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Can I get my car's head-unit to play audio, via USB, from my Galaxy S3?
I've just moved from iOS to Android, purchasing the new Galaxy S3. Lovely phone; I'm impressed thus far.
The only thing that I'm struggling with is playing audio, via USB, to my car's head-unit.
I've got a 2012 Nissan Juke (upgraded Nav head unit with USB port in the center console) which worked fairly seamlessly with my iPhone 4. I'd plug the USB cable in, and my music would start playing through the car's speakers - with names/album/length etc. displayed on the head-unit's display. This worked with music I'd loaded on to the phone and the Spotify app.
When I plug my S3 in, the phone detects the connection and asks what mode I want to use - Media mode, or Camera mode. Regardless of which mode I use, the head-unit is unable to play either stored or Spotify music.
I've read up a little, and I'm wondering if this is to do with the S3's inability to render itself in Mass Storage mode.
Does anyone have any suggestions for a workaround, or an app which might resolve the problem? I can play audio via Bluetooth, but its interface isn't as seamless and I will forget to turn Bluetooth on/off; don't want to drain the battery excessively.

Largely a guess, but I wouldn't think USB mass storage mode is the issue since the iPhone does not support that either. My thought would be that the USB connector in your car is designed specifically for the iPhone/iPod connector interface, just as many other peripherals are (speakers, docks, etc). My car has a similar connector (at least it sounds similar) labelled "iPod" that allows me to use the stereo to control an iPod, but only an iPod. For my phone I simply have to use an "Aux" 3.5mm input instead.

Well, I checked the head-unit's manual and it says nothing specific about an iPhone. The USB port on the head-unit just has a USB sign above it, not a label for "iPhone".

you can enable USB mass storage, if you don't mind rooting  http://www.android.gs/how-to-enable-usb-mass-storage-on-samsung-galaxy-s3-i9300/

Yes and no. The fact that your Galaxy S3 does not support mass storage mode means that you cannot play audio files stored on the S3 with the radio, like you could with a USB stick. (If your car's radio supports mass storage, that is.)
However, the other type of USB connection, allowing your iPhone to be controlled by your car's radio is an Apple Accessory connection. This is a protocol for communication between Apple devices such as the iPod and iPhone and accessories like your car's radio. Android currently does not support the Apple Accessory connection, but has it's own protocol for communication with USB accessories. It might be technically possible to create a solution for Android to allow it to speak with Apple Accessories, but currently (as far as I'm aware) no such solution exists.

Is it possible to find out which one of the 2 types of connection is supported by my car? The manual says that it supports ipods/PFDs/zunes/usb drives. The relevant part is in page 172-173 of this PDF : http://www.chevrolet.com/content/dam/Chevrolet/northamerica/usa/nscwebsite/en/Home/Ownership/Manuals%20and%20Videos/02_pdf/2k12cruze.pdf

Support for usb drives implies you could use mass storage to access music stored on your Android phone.

Thanks +paulredert . I wanted to know if my car supported the other mode (Apple Accessory Connection) . Is there a way I can find out?

As far as I know is iPod support the same as Apple Accessory Connection, so that should probably be supported.

As both eldarerathis and Paul Redert have mentioned, it seems that the USB port on your Juke is designed to support two types of USB connection: 1) mass storage mode, where it reads an attached USB peripheral as a logical drive and searches for compatible media files, and 2) iDevice Accessory mode, where it attempts to communicate with and Apple device over a proprietary protocol.
CNET has an article from 2010 describing the different ways Android phones can connect to a vehicle (as of 2010, of course). While most of it will tell you what you already know, I thought their compromise solution might be applicable:

...during our testing of the 2010 Acura TSX V-6, we were able to
  pair our Motorola Droid via Bluetooth for phone calls and Pandora
  Radio while using the USB port for charging. When we wanted to listen
  to locally stored audio, we simply mounted the USB connection and used
  the AcuraLink receiver to browse our folders. Likewise, a user could
  do the same thing with a vehicle that has an auxiliary input and a USB
  connection, but no Bluetooth.

It's sounding like mass storage mode might not be an option for your SGSIII, but using the Juke's USB connection for power to offset the use of Bluetooth for media might be a way to accomplish what you want. If you're worried about forgetting to turn off Bluetooth, you could look at ways to instruct the phone to remember for you. My personal favorite is Tasker, and setting up simple profiles for turning on and off Bluetooth under specific conditions could be as simple as two one-line tasks.

I had a HTC Desire HD and no problem connecting to my car radio (Sony XPlod) via the front USB port, provided the HTC was set up to connect via 'disk drive'. The problem I see with the S3 is that this (or similar) option does not exist. The radio sees the connection and tries to load but nothing happens. I could (untried yet) connect via the Aux jack, but then I'd need to cables instead of one. One step forward and 2 steps back.

Maybe your memory can't access by your music system -- so try like this:
When you plug in please check notification, may be your cell phone got in charging mode and mass storage is used by some other resource. So from notification disconnect logically your cell and then try to start play music with music play from mobile itself with connected music player system.
Hope it works.

It's really hard to understand what you are saying. I tried to improve it, so now it should at least be readable -- but unfortunately I still don't understand it (and before you ask: No, the downvote is not mine).

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


text:
Preventing installed apps from making calls or sending SMS
It seems like a growing number of (seemingly legitimate) apps casually claim the "Services that cost you money" permissions (making calls and sending SMS) for non-essential secondary features that aren't the main thing people download the app for.
A couple of examples I've seen recently are Any.Do and 2Do. These apps' primary purpose is managing to do lists and projects, but they have secondary minor features that use these permissions (I think it is for scheduling responses to missed calls and sharing tasks by SMS).
I don't want to allow any non-official app on my phone to make phone calls or send SMS. It's just not something I need 3rd party apps to do for me, and I'm not interested in these secondary features. The developers look reasonably legit - but I generally prefer not to feel like I'm unneccessarily handing a company I don't know an open wallet. But I would, ideally, like to be able to use these apps for their primary features, which appear to be very good and better than the competition for what I want.
Is there any way to download these apps and prevent these permissions from being used? Or to make it so any time they did try to make a call or send an SMS, I get some kind of system confirmation notice and the opportunity to stop it before it happens.
(please note this isn't a question about to-do apps, I'm aware there are loads of alternatives that don't use these permissions. It's a question about any kind of app you want for any reason, that requires call and SMS permissions for a non-essential minor feature you're not going to use)

Ideally I'd prefer not to need to root the phone to do this. I've looked at the app Permission Denied (requires root acces) and while I love the idea of what the app does, it sounds like a complicated road that I don't have time to go down. Likewise for custom ROMs.
I don't mind if it's a blunt solution that stops any app except the Android phone interface itself from making calls or sending SMS. In fact, that would be ideal. I thought about trying to use an app like Tasker to set up a trigger on any ongoing call or SMS that cancels it if it wasn't called directly by the Android phone interface, but I doubt that it would work (and of course Tasker uses these permissions itself...).
Also ideally I'd prefer not to need to spend lots of time in airplane mode unable to receive normal calls or messages - but I'll accept a strong solution that involves using airplane mode some of the time if there is no better approach.
I also don't mind if a solution causes the app to crash or force close any time it tries to use one of these permissions. If it thinks it needs to make a call or SMS, that itself is a sign that something is wrong.
This earlier question covers somewhat similar ground but with a focus on data privacy, monitoring, and proper sandboxing for rooted phones. Only one answer there seems like it could be a non-root solution to this specific problem - the app App Shield - but it seems to be no longer available (dead link and nothing relevant in Google Play app search).
EDIT - I've added a seperate linked question trying to find out what the deal is with App Shield: Is App Shield safe, stable, available?

Phone is a Samsung Galaxy Note if that's relevant.

Good luck with that... I don't think you'll find a good solution without rooting the phone. If you change your mind, I'd recommend LBE Privacy Guard - it's exactly what you want.

It's starting to look like you're probably right. Seems like a shame that casual, ordinary Android users are forced to either a) pass on apps that are probably perfectly legit, b) take security risks or c) go deeper under the hood of their devices than they want to go or are comfortable going - regular users shouldn't be forced to become super-users just to stay secure.

Seriously, a good way of questioning.

Marshmallow (Android 6) has a new permissions model. Applications targeting Marshmallow can now be restricted to fewer permissions at runtime, and these applications should fail gracefully, rather than the all-or-nothing permissions model of prior Android versions. In Marshmallow, this is a feature of the standard OS, and does not require rooting or additional applications.

Yey! Finally! People have been requesting this for literally years :-)

The only right advise here is to download an app with the same functionality but that does not grants itself this permission.
Developers sometimes grant their apps permission their app in fact doesn't need. If you are aware and you don't agree with this trend, the only thing you can do is not download such apps.
Or even better, you can consider contacting the developer of the application and ask him why this permission is required. Maybe they are not aware of the fact and are very willing to remove the permission if they can please their users with it.
A to-do list should not have the permission to send SMS messages, if I see a to-do app that requires this permission myself, I would just look for another app to use.

Maybe the better attitude is to check if its legitimate first. Use droidwall to block outgoing packets (3G/Wifi) for those "iffy" looking apps first! Then flag up the developer responsible and ask "Why is that permission needed?" - the end result of the cop-out attitude "If I see a app that requires this permission, I would just look for another app to use" - piles of apps will be just sitting there - all because no one has actually raised it up with the developers of said app. Pester them, tweet about it, email them, shame 'em, they don't bite you, you know!

@t0mm13b Of course you are right, I also e-mail developers (or anyone) if I have remarks, either with positive or negative feedback. But I didn't think this behavior was relevant regarding the given problem here. But indeed maybe contacting the developer would help. Will update

Myself, f.e. I do not contact developers if their app is one in 100 for a specific application. But if I care about the app I usually do :)

Yes, nice thing about using a firewall, is you can actually check if the data packets are indeed being transmitted for either or both wifi/3g - that will nail 'em as you would have the proof and say "Yo, you sending out private sms messages to a certain site blah blah", they'll be caught out! :D

Really, the only custom ROM that I know of that will enable you to grant/deny individual permissions to apps (even if its specified in the manifest of the said app) is CyanogenMod 7... just saying.. Its not going to happen on stock ROM btw, the OP actually never mentioned what ROM they're using or handset either :)

Actually I did: Samsung Galaxy Note (last line) and  since I'm asking for things that don't require root, default ROM. A firewall that didn't require root would be perfect but it looks like they don't and can't exist. I'd like to agree with "...ask developers" and "...I would just look for another app", but sometimes legitimate minor features using these permissions become fashionable and adopted by most apps. E.g. more and more to-do list apps can manage missed calls and share tasks via SMS. It's a legitimate excuse for demanding these permissions, but could easily mask illicit activity.

I recommend you to take a look at Permission Manager App Ops 4.4.I'm using it. It lets you go into each app and shut off the permission that you don't want them to have.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


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"USB Storage" Encryption
Samsung phones, Galaxy Note running ICS 4.0.3 in particular has System Storage, USB Storage, and SD Card.
I wanted to know if I encrypt my device by going to Settings - Security - Encrypt Device.  Will it encrypt the "USB Storage" as well aside from the System Storage?

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


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Where are my Gmail contacts?
Where can I access my Gmail contacts on my ICS Android Tablet (DGM T-703)? This does feel like a silly question, but I cannot find my Contacts list anywhere?! Within the Gmail app I cannot see a "Contacts" option!? When I compose an email, contact suggestions do drop down as I complete the To field.
Now I'm sure I entered some kind of contacts manager some days ago, but cannot find this again.
Under Settings > Accounts & sync, my Gmail account is set to sync for "Calendar", "Contacts", "Gmail" and "Tasks".
Also, I cannot find an icon for a "Contacts" (or "People") app, despite having "Contacts" and "Contacts Storage" listed under Settings > Apps > All. I feel as if I should be able to simply run this as a separate app?!
I'm fairly new to Android and do not have an Android phone, so I'm not too sure what should be where.

As mentioned in my question there is a "Contacts" app already listed under Settings > Apps > All, but there is no way to directly launch this. There is no related Contacts/People app icon on the apps page. I have accessed this "Contacts" app at least once in the past, via another application, but I cannot remember how I did this. Anyway...
A workaround... I installed Resizable Contacts Widget ICS. This is a very small/simple app that provides a widget that you can place on the home screen to give quick access to one (or more) of your contacts. Tap the contact/widget and a contact summary pops up. Tap the contact summary and it opens the full Contact app from which I can search and manage all my (Gmail) contacts.

Solution
Dan kindly emailed me this solution for how to access this mysterious Contacts app from within your mail app - no third party apps required.

At the top of any incoming email (using Google Mail app or the Android
  Mail app) in the big blue bar at the top you will see the sender
  (picture or icon) and sender's address. If you click on the senders
  picture or icon there will be a pop-up with details on that contact.
  In the pop-up, just under the picture to the right there will be a
  small "head and shoulders" icon. Click that, and voila! You are in the
  Contacts app.

The sender needs to already be in your contacts for this to work, otherwise you get prompted, 'Add "xyz@example.com" to contacts'? As Dan admits, this is "still back assward", but it would seem to be the most viable solution so far for what has proved to be a rather common problem!

Use the built-in People app to see those contacts. Or, you can use third-party apps like Contacts +.

I don't appear to have a "People" app either! (Nor can I find a People app on Google Play?)

@w3d Something is wrong with your device... Well, try to find a way to there from Dialer.

I don't have a Dialer. This isn't a phone. It is a generic tablet with no GSM capability. My contacts are accessible through any app that requires access to my contacts, such as Gmail, Talk, Resizable Contacts Widget ICS, etc. It's just that I don't appear to have any app that enables me to search and manage my contacts as I have through the Gmail web application on a PC.

@w3d Then, install a contact app.. Where's the problem? Search Play Store.

I've not found any contact apps that are reported as being compatible with my device! Whether this is because they all seem to be integrated with a dialer I'm not sure.

They are listed as incompatible just in Play Store. Get that app's APK file for other sources.. It will work with your tablet.

If you're looking for google contacts and they don't appear, try "customizing the view" ("Define Custom View"). There you'll see various groups of Google contacts, including "all other" (uncategorized). Contacts that are uncategorized may not show up in the default view of People. Even if you have your gmail account selected to view, that doesn't mean you're seeing all contacts from gmail unless you check the custom view.

Try adding another Contacts application like TouchPal Contacts.
The Contacts and/or People app is part of the Google suite of apps. Perhaps the manufacturer of your tablet didn't bundle it with your device or it might have been deleted somehow.

Unfortunately "TouchPal Contacts", as are all the contact apps I've found, reported as being "incompatible" with my device. They all seem to include a dialer - and my tablet is not a phone - not sure if that is the problem?


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how to stop playing Spotify on my Galaxy Tab
I can start and play Spotify on my Galaxy Tab 7 but if i have enough, how do i stop playing without total log-out or without using the pause. I want to STOP and close it. I have Premium

Push the bottom left (all open apps) and use the X close on the Spotify display.

The bottom left of what?  Do you mean long-press the Menu button?

In Android it's not necessary to stop and close apps manually. Android manages the state of applications in the background, when an app is not actively performing a task. If the device needs memory for a new application, Android closes the least active app still in the background to make room for it. As a result if you open an application that was still in the background, it can now open much faster. In the case of Spotify, it remains paused in the background until you open it again, or the device needs memory for another application.
More information here: http://lifehacker.com/5650894/android-task-killers-explained-what-they-do-and-why-you-shouldnt-use-them


text:
Why can I not access the cyanogenmod zip on my sd card?
All right, I have fouled up my Galaxy S while trying to install Cyanogenmod after rooting with Odin.
I now have the clockworkMod Recovery 2.5.1.0 and I am trying to select the cyanogen Update .zip from my SD card. Neither option Apply sdcard:update.zip and install zip from sdcard work
Apply sdcard:update.zip simply yield this message:

E: Can't open /mnt/sdcard/update.zip. No such file or directory. Installation aborted.
  Mind that I have already renamed the Cyanogen file to update.zip

install zip from sdcard does not show the sd directory. The Update.zip is nowhere to be found.
Steps taken so far:

I have already wiped all the caches (Dalvik and otherwise) and reset.
This guy's solution did not help either: Why is CyanogenMod zip not being found when I try to install it?
I wanted to copy the zip directly to the internal storage (according to this tutorial), but I don't have access to it anymore. When I connect the phone to my computer, it is does not pop up as an external drive.

Other possibly relevant information:

After the root, there was a boot loop, which I ignored.
Shoot me, but there is no backup
Edit: My firmware was XWJW5, Version 2.3.6

Question:

Is there any way I can still access the cyanogenmod file - or any other file - on my SD card?
Can my Galaxy S be saved somehow?
Among the myriad of options to root your device out there, which one could help me?

After doing the Heimdall-Manoever which restored my OS, I transferred cyanogen to the internal memory. However, Cyanogen does not play well with my device and I've abandoned it.

Didn't play well with my SGS either, too bad.  Hopefully you've picked up some skills from the process though :)

@MatthewRead oh yes, I did! Wasted 5-6 hours, though, and shortened my life span by 5-6 years. Can start earning points here, now :)

I wanted to copy the zip directly to the internal storage

You can't just want to, you have to.  ClockworkMod does not mount the external SD card, you have to put it on the internal SD storage (often called the internal SD card and separate from the main system storage).
If you can't access the internal SD then you'll need to flash an Odin-packed ROM (with Odin of course) to fix your device.  Ideally you should flash the same version of stock that originally came with it.  See Where can I find stock or custom ROMs for my Android device? if needed :)

@user99572isfine Good luck! :)

@matthew_read Odin does recognize my phone anymore. Trying Heimdall now. other suggestions?

@user99572isfine Can you provide more detail?  Make sure you're in Download mode before using Odin or Heimdall.

I am in download mode and see the yellow triangle. The drivers are installed from before, just it does not turn yellow. Seems like I should rephrase my question.

@matthew_read I am stuck waiting for the Heimdall package to download. Bloody filehosters. Will continue tomorrow.

You most probably have an unpartitioned sdcard, clockworkmod however assumes that is partitioned and wants to mount the first partition (/dev/block/mmcblk0p1).
You can fix this by repartitioning your sdcard so that it has a mountable fat-formatted first volume and then retry.
If you don't mind using the commandline, boot to recovery and connect via adb shell to it, then mount your sdcard manually: mount /dev/block/mmcblk0 /sdcard and retry.
Technical explanation:
cat /proc/partitions lists:
/dev/block/mmcblk0 is your FAT formatted volume (no more partitions at all)
should be:
/dev/block/mmcblk0 (whole device)
/dev/block/mmcblk0p1 (1st partition, FAT formatted)
/dev/block/mmcblk0p2 (sd-ext partition, only for those that use SD2ext and such)

I think since partitioning will erase all the data in the card, I'll just work from my internal sd. Thanks btw!

yes. repartitioning needs a backup first or all data is lost afterwards. I also have this issue and solve it by manually mounting it via adb each time i update out of laziness

Just helped me recover 500+ photos and videos from an inaccesible SD card partition. Thanks :)

download this link "PDA_BCK_CF-root_universal_beta14fix" and install using odin selecting pda which will root your device and later you will find what you want i mean the "install zip from sd card" i tried it and it works for me.

authors: น้องต้ง เเซ่ว้าง


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Facebook and Tweetdeck
I've been using Tweetdeck in order to post to Twitter and Facebook for a while. It does post my updates on both services, but some of my updates can't be shared. Here is an example (there is no Share link):

I noticed that happens when I my status includes links (I have not tested pictures). Is this some kind of known issue?

I'd include a tweetdeck tag, but I have no reputation to create it.

How is this related to Android?

@MatthewRead It's asking about the Android app TweetDeck. Per the FAQ, specific apps are on-topic. (This might not be the best place, but it seems not-wrong to me.)

@KevinReid It looks like it's asking about Facebook to me, unless apps can tell Facebook to make things unshareable (which I've never heard of -- do you know differently?).

@MatthewRead It's clearly asking about the Android app Tweetdeck. The clue is in the fact the word Tweetdeck links to the app on the Android market. The Tweetdeck app is posting data to Facebook in a way which gives surprising results. That's what his question is about. Other Android users who use the Tweetdeck app might be able to explain, or suggest a workaround or an alternative. (Technically, it's a question about the implications of which element of Facebook's API the app uses. But neither asker nor answerer would need to know that to give useful answers or input).

@MatthewRead I'm post this question because I do not know where the problem comes from. As @KevinReid said, specific app questions are be on-topic, Tweetdeck for Android included.

OK well I'll give it the benefit of the doubt.


text:
Pair two Bluetooth devices simultaneously
I am building an app for an Android tablet that will control an Arduino microcontroller board (paired via bluetooth). However, the tablet will also be paired via Bluetooth with my Android phone to share the phone's internet connection. Can I pair the devices this way simultaneously?

Which profile is being used to control the Arduino? RFCOMM?

I'm not sure - this is in the beginning stages of my development. Here is the module I was thinking of using - it supports BCSP, DUN, LAN, GAP SDP, RFCOMM, and L2CAP. http://www.sparkfun.com/products/158

AFAIK, bluetooth connections can occur simultaneously as long as their operational bounds do not overlap. In other words, you cannot connect two bluetooth headsets at the same time, but you can connect a bluetooth keyboard and bluetooth mouse to the same device at the same time (I personally have tested this last scenario, and it works!)
So in your case, I assume the steps you would take would include making sure that the two communication streams don't require any of the same functionality, which sounds as if it would be possible, since one is strictly for internet availability. If you connect both and they won't pair with the device simultaneously, you probably won't be able to. But if they register as different types of devices (under different bluetooth "profiles", for example) you may be in luck!
Sorry there's nothing definitive. The bottom line here may be trial and error. If they don't work initially, you may be able to set up the Arduino to register under a different "profile" when it connects to the tablet, so as not to interfere with the internet connection coming from the phone.

Or you could eliminate your problems by using wi-fi tether to share your phone's internet connection and then using the bluetooth exclusively for your Arduino.

The only problem is wi-fi tether requires (a) a tethering plan, which I am not going to pay for or (b) a rooted phone, which I am not going to do right after I get a new phone (I have a rooted phone now, but I am going to be upgrading to a 4G phone soon), so bluetooth tethering is my only option. Thanks for the answer.

of course! I root my phone primarily for wi-fi tethering, but I completely understand not wanting to go at a new phone right away :P hope the dual-BT works for you!

Actually the wi-fi tether option might work. I used the FoxFi app, and its wi-fi hotspot mode works great. So I might only need to connect through Bluetooth for Arduino. Thanks!

Well, in Android 4.1, the wi-fi hotspot ability was removed so I'm back to needing bluetooth

Some devices have a concurrent connection limit due to power/resource constraints (usually cheap feature phones like my old SEMC W880i only allowed up to 5 connections at a time). Also some apps like bluetooth file transfer can be set up to limit max simultaneous connections. Generally, Android's bluetooth implementation does not force such a limit though. I've been able to use bluetooth keyboard, mouse, game controller and a headset the same time. Bluetooth internet sharing capability depends on your device though, not every handset/tablet maker implements this (most aftermarket roms support this however).


text:
Android tablet gets hot and shuts down
I have an Imito android tablet. It gets hot and shuts down. Any have a reason for this and is it fixable?

If it's in warranty still I'd sent it back, sounds like a hardware fault.

If there's enough time between "getting warm", "getting hot" and "shut down", and you didn't yet send back the device, you could try a tool like aLogcat: As soon as the device warms up, start it and set it to save all log to your sd card. There should be alerts logged when it comes to the shutdown which give the reason.

My first guess would be an app consumes a lot of CPU power and therefore causes the system to overheat. Use a system monitor to find out any misbehaving apps.


text:
No Turn-by-Turn Directions on Google Navigation
Google Maps gets fairly frequent updates (although I don't use it all that much). But, I have recently had to use it for some travel. I noticed that, where Google Maps used to give directions in this fashion...
"Turn left onto Main Street in 0.2 miles."
...ever since I did an update (no clue which update it was - as I said, I don't use directions THAT frequently) now all it says is...
"Left"
Needless to say, this makes it rather painful to use for direction purposes. What do I need to do to fix this? I Googled around, but didn't find anything. Would appreciate suggestions.

Is this Google Maps or Google Navigation?

@LieRyan - Technically, I suppose it is Google Navigation. (I'm browsing to the street address through Google Maps.)

This is a known issue with some versions of ICS: http://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/maps/FDKwbM5zMuU/TthydW9YLhoJ

@Zooks64 - Oog. That's a bummer. Well, I just got 4.0.4 (the OTA pushes have begun). Next time I'm out driving, I'll test it out to see if the problem has resolved itself.

@JasCav I just installed the 4.0.4 update yesterday but haven't had any reason to try out the turn by turn directions since then. I sure hope that it is resolved - I got spoiled with the street names.

Turns out the issue appeared to be specifically with a Google Maps update. I have received two updates over Google Play since then and the problem appears to have resolved.


text:
Is it OK to swap batteries while phone is connected to wall charger?
It takes a few minutes to shut down and restart the phone, it would sometimes be handy to be able to swap batteries without shutting down (i.e. swap in a fully charged battery before going out).     Will the phone operate without a battery while connected to a wall charger?   Is it safe to swap the battery without shutting down?

I just tried this on two phones, a Samsung Galaxy 551 and a Samsung Galaxy S. It doesn't work. The phones typically just shut off. However, one time the Galaxy S didn't shut off right away but I wasn't able to put the battery back in before it shut off. My Google Nexus S is made so that you can't even take the back cover off without unplugging it.
I suspect that this is simply not a supported feature in most phones and that you're not likely to find that it works anywhere. Not to mention the fact that power-loss may damage components or corrupt data. This is one reason why the phone monitors the battery life and shuts down if there isn't enough battery power.

For my moto Droid Bionic, when I removed the battery, it instantly went to the hardware startup screen, and then displayed a missing battery icon.

It's device dependent, if the manufacturer can fit in the circuitry to use the wall charger without the battery then yes you'd be able to do that. Most laptops can run without batteries, I doubt many smartphone does though; phones are primarily designed to be used while on the go, while laptops are more likely to be plugged in.
A safe test is to shutdown the phone normally, plug the phone into charger, and pull out the battery, then try booting up the phone with only wall charger. If you can boot up, then it's 90% likely that you'll be able to pull out the battery while it's running without causing a reboot.

Is it safe to swap the battery without shutting down?

If the phone doesn't have the appropriate circuitry, it will be no less safe than just unplugging the battery. There is no moving parts in a mobile phone and all modern hardware are designed such that complete loss of power will just reinitialize the hardware as if it's just booting up. Therefore the only possible damage you can do is to the file system.
Modern journalled file systems are designed to be able to withstand power loss. If you're using journaled filesystem, e.g. ext3 or ext4, then your data should be safe; if using unjournalled filesystem, e.g. FAT or ext2, then there is a small chance of file system corruption.

Does your user manual have any prohibitions about removing the battery while plugged in? That would be my first point of information. And I probably wouldn't try it myself, but that's just me.
The issue is that you have no idea of whether the folks who designed the charge circuit accounted for this or not, and you don't know how they did the charging circuit, so you don't know for sure whether it's safe or not to try it.
I'm GUESSING that it won't hurt your phone because the designer should be doing something safe for the 'battery goes missing' case. I also wouldn't be surprised if the phone either just cut out, or went into it's 'oh noez, the battery is out of juice' routine and turned itself off right away.

Just re-read the user manual, no information at all on this topic.

This feature is supported on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.  I routinely change out batteries while the phone is plugged in to the wall charger.  The only issue I've noticed is that the battery level doesn't update to the new level right away, but instead slowly increases over time.

Just for completeness sake I want to share that I've operated my old LG GT 540 countless times with the battery removed, while the USB cable is plugged in. I can power it up on in these situations (and run CWM). So I guess that there might be more LG Android phones with similar circuitry.
Since I've upgraded to my new Galaxy S2, I've been too reluctant to try it out.

A smartphone's most limited resource is its battery. This means phones are specifically designed to survive power losses. And imagine a hang up with a subsequent reboot would brick with some probability. How many complaints would that cause?
So the answer is simple:
Just try out to switch your battery. If it works: Fine.


text:
Samsung Galaxy Ace locks automatically when clock application is selected
Got my Samsung Galaxy Ace a few days ago. Been working properly till yesterday when something strange started happening. Whenever I select the Clock application, the application starts, I see my clock for a brief moment (like a second) and then the phone locks. When I unlock it, it returns to Clock app and then immediately locks again! This keeps happening, not even giving me time to return to the home screen.
If I reboot the phone then it returns to the home screen and it works properly till I select the Clock application again. Then the same story happens and repeats.
So basically once I select the Clock application, the phone will lock. My phone OS is Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Can't figure why this happens. Any help would be appreciated.

Have you installed an app recently? The general consensus in troubleshooting is to check if you installed an app/widget from google play first, if not,   then the second question is, did you play with something that caused it without knowing/understanding about it?

sounds like it's crashing on start, does it go black screen and shows you an error dialog ?

Have you tried deleting data of the clock app? Enter settings then go to Applications then Manage Applications. From there you have to select the All tab and then find the clock app. There should be a Clear Data button. Just bear in mind that all your data and possibly alarms will be included.

I had the same problem, and solved it by simply re-setting the "Screen timeout" option in display settings. It seems some app messed it up.


text:
What is Cyanogenmod KANGs?
What is Cyanogenmod KANGs? I have read about compiling the most up-to-date source code as a "KANGs" but I can't find out anywhere what it refers to.

CyanogenMod developers coined the term "kang" originally.  It goes back to the beginnings of Android development.  It used to mean having one's development work taken, manipulated, rebranded, and re-released by someone else with no credit to the original developer.
Later this term morphed into having a less malicious meaning, and stands for the process of creating a code based of someone else's code or reapplying code that someone else created into your own code.  A "KANG" therefore is a derivative work, based on the original with some modifications. It usually means an unauthorized version of a custom ROM.


text:
How can I make ADW_EX wallpaper stick?
When I set new wallpaper, it lasts only until the next sleep. On waking, the default ADW sequence of wallpapers resumes.  I can re-select the wallpaper and it will again persist again until the device sleeps.
I've tried:

Locking the desktop - doesn't lock the wallpaper.
Upgrading to v 1.3.3.56 - same behavior
Restarting ADW after setting the wallpaper - the wallpaper persists, but still only until a sleep.

How can I make it stick?
ADW.launcher EX 1.3.3.1
Kindle Fire 6.3.1, not rooted
Android 2.3

Are you using ADW presets?

No, at least I haven't intentionally invoked any.  Are you suggesting them as the possible cause or a possible solution (and how)?

I guessed it as possible cause.

I just found this free app, My Kindle Wallpaper which does this simply and easily, no root required. D/l & install it, and point it at a photo or a folder full (on the KF, not on the net), and get your favorite background photo or cycle through several (one per wake-up, the way the stock software does). Works perfectly on my original KF with KF v6.3.1.

It appears that Kindle Fire is designed to restore its wallpaper on every wake, and that to prevent it, you have to have rooted the KF, and use a file manager to remove the system's write permission from the new wallpaper file.  See this article on xda-developers forum.


text:
Can I change the hardware button mapping with CM9 (Samsung Galaxy S2)?
I have a GS II and recently flashed to CM9  - I wanted to know if there's any way to map the hardware buttons back to the TouchWiz shortcuts - specifically the long press menu button = search (I really used that and seriously miss it).
On that note - I also wanted to know if there are any TouchWiz ports of only the shortcuts (right swipe call / left swipe message etc.) for CM9 or any other slim/clean ICS ROM.

With ButtonRemapper you can remap certain keys, but long press is currently not supported. It might be implemented in the future though, I suggest you follow the topic: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=850464

What is the ACTION for task manager?

The keymap file for Cyanogen is in /system/usr/keylayout/qwerty.kl.
All you have to do is find a way to change this file (never forget backup). Of course that requires your device to be rooted, you could easily do that using Root Explorer. Android loads keymap configurations on boot, so any changes while the system is running need a restart.
I'm not sure how long press is mapped on this file, My search function does work long pressing the menu. I checked it out, and found these two lines:
key 127 SEARCH WAKE_DROPPED
key 217 SEARCH WAKE_DROPPED

Check out if these lines matches yours in your file, and if not, change it to a similar way.


text:
Anything that can text geocoords?
I'd like to text someone my location so they can use something like maps.google.com and navigate to me. Any app or technique that makes this task easier than putzing around asking for the address?

Is Google Maps' "check-in" feature not working for you?

looking for something more like offby1's suggestion below. I want to tell just one person.

Google maps can do this.  Long-press the map at your location; a popup should appear with the address; you can tap that and it'll give you the option to "share" that location.  From that you can send a text, email, etc.

Man, that's really cool and exactly what I want but highly inaccurate. This is the msg generated, "My Location@7:25pm,6/3 2200-2298 Green Oak Dr, Kingwood, TX 77339 http://m.google.com/u/m/Bqorao". Unfortunately, I'm on the whole other side of Kingwood Drive though at the Starbucks, probably 500 feet away. Anything more accurate?

I doubt it; the accuracy (or lack of it!) is probably due to the phone's internal GPS stuff, and I expect every app -- including Google Maps -- merely uses that data, without having any way to improve upon it.

Glympse is really good for this.
Basically, you set up a time-limited "glympse" of your location. You can then share that "glympse" via a number of channels, including SMS. The recipient need not be a Glympse user and can follow your progress on the Glympse website. Access is automatically revoked at the end of the time limit, thwarting your would-be stalkers.
The usual caveats of it's only as accurate as the GPS location reported by your device.

The "Hangouts" app on my (stock Android 4.4.2) phone does this, but in a fairly non-intuitive way:

Open Hangouts
Either tap the + in the upper-right, or tap an existing hangout
At the bottom, there's a text area that says "Send Hangouts message".  Just to the right is a paper-clip icon; tap that.
That will reveal a menu with three choices; the last choice is "Location".  Tap that.
You will see a map labeled "Share Location".  (I assume you can scroll the map around to adjust the location, but I haven't tried that.)  To the right of the label is a little paper-airplane icon.  Tap that.
You should see a (rather large) thumbnail of the map, superimposed over the Hangouts text area; the text area will have in it (in faint type) "Location Ready To Send".  Tap the paper-airplane icon.

I just googled for "share my location android", and the first hit looks pertinent: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.sylvek.sharemyposition


text:
How can I easily sort and rate images?
Is there an effective way to browse through loads of images on an Android tablet and rate and sort them easily?

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


text:
Samsung SII rom update
I'm a big fan for RR (Resurrection Remix rom) and I'm following it's news and updates since V.1.8.1
But there is something I don't like with rom updating in general, each time updating the rom I need to wipe cache, applications and user details. I hate reinstalling apps. and configure my phone from zero.
Is there a way to relaunch the same settings and apps. after updating the rom.
thanx for your advises.

Well-
Things have changed-
As of today, all you need to do is backup the .apk files to your SD card using the backup app of your choice (there are free ones like Astro-)
And then get an app called "App Installer" --
When you Update the ROM- you can re-install all of your apps with the App Installer--
App Installer hasn't been around too long-- I personally use Titanium-- it has some good features, but it costs money. Worth every cent, IMHO.
ALSO- You may not actually need to wipe the data and system before you update the ROM--- so long as you are upgrading the ROM and not switching to a different ROM.
(if the chef says wipe, then wipe--)
But a lot of times, you can get away with only wiping davlik+cache


text:
How do I change the theme, (iconset) on a Galaxy S3 default launcher?
I bought a Galaxy S3 (Android 4).
I downloaded the user manual, and I can't find a way to change the appearance.  I can change the wallpaper and the font size, but I can't change drawer transition behavior, the general UI theme or the icon set.

Download Apex launcher--
It has full support for themes and transitions, icons, etc-
For Icon packs, "ADW Icons" is a good keyword to use- since Apex will use ADW icons.

Brilliant, thats the trick

You could also go with Go Launcher, amongst many other choices.


text:
Force shutdown on a Galaxy Nexus?
Similar to this question: How to force Samsung Galaxy Tab to shutdown?), how can I force my Galaxy Nexus to shutdown?
I can see that it is still on because I've got lightflow installed and the status LED is flashing. However none of the buttons are waking up the screen, so it is pretty much frozen. I've tried holding down the power button for 60s but its still on! :)
Thanks!

Hm... My Galaxy Nexus, that I bought on May 2012 (so, before your question) once I press and hold Power Button, always shows shut down menu, which does include "Power Off" option. Your doesn't? What am I missing?

The easiest solution would be to simply remove the battery. As far as I know, holding down the power button on the Galaxy Nexus doesn't force it to power down.


text:
Why would I need a disk to transfer music?
Why does Windows XP say "please insert a disk into drive F" when trying to transfer music?
(Samsung Galaxy S Aviator)

Some more information what you did would be helpful.

A screen should appear after you plug the device into your PC, when the device's usb connection is in "mass storage mode". Make sure to enable USB-mass storage there. This options unmounts the storage from you device and exposes it to the host PC.

here are some instruction for your question :

Log in as Administrator account in windows or any other account with administrative privileges
Insert your removable disk into the USB port.
Click Start, now right click on my computer and select manage
Now, click Disk Management
Right click on your removable drive partition and select Change Drive Letter and Paths under Disk Management ( you can find your drive easily through size )
Change the drive letter some other drive letter like X: or Z: which is not reserved by some other drive on windows.

DONE :) to read more about this try looking : http://www.techyv.com/questions/pc-asks-insert-disk-drive-d

or he just didn't mount the card from the device. Given that he's using xp, it's far more likely.


text:
How can I add routes to VPN
client
dev tap
proto udp
remote ADDRESS PORT
auth-user-pass
ca cert-chain.pem
remote-cert-tls server

route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0

resolv-retry infinite

nobind

persist-key
persist-tun

verb 3

route-delay 3
redirect-gateway def1

I have the above OpenVPN configuration file and I want to connect from my SGS2.
Can you help me?

Have you tried downloading the official OpenVPN Client from the Play Store?

I use this to access on ssh server from my Sony ericson (Arc S) (OS: android ice cream) via OVPN

client
dev tun
proto udp
remote 41.204.120.234 1194
#Route option. I add this to access other IP not confugred on VPN server
route 10.162.100.0 255.255.255.0
route 10.8.4.0 255.255.255.0
...
#End of Route option
resolv-retry infinite
nobind
persist-key
persist-tun
ca /etc/openvpn/ca.crt
cert /etc/openvpn/user.crt
key /etc/openvpn/user.key
comp-lzo
verb 3

If you use OVPN.


text:
How long does the Android browser keep its history files for?
I'm one of those people who actually likes to keep all my old history files, since I like to see what sites I was browsing 6 months ago.
So does anyone know how long the Android browser stores data for? Or is there a maximum file size of the history file that it collects? Are there also any Android history archival utilities available?

To my knowledge-- all Android stock browsers will keep the history forever.
Until the cache is manually wiped or wiped because of an OTA update -- since I'm pretty sure the updates wipe the cache before booting-- Even still, I'm pretty sure the browser's cache isn't touched in that process.
I'm quite certain you have nothing to worry about in terms of losing history.
If you are running 4.0.x (I think it's exclusive to that version- you could check), you can get the Chrome Beta browser, which keeps your history in sync with your Google account-- along with your bookmarks, and of course the history from any other machines you run Chrome on.
Pretty neat.

Can't verify it pre-ICS but my history only goes back for a week. I even checked the database there's nothing older than a week in there.

History is not cache it's data. And the /cache partition is another thing entirely.


text:
How do I diagnose a WiFi Error when the phone just reports "Unknown"?
I have a Motorola Atrix (MB860) running Android 2.3.6.  Just today the Wi-Fi suddenly stopped working; On the Quick Settings display it just shows "Unknown", on the phone's Wi-Fi Settings display it just shows "Error" and Wi-Fi won't turn on.
I've tried turning it off and back on several times, and I've tried pulling the battery twice.  I have installed Log Collector, but looking through the log I can't see anything even remotely relevant.
Talking to AT&T (God love 'em) on a previous Wi-Fi issue several months ago, they just blew me off and said they don't help with Wi-Fi issues, so I am not confident in getting help from that direction. If I have my phone replaced, my company will force me to get an iPhone due to a new Apple-only company policy.  So I am on my own.
How might I go about diagnosing the problem?

Try to search for Google the appropriate Kernel for 2.3.6 (presumably you are running on 4.5.141 firmware). Then flash it. When I say "flash", I mean a flash by CWM. Good luck.

Yes, that is my firmware version. What's "CWM"? I'm not sure about flashing it, it's a company phone.

Well, if that's company gadget, then I suggest you send it over for repair; let them do it for you. However, in case you wish to perform the flash, google "CWM flashing" and follow the tutorials. Good luck.


text:
Where did my purchased Apps go when I upgraded my Phone?
I have read through many questions here and totally understand that when you upgrade your phone your purchased apps should be accessible for reinstalling at https://play.google.com/store.
I upgraded my phone yesterday from a Galaxy SII to a Galaxy S3 and I was given a guarantee in the shop that all the apps I purchased would be available when I log into to GooglePlay.  The fact that they are not there is the reason for this question.  I have a Galaxy Tab 10.1 and was using the same Google Play account to manage my apps.
Im guessing that because my Android platform v4+ and my old phone was v2.2 that some of my apps may not be compatible but I wasnt expecting not to be able to see them (after all they are apps I purchased).  Any help would be much appreciated, because the apps for my Galaxy Tab are not available either.  My login details for Google has been the same through out.

Can you try to log-in at the Google Play website, and see if your apps are still there?

Ok, this answer doesn't get to the root cause or the "why it happened" but the issue is now resolved. It may help others if their purchased applications are suddenly not available on Google Play for installation on a new device.
I received an notification to update my Android Firmware and reboot. I followed the instructions, went into Google Play and my purchased items were now available.  I can't explain why, they just were.

If you're using the same Google login - then you should be able to find them under My Apps in Google Play and they should be marked as Purchased. (On your phone - on the web you'll find them under My Android Apps).
You can also click on Orders and Devices at the bottom of the page - if they don't show up in that list. (And next to each you have "Report A Problem")
And worst case scenario, if these apps are paid for, you should at least be able to find them in your Google Checkout history - and contact Google to refresh your account.  HTH.

In the new Market application you need to slide the tab sideways when viewing the Installed applications to view All applications, you might have missed that at first glance.

You should go to the google play web site, there is a list of all the apps that you have ever installed on your device, including purchased ones.


text:
ICS upgrade - Contacts freezing on Galaxy S2
This morning I upgraded my Galaxy S2 from Android v2 to ICS, using Settings/About/Software Update.  Since doing so, I am encountering a problems with my Contacts, which crashes practically every time I open it.  Major downer, not to be able to look up my contacts, as I'm sure you can imagine.
(I also have a problem with Hebrew fonts, which no longer display correctly - but I've opened a separate question here to deal with that.)
I have tried doing a factory reset, as suggested in one of the answers, which I originally accepted, because it seemed Contacts were working OK right after the reset - but later, after the rest of my apps were automatically downloaded and reinstalled, the same problem started happening again.
Are there any apps that are known to conflict with Contacts in ICS?  Everything worked fine when I was on Android 2.  Any other ideas how to fix this?

Have a look at the log It may provide a hint.

@Flow - nice idea... I downloaded CatLog... but now what?  There's so much noise in that log, I don't know what I'm looking for!

I would try to backup as much as possible and then factory reset the phone. This gives you a fresh start, so that alone might resolve your problems, or if they still occur after the factory reset you know they're not caused by any data or applications that didn't survive the upgrade to well.

That's rather drastic.  Isn't there a less invasive way of diagnosing the problem?

Also, if I backup before hard-reset, will I be able to get my phone back the way it was by restoring, including all apps, or will it just restore the contacts, memos etc of the native apps?

It depends on which app you use to backup. Titanium backup for example can backup almost anything, but you need root access. But, factory resetting isn't necessarily as drastic as you think with good measures. Your contacts can be synced with Google and / or Facebook, so you won't lose them. Gmail, Calendar and a lot of apps are all synced remotely as well. Your previously installed apps can be found in the 'My apps' list in the Market application. For other important data, which isn't synced remotely, you might need to find an app that can backup this particular data.

Alternatively, you could try to remove individual apps and then restarting the phone, you might be able to find the culprit by doing this. I think it's more likely however that it's caused by a conflict in the Android's system preferences.

+1 - factory reset did fix the problem with the contacts freezing, and all my apps are automatically reinstalling, which is really cool.  The problem with Hebrew text is still there, though.  I'll give you answer credit for solving the most important problem, and open a new question to deal with the Hebrew issue.  Thanks!

Ooh-er... no, scratch that.  Suddenly it's started freezing again.  Clearly there's some app that is conflicting with Contacts, which hadn't downloaded yet when I said Contacts had stopped freezing.

You can try to remove apps one by one, as I mentioned earlier. If you want to know if an app does something with your contacts, you can check it on the Apps detail view under the permissions.

In my case it was Skype.

What fixed this problem for me was uninstalling skype.
Skype creates a new group in contacts which for some reason this causes the issue (it used to work before the upgraded).

I thought this had nailed the problem, but then it came back, even after I uninstalled Skype. :-(  +1 anyway

@Shaul Hmm.. Do you have any other apps that have access to contacts? Might be worth trying to uninstall those too.

Go into messages (SMS).
Then enter settings (inside the messages SMS app).
Then scroll down to input mode. Change it to Automatic.
This should solve your problem.

Thanks, but I was already on "Automatic" input mode... and this problem is still persisting.  I've basically given up on ever using my contact book.  When I want to look up a contact, I use the dialler to start entering their name, and that searches quickly enough.


text:
Why would the screen to a Droid Razr Maxx randomly break?
I read many good reviews about the Droid Razr Maxx which mainly focused on its large 3300 mA battery. All reviews brag about how long the phone lasts before running out of power.
Most reviews on Amazon speak highly of the phone too.
HOWEVER, I came across this blog Droid Razr Maxx – Broken Screen
Surprisingly, a LOT of people are complaining about having cracks in their screens. Some admit that their phone fell to the ground, but many others say the screen cracked without falling.
Does this have to do with the large 3300mA irremovable battery? I mean is this because of the battery heating up and expanding?
Is this a flaw in Motorola's version of Ginger Bread?
Note:
AFAIK, the screen is made of Gorilla -unbreakable- glass, so I think most people mean the LCD screen cracked.
UPDATE
Here is another link from Verizon's forums about customers suffering from the same problem. Some of them say it wasn't dropped.

For some reason I'm doubtful that the battery would be the cause. I would bet in most cases, the phones were dropped. But this is simply speculation. Gingerbread (software) shouldn't be the cause of a hardware issue.

@BryanDenny I added a link to Verizon's forums where some people say the screen cracked after 24 hours of purchase! Some claim the screen cracked while they were bringing the phone out of their pocket!!

Short Answer
There's no such thing as "randomly break", phone owners tend to use or make up terms to disguise their ineffectiveness to explain what happened, or as an excuse to avoid saying "I broke my phone".
Common factors leading to the Glass or the display damage are, but not limited to:

Manufacturer fault, a damage batch;
Device falling or getting tossed;
User sat down with the device in his back pocket.

Keep reading as to better understand the misleading information found on the mentioned forums!

Clear some ideas

Randomly break
There's no such thing like "randomly break", every device that physically breaks has a cause behind.
Faulty Software
The software is not responsible for the device physical damage, the software interacts and allows the usage of the hardware. Every software that directly interacts with the hardware has built in fail-safes to prevent abuses. Take the example of a battery charge, when you are charging the system may present you with a message informing that the charge process was interrupted to prevent heat damage to the device.
Glass or Display
While users tend to call screen and say "my screen is broken", they should actually be specific enough as to clarify if the glass is broken or the display module is broken. The two are very distinct, carrying different reasons as to why they may have broken.

Why would a glass or display module break?

The Glass
The Motorola Droid Razr Maxx comes equipped with a GORILLA® GLASS. Despite the heavy promotion that its indestructible, there's no truth to that. This glass enables your device to resist damage like scrapes, bumps and drops, from the abuses that come with everyday use.
A small drop in the right angle can shred the glass due to the force propagation within the impact point to the remaining of the device:
e.g.,
Take a 22 inches fall, is just over 4 times the height of the phone. Comparing this to a Human been, could the average 6' tall person survive a fall of over 24' without breaking in some way?
On the other hand, a battery dilatation due to excessive heat will never cause the glass to break. Way before that, the plastic casing would crack, some components could even melt, and eventually the glass would fell off, lying on the floor shining like a brand new one :)
From the CORNING® GORILLA® GLASS - FAQS:

CAN I BREAK GORILLA GLASS?
If subjected to enough abuse, Gorilla Glass can break. However, Gorilla Glass is better able to survive the real-world events that most commonly cause glass to scratch, chip, or break.

The display

Schematic of an active matrix OLED display
The Motorola Droid Razr Maxx comes equipped with Motorola's Super AMOLED Advanced. While the glass is designed and used with one specific purpose, the protection of the display from scrapes, bumps and drops, the display can be affected from other directions, not just by its front.
If a phone falls and hits the ground by its corner, the glass has no effect protecting the display. The phone casing may not be sufficient to absorve the impact, and the resulting force from the impact may damage or even crack the display.
The display is actually more sensitive than the remaining components of a mobile device.

Prevent damaging the display or glass
The best way to prevent damage to the device, either by accident or by careless handling during use are:

Avoid charging the device while exposed to heat or direct sunlight.
Protect it with an exterior rubber casing, to absorb the impact force generated when it falls.
If carried closely with hard objects, consider using a device casing, preferably made of leather or any other robust material to prevent damage from bumps.
Don't carry the phone inside tight jeans or in your back pocket. Your natural movements or if you sit down, may exercise overwhelming force into the device.


text:
ASUS Transformer TF101 freezes on many ROMs
Problem:
I have this TF101, which freezes in virtually every ROM I've tried. When I'm playing a game, refreshing Twitter timeline by dragging down, or sometimes even simply viewing settings, the screen freezes. The sound and logcat however continue. I can also turn the screen on and off by pressing the power button, but the lockscreen does not show up. When I press the volume buttons, sometimes logcat says it's registering the presses, but ignores them: I/InputDispatcher(141): Dropped event because input dispatch is disabled.
Here's a Youtube video showing the problem.
Analysis:
As said, logcat continues while the freeze is happening. Here are two logcats of the freeze and a traces.txt:
Device info: Stock ROM
Android version: 3.1
Kernel version: 2.6.36.3-00011-g3eb19ec android@Mercury #1
Build number: HMJ37.WW_epad-8.4.4.11-201107011
S/N: B70.........
Problem: Freeze as mentioned before.
Logcat
Device info: Stock ROM after 2 ASUS updates
Android version: 4.0.3
Kernel version: 2.6.39.4 android@Mercury #1
Build number: IML74K.WW_epad-9.2.1.24-20120503
S/N: B70.........
Problem: Freeze as mentioned before, but now the device reboots itself short time later.
Logcat
Device info: Prime! 1.8 ROM flashed using NVFlash
Android version: 2.3
Kernel version: 2.6.36.4-g565dea1 roach@nimda #20110816
Build number: HTJ85B.prime_epad-1.8-20110821
S/N: B70.........
Problem: Freeze as mentioned before. This is the ROM in which the freezes less frequently happen, but they still happen.
Traces.txt
Solution:
I have no idea. That's why I came here. Any help is appreciated.

I have found a ROM that does not have this problem, the newest AOKP ROM.

The t101 is getting long in the tooth. Not sure what version of android you're on (as you probably know kitkat is supposed to be better for older devices) but I expect that many recent ROMs coupled with recent apps, which are much more resource intensive than the apps of 2010 or 2011, are bogging down the tablet's aging insides. If suggest researching 2014 ROMs others have had success with on the T101 and installing one of those and also being vigilant about killing apps you're not using to free up RAM.

I think apps going a bit slower because they're resource-intensive on older hardware is somewhat different from the screen freezing completely. Also, killing apps to "free up RAM" is counter-productive and makes your device slower: see our many other questions on that subject.


text:
Android customization Galaxy Note
Recently, Android ICS has been released in my country (Hungary) also for the Samsung Galaxy Note. That's cool, the phone updated itself to Android 4.0.3 and at first sight it was really cool and fast. But...
To be honest, the Wi-Fi disconnects and the battery gets empty in half of a day... These 2 make me really angry and I was thinking about rooting, which I have successfully done today, but it still didn't help at all on my problems. Okay, the UI might be a little faster...
So. I thought I might have to change the ROM to a custom one.
Now I have more questions about this:

I wish to modify my phone on a way I can easily turn it back to the factory state (no wonder, warranty). How to do this/is it possible?
Is it possible to "put up" more ROMs and when I'm turning on the phone just select the one I want to use (just like you'd install more OSs on a desktop computer)?
I would also want to know what are my options for a custom ROM for a Galaxy Note WITHOUT losing my S-Pen functionality, so which ROMs should I count in?
How to freakin' achieve these above questions if everything is ok? =D

Thanks in advance! =)
(Links and experiences are welcome also...)

Üdv itt! I think your question would be better off as three separate ones. I could answer parts of it but not the whole so I would get downvoted.

Only devices with NVIDIA Tegra chips in them can be completely restored to factory conditions.
When you root your phone, the warranty is void, and there is no sending it back.
You can Back-Up a ROM and before booting, wipe the phone's ROM and restore one of the backed up ROMs.
Backing up and restoring is very time consuming, though.
You would only want to do that so you could perhaps have an AOSP ROM, a TouchWhiz ROM, and perhaps a CM9 or AOKP ROM as well--
Trust me, you'll be too busy flashing new updates to worry about switching between backups.
Head over to http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1346 for the low down on the rest. You can never read enough, really--
The different ROMs will be under the Development section.

Actually, I am backing up the phone now. I see now what you mean under time consuming... =D Anyway, Samsung can go to hell, I can't believe they have screwed up Android ICS so much... So if warranty goes for a freakin' awesome smartphone, so be it...

Uh... Your very first sentence is blatantly wrong. Zte blade and Huawei U8220 are two that can be. There must be many others.

Oh! Well, I've never handled a Huawei-- But no- there are not many that I've come across.
HTC, Samsung-- cannot be reverted.
LG, some Motorola's-- can be restored to factory condition-- but they all have NVIDIAs in them-
And what do you mean, benqus?
I don't own a Samsung, myself, but they're top of the line! I would rather have a GSII than the HTC XE
Is TouchWhiz that bad? -- I mean, it's gotta be better than what HTC did with Sense--
-- I highly recommend Apex Launcher ontop of either CM9 or AOKP for the best  ICS experience--


text:
ICS ROM For Galaxy S

Possible Duplicate:
Where can I find stock or custom ROMs for my Android device?

I want to update My Galaxy S with an ICS Android Version But I Can't find a stable One, I tried some ROMs on the net but they are broken with missing functionality and they slow down my phone. So I have turned back to Gingerbread. If someone has an already tried, tested ROM for Galaxy S could they please provide a link?

This is the most recent build for the Android Open Kang Project, which is ICS roms based and improved upon CM9. I have used these for my EVO and they are spectacular thus far. They're still beta, and while force closes are expected, they are few and far between. These builds have been great!

unfortunately, I do not have a Galaxy S to test on, and they don't have a discussion thread for it :/ but as long as you do a Nandroid, you can test all you want!


text:
ICS messes up Hebrew text display on Galaxy S2
Follow up from this question... I just installed ICS on my Galaxy S2, and now the Hebrew display is messed up - the nekudot are displayed slightly to the left of the letter to which they are supposed to apply.  In my previous question I already did a hard reset, so that's not the answer.
Here's a screenshot where you can see clearly how all the nekudot are shifted to the left:

Any idea how to fix this?

Can you post a screenshot of what you are seeing?

@BryanDenny - Hm... looks like that's another problem that's been introduced - I can't take screen shots anymore.  Tried Power+Home, tried Volume+Power, even tried volume+Home.  Any other ideas?

Actually, just tried again - Power+volume seems to work... but you've really got to work hard to get the timing right... will post screen shot asap.

Are you using a custom ROM? Maybe it's a font issue? I don't know Hebrew but I'm assuming you mean the dots around the letters are slightly shifted? Can you maybe give a comparison as to what they should look like?

What app are you looking at that text in? (Is it a siddur app or something like that or are you viewing that text in a text editor)

@BryanDenny - No custom ROM.  Yes, nekudot are dots and other vowel symbols, which are supposed to be inside, directly over or directly under the letter.  I don't know what font issue it might be; all I know is that under Android 2, everything worked fine, and the minute I "upgraded" to ICS the Hebrew fonts got messed up.

@someoneHuman - Yes, this is a siddur app (Tfilon).  I have several other Hebrew apps, including OYW (On Your Way - ובלכתך בדרך), which has the same display issues.  Interestingly, when I change the font in Tfilon to "System", it works fine, but when I use Ezra (my preferred font), the nekudot are messed up like this.

@Shaul, it sounds like your system Hebrew support is fine. But the Ezra font (which many apps use instead of the system stuff for displaying Hebrew) may not be working correctly on ICS.

@someoneHuman - It's not just the Ezra font.  I haven't found any font other than System that does work on ICS.  That's a pretty major bummer for Hebrew users.


text:
Install company's wireless certificate to Samsung Android 4.0.3. tablet
Trying to install all exported windows WEP Enterprise 802.1X Wireless certificates (.p12 extension) to a Samsung Android 4.0.3 tablet. With no certificate installer, Android certificate was installed from Google Play on the Tablet. The certificate file was opened, however, the error “No Certificates to Install” was displayed.

I had an issue with something similar a few years back - and I believe this thread helped (see Lynx's post about halfway down).  (I know it's a bit old - but I remember it being very helpful).
I believe the certificate also needs to be very generically titled "certificate.p12" or something like that (if I recall correctly).
Make sure it's in the root of your SD card and that you're trying to install from Settings >> Security >> Install from SD card.
You can also try and use this tool (not sure how secure it is - but it might help).

Thank you for the replies. Update on progress of installing a WiFi cretifiacate. Used certmgr.msc in Win7 to export the cert, renamed .pfx to .p12 and copied it to Android via USB cable to local Download folder. Then go to Settings => Security => install from trusted Storage. This opens up the cert for installing. Enter PW and Name you provided in the export steps. Then Create the WiFi network, the network will try to connect and obtain an IP but never connect.

Using a file manager tool, it seems that you could double click the .p12 file and it would open in the default browser and prompt you for the certificate key password.   If this doesn't occur, it could be that you changed the default browser on the system and that new browser doesn't know how to read and prompt the cert password?


text:
Media volume automatically goes to zero when removing headphones
Whenever I remove the headphone jack1 while I have some media playing2, the file stops (which is what I want and expect) but the media volume also goes down to zero (which is unexpected and I would prefer not to happen).
If I pause the media file before removing the headphone jack this does not occur.
Is this a setting I missed? Is there a way I can prevent it from happening, or do I simply need to remember to pause before removing the jack?

1 Samsung Galaxy Nexus with Android 4.0.4 (although this also happened with 4.0.2).
2 I have observed this with DoggCatcher and Google Music.

Did you ever use Tasker or Locale to setup some sort of trigger (on headset removal) previously?

Haven't used either.

I've come to assume this is a bug, because I've experienced the same problem (along with this seemingly related one).

@eldar: Thanks for the pointer to Volume Control +. I think it'll be helpful (although not for the issue I'm currently having).

Just as a note there's a similar feature in Cyanogenmod (at least in 7) that when you plug/unplug your headphones it restores the volume to what it was in the same state.

I was having the same problem with my phone until I uninstalled the turntable.fm app.  This is the post that clued me into the fix: https://forums.motorola.com/posts/bc23079218

That might be it. I did recently install that app. I'll uninstall and report back.

Well, what do you know? That appears to be the issue. Now why the %$@# turntable.fm would mess with a global setting like that is a mystery.

Nice find, by the way.

Oh wow. I've had other issues with TT.fm. They didn't develop that app very well :/. For example, I lost connection once and TT.fm (of all apps!) comes up with a screen saying I need a connection to continue using the app (I had already left a room and was no longer using the app before I lost the connection). Then I had a hard time getting that screen to go away, it was as if it kept popping up. Bizarre.

What a piece of junk. After uninstalling turntable.fm not only did this issue get fixed, but also my device stopped automatically turning off silent mode when plugged in to charge.


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Loud Ringer Volume with Incoming Calls?
When I listen to Spotify, I all the time modify the lound-speaker button on the side but it is irritating when someone calls and the Ringer Volume is low so cannot hear it. Is it possible to set the Ringer Volume high so that Spotify or accidental side-bar -button pressing does not distrupt the listening and incoming calls?
Method 1: In contacts, one can specify Ring Tune but I would like more advanced settings, perhaps configured in Desktop -- possible?

My Phone
Phone Model: U8800 (Huawei)
Android version: 2.3.5
Baseband v: 404020
Kernel v: 2.6.35.7-perf

Perhaps related

How to set in-call volume

What device/OS are you using? The ringer volume and media volume are generally separate values.

@AlEverett: updated the info to the q.

You can utilize an app like Tasker for this. Tasker is an automation tool, which executes configured tasks on configured associated events, which can be time-based, location-based, state-based, and event-based. So you can trigger the execution of a certain task at a given time, or when you reach a certain location, when an SMS arrives (event), a specific person calls you (event), or -- now it comes -- a certain app is running in foreground (state).
So basically, to get back to your question, you could advise Tasker: "When I'm running Spotify in the foreground, adjust ringer volume to maximum."
As a side-effect, you could also do things like "When I run maps, activate GPS"; "When I reach the office, adjust ringer, notification, etc" (to not annoy your co-workers -- does a great job for me); "When I come home, activate Wifi", and much more. Oh, even such easy things like "When I place my phone face-down: SHUT UP! All volumes to Zero! DO NOT DISTURB!" :-)
So to sum up, it's the final swiss army knife for Android...


text:
Maximum SD Speed Class for HTC Desire HD?
Any idea what is the maximum class supported by HTC Desire HD?
I have one 4GB Class 10 microSD card, and its not able to read it...

Have you tried using the card in any other devices/readers? How is it formatted? I don't believe that the speed class of the card typically has any bearing on whether or not a device can read it (unless the device for some awful reason doesn't properly implement the SD spec).

The speed classification of an sdcard under no circumstances compromises compatibility.
That said here's what you can try:

Format the sdcard inside the phone
Make sure it works with an external card reader
Make sure it works in another phone
Make sure your phone can use other cards.

@RichardBorscik Thanks...
How to format the SD card?

@Jwalant Should be: Settings -> storage -> Unmount -> Format sdcard


text:
Why don't any of the files on my Android tablet show up on my computer when I connect my computer with my Android tablet through USB?
The computer (Windows 7) recognizes the tablet but I can't see anything when I click on the "drive" corresponding to the tablet.
I'm using a Lenovo ThinkPad tablet.

have you put it into "USB mode" or something of the like? Most Android devices require you to enable a mode that allows the attached system to view the files on the device.

What do you mean by "scroll over to"?

Okay - I should look USB mode up and see how that goes. I just edited "scroll over to" out and replaced it with something more descriptive.

Now that I'm looking again, "Transfer files (Media Transfer Protocol)" is selected under USB Settings, and "Allow sync with PC" is selected under "Accounts & Sync" settings.


text:
Can I symlink /data?
I have a rooted Google/HTC Nexus One running Android 4.0, Cyanogenmod, and MIUI. These mods were done by the previous owner.
Considering that the amount of internal storage my phone has is really tiny, I'm always looking for ways to free up space. My current idea is to symlink either all or part of /data to somewhere on the SD card where I have lots of free space.
My question is, would this cause any problems? I've got a lot of Linux experience, but I'm an Android newbie. The filesystem seems to be a bit different from what I'm used to in the Linux world.
Also, are there any pitfalls I should be aware of, such as certain data that must be available before the SD card is mounted?

Use data2sd instead of creating the symlink manually from the terminal.
Usually sd cards are formatted with FAT32, data2sd creates an EXT2 embedded partition instead...
more detailed explanation here.

The first link is broken.

Yes you can do that. Scripts like data2sd do exactly that.

As in my edit above, are there any pitfalls I should be aware of, such as certain things that must not be moved to the SD card?

@ScottSeverance I would assume it would be the same behavior as if you installed an app to the SD card: don't do it for widgets or apps that typically run on start/in the background. Those apps/widgets have issues when installed to the SD card.


text:
Does the ICS Email app allow you to get notifications on folders other than inbox?
I have set on a IMAP account on my ICS android. I have some of the mails filtered to go to different folders. Is it possible to receive notifications the other folders? It is annoying, when I read some important messages one month late.
The is another similar question, but it is mainly for gingerbread, and also they end up discussing mostly the gmail app. Feel free to close as duplicate, if you choose this as not fitting.


text:
How can I "split" the virtual keyboard when typing on a large display in landscape mode?
I have a large Android tablet and would like to "split" the virtual keyboard when it's in landscape mode. Something similar like the iPad feature.
Is this possible and if so how?

Thumb Keyboard allows for this, as well as many other handy features which make it well worth the money
Paid Version
7 Day Trial Version

Swiftkey's tablet version supports this (paid, free trial). It has the letters split to each side and the numeric keys in the middle:

There also is FloatNSplit Tablet Keyboard (for the tablet rather AI FloatNSplit Tablet Keyboard) which offers this feature:

In addition to being able to split the keyboard, this one can also float with some transparency:


text:
GO Launcher EX: widget lost after reboot
Whenever I reboot, widget get lost in GO Launcher EX.
how can I fix this?
NB: the widget is on the internal memory

Have you reported it to the developer in question of the said widget? Or posted on Go Launcher's forum?

Sorry I don't have a solution, but I have this problem also and have a couple piece of information to add. Go Launcher and apps associated with widgets are installed on internal memory. Here's what's strange: 1. the Widgetsoid widget in the notifications area always comes back upon a reboot, but the homescreen widgets do not 2. the GO Calendar/Agenda widget (downloaded as a stand-alone, but requires GO Launcher) always shows after a reboot, but the GO SMS widget (came with the GO SMS app) does not I suspect there is an issue with GO Launcher not initializing homescreens properly. That's just m

From another user: "Go Launcher and apps associated with widgets are installed on internal memory.  The Widgetsoid widget in the notifications area always comes back upon a reboot, but the homescreen widgets do not
the GO Calendar/Agenda widget (downloaded as a stand-alone, but requires GO Launcher) always shows after a reboot, but the GO SMS widget (came with the GO SMS app) does not
I suspect there is an issue with GO Launcher not initializing homescreens properly. That's just my 2-cents. I'd love to hear if someone actually knows what's going on. Thanks."

Is your widget application installed to the SD card? If yes, then that is the problem. When the phone reboots, it takes a few minutes for the SD card to get loaded. This causes an issue for any widgets that are not installed to the internal memory as they aren't available when the phone first boots up, causing them to not load.
So, please verify the widget app is installed to internal memory instead of the SD card.
This is what you're looking for:

thank you, but the widget is on the internal memory!

@iask Does the same problem happen if you use a different home launcher than GO?

nope, it seems to happen with this launcher only

Worked for me, app NinjaCam


text:
GT-I9000G - updated to ICS, charging using USB - error sim card not detected and unable to detect USB drive
I just updated my phone to ICS, using samsung galaxy GT-I900G, now whenever I charge my phone using USB, there is a circle icon and the network connection is lost. My machine does not recognize my phone as well. USB error.

For the second part: have you installed the USB drivers?

yea. installed usb drivers. tested my phone on another computer. it detected samsung galaxy s3, plugged in this s2, device not recognised.


text:
"Unfortunately, Launcher has stopped" error after 4.0.4 OTA Upgrade
This morning, I received the Android 4.0.4 Over The Air upgrade.
After my phone rebooted, I saw the following error:

Unfortunately, Launcher has stopped.
   [Report] [OK]

If I pressed OK, I would see the same error again. This was, indeed, unfortunate, because it made it impossible to run any application on the phone.
How do I fix this?

The problem was bad (or improperly upgraded?) saved data in the launcher app. Here's how I fixed it.

At the dialog above, press "Report"
When in the report screen, drag down the notification bar at the top of the screen.
Press the settings button in the upper left of the notifications area.
Tap "Apps", then "All", then find Launcher in the list. Tap Launcher.
Tap "Clear Data".

You lose your home screen customizations, but at least the phone now works again.

Good that a full factory reset wasn't needed.

@MatthewRead: Yes, that's why I didn't call Verizon tech support; I suspected it would be the first thing they'd want me to do!

The above steps fix the problem when it happens, but the problem recurs periodically. It's happened to me several times now.

On a Google Springboard by T-Mobile, I had the same problem.  When I called them, I was told to bring it in for a reset, which I didn't want to do.
On a Springboard do the following:

Tap the clock
Tap your current internet connection to bring up the menu
Tap settings
Tap applications, then tap All
Tap OK on the "Unfortunately Launcher has stopped" window.
Tap Launcher in the list of All Applications.

Wait for the configurations to load. then tap Clear Data.
Everything worked as it should after this.


text:
How can  I disable screen lock feature temporarily?
I want to lend a tablet to a friend of mine and I'm sure he will try to prank me with a locked screen.
What can I do to remove the screen lock, if he returns it with the locked screen feature enabled with a code or something?

What makes you think he'll stop at locking the screen? Maybe he'll root the phone and install a key logger, also.

There's a saying in security: physical access is root (admin) access. Anything that you do to try and prohibit him can be easily circumvented if he is really intent on doing something malicious.

I'm sorry, why are you lending a tablet to someone who you believe is going to mess with it? He may be a friend, but if you feel it's likely that he's going to intentionally do things to your tablet, then don't lend it to him.

One way to prevent this is to create an extra guest profile with help from SwitchMe:
Get root, install SwitchMe, create an guest profile, protect your profile with an password and enable SwitchMe's login manager feature. This allows you to recover the tablet by rebooting into your profile and resetting or deleting the guest profile.
Note that SwitchMe may not work with your ROM.


text:
Changing   layout of hardware keyboard
How I can change a layout or add a new layout to physical keyboard of  Xperia mini pro phone?
I want for example remap ? to ''ə'' and shift ? to ''Ə'', or س to ی in Persian layout or even add new layout (Persian 2 layout).
You can find build-in layout here, actually I want to add a new layout to them.

Can you be more specific by what you mean by "layout"? Are you wanting to re-bind keys?

@Reza, are you rooted?

@jlehenbauer Yes, my device is rooted

@Reza Perfect! i'm actually doing this right now to my phone. i'll type it up for you!

Any purpose of photo?

@SachinShekhar It's for showing what is a physical keyboard, for those that never see one! ;)

First, obtain the following:

Android device with root access
adb on your computer

you can do without this, but that just means a lot of time copying files back and forth to your phone and moving them with something like Root Explorer

text editor

Now,

Plug your phone in to your computer and navigate to the /system/usr/keylayout/ folder, using adb or a Terminal Emulator
Pull the file for your keylayout. Mine was called qwerty.kl and looked like this:

key 399   GRAVE
key 2     1
key 3     2
key 4     3
key 5     4
key 6     5
key 7     6
key 8     7
key 9     8
key 10    9
key 11    0
key 158   BACK              WAKE_DROPPED
key 230   SOFT_RIGHT        WAKE
key 60    SOFT_RIGHT        WAKE
key 107   ENDCALL           WAKE_DROPPED
key 62    ENDCALL           WAKE_DROPPED
key 229   MENU              WAKE_DROPPED
key 139   MENU              WAKE_DROPPED
key 59    MENU              WAKE_DROPPED
key 127   SEARCH            WAKE_DROPPED
key 217   SEARCH            WAKE_DROPPED
key 228   POUND
key 227   STAR
key 231   CALL              WAKE_DROPPED
key 61    CALL              WAKE_DROPPED
key 232   DPAD_CENTER       WAKE_DROPPED
key 108   DPAD_DOWN         WAKE_DROPPED
key 103   DPAD_UP           WAKE_DROPPED
key 102   HOME              WAKE
key 105   DPAD_LEFT         WAKE_DROPPED
key 106   DPAD_RIGHT        WAKE_DROPPED
key 115   VOLUME_UP         WAKE
key 114   VOLUME_DOWN       WAKE
key 116   POWER             WAKE
key 212   CAMERA

key 16    Q
key 17    W
key 18    E
key 19    R
key 20    T
key 21    Y
key 22    U
key 23    I
key 24    O
key 25    P
key 26    LEFT_BRACKET
key 27    RIGHT_BRACKET
key 43    BACKSLASH

key 30    A
key 31    S
key 32    D
key 33    F
key 34    G
key 35    H
key 36    J
key 37    K
key 38    L
key 39    SEMICOLON
key 40    APOSTROPHE
key 14    DEL

key 44    Z
key 45    X
key 46    C
key 47    V
key 48    B
key 49    N
key 50    M
key 51    COMMA
key 52    PERIOD
key 53    SLASH
key 28    ENTER

key 56    ALT_LEFT
key 100   ALT_RIGHT
key 42    SHIFT_LEFT
key 54    SHIFT_RIGHT
key 15    TAB
key 57    SPACE
key 150   EXPLORER
key 155   ENVELOPE

key 12    MINUS
key 13    EQUALS
key 215   AT

# On an AT keyboard: ESC, F10
key 1     BACK              WAKE_DROPPED
key 68    MENU              WAKE_DROPPED

Now, play with the file!

To change L to M, key 38    L->key 38   M
Obviously, key ### maps to certain keys. This can be tedious, as you mostly have to guess and check the key numbers.
Here is what I've found so far for mine, hopefully it helps:

The next part is the mapping. Simply put the character or command, such as HOME after the key number.
The last part (WAKE/WAKE_DROPPED) determines if the key wakes the screen. WAKE=wake the screen WAKE_DROPPED=don't wake screen.
Now get it like you want it, and enjoy!
This will work with English-based keyboards, after that it's a little more guess and check, because you will need to know the foreign character that corresponds to the English character that corresponds to the key #.

An easy solution for figuring out key mapping is CWM recovery's key test option. You press a key, it prints the number.

@Thanks, It seems that these files just can be used to map physical keys to some predefined names, How I can map shift+space to "@" sign, or "?" to 'ə' letter? Where layout files for various languages are placed? How we can add a new languages to language list?

On a CM9.1 based device we found the following:

System Settings

Section Device

Advanced

There is only the one option: Keyboard layout
This affects the hardware keyboard layout.
However not sure if this works for stock roms.


text:
Error: "reloc_library cannot locate 'fdatasync'"
I have my phone connected to my laptop via the USB cable and ADB is able to identify the device. When I run adb devices it returns the phone in the list of connected devices. Running the command adb shell now gives an error stating:

reloc_library cannot locate 'fdatasync'

Running any command on the terminal emulator installed on my phone also returns the same error.
Does anyone have a solution to this?

What device do you have?  Are you rooted or running a custom ROM?

I can't find anything about this error. It might be your ROM... or you may need to factory restore?

I am using a Garmin-Asus nuvifone A10. I do not have a custom ROM on the device but yes, it is rooted.

I have already tried doing a complete factory reset but that did not help either.

this looks related somewhat to your issue. it looks like it might be an issue with your ROM, even though it is stock.


text:
Where can I find the change log for Android 4.0.4?
I'm curious what changed in Android 4.0.4. Is there an official change log somewhere? It seems very well hidden.

It's just a maintenance update for bug fixes. This is the best I can find:

Revision 3 (March 2012)
Maintenance update. The system version is 4.0.4.
Note: This system image includes support for emulator hardware
  graphics acceleration when used with SDK Tools r17 or higher. (more
  info)

http://developer.android.com/sdk/android-4.0.3.html
Unofficial change log
Revision change log and more details

From Wikipedia

Stability improvements
Better camera performance
Smoother screen rotation
Improved phone number recognition


text:
How to hide updates from market? (Given Titanium backup "detach from market" doesn't work)
I have an app that a recent update has removed functionality, so I would like to make the market think I no longer have this app so it'll stop trying to update it and I can safely use the "update all" feature again.
If this question looks like an exact duplicate of this question, it is because it is, EXCEPT the titanium backup solution which I've tried dozens of times, while android market is stopped, restarts, rom flashes, etc will not work under any circumstances.  The titanium backup "detach from market" doesn't appear to help in the slightest.  I'm not actually sure what that does.  My assumption is that recent versions of the market broke the detach functionality.
Titanium backup "Detach from market" doesn't work.

If you have root, it might be possible to pull the APK from the device, uninstall the market version, then re-install from the pulled version? I think that might be possible, but I would see if anyone has a better solution first.

Clearing the Market data might help, but I also like Bryan's suggestion.

@Bryan: I do have root but don't know what you mean "Pull the APK"?  Is this something I can do with titanium backup or do I need to connect it to the computer and use ADB?

@Dan You can do it either way. If you make a backup with Titanium, then it should save a copy of the APK that you can restore later. Similarly, you can use ADB PULL to pull the apk from the /data/ directory (/data/apps? I can't remember the name of it). Or you could use Root Explorer to find that directory on your device and look for the APK.

Maybe this answer to the mentioned/linked question might help you (just added).

Save a copy of the original .apk file and keep it backed up.
A bulletproof way to get cut off from Google Play's update mechanism for that app is to re-sign it with a different key, then reinstall the newly signed apk file. Google Play (maybe) will still offer updates** for that app, but installing them will eventually fail because of the different signature. ApkTool will do it for you:
me@local:/tmp$ java -jar apktool.jar decode --no-src FDroid.apk fdroid/
I: Copying raw classes.dex file...
I: Loading resource table...
I: Loaded.
I: Loading resource table from file: /home/me/apktool/framework/1.apk
I: Loaded.
I: Decoding file-resources...
I: Decoding values*/* XMLs...
I: Done.
I: Copying assets and libs...
me@local:/tmp$ java -jar apktool.jar build fdroid/ FDroid.new.apk
I: Copying classes.dex file...
I: Checking whether resources has changed...
I: Building resources...
I: Building apk file...
me@local:/tmp$ md5sum FDroid.apk FDroid.new.apk
123c6932114dbed1334611eb8f4ca397  FDroid.apk
059ba98c5c60433cb6799013f22f244f  FDroid.new.apk
me@local:/tmp$ diff -rq FDroid.apk FDroid.new.apk
Files FDroid.apk and FDroid.new.apk differ.

ZipSigner2 might also help you do it (just found it on Google Play).

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to recompile the APK I wanted to do this to, but +1 for a great answer.

Also tried zipsigner2, mentioned above?

I was able to resign the APK, not sure whether it worked or not, plus it's not so straightforward to figure out which key to sign with.

Thanks, this worked for me in my case. One quick note, though: Some apps will refuse to work and/or restrict their feature-set if they detect a modified signature. YMMV.

Recent Market updates did break the detach. A solution is to freeze Market Updater and then uninstall updates of Market. If the original version of Market in your ROM is old enough, this will downgrade it to a version before the relevant update. Whether this will eventually make things not work in Market, I don't know yet.


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Taking pictures using an external (USB) camera on a Samsung Galaxy S2
Question: How can we take a picture using an external, USB camera, on a Samsung Galaxy S2 (setup in host mode, using an OTG (On The Go) cable), running Android 4.0.3 (Ice Cream Sandwich).
Details:
We are trying to build an app as part of a project, where the phone will be out of sight (e.g. in someone's pocket), but the external camera can take a picture (on demand) that our app can process. We have seen evidence of success using OTG and flash drives/mice/keyboards, but are unsure of what difficulties may arise (and how to approach them) for a USB webcam.
Given that we are trying to write an app (API level 15), other pointers (with regard to interfacing with the external camera) would be appreciated (as a starting point, we really would like to just prove that the camera CAN work - that is, using any existing app, take a picture using the external camera).
Beyond basic recognition and potential problems, we are concerned (perhaps needlessly) about the power that the phone can provide to the USB camera - is it likely that this will be sufficient to power the camera?
If it is not possible to use a USB webcam as an external camera on an Android phone, other suggestions as to how we can setup an external camera to work with the phone, would be appreciated.
Specifications:
Android version: 4.0.3 - Ice Cream Sandwich
API level 15
Device: Samsung Galaxy 2
Model GT-I9100M
Build Number: IML74K.UGLD3

I found this: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=infinitegra.trial.usbcamera
This is an Android application to display and record the video from an USB camera which is connected to a smart phone or a tablet device. For more details please check his website: http://www.infinitegra.co.jp/en/solution/AndroidApp1-spec.htm

you should try this: Webeecam Free-USB Web Camera
This android application displays/records video and captures images from a USB UVC camera that is connected to Android phone or tablet device. This a free trial version so you can check if it works.

Follow How to not be a spammer. You must disclose your affiliation with the product. Also, it appears that you've been promoting this product on other sites as well, such as : http://androidforums.com/threads/webeecam-free-usb-web-camera-app.957110/ / http://www.droidgamers.com/forums/topic/9581-free-webeecam-free-usb-web-camera-app/