slow_mo_panda
Newbie
In regards to my NEW Droid 4 phone:
1. I want a phone I can also use to watch movies and videos and have a decent quality resolution, but I am not hugely picky on the HD+++ thing. 720p actually is just fine for me. I am having trouble deciding if I should stick with this phone, or exchange my days-old baby for the MAXX or MAXX HD. I am also very concerned about the low batt life on this one. I can't watch anything on it very long if the battery dies after 2 hours of trying to watch an actual movie. I assume, as I have heard the MAXX has awesome batt life, that you can have moderate to heavy (ie: constant video stream) use and still get a good 12 hours out of it? Is the battery at all upgradable YET for the Droid 4, and is it available for the MAXX or HD?
2. If upgrading battery is hopeless, I am very well thinking about upgrading the PHONE, and shelling out the extra $$$ for the MAXX HD. SO, is it very awkward using such a large screen-size/phone as a cell phone talk device? I assume I can use a Bluetooth headset to take care of most of that issue? On my Droid 4: What are my BEST options to save and extend battery life?
Can I shut off the functionality of the slide-out keyboard so that it never comes on?
Can I turn off ALL notifications for everything EXCEPT for new text or voice mail or apps like the alarm? Can I turn off the vibration during notifications and whenever I unlock the screen, and pretty much ANY TIME? I dislike the vibrations completely and want them OFF!
Can I set the phone to disable the 4G when my Wi-Fi is ON and vice-versa?
Are there any good apps or other tools I can download to extend batt life? Alternately, are there any apps I need to UNinstall or keep away from that will seriously shorten batt life?
3. Let's talk apps!
First of all, the Weather Channel widget that I set on my screen from the pre-installed app seems to not be updating at all. It is stuck on the same temp and weather reading as when I set the widget. When I open the app, it shows the same stalled reading, but then when I swipe to the second screen on the open app, it shows the updated (within an hour or so) weather just fine. How exactly do I get that to show up on my widget?
Second, which is the best free streaming live radio app? I had one on my Lumia that was pretty sweet (can't recall the name) but it did not show all the major local stations on the Local list, nor could I find the missing ones by search. I am not really into setting up my own playlist of songs, that is what an mp3 player is for. I want live, streaming radio that is the same you would hear in the car, as long as they are more clear and sound better. A widget would be pretty cool too.
I need a good document/ebook reader, not the Kindle pre-installed one! I want to be able to side-load, or just drop my own, stored collection of ebooks from my PC to my phone, and be able to open and read much like you do on an e-reader tablet. I use .epub for the most part, but a few are .mobi or .pdf I also have several digital magazines and DIY books full of pictures I would love to read, but maybe have to wait for a good tablet to do that on.
I am not a huge fan of games on a touchscreen like all the popular ones. Are there any games that aren't too hard that can be played using the slide-out keyboard? I am a HUGE fan of RPG games and easy fantasy games like the first Diablo, and I LOVE the simpleness of the old SNES 2-D games, like the first Zelda, the old racing game that had the monster trucks and is responsible for me having the song 'Born to Be Wild' stuck in my head for a good year. I also LOVE the old map-style Sim City (like 2000), and the simple little first-person exploring mystery games like Myst and other such games. If anyone can point me towards some of these to play on my Droid 4 (especially FREE!) I will love you 4ever!!! AND, are there any threads on how to do a simple set-up install in order to play ROMs or apps of the 8-bit vintage games?
Any good apps for editing the mp3s already on my phone into a ringtone file? I currently use just the Myxer website and then send the ringtone to my phone, but just curious if there was anything else.
Good apps for keeping a calorie count? I know I used to be a member of some site where it showed you the calorie count for a whole ton of foods, and helped you keep count by just having you enter the food you ate. This would be awesome!
Is there an easy way to get my good friends pics to show up on the pre-installed Facebook widget? Actually not positive if it's a FB one, but it came already on my phone's desktop, and showed 3-4 little 'sticky note' style boxes in a row that were supposed to have your FB friend's profile pics on it so you could just click on one to see their latest news...
3. Can anyone tell me the exact pixel size of the Droid 4 and the MAXX HD screens? As well as the best video format, playback resolution, bit rate, frame rate, etc.? I use Any Video Converter, which is an amazing freeware to convert vid files into the right format and size for my phone or player. I recently tried to convert a few videos I had that weren't HD but also weren't horrendous, into the pixel size for my Droid 4, as .mp4 files in a high quality, 1000 bit rate and 25 frame rate, and when I tried to play one on my phone, it looked all blurred and was ghosting (or trailing) too much to tolerate. Any suggestions on just the right video conversion settings to use? (I also just DL'd the 1080p and 720p versions of these shows, so they should be more clear and better to convert without too much loss of quality.)
4. Any decent .mp3 player type apps, or at least how to use the ones that are pre-installed to make myself a few playlists? Is there one that has a widget that will show you the album cover art and the playing track?
5. Accessories: What is the BEST stylus to use on a Droid phone for precision and sensitivity? Like, if I wanted to use it to draw or sketch on my screen, which would be the best one to get?
While on the topic, what is the best charger, and if there is a wireless one, which is the best? I heard mention of one that is a wireless pad you can basically just set the phone on top of to get it to charge, and you can pick it up and use it without worry.
Which is the best and most stylish, but also protective, case I can get? Both snap-on and the holster type or the type you can pull it out of with a flap or zipper closure? Do I need a good screen protector for this or are they not really a must if I keep good care of my phone?
Okay, I am off to bed. I will edit this topic if I think of more, but thanks to you all for the tips and support!
1. I want a phone I can also use to watch movies and videos and have a decent quality resolution, but I am not hugely picky on the HD+++ thing. 720p actually is just fine for me. I am having trouble deciding if I should stick with this phone, or exchange my days-old baby for the MAXX or MAXX HD. I am also very concerned about the low batt life on this one. I can't watch anything on it very long if the battery dies after 2 hours of trying to watch an actual movie. I assume, as I have heard the MAXX has awesome batt life, that you can have moderate to heavy (ie: constant video stream) use and still get a good 12 hours out of it? Is the battery at all upgradable YET for the Droid 4, and is it available for the MAXX or HD?
2. If upgrading battery is hopeless, I am very well thinking about upgrading the PHONE, and shelling out the extra $$$ for the MAXX HD. SO, is it very awkward using such a large screen-size/phone as a cell phone talk device? I assume I can use a Bluetooth headset to take care of most of that issue? On my Droid 4: What are my BEST options to save and extend battery life?
Can I shut off the functionality of the slide-out keyboard so that it never comes on?
Can I turn off ALL notifications for everything EXCEPT for new text or voice mail or apps like the alarm? Can I turn off the vibration during notifications and whenever I unlock the screen, and pretty much ANY TIME? I dislike the vibrations completely and want them OFF!
Can I set the phone to disable the 4G when my Wi-Fi is ON and vice-versa?
Are there any good apps or other tools I can download to extend batt life? Alternately, are there any apps I need to UNinstall or keep away from that will seriously shorten batt life?
3. Let's talk apps!
First of all, the Weather Channel widget that I set on my screen from the pre-installed app seems to not be updating at all. It is stuck on the same temp and weather reading as when I set the widget. When I open the app, it shows the same stalled reading, but then when I swipe to the second screen on the open app, it shows the updated (within an hour or so) weather just fine. How exactly do I get that to show up on my widget?
Second, which is the best free streaming live radio app? I had one on my Lumia that was pretty sweet (can't recall the name) but it did not show all the major local stations on the Local list, nor could I find the missing ones by search. I am not really into setting up my own playlist of songs, that is what an mp3 player is for. I want live, streaming radio that is the same you would hear in the car, as long as they are more clear and sound better. A widget would be pretty cool too.
I need a good document/ebook reader, not the Kindle pre-installed one! I want to be able to side-load, or just drop my own, stored collection of ebooks from my PC to my phone, and be able to open and read much like you do on an e-reader tablet. I use .epub for the most part, but a few are .mobi or .pdf I also have several digital magazines and DIY books full of pictures I would love to read, but maybe have to wait for a good tablet to do that on.
I am not a huge fan of games on a touchscreen like all the popular ones. Are there any games that aren't too hard that can be played using the slide-out keyboard? I am a HUGE fan of RPG games and easy fantasy games like the first Diablo, and I LOVE the simpleness of the old SNES 2-D games, like the first Zelda, the old racing game that had the monster trucks and is responsible for me having the song 'Born to Be Wild' stuck in my head for a good year. I also LOVE the old map-style Sim City (like 2000), and the simple little first-person exploring mystery games like Myst and other such games. If anyone can point me towards some of these to play on my Droid 4 (especially FREE!) I will love you 4ever!!! AND, are there any threads on how to do a simple set-up install in order to play ROMs or apps of the 8-bit vintage games?
Any good apps for editing the mp3s already on my phone into a ringtone file? I currently use just the Myxer website and then send the ringtone to my phone, but just curious if there was anything else.
Good apps for keeping a calorie count? I know I used to be a member of some site where it showed you the calorie count for a whole ton of foods, and helped you keep count by just having you enter the food you ate. This would be awesome!
Is there an easy way to get my good friends pics to show up on the pre-installed Facebook widget? Actually not positive if it's a FB one, but it came already on my phone's desktop, and showed 3-4 little 'sticky note' style boxes in a row that were supposed to have your FB friend's profile pics on it so you could just click on one to see their latest news...
3. Can anyone tell me the exact pixel size of the Droid 4 and the MAXX HD screens? As well as the best video format, playback resolution, bit rate, frame rate, etc.? I use Any Video Converter, which is an amazing freeware to convert vid files into the right format and size for my phone or player. I recently tried to convert a few videos I had that weren't HD but also weren't horrendous, into the pixel size for my Droid 4, as .mp4 files in a high quality, 1000 bit rate and 25 frame rate, and when I tried to play one on my phone, it looked all blurred and was ghosting (or trailing) too much to tolerate. Any suggestions on just the right video conversion settings to use? (I also just DL'd the 1080p and 720p versions of these shows, so they should be more clear and better to convert without too much loss of quality.)
4. Any decent .mp3 player type apps, or at least how to use the ones that are pre-installed to make myself a few playlists? Is there one that has a widget that will show you the album cover art and the playing track?
5. Accessories: What is the BEST stylus to use on a Droid phone for precision and sensitivity? Like, if I wanted to use it to draw or sketch on my screen, which would be the best one to get?
While on the topic, what is the best charger, and if there is a wireless one, which is the best? I heard mention of one that is a wireless pad you can basically just set the phone on top of to get it to charge, and you can pick it up and use it without worry.
Which is the best and most stylish, but also protective, case I can get? Both snap-on and the holster type or the type you can pull it out of with a flap or zipper closure? Do I need a good screen protector for this or are they not really a must if I keep good care of my phone?
Okay, I am off to bed. I will edit this topic if I think of more, but thanks to you all for the tips and support!