Beginners Japanese Phrases App for Android
Using Japanese Phrases app on the smaller HTC Tattoo [240x320]
This is basically my review/comment on the app page at The Japanese Page website: http://thejapanesepage.com/android
There is a list of phones the app is suitable included at the page as well if you're interested. The easiest way to get this app is to download the trial via the store at the website and then buy the serial number to fully activate it after your 5 tries are up, rather than trying to find it in the Market.
Before I start the HTC Tattoo comments I'd just like to say that I like this app and think it’s worth buying even with the issues you have to deal with when using the smaller Tattoo mobile phone.
The sound files work great and you get a ton of information to learn/review including quizzes. Lots of fun to mess about with too if you’re bored, or stuck in the car, or just can’t be bothered to move and put the computer on!
It’s really easy to install too, just use your phone browser to go to TheJapanShop.com and choose Software > Android Apps, from the left hand menu, then click on the product for further details, the direct link is: http://www.thejapanshop.com/product.php?productid=17678&cat=386&page=1 Once on this page click the Japanese Phrases Android APK file link and your phone will download it directly. When the file downloads just click on the listing in the notification bar at the top of your phone [drag it down to view list], it will install and away you go. I think you could also go into Manage Apps and do it from there, but I did it this way.
Please note that these are just some comments from my use of the app so far and it’s not a comprehensive review, if someone wants to do one I’d read it :) Also, there’s every chance I’m missing something, or not using a feature entirely correctly, if that’s the case feel free to comment.
-First of all, you currently can’t rotate the app, it won’t go into landscape mode if you turn the phone like it will when typing a text message. The developer is going to see if it’s feasible/possible to add this at some point and maybe that and possibly allowing you to shrink down and/or remove the static menu buttons at the bottom of the page would resolve the issues for smaller phones, or maybe a slideshow feature? I really don’t know.
-Some text is going to be squished up a bit, the worst of this is the front page where several of the titles overlap and repeat, but they’re still clickable/readable and it doesn’t look too bad. The other place it’s really noticeable is in the Study Cards Category, it adds in a little scroll bar for up and down within the card, but you can’t go side to side, so far I haven’t missed/lost anything, it’s just squished up a bit. It squishes in the quizzes too for the phrases, but I’ve only looked at a few of those and they were still readable and doable.
-The last item in the category lists is hidden by the static menu buttons that are placed across the bottom of the page, but if you use the circle navigation button on the Tattoo you can click down and select the hidden item [press the middle of the circle to select].
-Flash cards are probably best ignored, use the Study Cards instead. Each Flash Card has two pages/sides which you can flick between, but you can’t move on to the next Flash Card as you can’t get to the back/forward buttons at the bottom of the page as they are blocked/covered by the static menu buttons and you can’t scroll down to get to them.
-Once inside a category > sub category you can turn the pages by tapping the screen, but you can’t go back over, only forward.
-Be careful pressing the sound files play button on the screen as it’s right above the ‘More…’ static menu button and it’s easy to catch that instead, as again you can’t scroll down to see the back/next buttons.
-Left and right on the Tattoo’s navigation circle doesn’t turn pages, at least not inside the categories.
-On a final note as this bares repeating don’t forget you can’t see the last item in the category lists especially when you’re downloading the files, if you forget you’ll miss some, so use that navigation circle.
Also:
-you can't add things into the Study Bank directly from a card you have to go into the Chapter list and tick the item from there.
-You can't use the email feature as it's in the bar with the back/forward buttons which are blocked by the static menu.
-Search feature's not working for me.
I know it sounds like a lot of issues for the smaller phone, but there's still a lot you can learn from this app even if you can't use some of the bells and whistles :)
This is basically my review/comment on the app page at The Japanese Page website: http://thejapanesepage.com/android
There is a list of phones the app is suitable included at the page as well if you're interested. The easiest way to get this app is to download the trial via the store at the website and then buy the serial number to fully activate it after your 5 tries are up, rather than trying to find it in the Market.
Before I start the HTC Tattoo comments I'd just like to say that I like this app and think it’s worth buying even with the issues you have to deal with when using the smaller Tattoo mobile phone.
The sound files work great and you get a ton of information to learn/review including quizzes. Lots of fun to mess about with too if you’re bored, or stuck in the car, or just can’t be bothered to move and put the computer on!
It’s really easy to install too, just use your phone browser to go to TheJapanShop.com and choose Software > Android Apps, from the left hand menu, then click on the product for further details, the direct link is: http://www.thejapanshop.com/product.php?productid=17678&cat=386&page=1 Once on this page click the Japanese Phrases Android APK file link and your phone will download it directly. When the file downloads just click on the listing in the notification bar at the top of your phone [drag it down to view list], it will install and away you go. I think you could also go into Manage Apps and do it from there, but I did it this way.
Please note that these are just some comments from my use of the app so far and it’s not a comprehensive review, if someone wants to do one I’d read it :) Also, there’s every chance I’m missing something, or not using a feature entirely correctly, if that’s the case feel free to comment.
-First of all, you currently can’t rotate the app, it won’t go into landscape mode if you turn the phone like it will when typing a text message. The developer is going to see if it’s feasible/possible to add this at some point and maybe that and possibly allowing you to shrink down and/or remove the static menu buttons at the bottom of the page would resolve the issues for smaller phones, or maybe a slideshow feature? I really don’t know.
-Some text is going to be squished up a bit, the worst of this is the front page where several of the titles overlap and repeat, but they’re still clickable/readable and it doesn’t look too bad. The other place it’s really noticeable is in the Study Cards Category, it adds in a little scroll bar for up and down within the card, but you can’t go side to side, so far I haven’t missed/lost anything, it’s just squished up a bit. It squishes in the quizzes too for the phrases, but I’ve only looked at a few of those and they were still readable and doable.
-The last item in the category lists is hidden by the static menu buttons that are placed across the bottom of the page, but if you use the circle navigation button on the Tattoo you can click down and select the hidden item [press the middle of the circle to select].
-Flash cards are probably best ignored, use the Study Cards instead. Each Flash Card has two pages/sides which you can flick between, but you can’t move on to the next Flash Card as you can’t get to the back/forward buttons at the bottom of the page as they are blocked/covered by the static menu buttons and you can’t scroll down to get to them.
-Once inside a category > sub category you can turn the pages by tapping the screen, but you can’t go back over, only forward.
-Be careful pressing the sound files play button on the screen as it’s right above the ‘More…’ static menu button and it’s easy to catch that instead, as again you can’t scroll down to see the back/next buttons.
-Left and right on the Tattoo’s navigation circle doesn’t turn pages, at least not inside the categories.
-On a final note as this bares repeating don’t forget you can’t see the last item in the category lists especially when you’re downloading the files, if you forget you’ll miss some, so use that navigation circle.
Also:
-you can't add things into the Study Bank directly from a card you have to go into the Chapter list and tick the item from there.
-You can't use the email feature as it's in the bar with the back/forward buttons which are blocked by the static menu.
-Search feature's not working for me.
I know it sounds like a lot of issues for the smaller phone, but there's still a lot you can learn from this app even if you can't use some of the bells and whistles :)