text:
Guitar recording on Android?
I've tried to plug my electric guitar into Toshiba Thrive tablet and record some music using the default Sound Recorder app.
I found that the tablet recorded sounds as if the guitar is not attached to the tablet, there was a lot of noise and the guitar sound was not clear.
When I plug my guitar to the sound card of the PC the sound produced is similar to what I hear when I plug the guitar to a real guitar amplifier; the sound is "clean". I expected the same when plugging into the tablet.
Is there a method to achieve the same clean sound on my Android tablet?

The info I'm finding suggests that you need a 4-ring TRRS connector to use a mic, and that the bundled Sound Recorder app will ignore this regardless and just use the internal mic, so you'll need a different recording app.

This is correct... You need another app, which can record from an external microphone/input... Look in this thread where you can find a link to one of those apps...
http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/19368/how-do-i-use-a-external-microphone-with-my-galaxy-nexus


text:
What happened to Lenovo LePhone? Is it on the market? Was it released?
I found a lot of adds, comparisons, and presentations of Lenovo LePhone, mostly from January 2010, but on earth I cannot find any store where to buy it! Was it released at last?

It was released, but only in China:

In May 2010, the company launched its 2,899-yuan LePhone, which China Unicom sold 145,000 units after hitting the market, to compete with Apple's 4,999-yuan iPhone4.

OMG, why only in China???

Only Lenovo can answer that.

source: Stack Exchange

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

sort: votes


text:
How do I install live wallpapers I get from outside the android market?
I have downloaded lots of Live wall papers from Android market.They work like charm.
I was trying to figure out a way to install Third party  live wall papers (Non-Android Market Specific) on my Samsung ACE 5830 Phone. Is this possible?

Check if on your phone you have the following option: Menu -> Settings -> Applications -> Unknown sources.  Make sure it's checked to allow non-Market installs.
On older (and newer) Android OS versions this option could be under a different menu, or be absent altogether because some carriers disable this it.
Once the option is enabled and you have some Live Wallpapers downloaded from elsewhere, you should be able to side-load them.  Just copy the APK file to your SD Card, then use any one of the free file browser apps from Market to "launch" the APK from the SD Card.  This should invoke Android's built-in package installer and complete the installation.

IS there a way to move any other live wallpapers from my PC to the Samsung Phone

I'll edit my answer with instructions.

all_licenses: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/


text:
Is there any way to disable the camera beep when I start recording video?
I have an Xperia Ray mobile phone and I wanted to get one of those spy camera applications so as to film undetected.
I tried a couple and the best so far were Ninja Cam and Hidden Mobile Camera. However, all of them have one problem: when I turn out the camera there is a beep (regardless if the sound is off or on).
Is there any app that doesn't have this problem? Alternatively, is there any other way I can delete that sound? I don't really need it anyway.

It may be worth noting that disabling the camera sound can be illegal in some jurisdictions. I know in the US it can vary by state, but this can fall afoul of concealed recording laws since a phone is not considered an obvious recording device in many cases, whereas an actual camera typically needs no sound since it is considered unconcealed. Note that I'm not taking a stance on these laws either way, but if you're uncomfortable with taking that risk then you may want to look up your local laws.

There are several "silent cameras" available on google play, as e.g. Silent Camera and Silent Camera (and many more) for photos. I remember there was some settings app to completely silence the camera (regardless of the camera app used), but I currently cannot find it.


text:
Google maps wants a login now? Is there a way around this?
I've managed to get away with running my Galaxy S without every hooking it up to a Gmail account, but sometime in the last couple of weeks (I think following an OS update from Sprint) Maps started objecting that I'm not logged in.
It's a little unnerving -- why do I need to be logged in to search for an address?
I'd love any suggestions for getting around this. Happy to root my phone. I've got OSM installed, but it doesn't do address searches unless I'm missing something.

If you can find the APK somewhere you could try downgrading Maps.  I think you should be able to just install it over top without rooting.

If you find yourself hampered by Google's requirements, you can just set up a bogus GMail account that you don't use for anything else and will only be associated with your device without containing any of your personal information.

Your three options are probably:

Downgrade Maps
Use the browser-based Google maps (perhaps in incognito mode if you're paranoid)
Use some other map application

Regarding OSM, I think they don't have an official app, so you could also try to use an app that uses their data. The OSM web site allows address searches, so that may just not be implemented in the app you're using. There's a bunch of OSM compatible apps and their features listed here.

I'd been using Osmdroid, which really doesn't work that well, but I finally started testing OsmAnd, which works great. I got it here: http://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdfilter=osmand&fdid=net.osmand.plus&fdpage=1


text:
move micro SD card to another phone
I have recently moved all my applications from my Samsung ACE 5830 to Micro SD card.
As a next step i am trying to figure out move all my phon esettings to the SD card.
In short, what i am looking at is :
1)I want everything to be stored on the Micro SD card.
2) When i buy a new Samsung or any other Android phone, I just move the Micro SD card to new phone and it should behave like my old phone  with aal its settings and applications intact.
Is this possible?

As far as I know there's no way of doing this directly.  However you have a few options:

Enable Google's backup (Settings -> Privacy). It will sync your settings and app list to the cloud, as well as any app data for apps that support it.
If you're rooted, use Titanium Backup.  It can save all your apps and data, and you could put the backup on your SD card.  You won't want to restore the data for system apps between two different phones though, since they're unlikely to be entirely compatible.


text:
3G icon won't change with Miui themes
I recently upgraded my HTC Incredible's Miui ROM version from 11.20 to 20.21 - I flashed the zip from CWM recovery, wiped cache, and wiped dalvik cache. When it booted up the first time everything was great...but after a restart I noticed the 3G icon/indicator in the status bar had changed from the white-themed, stylized 'Miui look' to the Android stock green look. This change seems to have taken place only in the status bar, not in the notification shade.
For example, here is status bar in its normal state now after the ROM update. It's showing the green stock Android 3G icon that I do not like:

But when I pull the shade down I see the 3G icon that I do like, the icon that was also showing in the status bar before the change (inverted in color, of course):

I tried reinstalling the ROM update (wiped both caches again) but it hasn't changed back. I also tried using Miui's theme engine to reskin the status bar to no avail. The visual discontinuity is small but annoying - how can I get the proper icon back to the status bar? I'd like to avoid a factory reset if possible.
Edit
I've determined that the icon I'm seeing is in fact the stock 3G icon, the one that would display in a Miui ROM without any themes. What I'm looking for is the icon to change when I apply a new theme in Miui, which it is not. Just like in my pictures, though, it is only the 3G icon in the status bar, not in the status bar when the shade is drawn.

I guess they might have forgotten to change the icon in the framework-res.apk file or something of that nature. You'd need to pull /system/framework/framework-res.apk and extract it to check the drawables.

I'm assuming this means using adb? I'm a little ashamed to admit I've never given it a try - can you point me in the right direction?

If you've got a file explorer that works with root permissions you could just copy it on to your SD card, then move that over to your computer. Otherwise you can try the CyanogenMod wiki's instructions for setting up the SDK/adb: http://wiki.cyanogenmod.com/wiki/Howto:_Install_the_Android_SDK#OS_Specific_Instructions (I think you can ignore the JDK stuff at the top of the page, you shouldn't need it just for adb).

Finally got a chance to dig into framework-res.apk - I found drawables for lots of things (including 4G data icons) but not 3G. Interestingly, I've noticed that while the icons I see in this apk are always the same, even after I change the theme and status bar icons change change in the UI. I'm updating my question to reflect what I've found. Any ideas?

Only other thing I can think of is to maybe check the drawables in /system/app/SystemUI.apk (assuming that exists, I think it should on MIUI). I thought the status bar stuff usually lived in framework-res.apk, but I could be mistaken. Beyond that I'm at a loss for ideas :-/


text:
Picture always appears on Facebook as "on line"
My picture is constantly being displayed as "on line" in Facebook even when I am not.  I have completely uninstalled the Facebook app from my Droid 3 and all related apps yet my picture continues to show me as available on Facebook through mobile.  How can I get my picture off.  I am already "off line" on the actual Facebook program - I can't see anyone, but everyone can still see me.  Please help...

What do you mean by your "picture"?

What I mean by "my picture" is my Facebook picture is always there on the left side showing that I am on line to my friends which I am usually not even on line.  Even after I click the "stay off line" button so that I should not show on Facebook as being on line - the picture remains showing me available by mobile.  I do not have my phone associated with my Facebook account.

Blame Facebook, not Android! :C

Log out from Facebook app and Facebook messenger app before uninstalling them. I also had similar problem with early version of Facebook messenger.
Also in my case when my friends tried to send me message the chat box had info saying "Message will be sent to Mobile device" or something like this.

What I mean by "my picture" is my Facebook picture is always there on the left side showing that I am on line to my friends which I am usually not even on line.  Even after I click the "stay off line" button so that I should not show on Facebook as being on line - the picture remains showing me available by mobile.  I do not have my phone associated with my Facebook account.

As to the other answer - you must mean that I now have to re-install the Facebook app on my phone so that I may log out before uninstalling it ??  The app has already been uninstalled along with everything I could possibly find on my phone that even remotely could have a connection to Facebook.  I am not sure if you mean for me to re-install it so that I can "log out" and then uninstall the app ??

Yes, I understood what you meant by picture. If I were you I'd try re-installing and logging out. That's what worked for me.

Didn't work !!  I reinstalled it - logged out of Facebook on the computer - then logged out of Facebook on the phone - then uninstalled it from the phone.   My picture is still there!!  Now What ??


text:
What does Hot Boot mean?
In Miui ROMs, there are four options for rebooting a phone from the power menu:

What does "Hot Boot" mean, technically speaking? Are there any circumstances where a hot boot could cause harm? Are there any reasons for choosing to hot boot at all?

If it works like other "hot boot" apps and functions, then it basically restarts the Android GUI processes/threads. There was an XDA news post a while back after someone made an app for it where the app author described it as such:

Hot reboot by rebooting only the graphical Android shell.

From what I know it's sort of equivalent to restarting your X server in a Linux environment (like hitting CTRL + ALT + BACKSPACE, for example). I would definitely doubt that you'd cause any damage by restarting your graphical environment, especially considering other OSes do this pretty easily, but I suppose there's an outside chance if MIUI implements it strangely.
Typically the reason people use a "hot boot" option is if the UI has somehow gotten sluggish and would benefit from a restart but they want to save time by not restarting the whole system (maybe a memory leak in the UI or something of that sort). It could also be useful if you need to restart the UI to apply some sort of change, like a theme perhaps.


text:
move .apk files to Nokia 6303
I have downloaded many Live wall papers on my Samsung Galaxy ACE 5830 Phone .
1) Is there a way to move the these to Nokia 6303 Phone
2) how can i install .APK files on the same Nokia Phone from my PC.

The Nokia 6303 is not an Android phone. You can't use the live wallpapers or .apk files from your Glaxy Ace on the 6303 unless you've somehow managed to install Android on it (which, since you did not specifically note that you did, I assume you have not).

@indeevar: If you find answers to your questions helpful, you can consider accepting them, so that others will know that you found a solution.

You can't.. Nokia dosen't run Android, and you can only use a apk file on Android devices..
So you need to buy an android phone...
Sorry...


text:
Is it possible to force a link to actually become a hyperlink in SMS?
Is there a way to easily send a link to someone that uses a non-standard domain extension .me. When I send it, my phone and their phone doesn't auto-linkify it because it doesn't use a common extension. Whenever I've sent links with .com before they automatically become links, but using my .me domain it appears it gets ignored, even when it has the full http:// in front of it. Is it possible to identify that part of a message as a hyperlink/URL when sending the message, so it gets shown as a link to the person on the receiving end?

The "linkification" is actually handled by the SMS application on the device, not by anything within the message. If their device is not changing it to a link, then the device is not parsing the links correctly for all top level domains. There is nothing you can do about it really. The only thing that I could think of around this is to use some link shorter that will show as a clickable link and send those, but that is a lot more work because now you need to generate the shortened link first.


text:
Where does Google Music store the “offline tracks”?

Possible Duplicate:
Where does Google Music store offline songs?

I have about 8 gigs of music stored within Google Music, and I recently got sick of streaming (and risking data charges), so I painstakingly allowed it to be stored offline. So my fresh 16 gig SD card now only had 8 gigs left. Then, I flashed a new rom, thinking that all my music would still be there cached (or however it works), but I was wrong. When I click "show offline tracks only" within the Google Music app, it shows nothing, yet my SD card still only has 8 gigs of space left.
So, my question is, where are these offline tracks stored on my SD card so I can go in and delete them, to free up space so I can back them all up again?
Thanks!
And also, why won't the app recognize that there is offline music stored on my SD card after a new rom is flashed? I figured that data would be untouched across roms.

Your songs should get saved to /sdcard/Android/data/com.google.android.music/cache/music.
The reason they don't appear when you install a new ROM is because the folder they're stored in contains a .nomedia file, which excludes it from the media scanner. Google Music is able to keep track of them because it puts entries into its database (which is at /data/data/com.google.android.music/databases/music.db) which point to the file. Specifically, anything in the MUSIC table with a LocalCopyType value of 200 is a song on Google's servers which you've downloaded so it will be "available offline". This disappears if you wipe your /data partition when flashing a new ROM. If you have a sqlite3 binary on your device you can use the following to get a list of all songs that are available offline:
# sqlite3 /data/data/com.google.android.music/databases/music.db
sqlite> select * from music where localcopytype = 200;

If you want to have your music stored locally across ROM installs, the easiest thing to do is just to create a folder at the root of your SD card named Music (or similar) and put the files in it. The media scanner will pick it up that way. Alternatively, you can try removing the .nomedia file from the Google Music cache folder. That should allow it be scanned, too, but I don't know if Google Music will try to re-create the file on subsequent launches of the app.

Okay thanks. But when I wipe /data does it delete the actual files I've downloaded or just the pointers to them? I just don't want unaccessible songs taking up precious space haha

@roboguy12: No, it only wipes the app's database, and therefore all of its entries. The files themselves are on the SD card in the folder I noted above. You can simply delete them with a file explorer or from your computer by plugging in your phone and accessing it as a USB storage device.

The only problem is when I go into /sdcard/Android/data/com.google.android.music/cache/music, the only files that are in there are the 4 most recent songs I've listened to, not my entire 8 gig library.

@roboguy12: That's strange, I've never seen them stored anywhere else. What version of Google Music do you have and what kind of phone is it?

It's a Droid Incredible, running a stock 2.3.7 rom...the app is Music v4.1.512. And just to test it out, I went into the app and checked a few random songs to be available offline to try to find them on the SD card and they weren't in cache/music...nor could I find them anywhere on the SD Card.

@roboguy12: Well, I guess one way to figure out what it's doing would be to query the music database. It stores the path to the file as one of the columns in the MUSIC table, so the query I noted above should show you where they are. That's how I found the folder on my device initially.

This might be grounds for a different question, but I "adb shell" and then run that command and it says sqlite3: not found. What does this mean? If I should start another question, I can and then I'll post the link to that one here so you can answer it if you want.

Your ROM probably doesn't have the sqlite3 binary. SuperOneClick has a copy (in the "Dependencies" folder). You could push it onto your device with adb to use it (this Stack Overflow answer has some instructions)

Depending on your device and app version it might also be /data/data/com.google.android.music/files/music/.
This, of course, is secure storage and only accessible to app itself. On an non-rooted phone that is.

Does "secure storage" mean that on an unrooted device the folder is visible, but the contents unreadable? I have quite a few music files stored offline, but Astro File Manager reports these folders as "EMPTY" even with "Show hidden files" enabled.


text:
Move angry birds progress from one device to another (cross-platform)
I was playing angry birds on iPhone, now I am selling my iPhone 3GS on ebay because I got an android (galaxy nexus).
Is there any way to transfer progress in the game over to new phone?  I like the game but I don't think I could really be bothered playing all again up to where I was at..

Well half of this at least is more of an iOS question. Can you access the save file on the iPhone in any way? If not then the Android half (getting it onto the right spot on the new device) is kind of moot.

I'm not sure but the game does sync scores and achievements to some server - so I thought that data may also be accessible from android version.

I found this thread on xda-developers. If you have jail broken iPhone and rooted Android phone, you can transfer your progress.
Basically you have to copy two files, highscores.lua and settings.lua from /private/var/mobile/Applications/(very long string)/Documents from iPhone and replace them on Android phone in /data/data/com.rovio.angrybirds/files/. You also have to fix permission and make sure you've completed at least 1 level in Android phone before replacing the two files.
If you trust yourself you can also use programs like Angry birds unlock all level in Android and unlock only up to the level you've completed in iPhone. But you won't have exact score and hidden star collections. So though little troublesome the earlier way might be what you want.

No. There is no guarantee that the information is stored in the same format between multiple platforms. But also there isn't a way to browse the data files on ios or access the file system. Unless you are rooted, I don't think you have access to where the data files are stored on android either. Either way, you are sort of stuck.
The game data is stored locally on the devices, not on a remote server. They should store it on a server, especially now that the game is available to play on both Google+ and Facebook as well as the mobile devices.


text:
Connecting Samsung Galaxy Note to TV
I'd like to know what options there are for playing a movie on the Galaxy Note on my TV. The TV is a relatively recent Sony Bravia that sadly appears not to support DLNA. I gather the Galaxy Note doesn't support HDMI - so are there any other options?

Nowadays there is a plethora of methods to connect a smartphone to a SmartTV.
The following methods can be used:
Option 1 – Using HDTV Adapter
This is the certainly most preferred method, considering the fact that Samsung has dropped support for MHL wired cables (from Note 5, if not mistaken- however MHL is a cheaper method for older devices).
Usage

Connect one end of a universal HDMI cable into the HDTV Adapter.
Connect the other end to the HDMI port on your TV. If your TV has multiple HDMI ports you may use any of the ports. Ensure your TV input settings have the right HDMI port selected. See your TV owner's manual to get more information. (On most TVs you can select HDMI input by pressing the Source button on your remote control and then selecting HDMI 1 or HDMI 2 from the on-screen menu).

Note: Universal HDMI cables are sold separately.

Connect your Travel Charger to the HDTV Adapter.
Connect your Travel Charger to an approved power source.
Connect the HDTV Adapter connector into the Power/Accessory Interface port on your device. This is the same port you normally use to connect your Travel Charger. The TV screen will instantly display what is on your device Home screen.

Note: most digital rights management-protected content cannot be displayed using the HDTV Adapter. Please ensure the HDTV is compatible with viewing videos or other media stored on your phone using the HDTV Adapter. Refer to your TV owner's manual for correct HDMI settings. Your HDTV may not display an image when connecting the HDTV Adapter to a desktop dock.

Option 2 – Miracast
This option allows you to mirror any screen on your device wirelessly.
1.If you do not have a smart TV that supports Miracast, purchase one of the following items, and connect it to an available HDMI port on your TV.

Amazon Fire TV box or TV Stick
Roku 4, 3, or Streaming Stick
Miracast Video Adapter
Samsung Smart TV with Miracast support
Any other device that supports Miracast and connects to your TV

Usage
Requirements

An Android phone that is compatible with the Miracast Technology and
most android versions from 4.2 and above are Miracast or Wireless
Display enabled.
TV compatible with the Miracast Technology and yes, most of the
latest Television arrives with a Miracast enabled.
Firstly, turn on your TV and change or leave the display to “input mode”
Now, with your Android phone, goto Settings >> Display >> Cast screen
Select “Enable Wireless Display”
Wait for it to search and detect the TV Miracast screen, which when detected,   it will show it on your phone’s cast screen.
When it has displayed the TV Miracast on your phone is to select it and your    android device screen will then start displaying on your TV screen

Option 3 - Cable connection
TVs, monitors and projectors that support the standard HD resolution have at     least one special HDMI port which also provides power; all you need to do is  pick up a microUSB to HDMI (passive MHL) cable and plug it in. ( i.e from android phone to TV)
 - You can plug the MHL/HDMI cable directly to ports and start enjoying movies without need to copy them with a flash stick.

This method is a cheap, convinient for older devices

Option 4 -DLNA (with wired or wireless LAN)
Uses a similar method to miracast, but has slightly different requirements;

Android DLNA app ( choose one from playstore)
The TV is already  DLNA enabled.

Steps

Connect your TV(and/or) Android device to a same WLAN network. Under Network settings on TV choose automatic setup, however if it can't detect other devices then use static IP address.
Configure your DLNA server ( Android) and select the files/movies and enable sharing.
For example my setup looks like this:

DLNA android (click image for larger variant)
Android DLNA media server

After sharing, just go to your TV and select DLNA and you should see your shared movies (Ethernet connection is faster than WLAN connection)

Remarks: These methods are not just restricted to samsung devices only, but in my opinion any android device with supported technologies

References.

How do I connect my Samsung Galaxy Note 3 to my TV with an HDMI cable?
What is Screen Mirroring and how do I use it with my Samsung TV and Samsung mobile device?
How to Connect Galaxy Note 5 to TV
How to connect your Galaxy Note 7 to your TV

Samsung lists the HDMI Smart Adapter on their website as being compatible with the Galaxy Note.

Strangely that URL 404s for me, but it does seem to be the right URL (it's linked to from here: http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/cell-phones/SGH-I717ZBAATT-accessories). Ok, thanks, I'll read up on it.

It turns out there are lots of third party versions as well. I bought one, and it works ok, with the limitation that it needs to be plugged into mains, while also draining the phone's battery. So it's not very practical (eg, coming home from work with the battery low, then trying to watch a movie doesn't work).


text:
Link2SD working issues
I have installed the Link2SD application on my Samsung Galaxy Ace, everything is in place, now I dont understand how it works. I have allotted 1GB of space to my second ext3 partition, I have 2 doubts:

Whenever I link my application, those space does not gets deducted from internal memory, I checked in Settings → Manage Application
When I move the application to SD card, still I have some space occupied in internal memory

I don't understand the exact use of Link2SD: if I allotted 1GB of space for the apps, then why my internal space is being used -- and if Link2SD does work like this only, then I would better use force move application using adb shell, which even does not require rooting. Can anyone please clarify my doubts, and let me know how can I use Link2SD, so that everything is moved to SD Card and nothing remains in internal memory?

An application files consist of apk, dex, lib and data files. Link2sd can only move the first three types of files to your SD card. Program like Google+ has huge data files so even after using link2sd they take up precious space of internal memory.
When you move app to sd, only the apk file(in Android 2.2) and only the apk and lib files (in Android 2.3) are moved.

Then how can i retain my internal storage, and use external storage for the apps. is there anything in Link2SD to do that

Nope, link2sd can't link data as of now. You have to use data2sd for that.


text:
need to install gtalk on my HCL X1 tab and also Skype
My tab uses 2.3.3 android version and I need to install Gtalk and Skype. As I read thro threads only after 2.3.4 gtalk is available. But any methods available for Gtalk on 2.3.3? also on skype
Please help

Google Talk is available for most Android versions, and in fact is pre-installed on all Google-authorised Android devices that have the Android Market and GMail installed (because both of those apps rely  on Talk to do their authentication and communication). It may just be called "Talk" on your device rather than "Google Talk" or "Gtalk".
If you're talking about Google Voice, then that app is available to all devices using Android 1.6 and higher, but you can currently only use the service within the US.
Skype use is blocked by some phone networks, but is generally available otherwise if you're outside the US, see this previous answer for some of the options.


text:
Camera time delay on 2.3.5?

Possible Duplicate:
Is there a zoom and timer functionality on Nexus S camera?

Is there any app that will let one use a time-delay shot with the phone's camera on Android 2.3.5? The default camera app doesn't seem to have time-delay shots, as far as I can see.

This previous question has some options for setting a delay on the camera before the picture's taken: Is there a zoom and timer functionality on Nexus S camera?

Thanks. I am going to try this one: https://market.android.com/details?id=identity.android.CameraSelfTimer&feature=search_result&rdid=identity.android.CameraSelfTimer&rdot=1

"Is there an app for X?" questions are off-topic on Android
Enthusiasts. You should
rephrase the question to ask for a solution to a problem you are
facing or a task you want to achieve (e.g. simply without mentioning
that an app may be the solution).

This one does the trick pretty well:
https://market.android.com/details?id=identity.android.CameraSelfTimer&feature=search_result&rdid=identity.android.CameraSelfTimer&rdot=1


text:
upgarde to 2.2 android OS- X8 mobile
can anyone provide me the simple steps to upgrade to 2.2 from 2.1 android OS for X8 Xperia mobile. If so, is that fine to do myself without the help of sony erricson departmental store ?

possible duplicate of How do I update the OS in my device?

There's no official upgrade to 2.2 for X8 Xperia, Wikipedia says. You can install a third-party ROM, though -- it seems the latest Cyanogenmod 7.1 is available for this device. Which is even better, considering that ROM is based on Gingerbread 2.3 instead of Froyo.


text:
Nexus S ICS update problem restarting by itself
I have a Nexus S (european edition, no super amoled screen), I upgraded to ICS in December but I think it has problem because it restarts itself very often and I don't know what have caused this behavior.
Anyone have similar problem?
Thanks

Yes many people experienced problems. Have a look at: http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Google+Mobile/thread?tid=1c21a7e3690388b0&hl=en
where a Google employee is asking for information on the problems people are having and asking them to submit bug reports. Here's the generic bug report link for Nexus S with ICS:
http://support.google.com/mobile/bin/request.py?&contact_type=android_bugreport


text:
How do apps/games become featured in the Android Market?
How do apps/games become featured in the Android Market?

Developer / publisher questions are off-topic, so I edited out that portion of the question.

As far as I know, they're simply picked by Google's staff. I'd assume they look for the general indicators of a quality app (good ratings, lots of active installs, etc) but popular or otherwise well-known developers probably have a leg up regardless. Google has never really come out and said "follow these guidelines", possibly to reduce people trying to game the system, similar to how they don't release their full page rank algorithm.
However, I can definitely say that it is not possible to purchase your way into the featured list. Google's Android Market developer help page notes specifically:

Featured and Editor's Choice apps are chosen by the Android Market
editorial team. There is no paid promotional spots or advertisements
on Android Market.

Technically speaking, the only restriction I've seen is that your app must have a properly sized "featured" image to be used on the "Featured Apps" area. Aside from that, Google has been very mum about the process.


text:
What user agent does Chrome Mobile Beta have?
I don't own any Android device and right now nobody is online that I could ask: What's the user agent of the new Chrome Mobile Beta?
Could someone visit this site http://whatsmyuseragent.com/ with Chrome Mobile and copy it in here? I'm trying to match all mobile browsers with PHP and the user agent string and Chrome Mobile is missing! :)
// I know the user agent will be a little different for every device, so the question title is not exact.

Here is the useragent from chrome beta on my transformer prime
Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 4.0.3; en-us; Transformer Prime TF201 Build/IML74K) AppleWebKit/535.7 (KHTML, like Gecko) CrMo/16.0.912.75 Safari/535.7

Mine is:

Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 4.0.2; en-us; Galaxy Nexus Build/ICL53F) AppleWebKit/535.7 (KHTML, like Gecko) CrMo/16.0.912.75 Mobile Safari/535.7

Thanks! :) I accepted the other answer, because it is older, but I also upvoted yours.


text:
Is it possible to select default contact picture service?
Here is my problem: I merged all my Google and Facebook contacts in my contact list. When a contact has both a picture on Google and on Facebook, the picture from Google will be displayed.
I don't know if this is the default behavior, or if this is because I merge the Facebook contact into the Google one (but I want to keep doing that, to prevent my contacts from changing their names).
Is it possible (built-in option, or external app), to change this behavior and display the Facebook picture instead?
I have a Motorola Razr running Gingerbread.

Try Contacts Dialer. That is the only dialer app that I found that offered Facebook support, seems reliable, and offers a ton of extra features and settings (that you'll actually use). I just started using it myself and it looks promising. The user interface is fantastic and very user friendly. I also just noticed that it does allow you to choose which picture you want to display. Hope this helps!
Note: You should consider opting for the full version too. It's only $2.90 and unlocks many features. Well worth in imho.


text:
Can I use a pin/password/pattern lock and safely have basic phone functionality while in car?
I would like to lock my phone with a pin for additional security.  Also, I try to minimize my phone usage in the car, but in the event that I do need to call someone, I would like to be able to do so without having to enter a pin. I would like to do this by automated means if possible.
I see two possible directions, but there could be others

Use some third-party lockscreen app that supports pin/password/pattern while containing shortcuts to a few apps. I've seen lockscreens that have shortcuts to certain apps, but they don't provide a pin lock.
Have a Car Home app that automatically launches when I plug in the headphones.  Car Widget launches on headphone plugin, but it provides access to other screens as well, which I don't want.  It has to be headphones though, I don't have a car dock or bluetooth or even a car power cable.

There are apps available that allow you to distinguish between locking your phone and it idling out.
For example, it is a good security practice to have your phone lock whenever you hit the lock button, but understandable that you don't want it locking 10 seconds after you place it on the passenger seat.  You can have the screen timeout after 20 seconds, but wait 120 seconds (or more, if you prefer) before it auto-locks.
I know that Juice Defender provides such options.
Some apps (such as the music app) have the ability of adding 'widgets' to your lock screen.  This is even more apparent on custom ROMS (such as CyanogenMod), which allow apps to respond to 'gestures' on the lockscreen.

There are programs like Tasker, and llama that can automate things like that for you. But the problem here is how to tell those program that you are inside your car. If the conditions were like time of day, location or battery percentage you could easily use those programs to accomplish such task.
In programs like Tasker and Llama, you can create task so that your lock screen will be disabled when you plug in headphone. But the problem here is, if anyone, anywhere plugs in the headphone your lock screen will get disabled.
Also Sony recently release NFC tag.
http://www.psfk.com/2012/01/sony-nfc-tags.html">
Maybe you can have one such device in your car and provided that you have NFC in your phone you can just tag it and the lock screen will be disabled. And maybe tag it again before leaving the car to enable the lock screen again.

It appears that the way to do this is to use a Car Home/Dashboard type application, such as Samsung Home.  When I start this app and don't press the power button - allowing the screen to go off by itself - the pin lock is not activated and I can access any of the functionality on the home screen.  This is probably true for other Car Home apps as well.
This isn't completely automated, but I am leery of any automated solution, as it would allow anyone to bypass the lock screen (a possible exception would be car home apps that activate upon a bluetooth connection).


text:
Are there commercially available devices that support more languages than those officially supported by Google?
According to Google, there are some 57 languages/dialects that are officially supported by stock Android.  Of course, since Android is open source, there is nothing to stop a device manufacturer, or cell service provider, or even end user from adding support for new languages/dialects.
Now, just because it is possible, that doesn't mean that it has been done, or at least that it has been done on a scale large enough to make an impact.  For example, I would likely not spend my time translating my app for a language that 5 people have manually added to their own devices, however if a manufacturer of devices has decided to add support for an additional language that is now in the hands of some thousands of users, that may be a useful translation to make even though it is not officially supported by the AOSP.
So, is there any way to find this out?  Or if not officially, is there any anecdotal evidence out there that this type of thing is going on?

I would say CyanogenMod would probably be the best answer for a ROM supporting multiple languages that users can contribute to. Look under "translators" on their changelog, there are 17 languages listed https://github.com/CyanogenMod/android_vendor_cyanogen/blob/gingerbread/CHANGELOG.mkdn
But in the scope of a developer, I would not bother with the smaller languages. I personally crowd source my languages, so the most popular will certainly get done first (but I have nothing against including other, lesser known languages).

@BryanDenny according to that page you linked, the supported languages for CyanogenMod are actually a subset of those supported by Google.  I'm looking for the possibility of languages that are NOT on Google's list.

@ScottW Yes, but, CM is a compilation of the Android source which means it would (or at least should be) possible to incorporate additional languages. I don't know the exact details because I haven't compiled Android source before, but I would assume it would be similar to developing an app and including a new xml file with all the strings defined in the new language.

@BryanDenny yes, it is definitely technically feasible.  What I am hoping to discover is whether it has actually been done on any kind of scale that would have an impact on the market.  We have been asked to support a specific list of languages, including some that are not on the AOSP list of supported languages.  So, I am trying to discover whether there is any real value in supporting languages beyond the AOSP list, or whether it is just a waste of everyone's time and money.

From prior experience in building AOSP before, the language strings for all aspects of the system, are stored in xml file, found in the AOSP source framework/base/core/res/res. Inside that directory in the source, there's values-XXX/strings.xml and values-XXX/do-not-translate.xml, where XXX is the ISO country code based on the standard guidelines. This gets built and generated into framework-res.apk found in the ROM's live system under /system/framework.
On an existing ROM, its possible to 'sort of' add translations into it by decompiling it but the effort would not be worth it as the XML data is compiled and "gets lost in translation". I say 'sort of' very loosely, as either the outcome would be it may work or it may not work, but the effort would be big and possibly break existing core Android functionality.
You can most certainly add a language add-on for the keyboards but that's about it.
From the aspect of developers, where localization is concerned, the principle is pretty much the same as in the AOSP source. So if the developer wants to add in French language support, he/she can simply create a values-fr/strings.xml and shove in there, the french translations and so on. Of course, there will be variants such as Canadian French, Swiss French, for example. So their files, would be values-fr-rCA/strings.xml, values-fr-rCH to cite the example.
This is where CM has the most languages support and are in a state-of-flux due to users spotting mis-translations etc.
Only Google provides the core languages - such as Italian, French, German, Spanish, English (both US/UK) to name but a few.

Well, it doesn't really answer my question, but upon further reflection, and without any good information available, we have decided to stick to only the officially supported locale list and to just be careful about how we translate for those locales.  For example, we will provide two sets of Spanish translations, ES and US, and will be careful to make the US translations appropriate for the wider Latin American Spanish-speaking audience, rather than being US-specific.


text:
Can I USB-tether my Android tablet to my Android phone?
Is it possible to USB-tether my WiFi-only Galaxy Tab to my Galaxy S?
I know how to WiFi tether but it is a huge battery hog. Is there a mini-USB version of the Galaxy Tab cable? If so, can it be used to tether?

I highly doubt it, the wifi access point mode that android has built is what everyone uses.

That's a shame because I use USB tethering with my laptop and it's faster and uses less battery.

I would argue that usb would not noticeably faster, we are talking about 3g data connection yeah? haha But sure you may have a point with battery usage on wifi vs a usb connection, but hey now you dont have to carry around a silly usb cord ;)

There is a bit tricky method suggested by one of the XDA members. Rooting is required.

Download & install a Terminal Emulator on your Android tablet.
Run the Emulator & enter the following commands:
dhcpcd usb1
setprop net.dns1 8.8.8.8

The Android phone from which the internet connection is to be sourced must be connected via a USB cable, and then enable USB tethering on that phone.
Now you can access the internet on your Android tablet using your Android phone as a USB modem!

Only for the sake of completeness: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=16182227&postcount=6 . It seems as if the kernel module USB_WWAN must be enabled.

Yes! First, attach an OTG cable to your tablet. Then, attach a MicroUSB and connect both devices. Now download one of the numerous apps which make tethering possible and you're done!
If your devices support Bluetooth tethering, you can use it. It doesn't consume too beach battery also. :)
P.S. isn't creating a WiFi hotspot a better idea?

This wont work unless the tablet supports USB-OTG, which not all devices do. And depending on the version of the Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab, if they are the "first" versions of those devices, they do not support USB-OTG. - Also the asker says they don't want to use wifi because it drains the battery on their device(s).

@Ryan Yes but most devices nowadays do

For completeness of the answer though, not all devices do. Especially the devices listed in the original question.

Often you download an app on the device that has an Internet connection. What do you do on the tablet? Is it something generic?  @rahulbasu

I did it by connecting an ethernet dongle to each device and an e-cable to the dongles. I imagine it would use less power than wireless, and I can place the hotspot device away for the best reception.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


text:
How do I get rid of the "shut the screen off" animation on Droid 4?
I just want the screen to go black. No fade, no "old style tube tv" animation. Is there a way to make it do this?

Try Settings > Display > Animation. I turned mine off and did not see the "old style tube tv" animation any more.

Nice, thank you! Maybe a follow up question of "how do I turn ONLY the shut off screen and not ALL animations?

I don't think they went with that much granularity.


text:
Is it possible to write to a device's clipboard using ADB?
I am interested in learning how to write to (and if possible, read from) a rooted Android device's clipboard.
I hope to do so using ADB over USB and I am not interested in installing any apps to help me do this, as this is something I plan on rarely doing.
Any suggestions or help guiding me in the right direction would be greatly appreciated.

For anyone that's looking for easier approaches for emulators, see here: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3391160/paste-text-on-android-emulator

Yes, you actually can do this. It's kind of kludgy looking when you inspect the clipboard, but it works just fine.
First off, you can inspect the current clipboard contents with service call clipboard 1 from an adb shell (or, without shelling in first, adb shell service call clipboard 1). It may start out initially blank after a reboot, for example:
# service call clipboard 1
Result: Parcel(
  0x00000000: 00000000 00000001 00000000 00000000 '................'
  0x00000010: 00000000 00000000                   '........        ')
#

You can put text into the clipboard using service call clipboard 2, which basically takes 3 parameters - two ints and the string you want to put on the clipboard:
# service call clipboard 2 i32 1 i32 0 s16 "Hi there"
Result: Parcel(00000000    '....')

To be honest, I'm not sure what the first two parameters are. One answer on Stack Overflow has suggested the first int is "number of items in the parcel" (one in this case) and that the second is the length of the string. However, I've used 0 for the second parameter and it works fine, and I can't find any documentation that matches up with this particular function...so take that for what it's worth.
In any case, it's basically creating a Parcel object with 3 fields, then passing it into the clipboard. The clipboard then unpacks the Parcel and sets the string value passed in as the clipboard's contents. You can see this when you go to retrieve the value afterwards:
# service call clipboard 1
Result: Parcel(
  0x00000000: 00000000 00000001 00000000 00000008 '................'
  0x00000010: 00690048 00740020 00650068 00650072 'H.i. .t.h.e.r.e.'
  0x00000020: 00000000 00000000                   '........        ')
#

Similarly, if you long-press on a text entry field and hit "Paste" after doing this, you will get the text that was set via the call service clipboard 2 line above (and it will look completely normal).
(The above examples come from my HTC EVO, running CyanogenMod 7)

I can finally paste my WPA key and connect to my router :D.  Thank you.

@earthmeLon if you were just trying to find an easy way to copy your WPA key, then next time you might find it easier to do seomthing like email it to yourself and copy/paste from email, or copy a text file containing it onto your device over USB, then open and copy from there. There are other options like Wifi Keyboard that let you type (or paste) from a PC and have it appear on the phone.

My WPA key is sensitive. It should not be broadcast over any non-local network EVER. Thanks for the suggestions @GAThrawn. I will find more use for this functionality eventually :D

copying a file via usb is local

I get '........U.n.k.n.' 'o.w.n. .p.a.c.k.' 'a.g.e. .....    ') when making call service clipboard 2

sad this doesnt work anymore

From this related post, it seem that perhaps those additional parameters must be package name and something else?

Do you by chance know what's the equivalent for lollipop? This command worked in kitkat, but not in lollipop anymore

In case you need to copy your password or any text into a textfield on android you could also " abd shell input text 'String' " - I have given up on the clipboard...

I used this methodology, and it worked fine in 4.x, but failed for me in lollipop. While looking for alternative solution, I found this: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/3391160/paste-text-on-android-emulator
it is not exactly as you wanted it, but for myself, most time I want to copy text to clipboard is because I want to paste it into password field.
as an additional bonus, here's my script (edited 2015-04-24 to allow spaces in text):
#!/bin/bash

if [[ "$1" != "" ]]
then
    TEXT=$1
else
    read -s -p "Enter text you want to insert: " TEXT
fi

ESCAPED_TEXT=`echo $TEXT | sed "s/\s/\%s/g"`
adb shell input text "$ESCAPED_TEXT"

The reason you need to doubly-escape the string is that there are two shells: your shell, and the adb shell. However, I suspect this will fail for other characters that have special meaning in the shell, like the ampersand.

It would actually be the task of adb shell to properly do this escaping, but apparently it doesn't completely. On my version (1.0.31) the space-escaping used above is not needed, but all kinds of special characters would need escaping (but it is impossible to do this reliably).

A better way to handle special characters would be to pipe through stdin, something like: echo "$TEXT" | adb shell xargs -0 input text Which should handle any text, except for \0 (NUL) characters. Unfortunately, older adb versions do not forward stdin to a command specified on the adb commandline. This is fixed in newer adb versions, but it needs Android N to work.

As for the space escaping, this is apparently needed for the input command on the Android device, not for the shell used by adb shell. Also, it is only needed for SDK version 22 and below (Lollipop and below, I believe) according to this answer.

+1005000000000000000 for input text

That doesn't put the text on the clipboard though.

Here's an improved version of the script by galets above. As with that
script, it does not write to the clipboard, but sends input to the
currently focused input field, which is often what you want anyway.
This script is improved to escape special characters to prevent
confusing the Android shell with them. This should allow any string to
be sent unchanged. To prevent the read command from interpreting a
(trailing) backslash, I added -r there.
This was tested using the following list of special characters:
./adb-send-string ' \`~!@#$%^&*()-_=+[{]}|;:",<.>/?'\'

Here's the script:
#!/bin/bash
# Send text to android device using adb, emulating keyboard input.
# Based on a script from https://android.stackexchange.com/a/105881/223695
# extended to support special characters

if [[ "$1" != "" ]]
then
    TEXT="$1"
else
    read -s -r -p "Enter text you want to insert: " TEXT
fi

escape() {
    # Encapsulate the string in $'', which enables interpretation of
    # \xnn escapes in the string. This is not POSIX-sh, but an extension
    # documented by bash and also supported by the Android sh.
    echo -n "$'"

    # Process each character in $1 one by one
    for (( i=0 ; i<${#1}; i++ )); do
        # Extract the i'th character
        C="${1:$i:1}"
        if [ "$C" = ' ' ]; then
            # Encode spaces as %s, which is needed for Android's
            # "input text" command below 6.0 Marshmellow
            # See https://stackoverflow.com/documentation/android/9408/adb-shell/3958/send-text-key-pressed-and-touch-events-to-android-device-via-adb
            echo -n '%s'
        else
            # Encode everything else as \xnn, to prevent them from being
            # interpreted by the Android shell
            printf '\\x%02x' "'$C"
        fi
    done
    # Terminate the $''
    echo -n "'"
}

ESCAPED_TEXT=`escape "$TEXT"`
adb shell input text "$ESCAPED_TEXT"

I have tried and googled a bit and it seems the call-service-clipboard-approach stopped working in newer androids, it failed for me on a 4.4.4 version Android. I.e. you will need an app to get clipboard access (read and write) from adb-shell. I use clipper from majido on github. The apk is hosted as well, so no need to compile it yourself. When installed you can can comunicate to it using broadcast commands (the app will tell you the exact commands). App does not require root.

As we don't know what your purpose is: could you please [edit] your post and include what that app does, and how one is supposed to use it? People already start flagging your post as "not an answer", as they obviously miss the point you want to make. Thanks in advance!

clipper worked better for me than using 'adb shell input text'. Even better than the Python script AdbPaste https://github.com/gcb/AdbPaste to wrap 'adb shell input text'.
I enhanced clipper to support a file parameter, so I can now send multiple-pages into the clipboard in just a second or two.  Enhanced code here: https://github.com/RoundSparrow/clipper

Another script that uses adb shell input to send characters can be found here: https://github.com/gcb/AdbPaste
This is a Python script that can be cloned from github, or also directly downloaded and run:
$ wget https://github.com/gcb/AdbPaste/raw/master/AdbPaste.py
$ chmod a+x AdbPaste.py
$ ./AdbPaste.py "some text to paste"

all_licenses: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


text:
Cannot get Android 4.0 NFS client to connect to my NFSv4 Ubuntu server: "no such device"
I'm using GLaDOS kernel which includes the NFS modules (and I'm using the Codename Android ICS 4.0.3 ROM) on a GSM Galaxy Nexus. I'm trying to connect to my NFSv4 server (Ubuntu 11.10). My other clients (e.g., Ubuntu 11.04 laptop) can connect over the same LAN network, but my Galaxy Nexus will not connect.
In the Android terminal (BTEP), in su mode, I'm entering these commands:
insmod sunrpc.ko
insmod lockd.ko
insmod nfs.ko

lsmod shows the modules loaded:
nfs 104232 0 - Live 0xbf036000
lockd 42336 1 nfs, Live 0xbf028000
sunrpc 150792 3 nfs,lockd, Live 0xbf000000

My mount command (In the terminal, in su mode) is:
mount -t nfs4 nfserver:/shared1 /sdcard/nfs/shared1

The error is "no such device". (See edit below - I have a new error now.) It returns immediately, so I'm fairly certain this is entirely a client side error. It is probably not even trying to contact the server.
Usually the "no such device" error means that the nfs kernel module is not loaded. However, in my case, it is indeed loaded, as shown above. Can anyone help?
EDIT: so now I believe that the BusyBox mount command does not support NFSv4. Unfortunately, my server only supports NFSv4. So I borrowed a NAS device which supports NFS v3 and set that up.
Now the error is "invalid argument". In fact, the BusyBox mount command gives the same "invalid argument" error on all mounts using either "-t nfs" or "-t cifs". That leads me to conclude (based on quote below) that there is a version mismatch between BusyBox and my Linux kernel.

busybox: 1.19.3-Stericson
linux: 3.0.8-GLaDOS-V1-15

My conclusion is supported by this link where he says:
This is how I interpret it.
kernel is newer - recompile mount command (i.e. busybox etc)
Make sure that it uses the headers from the kernel it will run with.

Finally, trying a regular NFS v3 server (the NAS device) with Mount Manager does not succeed with either NFS or CIFS. But AndSMB will connect to the NAS using CIFS.

instead of nfs4, try using just "nfs". - I was going to send you this via email then I saw this post here.

@Ryan: I added a new section to my post with more info. I continue to have problems with Mount Manager. Should we discuss those via email?

Should I just make a new question? I realize now that NFSv4 support is probably not there in Android. But now my issue is that trying to mount an NFS v3 share via BusyBox mount gives the error "invalid argument" and trying to mount it via Mount Manager fails as well. So now I want to focus on getting NFS v3 to work. (I have given up on NFSv4.)

@RyanConrad: Mount Manager is still not working. Is it incompatible with ICS? Nothing seems to work, not even CIFS. AndSMB does work.

I'm still looking for a working solution, btw.

I can tell you that is is Not the mount command, it is the nfs.ko module that probably doesn't support NFS4.
When you call mount -t nfs ... the mount command is going to look for the filesystem type of nfs. If it doesn't find it, then you get the no such device error. If it does find it, it basically hands off the "mount" to the module.
For the mount manager issue, if you do not have a cifs module, cifs will not work with mount manager. AndSMB uses its own cifs/samaba implementation, and that is fine, but in order to accomplish something that allows any application to access the mounted share, it has to be cifs.ko module. I have to do some more looking in to the nfs issue you are still having.

I do have cifs.ko, and it was loaded when I did the CIFS testing.

I agree that NSFv4 support in Android probably isn't there. However, I was not even able to mount NFS v3, as I explained in the EDIT section I added to my post. I appreciate any help you can offer with Mount Manager. I'd love to use it because it has the exact features I need. Thanks

Mount Manager is not compatible with Ice Cream Sandwich.

It is going to depend on your device. You will need the correct CIFS module for mount manager to work. I have 2 devices now that are running ICS (one is running CM9, the other is a gTablet) The CM9 device has a cifs.ko, the gTablet has cifs support built in to the kernel. Mount Manager is working on both. There might be a bug with NFS in ICS, as I haven't had a chance to test that yet, but CIFS is working, if your device has support.

I'm going to install CM9 on my Galaxy Nexus. I'm running Codename Android ROM now.

I installed CM 9-20120418 on my GNex. I want to try Mount Manager with it. Do you have any instructions? BTW, Cifs Manager works once again, but as with previous ROMs Mount Manager isn't working. Looking forward to some help. Thanks.

make sure you are loading the cifs module from the /system/lib/modules/. If you are and still having issues, I should (hopefully) be getting my GNex in the next week or so, but there isn't an official CM9 yet for the sprint version.

there isn't a cifs module in that location. In fact, /system/lib/modules/ directory doesn't exist. Apparently CM9 handles it differently. I can't find any documentation. But Cifs Manager works. Others have said cifs is "built in" to CM9. Not sure what they mean exactly, but I don't see any .ko modules anywhere.

it may depend on the CM9 build, because the vibrantmtd has /system/lib/modules/ and i have a cifs.ko in there.

I'm still looking for a solution for this, btw.

might not be what you want but i do this
busybox mount -o rw,intr,soft,nolock,nfsvers=2 192.168.0.7:/mnt/HD/HD_a2 /mnt/sdcard/nfs

That approach would be fine, but it won't work with my ROM. What ROM and what phone are you using and did you add any kernel modules? If you give a complete working answer, I'll accept this kind of solution. I don't mind using busybox mount. Thanks.

You have to write the mount command using -t nfs  ... nfsvers=4


text:
can't see what I'm writing on a web form
Samsung I9001, android 2.3.6.
If there is a multiline web form, using landscape mode, I'm just seeing the empty part of the web form while I'm using the on screen keyboard.
Any solution?

The obvious:

try portrait mode
use a hardware keyboard
get a device with a bigger screen (ouch -- yeah, I stop this ;)

The not-so-obvious:

try an alternate keyboard, which consumes less space or offers transparency:

A.I.type Keyboard: According to the screenshots, it offers transparency
FloatNSplit Tablet Keyboard: The name suggests already it's for tablets only -- but allows to split the keyboard and move it around
TransparentKeyboard Froyo: Again, as the name suggests, another transparent keyboard

There might be more solutions (and certainly more alternative keyboards) available, so this list is far from being complete...


text:
Problems with bluetooth pand on rooted android 2.3.1 device
I have a tablet Aishuo A820, rooted. I tried to connecto to my GSM using PAN network with following commands:
pand --connect <device address>
ifconfig bnep0 up

and it worked. Then I had to stop testing and later I tried the same commands but it never works. logcat shows:
E/pand    ( 3255): Connect to <device address> failed. Connection timed out(110)

I can't understand what's different this time. I used sshDroid to connect over wifi both times. I tried under some consoles with wifi off - same result.
I tried to re-pair devices. Then I start pand again with --connect. The phone asks to give access. I answer allow and again timeout. I also tried "always allow" so the phone don't have to ask for permission. Nothing works! How did it work the first time?

I can't specifically answer your question, however, what I've found BT paring my Nexus 7 (JB 4.2) to my (rooted) Motorola Defy phone (Froyo 2.2.2), using standard setup panels, is similar. That is, it works the first time. On subsequent attempts, I see a 'connecting..' message then the BT Paring/Connection panel quickly returns to 'waiting for user input' with no connection.
In order to 'fix' it I have to reboot the Motorola (phone).


text:
App to share a calendar

Possible Duplicate:
Two phones — Two separate contact lists (me / wife) want to use same account for calendar

Hey does Anyone know of an app that my wife and i could both download, and it would allow us to share and edit one calendar. So that as my schedule and hers changes we would know????

Related: Two phones — Two separate contact lists (me / wife) want to use same account for calendar

All you need is an Android with Google Calendar and two Google accounts for you and your wife (if you don't have those already). The Google Calendar supports sharing of calendars. You can create an calendar that you both can edit and that will show up on both of your phones.

That's what my wife and I do. We have our personal calendars plus multiple shared calendars. We would never be able to get the kids to any of their activities on time without it.


text:
Market App crashes on Samsung Galaxy Ace
i have samsung galaxy ace, yesterday i rooted my phone and installed the link2sd application, everything was fine, today when i tried to install an application using market, the market just crashes while opening, i uninstall the app, and got the new apk from internet and install that, same happening with that, after i read a review on internet, that if the market app crashes, just clear the data from settings, i did the same, it was working fine, but when i clicked on Accept and Download button to install the app, the market again start crashing, do anyone have any idea why is this happening, is it because i rooted the phone and partitioned the SDCard and installed the Link2SD application yesterday, did anyone have faced this issue.

Try to get the log of the error, and post it here.  aLogCat app from Market can help with that, or you can manually do that via ADB.

Did you do a factory reset after rooting? I know, that's not always necessary -- but if you run into trouble like that, it may help (did for me), especially when multiple apps are affected by this behaviour.

go into Settings>Applications select ALL applications. Scroll the the very bottom of the list as you should see an app named "Downloads" select it, and then change it from "Disabled" to "Enabled".


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View last successful mail check/sync
Is it possible to view the last successful sync of my IMAP and Exchange accounts in the Mail app of an HTC Evo 3D?
I just switched from an iPhone 4 and there it said in the bottom of the mail app when that account was last synchronized.
For me it is quite important, because at work the signal is so weak that the sync often fails. When I am waiting for an important mail it is good to know when the mail accounts were last updated.

I do not think you can view a log of some kind in the ui, however you can always manually sync and the icons show if it was successful.
Settings > Accounts & sync > Manage accounts > your account > OPTION BUTTON > Sync Now

this is in android gingerbread version

You will see the spinning icons appear then disappear when synced, then you know :)
I think I remember seeing widgets that sync your accounts in one click so it may be worth exploring the app markets.

Most ROM's also display the date and time of the last sync for each selection in this menu. Also a sync icon with an exclamation mark if there was an error.


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Open Source "My QR code" app to quickly share my contact details?
Especially in Japan/Korea, there are many proprietary apps to quickly share your name+email+phone. Example here. They all work the same way:

At first use, enter your name, email, phone: It generates "your" QR code.
Whenever you meet someone and want to keep in touch:

Launch the app, it instantly shows your QR code
The other person scans it, and can add you as a contact without typing anything.

Key features:

Extremely fast, should take less time than a web page load.
Fit to screen size for easier scanning, maybe even make the screen brighter temporarily.
Options to show a different QR code for carriers that use a special format.

QUESTION: Is there an Open Source app that does this?
If not, I might create one, but I prefer to ask first.
Almost nobody uses Bump here in Japan, making it pointless.

Looks like you need this question. Barcode Scanner already does this, and is quite handy. It's open source too. From what I can see, shared details are name, company, company address, email(s) and phone number(s).

@MartinTapankov: Yes, it is theoretically doable, but: 1) Far too slow, requires 5 touches even though I have a shortcut to my own contact entry on the desktop. 2) Shares too many details, including my physical address, which belong to the contacts but should not be shared. 3) Might not be readable from all carriers, especially on non-smartphones.

In that case, why not just create a QR image for yourself that has all the contact information you want, and make a shortcut on the home screen?

@MartinTapankov: good idea for me, for the average user  it is too technical though. That's why there are tons of apps that do it for you. Now I was just wondering if there is an Open Source one.


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What's the perfect internal storage preserving technique? Does link2sd and data2sd interfere?
I have a rooted ZTE Blade with a fast 8 Gbyte SD card (it's fast enough, and partitioned to 6G + 2G) running on CM7, and I'm using LINK2SD, but I'm not perfectly happy with it. Altough, LINK2SD is far better than APP2SD I've used before, and all the apps are now linked to SD card, but somehow, I'm just getting low on internal space. I've read somewhere that private data is what remains on the internal storage. How can I kick everything out of that internal storage?

Can I use DATA2SD and LINK2SD together?
What about Simple2Ext?

Also, I've read that Titanium Backup can install stock app updates to the System partition. (That one thing I haven't done yet, my System partition on internal storage is "too big", I should repartition it.)
Is there a solution for this?

Titanium Backup can replace system apps with their updated versions.  Ordinarily the original versions of system apps are always kept even if they've been updated, wasting a significant amount of space.  You can do it manually of course, but need root.  TB's much easier.

Transferring apps to system area (even not really system apps) is a good way to utilize the system partition without re-partitioning the internal storage, but it does not helps much more on the small size of the user partition of internal storage, Link2SD does similar job. I wanna forget internal user partition. (Maybe, I'm wrong.)

Unfortunately Link2SD does not work with Android 6 so I have to use the App Apps2SD. As I see with Apps2SD you can even link more data of linked Apps than with Link2SD

If you are using the Pro Version of Link2SD, then you will be able to move everything of the APP(Apk,Dex,Lib,Data and Cache) onto the second partition of the SD card.And thus you won't be using any internal memory. My Phone has 157mb internal memory and I have apps that would have allredy filled it installed on my phone without losing space.

It's the data that's eating up most of the space, at least on my Lenovo P780. The good news is that the latest version of Link2SD allows you to also move data files to the memory card. The bad news is that if you were already using Link2SD with a second partition formatted as FAT32, then you'll need to reformat that partition to a non-FAT file system (ext2, ext3, ext4, or f2fs). In summary, here's what you'll need to do:

Remove all symlinks created by Link2SD. You may need to uninstall some apps if you're running low on internal memory.
Use a partition manager to format the second partition on the memory card as Ext2, Ext3, or Ext4.
Update Link2SD to the latest version and create the links again.


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Use different lock-screens on htc sensation
Is there a way to use other lock-screens on the htc sensation then the one that is provided by htc sense without installing a custom rom? (rooting is fine) I would love to use the standard android lock-screens, is that possible? (I don't care if it is achieved with an app or by modifying the settings)

There are some "lock screens" like Go Locker, but they are not "real" lock screens. Lock screens are just about the only part of the android OS that cannot be replaced by 3rd party applications. These other lock screens attempt to override the real lock screen. Some of them work fairly well, but I always notice some type of lag when turning on the device or unlocking the device.

I googled and found the Best List of Android lock screen apps that will help your productivity,reading ability and get live scores on your lock screens.you'll be really find it useful Android lock screens


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Is a PIN lock screen inherently more or less secure than an app lock program?
The two ways I see to secure an Android phone is through a PIN lock screen or through an app lock program (Password is too inconvenient and pattern is insecure for various reasons).  The lock screen has the advantage of keeping someone from the phone altogether, but an app lock program can allow me to use basic functionality while locking the apps that I choose such as Email or Package Installer.
Is one option easier to hack/bypass than another?  Let's assume that the App Lock program has a helper app that prevents it from being killed (although how well such an app works is worthy of being discussed in an answer - point being it takes a little more work than simply going to task manager and killing it).
I am primarily concerned about data on the phone.
I know that ultimately I cannot rely on either method to secure the phone indefinitely, but to only secure it long enough for me take various actions such as remote wipe, change Google password, Exchange password, etc...
I'm running Gingerbread 2.3.6.  For what it's worth it is rooted and has ClockWordMod recovery.

The app locker gives you more access, and is working against the system rather than with it.  Almost by definition, it's much less secure.
An app locker might keep out the casual user, but not anyone who knows what they're doing.  Unless it blocks new apps by default, sideloading would be a problem.  Depending on the device that may be enough to root it (if you're not already) and then they can more or less bypass/remove anything on the device.  adb access is a risk in both cases but the ability to interact with the device may provide some other options.
I agree with admartian that encryption is the way to go.  Using a lock screen plus an app locker is better than using only one of them, as well.

Thanks, This is probably a whole other question, but do you have a good resource on encryption for Gingerbread?

@Chance Sorry, nope.  Still on 2.2 over here ;)

You could always Encrypt your device.
Depending on what phone you are using will determine the method or even availablity of this function.
It takes time though and you should do it with about 80-90% battery.
Also, I beleive the fact that your phone is rooted, makes it less secure - assuming the thief/person who picked up your phone (assuming that it was to be lost).
As long as they can access the internal/external storage, they can bypass this.

I would use lock screen... It is easy to use bruteforce on any apps which are using a pin code, it is harden with the lock screen, but not impossible.. So don't carry very important documents on your phone...


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How to remove leftover files after an application download?
I don't have a lot of space on my phone (an HTC Aria).  When I download an app from the market, I usually move it to SD immediately, but I've noticed that the "Internal space" amount doesn't change for a little while.
I'm assuming that before installing the apk, it keeps a copy of it in a location on the internal drive, then garbage collects or cleans up the space sometime later.  My question is, is there any way to force this cleanup?

You are completely right with your assumption: Whenever an app is installed, it is first copied to /data/local. You can check that directory if either you've got a file manager permitting you to go there, or have the Android SDK installed. No root needed, as this directory is readable and writable for the shell user.
But to your last question: No, I'm not aware of any mechanism to control that delay (never saw a corresponding setting). If it can be configured (and is not hardcoded in some place), this will most likely involve root privileges.


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How to transfer file to internal usb storage on Samsung Note?
I am trying to install a p12 certificate on my Samsung Note.  From what I've read, this can be accomplished with: menu->settings->Location and Security->Install from USB Storage (or SDCard storage, depending on the phone).
So, how do I transfer a file to the USB storage?

transfer a file to usb storage you mean from pc to phone usb storage or from phone to flash drive ?

For transfering files thorugh pc to USB:
Goto settings>about phone> and tap build bumber several times until it shows you are now developer.
Now goto settings> developer options> enable debugging mode.
Now try connecting to pc  (Make sure you have USB drivers installed).
For transfering files from phone to USB:*
Make sure you have working otg cable.
Use es explorer(recommended) to copy paste the files from phone to USB.

Go to settings-applications-USB debugging and enable that.
If you're running ICS, go to settings-developer options instead.
Now when you connect your phone via USB, it will show up as a mass storage device and you can directly copy files to/from the mass storage (and SD card if you have one).
Try placing the certificate in the root directory of your SD card and then import it.

In fact, you should put files not onto SD card, but in internal memory.


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Moving or hiding the system bar
I find that the system bar (containing the back, home, recent application, and status menu buttons) at the bottom of my android tablet often interferes with typing. Is there currently a method to reposition the bar to the top of the screen? The closest application I've found is Hidebar, but it only works on Honeycomb.

may be you can use another home screen called "Launcher Pro" Free version.
In the setting there is an option to hide the system bar. you can try it out if you like the home screen. though i like it better than stock home screen.


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SMS time stamps are behaving strangely
I am having an issue with the time stamps of incoming SMS messages when backing up messages. The time stamps of the messages I send out are correct. The time stamps of the incoming messages in the backup files are 8 hours before the correct time. I read elsewhere that this can happen when you are roaming. I have a Motorola XPRT on Sprint and I live in California.
I downloaded and used about 5 different SMS backup applications (both free and paid) to try to archive my messages. They all have this problem.
Now here's the interesting part. The time stamps rendered in the stock SMS application are correct. I tried 2 third-party SMS applications with different results. Handcent SMS shows the time stamps correctly. Go SMS Pro show the incoming messages with the same incorrect time stamps as the backup files.
This leads me to a point of reevaluation. The database that stores the messages on the phone is storing multiple time stamps. I'm guessing they have sent time (the time that is 8 hours behind what it should be) and received time fields. The backup applications and Go SMS Pro are probably using the sent times. The default SMS application and Handcent SMS are probably using the received times.
Ok so now I need a way to solve this issue. To do that I need answers to some questions:

Does Android use SQLite to store SMS messages?
Where is the SMS database is located?
How and where are MMS messages stored?
How can I copy the database to my computer?
Do I have to root my phone? How do I do that? Does doing this affect my warranty with Sprint?

UPDATE:
It looks this is a known problem where the time zone offset is applied 2 times instead of 1. There is a ticket for it here http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=1305. This ticket is more than 3 years old and is still open.

I am surprised the issues is still open. the way the issue is reported is that it is basically saying that t-mobile is handling the timezones differently then everyone else. if the issue is not directly code related, google usually closes the ticket.

It's not clear to me that it's a T-Mobile issue. I'm on Sprint and I see the issue too. My previous phone was a Palm Pre on Sprint that had no issues with SMS time stamps. As far as I can tell this happens when I am on Sprint's towers. In other words, the phones that Sprint sells do not work with Sprint's network correctly. This suggests software is the culprit.

The way the issue was worded specifically states T-Mobile. even the title of the issue is : Recieved SMS timestamps incorrect on non-tmobile networks. That is all I was saying. I believe you that it happens on other networks, I was just saying that when an issue is pointing to something that is not software related (by how it is described) then they usually close them.

What timezone are you in? It sounds like when you back them up, it is saving them in a different Timezone (maybe UTC).
to answer your other questions:

Yes, SQLite is used for the messages
/data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/mmssms.db
Same way as SMS messages : /data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/mmssms.db
You can use ADB from the android SDK and copy it to your PC by doing:
c:/android-sdk/tools/> adb pull /data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/mmssms.db c:/users/my-account/desktop/mmssms.db
Yes, you will have to root your phone to get access to that directory.

maybe check out SMS Backup + in the android market. It will backup your sms messages (doesn't do MMS yet) to your GMail account and put them in an SMS label. It will also restore them too.


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How to fix corupted icons on home screen?
ALL of the shortcuts for the apps that I installed (not preinstalled ones on a ROM), all of them sudden got corrupt. They all show upd now with "Android Logo" icon and not the icon of the program. T-Mobile TV is installed on a ROM, so the icon for that is fine, but take an app "Movies", the icon for that is corrupt and instead of icon of this program, I have a little "android logo" icon. How do I restore all of messed up icons?
Reboot does not help. I tried SD card mount/unmount with no luck

Are these apps that you've moved to the SD card?

yes. They are..

If you remove one of the apps from the home screen and then add it back manually, does the correct icon show up?

If you move an app to/from the sdcard, and you have icons on the home screen, you need to remove and re-add the icon to the home screen. when I have done this, I thought the icons removed themselves from the home screen automatically.
When you move it to/from the sdcard, it is a lot like uninstalling the application (without removing the user data) and re-installing it again in the new location.

I can not re-drag it on home screen. All of them (about 15) also disappeared from all-apps-overview

I was hoping for a refresh-all-icons.exe solution

if you can't even re-add them, then there is another issue. They are not installed correctly once they were moved to the sdcard. maybe they don't support running from the sdcard.

i have seen this one worked! you have to restart the launcher of the android.

I had this problem where all my apps stored on my SD card that had
  shortcuts stored within folders had the generic Android logo. This
  happened everytime I restarted my phone or unmounted then mounted my
  SD card. Right the fix......... go into settings/applications/manage
  applications/all and navigate to your launcher. I'm using a HTC desire
  hd so.my launcher is HTC sense. Some peeps may have installed a third
  party launcher. Anyways click force stop. Then press the home button.
  Your launcher should now restart. Your icon logos should now be back
  to normal and will be normal everytime you restart your phone.

http://www.droidforums.net/forum/thunderbolt-tech-support/147067-icons-pics-won-t-appear-after-restart.html

the problem is sometimes fixed when I insert sim card. normaly I do not have sim card in my phone and then it goes back to corrupted when I remove it.


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My Galaxy Nexus can't connect to unsecured web using wi-fi at home
My Samsung Galaxy Nexus can't connect to unsecured web using wi-fi at home.
I have to edit the url with https:// to load the webpage. Some pages work but most of them just won't load.

Do other devices use this WiFi successfully?  Or use the uplink from this WiFi successfully?  Do you get an immediate error with http:// links, or does it time out?

Yes other wifi device (laptops/iphone) works well on this connection or configuration. No error messages, just blank white page and when I enter www.google.com the download indicator bar just stops somewhere in the middle and I then have to edit http to https to load the page.

It appears that the nexus browser has been set to only HTTPS browsing allowed over wifi. Opera browser works fine in wifi connection and no problem with all the browsers using 3G connection.

Your issue ain't related with Browser APP, it's a Network configuration regarding the proxy settings.
As you can read from your phone's user manual on page 63:

Proxy settings are used by Browser but may not be used by other apps.

Since you've mentioned that only "Browser" gets affected, and that all of them work fine under 3G, this leaves us with an WiFi settings issue:

Touch the "Settings" icon;
Touch "Wireless & networks" > "Wi-Fi";
Touch & hold your network in the list of Wi-Fi networks;
Touch "Modify network" in the dialog that opens;
Select "Show advanced option";
touch "None" under Proxy Settings, then touch "Manual" in the
menu that opens.
Clear the proxy box, make sure nothing stays there.
Touch Save.

Open the browser and give it a try. You should now be able to navigate without problems either with http and https.

I’ve tried to follow Zuul answer but for me after selecting Manual Save button is disabled.
I was able to explicitly open sign-in page by following suggestion from https://9to5google.com/2015/12/18/heres-how-to-manually-access-a-public-wifi-login-page-on-android/

If you head in browser to 192.168.1.1, the most common default router IP address,
I’ve found that nine times out of ten I’m immediately redirected to
the login page.


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Rooting and updating to Official Updates
I have a S2. I want to root my phone to use the amazing apps out there Not to install custom roms. Can i still get access to the official updates from Samsung ?

I recommend using OTA RootKeeper. From the app description:

This application makes a backup or a protected backup of your device's root.
  This device must already be rooted: OTA RootKeeper doesn't have the ability to root devices.

It allows you to temporary un-root your phone for OTA updates and then restore back root.
Before installing please check this XDA thread.


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Problem with Samsung Galaxy S2 Driver on Windows
I updated Kies today and my Samsung Galaxy S2 phone doesn't connect to my pc via Debug Mode any more.
Below is the screen shot

When I uninstall that and try to reconnect I get an error saying driver install failed.

try uninstalling the drivers before reinstalling the new drivers.

That looks like Windows 7.  Are you running 32 bit or 64 bit edition?

64 bit version..

Right-click on that "SAMSUNG_Android" and select Uninstall.  Then make sure the Delete the driver... option is checked, and click the OK button.  This should clear out the old drivers from the system.  Now unplug the phone and try uninstalling and re-installing Kies.  Reboot the PC and try plugging the phone in again.
If you are on Windows 7 64-bit, you may be able to bypass Kies software by installing this driver (remove the "SAMSUNG_Android" from Device Manager again before installing the driver.)

What do you do if there is no option to remove the files?


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How can I update my Galaxy Tab to 2.3?
I bought a Samsung Galaxy Tab which has Android 2.2. I want to upgrade it to 2.3 but I don’t know how. I searched to find out a way to do so, but I couldn't find anything.

Which exact Galaxy Tab model do you have?  Samsung released 13 different models: http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/galaxy-tab/all-products  The official 2.3 upgrade may or may not be available for your specific model.

You connect device to computer running samsung kies and do the damage with official gingerbread
All settings and databases will be lost or erased, so take care to make backup (if you know how to root then with titanium is best)
There is aftermarket Ice Cream Sandwich in development http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=807

if u have the samsung galaxy tab p1010 (wifi only)
i found a firmware update to gingerbread 2.3.6 released in uk.
im in south africa i installed in on my tab it worked perfect problems.
but one thing if u do this u will lose ur warrenty well atleast i was told i would but hey it worked perfect...and till now there hasnt been a update in south africa so i did it.
http://www.sammobile.com/
register and login
click firmware
type-tablet
os-android
model-pick ur model if listed
as i said i picked a uk release


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How to know if my phone has NFC technology?
I bought the Samsung Galaxy Note phone in Greece, but the store in which I bought the phone brought it directly from Samsung in France (that's what they told me), and the language that the phone had when I first booted the device was in German (so I suppose this phone was purposed for Germany).
Is there any way to find out whether my phone has NFC technology or not?

Elixir 2 probes the hardware. If it doesn't show then you probably doesn't have NFC. Also, com.android.nfc is the default Android app which takes care of NFC. You should be having it unless your OEM deliberately removed it and introduced some other alternative.

For some years now, there are many free apps that will give you this information.  I have one called Phone Tester which shows this screen

As a declaration of support for NFC capability an OEM would most likely add android.hardware.nfc to device's feature list - Which can be queried via adb:
adb shell pm list features | grep android.hardware.nfc
Reference


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Picture Gallery Slow & Won't Refresh on HTC G2 w Android 2.3 Gingerbread
I'm having a problem with Picture Gallery not refreshing and loading too slowly on Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread (HTC G2). After I take a picture and then go to add it on foursquare or facebook from picture gallery, the last couple pictures taken aren't there.  Sometimes the last 20 pictures taken aren't there or an entire directory of pictures isn't showing up. A lot of times it takes a long time to load the picture thumbnails and directories.
Is there a way to refresh or fix the Picture Gallery or is there a better 3rd party picture gallery that you can recommend?
Should I reformat or replace my micro SD card to make it work faster?
Thanks in advance! :)

Sounds like the contents of your SD Card have not been scanned since taking the photos.  Try the SDrescan app from Market.  This should help in such situations.
Alternatively, you can manually un-mount the SD Card (via Menu -> Settings -> Storage -> Unmount SD Card) and re-mount it again.  This should trigger the media scanner to refresh the card's contents.

Thanks for your reply! How do I make sure my SD Card isn't starting to go?

Use Quickpic. Its much better than the stock android gallery app both in Gingerbread and ICS

Thanks for your reply! I downloaded the Fish Bowl Photo Gallery but its got an annoying nag screen that stays on there for 2-3 seconds on each load so I'll try QuickPic  :)

I get the same issue with my G2, so I doubt this is a bad SD card.
Another way to force a rescan is to delete the thumbnail folder. I'll use an app like Astro, and navigate to /mnt/sdcard/DCIM. Delete the .thumbnails folder there and the next time you open the Picture Gallery, it will regenerate the thumbnails, including the missing pictures. That said, I think I'll give SDrescan a try next time this happens to me.


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How can I determine the latest released firmware for my Samsung device?
This problem eludes me. I have two Samsung Android devices, a Galaxy Tab 10.1 and a Galaxy S2. I keep'em up-to-date using the update option in the settings panel, however, I think I'm not always sporting the newest firmware that was released, maybe because of region issues or some other reason.
So I would like to know if there's a Samsung website or any other source where I can spot the latest stock firmware available?
Thanks all

In general there really doesn't seem to be a good way to keep up with updates that haven't been released directly to you.  I find the best way is simply to be involved in the "Android ecosystem" — reading Android blogs and news sites, and so on.
Sometimes there are stock ROM lists maintained on sites like XDA, for example this one for the i9001, and you can monitor those.
For actually acquiring ROMs, see: Where can I find stock or custom ROMs for my Android device?

Thanks! It's too bad Samsung doesn't have that kind of communication with its users. I hope that, as this market matures, the manufacturers get more smart about this kind of thing.


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Are Samsung firmware updates regional?
Silly straightforward question: are updates to Samsung devices firmware regional, meaning that  US may get an update earlier than South America or EU?
Also: who controls those updates? Do they depend on carrier when the device is tied to one?
Thanks a lot...really!

Samsung's OTA updates are carrier-based, as usual.  Kies updates are usually regional, but not particularly restricted; you can usually select a different region when installing Kies and get updates from there.
Kies updates are up to Samsung, though they would probably work with carriers on it to ensure it works well and whatnot.  OTA updates are controlled by the carriers, though of course they rely on Samsung to actually produce the update.  There's being some speculation that Google wants to break the carriers' tight control over this (and pricing, etc.) but in general Samsung et al. don't want to get on their bad side.

Thanks again. So this means that if for some reason I find out that someone has a more recent update in the same region as mine, I can expect or at least have some hope that Kies will give me the update?

@Bruno Hard to say.  It's certainly possible for an OTA to go out before a Kies update, I think usually they've been within a week though.

What about WiFi-only devices, and the 'Update option under settings.  Is that usually regional?

@JulianFondren Good question. I would assume it is and sends version info when checking for an update so that it can get the right one.  Probably it depends on the particular device and manufacturer.

@MatthewRead, one last question: is it possible to break the "regional lock" on my Samsung Galaxy S2? Or all I can do is manually flash the latest firmware?

@Bruno You'll have to clarify what you mean.  If you're talking about SIM unlocking, it's quite easy for the S2 -- I think there are apps for it in the Market actually.

@MatthewRead, no, what I mean is a way is to get updates from some other region. Is that possible? Oh, and thanks for your answers.

@BrunoBrant You might be able to use Kies with a different region, in the past at least it would allow you to grab the new firmware even if your old firmware was from a different region. But if not you'd need to use Odin.  OTA packages are regularly made into Odin packages by the people over at XDA, you just need to check the sub-forum for your device.  They'll often have a thread that lists all stock ROMs, and you can check it for updates.


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How do I find my contacts?
My contacts have dissapeared from my phone, over night, for no reason. (Galaxy S) Althoug nothing else in the phone has been affected. The messages still exist, the history is there, but only listed with phone numbers and not my contacts. I have pulled the battery, I have pulled the sim card and battery together and I have restarted the phone. Nothing seems to work. I beleive the contacts are in the phone because under my history some names appear but not all of them. How do I trace /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/contacts.db  to see if my contacts exist at all. Where do I start?

Maybe you just unchecked some/all contact sources from showing up in the contact list?
Open the contact list -> open the context menu -> hit 'more' -> choose view settings

Maybe your contacts have been swallowed by your google account and are no longer phone-only contacts. If that is the case you can get your contacts back in the "Display Options" inside your contacts/phone app. Just choose to display google contacts and see if they're there.
And, to open a .db file (an sqlite database) you need the proper software (maybe a market app?), some of them are free and easy to use, but I warn you, contacts.db is ugly as hell.


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Where is the Android log file to see if app installed correctly?

Possible Duplicate:
How can I view and examine the Android log?

Where is the log file. Why not logs/system.log? I see a log using app but nothing about install information.  Like failures to install because of xyz.

The only log I remember, that contains installation success/failure info is the one that can be accessed via ADB (android debug bridge). The command is:
adb logcat

But you might not have the Android debugging tools installed, so an easy way of looking at the logcat is to install aLogcat from market. Because that log is a memory buffer (I learned it form stackverflow).
Man, I sure want an easier way to get that info, but this is the only method I can remember.