Totally Doodgical

I just came across AutoCompleteMe.com and laughed.  I can’t believe the results.  Go view our declining intelligence and you tell me:  Is this an indicator of our decline?

–Ben

Source:  Consumerist.com, AutoCompleteMe.com

Just a quick note to those in the Google analytics world that I’ve helped get on the road – an average time on site of 00:00:00 means a bounce.  Google Analytics requires a second pageview on your website to calculate time spent on your website.  If there’s no second pageview, there’s no “time” spent on your site, even if they spent an hour looking at that one page?

So if your website is like mine, that has a good sprinkling of one 0ff content – like my various fixes under Helpdesk – you’re going to get dinged big for average time spent on site.

A bonus is that I hear that the 00:00:00 is only calculated for the average time on site and not on average time on a page.

–Ben

Good Reference:  Scott McAndrew

I just ran past a strange error in Microsoft Word 2007 on windows.  A colleague and I tried to insert page numbers at the bottom of the document and got some strange text.

We were opening a microsoft word .doc file (word 97-2003) with microsoft word 2007 in compatability mode.  The solution appears to me that you need to get out of compatability mode.

Here’s the fix:

1. Revert back to before you put in the page numbers (IE don’t save it – just close the file and re-open or hit undo)
2. Save the file as a .docx file (word 2007 document)
3. Close Word
4. Open the .docx file
5. Add Page Numbers and continue editing
6. If you need to go back to the .doc format, save the file as a .doc file (word 97-2003) format after you’ve made your changes.

Hope that helps you.

–Ben

(no sources, just trial and error here)

So, I just had a stupid problem today.  I thought there was only one calendar application for Droid.  Acutally, the calendar application is for google calendar.  The corporate calendar syncs with Exchange.

Luckily, if you want your exchange calendar to sync with google calendar and your calendar application, there is a way.  A way by google.  Download and install Google Calendar Sync.  It will allow one-way or two-way sync to your google calendar.  Could be very nifty.

Otherwise, you can stick with the corporate calendar app native to Droid.

–Ben

Resources:

Google Blog on Calendar Sync

Cell Phone Forums on Sync

Big problem for the Droid.  And I just got bit by it.  And there doesn’t appear to be a solution.

It appears that the Droid will just forget your corporate email settings (luckily, GMail remains OK).  So I was happily enjoying the weekend, and I thought it odd that I didn’t get any corporate emails – but didn’t give it much thought.  And then I climbed aboard the train for work Monday morning and *POOF*, all of my email settings were gone.  It was asking me to set up my IMAP account again.   Aaargh.  How did I do that?  How did I miss that?

It turns out its a major bug.  And people are in arms.  If I were to hazard a guess, the more emails accounts you sync, the worse off you are.

Check out some forums and you can see what I mean.

https://supportforums.motorola.com/thread/18016?start=15&tstart=0

https://supportforums.motorola.com/thread/22410

http://discuss.gdgt.com/motorola/droid/support/Email-accounts-disappearing/

http://www.droidforums.net/forum/tech-issues-bug-reports-suggestions/7356-losing-email-accounts-3.html

http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Google+Mobile/thread?tid=2858b6d72e2652bf&hl=en

Personally, if I were absolutely tied to my corporate email, I would have a different phone.  Its totally unacceptable.

Luckily for me, I sync one account and I know the settings.  Re-inputting the information is an annoyance, but not a deal killer – Yet.

Let me know if you have any luck fixing it.  Or if its broke for you.

–Ben

I was asking my buddy if he liked his Droid dock, as I’m starting to use mine for my alarm clock.  His comments weren’t exactly praising.   Here’s his bullet summary:

• Lighting is too bright in a dark room, even when dimmed
• You have to push the Droid on and then pull it off, its not just a “drop on” experience
• Pretty lame as a multi-media experience – you use the Droid speaker and there’s no audio out jack (other than the Droid itself)
• Can use the phone by sliding up the screen and exposing the keyboard.
• He was luke-warm as to recommending it to friends to buy

I just found this Youtube video which seems to echo my friend’s experience.  Thanks to AndriodCentral.com.

You can find the dock at Amazon.com.  It also appears that Amazon.com has a car mount for those turn by turn directions. (Just links, no referer id for me, etc)

–Ben

I wanted to make a custom alarm for my Droid, as I now use it as my alarm clock.  Unfortunately, its not as obvious as it would look.  Here’s what I did:

• Make a folder in the root called “alarms” (either by tethering your Droid to the computer or using Astro)
• Use RingDroid to cut up one of my audio files and put it as an alarm (or you can just place the audio file in the alarm folder)
• Now it is selectable on the alarm list

Hope this helps you as well.

–Ben

iSuppli came out for a bill of materials for the Droid and it has more expensive stuff in it than the other phones.  At least that can help us get over the touchscreen issue.

Here’s the comparison of costs:

• Droid – $187.75
• Nexus One – $174.15
• iPhone 3GS – $178.96
• Palm Pre – $138 – see engadget

As to the breakdown of costs: here’s a summary of what iSuppli says:

• microSD – 16GB – $35
• Display – $17.75
• Touchscreen Overlay – $17.50
• Camera – $14.25
• Transceiver – $14.04
• Processor – $12.90
• 4 Gb Flash and 2Gb DDR Memory – $9.20
• Bluetooth/WLAN/FM Transceiver – $6.50
• 1Gbit NAND and 512Mbit Memory – $4.90
• Battery – $4.25
• Other – $42.82
• Manufacturing – $8.64

For a whopping total estimate of $187.75

–Ben

Sources: iSuppli, Engadget

Looks like the folks at MOTO Development Group came up with an interesting test on touchscreens.  Unfortunately, it appears that Droid runs last of the pack when compared with Eris, iPhone and Nexus One. You can tell the ability of the touch controller to track a finger by the smooth lines.  MOTO’s article even has the end result pictures that tell all.  See the video below for their review:

DIY Touchscreen Analysis from MOTO Development Group on Vimeo.

Personally, I’ve been mad at the Droid on missing my input while trying to navigate some classified ads on ksl.com and craigslist.org.  I always attributed it to my clumsy fingers.  Now I have a much better excuse.

–Ben

Sources:  MOTO Development Group, Engadget

I don’t understand the quiet – almost the no comment attitude – of Google when talking about multi-touch in the states.  Many android devices support multi-touch – like the Droid – but only the versions off the shores of the US get it.  Rumors abound, but the most convincing rumors to me are that Google wants to keep the peace with Apple (or some other entity) and/or Google is worried about Multi-Touch patents.

Luckily it looks like we’re not totally dependant on google, as Motorola seems to be heading into Multi-touch enabling land for us.  He was quoted in Laptop Magazine as saying, “I think you will see us deliver multitouch in the majority of our devices going forward. There’s a complex set of factors, not all of them technical.”  I hope that’s a vote for the Droid, and I can’t imagine why not.

In the meantime, you can try out the Dophin Browser for multi-touch browsing.  Its not bad and it has pinch zooming.

–Ben

Source: Engadget via interview with Laptop Magazine