Dell Streak Blog

FREE 50 GB of Online Storage

2012-02-27T15:07:00.004-06:00

The wave of future computing is portable and in the cloud. Since you are a proud owner of a Dell Streak tablet, you are already doing portable computing. Now it's time to get in the cloud, and you can do so for FREE.

Box is giving all Android user an opportunity to receive 50 GB of free online storage. All you have to do is sign up for an account. If you are already a user, then all you need to do is upgrade your account. This offer is only good until Friday, March 23rd, 2012, so act fast. Here is the Android Market link and an excerpt from the Android Market's description.

Box for Android and Android Tablet lets you view and share files from anywhere!Box provides simple, secure sharing from anywhere – letting you easily store files online, send big files quickly, access content from your Android phone or tablet, and collaborate with others. Now through Friday, March 23, 2012, log in to receive a free 50GB account upgrade! Box for Android lets you:

* Access, create and view content on your Android phone or tablet
* Upload multiple images, videos and files from the SD card
* Save files to your SD card for offline access
* Easily share files and folders with links
* Invite colleagues to shared folders and leave comments on files for them (note that you’ll need to grant permission for the app to access your contacts – we only use this permission to quickly retrieve email addresses when you want to invite collaborators, and we do NOT store any contact information on Box’s servers)
* Find content fast with built-in search
* Save files you edit or create in other Android apps to your Box account
* Add a widget to your home screen to see updates on files by colleagues

Streak 7 Battery Bug Workaround

2012-02-02T14:57:00.000-06:00

It is very well known that one of the draw backs of the Dell Streak 7 is its battery life. Apparently there is a bug that is preventing the Streak 7 from going into sleep mode. This bug lies in the Android's Radio Interface Layer (RIL). The RIL is the interface between Android's telephony service (android.telephony) and the Streak 7 radio hardware. The Streak 7 WIFI and 4g model contain a full RIL, and it is enabled. Because of this, the Streak 7 has problem going into sleep mode, even when the screen is off. The workaround to shut this down is to turn on the tablet's Airplane Mode.

This can be seen in the screen shots below. The first screen shot is from a tablet that has been running with Airplane Mode off for 1 full day. Notice that it shows this tablet has been idle for 36% and the Android System was active for 27%.

The second screen shot is from the same tablet running with Airplane Mode on. The tablet has been running for 2 1/2 days. Notice that this time around the tablet was also idled for 36%, but the Android System was active for only 3%.

Turning on the Airplane Mode will allow the Streak 7 to go to sleep and therefore extends its standby time. With Airplane Mode on, you can still turn on WIFI or Bluetooth and use these services.

This workaround has been verified with the Streak 7 WIFI model. Of course, turning Airplane Mode on will shut down the 4g modem for the Streak 7 4g model. Since we do not have access to a Streak 7 4g model, we cannot verify if turning on Airplane Mode will extend its standby time or not. So if any of our readers who have a Streak 7 4g and would like to verify this for us, we would greatly appreciate it.

Streak 7 refurbished at Dell Outlet for $169

2012-01-23T09:59:00.000-06:00

Dell is selling customer returned Streak 7 on its Outlet site as refurbished merchandise. If you act fast, you can grab a Dell Streak 7 refurbished for as low as $169 USD.

Though the Streak 7 has its flaws and limitations, this price is unbeatable for an entry level tablet with a NVDIA Tegra 2 processor. A couple of months ago, this tablet was selling for $350 USD. Click this link to take you to the Dell Outlet.

http://www.dell.com/us/dfh/p/tablet-pcs-mobile-devices.aspx?~ck=anav&~ck=mn

Dell To Launch A Windows 8 Tablet?

2012-01-16T00:48:00.000-06:00

When Dell discontinued the Streak and the Streak 7 in 2011 and then only launched the Streak 10 in China, many were beginning to count down the knockout count. But hold the count, the fight is not over. Reuters published an exclusive and revealed that Dell is planning to re-enter the consumer market with a new tablet in the third quarter of this year. "You will see us enter this market in a bigger way toward the end of the year," said Dell's chief commercial officer, Steve Felice. Though Felice did not divulge what OS this new tablet will have, he did have this to say about Windows 8. "There hasn't been a lot of advancement and it's given Microsoft a good window to come into the market with Windows 8. I like the touch Windows 8 feature."

You can read more of the Reuters' article here.

New Patch To Fix Docking Bug

2012-01-12T09:54:00.002-06:00

Many who uses the Streak 7 with the dock and updated to Honeycomb was hit with a bug. This bug muted the output sound, making the dock un-usable. There are some work-around to remedy the problem, but no fix was available until now. Dell has just release a fix for it, but did not advertise it nor did they push it out as an Over The Air Update. Only those who complained to Dell support with this problem was directed to this patch.

Do you need this patch if you do not use the dock? Well, that is really up to you. But we suggest that you should install this update to patch this bug because any bug fix is good. And who knows, maybe you might pick up a dock in the future and will need this patch. Furthermore, Dell may have patched other issues that have been causing the Streak 7 to reset itself at least once or twice a month.

We have put together a step by step instructions to walk you through installing this update. While this is a patch to a bug, it is an update package and will wipe all the System partition on your Streak 7. So be sure to backup everything before you begin.

*NOTE: Follow these instructions at your own risk, Dell Streak Blog and anyone associated with Dell Streak Blog cannot be held responsible for damages to your Dell Streak 7.

Preparation:

BACKUP all important data on your internal SD card. This update WILL wipe all the System files, but it will NOT wipe the data partition of the internal SD card. Even so, please backup your data to be safe.
All downloaded apps WILL be wiped, so backup your apps before doing the update, and be prepared to re-install them after the update.
After the update, Honeycomb will require you to setup the tablet to run for the first time. So be prepare to enter your Google account information.
This update is NOT officially released for the T-Mobile Streak 7 model, but it is available for the unlock 4g model.
Battery MUST be charged to 60% or above.

Part 1: Download the Update

Download the update below:

Part 2: Install the Update Package

The update package should be saved or copied to an external SD card in the main directory (not in a folder or sub-folder).
Rename this package to "update.pkg".
Make sure the tablet is turned OFF. Insert the SD card into the SD card slot of the Streak 7.

Boot to the Android System Recovery Utility: press and hold the volume + button and the power button, hold both button down until the configuration menu appears on the screen (see picture below).

Press the Volume + button to move up the menu or the Volume - button to move down the menu to select option 2. Software upgrade via update.pkg on SD card, and press the power button to confirm the selection.

On the next screen, press the power button to confirm and start upgrading the software package.

Wait for the tablet to load the update and restart.

Do not touch anything until the tablet restart to the Honeycomb lock screen (pictured below).

Udated Streak 7 Manual & Quick Start Guide With Honeycomb

2012-01-04T20:18:00.000-06:00

For those of you who bought the Streak 7 before the Honeycomb 3.2 update, you have in your possession an out of date Manual & Quick Start Guide. If you are wondering if Dell would release an updated manual with a guide to Honeycomb 3.2 or not, well yes they did.

You can download them for yourself straight from Dell's Support Site, or below.

*NOTE: Only the Wi-Fi model has been updated with Honeycomb 3.2.

Manuals

Dell™ Streak 7

	PDF
Quick Start Guide (T-Mobile)	View	Download
Quick Start Guide (Wi-Fi)	View	Download
User's Manual (T-Mobile)	View	Download
User's Manual (Wi-Fi) (Unlocked)	View	Download

Dell Released Official Gingerbread Update For Streak 5

2011-12-22T15:11:00.003-06:00

To everyone's amazement, Dell has just released the Gingerbread update for their discontinued Streak 5. This is an official build from Dell: version 407, build #20707. This build comes with Dell Stage 1.5 and Swype 2.27.69.19339. This is like an early Christmas present for all of you Dell Streak owners out there. Happy updating!

Follow these instruction to get yours updated.

*NOTE: Follow these instructions at your own risk, Dell Streak Blog and anyone associated with Dell Streak Blog cannot be held responsible for damages to your Dell Streak 5.

Update Instructions:

Backup all import data on your phone.
Flash the recovery image of version 350 (if you are not on version 350).

Download the recovery image of version 350 onto your SD Card and rename it "update.pkg".
Turn off phone.
Hold down the volume down + volume up + power button until black menu appear.
When the white screen appear, select the 2nd option: "Software upgrade via Update.pkg on SD Card."
Let it flash the recovery image until it is finished

Download the Gingerbread update package onto your SD Card and rename it "update.pkg".
Turn off phone and follow sub-step 3-5 of step 2 above.

Streak 7 Thanksgiving Deal!

2011-11-23T12:00:00.001-06:00

Do you love your Dell Streak 7? Do you wish all your love ones can have one also? Well Best Buy has an unbeatable deal for you on Thanksgiving day this year. This deal is online only, so get those nimble fingers ready when the clock stride 12 am Thursday morning. The Streak 7 will make an excellent stocking stuffer, don't you think? Follow this link to Best Buy for more details & deals.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Misc/Black-Friday-Cyber-Monday/pcmcat225600050002.c?id=pcmcat225600050002&

Cool Games For The Honeycomb Streak 7

2011-11-18T19:21:00.001-06:00

Admit it. You didn't buy the Dell Streak 7 just to surf the net or to read your email. With the NVIDIA Tegra 2 underneath the hood, you bought it to play game! Not just any game, but games that takes advantage of the monster underneath. Therefore each week we will feature a game that will run well with the new Honeycomb update. Check back frequently at this post to see our pick and to give your opinion.

To start off this week, our pick is:

The game features three unique pinball tables - Wild West, The Deep, and Jungle Style - each with its own genre and mission system. Pinball HD will change your concept of Pinball. You'll be stunned by the degree of realism. This is a REAL Pinball simulator with stunning 3D graphics, with or without 3D glasses.

You can grab it from the Android Market here.

How To: Setup Yahoo! Mail On Your Streak 7

2011-11-01T00:51:00.000-05:00

The Streak 7 is perfect for reading email, but it is frustrating when you cannot setup your Yahoo! Mail to be read on the Streak 7. Its time to cast your frustration away because getting Yahoo! Mail on the Streak 7 is easy. Just follow our guide below.

Step 1: Get the IMAP settings from Yahoo!

These are the settings that you will need when you click on the link above.

To set up IMAP on your mobile device please use these settings:

Incoming Server - imap.mail.yahoo.com

Outgoing Server - smtp.mail.yahoo.com

Incoming Port - 993 (requires SSL)

Outgoing Port - 465 (requires SSL/TLS)

Username: full email address (for example, bill@yahoo.com or bill@rocketmail.com)

Password: the password you login to Yahoo! with.

Step 2: Open the Settings app and choose "Accounts & sync" and then choose "+Add account" on the top right corner.

Step 3: Fill in your complete Yahoo! email address and password, then choose the "Manual setup" option.

Step 4: Set the followings for the Incoming Server, and then choose Next.

IMAP server: imap.mail.yahoo.com
Security type: SSL
port: 993

Step 5: Set the followings for the Outgoing Server, and then choose Next.

SMTP server: smtp.mail.yahoo.com
Security type: SSL
Port: 465
check the "Require sign-in" option.

Step 6: Set the Account Options to your liking and then choose Next.

Step 7: Give this account a name and set the name you want to be displayed on the outgoing message and you are done. Congratulation! Now choose Next to get out.

Step 8: Run the Mail app to check your mail. If you have more than one mail account setup, just choose the drop down menu to select your Yahoo! Mail account and your mail will be downloaded to your Streak 7.

News: Netflix Now Available On Honeycomb

2011-10-19T18:02:00.000-05:00

Those of you who have been down in the dump because the Dell Streak 7 Honeycomb update causes your Netflix application to force closed will appreciate this announcement. Yes folks, Netflix just updated their application to be compatible with Honeycomb, ver. 1.5.0. The application went live on the Android Market today. Now you can kick back and enjoy a movie after a hard day of work. Here's the Android Market link for the Netflix app.

About This App

Updated: October 19, 2011
Current Version: 1.5.0
Requires Android: 2.2 and up

Description

Supports Android 2.2, 2.3, and 3.x in the USA, Canada, and Latin America. Download the free Netflix app to instantly watch TV shows & movies streaming from Netflix.

• It's part of your Netflix unlimited membership. Not a Netflix member? Start your FREE trial today.
• Watch as often as you want.
• Resume watching where you left off on your TV or computer.
• Browse movies and manage your instant Queue right from your phone or tablet.

Netflix playback is supported on Android 2.2, 2.3, and 3.x devices.

Tips: How To Get A Quick GPS Lock

2011-10-19T00:58:00.001-05:00

One of the major benefits of having a 7 inch tablet running an Android operating system is the free Google Maps and Navigation application. If you have not discover it, the Dell Streak 7 is a perfect GPS device. And Google gives it all away for free! What more can you ask for? You get free maps along with Text-To-Speech navigation. However, if you have been using your Streak 7 as a GPS system, you may be disappointed by the long wait for it to get a GPS lock after a hard boot. Some have complained that it took them 15 to 20 minutes before they can get a satellite lock. This is unacceptable, and there is a way to remedy this.

Before we show you what to do, you need to understand the technical aspect of the matter. In addition to the stand alone GPS chip in the Streak 7, Android also utilizes an Assisted-GPS (aGPS or A-GPS) system. A Standalone GPS system needs orbital information of the satellites to calculate the current position. The data rate of the satellite signal is only 50 b/s, so downloading orbital information like ephemeris and almanac directly from satellites typically takes a long time. In A-GPS, the Network Operator deploys an A-GPS server. These A-GPS servers download the orbital information from the satellite and store it in the database. An A-GPS capable device can connect to these servers and download this information using Mobile Network radio bearers such as GSM, CDMA, WCDMA, LTE or even using other wireless radio bearers such as WIFI. The data rate of these bearers is high, hence downloading orbital information takes less time.

In the case of the Wi-Fi Streak 7, a Wi-Fi connection is needed to quickly get the ephemeris information (orbital information) from the A-GPS server. So if you are having to wait a long time to get a GPS lock when you use Google Maps or Navigation, connect to a nearest Wi-Fi network and you will get an instant GPS lock. Try it out for yourself, and happy driving!

Streak 7 4G Unofficial Honeycomb Update

2011-10-12T10:07:00.000-05:00

A few days ago we reported to you that Dell will not be updating the T-Mobile 4G Streak 7, and we told you that as soon as we hear anything from the developer's community, we will sure to let you know. Well here is the news. An unbranded Honeycomb update for the 4G Dell Streak 7 has surfaced. Since it is not made specific for the T-Mobile brand, you cannot update it through the auto update route. This update has to be loaded manually. The update package is posted by TheManii over at xdadevelopers. Use this link to go to his post and download the "update.pkg for US 4G" under the Method One instruction.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1286295

After you have download this package, follow our step by step instruction to manually install this update package.

http://streakblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/how-to-update-to-honeycomb-32.html

Those of you who have Clockwork Mod installed on your Dell Steak 7 should follow Method Two of TheManii's post.

Happy updating and please comment to let us know how it goes.

Skype Working On DS7 After Honeycomb Update

2011-10-10T23:46:00.000-05:00

One of the most disappointing aspect of the Streak 7 under Froyo 2.2 was the video conference option. There was none. How could Dell put out a tablet that has both front and back cameras but did not offered any video conferencing software? No one can answer this question. It is one of those mysterious phenomenon that came straight out of Roswell. And to make matter worst, Skype did not work either!

Well, all is forgiven now after the Honeycomb 3.2 update. We are happy to break the news to you that Skype is fully functional on the Streak 7. Yes you read it right, "fully functional," meaning both front and back cameras are working right after install, no rooting, no hacking required. You can even switch between the two cameras! Checkout our photos below.

Skype is available in the Android Market. Call quality depends on your internet speed. After you have install it on your Streak 7, please give us feedback on your experience and call quality below.

Dell: T-Mobile Streak 7 Not Getting Honeycomb

2011-10-07T20:09:00.000-05:00

In the excitement of the Honeycomb 3.2 update being released for the Dell Streak 7 in the European Union and the United State, many have speculated that the T-Mobile version will get an update today. However, to the disappointment of many, this morning David Chen from Dell wrote on their blog confirming that the T-Mobile version will not get the Honeycomb update.

New factory builds of unlocked and Wi-Fi only Streak 7 devices will have Honeycomb pre-installed, beginning this fall. Unfortunately, Dell will not be offering the update for customers locked to T-Mobile in the U.S. With each software update, the requirements for offering the update vary by carrier, region and device, and Dell has decided to not offer this update to T-Mobile customers in the United States.

Source: Android 3.2 (Honeycomb) Update to Dell Streak 7

Though this might be a big let down to many, rest assured that there will be developers out there already working to remedy this shortcoming. As soon as we at Dell Streak Blog hear anything from the developer's community we will be sure to post it here.

Android 3.0 Preview

How To Update To Honeycomb 3.2

2011-10-06T00:44:00.000-05:00

After months of speculations and waiting for Dell to release the official Streak 7 Honeycomb upgrade, it has now arrived.

BACKUP all important data on your internal SD card. This update WILL wipe all the System files of Android 2.2.x, but it will NOT wipe the data partition of the internal SD card. Even so, please backup your data to be safe.
All downloaded apps WILL be wiped, so backup your apps before doing the update, and be prepared to re-install them after the update.
In order to update to Honeycomb 3.2, your Streak 7 MUST be running Stock Rom Android 2.2.x.
After the update, Honeycomb will require you to setup the tablet to run for the first time. So be prepare to enter your Google account information.
This update is NOT intended for the T-Mobile Streak 7 model.
Battery MUST be charged to 60% or above.

Part 1: Download the Honeycomb 3.2 Update

Touch the app menu to bring up the application listing and touch on Settings.
Scroll down to the last selection and touch About Device.
Within the About Device sub-menu, touch on the Software Update (the first selection).
The web browser will open the Dell Update page, it should look like the image above. Scroll down to the bottom and touch the red button labeled "Download and Install."
Download and save the file "LG7-WiFi_506_19534_30.pkg" to an external SD card.

Note: if following the above steps does not lead to the Dell Update page, or if the Dell update page say that there is no update available, use the links below to download (using Chrome or IE9) the update package to a computer and then save it to an SD card.

       USA Wifi model
   EU 3g model
   EU Wifi model

Part 2: Install the Honeycomb 3.2 Update

The update file "LG7-WiFi_506_19534_30.pkg" should be saved or copied to an external SD card in the main directory (not in a folder or sub-folder).
Rename this file to "update.pkg".
Make sure the tablet is turned OFF. Insert the SD card into the SD card slot of the Streak 7.

Boot to the Android System Recovery Utility: press and hold the volume + button and the power button, hold both button down until the configuration menu appears on the screen (see picture below).

Press the Volume + button to move up the menu or the Volume - button to move down the menu to select option 2. Software upgrade via update.pkg on SD card, and press the power button to confirm the selection.
On the next screen, press the power button to confirm and start upgrading the software package.
Wait for the tablet to load the update and restart. Do not touch anything until the tablet restart to the Honeycomb lock screen (pictured below).

ENJOY HONEYCOMB 3.2!