Top 10 reasons to root your Droid

A friend from the Droidforums has posted his top ten reasons for rooting your Droid, and so he let me steal his work to make my blogging day a little easier (long day today editing icons, I apologize for the lack of news :( ):

Hey everyone! Just wanted to let you all know that I've been working really hard on my Droid to get it just where I want it. I'm going to be shooting a video very soon on the top 10 reasons why you should root your Droid. It's going to have a lot of great stuff, so keep checking back!



Disclaimer: If you Root your Droid it will void your warranty with Motorola. I, nor the Calebnance team are held responsible for you wanting to make your Droid awesome by Rooting it, only to have it bricked. Enjoy!



Update:

I've had time to compose my thoughts, and figure out exactly what I want to say. I do plan on doing a video soon, but I figured I would give you a taste of what's coming soon. Here are my top 10 reasons to root your Droid, based on my personal experience.
10. Cachemate

This is a great app for clearing up that unwanted cache on your phone. Having the ability to clear your cache can help some apps or even your phone run faster and smoother. The newest version will allow you to clear you market seach history. This was the best thing for me. I just have a pet peeve when I can see everything that I have searched for, that I will never need again.
9. Terminal Emulator

With this app you can push, move, or do basically anything from a command prompt form. As long as you know what you are doing, you can really see how this app comes in handy. (You can use this app without root, but it's basically like having the keys to a Porsche that you don't have)
8. AdFree

Seeing ads while you are browsing is never fun, especially when you are on your beloved Droid. With the AdFree app you no longer have to worry about that. Not only does it take away all those pesky adds, but it does help to load your pages faster, which is always a plus in my book.
7. Boot Animation/Gscript

I love having the ability to have a phone that is fully mine from start to finish, literally. Now, you can change your boot animation without root, but believe me is a PAIN to do. Having root, along with Gscript or a file explorer, will cut off some of the work load you have to do. With Gscript you can simply type in the correct command, and then just launch it.
6. Root Explorer

This is another app for rooted phones only. This app will allow you fully explore your phone without the use of a computer. You can do anything from backing up your apps, to changing fille names for certain hacks or mods. This great app will allow you to keep modding your phone even on the go.
5. Wireless Tether

Every been out with your computer, but didn't have a WiFi around to check us out? This free app will solve that problem in a second. You can use your phone as a mobile hotspot to get online on the go. It may not be the fastest connection, but when you are in a pinch I don't think it really matters. Now before you get worried that someone else might mistake your wireless broadcast as an open network, don't! This app allows you to make a secure connection, setting up your own password, so you get the best speeds possible.

Time for the top 4 reasons to root your Droid everyone!
4. Metamorph

When the guys over at Google were designing the look of the UI for the Droid I know they were all thinking of us, and how we wanted it to look right? Wrong! Don't get me wrong, I think it looks great as it is, but I always like to have things look they way I want them too. Metamorph allows you to do this completly. It can be anything from changing the notification panel, to making your browser icon look like Firefox. Metamorph is very simple to use as well, just download the theme you want to use, move to your SD Card, and select it within the app.
3. Overclock

We all know the Droid is snappy out of the box, but then again we all like to speed things up just a bit. With root access you can do that. The Droid is 550 Mhz stock, but with the ability to overclock it can easily go up to 1.2 Ghz! Speeding up your phone may cause some heat issues, but when you are flying through apps, who cares right?
2. Nandroid (sprecovery/clockwork)

Ever made a mistake on your computer only to be breathing a sigh of relief when you find out you had a system restore point created not too long ago? Sprecovery gives you that same sigh of relief with your Droid with the ability to create nandroid backups. You can use these to restore after a new hack didn't go quite as planned. I've been stuck in a boot loop before, but thanks to sprecovery I was out of it in no time. It will also allow you to apply updates to roms, kernels (for overclocking), and simple patches.

Now time for the number 1 reason to root your Droid... Drum roll please.... I said Drum Roll PLEASE.... Screw it... here we go
1. ROM Use

Roms will basically take everything I have stated above and roll it into one big goodie bag. ROMs can combine a number of things such as: pinch to zoom browsers/gallerys, themes, overclocking, ported apps, and many more. ROMs change the way your whole phone operates, and it's always for the better! I know we all were bummed when 2.1 didn't come in January like we had all hoped, but thanks to some devs like Chevy and Pete, we now have a very official (and stable) build. Roms will even give you those live wallpapers, and 5 screens you have seen around, but could never quite figure out how to do. Right now I am running Bugless Beast V0.6 ESE53 Build, this is the most official, stable build I have used, but there are a few others out that may work for you better. The ability to use a ROM was the main reason I rooted. I no longer had to do all the work to get the live wallpapers, or figuring out how to overclock my Droid, and I think you would all agree when you think about it.

Well, there is my list, and I'm sticking to it. Follow me on twitter here and tell me what made you root your Droid.

The original article link can be found here.

I just wanted to to add my .02 to it though (why else post about it, huh?)...the ability to EASILY take screenshots. A simple program called Drocap2 from the Market allows you to easily take screenshots of just about anything, but you have to be rooted to do so. Also, the ability to use Root Explorer to do things like move Bootanimations and whatnot instead of using ADB to push them to your phone saves countless minutes of my day that I would rather be surfing porn or something else.

If you want more information on rooting your Droid, hacking, installing icons, you name it...check out this article I wrote awhile back: click here

Mypace is the most popular social app for Android

Uh, what? People still use MySpace? I thought everyone (myself included) has switched to Facebook? Perhaps users are sick and tired of the lack of truly awesome Facebook apps (surprising) or perhaps users are going back to MySpace because Facebook refuses to stay simple and now they have that God-awful center strip notification area...or maybe it's because some of the navigation is not very intuitive (and I consider myself pretty computer illiterate...err...literate).

Either way, here's the article (so you know I'm not just pulling this out of my ass):

By Chris Crum

MySpace announced today that it has the most popular social app in the Android Market, and the third most popular app on Android altogether.

"Our deep integration with the Android platform is one of the reasons why we’ve seen a surge in usage," says MySpace's Scott Goldberg. "Unique to this app, we have three home screen widgets. One of them allows voice-enabled status updates. We also allow users to set MySpace photos as background wallpaper on their phone's home screen. Close integration with the native Android camera contributes to the customized experience and makes it easy for MySpace users to take, upload and share pictures of their friends out having fun."
MySpace Mobile on Android is the most popular app in the Android Market's social category

"Even beyond Android, MySpace Mobile has also proven to be a very engaging experience across all platforms with 70% of MySpace Mobile users checking in three or more times per day," adds Goldberg. "As a nod to our popularity on the mobile web, MySpace was the fourth most popular mobile web destination according to Morgan Stanley’s report on The Mobile Internet in Dec. 2009. We have also found that the average MySpace Mobile user translates into a more engaged online user, dedicating more than an hour of additional time on the site per month."

Currently, looking at the Android Market's social category, MySpace Mobile is followed by Facebook for Android, Tweetcaster, AIM, and Truth or Dare. The top two most popular apps overall are Pandora and the Weather Channel.

One of the best parts about having the most popular slot in any category in the market is the visibility that comes along with that. Any user who gets a new Android device, and goes to look for apps, will see MySpace Mobile right at the top of the list, and that could could drive continued growth.

Mobile should play a key role in the continued success of MySpace. Meanwhile, Facebook and Twitter are seeing big mobile gains themselves.

Are you surprised that MySpace has the most popular social app on Android?

HTC Incredible rumored to be replacing HTC Droid Eris on Verizon

Those of you interested in the Eris, or still within your 30 day return window might want to consider this:

HTC Incredible rumored to soon be replacing HTC Droid Eris on Verizon
Phil Nickinson on Android Central
published from 8 minutes and 51 seconds

If you're in the market for an HTC Droid Eris on Verizon, you might want to hold off for a few weeks. BerryScoop has it on good authority that the HTC Incredible is going to replace the Droid Eris, the end-of-life date is April 1, and that we may see the Incredible about the same time.

Also, BerryScoop's source says that the Nexus One won't actually be sold in Verizon stores, which is what we've been saying, too. ...

Take that, Steve Jobs...Android tablet due out...

...with better specs and better pricing than the iMaxiPad...err...iPad. Better HD resolution, bigger screen, longer battery life, more expansion ports, memory expandable, has a camera...

The folks over at AndroidTap will give you even more specs (see link):

I'm actually glad that the iPad came out, because it puts the Android tablets in the spotlight. For example, I've had an Archos5 portable movie player with WiFi for about six months now...250GB and absolutely amazing for someone like me that travels all the time...so I'm sure this device will put mine to shame.

The iPad is your typical Apple device that doesn't really come with anything, leaving you dragging around 47 cords and external things.

But Steve Jobs is smart. He knows that if he took a dump an encased it in that shiny plastic Apple uses and included a Starbucks giftcard and a pair of Birkenstocks every hippy would rush out to buy one.

Tosh.0
Tosh Destroys an iPad
www.comedycentral.com
Web Redemption 2 Girls, 1 Cup Reaction Demi Moore Picture

iPhone loses some market share to Android

Obviously the Android isn't going to overtake the iPhone soon but this is still good news for Google and Android. Oh, and Steve Jobs is an asshole.

Verizon iPhone Needed: Apple loses market share to Android
By: Peter Chubb | March 6, 2010


Just a few months back the Apple iPhone had been enjoying a healthy lead in the cell phone market, but now figures suggest that they are beginning to lose their market share to – Google Android. Although the iPhone is still the top selling phone, a constant barrage of new Android devices, such as the Nexus One and Droid, has hurt its lead.

We can take two things from this, the first is that Apple are still doing an amazing job in the market – as they only have one handset – and the other is that a Verizon Wireless version o f the iPhone is needed. The Inquirer reports that Apple took a huge blow at Mobile World Congress in February, as Google are to launch a host of new Android powered handsets in 2010.

They then ask the question – are iPhone sales in a free fall – one that is certainly hard to answer at this time. Android’s market share grew by 8.3 percent in February, taking them to an overall 15.2 percent share in the market. Apples still has a healthy 63.7% share in the cell phone market but – a drop is still a drop.

Do you think a Verizon iPhone will be enough to stem this drop in sales, or do you think the iPhone 4G is needed now?

MLB At Bat 2010

The MLB At Bat 2010 app has made its way to the Market for Android as of today. I'm not into baseball but this should be good news for fans of steroid users. :)

Not much news today for Droids other than the network outage unless you care that Apple is suing HTC for patent infringement or that VZW is selling N1 batteries

Verizon has nationwide data outages

From the Christian Science Monitor:

Verizon outage strikes nationwide

Users of phones such as the Droid and the BlackBerry are reporting a widespread Verizon outage. The company says it is working on the problem.

Verizon outage? You're not alone. Verizon says it is working on fixing widespread outages on its data network.

By Matthew Shaer / March 3, 2010

Hundreds of consumers are flocking to online discussion boards to report a Verizon outage across the carrier's network, a problem that Verizon says it is working to fix. Outage time appears to vary, but some Verizon users say they have been unable to access the Web or email for hours. Crucially, the issues center on faulty Internet and data connections – Verizon phone service appears to be unaffected.

."I haven't had Internet or email access all morning (4:30 am EST when I woke up). How sad that this could happen," a user in Cincinnati wrote today on a Droid forum. "How pathetic that Verizon doesn't post something up on their site." Judging by the message boards, the Midwest and South seem to have been hit harder by the outages than the coasts. "Mine started going haywire last night," an Indiana Droid fan posted this morning.

Tim Stevens at Engadget confirms that Verizon is aware of the outages, although the company has not said how soon the issues could be resolved. "We'd advise not calling and bothering the support folks about this – based on how long we were on hold we're guessing they have their hands full at the moment," Stevens counseled. Many forum participants seem to agree, although that hasn't stopped others from flooding switchboards with complaints.

The outage comes at a time when Verizon is jostling with AT&T for shares of the US market. AT&T, of course, has outage problems of its own: Heavy traffic from iPhone users has bogged down the AT&T data network. Meanwhile, there are widespread concerns that the forthcoming Apple iPad, which will utilize a 3G connection, could bring AT&T data speeds to a screeching halt.