Google have offered them 30% of the app store sales sold via the Optus network but still Optus are holding out for more.  I’m not sure if Google offer this to all carriers or if it’s just the carriers they partner with in each country (I suspect the latter) but this raises the whole issue of Network Neutrality which is based on the principle that if a user pays for internet access and another user pays for internet access they should be able to connect to each other at their level of access (speed for example). In this case you should be able to access the Android Market and purchase apps no matter what network you’re on (the 30% payment is neither here nor there as far as this argument).

Options if you are with Optus, Virgin Mobile or TPG to access paid applications include

• Rooting the phone and using market enabler – however this voids your warranty and you have to apply updates manually

• Put a Telstra or Vodafone SIM card in the phone – requires powering off the phone and pulling the battery each time

• If you’re under contract contact the TIO and raise a dispute with Optus – so far everyone who has done this has had their contract released early so they could move to another network – Telstra or Vodafone work fine

• If you’re out of contract move to another network – both Telstra and Vodafone work fine (Vodafone will be the new Google partner in Australia when they release the Nexus One here)

• Using another Android application sites – Alternatives to using the Google Market to purchase Android Applications

Staying with Optus and either not purchasing apps or using one of the workarounds is only going to condone this behavior. Optus have already setup their own App store (very limited content and poor ui) and natural progression will see them diverting traffic from other stores to their store.

There has been some media coverage of this but many customers are still unaware of Optus’s action.

Optus deliberately blocking Android paid apps – APC Magazine

Optus Are Blocking Paid Android Apps – GIZMODO

Paid apps in the android marketplace – Whirlpool

Information about the 30% payment to carriers

Google to Take a Hefty Cut on Android App Sales – Gadget Lab

SlideME

My Nexus One is configured with me@mydomain.com as my login to my GAFYD account and also my Google account that has AdSense, Checkout, Docs, Picasa Web Albums, iGoogle, Google Chrome Bookmark Sync, Sites, Talk and Webhistory which has the same email address configured. Attempts to purchase an app sees you put in your google checkout acount which is me@mydomain.com and a different password to my GAFYD account of the same name. Andoid accepts this and asks you if you want to sync Contacts, Calendar and Gmail, if you don’t select them it won’t sync your data anymore with your GAFYD account as the Android has seen the primary email address and assumed it is the existing account.

So I created a second email address (me2@mydomain.com) that forwards to my main email (me@mydomain.com) and added this as a second address to my Google account. Tried again the same problem existed.

The next step was to change my email address assigned to my Google account by selecting “Change email” under manage account to me2@mydomain.com after removing it as the secondary email address. After confirming the change I was able to purchase the app in one easy step!

After testing Picasa on the Nexus One was working I added a second email address to the Google account using my original me@mydomain.com and after verifying that can be used to sign back in to Picasa on your computer. Picasa does display the me2@mydomain.com at the top however this means you can still sign back in to your Google account with your me@mydomain.com email.

Original Setup:

• Google Apps for my domain (GAFYD): me@mydomain.com
• Google Account: me@mydomain.com

New Setup

• Google Apps for my domain (GAFYD): me@mydomain.com
• Google Account: me2@mydomain.com (primary)
• Google Account: me@mydomain.com (secondary)

On the Android Device under Settings and Accounts & Sync Settings there are two accounts

me2@mydomain.com

• Sync Picasa Web Albums

me@mydomain.com

• Sync Contracts
• Sync Calendar
• Sync Gmail

So far so good, everything seems to work with no problems!

Further information on the problem which appears like it won’t be addressed any time soon can be found on the following posts

Market should allow Google Apps users to purchase

Google Docs should be supported on Android

Google Apps For Your Domain Problems

WaveSecure is an award-winning mobile security service that lets users protect their phones, data and privacy in the event of theft. With WaveSecure, you’ll never have to worry about losing phones again.

• Track down your phone’s location and who is using it
• Lock down your phone remotely, make it worthless to the thief
• Backup all your data, automatically and securely
• Wipe out your data remotely, protect your privacy

Available now from the marketplace.

New Software Update for Nexus One phones

Performing the Upgrade

1. Make sure the battery is charged.
2. Download the update from here.
3. Mount the SD card on your PC.
4. Rename the file to update.zip and copy to the root directory of the SD card as shown.
5. Turn the phone off.
6. Boot into the boot loader by turning the phone on by holding down the volume down button and pressing the power  button for a few seconds before releasing both.
   
7. Use the volume up and down buttons to select recovery and press the power button.
   
8. The phone enters recovery mode.
   
9. Hold the volume up button and press the power button and release both to enable the system recovery menu.
   
10. Use the trackball to select “apply sdcard:update.zip” and press the trackball down to select.
    
11. The update will start applying the status can be seen on the screen.
    
12. When the update is compelte it will ask you to “reboot via menu” and using the trackball press down to select “reboot system now”.
    
13. The radio will now be written before the reboots occur.
    
14. The system will reboot twice, don’t touch anything just wait for it to completed.
    
15. The normal startup screen will soon appear and the phone will soon be back to normal but with multitouch enabled and other enhancements.
    

Passive Holder for Nexus One

Keep your Nexus One in a passive holder while driving, and you will always have it within easy reach!  The passive holder is equipped with a tilt swivel so you can easily adjust the angle of your device for easier viewing and avoiding light reflection. Attach onto the ProClip Mounting Platform.

Passive holder with tilt swivel
Item no. 511116

Active Holder for Nexus One

Keep your Nexus One in an active holder in your vehicle, and you will always have a freshly charged battery! Active holders are available with a cigarette lighter cable for connection to the vehicle’s 12 Volt socket, and for fixed installation for connection inside the dashboard. The active holder charges your battery when it is in the holder. The charging device connects to the PDA automatically when you put the PDA in the holder.

The holders are equipped with a tilt swivel, this means that you can adjust the angle of your device for easier viewing and avoiding light reflection. Attach onto the ProClip Mounting Platform.

Active holder with cig-plug (left)
Item no. 512116

Active holder for fixed installation, with Molex adapter system (right)
Item no. 513116

Plenty of paper packing to stop the Nexus from moving around

Another layer of paper around the Nexus.

The freed Nexus One in comparison to it’s box.

Nexus One details.

Nexus One is wrapped in plastic.

Comes with a neat little case.

Accessories, charger, headphones, usb (micro) cable and cards on how to use it.

Nexus One battery Specifications – 3.7VDC, 1400mAh and 5.18Whr.

Micro SD and SIM card can be access by removing the battery.

Camera and flash located at the top of the phone on the rear.

Recently I found some Osram Energy Savers at Bunnings which look identical to the current ones I’ve been purchasing except the part number is slightly different and they come in retail packaging. Bunnings only stock the one type that I could see which is the 50w equivalent with 35w power usage. The surprise for me was the pricing AUD$5.49!

The details for the one that I’ve been purchasing is

Decostar 51 ES 35W 12V 48865 ES WFL GU5,3 36° (5000 hours life)

The new one in blister pack at Bunnings is

Decostar 51 ES 35W 12V 47865 ES EFL GU5,3 36° (4000 hours life)

Other than the packaging the only omission I can see is there is no mention of IRC technology on the blister pack, but there isn’t as much information on IRC when you look at Osram website so it could be possible they’re removing mention of that to make this more marketable (ie to people who only want to save power and don’t care about IRC technology).

Osram don’t mention the 47865 lamp on their website either. The specs for it should be the same or similar to 48865.

35W, 12V, 36 degrees, 2200 lumens.

Perhaps the 47865 doesn’t use IRC technology and as such has a shorter life span? When I get time I’ll do a test to see if I can see any difference in the output or temperatures. Photos of both packages are listed, note that the blister pack is of the 25w/35w but other than that it’s identical to the 35w/50w.

Vodafone Internet and MMS settings however don’t work, use the follow settings to get started.

When you’re finished the APN screen should have three enteries.

Crazy NET (button should be selected with a green circle)
purtona.net

Crazy WAP (button should not be selected)
purtona.wap

Crazy MMS (no button)
purtona.wap

Name: Crazy NET
APN: purtona.net
Proxy: <Not Set>
Port: <Not Set>
Username: <Not Set>
Password: <Not Set>
Server: <Not Set>
MMSC: <Not Set>
MMS Proxy: <Not Set>
MMS Port: <Not Set>
MCC: 505
MNC: 03
Authentication Type: <Not Set>
APN type: default, supl

The Wode replaces the stand on the bottom of the Wii and connects between the DVD drive and the Motherboard allowing a USB hard disk to be attached.

Features include

• Play Wii & GC game ISOs direct from USB Mass Storage devices @8X read speed (HDD and FLASH drive)
• Complete Solder free install solution
• Easy to use GUI – LCD & Joystick – NO homebrew software required (no any update of console SO can block this device)
• Region hack (except with 4.2 firmware), Update blocker, Autoboot.
• Passthrough with FLAT-MOD mode built-in, play your DVD-R Wii & GC backups and Imports @3X read speed
• Powerful ARM9 MCU
• Totally Flexible Linux Kernel
• USB hub support for multiple USB devices connection
• Great File System support – use existing WBFS formatted media or ‘drag and drop’ ISOs to existing USB devices
  • NTFS
  • WBFS
  • EXT3FS
  • HPFS

More info to follow once I install it.

The supplier was OzModChips.