Haus Intrepid Tips and Tricks

[haus]

Originally Posted by djlsnuff

everytime i receive a call the phone goes into Fn-lock mode, so that the next time i try to type text i have to disable Fn before it will work. Anyone else have this issue? Also, is there a tweak so that if i hold a key down, it will use the Fn character listed on the key. Blackjack II did this...for example, if i were to hold down the letter "t", it would, after a second or two, generate the "3" instead of the "t."

Have not seen the fn-lock issue, sorry!

WRT the hold-down action on the keys, the Intrepid is programmed to give you a caps version of the character when you hold down. The only suggestion I have is that you scan the registry for something about "hold" and see if you find anything, but my suspicion is that this action is hard coded into the keyboard dll files for the phone and isn't changeable by the casual end-user. All of the screen/keyboard tweak programs I've tried for other devices (mostly the Touch Pro) have caused a lockup requiring a hard reset on the Intrepid; the hardware is just too different.

[haus]

Originally Posted by TADPOLE415

'Sure would LIKE to figure out that voice command stuff... 'one of the 1st things I tried. 'Seems like (when TELL-ME actually manages to repeat back MY words) it does nothing but a BING search on the phrase...
"START CALENDAR"
"RUN CALENDAR"
"START POINTUI"
"EXECUTE POINTUI"
I have yet to figure out the correct "magic words"...and the few options provided seem completely unrelated to apps..

You have to be sure "start menu items" is enabled in voice command options. Go to start-settings-personal (I think?) - voice command, (I'm going on memory here) items, start menu, hit options, and be sure the item is checked to allow voice command to run items from the start menu. Then initiate a voice command beep (NOT TELLME) and say "start <program>". Works for me for the most part, though it does get confused at times when programs have a similar name. The program you are trying to run has to be in the start menu list in order to work. In other words, you have to be able to press the start menu button and tap an icon to start the program before voice command will be able to launch it.

Originally Posted by TADPOLE415

I mean, I can't possibly be right that WM6.5 is a step DOWN from WM6.1--ignoring the touch-screen, of course

Yes, you are very much right that early builds of WM6.5 are a step down from WM6.1. Microsoft was reeling from the success of the iPhone so they tried re-jiggering the start menu so it looked more like the iPhone but was different enough that people wouldn't just say they copied Apple. Hence this ridiculous start menu and some drivel about "honeycomb shape is better suited to icon spacing for round fingers" or whatever crap they spewed about it. It is a complete disaster IMHO and the inability to move items anywhere but "to the top" is criminal. The titanium interface is OK if you like having to scroll around like an idiot just to see if you have a voicemail or a text message (it's better with a big screen), but the fact that someone else had to code the titanium notifications panel that shows everything in one pane is just silly. It's like the guy who was working on UI design for WM6.5 quit and instead of bringing someone else in to finish it they just released it.

But please also note that WM6.5 has nothing to do with touch screens. WM6.1 devices had touch screens as well. It is WM Professional edition that works with touch screens and WM Standard that does not. Both 6.5 and 6.1 come in professional and standard builds.

Originally Posted by TADPOLE415

I'd like to suggest using ONE name for each key, consistently... yeah, OK, so now there's a WINDOWS key... it used to be the START key; sometimes it is now the "MENU", too....

Start and Windows are the same key. The "menu key" on the Intrepid is actually the key on the lower right side of the keyboard - this was identified by another spensergig in post 3 here:

http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=106717

Hope that helps. Yes, there is a lot wrong with this phone. IMHO it was rushed to market so Sprint could have a WM6.5 device. There are hardware deficiencies (screen resolution from 1990) and many, many software deficiencies, some caused by WM6.5, others caused by sloppy coding of the hardware interface (backlight dimming problem, BT turning off, message light failing, to name a few). About once a week I find myself checking out Touch Pro 2 prices on Ebay.

[goducks]

This was definitely rushed before it was ready. Samsung did provide an upgrade for the Samsung Jack, so I'm hoping they will follow suit on this and eventually provide a 6.5.3 upgrade which would fix most of my issues with it--the ancient calendar especially, since I'm primarily a business user. And that "you can only move things to the top" idiocy. I wish the screen had been a little larger, but my last device was also QVGA so I don't know what I'm missing I guess though it's bad when I look at my wife's Centro (!) in comparison. Plus I do my web surfing on a netbook rather than a phone.

I do think this thing is a good business phone. Still prefer it to a Blackberry. Touch Pro 2 is too big for me.

[TADPOLE415]

Originally Posted by haus

You have to be sure "start menu items" is enabled in voice command options. Go to start-settings-personal (I think?) - voice command, (I'm going on memory here) items, start menu, hit options, and be sure the item is checked to allow voice command to run items from the start menu. Then initiate a voice command beep (NOT TELLME) and say "start <program>". Works for me for the most part, though it does get confused at times when programs have a similar name. The program you are trying to run has to be in the start menu list in order to work. In other words, you have to be able to press the start menu button and tap an icon to start the program before voice command will be able to launch it.

'Hope you have 'time to verify/delineate process, as VOICE COMMAND is not even mentioned in the USER GUIDE...?? (in spite of existing menu hierarchy: SETTINGS - PERSONAL - VOICE COMMAND, those options appear to be related to TELLME functionality...?)
Pressing MOTO Q9c VOICE RECOGNITION button prompts, "Say a command:" (...as opposed to TELLME button's 'tweet' alert when "Listening")...since you seem to be excluding pressing the TELLME hardware button, I have no-clue how to "initiate a voice command beep"...?


Mentioning MOTO Q9c again reminded me, Haus, of your prior response/comment about speed dialing applications (one of MY hot-buttons...):
"The ability to assign numbers to apps sounds like a Moto add-on for the Q9C, similar to the way Palm used to create add-on functionality to the WM treos..."
No, 'twas definitely NOT a MOTO Q9c 'add-on'--actually, I first stumbled upon explanation of the MENU button's "add Speed Dial" option (when menu application icon is highlighted) in a review of the SAMSUNG ACE (and 'have subsequently seen "speed dial apps" explained for other WM6.1 cell phones... which was enough for me to assume it was a standard WM6.1 Standard feature.

Since I learned about the FANTASTIC speed-dial-apps feature from a Samsung product writeup (and found it also worked on my Q9c!), imagine my surprise (and irritation) when it I found it missing from what I had ASSUMED was the 'more advanced' Samsung Intrepid... My first thought was the intentional elimination of a MUCH-TOO-USEFUL-feature in an underhanded attempt to "validate" all those various launchers out there on the 3rd-party market... I mean, if you can launch an app (by touch!) without even looking at the screen (or even the phone), what's the POYNT of all those pretty launchers??!? [no point whatsoever, to be blunt...I am, however, totally discounting "pretty"...when you eliminate the need to view the screen to launch apps, a "pretty launcher" immediately becomes "pretty insignificant"...]. Next, I thought (hoped...) Microsoft wanted to SELL some application to restore application Speed-Dial to WM6.5...unfortunately, I haven't located one...yet.

With the INTREPID, I am regularly IRRITATED with some newly discovered loss of capability (or perhaps "just" massive inconvenience); often it relates to the loss of application-Speed-Dial... The thought of returning to WM6.1 does recur... although I'm holding out until I fully explore that Voice-Command start of applications!

EXAMPLE illustrating ease and integrated use of app-Speed-Dial in WM6.1:
Using application-Speed-Dial...
it's easy to make good-use of a ScreenShot application to save a StreetView image/angle in GOOGLE MAPS:
press HOME key;
Speed-Dial-launch the ScreenShot application (ScreenShot app being assigned as #77 is easy to remember...as in PQRS !?) ;
select 10-second delay (until ScreenShot activates);
press HOME key again;
press START and select GOOGLE MAPS (2nd recently-used app), re-entering GOOGLE MAPS at the Street View;
shortly, the desired ScreenShot image is automatically saved...
The entire sequence takes mere seconds using application-Speed-Dial. (INTREPID sequence TBD...hopefully doable...?)

[haus]

Please, go easy on the caps. It is very irritating to read a message that feels like a stern lecture.

To access Microsoft Voice Command (MSVC), go to start -> settings -> personal -> buttons. Under "Button", make sure "Hold Speak" is selected (it is the first one on the list). Then at the bottom where it says "2. Assign a program:" scroll down the list until you see "Voice Command. Press the OK button.

Now back at the today screen, press and hold the lower-left key on the keyboard (the speakerphone icon directly under the "Fn" key. You will hear a 2-tone beep and see a microphone icon in the taskbar. Voice Command is listening. Say "what can I say" in a clear voice and follow the verbal prompts. I suggest starting with "what can I say" and after she lists the possibilities then say "start menu".

See page 1 of this thread for instructions on how to make your bluetooth headset activate MSVC instead of TellMe.

[kcknsummonstaz]

I recently ran into a problem with texting with my phone where the application won't let me type any thing. Sometimes i'll be able to type 3-4 words before it stops and i can't type anything again. I'm able to exit the SMS application but then my phone is extremely slow and i'm forced to restart by taking out the battery. This is basically happening to me every time. I'm planning to do a hard reset, but before i do, does anybody know what might be causing this?

[haus]

Originally Posted by kcknsummonstaz

I recently ran into a problem with texting with my phone where the application won't let me type any thing. Sometimes i'll be able to type 3-4 words before it stops and i can't type anything again. I'm able to exit the SMS application but then my phone is extremely slow and i'm forced to restart by taking out the battery. This is basically happening to me every time. I'm planning to do a hard reset, but before i do, does anybody know what might be causing this?

Any chance it is this? (from post #1)

Originally Posted by haus

Terribly slow response to button presses and screen taps

Open up your task manager. I'm willing to bet you've got way more stuff going on in there than you should. End some tasks and if necessary, soft reset; the problem will go away. Something is wrong with the Intrepid memory management, I think; it just lets things run until the processor is so bogged down it can't do anything.

If not that, others have mentioned problems with the SMS app on this phone, so you are definitely not alone....though I haven't heard of this specific issue only with the SMS app. You might want to start a new thread, as SMS issues aren't the focus of this thread.

[cititechs]

Is there a regtweak that would allow Telenav to integrate with the contacts like it did on the Motorola Q9C. In speaking with Telenav they couldn't help me because Telenav is built into the ROM of the Intrepid. They believe that Sprint / Samsung possibly bundle it incorrectly. I have confirmed on another Intrepid phone that when I go to contacts I cannot click on drive to. It doesn't exist.

If I can't enable it ? Is there a way to uninstall TeleNav so that I can install possibly a different version of the software. I downloaded TeleNav 5.5 and the install fails.

To be honest I just need a good GPS software TeleNav or not that works with my contacts it sucks to pull over to write down the address on a piece of paper than enter in TeleNav.

My apologies if am hack jacking the thread but it seems alot of us are old Q9C users and just want stuff to work like it had on the Q9C.

[jac1599]

AFAIK, there is no way to do it with the standard SprintNAV app. You can download google maps and it integrates into the contacts. Google maps does not provide voice navigation, but it does give you directions...better than nothing.

[haus]

Actually IIRC the Touch Pro had a "drive to..." option through Sprint Nav/contacts, though in my case I tend to know where my contacts live so I don't think I ever used it. Maybe once. With TeleNAV when possible I just add the address to the Telenav web site on my PC and then sync it to the phone when I get in the car (or beforehand, as occasionally I've had it fail to work).

I understand the frustration there...a drive to option can be a useful feature but I would tend to agree with Telenav that Sprint/Samsung bungled the integration, or HTC spent more time on it. This wouldn't surprise me in the least.

Maybe something like iGuidance is an option. That's the only other GPS app I've ever used, and I think it might have contact integration but I'd find a way to verify that before spending any money on it because it's not a cheap program.

Edit: the benefit to a program like iGuidance is that it stores maps locally, so you don't need a network connection to Sprint to use it. Just GPS alone is good enough. So if you are truly driving in a remote area (let's say your friend's address is in Joshua Tree Nat'l Park) you won't get lost.