Help Excited Brand New Android Owner (Droid 2) Questions...

[DROIDing]

1) Check with a different USB cable, Well the USB Cable is plugged into the computer... which is why I am having issues for some reason. It works fine when I plug it into the wall charger, but I don't have that at work.

2) "Text Messaging" -> "Menu Button" -> "Messaging Settings" -> "Notifications" THANKS!

3) I don't suggest power management apps, since its an app of itself and any savings in energy would be nullified by the app power usage itself. Instead:
- Switch Battery to "Nighttime Saver" or "Maximum Battery Saver" since you'll be on vacation.
- Switch Display Brightness to "Auto" or the lowest setting you can work with.
- Don't leave AIM, GTALK, and other similar apps running when you're not using them.
- Turn off radios (Wifi, BT, GPS) when you're no using them.
AWESOME!

4) Not sure about that, but if I find anything on the " " problem, I'll let you know.

I posted about in your post

 

[jradicle11]

Try sliding down the notification bar > USB options > Charge only. See if that works.

As for battery life, try this http://androidforums.com/droid-2-tips-tricks/157154-increased-battery-life.html

 

[DROIDing]

Hi... more usage brings more questions - thank you very much for any help and your time!

- Can I not multi-task with the phone!? My Droid 2 stops all playback of music if I go to do anything else, search the net, or even check Email!?

- Is there any way I can set my Email up, so when I delete them online through my actual Email account, they get deleted on the phone when it refreshes like it did on my last phone OS?

- When I visit a web-page, I can't scroll... I have to zoom in, then scroll, and zoom out and after that I'm free to scroll.

- The quotations " " still revert back to the last word types, putting the " after the final letter, rather than starting a new word to quote. Any fixes?

 

[Dragoro]

Mine keeps playing even when I go to other apps.

For scrolling: Usually when you go to a webpage, its at max zoom out, so there shouldnt be anywhere to scroll to. You double tap to zoom into that particular spot on the webpage.

Not sure bout the email and the " questions.

 

[DROIDing]

Mine keeps playing even when I go to other apps.

For scrolling: Usually when you go to a webpage, its at max zoom out, so there shouldnt be anywhere to scroll to. You double tap to zoom into that particular spot on the webpage.

Not sure bout the email and the " questions.

I did a hard factory full reset last night, seems to be more snappy now. I also only installed a few (maybe 8) apps I really use on nearly a daily basis, and also avoided putting that cool live aquarium as my wallpaper, so maybe the combination of those things will help.

The scrolling is a bit troublesome though, its not showing the entire webpage by far, but I can live with it.

The reduced signal reception and inability to have Emails updated like they were in Winmo (when I delete the Email on a computer, its taken off my phone) are the real killers for me (oh and the inability to multi task while music is playing.)

The stereo blue tooth sound is amazing though.

 

[Redflea]

Your phone is messed up, something's wrong.

- Web pages: You must be able to see all of any given web page, what you describe is not right

- Music: I've played music, podcasts, etc., while doing multiple other tasks on my phone w/zero issues.

If you're under 30 days, take it to a store and get it trouble-shooted/exchanged

If after 30 days, go to a store and get them to make it work right for you, and if they can't, call VZW and get an exchange

 

[DROIDing]

Your phone is messed up, something's wrong.

- Web pages: You must be able to see all of any given web page, what you describe is not right

- Music: I've played music, podcasts, etc., while doing multiple other tasks on my phone w/zero issues.

If you're under 30 days, take it to a store and get it trouble-shooted/exchanged

If after 30 days, go to a store and get them to make it work right for you, and if they can't, call VZW and get an exchange

Thanks so much... I truly believe its the phone. At first I didn't want to believe it, because its new... but most issues occur within a few days of purchase if they are going to crop up anyway. There has been some recurring strange things happening, I am going to test the music multi tasking tonight and see if I should take it back. Thanks!

 

[defkorn]

You will probably not be able to charge through a computer's USB port, it just doesn't supply enough power.

 

[Redflea]

You will probably not be able to charge through a computer's USB port, it just doesn't supply enough power.

I charge mine via laptop usb port all the time...has never been an issue for me.

Except on older computers, I would expect USB charging to work.

 

[DROIDing]

You will probably not be able to charge through a computer's USB port, it just doesn't supply enough power.

I have always charged every cell phone and personal media device I have ever owned through the USB port on my laptop or PC. I just think it is a setting I have to toggle... there are a bunch: PC Mode, Charge Only, Mass Storage etc, and then to tether I have to select something called Debugging in the Development section of settings. Just seems like a lot of confusion, but I am going to retry everything since I did a hard reset two days ago.

The phone froze completely this morning while trying to initialize SportyPal GPS to do morning run, and I had to remove the battery and restart it- I am just amazed these issues are still so prevalent in a phone marketed as being so amazing.

I am downloading 2 sounds files right now, but they are taking forever, is there a way I can stop one of them and keep the other one going? I don't see that as an option in the" Ongoing Process" window... it only shows me a download status bar. SEE WHAT HAPPENED TO THE QUOTES a few workds back? UGH!

 

[DROIDing]

PS: I found out my lack of multi-tasking while listening to music wasn't mp3 files or Pandora etc type program, it was streaming media on the built in browser... a radio show was playing, and once I hit the home button it stopped. Is there any way yo keep that process running streaming radio if I do something else on the phone? Would battery saver have anything to do with that?multi-process?

I am leaving on vacation soon... and want a car charger and perhaps a back up battery; where is the best place to buy both, and are there any batteries that actually hold their charge if stored in my car for a couple days?

Oh, also can I purchase a higher capacity battery as my backup or even primary that will exceed the battery that came with the phone from Verizon?

 

[DROIDing]

Is there any way to get the Emails I delete online to auto-sync and also delete off my phone like they do on Winmo phones? Thanks!

 

[Redflea]

PS: I found out my lack of multi-tasking while listening to music wasn't mp3 files or Pandora etc type program, it was streaming media on the built in browser... a radio show was playing, and once I hit the home button it stopped. Is there any way yo keep that process running streaming radio if I do something else on the phone? Would battery saver have anything to do with that?multi-process?

I am leaving on vacation soon... and want a car charger and perhaps a back up battery; where is the best place to buy both, and are there any batteries that actually hold their charge if stored in my car for a couple days?

Oh, also can I purchase a higher capacity battery as my backup or even primary that will exceed the battery that came with the phone from Verizon?

You can do a little research on your own, you know?

...Verizon sells chargers and the stock battery as well as a higher capacity battery w/a new battery door (makes the phone slightly thicker). You can also find them (chargers and batteries on Amazon, Seidio, etc. I have yet to see a car charger that doesn't work w/my Droid. The D1 and D2 battery are the same/compatible.

Battery should hold a charge fine, but heat is a battery's enemy, so take it w/you into your hotel, don't leave it baking in the car.

 

[DROIDing]

I am really coming into my own with this Droid2 now... in 4 days it will have been a month since Fed EX dropped it off

Still have 2 outstanding question that's really haunt me daily... once I get these bad boys taken care of I will be all good for the forseeable future!

-How can I get TEXT MESSAGE NOTIFICATIONS on my home screen so I actually know when someone texts me, opposed to have to check the" Universal Inbox" perhaps with a indicating number of unread messages?

- Lastly... HOW on Earth can I set my phone up, so it does real time synching with my Email account(s) like Windows Mobile did, where when I delete them on a computer upon next refresh Droid2 realizes that and removes them from my inbox!?

THANKS!!!! please help- those are two final questions to really soaking up this new phone

 

[Dragoro]

Handcent app for text messages.

Gmail is push. Hotmail accounts are push only in windows phones.

 

[DROIDing]

Handcent app for text messages.

Gmail is push. Hotmail accounts are push only in windows phones.

Downloading it now (Handcent) THANKS!

Also, I use neither... I have used GoDaddy linked to my website(s) for three years, and it always synced up nicely with my previous three Winmo phones and kept the phone identical to the computer/Email account.

 

[Dragoro]

Downloading it now (Handcent) THANKS!

Also, I use neither... I have used GoDaddy linked to my website(s) for three years, and it always synced up nicely with my previous three Winmo phones and kept the phone identical to the computer/Email account.

Go to my accounts in your phone, and try and set up your email as a corporate sync account instead of an email account. I did that for my hotmail accounts and it worked great. Its still not push, but it still syncs up all your folders and stuff. Once you set up your corporate sync accounts, use the messaging app to see both your individual accounts and your universal inbox.

 

[DROIDing]

Go to my accounts in your phone, and try and set up your email as a corporate sync account instead of an email account. I did that for my hotmail accounts and it worked great. Its still not push, but it still syncs up all your folders and stuff. Once you set up your corporate sync accounts, use the messaging app to see both your individual accounts and your universal inbox.

I'll give it a go and see how it works! Hopefully all the setting are still the same. I don't really know what push means, although I've heard and seen it countless times in my old winmo phones and online. I don't need instant slam-bang updates keeping my phone and my desktop Email account clones of each other... but maybe once every hour or so if it could connect and say "OH hey this Email was deleted earlier this morning, don't need this on the Droid2 anymore!"

 

[Dragoro]

Push means real time. Depending on your email service it could be push. Yeah using the corporate sync set up instead of the email set up, the accounts will sync with each other like you want.

 

[DROIDing]

Go to my accounts in your phone, and try and set up your email as a corporate sync account instead of an email account. I did that for my hotmail accounts and it worked great. Its still not push, but it still syncs up all your folders and stuff. Once you set up your corporate sync accounts, use the messaging app to see both your individual accounts and your universal inbox.

Alright, just tried to 'convert' my current Email account from 'normal' (or whatever it is now) to 'corporate,' and I didn't see that as a choice anywhere. Maybe I have to start from scratch and give it a go that way? Thanks

EDIT: Just tried to 'add new account' and saw it! 'CORPORATE SYNC,' going through the motions now!

EDIT EDIT: It asked me for 'Microsoft Exchange Server," which I don't think the custom domain Email accounts from GoDaddy would have

 

[Dragoro]

Ah yeah. Think it might still be possible.

Or you can set it up as a regular email account but use IMAP and not pop. That should sync your stuff as well.

 

[DROIDing]

Ah yeah. Think it might still be possible.

Or you can set it up as a regular email account but use IMAP and not pop. That should sync your stuff as well.

Nope, now I'm lost, HAHA! I thought I was doing good having all the 'smtpout' and 'pop' settings memorized... oh how I failed!

 

[Dragoro]

Choose to set it up as a regular email account, after you get it set up, go to my accounts click on the account, and I think its in the incoming settings, change it from pop to imap.

 

[DROIDing]

Choose to set it up as a regular email account, after you get it set up, go to my accounts click on the account, and I think its in the incoming settings, change it from pop to imap.

Cool, my original one is still there since I never went through with corporate sync. Let me try it now...

Alright, changed the POP to IMAP, and changed POP.SECURESERVER.NET TO IMAP.SECURESERVER.NET

Just sent a test Email to myself, and see what happens.

EDIT: Alright the message SENT correctly, but my inbox won't refresh now I guess since I only messed with incoming and not outgoing looks like I have an issue here. Darn.
EDIT 2: Orange Exclamation Point popped up in my notifications bar, and said User Not Authenticated. Boooo!

 

[DROIDing]

Just wanted to say I really appreciated the help, unfortunately, as odd as it sounds with a brand new powerful cell phone, I guess its impossible to sync Email between phone and PC. Weird.

In other news, I decided to root my phone, but not install any custom ROMs yet, as they are not stable enough for me.

Someday I hope to be able to: 1. Delete Emails on a computer, and have my phone recognize that and do the same, and 2. Be able to use my phone's 3G WiFi sharing to play my PS3 online (Infrastructure Mode).