poor in comparison to Dropbox. It comes with 5 GB for free with 20 GB packs available for $30 a year.
Why I Bought A Palm Pre
I’ve been debating for a while between Android vs WebOS, all touch screen vs physical keyboard, now vs later. Yesterday I made my fateful decision by buying a Palm Pre Plus from Verizon Wireless. Unfortunately, the two stores in town were out of stock (that sounds good for Palm though, I think?) and they ordered it. Needless to say, I’m really excited. This is a big step up from my Centro. But how did I come to the Pre? Why not wait?
Operating Systems
Let me tell you a story about my wife’s Motorola Droid. When the 2.1 update came out, she dutifully updated her phone. It bricked. The system constantly rebooted. Being tech savvy, I could have Googled the solution and fixed her phone perhaps. However, I figured the fine folks at Verizon would just reload the firmware. Oh, how wrong we were! She ended up with a refurbished Droid. We spent $200 on a brand new phone to have it replaced with a refurb due to an update error.
Now you could blame Verizon for this and I’m apt to do so but if Android had something akin to the WebOS Doctor. The WebOS Doctor is a program for your computer that allows you to reload the firmware for your woeful Palm at home. If there had been a similar program for Android, my wife would still have her original Droid.
Form Factors
I’m quite use to my Centro with its small keyboard. I’ve tried the keyboards on the Droid and LG Ally (which has a reputation as an excellent keyboard). I’ve also tried touchscreen keyboards. For anyone doing any serious typing, touchscreen can’t compare to a physical keyboard. Plus, I can text one handed on the Centro or the Pre although two is much quicker.
The portrait slider on the Pre is also easier to flip out and text on in a hurry compared to the Droid or Ally. As a bonus, this gave the Pre a smaller form factor and makes it more pocket able. I don’t like bulky phones and if I can’t through it in my pocket, it won’t work for me.
Upcoming Devices
I’m concerned about the trend to constantly make phones with larger screens. As I previously stated, I need pocket size. The Dell Streak is 5 inches! 5! Five! Yes, that’s huge. Even the Droid X or HTC Evo coming in around 4 is quite large. If I need to use a large screen, I will hop on a computer. This is supposed to be a portable alternative to a computer or even a tablet. The Pre fit the bill for me.
I suspect that upcoming renditions of the Pre will feature larger screens and thus becoming heavier too. That’s not what I’m after. I rather get the Palm Pre while its still available. There’s also the issue that there’s no perfect time to buy. I could have waited for the next greatest thing but I’d be using my Centro for years.
Comments
I’m curious why other people settled on the Pre or have stuck with it. Do you think I made a good choice or are these superfluous considerations?
webOS vs Android: Which would you choose?
Cell phone upgrade time is upon me again and I need help deciding. I have Verizon Wireless and will not be switching (they have the closet tower by my house, maybe half a mile away). I’m caught between going with an Android phone like the LG Ally or the webOS powered Palm Pre.
Budget is a concern. I’m not going to spend $300 on a Droid X especially since I don’t believe anything that large is remotely practical. Likewise, $200 for an old Motorola Droid seems unreasonable given its age.
Future proof is a concern too. I want decent specs that won’t worry me. The Ally runs a processor that supposedly won’t be included when Adobe Flash is released. HP bought Palm so I’m mostly at ease there but without any real future plans from the HP/Palm crowd, should I be concerned?
So please weigh in.
