Living with an Android

It doesn’t make sense to me that I cannot transfer data via ibook and G1. With the Andoid Market and the internet, I couldn’t find anything.

Thinking sideways and wifi running, I downloaded ConnectBot, an SSH connection app. I opened up the remote login on the iBook. I then connected to the IP address of my iBook and BAM I was in. I could search my ibook as if I was running a terminal.

Unfortunately, there is no way to transfer data.

Option 2, is ftp. I downloaded DroidFtp, opened ftp access in the services on the iBook. Punched in the IP address once again and BAM I was in again! This time, file transfer is what the FT in FTP means and files are transfered from my iBook to my G1.

There is a slight bug, in that although the data is there, I have to remount the SDcard for some apps to see the transfered files. There is a file manager Bender, which sees and runs the transfered files. Small problems and solutions I can live with.

Before I purchased the G1, I was aware that it didn’t have stereo bluetooth, so my nice Chrimbo prezzie of this year was going to be packed away, until I had a device with stereo bluetooth.

I tried a different headset and bang, it all worked. Excellent.

I tried to sync up my G1 with my old SE W880 via bluetooth. I thought I’d take some old numbers and photos. Nothing exciting.

Well, both were discoverable and they found each other, so I decided to push over a couple of old photos. Nothing happened. I tried syncing up with my ibook, still nothing.

Using a quick Google search (Google is my friend and yet my enemy), it turns out, that there isn’t any bluetooth connectivity other than headsets.

This leaves a small dilemma of how I would make data transfers without USB.

Well the G1 has benn charging for a couple of hours, but curiosity has got the better of me and I have set the phone up.

First thing the phone asks is for your google account details. If you don’t have one, it’ll set it up.

Next, setup wifi. Even though the T-Mobile bundle has unlimited internet, it’s useless when there isn’t a signal and in the middle of the house, there is very little signal. At best there is a one direction voice radio wave going through the house.

As the wifi is open here (address not disclosed and hopefully my ISP won’t close me down for that) tapping in was pretty straight forward. Switch on wifi, find wifi connect to wifi.

Now that my phone is linked to my gmail account, my security head kicked in and was thinking how easy it would be to either lose or have the phone get stolen, so I looked at the security settings.

Locking the screen is easy. With a series of 9 dots in a square, you draw a unique pattern, which will unlock the screen.

The SIM lock is also easy, if you know what the default SIM PIN is. Going through all the manuals, I couldn’t find it. I decided not to try again in the fear of locking the phone out after 2 hours of ownership. Instead I would ask when transfering my old phone number.

Today I took the plunge and got myself a T-Mobile G1.

I’d been thinking about it ever since the news that the G1 was released in the USA. Once they came over to the UK, I was tempted and even went into a shop to ask about contracts and all.

Alas as always, I dithered, but unlike usual, not even planned, I went into the shop and put the cash on the table.

I was hoping for a black version, but I reckon from this weeks Gadget Show on five, sales had gone up, as they said it was better than the Apple iPhone and I was left with one of the last white ones in the shop. It’s not so bad, it goes with my ibook and I’m sure after a few weeks, it’ll be just as grubby, with soot marks and ketchup stains.