Smartphones

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Re: Smartphones
« Reply #45 on: June 04, 2011, 03:11:20 AM »
i use this app a lot. just point the camera at some chinese text and it translates it immediately.  sometimes it gets it a bit wrong but for bus signs, menus and labels its great.



Pleco Dict with OCR is coming on Android.  Might be time to update my ancient Windows Mobile HTC whatchamacallit.
regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value.

Re: Smartphones
« Reply #46 on: June 04, 2011, 06:58:46 PM »
Caveat lector: I only started learning about this stuff recently myself. 

Nonetheless:

Rooting an Android phone is a process by which you, the user, gains root access to the phone's operating system.  You, the user, can now alter potentially any file or directory on your phone.  It's a bit like on Windows when you first try to look into the C:\Windows\System directory: the operating system warns you there are files in there that control the operating system itself.  On an unrooted Android phone you don't even see the operating system directories, much less their contents.  Once the phone is rooted, you see it all.  To actually make use of that access, you do other things, like flash roms or hack kernels or whatever.

As for making sure a phone works in China... you could buy the phone in China.  Otherwise there's the question of frequency, I guess.  Look up your phone on GSMarena and see what frequency it sports.  Then check if it matches what's available in China.  And also something about making sure the phone is not locked to some given network already, but I don't know how to do that.

As for internet on your phone... there are plans and there are plans.


What phones are you looking at?

Hi there, thanks for that informative answer.... very useful.

At the moment I am considering the Nokia E7 (I like the touch screen and the slide out QWERTY keyboard) and HTC Desire.


Re: Smartphones
« Reply #47 on: June 04, 2011, 10:17:00 PM »
Hmmm, those two are some pretty different phones.  ahahahahah But then, everyone has their preferences, I guess. 

Personally, were I buying a new phone right now, I'd probably be looking at a Desire S.  Not through any particular insight into phone technology, just through preference.  My phone preferences lead me to some balance between ergonomics and technology.  I want the highest tech I can get in the most functionally pretty package--and a lot of phones are plain ugly to look at and uncomfortable to hold.  (That's actually what made the difference back when I was choosing between a Desire and a Samsung Galaxy S--the Galaxy was better tech but plasticky and big.)

One thing about touchscreens is, yeah, the software keyboards are kinda crap.  I really don't like the software qwertys.  And even now, using a plain old T9 software keypad keyboard, it's hard to use the phone in, say, a moving car or a bus.  Standing still it's fine though.  But I still do kinda miss the ease of knowing with your fingers what you were typing.  These days I have to look.

And the Desire S isn't rootable, and isn't likely to be either.  HTC have announced that in the future they won't be locking their bootloaders, but I assume that means future phones, not the current crop that caused the complaints campaign against locking.


Pleco is in beta for Android now too.

http://www.pleco.com/androidbeta.html

I shall be trying it out later today.
when ur a roamin', do as the settled do o_0

Re: Smartphones
« Reply #48 on: June 06, 2011, 11:59:36 PM »
Yesteray we went to 2 different geek shops electronics store. I had to rapidly purchase a new phone. I didn't like the prices, HTC A9191 was listed at 5300RMB with about 3-400 negotiation room.

Today with a help from a techy-savvy friend we bought one for 3950 that included an extra battery (non-factory) and a case. She then handed me a 32mg (I think) memory card as a b'day gift. I know its last year's model, but as she said, the extra expense for an up to date machine won't be off-set with my needs. I'm a press and play guy. All the apps will never be used


I downloaded the ENGLISH manual so now I can use it. I'm a happy camper
For you to insult me, first I must value your opinion

Re: Smartphones
« Reply #49 on: June 20, 2011, 11:05:45 PM »
Well, my poor Anycall phone fought gravity and lost and my gf had her phone stolen..so now this squirrel is plotting to get two phones..I know nothing about phones...So far a good one seems to be a Samsung Galaxy S II...anyone have any comments for that phone?
"Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination." Oscar Wilde.

"It's all oojah cum spiffy". Bertie Wooster.
"The stars are God's daisy chain" Madeleine Bassett.

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Stil

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Re: Smartphones
« Reply #50 on: June 20, 2011, 11:25:09 PM »
They are good phones and can do a lot. These phones are really computers/cameras that have phone functions.

However, if you don't need/want all that and just want something to make phone calls and text messages .... spend less.

If your phones tend to be gravity prone and thieves follow your gf everywhere .... spend less.

Re: Smartphones
« Reply #51 on: June 21, 2011, 12:32:23 AM »
It's a two-year old phone, but if I were buying a feature phone, I'd probably be looking at a Nokia 6700

For smartphones, either a Desire S or, if I wanted to go balls out tech-happy, then, yes indeed, a Samsung Galaxy S II

Actually, the most use I've been putting my smartphone to lately is reading ebooks.  Moon+ Reader works very nicely and is surprisingly un-irritating on a 3.7 inch screen.  And I'm waiting for Pleco to develop some.  I've been fiddling with the beta demo, and it's very cool, almost worth shelling out money for even at this stage.
when ur a roamin', do as the settled do o_0

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Stil

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Re: Smartphones
« Reply #52 on: June 21, 2011, 04:10:16 AM »
There is also the iPhone. I use an iPhone 4. Pleco truly is fantastic software and while the Galaxy S II and HTC Desire are great phones, no chance would I trade my iPhone for one.

Re: Smartphones
« Reply #53 on: June 21, 2011, 02:31:11 PM »
Ok, I have looked at prices..ouchouchouch...iphone is too expensive for what I use a phone for. One of the main annoyances my old, slowly dying phone presented was the dictionary. I could write a chinese character on the screen with a little pen-thingy but not fast enough and then it would kind of guess what character I wanted to look up, being always wrong. So does anyone know of a good phone with a dictionary where you can write a character slowly and then press some button to make it look it up. I believe the iphone have this function but as stated, iphone is just a wee too pricey for me.
"Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination." Oscar Wilde.

"It's all oojah cum spiffy". Bertie Wooster.
"The stars are God's daisy chain" Madeleine Bassett.

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Stil

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Re: Smartphones
« Reply #54 on: June 21, 2011, 03:06:50 PM »
The Android phones (Samsung Galaxys, HTC Desire etc) have this function but they are separate apps. Think of a smart phone as a computer. You may have to purchase or steal applications for various functions. There are many dictionaries that will do what you want. Pleco is fantastic and is in beta testing on Android but is a little expensive for all the dictionaries.

For you Eric, I would suggest a year old model (cheaper) that has a decent camera with auto-focus. The reason for the camera is not just for quick pictures but OCR (Optical Character Recognition) that some dictionaries can now use.

Read about Pleco here: http://www.pleco.com/

Pleco Forums: http://www.plecoforums.com/index.php?sid=125f9945e6210eadef1ee1947663dc27

If you like the dictionary then make a phone purchase based on running it (you won't regret it) Otherwise I believe an app called HanPing is pretty good for what you asked, and is free.




Re: Smartphones
« Reply #55 on: June 21, 2011, 06:09:13 PM »
The Android phones (Samsung Galaxys, HTC Desire etc) have this function but they are separate apps. Think of a smart phone as a computer. You may have to purchase or steal applications for various functions. There are many dictionaries that will do what you want. Pleco is fantastic and is in beta testing on Android but is a little expensive for all the dictionaries.

For you Eric, I would suggest a year old model (cheaper) that has a decent camera with auto-focus. The reason for the camera is not just for quick pictures but OCR (Optical Character Recognition) that some dictionaries can now use.

Read about Pleco here: http://www.pleco.com/

Pleco Forums: http://www.plecoforums.com/index.php?sid=125f9945e6210eadef1ee1947663dc27

If you like the dictionary then make a phone purchase based on running it (you won't regret it) Otherwise I believe an app called HanPing is pretty good for what you asked, and is free.





Excellent...but what is the name/number of last years model? I would dearly love an iPhone but the whole moving and such this summer makes no room for that device. Pleco looks nice, but from the links, it would seem that Pleco still have a lot of kinks to iron out before it can be used properly on any other Android thingies.
"Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination." Oscar Wilde.

"It's all oojah cum spiffy". Bertie Wooster.
"The stars are God's daisy chain" Madeleine Bassett.

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Re: Smartphones
« Reply #56 on: June 21, 2011, 06:38:41 PM »
nciku do some Chinese/English dictionary apps for android/i-phone too:

http://tool.nciku.com/

Re: Smartphones
« Reply #57 on: June 21, 2011, 07:50:02 PM »
Probably HTC's Wildfire counts as last year's model (without being crap).  Costs something like 1500 or less.

WARNING: almost all smartphones are annoyingly hard to read while outdoors.  And the Wildfire, while a good budget compromise smartphone, is cheap in part because of a screen tech compromises.  YMMV.
« Last Edit: June 21, 2011, 07:56:49 PM by Calach Pfeffer »
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mlaeux

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Re: Smartphones
« Reply #58 on: June 21, 2011, 10:17:59 PM »
I was thinking about getting one of those oppo touch screen phones.

Any feedback on those babies?

Re: Smartphones
« Reply #59 on: June 21, 2011, 10:59:22 PM »
I know nothing of oppo, but re Chinese phones I was just now recalling...

ZTE's Blade is apparently well received around the world in terms of bang for cheap bucks.
when ur a roamin', do as the settled do o_0