Ok, I've figured out how to do just about everything I wanted to with my new v551. NO THANKS to the bloody manual! I posted to some groups about how to do the bluetooth thing, making mp3 ringtones, etc. Didn't get much help at all and these yahoos kept telling me to read the manual. Gimme a break! If it was in the manual I wouldn't have bother with digging through countless forums.. but I digress. I'm using a new v551 that I got about a week ago. I haven't figured out how to delete the video, photos, and demo game that come on it, but I can live with that. I also don't like the fact I accidently hit one of the web oriented selections every now and then, and even if I instantly cancel, it still shows some data transferred. I can probably live with that too. But it would be nice if I could lock those down and only use when necessary. Like I said, I've figured out the bluetooth stuff with my G5 Mac running Tiger 10.4.3 but I only see folders for audio, video, and photos. The voice recordings don't get stored there and I'd like to be able to retrieve them to my computer. There doesn't even seem to be a way to email them to myself. Anyone have a clue how to get these? Do you have to use a data cable? I read someone else was trying the same thing and still couldn't get to the voice recordings. Any help appreciated! Also, I've read much about flashing your phone etc. If mine is new, should I just not risk it? Seems like some have rendered their phones useless after this proceedure and I really don't want to take any chances. But if I did, besides the longer battery life.. I've read photo and video quality improves. Can anyone tell me exactly in what way the quality improves? More res? Faster? Sharper? Thanks, Skip Hunt
Voice Recordings: The voice records are .amr files and the only way to pull them off the phone is to send them as an SMS, then go to drafts if you saved it or in the sent folder -- meaning you'd have to compose the voice recording AS PART of a message initially. Winamp can play .amr files or just search google for a converter. You may be able to find the recordings in the /a/mobile/audio/vavr folder but I've never done it, so I'm not sure if you can pull em off. You wouldn't be using MPT to do that, you'd need a program like P2KMan which is used for editing seems and deleting hidden files on your fone. Regarding flashing...I have a RAZRV3, so my situation is a bit different than yours, but I've flashed my fone to enable video recording on it and it also added AOL and some other features. FLASHING can be dangerous if you stumble around on it. I killed my fone the first time I tried it, but luckily had made backups so I'm all good. If u already have video recording capability on v551, I'd say just stick to adding games and stuff, cuz the rest isn't worth the risk unless you're willing to really educate yerself. As far as battery life...our phones our different but I haven't noticed any change in that...battery savings are more easily accomplished by lowering backlight timings, deselecting screensaver usage, keeping bluetooth off until you need it (that's one of the biggest) and the like. For me, it was a must...I wanted video gall-durnit. I have used bluetooth with MPT and it's sketchy at best...if you plan to flash or even try to retrieve voice records, you'll wanna buy a cable. Luckily, on the RAZR I can use a standard USB mini cable which will charge and transfer data...the 551 will have a proprietary cable so if you're serious use that.
wow! thanks for all the good info. I didn't know about the energy savings related to having bluetooth on, backlight, etc. regarding the voice recordings... I don't see any way I can send a voice recording anywhere. I can only record it, then save it. If I play it, I can save or pause. If I hit the menu button while the voice recording is selected, I can either select NEW, LOCK, DELETE, DELETE ALL, and MEMORY. No way to send as part of a message. Maybe my fone is just different and I can't do anything with the file? Certainy there's a file there somewhere that could be retrieved, but I'm at a loss. I tried that directory address using bluetooth, and it just said "Bad Request". When I was screwing around with it the other night, I just hit the little folder icon in the bluetooth browser included in Mac OSX Tiger 10.4.3. I was just guessing at different paths and did end up retrieving other stuff that I didn't know what it was. So, I'm guessing that if I could find the exact path, it might just pull off those voice recordings. Thanks for all the great info though!
Glad it helped...we're all in undiscovered territory at SOME point, so I just like helpin folx the way I've been helped. I've actually cheered in my comp chair when I've gotten success at modding or whatevah that was facilitated by the help of others. (case in point when I kilt my fone and it would only flash the keypad for .5 secs before shuttin off LOL) Your thanks means a lot too, there are far too many that take and slink away into the darkness(hence the quote in my sig)...a nice thank you keeps those helping you in that vein. Actually, that's the thing that crax me most about this forum...VERY FEW ever say thanks...they take their ringtones/programs/advice and run away to the shadows...lol funny, maybe it's paranoia, maybe ignorance. Other places I go...peeps have a better understanding and know that thanking those who are contributing keeps the food coming...else it's famine time. Maybe it's like a man throwing meat to the starving...they're so hungry they forget their manners and just gobble away. Regarding voice msg... Message Center > New Multimedia Msg > push Insert button (for me it's right soft key) > voice record > hold voice recording key and then at the end u might be able to address it to your home email. (data charges might apply in this route) short of that, try saving that multimedia msg u just created as a draft and get yerself a cable use P2KMan and navigate to that folder I mentioned in my earlier post... Again, you're walkin on the moon here, I've never done it...but it shure looks good on paper, don't it?
Ok, you've been VERY helpful! I can't believe the difference in battery longevity by just turning off bluetooth, lowering the screen brightness, lowering the backlight to 20secs, and lowering the timeout to 1min. Seems like I've gained an exta day (at least) maybe more. Back to the audio... granted I have too much time on my hands ;-) but this is what I figured out. If I insert a voice recording into a multi-media message (as you instructed), and email it to myself... that works. File arrives as a .wav file. If I save that multi-media message, it gets stored to my audio folder and I can easily retrieve it with bluetooth on my Mac. That audio file is an .amr file that Quicktime Pro recognizes. I just compared the audio quality of the source .amr file with the emailed .wav file and the .amr is slightly better. Now, the only problem is that in order to save a multi-media message with my voice recording I MUST email it first before I get the option to save. If I could figure out how to save it without emailing it, I'd be set.
After you compose the message, but before you email it to yourself try to save the file as a DRAFT or if that option isn't available, say 'send later' or something...that should also put it in your phone folder without u having to email it to yourself. I haven't done it, but it makes sense. Also, when you get this squared..for the benefit of others, type up a quick reply on this thread enumerating the exact steps you took, and what folders you found the files in wouldya? I know we've gone over the info here, but that way someone has kind of a bulletproof guide to the retrieval of messages.
