5 things a newb droid owner must do

[jwbeeler]

Heres the install link. Copy this to your Android browser. It is NOT in the market.

[URL="http://m.mlb.com/gd/apps/android/apks/MLBAndroidv1_0.apk"]http://m.mlb.com/gd/apps/android/apks/MLBAndroidv1_0.apk[/URL]

For the MLB fan.

 

[GlassJoe]

kmfdmk - thank you. This was very handy for me today (just got mine).

Cheers.

Seriously, this is a very helpful post. A moderator should see about setting that up as a sticky on the front page for noobs.

 

[Bigsexii89]

Well I got my Droid on black Friday, in a purple haze. So, I was just trying to get out of the store quick. After playing around on my phone I was wondering why the hell I just spent so much money on it. Took it back to the V store, and the guy there was helpful. He set up a Gmail account for me and showed me what it does. Play around with the Google navigation. It is amazing. (especially " street view") go onto the market and get all the apps u r interested in. Quick shout out to the RINGDROID app. It is diesel. so... gmail, google nav, marketplace, up/dl movies and shit STRAIGHT to youtube..etc.., and I love how elaborate the Voice Recognition is. have fun..

 

[DroidJnkie]

get the "dildroid" app

that sounds disgusting.

 

[Bigsexii89]

oh yeah and by the way, that ANTIVIRUS on the market that looks like a pill (yellow and white) actually caused hella problems on mine, I had to take it back. So I would recommend staying away from that shit.

 

[Bigsexii89]

hey what do you mean "don't spend $30 on media?"

 

[gwlaw99]

Download the Dolphin browser with pinch zoom and tabs and learn how to use the word wrap feature (zoom into the text size you want then align the text to the left side of the screen).

 

[jefm]

Advanced Task Killer is free, what you need is the Startup manager for the Droid that is I believe $0.99. and is well worth it.

Is that Startup Auditor?

 

[jefm]

hey what do you mean "don't spend $30 on media?"

I think they mean the Multimedia Dock.
Which I second, it looks neat but is basically useless. If the Droid's in the holster-case then it won't fit in the dock. No line out to a stereo/etc, you have to plug in the headphone jack each time. No DC line in so if it's plugged into a computer then the computer will have to be on 24/7 to charge the phone.
I had such high hopes, and to think I nearly bought two docks! (home/work!)

 

[John Frykman]

I think they mean the Multimedia Dock.
Which I second, it looks neat but is basically useless. If the Droid's in the holster-case then it won't fit in the dock. No line out to a stereo/etc, you have to plug in the headphone jack each time. No DC line in so if it's plugged into a computer then the computer will have to be on 24/7 to charge the phone.
I had such high hopes, and to think I nearly bought two docks! (home/work!)

The Seidio dock (Innodock) at home is a good idea. It comes either with its own charger, or you can use the one that came with the phone. If you have the Seidio Innocase, you can put it in the dock either with or without the case on it. Check it out at Seidio

 

[ampersand]

get the "dildroid" app

Ha! I'm glad someone had the cajones to make this.

 

[phaze3131]

Mototorch LED is awesome if you ever want to flip on the camera flash and use it as a flashlight.

Uh do not get this app. It launches itself without your permission and just stays running in the background for no reason even after force closing it reopens itself to use up memory and resources. Stay away from this app.

Get LED Flashlight it does not launch itself and stay running when not being used.

 

[alostpacket]

Uh do not get this app. It launches itself without your permission and just stays running in the background for no reason even after force closing it reopens itself to use up memory and resources. Stay away from this app.

Get LED Flashlight it does not launch itself and stay running when not being used.

Never had that happen to me. The dev is also a well known and respected member of these forums. Post a thread asking about your problem and you would probably get help quickly.

 

[Vaporizer]

I get my Droid on Tuesday .. Im excited!!!!

 

[Bethieann19]

Great story... Been there, dropped that. Droid literally jumped out of my hands (seriously, it was like it was alive!) when I was in the back yard patio...ended up face-down. But...no screen scratches or damage, no dents, only a couple minor "oop-sies" where some of the black was scraped on the housing that I covered up w/a little permanent marker.

Still don't have a case or screen protector...just don't want to deal w/the additional size. I'll likely regret at some point, but that's what insurance is for, right?

Three days after I got mine, I was getting out of my car and dropped mine on the cement driveway! I was so mad...but then I looked it over and the only damage was a small dent in the lower right hand corner!! YAY DROID!!

 

[SoDroid]

kmfdmk, great post! That was very nice of you providing all of those links.

The two threads I recommend for any beginner are:

http://androidforums.com/motorola-droid/52663-best-applications-games-widgets-more.html

and

http://androidforums.com/motorola-droid/26470-post-your-droid-screens.html .

I think these two threads are the perfect springboard for beginners!

 

[kordon]

complain on this forum that the phone isn't the second coming of christ? seems to be a popular choice.

ROTFLMAO, and I pee'd a little.

 

[fedrich519]

Hope this helps... because if it didn't, I just wasted 20 minuntes of my life

Believe me it helped. Got my Droid a week ago and thought I knew a lot. After researching this site and posts like this, I realize I have only scratched the surface. Very helpful post. Thank you!


For the original poster and other newbs. I highly recommend getting the car mount.

http://tinyurl.com/yf652ol

Comes with a quick charger as well. An absolute must for Navigation. Also very handy for voice searching and phone calls.

 

[Prime]

Relax, Francis.quote]


"You touch my stuff, I kill you", "You call me Francis, I kill you"
"Relax, Francis"

Quote of the day: Full Metal Jacket

That was one crazy Dr. uhh.... I mean Marine.

thats from Stripes btw

 

[tjreishus]

Some things that made my life easier with the phone,

Quickdial - Adds a speed dial to your phone - free and awesome!

Our Groceries - An app that lets you make lists and share them with someone who also has our groceries. If I notice were out of something, I put it on the list. If my wife runs out of something, she puts it on her list. The next person to go to the store looks at the list and gets everything. Nothing is forgotten. We have a lists for 5 different stores around us. Has saved us a ton of time and never forgetting things.

Learn how to use google maps with voice commands! - I use google maps EVERY DAY! Most people don't even realize what it is capable of doing. 1st, if I were you, I would go into google maps, menu, more, Labs, scroll down and select My location and bubble buttons. Now when you search for something you can call them or navigate to them with one click. Now the good part. Lets say you want to find the nearest starbucks from where ever you are. This next step can be done from your home screen or while you are in google maps. Hold down the magnifying glass until the voice search window opens and say "map of starbucks". Google maps will automatically open and show you the closest starbucks to you. With the bubble buttons activated you will see a phone icon on the left and a navigate button on the right of the starbucks popup window. For more options, click in the center of the starbucks popup. From here you can read reviews on that starbucks. You can "share this place" (great for when you want to meet someone somewhere but they aren't too sure about where you are talking about). When you click on it, you have the option of sending sms, gmail, etc. They will get a link to a map that will show them where you want to meet. If it's a place you plan on calling often or even traveling to, I would click on "add as contact" It will then import the address and phone number to your contact list. "more information" will do just that. This will take you to the google local website where you can see all kinds of information about the place. Most will list the store hours, wifi availability, types of payment accepted, etc.

So that covers how to find something close to you. But, you can also find things that are not near you. If you say "map of starbucks" you get the closest starbucks to you. If you want to find something in another city, you would say "map of starbucks, naperville Illinois". Now you can see all the starbuck in Naperville.

Learn how to star items that you frequent. When you look something up and click on the popup window, you can star that location so that you can go back to it easily. In the right hand corner there is a greyed out star. Click it so that it lights up yellow. Now you can see all your starred items by going into maps, menu, more, starred items. I like to keep my home address in there so wherever I am I can always easily navigate home.

Another good search. Lets say you can't remember the name of a place that you want to call. You remember where it is, but cant remember the name. In maps, zoom into where you think the place is, long press at the point where its located. A popup will come up that shows the address of where you just pressed. Click on the popup, then click on "what's nearby?". You should find what you are looking for in that list. When you find the name of the place, click on it to navigate to it, call it, store it, etc.

Thats all for now, I find it very useful when you learn how to use it.

 

[tjreishus]

One more thing about maps. Lets say you want to name a starred item that is an address, not a name of a place. For example, you have Bob smith's address as 111 silver ln, madison wisconson. If you star his address, you will only see his address in the starred list. You wont see his name. If you go into google maps on your computer (not your phone). Log into google maps, type in the address of the place you want to star followed "(bob smith)". It would look like this in the search. 111 silver ln, madison, WI (Bob Smith). You have now named that location. Star it on google maps and it will be a starred item on your phone that has now been named Bob Smith.

Ok, now I'm done.

 

[tjreishus]

Almost forgot Glympse!

If you want someone to track where you are, send them a glympse. I use it when we go to the inlaws. I send it to their home email address, they click on the link, it opens up the glympse website and shows exactly where you are. It updates about every second but has about a 15 second lag. They can even see your speed. Now they don't have to call every 30 minutes to ask where we are. People with android phones or Iphones can dowload the app so that you can send it to them also. I'll use it to meet up with friends. I'll send them one and they send me one. We can track each other on our phones. Pretty awesome!

 

[kellbell]

Read this and just had to laugh. I took delivery of mine a week ago and excitedly removed the "box" from the Fedex shipping box. As I very carefuly attempted to open the top of the nice looking "box" the Droid came in I found out what I was really holding was just a cardboard sleeve. While I'm messing with the top end trying to "open" it, the inner package containing the Droid is sliding out the other end. The phone promptly obeys the laws of physics and slides out of the packaging--Bang goes the phone! Three foot drop onto a tile floor. My wife just looks at me as if I just got spaghetti sauce on a new shirt and says "well that sure didn't take long!
On very close inspection there's just the slightest of dents in the bottom right corner...took me a full two minutes to find it. I nervously plugged the phone into the charger and waited. Once fully charged, it fired right up, no harm done!
Next day, dropped it on the same tile floor again taking it out of my pocket--Bang goes the phone! Wife goes . I say "Slippery devil that, in't it?" It landed on the same corner, no new damage. These things are TOUGH! Nevertheless, I now have it enclosed in a two-piece Droid Plastic Snap-on Case/Holster combo I bought at my local Verizon Store. Real industrial looking and feels more like I'm carrying some kind of military comm gear, but now the thing's just a little safer from its klutz owner. Anyway, I guess one of the 5 things a newb should do is "1. Take the phone out of the box and promptly drop it on the floor. Check for damage. Move on."

I had one of the hard plastic covers for my Droid also, but, had to take it off...if you have anyone complaining about your voice sounding muffled it is probably the cover. On the back, there is a very small microphone close to the power button that the cover will, well, cover & make some voices sound far far away. My boyfriend has the cover also, but, it didn't affect the way he sounded...FYI

 

[inssane]

The best thing a Droid newbie should do is search the forums when they have a battery question. We are well over 30 threads now

 

[cfirman4242]

how in the world do i turn off the stupid vibrate thing when i type..... i bought my phone and turned it off, everything was fine.......... i did the upgrade to my phone yesterday and it came back on and now i cant turn the stupid thing off.... ideas?!?!?!