Domain: bitpim.org
Stories and comments across the archive that link to bitpim.org.
Comments · 29
-
Re:BooHoo
Pretty much any phone these days comes with Bluetooth, and if you have Bluetooth, you can use Bitpim.
-
Re:This is pretty cool...
Have you tried BitPim?
-
Re:That's the magic of DRM.
you ever try bitpim?
-
Re:Very confusing
BitPim lists the VX9900 (enV) as supported, but I haven't had enough time lately to really get into trying it out. If you run across something that works better let me know.
-
Re:No need for a pledge
You might want to check ebay for a USB cable for your phone--I've gotten several cables over the years and don't think I've ever paid more than about $5 (shipping included). Then you can use software like Bitpim (http://www.bitpim.org/)--just make sure it supports your phone.
-
I thought they already did?
VerizonWireless already is open -- as is Sprint's -- between each other's devices. I only found out this one when I inquired about why my phone sometimes kicks me off my web connection (it's because Verizon 'partners' with other carriers (re:Sprint) to provide service at the tower) and the other carriers (re:Sprint) don't pass my packets on. It seems to me it's still kind of a little secret, as most of the people I tell are surprised by this fact (including current Verizon employees).
CDMA is the dirty word here. Many of the posts have acknowledged this fact so I won't go there, but to say that my son's MP3 phone was really a WMA phone until I got inside it and fixed it http://www.bitpim.org/. -
Re:uh ohhhhh
That's not really correct, I'm afraid. Probably you have your V635 configured to map itself in as a USB drive (Connections menu, I think.) Now, that's a nice feature, and I wish mine worked that way, but it doesn't. I suspect that Windows would handle your phone just fine: protocol drivers are built-in for that. Same ones any thumb drive would use. Windows has traditionally had a wider range of USB support than Linux anyway, even if it still isn't all that reliable.
The vast majority of phones, if they can talk to a PC at all, use a proprietary interface protocol of some kind. Mine has an interface port (not USB) but didn't come with a cable so I had to buy a converter cable to plug into my USB port. I use the free, open-source. cross-platform BitPim application to access the few features that Sprint lets me use.
The only crippleware here is the firmware in the damn phone itself. -
Re:I never knew copyright law was THIS brokenEven if the phone itself is capable of playing any old mp3 as a ringtone, Verizon specifically disables this so you have to buy ringtones through their service. Well, they don't make it easy, but you can still put your own ringtones on. All you have to do is get a USB cable for the phone and download BitPim, which can easily manage ringtones and/or directly edit the filesystem for most VZW phones.
If you don't want to do that, you can even email the ringtones to your phone (your 10 digit number @vzwpix.com), although MP3s will be converted to QCP in the process and lose some quality, and you'll be charged 25c for the message unless you have a picture messaging plan. -
Re:Free phones
funny... i made my own ringtones and play them on my new chocolate just fine. use bitpim and it works just fine. you just need a USB cable to connect your phone to your computer.
-
Re:Stupidest lawsuit everVerizon cripples the Bluetooth on all its phones so you can only use them with earpieces and not to transfer files. Why don't they have to have a warning label on every phone they sell? Which phone do you own?
-
Re:An Explanation
1. They'd need to do a total network overhaul
2. I use this piece of software to take care of the phonebook thing. -
Re:It's the carriers
You pay for your ringtones?
I purchased a USB Data Cable from eBay (about $7 including shipping) and then downloaded BitPIM ( http://www.bitpim.org/ ). The cable connects my phone to my PC. BitPIM then reads my phone's data and can upload MP3 files to it for me to use as ringtones. Since phones have a limited amount of storage and you don't need a high bitrate for ringtones, I use Audacity to reduce the bitrate of the ringtone before I upload it to my phone.
My current default ringtone is the entire Muppet Show theme. I'm thinking of using the AT&T Labs Text-To-Speech website ( http://www.research.att.com/~ttsweb/tts/demo.php ) to generate some spoken ringtones. (e.g. "Incoming Communication. Caller Identified As Beth.") -
Re:soution: bitpim
-
Re:soution: bitpim
-
soution: bitpimBitPim will gladly backup your phone. Its also free, open source, GPL software. Might not support All phones, but its support list is quite long. Works great with my old Sanyo 4900...
Tm
-
Re:ContractsWrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong...
Far be it from me to be a VZW fanboy, but there a couple of quick solutions that spring to mind to get around the supposed Verizon "lock-in":- Get a Windows Mobile Smartphone/PPC (can you say Activesync? I knew you could).
- As mentioned numerous other times, if your phone is supported, download BitPim. I used it, with nary a hitch, for a couple of years before changing over to a Motorola Q.
-
Re:ContractsI agree that Verizon is pretty tight-assed about syncing, but it's trivial to drop MP3's onto the microSD for a number of their phones to be able to play music - my kids decided to go this route instead of having an ipod and a phone in their pockets.
For manipulating ringtones etc, use bitpim and you can create your own custom for many different phones.
-
Re:GSM or CDMA? Which carriers?Sounds like you might be interested in BitPim. From the BitPim website:
BitPim is a program that allows you to view and manipulate data on many CDMA phones from LG, Samsung, Sanyo and other manufacturers. This includes the PhoneBook, Calendar, WallPapers, RingTones (functionality varies by phone) and the Filesystem for most Qualcomm CDMA chipset based phones.
-
Re:Not perfect enough yet...
If you buy anything more expensive, because of the extra features, the only way you can use those features is to pay big bucks for them from the cellular provider's store.
My phone came out at a little over $300. When I purchased it 3 months later it cost $140. Now they are even cheaper, and are still VERY gadgety and desirable. Also notice that those prices are WITHOUT signing a 1-3 year contract.
MP3 players on cellphones are useless for this reason: you have to buy all the MP3s from the cellphone provider, instead of just loading your own. Even with the camera phones, you're not allowed to copy any pictures using a USB cable because the provider has locked that out, and wants to force you to use airtime to email them to yourself.
Download BitPim. It allows you to move pictures/video/contact list/SMS Messages/and other content to and from your phone. Also, my Verizon LG the V has software with its 24 dollar music package (basically a plug and drivers) that lets you put your own songs on there as long as it is in the supported formats (i know .mp3 is one of them), not to mention you have to buy the plug anyway to move your files. -
Re:Another Stupid Headline
Can I transfer them over for free? My experience with VZW tells me that I probably can't
my VZW LG vx8100 also unlocks mp3 with "menu 0000", and has a miny SD card, either a SD card reader, and the adapter that comes with most minysd cards to dump mp3's, or the USB adapter, and the free bitpim
you can solder this connection and add this card or
maybe I was just lucky, I bought a phone from ebay, pulled the cdma card located under the battery (pops right out) shoved it into the new phone (pops right in), then started calling. -
Re:I wonder why not?
For example, I guarantee that if you had bought that K750i through Verizon that the ability to use recorded sounds as a ringtone -- or indeed get them from any other source but VCast -- would have been disabled.
I would have to agree, I use Verizon now, and previously I had been on Tmobile. Verizon to me seemed very much more directed at controlling what one can/can't do with their phone. For instance having to purchase a service just to be able to sync the phonebook to your computer, uhh no thanks. Thankfully BitPim took care of the sync and data limitations (allows one to sync and download ringtones, wallpapers, etc), and HowardForums exists, which informed me how to get the more unusual stuff working (transferring DVD movies to the phone and such). Those two things vastly improved my experience with my current Verizon phone.
Sad thing is when people complain about how the phones in Japan and such are so much better, the issue is not technology or the phone itself, its that our telco's here won't market any phone they can't use to extort money with (via content and/or airtime charges). Blocking bluetooth data because one can circumvent their data/airtime charges when near a LAN, ringtone downloads (with "use" limits), charging to send AND receive txt messages (typically fractions of a kB in size), charging retarded fees per kB of data, or my Verizon favorite - charging per minute when using a web browser even if its not transferring data (!) - all a bunch of subtle or not so subtle methods of extorting cash. The telco's in this country suck, so I highly recommend everybody to: get BitPim and read the forums (because you know THE MAN hates it when people know that stuff)
-
BitPim
The software you are looking for is Bitpim. It syncs your phone up with your computer using USB. Check the website for a list of supported phones and providers.
Next, you need a modem driver for your phone. I've gotten internet access by using my cell phone as a "modem" on Sprint with the $10 Vision plan. You need to find the appropriate driver for your model of phone- I've gotten it to work with both my old Samsung A600 and my newer Sanyo VI-2300.
-
SprintPCS for me
I've always used SprintPCS for data. Pricing seems to be the most fair of any provider and they are always on the leading edge of high speed wireless.
From the SprintPCS site for their Power Vision phones:
Phone as Modem Capable
Use the included USB cable or Bluetooth Wireless technology to connect to a PC allowing Internet and email access.
It seems that SprintPCS is more open to everyone using their phones for Internet Access. A friend of mine purchased a Verizon phone and couldn't use the dialup feature without upping the per month pricing significantly (at least $59.99 versus Sprint's $39.99 unlimited plan). Even on my older SprintPCS phone I never had problems using at as a modem.
The Bitpim project works to provide syncronization with all BREW based phones via Bluetooth or USB cable. Bitpim supports more sync features on some phone models than others. For Windows, there is commercial full sync software for pretty much any BREW phone.
Initially Verizon had better and higher speed coverage than SprintPCS, but it appears that SprintPCS has overtaking them. According to the April 24, 2006 Infoworld, it states that Sprint's coverage is 219 major metro markets and 470 airports. It lists Verizon's coverage at 180 major metro areas. -
Offtopic
Hey, if you're looking for good cross-platform interface software, check out http://bitpim.org/. If your phone is supported, it'll run on your mac.
-
Re:An iTunes phone would be great...
While I have a similar ringtone for a similar reason (beyonce, naughty girl) I sure as hell didn't pay for it. I made the ringtone myself using the qualcom tools and uploaded it via the data cable that I got off ebay for $6 bucks. It doesn't work with every phone of course, but bitpim is your friend if you have a CDMA phone. Oh, and this is directly modifying the phones filesystem so it could break your phone irreversibly, but I'd still rather take that chance than pay what the carriers want for them.
-
Re:Ringtones are one of the dumbest things to pay
I don't pay for mine.
I've got an LG VX4600, one of these, BitPim and a collection of MP3s.
I've also used it to remove the "Verizon Wireless" banner from the phone and to upload and download photos/images. -
Re:Purchasing Ringtones?
Here's one bitpim
-
Re:Purchasing Ringtones?
-
Re:Cell phone SDKs - Samsung protocols
The protocols for phonebook, calendar, and todo reading and writing are known for a number of Samsung phones. Samsung uses ASCII AT commands for these. The BitPim project is currently adding phonebook, calendar, wallpaper and ringer support for several Samsung phones. The A500 likely has a similar protocol to other Samsung phones. You can see some notes on Samsung AT commands in the file samsungnotes.txt in the BitPim CVS.