Cell phone update

[giza]

I had a bit of fun with my cellphone (Motorola Razr V3m) last night. The first thing I tried was plugging it into the USB port on my Win XP machine here at work. That didn't work so well. I ended up having to jump through hoops on this page before I could download a USB driver that recognized the phone. Once that was done, then I could actually charge the phone.

I then took the phone home and plugged it into the serial port on my iMac G5. Not only did OS/X properly recognize it right from the get go, but it began charging it and also let me use iSync to synchronize my contacts between my phone book and the phone. So I now have everyone's numbers on my phone again. Thanks to those of you who left your numbers, too.

At this point, I only have a few minor complaints about the Razr V3m:

1) I am unable to sync up the contacts across Bluetooth like I could with my E815. I blame Verizon's crippling of the Bluetooth interfact for this, though.

2) Sometimes iSync fails to sync across the USB cable on the first try. If I retry the operation with out restarting/changing anything, it works the second time around. No idea why that is. I'm not sure if it's the phone's fault, the software's fault, or maybe I have a flaky USB cable.

3) The belt holster, while nice, won't let me use the phone while it is in the holster. (The holster for the E815 did, by comparison) This is a problem if I have the phone sitting in its holster and charging on my desk. If it rings, I have to remove it from the holster before I can take the call. That's just annoying.

Other than those minor things, I'm pretty happy with the phone. I think the USB interface for charging it rocks. If I forget to charge it at home, I can just plug it into my computer at work. The GPS is also nice to have in a pinch, and alarms are nice and loud. :-)

Comments

[baconcoyote.livejournal.com]

I have the same phone.. and I really like the thing, but you're right, verizon cripples the hell out of it! I sat down and tried messing around with it and installing the alltel firmware, but I didn't get very far. It was ridiculously complicated and I just didn't bother dedicating the time.

Might be easier these days, I've had the phone for about a year now and I haven't tried for awhile.

I don't get it, the phone could be so much cooler if they actually let you do stuff with it.. but no.. they lock -everything-.

[girtygrin.livejournal.com]

While you're here remind me to give you a copy of the verizon phone tools application and bit pim. With a few minutes work it lets you unable a lot of the features that it doesnt come with by default.

V3XX on Cingular here.

[coyoteden.livejournal.com]

Damn nice and will give me 3G speeds on my laptop via Bluetooth or USB. AT&T doesn't cripple anything (that can't be reversed with a confg edit, that is...) and their $20 unlimited data plan will let you use it as a modem.

Let me see, I have POP/IMAP email, a real browser (Opera!), Google Maps, not to mention 3G around Baltimore... iPhone why?

[ionotter.livejournal.com]

I've got a V3 from Spain, and it's quite nice! Quad-band, too! Works everywhere except Japan, I think.

My only problem is that it's got EU firmware, and none of the neat little tweaks and twidgets I get from T-Mobile. I've been meaning to flash the firmware to an American version, but keep putting it off.

Oh, and that login to download the software? BugMeNot. Hah hah! Get the BugMeNot extention for FireFox at Roachfiend.