G1 News

Anyone that bought an unblocked G1 phone is no longer able to download apps from the app store, since  Google changed the set up last week. Any user with an unblocked G1  phone can’t access copy prohibited applications, including those that cost to download.

Google made the changes in an attempt to close a loophole that reportedly allows users to unlock the phone and download apps for free. Google allows returns within 24 hours of downloading. The Android market allows anyone to return an application within 24 hours; in contrast to the iPhone app store which has none of the freedoms of the Android system.

So how it works is this – protected applications are automatically downloaded into a private Android folder. Most phone users can’t access the files but users of the developer phone can. In that way a specific developer phone user could buy an application, copy it from a private folder, return the application for a refund and then re-download the application to the phone. The developer version of the G1 was designed to give developers “flexibility” by letting them have full permission to use the software.

But I know that if I’d paid $400 for a phone and then found out that I couldn’t access any of the applications, I’d be mightily pissed off. If it was applications (that I’d designed myself) and I couldn’t get access to on my phone; I’d be even more pissed off.

One developer is proposing a “developer revolt” and encouraging all developers to pull their applications from the store.

“It would be the only way to show Google that this is not acceptable, and that devs are not second (third?) class citizens on the Market”.

“I am beyond angry that I can not even see my own paid app on the market with my 400 dollar dev phone!”

Looks like Google have got some making up to do.

Bored of waiting ages for the new firmware updates for your T-Mobile G1? Download and go get them yourself! It’s not easy, but you’ll be able to get it done if you pay attention to this guide from modmyGphone!

The firmware version can be checked out at Settings > About Phone > Build Number

Just to be on the safe side like all types of update, ensure the battery is fully charged, or at least above 75%.

1. Rename the archive to “update.”

2. Copy the file to the SD Card.

Note : Connect the phone to desktop and then transfer the file. Don’t use a card reader, nor should you remove the card from the G1.

3. Turn off the phone. Press and hold HOME and POWER button. The phone will start in recovery mode. You should see an exclaimation sign when it starts.

4. Press Alt + L, it will take you to the boot menu.

5. Press Alt + S, to start the update process. It will take a while so be patient.

6. When the update completes, it will prompt you to press HOME + BACK to reboot.

7. After you reboot, the update will complete and then automatically reboot.

Thats it! Be sure that you have the right firmware for your handset beforehand, so don’t come crying to us if you fluff it up!

Source: modmyGphone

Whilst the US has been enjoying their RC33 update on their T-Mobile G1s, the UK has been left paid app Marketplace-less…but not for much longer!

The German RC9 update has apparently been rolling out over the air, whilst the UK version is in testing according to modmyGphone.

Apologies, as I am forever changing my firmware myself (and risking ruin!), I was unaware that the rest of the UK was not enjoying the benefits of the new update.

Feeling brave and want to do manual updates? Check out this handy guide!

It was my birthday last Friday, and I was lucky enough to get a G1 from my auntie, awesome! I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I already had one…

Anyway, here are some tips straight from Laptop Mag to enjoy your G1 straight out of the box! Plus, I’ve had mine for ages and didn’t have any idea of a few of these!

1. Voice Dialling
The T-Mobile G1 supports voice dialing, and you can easily call a friend by stating their name if you press and hold the Send key on the G1. Bonus Tip: If you want to conference call that stuff while you’re on the phone, press the Send key while in a call.

2. Use an MP3 as a Ringtone
Open Music > Songs > and hold your finger on your song of choice. Next, select “Use as phone ringtone.” Notorious B.I.G.’s Juicy, your only option.

3. Access the Applications Menu from Anywhere
If you’re surfing the Web and want to quickly bring up your music player to switch songs, you can quickly do this by holding down the Home button on the G1. This will quickly bring up your Applications menu. If you want to go directly to the desktop, just press the Home button once.

4. Turn on Wi-Fi
Phones don’t just automatically have Wi-Fi capabilities turned on. To do this, press the Menu key while you’re on the home screen.

Next, click Settings > Wireless Controls and select Wi-Fi
Open Wi-Fi settings to force the G1 to search for available networks.

5. Put your phone in stealth mode, instantly!
You just walked into a movie theater a few minutes late, and you want to quickly put the phone in silent mode without browsing through menus to do so. Avoid this by toggling silent mode without opening the G1. Simply press and hold the End key to put the phone in silent mode.

6. Add songs to a playlist
When you’re the DJ on a long road trip, the tunes are very important. Make the song selection smoother by creating a playlist in advance. Open up Music > Songs, and then touch and hold any song that you want to add to a playlist. A menu will pop up, and you’ll want to select Add to playlist.

7. Install a microSD card
You can install a microSD card for adding more storage or using your phone as a portable hard drive (see tip 9), and here’s how. First open the keyboard. Next, look for a small memory card cover below the Send key on the G1. Take your microSD card and slide it forward with the gold teeth facing down.

8. Typing Shortcuts!
Insert special character: Press ALT + Spacebar
Delete entire line of text: Press ALT + Delete
Turn on all caps: Press Shift Twice
Move cursor to end or beginning of text: Press Alt while scrolling Trackball
Insert a Tab space: Press Alt + Q
Highlight text: Press Shift and roll Trackball

9. Use your phone as a portable HDD
The G1 supports high capacity microSD cards, which means you can add up to 16GB of storage to it. That’s as good as carrying a portable hard drive around with you. To treat your G1 as a portable storage device, you need to turn on mass storage.

Plug your G1 into your computer using a USB cable. Navigate to the home screen and select Menu > Settings > SD card & phone storage. Next, select Use for USB storage. Now a folder will pop up on your computer, and you can drag and drop music, videos, or any file of your choice onto the phone.

10. Cut, Copy, and Paste Text (in your face, iPhone!!!)
Copying, cutting, and pasting text from Web sites or documents is easy with the G1.
To Cut, press Menu and x.
To Copy, press Menu and c
To Paste, press Menu and v.

Slightly unrelated, but Street Fighter IV is unbelievable. I don’t know how they did it, but they managed to distill the essence of Street Fighter 2: Turbo circa 1993, and dress it in 2009 threads. Awesome.

EJStyles, XBox Live, bring it!