Android Wi-Fi Connect Error

I have had a tough time with getting my Android devices to connect to my wireless router. I cannot figure out if this is a router problem because laptops connect in a flash but I am inclined towards this explanation since I have had 3 devices – 2 Samsung phones and an Android tablet – struggle to connect with the network. I don’t have the energy to keep configuring and tweaking and testing the router settings – but it isn’t like one hasn’t tried.

A rudimentary Root-Cause Analysis brings up the following

1. There is an issue with the router settings
2. There is a problem with Samsung phones 
3. There is a flaw in Android 
4. Some/All of the above  

Now, one has better uses for one's time than deconstructing the mysteries of the wireless networks and hence has to come up with a quick-fix, 'dirty' solutions to nudge these devices into ‘talking’ to and connecting to the wireless. Needless to say, the router has been switched on and the network password has been punched in correctly on your device.

Samsung Galaxy Ace

There is a nifty, preloaded app called AllShare that helps Samsung devices wireless-ly connect and share media and is based on the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA). Simply create a shortcut to this app on your home screen and always use this to connect to the network of your choice.

Click the icon on the Home screen, OK to connect, Wi-Fi icon lights up after connecting

Do not switch on the Wi-Fi from the Main Screen and then attempt to use AllShare - it won’t work.

This irrational sequencing of rituals angers the elves that leap from the Ace to the Router dragging behind them the diaphanous strands of connectivity that link the Ace to the World Wide Web and they will curse your phone and cause it to bear that Mark of Horror – the Gray WiFi signal

Budget Android Tablet

Things get a little tricky with the tablet. AllShare doesn’t work with it, so a similar app needs to be found – one that allows various devices to connect to a common network (your wireless network!!) and start ‘speaking’ to each other.

Thankfully, the very first app that I tried – iMediaShare– did the job. This app allows media to be streamed across various connected devices and also very brilliantly allows for a seamless connection to be established with the router/WWW, all within a matter of seconds.

1. Connect to the Wireless network  
2. Switch on iMediaShare
3. Wait for the glorious Wi-Fi icon to light up and start flashing and the 'success screen' to show up.

iMediaShare Home Screen and 'Success' Screen on connecting to Wi-Fi

Sequencing is the key - if you don't follow my words of wisdom in the order as prescribed, then fully expect to be disappointed.

If you have faithfully adhered to what I have told you to, you can now partayy on the WWW with your Android device. WOOT! WOOT!!

Casual Games 2 : Galaxy Ace

I am pretty confident that there is research to show that gamers are better equipped to handle pressures of life due to the possession of superior decision making skills – finely honed while constantly striving to better our game scores. Well, even if there isn’t any evidence of the sort, you couldn’t get me to stop playing and I'd rather have sore fingers than a sour personality just because a little delay somewhere set me off on a bad mood. Some of my current favorites for the Android platform include:

Cooking Dash

The game’s title card calls it ‘Restaurant Cook’. This is a fun time management/dash game with two modes Casual & Time. In Casual mode, you have to prepare and serve your patrons’ dishes of choice within a reasonable time. Some dishes need to be cooked while others (bread) can just be served on a plate. You need to take care that your customers don’t lose patience and that your dishes don’t burn while on the stove. 

Casual Mode

Time Mode

Time mode is unlocked after a few levels are completed in Casual mode and this is my preferred variant. You get to serve an array of precooked dishes to customers within a time frame of 2 minutes. So you constantly keep trying to beat your scores while figuring out where on the screen the required item is.

While graphics could certainly do with some brightening up (cute-ning, cut-yfying?), for a free game this provides plenty of entertainment.

Sushi Bar

This is similar to Cooking Dash but focuses on Sushi. The graphics are cleaner and the gameplay is slightly more sophisticated. The objective is to serve up different types of sushi to customers in a limited time. When you run out of ingredients, you need to order more and replenish your inventory. All the while, customers’ patience needs to be monitored and angry patrons can have their frayed nerves soothed with free drinks. You get to open sushi bars in many different locations and each location brings in new recipes and increasing revenue targets. 

Customer Order

Recipe flippin'

I learnt about sushi and different animals used in preparation from this one. A pleasant way to kill time.

Block Puzzle

  

This is a tangram puzzle with Tetris blocks. I needn’t say anymore. There are plenty of free Tangram variants for the Android, but this one seemed a little easier on the eye. This is also a little easier to play since the blocks are already constrained as they cannot be rotated.The game can definitely get a little frustrating if you don’t arrive at the solution very quickly, but it provides a good mental workout and is definitely a better option than getting frustrated while in a queue.

All three games are free to download and play. So, let fun be had by all.

Review : Where's My Water

Where's My Water is a Disney Mobile puzzle game for the Android platform. It involves diverting the flow of water through a bunch of obstacles so that it reaches an alligator's shower-bath, an alligator that is desperate to take a bath and will whine and bang the tub if the water doesn't flow out on time.

WMW - Title Screen

WMW - one of the levels

Obviously there is a water stream, constrained by gravity, time, pipes, bombs and sand formations. We encounter moss that absorbs the water, pink acid that will turn the water into acid and green slime that will melt into the water. These also have other interesting reactions with each other and the objective of the game is to figure out the correct tool to build the  path. Each level also has 3 duckies that need to be dunked in order to score maximum points. 

While sometimes you need to take care about having the water flow at particular angles, you don't have to be a physics ace to play this game. Mainly requiring the application of common sense, EVERYONE will enjoy it since it is simple enough to adapt to and complex enough to give you a sense of satisfaction at completing the level. Where Angry Birds regularly builds up the complexity to near-frustrating levels, Where's My Water never compromises on the playability. The graphics are cheerful and bright, music is alright and the game runs smoothly on the Galaxy Ace.

WMW - Levels

Treasures and Bonus levels

I haven't played any other games from the Disney stable previously, always slotting them into the cutesy, kiddy category and was pleasantly taken aback at the quality of this game. With over 120 levels and bonus levels for finding hidden treasures, there is tremendous re-play value. I finished the entire game over two days. Yet, I could still play it all over again to beat my previous scores and not feel the tiniest bit jaded. 

I tend to descend into extra-lavish praise of content that really excites me. And since I am unique (just like everyone else!), this means that many of my personal preferences don't often fall into the popular or even mainstream categories. The ratings for this game have consistently been high on Amazon and the Android Market. It retails for $1, delivering excellent value for your money. 

Highly recommended.

Samsung Galaxy Ace - Screen Capture

In order to take a screen capture on your Ace

1. Click and hold the 'Back' button
2. Simultaneously press the 'Menu'
3. A popup announces that the screenshot has been taken and saved as an image file.
4. Navigate to the 'My Files' folder and locate a newly created folder called 'ScreenCapture' on the SD Card. You will find your screenshot in there.

This will work only on static screens. If you are in the middle of a game (Fruit Ninja!!) and press the 'Back' key, it will likely return to the main menu of the game and not provide an opportunity to press the Menu button. 

You can find apps (mostly paid) on the Market that will help you take screenshots of games. 
Look around and have fun!

Game Review : Symphony of Eternity

Ever since I had my 1^st Chocobo ride, I have been hooked to the Final Fantasy games. FF has been the beginning , the end and the everything in between of my RPG fixation. While Square Enix has yet to make an Android version available, just what do FF fans do till then with their Android systems?

Download Symphony of Eternity!!!!

Kemco Games’ SoE borrows heavily from early FF in terms of style, storyline, universe, battle system and artwork. I stop short of calling it a clone simply because Square let me down. SoE is a worthy enough contender and Square Enix has lost an opportunity here to stake claim to lord of the Android RPG landscape.

We have a young, wandering knight Kriest, his wise Golem friend Dauturu and Laishutia, a girl who isn’t all that she seems to be, on the trail of 4 Spirit Cyrstals. These must be combined to ward off the end of the world. On the way we have elves, golems and humans alternately battling and joining forces with our heroes. We have a large arsenal of weapons, spells and tablets, but I could only afford that particular level’s weapons after completing the challenge.

There are large dungeons to navigate and these just keep getting deeper with every challenge. But just when you feel like couldn’t handle another screen full of monsters, the boss pops for a showdown. Speaking of bosses, there’s a couple for every dungeon/maze (duh!). Make no mistake, they are powerful - yet not unbeatable. I personally have my healer ‘read’ their weaknesses and only then formulate a suitable strategy.

Standard RPG skillpoint system is included. The controls are amazingly user friendly. If tired of constantly battling the same old enemies in the tortuous dungeons - but you know you still need that experience and money - you can get into auto-pilot and have the characters automatically battle it out in turns. If you sense a character weakening and need to prop them up with potions, you can switch off autopilot during the battle, throw your teammate a life potion and get on with the job. This can be done even with the boss battles.

It retails for around $10 on the Android Market. Fortunately, I stumbled upon this as Amazon’s Free App of the Day. It is an addictive game. After playing the game late into the nights for 5 days, I developed sore thumbs and SoE fatigue (but naturally). Hence, I haven’t yet completed the game but once work gets out of play’s way, I fully intend to amass the Spirit Crystals and see this through. Maybe even publish a walkthrough.

Until we see an Android Chocobo, SoE will do. And in an exceedingly satisfactorily way at that.

Casual Games - Galaxy Ace

So ya got yourself a Galaxy Ace or an Android phone. Whaddya do with it?

As I mentioned before, it is a wonderful way to kill time especially while waiting and thanks to the Android Market and Amazon Appstore, one has access to a ton of games - games to suit every age, mood and pocket.

Of late I find myself automatically reaching for the Ace during a short wait and fiddling around with games. Here are a few casual yet fun games to while away the time.

Random Mahjong

A nice take on the Mahjong games. The graphics are really sharp and rich and contribute immensely to the overall experience. I need to really squint to figure out the designs on the larger groups of tiles, but a nice feature is that as tiles are removed the remaining tiles grow in size to fit the screen. On a larger screen, it is likely a better experience.  

I wasn’t really able to complete more than 4 levels without losing lives but it is not a frustrating game. There is no timer, no pressure at all and it is a wonderful minute-gobbler.

Solitaire Free Pack

This is really a huge bunch of card games. I have only played the Solitaire and Freecell variants but there are tons more. The layout is simple and uncluttered, the card suits are clearly visible, the games are challenging and really give the brain a little workout. I have been up late into nights trying to beat the game. A very satisfying game in all.

If online, the small strip above the main card dealing area runs ads. This thankfully doesn’t happen in the offline mode.

Checkers

I wasn’t really interested in Checkers before I stumbled onto this app and started trying it out. This is a barebones game without fancy graphics but then you don’t need any for a board game like this one.

I have only played the single player mode and at the easier levels. Sometimes the CPU (the opponent) misses out on rather obvious ‘captures’ but that is more probably due to the lower degree of difficulty of the game. You wouldn’t want to stop in the middle of the game for anything or anyone.

Fruit Ninja

This global phenomenon is a firm family favourite. The Sibling is addicted to this one and hogs the phone trying to beat the scores. Who knew that a no-brainer game based on slicing various fruit could be so much fun? Well it is and the craze is unlikely to die giving how wonderful the overall experience is. Slicing the fruit and listening to the ‘sploosh’ and ‘squish’ is strangely very soothing.

The Sibling went upto a high score of 530 in arcade mode while yours truly managed a barely respectable 360. Of course the high scores completely depend on the ‘bananas’ generated and flung across the screen by the game. But it has tremendous replay value and on a bigger screen, 2-3 kids can easily mess around trying to cut fruit simultaneously.

These games should run on almost any Android phone. So get yourself to the Market and treat yourself to some games.

Samsung Galaxy Ace - Wi-Fi error

The Wi-fi function sometimes throws up an error on the Ace - roughly about every three days in my case. It stubbornly refuses to activate and detect available networks and no amount of begging, pleading or threats will make it change its mind (smart phone).

The solution is to power off and back on but I came across the following additional trick to fix it.

Type

*#*#526#*#*

This brings up the WlanTest which reloads the driver and voila!, the wi-fi will start to work again.

Success! After the driver is reloaded.

Sometimes when the screen switches off though, the phone shuts down and has to be powered on again.

Hopefully someone at Samsung or Google will make note of this and do something.

Until then, you have two equally crappy solutions.

Get started with apps for your Android Phone

Your android phone isn’t all play and no work. To get you started on using the phone for more day-to-day use, here are a few apps you may find interesting.

Video playback

MoboPlayer

Not only is it free, it is a powerful media player that can process most video formats. You may need to download the player and the codec depending on how your phone reacts.

Tip: Set the decoding default to 'soft decoding' for smoother playback of mkv files.

Browser

Opera 

I used to be a devotee of the Opera browser for the PC. I switched over to Firefox primarily because there were so many add-ons for all my needs and I haven’t looked back since. I was let down though when I went back to Mozilla for a Firefox version for the Ace. There is a Firefox mobile but that is incompatible with the Ace.

So I went back to Opera. I had used the browser on the K750i and was fairly happy with the super responsive browser. The user experience remains the same. The settings are quite uncomplicated to customize. Pages load quickly, you can ‘pinch’ to zoom, the text looks crisp and pictures are sharp. You can open multiple windows/tabs to get plenty of views on the latest celeb gossip – or that may be just me. Bear in mind that the Ace doesn’t support flash content. Hence, I wasn’t able to test that functionality and even the Javascript capability wasn’t all to my liking. But in all, this is a neat little app that meets the needs of the average surfer.

Now, if I could only sync this browser with my PC’s Firefox, I would feel perfectly happy.

QR code reader

Barcode Scanner

The QR – Quick Response – code is that square barcode that peeks out from newspapers, billboards and magazines with increasing frequency these days.

lithium-ribbon.blogspot.com for your phone!

As per Wikipedia

Although initially used to track parts in vehicle manufacturing, QR codes are now (as of 2011) used over a much wider range of applications, including commercial tracking, entertainment and transport ticketing, product marketing and in-store product labeling. Many of these applications target mobile-phone users (via mobile tagging). Users may receive text, add a vCard contact to their device, open a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI), or compose an e-mail or text message after scanning QR codes. They can generate and print their own QR codes for others to scan and use by visiting one of several pay or free QR code-generating sites or apps.

While that complex looking diagram sure doesn’t say anything to the human eye, a barcode scanner can intelligently process it and decode the message and direct your phone to perform the relevant action.

To have some fun and generate your own abstract QR codes to share with your friends visit

http://qrcode.kaywa.com/

Aesthetics

Wallswitch

I get bored of the same background picture glaring back at me all the time. On the PC, I use Webshots to keep refreshing the desktop with my personally picked pretty picture gallery. I was looking for something similar on the phone.

Wallswitch is a nifty little app that does the job. It doesn’t eat up too much space on the phone or SD card. It is easy to setup – you basically direct the app to the folder and set the refresh rate. 

I have set the refresh rate at 10 minutes but if you want to keep looking at your vacation pictures at work you could set it to 1 minute. 

You will find all these apps on the Android Market for free.

Samsung Galaxy Ace GT-S5830

In a moment of powerful affection, The Sibling gifted me a new toy – the Samsung Galaxy Ace!!!!!!!!

I have been a Sony Ericsson loyalist so far – and I still am. I was among the first to hop onto the K750i bandwagon. That was in early 2006. Since then I resisted every temptation thrown my way - Nokia smartphones, Blackberry, I-phone – I may have drooled over pictures of all of them but I held steadfastly to my beliefs that my K750i served all my phone, text message and media needs. My digital Man Friday.

I even turned my nose up at mp3 players. I had a memory card shoved into the expansion slot and my music needs were taken care of. Sure the Paleolithic music player’s primitive shuffle capabilities are a minor annoyance. But that’s hardly worth abandoning a trusty friend over.

I have played (Java) games on it. I used it as an e-book reader (v. tough). I browsed gossip sites through GPRS and read email on its tiny screen. It is still my mp3 player for the occasional jog.

So when I opened the Galaxy Ace packaging and had my first glimpse, I was skeptical. It was HUGE compared to my candy-bar styled phone of over 5 years. I was suspicious about the lack of the physical keyboard/dialpad – I have a strange need to feel the keys depress and squeak to be certain that I successfully made that call or typed that SMS. And I missed my K750i joystick.  But I warmed to it and very quickly at that.

I don’t make too many calls but I do keep playing around with the ‘convergence device’. It is a wonderful blend of many different, extraneous-but-nice-to-have features.

Sure it may be a blatant I-phone clone.

Sure many cool games and apps are incompatible with its weak processor.

Sure I am still on the Android 2.2 version and waiting for Samsung to release the 2.3 upgrade.

Sure sometimes it just shuts down for no reason.

And sometimes the Wi-fi doesn’t work.

I am also saddled with a huge bunch of factory loaded useless apps that sit around consuming valuable phone memory and cannot be deleted or moved to SD card.

The media player included does nothing to enhance the experience. The sound capabilities are BAD. Music sounds flat and dull. That is CRIMINAL in my book.

I think I can go on a little more but let’s look on the bright side - it’s a cool touch-screen phone. More importantly the massive online apps and games market ensures that I will always keeping tinkering around with this instrument. Content is king.

I won’t be abandoning my SE phone, no sirrah. The abysmal sound quality of the Ace sealed my K750i’s fate. But I have welcomed the Ace into my home and heart. We make a comfortable trio as we embark on life’s adventures together.

Who says three’s a crowd?