Archive for the ‘Mobile Phones’ Category

How To Get A Screen Grab From An Android Phone

Wednesday, April 20th, 2011
Android Phone Screen Grab of Google Search Results

Screen Grab from an Android Phone

I was writing an article this week for my upcoming Locals Only column at Search Engine Land (“Google Instant Provides A Hint For Local & Mobile Optimization“), and I experienced the mildly flummoxing issue of being unable to take screen grabs from my Android phone (I use an HTC Thunderbolt ‘droid) to use as examples in the article. I followed the instructions found on a few webpages and forums which described how to go about it in a seemingly-straightforward manner, but after following their instructions, I seemed to keep getting an error where the software (called “DDMS”) just kept closing right after launch. It would start opening a window which would just blink closed immediately. Galling.

I discovered what the solution to the problem was, so I thought I’d share it here. I saw a number of people on other forums and sites which described the same exact issue where the Android software would seem to crash on launch, mystifying them. No one seemed to post any solutions.

Getting screencaps from your Android cellphone would seem to be something very easy to accomplish, but it’s an ellusive function. There are Android apps which provide this functionality, but they require you to have root admin access on your phone. Rooting your phone shouldn’t be necessary, just to get a screengrab! While I’m confident I could do this without breaking my phone’s core functionality, it apparently negates warranty and goes against the phone’s terms and conditions.

The solution most sites list requires that you load the Android developer toolkit, or “SDK”, which is used by those who want to program apps for Droid phones. As part of the development kit, there are a couple of ways to obtain screengrabs (App pages in the Marketplace often show a few representative screen grabs of the app interfaces, so developers would naturally need to be able to obtain the screen caps without having to photograph their phones separately.) (more…)

AT&T Opens Mobile App Incubator In Texas

Tuesday, February 8th, 2011

AT&T Mobile Phone App DevelopmentThe Dallas News reports that AT&T has officially opened a new center in Plano, Texas, to help mobile app developers create and launch their work.

“The AT&T Foundry in Plano is a slick, high-tech workspace designed to connect developers with experts already employed at the telecommunications giant.”

Plano is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

If you’re unaware, AT&T’s yellow pages division moved a couple of years back from San Antonio to Dallas, and their global headquarters is located here as well. They also have interactive offices in California which work on some of their social media initiatives along with the YP.com site.

I’m supposing that this is to put AT&T in an advantageous position for (more…)

The iPhone Comes To Verizon Finally!

Tuesday, January 11th, 2011

The Verizon iPhoneSo, my prediction that the iPhone was coming to Verizon has finally panned out as the official Verizon Wireless iPhone page is now live! The CDMA iPhone was confirmed at a press conference hosted by Verizon at the Lincoln Center in New York today.

The planned arrival comes just a hair late for me. As my earlier prediction stated, I intended to get the Verizon Android if the iPhone wasn’t coming soon enough, and for various reasons, mainly involving timing, I went ahead and got an Android.

I’m actually still very pleased with my Droid X by Motorola, and I’ve been studying how applications leverage its various transitions and the overall user-interface style. The Android has one significant advantage over the iPhone in my mind, because of the Google operating system. While I am somewhat platform-agnostic, being fairly comfortable with Microsoft, Apple, UNIX, etc — I primarily use a Microsoft PC because I still feel the need to experience the internet on the same system/browser combos used by the majority of people out there. (I’m not at all saying that Microsoft is better than Apple!) (more…)

Will Verizon Get The iPhone? A Former Insider’s Prediction

Tuesday, May 11th, 2010

So, I’ve been watching the rumors wax and wane over whether Verizon and Apple will ultimately come to a deal allowing Verizon to offer the iPhone to its wireless customers. Today is a great example of how the rumor mill is gnashing back and forth on the question. Engadget just dug up news stories and legal filings which appear to prove that Apple’s original deal with AT&T is exclusive. Greg Sterling cogently rehashes this, wondering if that deal is still valid or not — and sums up stating that if it is, Apple is screwed. However, CrunchGear is reporting on how one of Verizon’s branding/ad agencies (Landor Associates) is working upon an ad campaign for a Verizon iPhone. So, how can anyone hash the truth out of the massive rumor machinery that’s making bucks off of all of us poor schmucks who keep clicking in droves to read the next unsubstantiated claims of a VeriPhone?!?

Marissa Mayer, Google's VP of Search Product & User Experience, demos her iPhone at SES Conference.

Marissa Mayer, Google's VP of Search Product & User Experience, demos her iPhone at SES Conference.

The whole question being bandied back and forth is much more important to me than the usual tech industry story-du-jour. (more…)