Month: January 2010

Nexus One ADB on Ubuntu 9.10/Arch Linux

So I just spent the last hour trying to get the Nexus One and ADB to play nicely together on my machine. Finally it is working and here is how…

/etc/udev/rules.d/90-android.rules

SUBSYSTEM=="usb|usb_device", SYSFS{idVendor}=="18d1", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
SUBSYSTEM=="usb|usb_device", ATTR{idVendor}=="18d1", ATTR{idProduct}=="4e12", SYMLINK+="android_adb"
SUBSYSTEM=="usb|usb_device", ATTR{idVendor}=="0bb4", ATTR{idProduct}=="0fff", SYMLINK+="android_fastboot"

sudo restart udev

This should allow any user in the plugdev group to use adb without sudo.

Nexus One

My Nexus One arrived yesterday. I haven’t been this excited about a device in a long time and Christmas was good. I’m guessing I was one of the first couple hundred people to place an order and so far, I really like it. I don’t really feel like typing an actual review, so bullets it is…

Pros

  • This is the first smartphone I’ve had and that is exciting on its own.
  • The thing is fast. The Snapdragon inside really shows. I haven’t felt like I was waiting for the phone to catch up to me.
  • Android and open source. I like open source. And I know a bit of java. Maybe I’ll develop an app if I find a need/use.
  • Navigation. It works and pretty well at that. Even over iWireless less than impressive data connection it was able to reroute and pull down the satellite imagery.
  • Gmail app. Works like gmail (go figure). I really like gmail and since I use it for all my email, an Android device is perfect.
  • Google Voice. If you have it, Android will use it seemlessly. And seemless is good.
  • Widgets. Bits of information that are always available. And live.

Cons

  • The android market is not the most intuitive of beasts
  • The touch screen is occasionally a bit wonky. Not sure if this is me touching things I don’t intend to or what.
  • No multitouch if official apps. I don’t get it. Why won’t Google build in multitouch? Other apps can have multitouch? This may be the cause of some of the aforementioned wonkyness.
  • iWireless’ edge connection is SLOW. Painfully so. But it can somehow support Pandora which is nice.