Thursday, February 28, 2013

UNO Kindle Fire Edition - Keeps crashing when not connected to wi-fi

Date: 03/01/13

Gameloft's UNO Kindle Fire Edition (some version before 3.7.1)

I've gotten the same exact bug for 3 weeks in a row with Gameloft's UNO for the Kindle Fire.

Figure that I might as well write it down.

Here's what I keep seeing: on the weekends, my Kindle Fire will usually get connected to Wi-Fi.  During the rest of the week, it is not connect.

When it is not connected to Wi-Fi, if I launch Gameloft's UNO for the Kindle Fire, I am presented with a message that says:

"Download must be performed through a Wi-Fi connection and we did not detect any connection activated.  Do you want to configure your Wi-Fi connection now?"

If I select "Yes" to this prompt, the Kindle Fire throws up an error prompt of, "The application Settings (process.com.android.settings) has stopped unexpectedly.  Please try again."

No matter how many times I select this "Yes" prompt, I keep getting this crash.

It wouldn't matter that much, except the game also presents me with a "Later" prompt.  If I select "Later" - it just dumps me out of the application without warning.

I've gotten this now multiple times.  And the weird thing is, if I manually go into the Kindle Fire's setting screen (even though there's no wi-fi to be found around me) the crash will stop happening. 

Slightly curious.

Repro Steps for what I have been seeing:

1.  Go some place and have your Kindle Fire auto-connect to one of it's trusted wi-fi networks
2.  Go some place else out of wi-fi range of a trusted network
3.  Launch Gameloft's UNO for the Kindle Fire
4.  Note the "(process com.android.settings) crash

Result:  While not connected to wi-fi, Gameloft's UNO for the Kindle Fire app will continually crash,after I select "Yes" to an in-game connect to wi-fi settings prompt

Expected:  No crash from selecting "Yes" to an in-game connect to wi-fi settings prompt that's present by the UNO for Kindle Fire application

NOTE:  Please see attached screenshots.

I am not connected to wi-fi.  I launch UNO on the Kindle Fire.

I see a prompt like the one above.  I select "Yes" to this prompt....

I get this error message, ten for ten, until I manually go into the Kindle Fire settings screen. 






Saturday, February 23, 2013

Pinterest on the Kindle Fire: App displays an error message from "+" searches


Date: 2/23/13

Pinterest Kindle Fire App (version 1.3.3)

Description:

There’s a minor problem with the Pinterest app on the Kindle Fire.

If you run a search for the “+” character, the user is presented with an ambiguous error message.

An error message titled “Sorry” appears, along with the text, “Something went wrong on our end.”

Steps to reproduce:

1.     Download the Pinterest app on a Kindle Fire
2.     Log into your Pinterest account (it’s not just for girls, really)
3.     Run a search for the “+” character

Result:  The PInterest Kindle Fire app displays an error message if the user searches for the “+” character

Expected:  No error message from running searches for the “+” character on the Kindle Fire 

Note:  This also happens over at their website.


Searches for the "+" character bring up this error message.  

Saturday, February 16, 2013

AmazonFresh on the Kindle Fire: Certain characters from the Fire keyboard won't display properly in the app.

Date: 02/16/13

I've been playing around a bit with the AmazonFresh App on the Kindle Fire.  

I've specifically been playing around with the search option that AmazonFresh uses.  I've found one bug that i've already written down.

I've found another bug related to search.  I've taken a couple photographs of this issue, so if you're interested you can stop reading now and just scroll down to the photos.

If you're still reading, i'll describe the issue.  It's a very minor problem, but it's interesting.  The Kindle Fire keyboard has a variety of different characters that can be activated.  Characters like the symbol for pi

AmazonFresh has a search box that allows the user to enter in terms that they want to search for.  If you enter in any search term into this box, your searches are then saved and displayed inside of the app on a page called the "Quicklist".

The problem is that the AmazonFresh app won't properly display some of these symbols.  This means that if you search for something exotic like the pi symbol, and then look at what you've searched for inside of the app, you won't see a correct rendering of the symbol.

Steps to reproduce this problem:

1.  Download AmazonFresh on a Kindle Fire and create an account
2.  Use the search function of the app to search for an exotic character from the Kindle Fire keyboard
3.  Head to the Quicklist area and scan your own search history

Result:  Certain characters that are selectable from the Kindle Fire keyboard are not being displayed correctly from within the app

Expected:  If a character's available from the Kindle Fire keyboard, I expect that the character will be displayed correctly from within the AmazonFresh App

Note:  I know it's a bit of a long shot, but it's conceivable that an average human being would run across this bug.  There is a Pizza Pi in Seattle, for example.

Launch AmazonFresh on the Kindle Fire, create an account.

After entering the app, click on the magnifying glass in the upper right.

Select an exotic character like the check mark or the pi symbol from the Kindle Fire keyboard.

Here I am, searching for this check mark character.

When I go back to the "Quicklist" area, you can see that my search history does not properly display characters such as the check mark.  Look at the character directly underneath, "Or search for items one at a time:", that is what the check mark looks like in search history. 





Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Temple Run 2 for the Kindle Fire - easy way to freeze the game!



Date: 02/05/13

Found a relatively easy way to freeze up Temple Run 2 on the Kindle Fire.

If you haven’t downloaded Temple Run 2 yet, you should.

That said, I can’t help but play around with a game as I try it out.  I somehow managed to get this crash during the normal course of errant button mashing.  After a few minutes, I managed to determine an easy way to freeze the game.

This bug is much easier to show than to describe, so please just stop reading and take a look at the attached screenshots.  Please note:  This bug was discovered with the Kindle Fire NOT connected to wi-fi.

Here’s the basics of the bug:  After the character dies, there is a time when a “Save Me!” prompt is on screen.  If the user avoids hitting the “Save Me!” prompt, and instead toggles the bottom right area of the screen where the pause option is usually located, the user will be able to drag the “NEW GAME” prompt into the next menu.

If the user selects “No” from this incorrectly misplaced “NEW GAME” menu and then begins a new game via the menu option, the game will freeze.

The user will be stuck looking at a shadowy outline of their character standing in the tunnel that is at the start of the game.

I’ve now hit this bug 10 for 10 times.

It takes a little practice and finger dexterity, but it is completely reproducible.  Words are stupid things, so please just take a look at the attached screenshots.

Steps to Reproduce:


1.        Begin a game of Temple Run 2 on the Kindle Fire (while not connected to Wi-Fi)
2.       Allow the red haired guy to die
3.       During the “Save Me!” prompt, tap the bottom right corner of the screen twice
4.       The “NEW GAME” prompt will be now on screen, on the “End of the road…” screen
5.       Select “NO” from the “NEW GAME” prompt
6.       Select “MENU”
7.       Select “PLAY”

Result:  Easy way to freeze Temple Run 2 on the Kindle Fire – user is easily able to drag the “NEW GAME” prompt post-game menu screen.  If user declines “NEW GAME” prompt then starts a new game, the game will freeze on the opening sequence.  User will be stuck staring at a shadowy outline of the main character in a tunnel!

Expected:  I am guessing that the user shouldn’t be able to drag the “NEW GAME” prompt into subsequent menus.  Game shouldn’t freeze from this problem.



 Note:  Like I said, this one's a doozy, so please just take a look at the attached screenshots.

Start Temple Run 2 on the Kindle Fire.  Allow your character to die.  Keep your eyes peeled on the area where the pause option is.....


After your character dies, there's the "Save Me!" prompt.  If you tap the area of the screen where there is usually a pause menu, you'll be able to activate a "NEW GAME" option.  Allow this "NEW GAME" option to remain on the screen as the "Save Me!" prompt counts down...

The "NEW GAME" prompt will be now on a screen like this.  Select "No" from the "NEW GAME" option...

After selecting "No" from the "NEW GAME" menu, select "MENU" from this screen....

Select "PLAY".....


The game is frozen.  Completely frozen.  No way to start the game.  I've gotten this bug ten times in a row.


Additional note: I don't think that i've gotten the update yet so this could already be fixed!  If you're interested, there's also a video of this bug that i've posted on YouTube.

Saturday, February 2, 2013

AmazonFresh bug: Searching for "+" results in a very confusing error message


Date: 02/03/13

Minor bug with the AmazonFresh app on the Kindle Fire.

If the user runs a search for the “+” character on the Kindle Fire, an ambiguous error message is returned.

The error message is, “Problem with returning search results for customer [A25]7910QHBMPS”.

This bug is easier to show than it is to describe, so please see the attached screenshots.

Steps to Reproduce:

1.     Launch the AmazonFresh app on the Kindle Fire
2.     Select the magnifying glass in the upper right hand corner of the screen
3.     Run a search for the “+” character

Result:  Running a search for the “+” character on the AmazonFresh app results in an ambiguous error message

Expected:  No ambiguous error messages from running searches for the “+” character on the AmazonFresh app while on a Kindle Fire

Download then the launch the AmazonFresh app on a Kindle Fire.

Select the magnifying glass in the upper right hand corner of the screen.

Run a search for the "+" character.