Reviewing the Acer Iconia A200 10.1 Tablet!

Acer Iconia A200!

I found the tablet for me, it is Acer Iconia A200 10.1-Inch Tablet [Affiliate Link]and I must say I am loving this little tablet.   It is far better than some of the others that you might of wanted.   Here are the specs for the tablet:

Screen Size	2.5 inches
Max Screen Resolution	1280 x 800 pixels
Processor	1 GHz Tegra 2.0
RAM	1 GB DDR2
Hard Drive	8 GB
Graphics Coprocessor	NVIDIA GeForce GPU
Chipset Brand	NVIDIA
Wireless Type	802.11bgn
Number of USB 2.0 Ports	2
Average Battery Life (in hours)	8 hours

Other Technical Details

Brand Name	Acer
Series	Iconia
Item model number	A200-10g08u
Hardware Platform	PC
Operating System	Android Honeycomb 3.2
Item Weight:	1.5 pounds
Item Dimensions L x W x H	10.20 x 6.90 x 0.48 inches
Color	Titanium Gray
Processor Brand	NVIDIA
Processor Count	1
Computer Memory Type	DDR2 SDRAM
Flash Memory Size	8
Hard Drive Interface	Serial ATA

So let’s talk about this little tablet!

It has a very vivid display and lasted approximately 6 hours with me with moderate screen brightness.   I can watch Google shows or Movies thanks to their Google Play Video App.   I also like that I can download movies and shows to the tablet without having to Sync with a Desktop or tablet.   Here are the Pro’s to the tablet that I can think of:

• Comes with Android 3.2.1 but can be upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0.3) with an over the Air update Approximately 260 meg download.
• The Weight of the Tablet is about the same weight as an IPAD or a 7 inch tablet.  
• Watch Netflix or Hulu with no problems
• USB Ports: Can plug in a usb keyboard, Mouse or a barcode scanner [Affiliate Link] and use it the way you want not the way they want you to use it. (I’ve tried all three USB devices and not had any problems)
• Reading kindle books or web browsing.
• Emailing people using a Keyboard.
• Can even watch Amazon Shows and Movies using the Web browser with no major issues.   

As you can see this tablet is versatile and can be used for business or pleasure depending on what you need it to be used for and how you intend to use it.   I find the speed of the processor adequate for the size of the tablet and haven’t had any major issues with Ice Scream sandwich and Acer!   I bought this tablet because I have used an Acer Laptop and I have found all Acer products to be durable and stands up to time.

The Cons:

• Google Video Play Store — They are getting shows and movies that I would buy from them but I would love to have BBC and some other Science Fiction shows to be available there.  They do However Have the Warehouse 13 Series and Mythbusters Series that I like so much but I am hoping I can switch entirely to Google in a few months.  
• The Screen size is smaller than the Ipad but it isn’t a big deal if you just want to use it for reading or viewing videos.   I found the video playback to be really nice and neat.
• Default web browser needs to be removed.   I installed  the Dophin Browser because it was much more smoother and faster to run.   
• No Jelly Bean update — Acer confirms that they will not havew the Jelly Bean on this tablet.  I however will be looking around for a way to do it myself.

I really am not happy they will not have Jelly Bean on this version of the tablet but I am sure someone will make a mod for me to do just that because I believe that it is capable of doing so.   I do think this was a great buy and I as such encourage people to go check out other Acer Tablets or for that matter this one all together.

Paul Sylvester

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The Story of my failing battery and why it happens!

It's been a while!

Having had my HTC Inspire for over a few months, it was a brand new inspire.   It was actually a used one from my sister. So I got what I wanted to get an actually android working on the Straight Talk Network and all life is good!  Until recently, I've started to notice a few things with my phone that I wanted to share with everyone else in case you've had the same problem I had!  If you've not had this problem before you might have it later on! 

Phone just Shuts off while unplugged!

As you know this might not be the only time it shuts off but it will be a good indication that something is wrong with the battery!  There is a great explanation on how batteries work over at HowStuffWorks, I won't go into detail about this but I will explain some of what is happening.   The rest after all should fall in place when you read the article!  Over the past 2 months or so, I've had the phone just randomly shut down but it didn't start doing it like it did yesterday and today.  

Why Does it Shut down!

Basically the cell phone thinks it has more power than what the battery pack is telling it.  You see batteries that are stored in this fashion or even used can only be charged and discharged to a certain extent and thus once you hit that no power threshold in that cell batter then it can't be charged due to fact that you might just blow up the cell.   While on the subject, what is a battery cell?  A battery cell is typically more than one battery but can also be one battery.   It is used in either parallel or sequential series, you can find out more about that by reading that article also.   This is all fascinating but what does this have to do with the battery?  You're probably asking yourself this question.

Each battery cell has a circuit where you once it hits the charge limit it just shuts the that cell down and you can no longer access it or use it.   So when your cell phone thinks it has a full and you loose power quickly then that is basically the reason.   The battery knows how much it can send to your phone but your phone is only learning this over time.   It is definetly a process that just is crazy.  

How does this help me?

It basically is a good indication that your battery is get old in age and needs to be replaced.  If it happens to you at least once a few weeks it is probably a good idea to replace the battery.   Now I must comment, sometimes it isn't the battery but the software.  I thought so, and I put my old Froyo OEM version of Android back on my phone and it still did it.  So if you don't want to have to send off for that battery and pay extra to over night it, it is probably a good idea to have one who two batteries ready once you start seeing symptoms like this.   I sure learned my lesson for next time this happens.

Paul Sylvester

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Why Security is necessary on an Android device!

Security Is Everything!

Although, I'm don't consider myself a security expert.   I have been reading blog posts about what people do and it just makes my skin crawl.  Most of  the time, anybody has an opinion on Android Devices [Affiliate Link] and I'm sure I'm not the only who has an opinion but I am sure it isn't going to necessarily be in line with others who use an Android device!

Security in your backyard!

I'm going to tell you that Androids aren't immune, far from it.  I know better than most that if we start to use the mentality like Apple Did then we are doomed from the very beginning! So why all the fuss? You might be asking.   I've heard about a few app's that makes me a little worried and a little concerned.  I'm here to talk about them and give you enough information so you can decide for yourself.

Opera Mini -- Not for me.   This little app isn't bad but it does remind me a lot like Silk browser for the Kindle Fire.  Although the Kindle Fire browser will allow me to disable the feature.   You will be sending all your information whether it is encrypted or not to Norway.  They are basically doing a man in the middle ssl encryption and thus your information is going to be able to be viewed in Norway.

Opera Mini isn't for me but I am not going to say that it is all bad.   You have to consider what you are going to use your browser for.   If you intent to do banking with your Android device than you are risking a lot.  I'm sure Opera Mini has some great intentions but it still bothers me that my information isn't secured.

Android Pit -- I've looked into this one and it is another one that has good intentions but you have to install from Unknown Sources and then the problem with possible malware.   Although it isn't really likely, it does make me worry more about malware.  If I allow this one, then I'm becoming more like a Windows User and thus I don't want to risk having my Android Phone taken over.

Security is my #1

When I am looking to install a Rom or install something that is rooted, I am always cautious about those types of thing but I am not going to do anything to overly extreme.  I've even started my own Computer Repair Business in hopes to earn a little extra money the next few weeks and help feed my family in Evansville, Indiana!  If you know anyone who wants their computer fixed that live in Evansville, Indiana let them know about my services.   If I find a problem that can't be found, I will post it on my Computer Repair blog in the same process! 

Paul Sylvester

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How I plan to get ready for the CyanogenMod CM10 (Android 4.1 Jelly Bean version)

What is Jelly Bean?

Jelly Bean is the next major update to Android O/S(Operating System) and is due out some time July 2012, and that is just rumor and speculation but it seems to be spot on.   If you haven't played with Ice Cream Sandwich, it is about time to consider going out and buying a new phone.  Check to see if you can upgrade you plan [Affiliate Link] to the newest Operating System, Ice Cream Sandwich!  If it can you should consider doing that in the next few weeks!

Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)

With the recent activities about Jelly Bean, I came across a post about CyanogenMod going to start working on the newest release Android 4.1.   I have been thinking to myself, it would be nice to have it on my HTC Inspire that I just got done putting Android 4.0 otherwise know as Ice Cream Sandwich.   I must admit, this is quite fascinating when it comes to how I would need to do this.   Although if your running ICS then you shouldn't have any major problems installing Jelly Bean!   That is at least what I've heard.  

Backing Up!

Don't let it be said, that I never have told you to back up your stuff.  I've already talk about some of the Cloud service backups but that is different from just backing up your device.  Now here are a few good App's that you should always install to back up your important data off your device.

• App Backup & Restore -- Huge time saver for me.  If you have several apps that you must have at all times, this will back them up onto your SD card or Micro SD card for you to restore later.  I can't say much more than this.   It won't back up your contacts but I've got somethin for that also!
• SMS Backup & Restore -- Another Great little app for when you want to backup your text messages.  This is one of those that I keep on my phone.   You never know when you need that text message.
• Backup Contacts -- Great little App that lets you backup you contacts and upload it to Gdrive.  The only thing is that you have to have Gdrive installed to upload it to your Google Drive in the Cloud!  You can't do an automatic backing up of contacts but that isn't really a need for me.  I don't build contacts every day but I do it once a month or once a week depending on the need of backing up my contacts!
• Titanium Backup -- This little app does all that and more but the only caveat is that you have to buy it for $6.58 to have to be able to have cloud support, and you need to have Root Access so this can be a downfall to some of you.  That is why I gave you some other options that are free to use to backup all you important programs!

With These apps, I can get my HTC Inspire ready to upgrade to Jelly Bean version that is coming in the next few weeks from what CyanogenMod is predicting.  Although there isn't an exact date just yet.  When I find out I'll post it as soon as I can.  This is will be a major update to my system.  I've heard from others that the Jelly Bean O/S is really responsive and I hope the mod will be also be as responsive.  Are you ready for Jelly Bean? or do you need to upgrade you Phone first? [Affiliate Link]

Paul Sylvester

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How to install ICE Cream Sandwich on a Android Straight Talk Phone!

It wasn't extremely difficult!

I am not saying you have to be an expert on Android, but it does help!  I didn't have to do some things that would actually make it easier for me to install Android 2.3.7 but the hard part was first you will definately need to root and possibly unlock your cell phone!  I did have a few hiccups when it came to installing this new Android operating system.  In this little tutorial I will be discussing how to do that!  In case some of you were curious, I am using the HTC Inspire that I unlocked and rooted a few weeks ago!

After Unlocking and Rooting the Device!

You have several options available to you.  You could just leave it that way and use it with any carrier you may want to use or you could add Ice Cream Sandwich to your newly unlocked and rooted phone.  I will say that doing this may void your warranty of the phone in question, so it is best to only do this with phones that have no warranty that way if you brick your phone then having to worry about paying for it out of pocket if it is under warranty!  So I leave that up to you and I will make sure to tell you, I am not responsible for anything that happens to your phone.  You do this at your own risk.

Download the ROM Manager!

This is how I did to install the Android Ice Cream Operating System, but others may have their own way.  Some of the more user friendly ROM managers are:

• ROM Manager by Clockworkmod -- I used this one to make to upgrade my phone to ICE Sandwich, I used my HTC Inspire which now my phone tells me it is a HTC Desire.  Guess they used the same hardware just changed the  name!  On a Side note, if you need to boot into recovery Mode, just press POWER+Volume down.  (You should clear cache, data, and something else but can't remember on my HTC Inspire!)  
• Droid 2 Recovery Bootstrap by Clockworkmod -- Haven't used this but it is again by the same company so it must be decent enough!
• ROM Toolbox Lite by JRummy16 -- Another one that I haven't tried but looks promising!

These are just three that I've found but you must know that their are probably a dozen more ones out there that you may want to try.  These are just recommendations on which ones that I have used or might try later on!

Last step!

The last step is to find your mod that you are wanting to install and install it.  I used the Cynagenmod for my chance to have the Ice Cream Sandwich update, but it is totally up to you what mod you may want to install.  You just have to remember to backup your data that you think is the most important and remember that you have to pick carefully what you want to install and hope that it won't brick your phone.  Which may be a possiblity, although unlikely.  

Paul Sylvester