OK, so I read the thread on internet radio and thought I'd try TuneIn on
the SonyXperia mini that someone gave me because she hated it.

When I first got it I invested a fiver for Orsnge pay and go, tried it
once, thought what's the point and went back to my old cheapie clamshell
Nokia that sits in my pocket with the coppers, keys etc..

So I found the Xperia wifi and turned it on, connected to my router
(with great difficulty because stubby fingers and small buttons don't
really work).
Went to the apps store, found TuneIn and hit install. I then tried to
put in name and password for google, whereupon it said checking in with
Google, which failed as unable to get a reliable connection to the
server (the local wifi signal appeared to be solid).
So I tried to download the app via a PC, went through all sorts of slow
updates and installed Sony PC Companion, presumably over the usb link to
the PC. Then got to the download page , hit Install and the PC says that
no suitable device is connected. It just offers my Android Tablet (which
probably isn't suitable, isn't connected and is greyed out) and an
"unknown Generic" Device.

The instructions for this Xperia are pretty hopeless. I've just wasted
the whole afternoon on this.

Anybody have a clue about how to get this to install via the usb
connection?
--
Bill

Bill wrote:

thought I'd try TuneIn on the SonyXperia mini

If it's not been upgraded to android 4.0, I'd do that first (it is
available for that phone).

Then, make sure the phone is on WiFi (or you'll burn up your mobile credit)

on a PC, login to the same google account the phone is using, and visit
https://play.google.com/store/search?q=tunein&c=apps

when you click install, it should give you the option to send it to the
android device, wait a few seconds and job done.

"Bill" wrote in message
...
OK, so I read the thread on internet radio and thought I'd try TuneIn on
the SonyXperia mini that someone gave me because she hated it.

When I first got it I invested a fiver for Orsnge pay and go, tried it
once, thought what's the point and went back to my old cheapie clamshell
Nokia that sits in my pocket with the coppers, keys etc..

So I found the Xperia wifi and turned it on, connected to my router (with
great difficulty because stubby fingers and small buttons don't really
work).
Went to the apps store, found TuneIn and hit install. I then tried to put
in name and password for google, whereupon it said checking in with
Google, which failed as unable to get a reliable connection to the server
(the local wifi signal appeared to be solid).
So I tried to download the app via a PC, went through all sorts of slow
updates and installed Sony PC Companion, presumably over the usb link to
the PC. Then got to the download page , hit Install and the PC says that
no suitable device is connected. It just offers my Android Tablet (which
probably isn't suitable, isn't connected and is greyed out) and an
"unknown Generic" Device.

The instructions for this Xperia are pretty hopeless. I've just wasted the
whole afternoon on this.

Anybody have a clue about how to get this to install via the usb
connection?

First, check that the app's description on the web site to make sure it's
compatible with your phone. Some apps don't work with certain devices, or
older versions of Android. If that's the case, there will be plenty of other
radio apps that *will* work.

You should be able to plug the phone into the PC and open it as an external
hard drive. If you can, just drag and drop the .apk file for the app you
want to install, onto the phone. Then unplug the phone, use the file manager
to find the .apk file and open it. (You'll need to enable "install from
device storage" first, which should be under settings, security).

On 16/11/2012 20:41, Bill wrote:
OK, so I read the thread on internet radio and thought I'd try TuneIn on
the SonyXperia mini that someone gave me because she hated it.

When I first got it I invested a fiver for Orsnge pay and go, tried it
once, thought what's the point and went back to my old cheapie clamshell
Nokia that sits in my pocket with the coppers, keys etc..

So I found the Xperia wifi and turned it on, connected to my router
(with great difficulty because stubby fingers and small buttons don't
really work).
Went to the apps store, found TuneIn and hit install. I then tried to
put in name and password for google, whereupon it said checking in with
Google, which failed as unable to get a reliable connection to the
server (the local wifi signal appeared to be solid).
So I tried to download the app via a PC, went through all sorts of slow
updates and installed Sony PC Companion, presumably over the usb link to
the PC. Then got to the download page , hit Install and the PC says that
no suitable device is connected. It just offers my Android Tablet (which
probably isn't suitable, isn't connected and is greyed out) and an
"unknown Generic" Device.

It sounds like you need to resolve why the phone is not logging into the
google account for it. Once that works you can drive everything from the
PC - find it in the play store, click in install, and it will download
itself to the phone shortly after. Saves lots of fiddling with small
phones etc.



--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

In message , Andy
Burns writes
Bill wrote:

thought I'd try TuneIn on the SonyXperia mini

If it's not been upgraded to android 4.0, I'd do that first (it is
available for that phone).

I've looked at Google about that, and the first few hits say that
Android 4 can be installed, but many facilities stop working, eg camera.
I'm on the latest official update.

Then, make sure the phone is on WiFi (or you'll burn up your mobile credit)

It is on wifi and the connection seems to work, as it can download
updates

on a PC, login to the same google account the phone is using, and visit
https://play.google.com/store/search?q=tunein&c=apps

That is the page I've been on

when you click install, it should give you the option to send it to the
android device, wait a few seconds and job done.

It fails to see the phone. The connection seems to remember things the
PC has been connected to in the past, but the app checks that these are
not suitable and won't let me go any further, so I'm not offered the.apk
file.

The phone, connected through the usb, seems to be logged on to Google
successfully, but I need to check this further. I'm anxious to avoid
syncing GMail etc and flooding the phone with data.

That's where I am tonight. I'll get back onto this on Sunday.

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions.
--
Bill

On 17/11/2012 01:18, Bill wrote:
In message , Andy
Burns writes
Bill wrote:

thought I'd try TuneIn on the SonyXperia mini

If it's not been upgraded to android 4.0, I'd do that first (it is
available for that phone).

I've looked at Google about that, and the first few hits say that
Android 4 can be installed, but many facilities stop working, eg camera.
I'm on the latest official update.

Then, make sure the phone is on WiFi (or you'll burn up your mobile
credit)

It is on wifi and the connection seems to work, as it can download updates

on a PC, login to the same google account the phone is using, and visit
https://play.google.com/store/search?q=tunein&c=apps

That is the page I've been on

when you click install, it should give you the option to send it to
the android device, wait a few seconds and job done.

It fails to see the phone. The connection seems to remember things the
PC has been connected to in the past, but the app checks that these are
not suitable and won't let me go any further, so I'm not offered the.apk
file.

Check the account is setup on the phone. Touch the menu soft button
(bottom left), and select Settings. Then Accounts & Sync. Check you
google account is shown in the manage accounts section.

The phone, connected through the usb, seems to be logged on to Google
successfully, but I need to check this further. I'm anxious to avoid
syncing GMail etc and flooding the phone with data.

You don't have to setup gmail on the phone. You can also create a
totally separate google account to talk to the phone if you like.


That's where I am tonight. I'll get back onto this on Sunday.

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions.


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

Bill wrote:

It fails to see the phone. The connection seems to remember things the
PC has been connected to in the past, but the app checks that these are
not suitable and won't let me go any further, so I'm not offered the.apk
file.

You shouldn't need to touch an APK file directly, Google will tell the
phone to fetch it from them.

Are you sure the phone *is* logged into google, what if you use the
"play" app on the phone?

The phone, connected through the usb, seems to be logged on to Google
successfully, but I need to check this further.

Forget the USB, the phone will be logged into google via WiFi or 3G.

I'm anxious to avoid
syncing GMail etc and flooding the phone with data.

Letting it sync would prove it *is* logged into Google,
You can easily purge it again, but I doubt a few emails will kill it.

On Sat, 17 Nov 2012 01:18:50 +0000, Bill wrote:

It fails to see the phone. The connection seems to remember things the
PC has been connected to in the past, but the app checks that these are
not suitable and won't let me go any further, so I'm not offered the.apk
file.

The Sony PC Connection Suite is an absolute pile of steaming ****e. I
only install it for a couple of drivers and after that don't use it.
For phone-connected onscreen texting, I use MyPhoneExplorer, but when
downloading apps it simply works via wifi, quite seamlessly.

In message , John
Rumm writes
Check the account is setup on the phone. Touch the menu soft button
(bottom left), and select Settings.
Done
Then Accounts & Sync.
Done
Check you google account is shown in the manage accounts section.

The manage accounts is a narrow bar that doesn't respond when I touch
it.

This is where I get stuck. I then go to Add Account, and see Google on
the list. Select this and have to enter username and password and it
then says it can't connect with a reliable data connection to the Google
server.
See below - I have tried this with wifi off, so using the 3G connection,
with the same result.
I've tried this with either the default googlmail that it puts in after
the @ after my username, and also when I type in gmail there.

However, I did switch off the wifi and checked that bluetooth was also
off, then tried to install the TuneIn app, presumably using 3G, and this
time it worked without ant fuss at all.

Then I tried a few stations in the southern part of the USA. Bad idea on
a Sunday morning if you are not looking to be saved. They come in OK,
but for a random short time only. After this either the app just seems
to crash or it shows a small message where the name of the station
should be saying "Stream is Stopped". To read this i have to find my
glasses and then my magnifying glass.

If I then poke around at various virtual buttons, I sometimes get a
message to say that the system has deduced that I am connected by wifi,
and that I should connect using 3G to access services.

This morning, for example, I got approx 4 minutes before the silence,
rebooted, then 16 seconds, rebooted, then 20 minutes, then said "Can't
connect to stream", but there is a Play arrow to press, then it fills
the buffer and starts again. After this it has now run for another 40
minutes, with just occasional short buffering breaks.

It is probably me, but I'm deeply unimpressed. It is a small phone, but
I regularly hit the wrong button, I keep having to reach for the
magnifying glass and the display keeps switching off in spite of having
reset the display time in "Settings". Holding it and rubbing its tummy
with my thumb seems to keep the display on.

Streaming radio works fine here through the laptops.
--
Bill

On 18/11/2012 16:15, Bill wrote:
In message , John
Rumm writes
Check the account is setup on the phone. Touch the menu soft button
(bottom left), and select Settings.
Done
Then Accounts & Sync.
Done
Check you google account is shown in the manage accounts section.

The manage accounts is a narrow bar that doesn't respond when I touch it.

This is where I get stuck. I then go to Add Account, and see Google on
the list. Select this and have to enter username and password and it
then says it can't connect with a reliable data connection to the Google
server.

It sounds like you have alink reliability problem of some sort.

See below - I have tried this with wifi off, so using the 3G connection,
with the same result.
I've tried this with either the default googlmail that it puts in after
the @ after my username, and also when I type in gmail there.

However, I did switch off the wifi and checked that bluetooth was also
off, then tried to install the TuneIn app, presumably using 3G, and this
time it worked without ant fuss at all.

Then I tried a few stations in the southern part of the USA. Bad idea on
a Sunday morning if you are not looking to be saved. They come in OK,
but for a random short time only. After this either the app just seems
to crash or it shows a small message where the name of the station
should be saying "Stream is Stopped". To read this i have to find my
glasses and then my magnifying glass.

If I then poke around at various virtual buttons, I sometimes get a
message to say that the system has deduced that I am connected by wifi,
and that I should connect using 3G to access services.

It should be fine on WiFi...

This morning, for example, I got approx 4 minutes before the silence,
rebooted, then 16 seconds, rebooted, then 20 minutes, then said "Can't
connect to stream", but there is a Play arrow to press, then it fills
the buffer and starts again. After this it has now run for another 40
minutes, with just occasional short buffering breaks.

It sounds like for whatever reason you connection is actually dropping
packets or having other reliability problems.

Its possible that you have a genuine fault in either the phone or the
router.

I would be tempted to download a ping / tracert tool and check that you
are getting reliable throughput.

I have the "pro" version of that phone (i.e. with a slide out real
keyboard) and fine the WiFi etc is rock solid stable.

It is probably me, but I'm deeply unimpressed. It is a small phone, but
I regularly hit the wrong button, I keep having to reach for the

Yup small phones are nice for the pocket, but not so good for the eyes.
The real KB on mine makes it much more usable I find.

magnifying glass and the display keeps switching off in spite of having
reset the display time in "Settings". Holding it and rubbing its tummy
with my thumb seems to keep the display on.

Unless the app specifically turns the display off, then it should
default to the setting selected in the Settings-Didplay-Screen Timout
setting (the default is 30 secs)

Streaming radio works fine here through the laptops.

Out of curiosity, I just installed TuneIn. Seems to be doing its stuff
quite nicely here (which I am sure is little comfort, but at least
should tell you the phone can do it!)

(quite reasonable quality when you can find stations with higher bit
rates).

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/