text:
No internet connection after sleep although Wi-Fi connected and working well, Android Samsung Galaxy S I9000
Problem: No internet connection after 1+ minutes of sleep. Wi-Fi is still connected, i have IP assigned through DHCP, i can browse shared folders on PC in network. It looks similar as if i didn't allow WAN traffic for my MAC on my router (Old PC with floppy Coyote Linux router)
Temporary solution: Turn Wi-Fi off and on again.
Phone: Samsung Galaxy I9000, custom JB rom (latest CM10), custom JB kernel (latest Semaphore)
This problem is bothering me for a month now. I did following things trying to solve the issue:

Switched kernels (Semaphore, CM9, CM10, Devil's Kernel) (over CWM)
Switched ROM's (CM9, HellyBean, CM10) (over CWM)
Replaced XXJVT with XXJVU baseband only (over Odin, but got stuck without IMEI, phone number and data connection)
Changed encryption of AP from WPA to WPA2
Changed Wi-Fi channels from 11 to 6
Changed Wi-Fi from G to B+G
Switched off AP's QoS
Turned off router's firewall
Tried few Wi-Fi keep-alive apks
Rebooted Access Point, Router
Set "Always" in "Keep Wi-Fi on during sleep"
Disabled "Avoid poor connections"
Searched Google and forums, posted questions
Turned off Powersave Wi-Fi mode on kernel manager
Checked logcat (on the bottom see logcat within few minutes when connection was lost after screen turned off)
Used "forget network" for home Wi-Fi

I haven't flashed stock firmware all over again yet. I don't want to go through the process of reinstalling all the apps and accounts (Play doesn't want to restore them for some reason)

$08-26 09:47:00.800 D/SurfaceFlinger(  489): About to give-up screen, flinger = 0x419caaf0
$08-26 09:47:06.011 I/goggles ( 1726): BaseApplication: Getting userWantsHistory = false
$08-26 09:47:06.421 D/dalvikvm( 1726): GC_CONCURRENT freed 1870K, 66% free 2808K/8195K, paused 72ms+3ms, total 231ms
$08-26 09:47:06.421 D/dalvikvm( 1726): WAIT_FOR_CONCURRENT_GC blocked 112ms
$08-26 09:47:06.507 I/goggles ( 1726): FreshnessHelper: Checking for images newer than 1345938048000
$08-26 09:47:15.324 V/LockPatternKeyguardView(  664): Set visibility on com.android.internal.policy.impl.LockPatternKeyguardView$5@4191ecb8 to 8388608
$08-26 09:47:15.511 V/TransportControlView(  664): Create TCV com.android.internal.widget.TransportControlView@418c5560
$08-26 09:47:15.824 V/KeyguardViewManager(  664): KGVM: Set visibility on com.android.internal.policy.impl.KeyguardViewManager$KeyguardViewHost@40edc000 to 6291456
$08-26 09:47:15.839 D/PhoneStatusBar(  945): disable: < expand icons alerts ticker system_info back home RECENT* clock >
$08-26 09:47:16.019 D/dalvikvm(  664): GC_CONCURRENT freed 2953K, 41% free 13847K/23175K, paused 13ms+46ms, total 218ms
$08-26 09:47:16.019 D/dalvikvm(  664): WAIT_FOR_CONCURRENT_GC blocked 120ms
$08-26 09:47:16.050 V/LockPatternKeyguardView(  664): Set visibility on com.android.internal.policy.impl.LockPatternKeyguardView$5@4191ecb8 to 8388608
$08-26 09:47:16.054 D/PhoneStatusBar(  945): disable: < expand icons alerts ticker system_info BACK* HOME* RECENT CLOCK* >
$08-26 09:47:16.144 V/LockPatternKeyguardView(  664): Set visibility on com.android.internal.policy.impl.LockPatternKeyguardView$5@4191ecb8 to 8388608
$08-26 09:48:07.023 I/goggles ( 1726): BaseApplication: Getting userWantsHistory = false
$08-26 09:48:07.281 I/goggles ( 1726): FreshnessHelper: Checking for images newer than 1345938048000
$08-26 09:48:19.023 D/ConnectivityService(  664): ConnectivityChange for WIFI: CONNECTED/CONNECTED
$08-26 09:48:19.027 D/ConnectivityService(  664): handleConnectivityChange: address are the same reset per doReset linkProperty[1]: resetMask=0
$08-26 09:48:19.050 D/ConnectivityService(  664): ConnectivityChange for WIFI: CONNECTED/CONNECTED
$08-26 09:48:19.058 D/ConnectivityService(  664): handleConnectivityChange: address are the same reset per doReset linkProperty[1]: resetMask=0
$[COLOR="red"]08-26 09:48:20.027 D/ConnectivityService(  664): NetTransition Wakelock for WifiStateMachine released by timeout[/COLOR]
$08-26 09:49:02.027 D/Sensors (  664): Smb380Sensor::~enable(0, 1)
$08-26 09:49:02.027 D/Sensors (  664): Smb380Sensor::~enable(0, 1) open /sys/class/input/event1/device/enable
$08-26 09:49:02.027 D/Sensors (  664): Smb380Sensor::~enable(0, 1) opened /sys/class/input/event1/device/enable
$08-26 09:49:02.035 D/Sensors (  664): Smb380Sensor::~setDelay(0, 200000000)
$08-26 09:49:02.035 D/Sensors (  664): Smb380Sensor::~setDelay(0, 66667000)
$08-26 09:49:02.187 I/WindowManager(  664): Lock screen displayed!
$08-26 09:49:02.210 D/SurfaceFlinger(  489): Screen about to return, flinger = 0x419caaf0
$08-26 09:49:02.472 D/Tethering(  664): MasterInitialState.processMessage what=3
$08-26 09:49:02.609 D/Tethering(  664): MasterInitialState.processMessage what=3
$08-26 09:49:03.003 [COLOR="Red"]D/ConnectivityService(  664): handleInetConditionHoldEnd: net=1, condition=100, published condition=0[/COLOR]
$08-26 09:49:03.214 D/PicasaUploaderSyncManager(24298): active network: NetworkInfo: type: WIFI[], state: CONNECTED/CONNECTED, reason: (unspecified), extra: (none), roaming: false, failover: false, isAvailable: true
$08-26 09:49:03.214 D/PicasaUploaderSyncManager(24298): background data: true
$08-26 09:49:03.496 W/ContextScopeImpl(24312): thread=1 tried to enter the scope of the application context. Ignored.
$08-26 09:49:03.503 W/ContextScopeImpl(24312): thread=1 tried to enter the scope of the application context. Ignored.
$08-26 09:49:03.519 I/goggles ( 1726): BaseApplication: Getting userWantsHistory = false
$08-26 09:49:03.691 I/goggles ( 1726): FreshnessHelper: Checking for images newer than 1345938048000
$08-26 09:49:03.917 D/PicasaSyncManager(22933): active network: NetworkInfo: type: WIFI[], state: CONNECTED/CONNECTED, reason: (unspecified), extra: (none), roaming: false, failover: false, isAvailable: true
$08-26 09:49:03.917 D/PicasaSyncManager(22933): background data: true
$08-26 09:49:04.074 W/ContextScopeImpl(24312): thread=1 tried to enter the scope of the application context. Ignored.
$08-26 09:49:04.082 W/ContextScopeImpl(24312): thread=1 tried to enter the scope of the application context. Ignored.
$08-26 09:49:04.093 I/goggles ( 1726): BaseApplication: Getting userWantsHistory = false
$08-26 09:49:04.187 D/PicasaUploaderSyncManager(24298): active network: NetworkInfo: type: WIFI[], state: CONNECTED/CONNECTED, reason: (unspecified), extra: (none), roaming: false, failover: false, isAvailable: true
$08-26 09:49:04.222 D/PicasaUploaderSyncManager(24298): background data: true
$08-26 09:49:04.246 D/PicasaSyncManager(22933): active network: NetworkInfo: type: WIFI[], state: CONNECTED/CONNECTED, reason: (unspecified), extra: (none), roaming: false, failover: false, isAvailable: true
$08-26 09:49:04.246 D/PicasaSyncManager(22933): background data: true
$08-26 09:49:04.464 D/dalvikvm( 1726): GC_CONCURRENT freed 1854K, 66% free 2797K/8195K, paused 81ms+67ms, total 245ms
$08-26 09:49:04.464 D/dalvikvm( 1726): WAIT_FOR_CONCURRENT_GC blocked 136ms
$08-26 09:49:04.503 I/goggles ( 1726): FreshnessHelper: Checking for images newer than 1345938048000
$08-26 09:49:06.394 I/ActivityManager(  664): Process com.tmobile.thememanager (pid 24054) has died.
$08-26 09:49:12.039 D/Sensors (  664): Smb380Sensor::~enable(0, 0)
$08-26 09:49:12.050 D/Sensors (  664): Smb380Sensor::~enable(0, 0) open /sys/class/input/event1/device/enable
$08-26 09:49:12.050 D/Sensors (  664): Smb380Sensor::~enable(0, 0) opened /sys/class/input/event1/device/enable
$08-26 09:49:12.066 D/Sensors (  664): Smb380Sensor::~setDelay(0, 66667000)
$08-26 09:49:12.441 D/dalvikvm(  664): GC_CONCURRENT freed 2495K, 39% free 14281K/23175K, paused 18ms+11ms, total 137ms
$08-26 09:49:12.441 D/dalvikvm(  664): WAIT_FOR_CONCURRENT_GC blocked 109ms
$08-26 09:49:12.445 D/dalvikvm(  664): WAIT_FOR_CONCURRENT_GC blocked 79ms
$08-26 09:49:12.457 V/TransportControlView(  664): Create TCV com.android.internal.widget.TransportControlView@40e3b4f8
$08-26 09:49:12.570 D/SurfaceFlinger(  489): About to give-up screen, flinger = 0x419caaf0
$08-26 09:49:12.656 V/LockPatternKeyguardView(  664): Set visibility on com.android.internal.policy.impl.LockPatternKeyguardView$5@4191ecb8 to 8388608
$08-26 09:49:12.687 V/LockPatternKeyguardView(  664): Set visibility on com.android.internal.policy.impl.LockPatternKeyguardView$5@4191ecb8 to 8388608
$[COLOR="Red"]08-26 09:49:23.093 W/ThrottleService(  664): unable to find stats for iface pdp0[/COLOR]
$08-26 09:50:07.011 I/goggles ( 1726): BaseApplication: Getting userWantsHistory = false
$08-26 09:50:07.203 I/goggles ( 1726): FreshnessHelper: Checking for images newer than 1345938048000
$08-26 09:50:08.261 D/dalvikvm(  664): WAIT_FOR_CONCURRENT_GC blocked 0ms
$08-26 09:50:08.382 D/dalvikvm(  664): GC_EXPLICIT freed 1119K, 38% free 14381K/23175K, paused 8ms+8ms, total 121ms
$08-26 09:50:44.695 D/ConnectivityService(  664): ConnectivityChange for WIFI: CONNECTED/CONNECTED
$08-26 09:50:44.707 D/ConnectivityService(  664): handleConnectivityChange: address are the same reset per doReset linkProperty[1]: resetMask=0
$08-26 09:50:44.718 D/ConnectivityService(  664): ConnectivityChange for WIFI: CONNECTED/CONNECTED
$08-26 09:50:44.734 D/ConnectivityService(  664): handleConnectivityChange: address are the same reset per doReset linkProperty[1]: resetMask=0
$[COLOR="red"]08-26 09:50:45.699 D/ConnectivityService(  664): NetTransition Wakelock for WifiStateMachine released by timeout[/COLOR]
$08-26 09:51:07.242 I/goggles ( 1726): BaseApplication: Getting userWantsHistory = false
$08-26 09:51:07.421 I/goggles ( 1726): FreshnessHelper: Checking for images newer than 1345938048000
$08-26 09:51:07.425 D/Tethering(  664): MasterInitialState.processMessage what=3
$08-26 09:51:07.453 D/Tethering(  664): MasterInitialState.processMessage what=3
$08-26 09:51:07.589 W/ContextScopeImpl(24312): thread=1 tried to enter the scope of the application context. Ignored.
$08-26 09:51:07.609 W/ContextScopeImpl(24312): thread=1 tried to enter the scope of the application context. Ignored.
$08-26 09:51:07.625 I/goggles ( 1726): BaseApplication: Getting userWantsHistory = false
$08-26 09:51:07.625 D/PicasaUploaderSyncManager(24298): active network: NetworkInfo: type: WIFI[], state: CONNECTED/CONNECTED, reason: (unspecified), extra: (none), roaming: false, failover: false, isAvailable: true
$08-26 09:51:07.828 D/PicasaSyncManager(22933): active network: NetworkInfo: type: WIFI[], state: CONNECTED/CONNECTED, reason: (unspecified), extra: (none), roaming: false, failover: false, isAvailable: true
$08-26 09:51:07.863 D/dalvikvm( 1726): GC_CONCURRENT freed 1840K, 66% free 2800K/8195K, paused 19ms+26ms, total 93ms
$08-26 09:51:07.863 D/dalvikvm( 1726): WAIT_FOR_CONCURRENT_GC blocked 21ms
$08-26 09:51:07.910 I/goggles ( 1726): FreshnessHelper: Checking for images newer than 1345938048000
$08-26 09:51:07.933 D/PicasaUploaderSyncManager(24298): background data: true
$08-26 09:51:07.937 D/PicasaSyncManager(22933): background data: true
$08-26 09:51:07.964 D/PicasaUploaderSyncManager(24298): active network: NetworkInfo: type: WIFI[], state: CONNECTED/CONNECTED, reason: (unspecified), extra: (none), roaming: false, failover: false, isAvailable: true
$08-26 09:51:07.964 D/PicasaUploaderSyncManager(24298): background data: true

What irritates me are the Tethering entries in your log. Not sure what they mean -- but are you sure your internet is going via Wifi? Maybe you could check from a terminal app using the route command whether routing maybe got messed up? Not that I knew the next step then...

First of all, i think the problem is gone after flashing XXJVU baseband=modem=radio via CWM the second time. I got modems here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1158783

If it stays solved, consider saying so (including the steps that solved it) by answering your own question, and then accepting your own answer. This way other people with similar problems can see right from the lists this question has a solution.

I have the answer ready, but have to wait for some time until the system allows me to post it. I will also include the results of your suggestion

I have solved the problem by flashing modem (aka baseband aka radio) only through CWM / recovery mode.
This way i have kept all my settings and apk's and rom and kernel.
The files i have used (for SGS i9000) can be found here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1158783
You have to choose appropriate modem according to your phone/location/operator.
Perhaps it needs to be done twice or with correct modem (i suggest trying few times).
My actual procedure (i don't suggest repeating it) was: flashing several tar.md5 modem files several times via Odin which didn't work and I've lost my IMEI and phone number and signal. Later i have restored backed up /efs folder bud didn't help with IMEI. Then i flashed zip modem files over CWM in recovery mode which solved both problems.
Personally i have tried i9000xxjvu and i9000xwjw1 and both worked. After updating ROM with latest nightlies and later changing the kernel i notice that baseband version doesn't change.
This is probably why i couldn't solve the problem by changing roms and kernels before.
I read somewhere that modem does not affect Wi-Fi, but obviously it does to some degree.

Flashing baseband via Odin lost my IMEI and phone number and connectivity. I have fixed this by flashing modem via CWM.
After that the disconnections have seemed to stop. Also another problem got solved - before i couldn't copy +200MB file from PC to Android via Samba Fileserver - something disconnected the process every time. Now i can copy 300MB file without disconnections.
I will wait for a day or two and try to mess with Wi-Fi settings and let you know if the problem is really solved.
Izzy: I am sure my internet was going through Wi-Fi. Now the logs are different than before flashing modem (or replacing kernel, although kernel didn't solve the problem). Here is what i get if i check what you suggested:
cat /proc/net/route
Iface   Destination     Gateway         Flags   RefCnt  Use     Metric  Mask            MTU     Window  IRTT
wlan0   00000000        0102A8C0        0003    0       0       0       00000000        0       0   0
wlan0   0002A8C0        00000000        0001    0       0       0       00FFFFFF        0       0   0
wlan0   0102A8C0        00000000        0005    0       0       0       FFFFFFFF        0       0   0
root@android:/ # netstat -nr
netstat -nr
Proto Recv-Q Send-Q Local Address          Foreign Address        State
 tcp       0      0 127.0.0.1:7777         0.0.0.0:*              LISTEN
 tcp       0      0 127.0.0.1:7203         0.0.0.0:*              LISTEN
 tcp       0      0 127.0.0.1:5037         0.0.0.0:*              LISTEN
 tcp       0      0 0.0.0.0:5555           0.0.0.0:*              LISTEN
 tcp      62      0 192.168.2.116:5555     192.168.2.100:12979    ESTABLISHED
 tcp       0      0 127.0.0.1:37807        127.0.0.1:7777         ESTABLISHED
 tcp       0      0 127.0.0.1:7777         127.0.0.1:37807        ESTABLISHED
 tcp       0      0 127.0.0.1:37806        127.0.0.1:7777         ESTABLISHED
 tcp       0      0 127.0.0.1:7777         127.0.0.1:37806        ESTABLISHED
tcp6       0      0 ::ffff:192.168.2.116:58387 ::ffff:173.194.70.188:5228 ESTABLISHED
tcp6       0      1 ::ffff:192.168.2.116:50048 ::ffff:173.194.35.147:443 CLOSE_WAIT
root@android:/ #

I was having similar problem after flashing a new ROM.
For me exempting com.qualcomm.qti.tetherservice service from Battery Saver worked. You have to choose "Don't Optimize" in order for it to work correctly.


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Nexus 7 stuck in a boot loop
I have a two-week-old Google/Asus Nexus 7 tablet, unrooted and otherwise standard.
Yesterday it ran out of charge a lot faster than it usually does, and wouldn't seem to recharge. When it finally ran completely out of juice it shut down.
Now when I turn it on, it gets stuck in an endless boot loop. I contacted Google's support and they're looking to send out a new item. However if I go that road, I'll lose the data on there.
Has anyone experienced this issue? Is there anything else I could try? Thanks!

(EDIT)
This answer is only really helpful for unlocked tablets.. Look after this paragraph if that is already the case. Otherwise read on.
"fastboot oem unlock" also does a factory reset, you need to have it unlocked before you need it, alas. This is both good for privacy and bad for recovery from half-bricked devices... The factory reset does In fact a secure erase which nullifies all your data.
According to Android: Building for devices:

$ fastboot oem unlock
  The procedure must be confirmed on-screen, and deletes the user data for privacy reasons. It only needs to be run once.

$ fastboot boot recovery-clockwork-6.0.1.0-grouper.img
downloading 'boot.img'...
FAILED (remote: Bootloader is locked.)
finished. total time: 0.020s
$ fastboot oem unlock
...
(bootloader) erasing userdata...
(bootloader) erasing userdata done
(bootloader) erasing cache...
(bootloader) erasing cache done
(bootloader) unlocking...
(bootloader) Bootloader is unlocked now.
OKAY [ 12.704s]
finished. total time: 12.704s
$ fastboot flash recovery recovery-clockwork-6.0.1.0-grouper.img
sending 'recovery' (6480 KB)...
OKAY [  0.785s]
writing 'recovery'...
OKAY [  0.225s]
finished. total time: 1.010s
# after that boot into the recovery (don't boot normal! it overwrites valuable data...)
$ adb shell cat /dev/block/platform/sdhci-tegra.3/by-name/UDA \| gzip -1 -c \| uuencode bla | uudecode -o - | gunzip -dc | bar > /media/qnap/backup/n7.data.formatted.img

(END EDIT)
You can boot a temporary custom recovery and create a backup of your device.
It should also be possible to wipe it afterwards and recover from your problem without having to send it back at all (provided it's not a hardware issue).
Steps:

install the SDK (if not already done) and have working adb + fastboot executables ready
Download a CWM recovery image from here
unlock your Nexus 7's bootloader: fastboot oem unlock
Here's how to enter the fastboot mode (the Nexus 7's codename is grouper):
Press Power for a second, and press Volume Down when the bootloader logo appears
boot into a temporary CWM recovery: fastboot boot recovery-clockwork-6.0.1.0-grouper.img
Create a nandroid/CWM backup from your broken installation (backup&restore->backup)

after the backup is complete, try to pull all data from your device:
adb shell mount (should list something like /dev/block/mmcblk0p1 on /sdcard or so (not really sure however)
adb pull /sdcard backup/ (replace /sdcard with the above noticed directory, this should extract all your data to backup/)
check if everything is transmitted correctly)
you can buy TitaniumBackup+ProKey afterwards (it allows extracting data from Nandroid backups quite easily)

If that fails you can alternatively leech everything manually with adb:
I assume you use Linux.

.
#list available devices:
adb shell ls /dev/block
adb shell cat /proc/partitions
#create images for each mtdblock
#uuencoding is needed because the shell interferes with the stream (adds linefeeds or so):
adb shell cat /dev/block/mtdblockX \| uuencode foo | uudecode -o mtdblockX.img
adb shell cat /dev/block/mmcblkXXX \| uuencode foo | uudecode -o mmcblkXXX
#compare md5sums:
adb shell md5sum /dev/block/*
md5sum mtdblock* mmcblk*

# Look for reasonably sized images and what file system they are:
ls -lh mtdblock* mmcblk*
file mtdblock* mmcblk*
# You should be able to mount those images now (if you happen to use linux):
mount -t ext4 -oloop,ro mtdblockX /media/mtdblockX
# Now use some file-explorer to access your saved data

Final step:
If you are really sure that you got all your data back, boot back into the CWM recovery (see step above) and issue a wipe data/factory reset command. Then reboot and re-setup your tablet (hopefully you don't have a hardware issue).
Optional step: relock your bootloader via fastboot oem lock

Hey there, thanks for this very detailed answer. Before I do this though, are any of these steps likely to invalidate any kind of warranty with Google. If it is a hardware issue, I wouldn't want to be left with a useless device and no recourse!

If you have enabled 'adb' access (usb debugging) you could inspect your tablet before. However it's only possible to get the sdcard data, an 'adb backup' needs user confirmation via the UI (which is inaccessible). Let's take this to the chat?

@DrewNoakes: Sorry, forgot to answer your real question: Hmm, I'm not sure if Google denies you the warranty. Google devices are made to be unlocked and played with and it's deliberately easy to unlock it (in comparison to other brands). I guess it's not a show stopper for warranty (you can relock it again). Plus you do not have to install the CWM permanently (it's temporarily booted in memory only; if you use 'fastboot boot ...').

@DrewNoakes: Sorry, overlooked some real important part: unlocking wipes the device. Seems like there's little you can do to recover your data (see updated answer, there's a small possibility for file-carving though).

Thanks @ce4. Your answer is really awesome, and when I get my new device I'll be sure to use the above to unlock it and have a play around with it. Although, knowing that if I were to lose the device it'd be harder for someone to get the data if it were locked is nice. Will have a think. Thanks again for a very educational answer.

I just had a quite similar problem with my Galaxy Nexus (it didn't go past the Nexus X logo) and it seems it's not possible to make a backup with a locked bootloader and without root (at least not with Android 4.2).
I thought ce4's method could be a good try and so I unlocked the bootloader and then immediately booted clockwork recovery. Next, using adb shell I transfered the whole userdata partition (~14GB) and opening it in a hex editor I saw it's full of zero's 00. To be really sure I did a hexdump in adb shell and I saw the same (should have done this  first). It's been completely wiped.
So unlocking the bootloader does do a full wipe of userdata and cache partitions and it's not possible to recover anything after that. Doing a quick search I wasn't able to find the exact file in android source where it's implemented (would be interesting...)
Sometimes Android is just too secure. I wish there would be way to backup data from fastboot (or Odin mode). With a locked bootloader it could even ask for a password or something. Anyway after this my phone did boot again and everything is working. Only my data has been lost forever...
To everyone I suggest to unlock the bootloader as soon as you get your droid and also make backups regularly...

I had the same auto startup loop zero battery problem after 6 months or so of flawless use. The tablet experienced zero battery. Upon plugging in the Asus, the power supply would start up, go to home screen, and display "shutting down" after 2 seconds. As it shut down, it would show a screen of "static noise" like an untuned analog tv. Then, say two minutes or so later, it would repeat without any intervention, and ad infinitum. Battery never goes over zero.
There is a thread here that is also about the same issue.
There is an albeit slightly hard to understand fix offered in the above thread, which started with "plug into pc". I tried to follow steps without plugging into PC, as I could see no particular reason why this would make a difference, without joy. I then plugged into PC USB. Large "battery charging" screen immediately displayed, and I'm currently just letting it charge (if it actually is). Very odd flaw. I imagine as the batteries get a little older, this may become a common experience for many.
I recommend checking the Android Central thread. I'll be replying there with my results.
_ just a quick update here (I did put full process I undertook on the other thread though) to say it all worked out well, and after leaving to charge from pc, the tablet finally started up normally again. Phew...

I know it is a late answer, but it might help out others.
This might seem ridiculous, but this is what was causing the bootlooping on my Nexus 7. My tablet arrived from Amazon, I took it out of the box, plugged it in to charge. Battery icon didnt show a charge. Started it up and it got to the Google and the lock, then would restart over and over. So I did some reading and came across this fix.
Some how the tablet got "jostled", in other words banged. the tape that holds the battery wasn't placed properly so it allowed the battery to shift ever so slightly causing the cable to pull apart from the connection. enough to make a bootloop.
now the fix
Pull the back cover off, peel the tape back off the top of the battery, GENTLY PULL OR TWIST the battery (there is double-sided tape underneath it) to realign it so the cable can be attached correctly. When finished put the tape back across the battery and close the case up.
This is just one possible cause of bootlooping, the other answers will also work depending on circumstances.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
transfer files from Mac to nexus 7 via bluetooth?
I forgot the USB cable and I have some files on the Mac that I would like to transfer to my nexus 7. Is it possible to do this via bluetooth? Is there an app that can do this?

Provided both the Android handset and your Mac share a common wifi connection (same AP that allows client-to-client connections):
Install an FTP server or a webserver app that allows uploading:
For example Airdroid. It allows file-uploading via drag&drop even. You'll find your uploaded files in airdroid/upload in the SDcard folder.

It's not Bluetooth, but try my Open Source project cross copy for inter-device copy and paste:

browse to http://cross-copy.net on both devices
choose the same code word to establish a connection between the devices
upload the files on the Mac
a download link for each file will appear on the page of the Nexus 7

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


text:
Is it possible to do an advanced compare of two apps based on instalation history?
Is there any tool which classifies apps by their features. Something like Pandora (music genome) for apps (apps genome).
For example I installed 'Chess Free' and after 3 months I installed 'Free Chess' (app2). Can I somehow see a matrix which would say: app2 can save games (unlike app1), app1 I can customize figure icons. (to better see the king vs. queen). App 2 has ads on top (app1 does not).
Perhaps this is asking too much. and Google may not like it so it would have to bee from external start-up.
Or alternatively (no matrix) - can I only read reviews of users who (1) wrote a review for app2 and (2) also have installed app1 and (3) mention app1 name in their review. (i.e., "app2 in comparison to app1 review").
Or any server which comes close to this vision?

Not exactly what you asked, but Mapsaurus Beta comes close to it. You can also use the corresponding website: Mapsaurus: Just enter the app you look for "alikes", and it shows you related apps:

Click on one of them, and the tree continues. A separate frame (not shown in my picture) gives you the Playstore link to the centered app. The screenshot was made from the website.


text:
Can I lock android phone to one network if it is unlocked?
Can I lock android phone to one network? If can be unlocked if I have both lock and unlock code?
I want to lock my android phone to use only one network.

This question seems a little unclear to me. What do you want to achieve / what is the specific problem you want to solve? Can you add some use case and more information?

Hummm... +1 to ce4's comment - you have this question tagged as both sim-unlocking and bootloader-lock - which is it?

I can only presume that the OP wants to send in their phone for technical support and doesn't want to make it apparent that they've unlocked their phone.

something like that :)

@leki: Would you edit your question to better reflect your problem? Without knowing which model you actually have: Not possible (without enumerating all models). Some unlock attempts are reversible (Google line up), most are not (Sony, HTC,...) or at least are rather unfeasible... Search xda for this.

If you're talking about sim unlock, it is possible to re-lock it back to the network as was often the case with old nokia dumb-phones. However, I have not seen this in practice with most phones now-a-days. Usually, once it is unlocked from the network, any sim card can go in place and use it.
However, if you're talking about locking the boot-loader - then that's a different thing altogether, hence my comment above to ask for clarification. In this case, you can re-lock the boot-loader, depending on the manufacturer and the procedure used originally.


text:
Where are android drivers located in the system?
Specifically, I'm looking for the drivers responsible for the tf101 and sl101 detachable and slideout keyboards in ICS.
But in general, where are the drivers located inside the Android OS itself?

They're most of the time baked right into the monolithic Linux kernel (or sometimes available as loadable .ko kernel modules located in /system/lib/modules/). Note: Linux kernel modules are build-specific and cannot be interchanged across devices, different firmware versions.
See the Wikipedia entry for Linux kernel modules

so my keyboard module is likely built into the kernel and If I wanted to get it I would have to have the stock kernel?

Not quite clear what your use case is here... Do you want to build/have your own kernel? There are multiple ways for keyboards to be attached to linux: Bluetooth-HID, USB-HID (human interface device abstraction layer) and probably built-in hardware keyboards with their own driver. They should be available in Asus' source distribution for the TF101, though. You cannot just take the precompiled stuff and install it into a different linux kernel.

I've got Ubuntu running on the sl101 and the slidout keyboard is not working. I have no doubt that it is a driver /kernel problem but .... it is completely disapointing to me if I can't get the keyboard working... I've already been watingn almost two years to get ubuntu on this thing... every day is so depressing that this doesn't work... i have to get it working somehow... either get the driver for linux or make my own driver whatever the solution is

Ok. Now things become a lot clearer. You would need to do some kernel patching most probably (integrate the sl101 kb driver into ubuntu's kernel source and recompile. This is very close to development and sadly off topic (Ubuntu porting)... I guess. Already saw your post on XDA, goog luck! Keep us informed! :-)

I want to locate the USB driver for transformer tf101 , where can I find it ?


text:
What do "faster GPS fix" apps do?
There are at least a dozen "Faster GPS Fix" apps in the Play Store -- one is even a $5 paid app -- and they remind me of those RAM Booster/Optimizer utilities of the 1990s.

What do they do -- and the better question is: why doesn't Android do this by itself?

One of the apps you have a picture of, the venerable GPS Status & Toolbox, describes this claim in the app description:

Keep your GPS fast: reset it or download A-GPS data regularly for faster fixes

Wikipedia does a great job defining the basic concepts behind Assisted-GPS:

Standalone GPS provides first position in approximately 30–40 seconds. A Standalone GPS system needs orbital information of the satellites to calculate the current position. The data rate of the satellite signal is only 50 bit/s, so downloading orbital information like ephemeris and almanac directly from satellites typically takes a long time, and if the satellite signals are lost during the acquisition of this information, it is discarded and the standalone system has to start from scratch. In AGPS, the Network Operator deploys an AGPS server. These AGPS servers download the orbital information from the satellite and store it in the database. An AGPS capable device can connect to these servers and download this information using Mobile Network radio bearers such as GSM, CDMA, WCDMA, LTE or even using other wireless radio bearers such as Wi-Fi. Usually the data rate of these bearers is high, hence downloading orbital information takes less time.

If your phone's A-GPS cache is corrupt or stale, forcing a refresh can be beneficial. Normally, Android does in fact take care of maintaining this cache automatically. I've personally only used this app to help diagnose and solve GPS problems, something it does very well. In normal usage I wouldn't bother with the A-GPS cache until you find it needs intervention.

One of the advantages of the A-GPS download feature in these apps is that you can download the A-GPS data when you want to, whereas Android only (attempts to) download it when it needs it. I've used this a few times to pre-download the A-GPS data to ensure I've got a recent copy  of it, when I know I'm going to be using the GPS later in the day/week in an area with poor/no data signal.

There is another style of app that simply keeps the gps working non-stop or more regularly.
The android system, unlike CE and systems used in various GPS only units, has a feature of letting the GPS go back to sleep until needed.  Or we could reverse that and say that it only wakes it up as needed.  This can save a lot of power (a lot more in the early years of these devices).
If you can keep the GPS reciever awake and continually polling the sattalites, any time you actually need this data , it will be working, it will be gathering data from many sattalites and the accuracy of a single quick poll of the location will be much better.
Again only because the GPS receiver is running non-stop.  (not too special, but it is a method)
One app of this style is "tracker booster" , also "gps status" (a real status program) has both methods possible (AGPS and Keep alive). Many Car Dock and Car Home type apps, will apply the "keep polling" the gps method. Plus any app that simply needs to use the GPS data, speed widgets, speedometers, location tools.
Anything that keeps the gps awake and going.
When is a Location not a good location :-)
Quick polls of the sat data from the gps only expect there to be a "lock" which only requires 2 sats for 2D and 3 sats for 3D positioning.  But this position is not hugely accurate.   Given enough time running, the GPS can lock onto more like 8-20 sats (in the US) and aquire a positioning that is within 9 Meters (thats about max from what I have seen).  Add in some averaging (multiple polls same location) a full fix, clear view of the sky I can confirm my location within about a 10 feet area.
The claims of this style of apps to be more accurate, and faster fixes, is achieved by keeping the gps awake, that is all.
When Hiking, GPS tracking, GPS cache hunting, or car navigating, most applications already Keep the GPS running non-stop, but not all of them, and not for all situations.
   If an app is pushed to the background and has no settings for keeping the GPS alive, when it comes back on the accuracy will suffer some for a while.
Serious GPSers will employ such a method to . . .  Keep the gps alive, which does help.
In this different method, AGPS assistance can still be employed to gain a faster first fix.  If your device has no data connection of any sort, And the GPS software does not fail when AGPS is not loaded, Keeping the GPS going will keep a good fix on the sats going, AGPS at that point is unnessisary.
Both types of programs show up in the store , often with very poor explaination of the functions, so it helps to know what method(s) is employed.

authors: นาลี อุปถัมภ์


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If I 'adb push' a file to /system/xbin, will it persistent?
If I 'adb push' a file to /system/xbin, will it persistent? will it stay until I flash another image?
$ adb push myfile /system/xbin/myfile

Thank you.

Yes. /system is for persistent firmware files and will survive a wipe/reset unless you don't install another firmware (depends on the MOD's installer/installation script: some preserve other files, some do not).


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Poor battery after update to Android 4.0.3
I updated my non-rooted Samsung Galaxy S2 from 2.3.5 to 4.0.3.
Now, I recognize a significant decrease in battery lifetime.
Any idea what may cause it and how to get around it?

This question is extremely hard to answer without any details. At least look at the "Battery" stats in your settings screen and supply some stats on what's using the battery.

I agree - my intention was to ask if this may be a common problem with that Android version or device.

Concerning current battery consumption - I see 50% for the screen (allthough it's off for most of the time) and 25% for Android OS and no application with significant consumption.

It's normal for the screen to use most of the battery, if the Android OS takes a lot even in standby you should probably try a factory reset/clean install.

This could be caused by WakeLocks (see: How to deal with (orphaned) WakeLocks?). Please check at least your battery usage screen for the indicators described in that questions answer; if they match, follow the steps there (and let us know here).

@Izzy: Ah thank you for the hint, but I did a clean install in the meantime and an update to 4.0.4. The battery consumption is back to normal (if one can call this normal that a phone sometimes doesn't even survive a day of usage...)

@Geziefer Glad you solved the issue! Would you mind to present your solution by answering your own question? That way it's easier to see this Q is answered. As for the runtime: Well, it's no longer just a phone, it's rather a pocket computer which can handle phone calls as well. Would you complain if your laptop "dies" after 18h on battery? ;) Still, I hope they can increase the runtime to 7 days at least... Hope dies last.

@Izzy: well, thing is, I wouldn't call it a solution, if one has to completely reset his phone to get an official update working correctly, that's why the question is not really answered even though I 'solved' it that way.As for the battery, I do know what this little thing is capable of doing, but isn't it a bit like driving a Porsche with a 10l fuel tank?

I'd consider it better than to sit around and whine "my battery is empty". But OK, up to you. And sure, more powerful batteries wouldn't hurt XD


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What is the clockworkmod blobs folder good for?
I recently upgraded my clockworkmod recovery image to version 6.x and noticed that there's now a new blobs folder in the /sdcard/clockworkmod/ directory:
/sdcard/clockworkmod # ls -l
drwxrwxrwx    3 root     root          4096 Aug 27 14:46 backup
drwxrwxrwx 2329 root     root        131072 Aug 27 14:49 blobs
/sdcard/clockworkmod # ls -l blobs/
drwxrwxrwx    2 root     root          4096 Aug 27 14:48 000
drwxrwxrwx    2 root     root          4096 Aug 27 14:48 001
[... 2322 folders omitted]
drwxrwxrwx    2 root     root          4096 Aug 27 14:48 ffc
drwxrwxrwx    2 root     root          4096 Aug 27 14:49 ffd

What are those blobs good for?

Starting with version 6, deduplication support has been built into clockworkmod recovery. The blobs directory folder contains a hashed directory structure that holds the deduplicated files across all backups.
See the developer's Google+ post for more, in short:

TL;DR:
  ClockworkMod Recovery now deduplicates files between builds. This results in way smaller backups.
  Don't delete /sdcard/clockworkmod/blobs


text:
Shortcut to turn Wi-Fi on/off on Samsung Galaxy Nexus?
Since the sync utility I use to sync my Samsung Galaxy Nexus with Outlook only supports Wi-Fi instead of USB, I searched the AppStore for an application that adds a shortcut on the screen to make it easier to turn Wi-Fi on and off.
I tried DroidMania's, but it doesn't seem to work (when clicking on the icon, it simply displays a text page). Next, I tried Hotspot Widget, but nothing happens when I click on the shortcut. Other apps seem old, are only 1.0, and might not work either.
Hard to believe something that simple couldn't be found easily.
Does anyone know of a very simple application that

Simply adds a shortcut on the screen to do this.
And, definitely works on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus?

Don't the standard widgets work for this case? I do not have a Nexus device, but all my devices have a Wifi toggle widget by default (AFAIK this already comes with AOSP). Just long-tap on an empty space on your homescreen, select Widgets, and check the list. Next to a single stand-alone Wifi widget, there's usually also a combined "power-widget" which includes a Wifi toggle.

On the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, you can add the Android built-in "Power Control" widget to your screen, this has a one-click button for turning Wifi on and off on the left-hand end of the bar.

(screen shot is from the home screen of my Galaxy Nexus, but this power bar has been built-in to Android since at least v1.6, though some manufacturer customizations do remove/change it)
To add this press the circle-with-dots-in icon at the bottom of the home screen to go to your apps list, then select the "WIDGETS" tab at the top of the screen and scroll along until you see "Power Control" or "Settings", hold your finger down on that and it should allow you to drag that to an empty spot on one of your home screens.
Also, if you've received the Jelly Bean 4.2.1 update, it contains a quick settings menu that allows you to get right into the Wi-Fi page in settings. You can swipe down with two fingers from the notification bar, or swipe once and click the button in the top righthand corner.

Then you long-press on the Wifi icon to turn it on or off.

If you have Android ICS you can simply drag the notification area and turn wifi on/off from there.

That option is not available in Galaxy Nexus, at least there's no such a thing in my phone.

I can confirm that it works on my Galaxy Nexus. @GAThrawn's answer shows how it should work.


text:
Android limited to 1 hour video recording?
At the moment, I am using the standard video recording app for video recording.  I have found that the recording automatically stops after just 1 hour.  Is this a deliberate limitation placed on the app, or is this an android limitation?
I have a 32Gb sd-card, so I don't think storage is a problem.  I am using Android 2.2.  I understand that this particular version of android has a 2.1Gb file size limit, but the videos I am recording are no where near 2.1Gb in file size.
So what is causing the video to stop after just one hour is my real question.

Most video recording apps are IMHO limited to 1h non-stop recording, as you can find with a simple Google search, which is probably a safety measure to not let you run out of battery -- as video recording is the biggest consumer (see What can I do to increase battery life on my Android device?).
However, a developer can have his app overriding this limit (see Max duration for capture video on android on Stack Overflow) -- so you might just have to find a video recording app which has this setting increased (as e.g. One Eye Browser in this linked pro-version).

There's also a EU tax regulation that classifies devices with >=30min recording capabilities as video cameras, maybe this is also a reason here? (source on dpreview and photo.SE)

That wouldn't explain a limit of 59:59 -- but AFAIK the Droid was limited to 29:59, which would be explained by that.


text:
Samsung Galaxy S Advance Continuous Focus in Video Recording
I am interested in Samsung Galaxy S Advance. But I noticed that this phone does not have Continuous Focus function in the Video Recording. How can I have Continuous Focus function in Video Recording? Is there any apps that can solve this?


text:
Installing custom ROM on HTC phones over Fastboot or ADB
I am trying to build CyanogenMod for Sensation. After building I have update.zip, which I can install over CWM recovery manually. But how do I install the ROM over Fastboot or ADB in order to automate the installation process?
The same commands which I'm using for Google phones (Fastboot flash system) does not work normally. I think, that after flashing, system partition have wrong address.

You need to follow the usual installation steps (Use CWM for flashing .zip files and 'fastboot flash  .img' for flashing image files (like boot.img). A .zip file is not a valid file system, it get's written as-is onto the partition you specify, fastboot just does what you ask for.

yes, i understand all about zip file. Problems in system.img, which we have after building in out folder - it have wrong file system for htc (yaff2 or ext3?) or offset, or something yet.


text:
Screen goes back to home screen frequently, after Data Network enable
When I enable Data Network, my phone goes back to home screen frequently whenever I use another application or go to another place. Even when I close my screen, my home screen appears. How to fix this error? When i deactivate the data network mode, the phone works normally.. please please please update me the solution on it.
My phone is Samsung Galaxy S plus.
Model Number - GT-I9001
Firmware version - 2.3.6

Same phone. Never had this happen to me.
Using a custom ROM though. BroodROM Business Edition.
I would recommend upgrading your system or flashing a custom ROM.

This is happening because of WakeLocks. You can use 'Phantom key press manager' to avoid wakelocks. My i9001 is working like a gem after installing the application.


text:
Looking for software to create an exact copy of the memory card
What software can help me Copy memory card From my phone Into my hard disk My pc have Operating system is windows 7 My memory card Have two partitions, one FAT32 And second EXT Total memory 8 GB A MICRO-SD card Thanks to anyone who can help

This question is more suitable in superuser.

you can mount your phone as a mass storage device then use windows to copy the files. or you can use ADB from the android SDK and do an "adb pull /sdcard/ c:/path/to/save/data/"

Or you can take your SD card out of the phone, place it into a card reader, and attach that to your Windows PC. It should be recognized automatically and will most likely even open directly in an explorer window.

The best tool for dumping partitions and devices is a unix tool called dd, which is also available with almost any Linux distribution, like Ubuntu.
If you're running windows then you might want to try dd's counterpart for Windows - WinDD.
It's usually:
dd if=[source_inputfile] of=[sink_outputfile]
Warning!
These tool can do harm to your drives if used incorrectly (if you mix up data source and sink, the source will be overwritten). A quote from Wikipedia:

It is jokingly said that dd stands for "disk destroyer", "data destroyer", "death and destruction", or "delete data", since when used for low-level operations on hard disks, a small mistake, such as reversing the if and of (input and output) parameters, could result in the loss of some or all data on a disk.

So please, be cautious.


text:
Trim list of sharing apps in ICS
Things like sharing photos come to mind. When I view a photo and click Share, the list can get pretty bloated depending on what apps I have installed. Is it possible to trim the list of apps down or disable them from appearing on this list?
Annoyingly, many of my most useful and frequented apps have been bumped down on the list and I now have to scroll to select an app.

Is your device rooted? I do not know for sure, but in that case I might have an idea...

Isn't that one of the new features of ICS? My sharing list is trimmed. For example see Figure 1 from http://developer.android.com/training/sharing/shareaction.html

The device is not rooted (yet). I'm unwilling to make that jump until I know that I really want to.

You might want to take a look at Andmade Share -- an app that claims to replace your share list with a completely customizable one, as the following screenshots show:

As you see, you not only can get rid of unwanted entries -- but also re-organize the order of those left, so you can have your most-used on top.


text:
Motorola Defy recovery and reboot problems
I was going to update my phone. After I downloaded cyanogen I obviously had to reboot or something...
Anyway: at first I got an android with a triangle and an exclamation mark, so I tried booting it and recovered it by using my sd card.
And here my trouble started! First when I tried booting it again I got a black screen titled booster something; then when I turn it on i just get the Motorola symbol and it stays there! As for now it doesnt turn on at all :'(
What can I do now to get my phone working again?

To help you, some more details are needed: What did you recover from your sd-card, and which steps were you doing? Did you follow any guide (if so, please provide the URL)? Could you be a bit more precise on your "somethings" as well? What were the files involved?

well first of all i thought i had a file on my sd but i had NOTHING! and the something is boostermenu its black and has one sentence saying plug in usb data cable to program. And i used several guides :P please help :(

Unless you give us all the details, we are probably unable to help you. At least mention every step you took, and provide links to the guides used. "several" and "something" are not giving insights -- from that I can only tell you you have to do "something else" -- most likely "something you did not yet try", or "follow another guide".


text:
Desire stuck in Boot Loop After mod install
I installed an Audio Mod 'BeatsAudio' through clockworkmod recovery on my HTC Desire. After i rebooted it just keeps looping the boot logo over and over. I have tried removing the battery, sim and SD card, and also no luck there.
I've also tried wiping the data and cache partition but that doesn't help. I can get in the HBOOT menu but unrevoked doesn't seem to recognize my phone.  I have tried ropening a stock boot rom to see if that would install it but it tells me its not compatible with my 64Bit OS.
I have no idea what else to do.

Most probably your kernel doesn't fit your device (CDMA vs GSM? or sth. else). Are you S-OFF (changed your hboot)? Can you enter the bootloader? Remove the battery, hold vol-down then press pwr until you see the bootloader and select 'recovery' to install  CyanogenMod (for the GSM or CDMA model). Then unpack boot.img in the cm*.zip and flash it via 'fastboot flash boot boot.img' (also part of the SDK) . This should give you a regular CyanogenMod 7.2 Gingerbread.

GSM i assume. I'm S-ON, I dont have a SD reader, so i'm not quite sure how i'll transfer a rom onto the card. Can i just insall CyanogenMod straight from Clockworkmod recovery, should i unpack the img out the zip or just copy the zip file and install that? I'm not fully clear on this. @ce4
To be clear this wasnt A MOD/ROM it was just a zip file that changed the audio settings. I was already rooted with unrevoked, just after i installed this through clockworkmod it started looping

Well, the .zip can contain not only settings, you had to look at the contents to be sure. You have CWM at hand, so you just can flash another ROM using the recovery. Install the SDK and fastboot+adb commands. You can transfer a firmware.zip file with "adb push rom.zip /sdcard" when you run the CWM (be sure the SD card is "mounted" in CWM before). Then follow cyanogenmod's full update guide for the GSM: http://wiki.cyanogenmod.com/wiki/HTC_Desire_(GSM):_Full_Update_Guide

Did you wipe Dalvik cache?

You installed Mod to system, so you need to reflash ROM from recovery.
Erase user data (hard reset) will not help you.

wipe dalvik cache after wiping cache
reboot and wait a while

The question says "I've also tried wiping the data and cache partition but that doesn't help."

@onik cache != Dalvik cache. There's the "app cache", and there's the "Dalvik cache". Though I'm not sure whether the latter is not always part of the /data partition (on some ROMs it is -- but I don't know whether this is a general rule).

@Izzy At least in Samsung recovery mode wiping cache wipes both, I just assumed it was the same in other recovery modes.

No prob -- above info was "just in case" ;)


text:
Can I put a Galaxy Note on Virgin Mobile (US)?
I am thinking about getting the new Galaxy Note phone, but I want to put it on Virgin Mobile (US). Is this possible? If not does anyone know of any phone service like Virgin Mobile I can put the Galaxy Note on?

No, this isn't possible. The Galaxy Note is a GSM phone whereas Virgin Mobile USA is a CDMA network (it is a subsidiary of Sprint). The two are not compatible. In addition to this, CDMA carriers typically only activate phones that are specifically branded for their networks, so you can't even use a Sprint phone on Virgin unless you "know a guy" or find a really nice rep.
The Galaxy Note is quad-band GSM/UMTS, supporting the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM bands and 850/900/1900/2100 MHz UMTS (3G) bands. If you get one that is not carrier locked then you can use it on AT&T, T-Mobile, and any smaller US carrier that uses their spectrum (Straight Talk, for example).

It's possible now that Sprint is selling this phone with the radio that is needed for the Sprint network. I'm not sure how to get the store to activate the Note 2 yet. You may need to talk to them in person.

me thinks it can be done because a Virgin Mobile phone rep told me that I could use a Verizon Note 3(Verizon 4G LTE phones are unlocked) but  wouldn't you just know when I got the Note 3 and went to activate on Virgin Mobile I was shot down!
AND I have a friend that has an old sim from Virgin Mobile and when she put that sim in the Verizon Note 3? In the settings of the phone(Apps > Settings > GENERAL > About phone > Status), it showed her phone number

Could you clarify your point, it's hard to understand what you mean. Are you saying it is possible? Or are you saying you have tried it and it wasn't successful?


text:
Trusting the manufacturer like Google Play
I just purchased a Toshiba Excite 10.  I was surprised when I attempted to update manufacturer-bundled software and found that I couldn't because it wasn't installing through Google Play.
Is there a way to make my tablet understand that an app downloaded or upgraded through my OEM is just as safe as something downloaded through Google?

You should go to Settings -> Security and check the option: Unknown Sources (or something like that). then your tablet would allow you to install apps from everywhere.

This option should obviously be turned back off when you're done.

@bigbadonk420 Why? I don't see any reason to do that.

Isn't this a security hole, allowing anyone to install apps on my tablet?

@lacqui maybe it makes security problem, but when this is not checked, you are never able to install any app from other sources than Google play. And, I always turn this option ON without any problems, because anyway all apps require your permission to install, except when you have rooted your phone and some malicious app installs another app silently!

Because there's no reason that the default option should be to allow all packages from anywhere. If you need to install exotic packages, it's better to disable the protection then, instead of leaving it always off. It's like asking "why should I have the safety on when using guns, I'm not an idiot". Why not use it when it's there. You have no way of knowing what situations your tablet will be put in (other people using it etc).

@bigbadonk420 If other people can install an app than they can also just enable unknown sources. Please stop with the metaphors - safety on guns is a totally different thing.

@bigbadonk420 ALso if you're replying to someone please "at" mention them so they will be notified.

@RichardBorcsik: one possible scenario is if a malicious app tried to trick you into click through the install button, for instance, it might be a game that asks you to quickly and repeatedly tap on the area where the install button usually is, with the right timing some people might accidentally click through the installation prompt without realizing it until it's too late. Gun safety exists for similar reason, anyone with little knowledge of guns can disable them, it's there to prevent pressing the trigger by accident, not to prevent the shooting itself.


text:
Is there currently an easy way to root Sony Xperia S with stock ICS 4.0.4 ROM?
I'm looking for an easy way, which doesn't need Unlocking bootloader or flashing Roms, just like root solution for SE 2011 devices (one click). It's because I currently use my Xperia S for development purposes and can't afford bricking it! please tell me if there is a solution. Thanks!

@Potential close voters: We don't close vote rooting questions as duplicates any more

Ok, at last, the mighty user of XDA, Bin4ary, has released a very nice and easy toolkit to root ICS JB roms of most sony phones, including Xperia S.
I used the tool and easily rooted my phone. Very fast and painless. No need to flash or unlock bootloader or anything.
If you are also interested, this is the page on XDA:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1886460

There's a guide on Rooting Xperia S ICS and GB over at XDAs. Not having any XPeria device, I cannot verify -- but the comments on the thread confirm it working. It does not even require the bootloader to be unlocked.
Requirements for that method:

Windows
Net framework 3.5 or later

Preparation:

Application Settings: [Unknown sources] checked {Allowed}
Application Settings: Development [USB debugging] checked {Allowed}
Application Settings: Development [Stay awake] checked {Allowed}
Settings -> Display settings [Screen timeout] Set to 30 minutes
If your screen goes off just once then you won’t be able to return to the installation properly. Very important!!
Please think about your battery and try to keep the display brightness to a minimum.
Please use a regular picture for the background. Do not use the default live wallpaper.
Charge the Xperia S’s battery to 80%.
Use the Generic CH (1257-3740) XPERIA S LT26i ROM (6.1.A.0.452).
Can be found here along with the latest FLASTOOL link: XDA FileServer
Net framework 3.5 or later
Gingerbread part 1 and part 2

It also mentions a Root Toolkit.
Installation Process:

Flash Gingerbread firmware wiping data and cache only if you are not on gingerbread
Run Step 1.bat
Install ICE CREAM SANDWICH without wiping anything
Run step 2.bat

To enter CWM recovery you have to tap on sony logo at start few times.
If it does not root properly first time run it again
Thanks to Bin4ry for the files

Alternative: Unlocking the Bootloader
An alternative method involves the SDK, and is described at AndroidPit (German; Google Translate 2 English here). this method, however, involves unlocking the bootloader -- so be aware of Sony's harsh politics when it comes to warranty in this case.

thanks for your answer, but I have currently seen this tutorial. I mentioned in my question that I want a way without any need to flash other ROMs than my current ICS stock rom.

Unfortunately I could not find such solution -- so I thought it would be better than nothing. With some luck somebody else finds a more convenient solution we all have missed -- but if not, you at least have two fall-back solutions noted here. I'd rather love if root came pre-installed, like with our desktop systems...

Added variant #3 -- found a one-click solution for you :)

thanks again, unfortunately that wasn't for "Xperia S", but for Xperia Arc (my previous phone) from Xperia 2011 series. I'm aware of this site rules and I researched really hard before posting my question here, but found nothing, just some tuts like your answers.

Ouch -- OK, sorry for that; if you say it isn't applyable to your Xperia S, I better remove it from the answer to avoid confusion. On the page it said "Xperia Arc S" (to keep the link for reference: PocketPC.CH). Maybe you should include with your question what sources you already checked -- you didn't say so, so it's hard not to post anything you already found yourself ;)


text:
Can I record a Skype call (audio and voice) using a Samsung Galaxy S3?
I've tried using various call recording apps, and standard voice recording, but none do the job.
I need to record both sides of a Skype call made on my Android phone. Unfortunately time is short and I need to do this in a couple of hours, any advice appreciated.

This site isn't built for fast turnaround on answers. Quite the opposite, really. We want questions and answers that will be useful for quite some time going forward.

Not a law expert, do the recording and "you must notify the other party" rules (vary by local laws) apply to Skype calls?

This probably is too late to be of help to the OP, but this question is valid and could be useful for others.
Found this: http://community.skype.com/t5/Video-INACTIVE/Record-video-calls-windows/m-p/3012#M44 but it pertains to windows and not the phone environment.
Unfortunately on android, Skype itself would have to have this feature for the best overall success.
Related topics with good answers:

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/5382212/capture-video-of-androids-screen
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/3176555/android-capture-screen-of-phone-as-a-movie
Direct link: Droid@Screen

An on-phone solution to recording audio would have to simultaneously record incoming mic audio (from you) and outgoing speaker audio (from other). However, you could simply record the stream externally and use a movie/video editor to synchronize the video and audio streams.

The problem with recording is dependent on the kernel if that kernel has the capability to do so within the audio hardware driver!
That aside, another aspect, this governs actual phone calls, is that audio is a mutually exclusive thing, lift handset, audio, speaker is routed to respective hardware pieces, if not in call, audio and speaker gets routed to speaker (combine that with headset and  another route is made!)
Now I do not know if that principle applies to VOIP over wifi (as have never tried it!)
Another thing, depending on where you are, this will be dependent on jurisdiction of your country, two way recording could be seen as illegal and may/could be equivalent to wire-tapping, IANAL!
Check first, if that's "ok to do", then check with the party involved first if they actually mind being recorded, if not, then you could end up in trouble for invasion of privacy and recording their conversation without their consent
I am loosely saying that as its a questionable thing to do and do not know legalese but its something to bear in mind.


text:
Ctrl+Click to open in new tab
I use ASUS Transformer with the keyboard attached.
In Google Chrome for Android, I would like to use Ctrl+Click to open up a new tab which contains the website where the link is pointing to, just as I would on my desktop computer. But somehow this does not work on my Android device? I can use for example, Ctrl+tab to open new window.
BTW I click with my touchscreen, maybe this matters?

For now, AFAIK, every action associated with a mouse click can be accessed using a touch or a long-touch. Combo using a key-press and a touch aren't well supported (if supported at all).
Long-Touch over a link, gives you a popup with:

Open in new Tap;
Open in incognito mode;
Copy link address;
Save link as.

For future reference, Google Chrome shortcuts link, from Google support page (the majority of the Linux links are available for Android... just waiting to have this page updated with the Android shortcuts list):
Google Chrome - Keyboard and mouse shortcuts


text:
Will Dropbox delete files from my online storage?
Will Dropbox delete a file from my cloud storage after I upload it?
So if I upload a photo with the Dropbox app, then delete it from the phone, will it remain in my Dropbox storage?

A thumb rule: If you delete file using Dropbox app after browsing remote folders, the file will be deleted. Otherwise, it'll not.

So you should not save your original file in dropbox? Or is that the whole purpose? I just moved my entire music library to dropbox, and it is located nowhere else - is this a good or bad thing?

If you delete a file from your mobile device, the file remains on your Online storage.
To have the file permanently deleted, you need to delete it from your online Dropbox account, accessing it via their website.
I've just run this exercise (to prove the theory):

Take photos;
Sync Dropbox;
Delete photos from my device;
Access laptop;
Photos were downloaded;
Access Dropbox website and login to your personal account;
Delete photos;
Photos were automatically removed from Laptop and a notification was presented asking if I wanted to undo the operation.

I'm not sure I agree with that the whole purpose would be defeated, since the purpose of Dropbox is to provide 2-way sync as the other guy said, but I wasn't sure how it worked on Android exactly i.e. whether it worked differently to the desktop app. I guess it does.

Strange: So if I add a file from one end, it gets added everywhere -- but if the same origin deletes it again, it stays. While deleting on a different place get's escalated to all clients... Brrr... At least they get asked whether they want to undo it -- I had expected to be asked whether I want to do it in the first place... So it is a mix of "external storage" and "1.5 way sync" -- thanx, Zuul, for your explanation!

@warsong I've removed that part from the answer. Does Not provide anything useful anyways! And could be considered more like a personal note than reality... :|

well, I had already upvoted you, so thats fine

Comment by an anonymous user (taken from an invalid edit): This is not accurate from Dropbox automatic camera uploads. Pics and videos deleted from the automatic upload folder on your phone will also be deleted from your Dropbox account online.

Dropbox doesn't work the same way on Android as it does on dektop platforms: It does not monitor a directory for changes. In fact, you only can download selected files, which will be saved on a cache directory on your Android device. The Dropbox app would not instantly notice if you delete the file. Only if you try do retrieve the file again from the cloud, the Dropbox app would search for the file in the local cache directroy first. If it isn't here, it will just download the file again.
But you can delete a file from the cloud storage by selecting the delete option in the Dropbox app. Same thing goes for upload: You have to select a file in order to upload it into the cloud.

+1 for explicitly noting that mobile and desktop are different in this case..  I think that may be where some of the confusion came from.

As said before, Dropbox for Android works differently than the desktop program. It's just an interface to access your online account, with some special features like caching. For example, you can "favorite" a file for offline access and edit some files directly from the app. But if you want an app that works exactly like the desktop program, you can try Dropsync.


text:
Bring HTC Wildfire back to the original rom
I am an HTC Wildfire user. I have successfully installed CyanogenMod 7.2 on my device, but after over a year of use I want to bring it back to the original HTC rom, if possibile. In order to do that I have tried to follow a few tutorials that promised to do just that. Needless to say they all failed.
My HTC has mounted HBoot 0.80.007 and it is in S-On state and, maybe I am wrong, but I figured I should update the HBoot to 1.01.001 at least and in order to do that I need to acquire the S-Off. So I tried to download the Revolutionary utility but I had no luck in providing my Wildfire serial number.
As a result I am clueless about what to do. Can anyone please illustrate what I need to do to bring my device back to the original rom?

In one of my attempts to I was trying to upgrade the hboot from 0.80.0007 to 1.01 and luckily flashing the device with RUU_Buzz_Froyo_HTC_WWE_2.22.405.1_Radio_13.55.55.24H_3.35.20.10_release_160191_signed.exe it also brought my Wildfire to the stock rom.


text:
How to show password while typing?
Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 (there is no such tag, and I have too little reputation here to create it).
On LG L5 when I type password I can see in the edit box the last character I typed. Better something than nothing.
However, with Ace 2 the story is worse -- all I see is sequence of dots, and I have real difficulties to type anything correctly.
Question -- how to show the password while typing?

I doubt that it's possible if the app does not have a "show password" checkbox.

I do not have your phone model on hand to try, but you can give this link a shot.
Generally, just go to Settings > Security > check Make passwords visible. This is true for my phone (HTC Desire, BCM 4.0.4).
Hope it works for you.

Thanks! In my case it was even worse, it was buried at the bottom, under settings for lock screen ;-)


text:
Attach webcam to android tablet, is it possible?
I have a Logitec C120 webcam (its wire is an USB).
I also have an ASUS transformer infinity (which has an USB port).
Guess what I tried... but the asus does not seem to respond to the webcam in any way.
... can it be made to work?

You may wish to refer to http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/35706/connecting-multiple-usb-devices-using-a-usb-hub-that-connect-to-the-usb-port-of


text:
Android in app purchase issue: You already own this item
I am interested in purchasing the Game from Google Play Store, but when I try to purchase it using the buy Button in game menu it takes me to Play store and there I get a message "You already own this item", but when I click on details button in the message box the play store application crashes.
Now I don't know even if I own this or not. If I own it then why didn't I received this full version and if I do not own it then how I will be able to purchase it?

Which app has this problem? Some apps do their own transaction restoring on the first start (and don't support rebuying. I had that with an earlier version of pinball arcade some time ago). File a bug report for the app or clear the app data and restart with a working internet connection (leave droidwall if you use it disabled).

Sometimes this happens when there is an error while completing the transaction. Can you do the following: Settings->Apps->All->Google Play Store press Clear data and Clear cache, then check if the issue is resolved?

Thanks for your reponses
The Game is "Rise of Glory", I tried to clear the cache and clear the Applications data (Play Sore and the Game) but the issue is not resolved. I am still receiving the same dialog i.e. "You already own this item", clicking on the detail crashes the play store application after a message "Play Store Stopped Unexpectedly ".

Ok, This is a known issue and you can find the issue at
http://support.google.com/googleplay/bin/static.py?hl=en&page=known_issues.cs&ki_topic=1319135
[#702829] Falsely receiving error: "You already own this item"
Google Technical team is working on this and hopefully this issue will be resolved.

Hmm the link to the issues doesn't work. If you got a working link, feel free to post it as answer to your own question.

When you go the the webpage of play.google.com => apps => may apps, does it appear there?

Did u try purchasing from web https://play.google.com/store

Summed up from the comments:
This was a known issue with Google Play, which meanwhile is resolved (read more on this Google support page, opening the "fixed/resolved" item, and there you see [#8849329] Falsely received error: "You already own this item", together with more details).

The best option that worked for me was to install the following app that will allow you to download the app again "Purchased Apps (Reinstall your paid apps)" https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.azefsw.purchasedapps&hl=en

This did not work for me. Continues to say ERROR you already own this item I own it but can't download it. Thing is I did a factory data reset and list it that way.

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


text:
How to disable desktop scroll wrap?
Samsung Galaxy Ace 2.
Let's say I have 3 desktops, I can scroll from 1 to 2, from 2 to 3 and... from 3 to 1. The last one is undesired by me, so how I can disable this effect?

That must be a Touchwiz feature. You can't do that on stock Android.

It is likely that the option does not exist on your stock phone launcher (can't confirm that, I have a different phone), but if it does, it should have the keywords "looping", "wrap around", "circular scrolling" in the settings.
I would recommend installing one of the following 3rd party launcher instead, which do not wrap around by default, and provide other useful functionality:

Go Launcher Ex
ADW.Launcher
LauncherPro

Go Launcher Ex appears to be in active development though so you'll probably have better support going with it. There are other launchers as well but these 3 are the ones I have used before.

Just use your fingers in the main page.
Place one finger on the top of the screen and the other on te bottom.  Then,  diagonally,  slide them untill the middle,  joining them.  That should expand all the pages you havr.  After that select the one ypu want by long pressing it and slide it to the bim to remove it.  Good luck!

OP didn't want to remove a desktop, but only disable the "closing circle" switch (3->2->1->3 -- 1->3 switch is not wanted, but all 3 desktops are).


text:
How to disable vibration on widget drop?
Samsung Galaxy Ace 2.
I set vibration to activate only in silent mode. I am not in silent mode, and yet when I drag and drop a widget from desktop to desktop, or to trash, on each drop phone vibrates.
How to stop it, i.e. how to disable this kind of vibration?

This seems to be a little bit on the picky side when it comes to UI.  Barring any kind of physical sense disorder of course.

The vibration you are referring to it's called "Haptic feedback", and can be disabled for certain UI interactions. This may or may not work for you:

Touch "home";
Touch "menu";
Touch "Settings";
Touch "Sound";
Scroll your way to "Haptic Feedback";
Disable it by touching to remove the green tick.

Try and see if it provides the desired effect. Take not that this option doesn't affect all UI interactions, as mentioned under that option.

It looks promising thank you, but I don't have this option "haptic feedback". Anywhere (however I could miss something, the settings are scattered around this phone, and I am having problems finding some of them).


text:
Using Android phone as Bluetooth headset to PC
I'd like to use my HTC One S (running Android ISC) as a Bluetooth
"headset" for my computer, so I can use it to make VOIP calls.
For devices without that capability built in, are there computer/phone applications that make this possible? Wo Mic is a start, but only supports the voice input, not output.

Why not use the Google Voice application for Android?  It can be found in the Google Marketplace.

I want to use Wifi (via the GMail app.) And yes, I know there are apps on the Play Store that can do this, but I'd like a generic (and free) solution for any VOIP app.


text:
How can I edit/remove my pictures in Android -devices on desktop?
I want to remove a bunch of images and it is extremely slow in Android. I want to edit things directly in Desktop, maybe such services with something like Google Picasa (?). In other words, how can I edit my images on the memory card of the Android device on Desktop?
The Desktop and the Android are linked with the same Google account.

You can do this via WiFi, using a remote management app like e.g. AirDroid or, when on Windows, MyPhoneExplorer. There are a lot more apps like this, and they give you the added benefit of being able to manage a lot of other things remotely -- as e.g. reading/writing SMS, managing apps/contacts/ringtones, copying files between your device and your computer, and sometimes even backup stuff.
Most of them (like the mentioned AirDroid1) start a web service on your device, which you then can access with your browser. This often looks like a "virtual PC" (see screenshot below). Others (like here MyPhoneExplorer2) have a native PC-Client, which can even do more (like here: synchronizing with Outlook and others).

AirDroid managing pictures

MyPhoneExplorer Windows Client

can you tell me Py phone Explorer is developed in which Technology ?

@RahulGupta No. I don't use Windows, so I neither use this app. Apart from that, this is a completely different question, and not quite fitting on this site; better check their home page for details, or contact their developers.


text:
How do you extract an App's data from a full backup made through "adb backup"?
I have been backing up my Nexus 7 with adb backup to back up all files into an encrypted backup.  I see that you can restore from a backup with adb restore, but that would wipe all my existing data on the device.
How exactly would I extract one App's data from this encrypted backup file?

See also: Is there a way to look inside and modify an adb backup created file?

I believe none of the answers without using Java will work on encrypted phones. See my answer below summing up the use of nelenkov's app (github.com/nelenkov/android-backup-extractor). Unfortunately Izzy's Adebar perl scripts ab2tar will not work on encrypted backup files. Similar: https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/23357/is-there-a-way-to-look-inside-and-modify-an-adb-backup-created-file

related-  dd if=data.ab bs=1 skip=24 | openssl zlib -d | tar -xvf -  mentioned https://stackoverflow.com/questions/18533567/how-to-extract-or-unpack-an-ab-file-android-backup-file

How to extract ab files
There is an open source project under the Apache 2.0 license,  written by Nikolay Elenkov that will allow you to extract the .ab in to a tar file.
Usage:
java -jar abe.jar unpack <backup.ab> <backup.tar> <password>

Background
Just for reference of others, here is some background on the .ab file format.
The Android Backup (*.ab) file is a compressed TAR file. It is compressed using the DEFLATE algorithm. On top of that, there can be AES encryption used. This is determined when you create the backup, if you enter a password then the backup is encrypted, otherwise; there is no encryption, it is only compressed.
The HEADER of the file is a little different than a normal DEFLATE archive. It contains information about the backup and looks like the following:
ANDROID BACKUP
1
1
none

The first line is the "Magic" line. The next line is the version of the Android Backup file format. The next line is a boolean (true or false, 1 or 0) indicating if the file is compressed. The last line is the type of encryption. This example is not using any encryption. If there was a password, the line would read "AES-256". After that is the encryption cipher. If no password, then the DEFLATE "archive" starts.
It is compressed using the Java Deflater. Which, from a developers perspective,  causes issues if you want to use anything besides Java to extract it. I haven't been able to find anything that can deflate it using the same algorithm, even though all that I have found (for like C#) are supposed to follow the "SPEC".
If you are not sure how to really use that (which is beyond the scope of this answer) Droid Explorer since v0.8.8.7 (available here) allows you to do exactly this, and more, right from Explorer. You can read more about the features on my blog (yes, i know, shameless plug. I do that when it fits the question)

I would vote you up if I had the reputation, my god man thanks!

your welcome. I only know all that information because this is a feature that I just recently added to the Droid Explorer code base, so I had to do some research on it.

Hi Ryan, tried to use Droid Explorer but it fails to start complaining about Android SDK location, even though it is installed and I'm supplying the right path.

@UmarFarooqKhawaja Take a look at the FAQ for droid explorer. The last Q/A addresses your issue.

OK, have extracted the relevant 'com.app.name' folder from the tar but how do I use that to restore the app data? Simply copying the folder to sdcard/Android/data/ doesn't seem to work...

The resulting tar archive may have an incorrect header, I've found. The latest advice I've gotten is to run the following command on it, which didn't help. YMMV: dd if=backup01.tar bs=24 skip=1 | zlib-flate -uncompress | tar xf -

may be worth telling people where to click to install it without loading the whole thing into visual studio   https://i.stack.imgur.com/7GQUB.png

Or with a one-liner:
( printf "\x1f\x8b\x08\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00" ; tail -c +25 backup.ab ) |  tar xfvz -

Nice!  Do you also have the equivalent of "pack" (to take the uncompressed directory tree and create a .db file)?

Could you add an explanation to the answer.?

THIS is the best answer :D Works perfectly fine! Extracting now.

Explanation: author creates a standard Zlib file header for a .tar.gz file with printf command (0x1F 0x8B is a signature, 0x08 is the compression method, 0x00 are flags and 4 x 0x00 is timestamp), then appends to this header the contents of backup.ab file, starting from offset 25d. Such stream is a valid .tar.gz file, and the tar xfvz command recognizes it as such, so it can successfully uncompress the stream.

I made a backup with adb 1.0.36 (Revision 1.7.0.0+r33-2) and this method produced an error from zgip: invalid compressed data--format violated

Very nice. Can it be modified to accept a decryption password?

Thanks, that was really helpful! As one of the commenters on a similar answer, I received an "unexpected end of file" error, but everything seems ok. And like @dailyglen, I'd quite like to know if this is reversible?

got same issue, gzip: stdin: invalid compressed data--format violated tar: Child died with signal 13 tar: Error is not recoverable: exiting now

@Matifou @Rache  As I have the same problem with invalid compressed data and I have set a password at backup, I suspect that as the problem. Since neither tar nor gzip support password protection, I guess, there is now way, this command can easily adjusted to ask for a password. :(

Is there a way to make this work with an encrypted backup? I recently upgraded my phone and chose to encrypt its file system. That gave me an encrypted backup and I had to resort to the far more complicated abe.jar method.

I tried every method given in all answers here, but I only get empty tar files. What am I doing wrong?

@JosefScript, its all for unencrypted ab files. Im in the same boat. Trying Izzy's answer below (https://android.stackexchange.com/a/42224/95893) that uses perl, actually trying his GitHub app because its a pain to install the reqs for his script. I just posted a issue on his GitHub about how to use his ab2tar tool on encrypted. Let me know if you come up with anything, and Ill do the same, thx

2x faster using dd than tail on my laptop:
(printf "\x1f\x8b\x08\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00" && dd if=backup.ab bs=1M iflag=skip_bytes skip=24) | tar ztv

One more option is to use bash, cat and gunzip (gzip).
The full process could be this (with an unencrypted backup):

backup one app's data (for example "Override DNS for KitKat"):
$ adb backup -f net.mx17.overridedns.ab -noapk net.mx17.overridedns
Now unlock your device and confirm the backup operation.

extract the compressed data
$ dd if=net.mx17.overridedns.ab bs=1 skip=24 > compressed-data
1285+0 records in
1285+0 records out
1285 bytes (1,3 kB) copied, 0,00745877 s, 172 kB/s

decompress the compressed data
$ printf "\x1f\x8b\x08\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00" \
    | cat - compressed-data | gunzip -c > decompressed-data.tar
gzip: stdin: unexpected end of file

"untar" the tar file
$ tar xf decompressed-data.tar

Is the "unexpected end of file" to be expected?

The extraction in 2 surprisingly worked on an encrypted file. How is this possible? The decompression then failed with gzip: stdin: invalid compressed data--format violated. I assume the extraction succeeded, as dd reports 22763821+0 records in 22763821+0 records out.

@TomRussell The extraction merely trims bytes off the start.

Isn't dd a bit of an overkill to just skip 24 bytes? This is also not failsafe unless conv=noerror,sync iflag=fullblock is added: https://superuser.com/a/1523120/910769 You might consider this answer: https://android.stackexchange.com/a/78183/340401

Based on the information by others, now I know that the backup file is just a prefixed Deflated (GZip) stream, based on this information this simple program can unpack it for you:
import java.io.*;
import java.util.zip.*;

/** Run: javac unab.java && java unab backupfile.ab */
public class unab {
    private static final int BACKUP_HEADER_LENGTH = 24;
    public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException {
        InputStream in = new FileInputStream(args[0]);
        try {
            OutputStream out = new FileOutputStream(args[0] + ".tar");
            try {
                if (in.skip(BACKUP_HEADER_LENGTH) != BACKUP_HEADER_LENGTH) {
                    throw new IOException("Unexpected end of file while skipping backup header.");
                }
                byte[] buffer = new byte[100 * 1024];
                int count;
                InputStream zip = new InflaterInputStream(in);
                while ((count = zip.read(buffer)) > 0) {
                    out.write(buffer, 0, count);
                }
            } finally {
                out.close();
            }
        } finally {
            in.close();
        }
    }
}

I wrote this because I don't have any of the Unix tools mentioned above, and it was easier than installing Cygwin or other tools.
Advantages:

cross-platform
simple (no esoteric parameters)
no need for piping tools

Disadvantages:

need a JDK (which you likely already have because you're messing with Android SDK)
no support for encrypted backups
need something to extract the resulting tar file (I use Total Commander)

To make it a command line tool create unab.bat with contents: java -cp "%~dp0." unab %* and the directory to PATH.

This is actually quite elegant solution - you can see right away what you are doing in small java code. Just use java (it is there on your machine most of the time already): put the code above into "unab.java", call "javac unab.java" from the command line and then call "java unab YUORFILE.ab" and that is it. Thanks!

As the implicit question is also, "how to restore a single apps data", I would like to mention this nifty script, that splits a given full-backup.ab in single-app.ab files.
It requires these jar files: abe.jar and tar-bin-split.jar.
At least for my testcase, it worked using the referenced resources.

Another option is using the Perl AdbBackupRoutines from this XDA thread. They have a few requirements, though: Perl obviously, plus libterm-readkey-perl, libcrypt-cbc-perl, and libcrypt-pbkdf2-perl (if your backups are unencrypted, you can skip the last dependency by simply commenting out line 103 of backupdecrypt.pl where it's included -- worked fine for me).
Usage is quite easy:
./backupdecrypt.pl [options] <backupfile.ab> <outfile.tar>

The resulting .tar file then can be investigated like any other tarball. Its structure is quite interesting in at least one aspect: it does not reflect the real paths where the files have been taken from (e.g. not /data/data/com.app.name/databases/whatever.db, but instead apps/com.app.name/db/whatever.db) -- which indicates an app backed-up on one device/ROM might be restored to any other device/ROM without trouble, as adb restore must figure out the real paths itself.

There's another tool (a little better maintained) that does this: https://github.com/nelenkov/android-backup-extractor

Thanks, @lid! I've also included a little shell-script (almost a one-liner only) with my tool Adebar (Android DEvice Backup And Report), which converts ADB backups (.ab) to .tar.gz Archives :)

To add another option here's a Windows PowerShell version of the header manipulation:
$file_in = (Get-Location).Path + "\backup.ab"
$file_temp = (Get-Location).Path + "\temp.tgz"
[int32[]]$header = 0x1f, 0x8b, 0x08, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00
$bytes = [System.IO.File]::ReadAllBytes($file_in)
$bytesout = $header + $bytes[24..($bytes.Length - 1)]
[System.IO.File]::WriteAllBytes($file_temp, $bytesout)

You can try to use the tar executable in current Windows 10 versions 17063 or later to extract the file, however it seems that it currently doesn't handle the misformed file produced in this process as well as the linux version. YMMV:
tar -xvzf $file_temp

To get the full contents you can manually extract with 7zip or similar.
Or could combine with one of the answers from Native .tar extraction in Powershell.

7zip and also other archive tools feature command-line-tools

I like this technique, but I get an OOM (Out Of Memory) error when I try using it.  It's the next-to-last line in the PS script that seems to eat up all available RAM.

Just to add to other answers, I finally got it using nelenkov's app and the instructions from here. I was trying to avoid the extra 800mb disk space for Java. Most phones are moving toward encrypted by default, and I think nelenkov's app is the only solution that works well with encrypted.
Here is a direct link to nelenkov's compiled jar release. Please check if its the latest, then follow the instructions from the link above. It has more info about Helium and Splitting an ab file up in to individual app files. And also a way to change apps not set to use adb backup without root. Substitute abe-all.jar if using this release file.

Convert the original adb backup to tar format:

java -jar abe.jar unpack nexus7.ab nexus7.tar <password>

Extract the contents of the tar archive. This should be done on a
filesystem where the permissions of the files inside the tar are
preserved, for example using linux, mac or bsd. Up to two folders may
appear, apps and shared:

tar -xvf nexus7.tar

Now you should have new folders to look in. Now you can see which apps are backed up and which arent.
BTW, Izzy's answer is good, but his script requires several perl modules to be installed, the 3rd of which I couldnt find easily. His app is full featured, but find adb2tar in Adebar-master/tools/. Again, it doesnt work with encrypted ab files though.

I wasn't aware ab2tar requires any Perl modules. What it basically does is what rmil's answer describes ;) But maybe it did in an older version…

This worked for me in Linux environment:
dd if=backup.adb skip=1 bs=24 | zlib-flate -uncompress | cat > somewhere.tar
tar xvf somewhere.tar

Duplicate to above as eg https://android.stackexchange.com/a/73052/340401 ?

@Cadoiz nope, check the commands closely. This here is rather what ab2tar from Adebar does (see the answer of alchemy).

What's the point of piping stdin through cat? Delete the entire | cat step in the pipeline.

You can download the latest binary of the Android Backup Processor. Once downloaded, extract the zip file and run:
java -jar abp.jar unpack <backup.ab> <backup.tar> <password>
Commands
Usage:
    info:       java -jar abp.jar [-debug] [-useenv=yourenv] info <backup.ab> [password]
    unpack:     java -jar abp.jar [-debug] [-useenv=yourenv] unpack <backup.ab> <backup.tar> [password]
    pack:       java -jar abp.jar [-debug] [-useenv=yourenv] pack <backup.tar> <backup.ab> [password]
    pack-kk:    java -jar abp.jar [-debug] [-useenv=yourenv] pack-kk <backup.tar> <backup.ab> [password]


text:
Will this audio/video cable work with a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1?
I have a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and I'm looking for a cable that will allow me to output audio and video to a TV. I found this on a website and I was wondering if anyone has tried it or knows if it will work?

A link or some part no.of the cable would be helpful.

As I had commented to @onik's answer: If this cable does not have a DAC (Digital to Analogue Converter), this cable will not work.
I also found a search result about a scam related to this kind of cable, which again confirms this. Since I am unable to view the video (restriction at my work) I am unable to see to comment more on it.

btw, the poster of that video misunderstood the purpose of the cable. It's not a HDMI->RCA cable, it's a HDMI->VGA cable with 3xRCA cables, 2 for audio and one extra (don't know why).

A source link could give us more information, but I see no reason this wouldn't work, since it uses the correct port and that port also supports HDMI, which means that video output is supported.

IMHO, HDMI deals with digital content, while the other end in the image has RCA pins, which deal with analogue only. Unless there is a DAC some where in that cable, I seriously doubt. Having said that it is only my hunch.

My bad, confused this with a component cable. That being said, analog video output has been supported on several models even through the headphone jack, and there are official RCA cables for the tabs, see here for a video review.


text:
Phone stuck on Google logo after trying to install Jelly Bean
I have a Galaxy Nexus with Android 4.0.1
I tried to install Jelly Bean, and followed all instructions I found on a website (forgot which one). I installed cwh and twh first.
Then I installed Jelly Bean. After the installation I rebooted my phone and it got stuck on a cross with the four colors for more than one hour.
So I tried to remove all of this (Jelly Bean, twh).
But now it's stuck on Google logo.
I tried everything.
I don't know what to do to make my phone work. I flashed it but it's not working.
Can you help me? (A stressed student who cannot pay for the repairs)
Thank you , I really need an answer
By the way, I have a mac.

Do you have Nandroid backup of old ROM?

Do you need your data from the old installation back? Probably not easily possible with your device' current state. If not, you can follow this guide to install CyanogenMod, a well supported aftermarket firmware with nice addon features (GNexus GSM VZW+ Sprint here). It's probably the fastest way to get your phone back into a working state. BTW: It's rather hard to brick the GN completely. Just leave a comment with questions in case you have some!

I had the same issue long ago with my G1. I forgot to wipe Dalvik cache. It's an option in the recovery menu, you should do that.

I had same experience once where I was stuck at a boot loop after flashing a nightly release of a custom ROM. I tried flashing several other ROM but to no avail.
The reason it happened on my Galaxy Nexus was because I had the option Automatic Restore enabled. You can find this option at Settings -> Backup & Reset -> Automatic Restore.
My fix was to execute the following command:
fastboot -w

This command erased the userdata and cache and I managed to boot my device successfully.
In case you don't know what fastboot is, it's a tool that's available from Android SDK.
Before proceeding with fastboot I suggest you to try flashing some other ROMs.