Samsung F210 mp3 player can't read ID3 tags

Love the F210, but the MP3 player didn't recognize album or artist for most of the songs that I brought over from Lisa's iTunes.

After some research, mp3tag seemed the best option and least likely to contain malware. This forum thread seems to go over lots of different types of mp3 tag problems and their solutions: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/w7itpromedia/thread/0b284232-aaf4-4cd8-8fee-91b46e9acbd9

And here's where mp3tag comes from: http://www.mp3tag.de/en/

The most likely culprit seemed to be which ID3 tag format was being used (particularly since some files worked and some didn't. There is apparently an ID3v1 and an ID3v2, files can have either or both, and they're different enough from each other to be incompatible for some players.

Here's a different product that had changing the tag version built into its front panel: http://www.maniactools.com/soft/mp3tag/copy-id3v1-to-id3v2-or-id3v2-to-id3v1.shtml

Here's how to do it in mp3tag. The key is to set the tag save type in Options, then save the tags. In practice, it is often necessary to fiddle with the tags before they will be saved. Also, the default settings for the files on my little micro-SD card seems to have been "Read Only", so saving may not have been having an effect at first (although I didn't get any feedback saying that there was a problem). http://forums.mp3tag.de/lofiversion/index.php/t6727.html

So, it turns out that the version that I needed was version 2.3! There's also a version 2.4 and maybe other later ones. The plain version 2 or maybe it's version 2.2 could not be read by the F210. Most of the tags in Lisa's iTunes were 2.2, and many were noted by mp3tag as "Bad 2.2". There are also apparently three different flavors of 2.3, UTF-8, UTF-16, and ISO something. The player didn't seem to care between UTF-16 and ISO.

This forum thread had the 2.3 answer, but it was buried under a bunch of distracting stuff about FLAC version tags: http://androidforums.com/samsung-captivate/139592-samsung-player-doesnt-recognize-my-music-tags.html

This is just an interesting forum thread by a guy who tried a bunch of stuff to fix a problem only slightly related to mine: http://forums.mp3tag.de/lofiversion/index.php/t12455.html

Samsung F210 case and headphone adapter

Accessories found for the F210.

Cases:

I can't seem to find the original case that I bought 5 years ago that has the nice snap. They all have magnetic clasps, oh well. Interestingly, there are plenty of open plastic holsters on the market still.

Bought this: http://www.amazon.com/Fashionable-Vertical-Protective-Carrying-T-mobile/dp/B002Q44UTK/ref=sr_1_37?s=wireless&ie=UTF8&qid=1347037813&sr=1-37&keywords=samsung+juke

This looks pretty ugly but strong: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Samsung-SCH-U470-Juke-Black-Stitch-Pouch-/270701790340?pt=PDA_Accessories&hash=item3f07158484

This is cheap and the right design but brown: http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Brown-Leather-Pouch-SCH-U470/dp/B0013ALA64/ref=pd_cp_cps_0 Note Samsung part number WT17200000156

Here it is in black but for $20. Note also has a Samsung part number too http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Black-Leather-Pouch-SCH-U470/dp/B0011WEOFS/ref=sr_1_10?s=wireless&ie=UTF8&qid=1347120604&sr=1-10&keywords=Samsung+u470+leather

Here's a nice one that I'll probably buy: http://www.daydeal.com/product.php?productid=20657

Headphone adapters:

The F210 strangely does not have a headphone jack. You have to plug into the multifunction jack at the bottom.

bought this, looks like it's OEM: http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-SCH-R410-SPH-M310-SGH-T339-AAET503CBEBSTD/dp/B002MUUNEE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347121303&sr=8-1&keywords=samsung+audio+adapter Update: The company that sent this did not send the part shown. Consequently, it does not fit into the recessed hole at the bottom of the phone. I could probably make it fit by filing away some of the plastic on the connector body.

bought this, it was cheap: http://www.amazon.com/SAMSUNG-ADAPTER-ETERNITY-BEHOLD-BLACKJACK/dp/B001KYJ80I/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1347121303&sr=8-2&keywords=samsung+audio+adapter Update: In retrospect, this one screamed incompatible but I didn't see it. Due to the recessed hole at the bottom of the phone, the body of the "Micro USB" connector on this one is too bulky. Some of my chargers have the same problem; clearly some phones including my Juke don't have any problem with the size of the backshell part of the connector.

didn't buy this, because it was a horrific $4 (and it didn't have my exact model in the list of phones it was compatible with, although how different could it be). Looks pretty good really: http://www.amazon.com/Hands-Free-Highlight-Eternity-Impression-Comeback/dp/B002S5R4IG/ref=pd_luc_sbs_02_04_t_lh

Update 1: Now I'm looking for a way to plug in a standard cell wired headset, the 2.5mm kind.

There's this one, which is an OEM breakout box for the connector. It seems to have 2 types of headphone jacks and one extender connector for the MicroUSB, a fact which frustrates customers wanting to use the data port and charge at the same time: http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Multi-Adapter-2-5mm-AAET554CBE/dp/B002OT3RB4/ref=sr_1_54?ie=UTF8&qid=1348456185&sr=8-54&keywords=samsung+2.5mm+adapter. Note that the Samsung part number is AAET554CBE

The picture on this one looks to be OEM, but given how I got screwed ordering the 3.5mm, can I trust it? http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-i617-S20Pin-2-5mm-Adapter/dp/B001GV0CPA/ref=pd_cp_e_2

Here's another one. It doesn't show my phone model#, and some other reviewer said that certain adapters are not compatible with each other so maybe this one won't work: http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-SGH-T349-SGH-T749-SGH-T559-SGH-T469/dp/B002N8J89G/ref=pd_cp_e_1

AT and T Cell phone voicemail over land line

The answer is so simple; I wonder if this would also work for the Verizon phone as well. In short, just hit * during the outgoing message and it will then ask for the voicemail passcode. Here is where I found this on a forum:

http://forums.att.com/t5/Voice-Mail/Is-there-a-central-number-to-call-for-at-amp-t-voicemail-access/td-p/1553946

Here is an interesting alternative suggestion which I didn't get around to trying:

https://www.customerservice.att.com/assistance/faq/qa.jsp?faqCategoryId=local_accessvm_faq