Maybe so, but many of them can be un-crippled quite easily.

TC's If-rooted-Reload-default-OS feature

That was one device in question, and as far as I can tell there's still a lot of speculation surrounding that claim; the last I read, one prominent developer implied that 'feature' is actually a bug courtesy of HTC that prevents writing to the NAND on the handset, and HTC doesn't want to bother fixing it.

I currently own a HTC android handset that is rooted and I'm very happy with; running a lean and clean custom ROM where I have the freedom to do what I want. No walled gardens or concentration camps here.

I didn't understand that one myself. An app written for Android 2.2 should run on 2.2, regardless of what custom ROM was included.

The underlying platform is the same; the only major differences among the custom ROMs is the inclusion of extras/themes/kernels or removal of crapware. The underlying android platform is the same, I think.

As long as Android doesn't rely on CPU cycles for timing in games, I think it's still a step ahead of DOS.

"If you don't have the latest handset running the latest version of Android, you're not our target market and we don't want you using our app."

I've been using RealCalc which is available for the Android platform. While it doesn't do graphing, it's still a pretty powerful scientific calculator.

It doesn't solve the problem of not being able to take it into an exam with you, however it sure beats lugging around a cell phone and a netbook (or separate calculator).

Sort of like what Gulfstream Aerospace did on one of their Gulfstream V test flights.

In that case, don't bother so much about 'monitoring' the content of the text messages. Instead try teaching responsible behavior.

My kid is far too young to do anything like this, but I do have a nephew who is older and I'm teaching him about online privacy.

Fair enough. I'm using Launcher Pro at the moment; I wasn't sure if I could use it with the stock Sensed-up ROM. I heard LP is not OSS like ADW, however it I like it better.

As far as I know you're still stuck with the Sense lockscreen on the stock ROM, but that's not necessarily a bad thing (sliding down is much easier for one handed operation than sliding to the right).

It's seriously nice to be able to install my own APKs. The one gripe I have with Android is that there's no built-in file explorer or terminal emulator. I know there are plenty of good third party explorers or terminals, however I wonder why Android didn't just take the extra step and bundle one of their own.

That's precisely why I hate Verizon. I don't like any carrier-specific services; they're typically not nearly as good and don't have the same support that third party products/services do. It's been a while since I looked at Verizon, but the last time I checked they wanted to charge extra to use their navigation. At the time, Sprint had a pretty sweet deal on a Blackberry curve that had absolutely no restrictions; I could load my own ringtones, share files, MMS, use Google Maps to nagivate, etc.

Now having said that, I know that most other carriers do the same thing. Sprint pushes their garbage pretty hard, especially on their Android phones (NFL, Nascar, SprintTV). Fortunately there are many modified ROMs available that cut the junk; another added benefit is that most of those ROMs have more support than the official ROMs from Sprint.

Expensive cables can make a difference! Check out some of the reviews on the Denon AKDL1 Dedicated Link Cable and see for yourself. (I know it's an old internet meme but it still continues to amuse me)

This connection isn't sound. If my calculations are correct, it should be sometime around 2007 for whomever is reading this. DO NOT USE THESE CABLES. Something... happens with them. Something came through, something from somewhere else. We were overrun in days, not many of us are left. WE LIVE UNDERGROUND! ONLY YOU CAN STOP IT NOW. SAVE US. DO NOT USE THESE CABLES.

I did this long ago; I will not give Best Buy any business whatsoever.

Somebody should set up a site there that sells used pinball machine parts.

Is there any *good* quad band Android phone that is rootable and will work around the world? If so, I think I know what I want next.