text:
Alternative to Google Latitude?
Like the title says, is there an easy way to share my location in real-time with friends without letting Google know where I am?

Don't you mean "without you knowing that Google knows where you are"? (just adding to the privacy complex)

Fair point. Related to that -- the "Use wireless networks" option adds a great deal of location awareness without GPS usage, but requires consenting to Google's (anonymized) collection of location data. To track your location without the wireless networks option, you're going to be running GPS constantly. TO help cut that down you could look into one of the many rules-based GPS triggers -- turn GPS on or off based on cell tower or nearby wifi networks. There are a few apps for that, such as Tasker or Locale.

I'd really like to know how to do this without a data plan.  An SMS autoresponder that replies with a google maps link to my latitude and longitude?

@endolith - I think you want something like Inserty http://www.appbrain.com/app/inserty-(free)/com.roomfour0four.android.market.inserty

I figured out how to do it with Tasker, so my phone automatically responds to SMS messages with certain keyword and sends the person a google maps link and my speed.

Glympse seems like a good alternative. Just pick who you want to share with, and for how long, and they can follow you on their phones or computers (and they don't need Glympse installed).

I have used Glympse and like the way it works. It does not require an account to use. It generates a unique URL that you send to those who you want to track you. You set the duration for how long someone can track you. I gotta believe the company that makes "Glympse" will be bought up by some corporation for big $$.

Glympse looks good, except the longest you can share your location to someone is 4 hours. No Latitude replacement.

I haven't used it myself, but I've noticed Neer in the market -- It sounds like what you're looking for.


text:
Is there a way to color code events in de default Calender application
I am using the (I think default) Calender application on my Samsung Galaxy S phone.
It shows blue blocks for my events in the 7 day view.
Is there a way to change this blue color ? So that, e.g. I can mark private events in green and appointments with customers in red ?
Or is there a way to show some text in the blocks ?
Or it not possible with the default calender .. do you know of another one which does allow this ?
Thanks.

Yes you can, you will need to create a different "calendar" (probably "tag" would be a better name, but that's Google's terms for it).
Creating a Calendar (do this from the Desktop, I didn't found a way to do it from Android's Calendar app; do anyone know?):

Go to http://www.google.com/calendar.
Look for the "My calendars" box on the left, click on "Add"
Fill in the information, and click Create Calendar.
You can change the color later from "My calendars" box, by clicking on the triangular button.

Adding Events to Calendar (can be done from Android):

On the "Create New Event" view, choose the calendar you've just made from "Calendar" combobox.

@Lie Ryan: +1 for taking the time to anwswer my question - but, still, it's not exactly what I am looking for, I think. I want to add color to different events in the same calendar. Following your sugguestion, forces me to create google accounts for each type of event I want to enter : personal, customer, holiday, family things - I want to see them all in my own diary, but color codes.

@Edelcom: You can create multiple calendars in a single Google account (that's why I think they are better named "tags" or "groups" or "folders" rather than "calendars").

I do exactly what Lie says.  I put birthday events in one calendar, etc.

Ok, I have to change my way of thinking here ... but even than: that's for the Google calender, can you do the same on the local calendar of the device ?

@Edelcom: Try this: Press Menu > More > My calendars > Menu again > Add calendar; I can't tell if it works, as in my case the "Add calendar" button is greyed out, it might work in yours or it might not.

To sum up -- for one google account, a "calendar" represents a tag, if you will.

@Lie Ryan: I don't even have an 'Add Calendar' . See my response to the other answer from "pydave" where I list all options I see on my phone. I upgrade to 2.2 last weekend, but still am not able to add a Calendar on the phone.

After following Lie's steps to create a new calendar in Google Calendar, you'll have to add it to the Calendar app:

Open the Calendar app
Menu > My Calendars
Menu > Add calendars
Select the calendar you just added

Lie mentioned this in a comment, but I don't have enough rep to respond.
Add calendar is for adding calendars to the app that aren't in the My calendars list already. It won't let you add new calendars to Google Calendar.
(The above is true on my xt720 running eclair-2.1.)

Sorry, my version (2.2) does not have a 'Menu > My Calendars' option, just Search, Create , Goto , Today, Delete, More and More having Refresh and Settings . Settings having, Calendars, Calendar sync, Default view ... all view settings and Vibrate . Calendars just a way to enable one of three calendars, My calendar, the online google one and the one from Facebook, pressing menu here only shows 'Calendar sync'. Am I missing an option ?

@Edelcom: Are you using the stock calendar application? The stock calendar app have a completely different set of menus. Either you have downloaded an alternative Calendar or Galaxy S ships its own calendar app; can other Samsung Galaxy S owner confirm this? btw, your question tag said you're using 2.1-eclair, but now you're saying you're using 2.2, have you upgraded since then?

@Lie Ryan: Yes I upgrade my Galaxy S during the weekend. I a running Calender 1.1 - no about settings anywhere to be found. The Application list just shows version 1.1.

@Edelcom: Application info shows my Calendar app is version 7 (on eclair). Your "Calendar" must be quite different from my "Calendar".

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text:
Swype dictionary keeps getting deleted
Every few weeks, when I go to type something, I find that the Swype dictionary has been deleted (or at least can't be accessed) for no apparent reason.  This kills the 2 benefits of Swype: typing without lifting your finger, and predictive word completion (and correction).  Without these 2 features, Swype becomes much harder to use, and I find I'm better off with the standard keyboard.
So the question is, why is this happening, and is it possible to fix without re-installing Swype?  (I've been able to fix this in the past by re-installing Swype, but that's a pain in the butt.)

What causes the dictionary to delete? are you removing your sd card? does the app live on your phone memory? Is the dictionary just gone as in no file or is it just cleared of data?

I don't know what causes the dictionary to be deleted.  That's part of the question.  The dictionary may be stored on the SD card, but the app isn't.  Also, it's not like I have a habit of removing the SD card, and I don't turn on USB mode all that often.

So I was facing the same issue as well, and after getting no help from internet and forums, I contacted swype, here is the reply I received from them. I have not tried it yet, but I expect it to work.
*

This is, unfortunately, a known issue
  with the beta on some devices; it is
  particularly prevalent on the HTC
  Incredible, and occurs specifically
  after a reboot of the device (though
  it can, in rare occasions, occur at
  other times).  The issue is related to
  a feature of some phones known as
  “fastboot” which is designed to bring
  the system into a usable state faster
  by delaying the start of some system
  functions until after the system has
  been made ready for user interaction.
  In our case, the ESN variable (a
  hardware identifier tied to the
  telephony radio) is not loaded into
  memory until after Swype has already
  started loading.  This value is needed
  to verify Swype’s license, and so
  Swype’s licensing mechanism fails.
  The workaround for this issue is to
  switch the input method off of Swype,
  type a few characters with another
  keyboard, then switch back to Swype.
  This will trigger Swype to reload the
  license.  To do this, simply
  long-press on any text input box,
  choose “Input Method”, and select an
  alternative keyboard.  Type a few
  characters then use the same procedure
  to switch back to Swype.   I hope this
  helps relieve the frustration of
  having to reinstall Swype all the
  time.  It’s not a perfect solution,
  but it’s much better than reinstalling

*

Are you rooted? If so, you might try using an app like Titanium Backup to take a snapshot of a good install with dictionary, and restoring that whenever the problem resurfaces.
Unfortunately, I don't have any direct solution to the problem - haven't encountered that.

No, not rooted.  I'm not sure if the backup would capture the dictionary either.

The backup does capture the dictionary, but only if you use a root backup app that includes the /data partition. Non-root backup apps only capture the apk, which won't get the data.

I'm not sure, but I think that when the SD card is mounted by a computer through USB the phone can't access it.  I'd hazard a guess that you used the keyboard while you were plugged into the USB and swype couldn't get at it's dictionary so it started a new one which was saved to SD once USB was unplugged.
That could be worth an experiment.

Are you using any memory management programs? Any app2sd, battery savers, task killers, etc. -- basically anything that might cause an irregularity? If so, I suggest turning them all of for a few weeks, see if that makes any difference.

I am using App2SD and a task killer, but as stated earlier, the app still resides on the phone, and is not able to be installed to the SD card, and I have my task killer set up to exclude Swype.  I don't think either of them would be causing my issues.

From what I understand (I don't have swype, but just did some googling for you) you can set swype to use android's built in dictionary system. If this doesn't solve the issue, then you will know there is some larger factor at work.

I'm using an older version of Swype, 1.3.x., which came pre-installed on my Samsung Galaxy S2. Now running JellyBean, I was facing the same problem. This is how I managed to fix it:

I force-stopped the app
then cleared all data through android application manager
then disabled the app.
Then I enabled the stock keyboard for a bit and then tried re-enabling the app and choosing it as the input mode.

I had to go through the registration again, but my dictionary sure came  back !  Try it!

I have a HTC one M7. It decided to reboot after getting confused on how much battery power it had.
Now the personised Swype dictionary is gone.
I tried Swype's workaround listed above, but no success. There is no footprint of my old dictionary.
However I have found that it's easy to back up my new personal dictionary.
In: Settings> Language & Keyboard> HTC Sense Input> Personal Dictionary> then go to tip right ':' Backup to Email.
It will then save your dictionary as an attachment on email, which u can download & it will automatically recognise it upon opening & install it for you.
How this will save people from the troubles I've had.

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text:
How do i make a new album in the HTC Photos application?
I have an HTC Hero (with the Android 2.1 update). For the longest time, I've wanted to create new albums in the Photos application and can't for the life of me figure out how to do it. It has a bunch of default albums like "My Favroties" "All photos" and such. I just want to create my own albums so I can organize some pictures, like an album of all the pictures of my ridiculously cute niece. Anyone know how to do that? Or can suggest a better photo management application for Android 2.1?

It's actually quite simple just hard to figure out.

Install a file manager app (Astro, inKa File Manager)
Using a file manager app navigate to sdcard > media folder
Create a new folder

Place all your photos into that newly created folder. It may take some time but eventually the new photo album will appear inside HTC's Gallery app.

No idea how you figured that one out. Would you suggest just using a different application? Or follow these steps and stick with HTC's app?

@Chaulky It really depends on how you want to manage your photo albums. If you want to be able to move photos in the album through the app then you can't using HTC's Gallery app. But on the other hand if you don't need to move photos in through the app (or even if you do but not too regularly) then this just saves you having to find another gallery app.


text:
Is it possible to make a Picasa album to not appear in native Gallery application?
By default, it synchronizes every Picasa album you have in your Google account, even the marked as private ones.
I'd like to make some of them to not be imported on my phone.

Is this the Cooliris Gallery (http://www.cooliris.com/mobile/nexus-one/)? I don't think this comes as standard with Android.

Yes, it is. It came with my 2.1 Motorola Milestone.

Not possible at this time. This answer in the Google support forums indicates that it can't be done, but that it will be forwarded on as a feature request.


text:
Will constantly having Bluetooth on drain my battery too fast?
I'm thinking about making an app which will require Bluetooth to be available at all times.  However, if this reduces battery charge life significantly, then that's kind of a show stopper.  Can anyone give me a general idea about how much drain constant Bluetooth use will put on the battery?

Discoverability is definitely the killer here on Bluetooth in terms of battery.

Also related: Does allowing Bluetooth discovery consume more power?

What drains... my special. Here some data samples, based on a Motorola Droid:
+--------------------+----------+
| Mode               | Energy   |
+--------------------+----------+
| Bluetooth receive  | 751 mW   |
| Bluetooth send     | 487 mW   |
| Bluetooth standby  |   2,8 mW |
+--------------------+----------+

So if you use BT quite regularly (e.g. to be able to immediately pick up a call with your headset), having it in standby doesn't hurt that much (Compare: 2G StandBy 11,6 mW, 3G StandBy 18,3 mW, Wifi StandBy 7,8 mW -- and, often mistaken: GPS StandBy 0,4 mW).
But if, on the other hand, you use BT once a week (or even less) -- heck, you can manually enable it then, there are enough "toggle switches" and widgets available.

@SachinShekhar If you are interested in the full list: What can I do to increase battery life on my Android device?

How did you get this data?

@Snekse simply follow the link in my previous comment to find out :)

Constant use of Bluetooth will put quite a significant drain on the battery, even having it on is known to drain the battery.

It will certainly drain it faster than having it turned off.  However, how fast will vary depending on the phone.

It really depends on what you are using Bluetooth for.  I have a Bluetooth watch (MBW-150) that I sync with my phone using OpenWatch and it affects my battery life minimally.  All it does is sync the phone's time with my watch, vibrates on certain notifications/calls, and gives me control of my music player (play/stop/next/prev/volume).  So I essentially have Bluetooth turned on all the time and haven't really seen a battery problem because of it.

I have a Samsung Galaxy S (Vibrant):

With Bluetooth & Sync turned on, but the Bluetooth not connected, I better have > 45% battery before I go to bed or else my phone will be dead by morning.
With Bluetooth & Sync turned off, I only use 1-2% battery overnight.

How much of that is Bluetooth and how much is Sync, I don't know. But the combination sure kicks the crap outta my phone.

Personally i recently got a wireless earphones for making calls and sometimes i turn my earphones off but forget to turn off my bluetooth on my phone. I usually found this to be a problem since i would charge my phone before gping to bed and leaving it at 50%. Before it used to last me over night but lately i been waking up to zero percent battery... so personally i don't advice you to leave bluetooth on... plus for me it cause my phone to overheat while charging.

This is exactly the style of data I wanted to know, but that is a surprisingly high drain. The truth is what I want to know, but I'd hope that the current truth is better than that! Do you know what Android version you had installed; what kind of Bluetooth hardware your phone used; and whether it was connecting to any Bluetooth devices?

Below is an article from Techrepublic. There is a lot of anecdotal "yes" here, but very little scientific responses. I think if you look at the actual analysis responses using hard data, you'll see that bluetooth has little impact on battery. I never turn off bluetooth on my phone and have several apps that use bluetooth, and the only time my battery doesn't last all day is when I play a game or two on it.
10 common misconceptions about mobile device batteries

On my Galaxy S3 even if I have bluetooth turned on but do not use it at all it still drains my battery 30% faster as opposed to if it was turned off!

Hello and welcome to Android Enthusiasts Lance! :) While your answer is valid, it would be great if you could provide some data from your experience ( if you have some time available you could screenshot the battery life screen on multiple runs with bluetooth turned off/on) :)

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text:
Native Exchange Email app does not synchronize folders properly
Recently I created/removed some folders on Outlook desktop app.
When I synchronized my corporate account by manually refreshing under the folders screen, it didn't bring the new folders, nor removed the removed ones.
Is this a known bug?
I have a Motorola Milestone, and I remember in the past, at least the folder addition worked.

Is this still a problem for you? I have not seen this behavior on my Droid, although it does seem to take a bit of time to get fully synchronized.

As a workaround, I deleted the account and registered it again, and it worked, but I'm not sure if this can be considered a "solution".

I think you should post that as an answer and mark it as the accepted answer.  The Mail app is very buggy and basic and until it is improved I suspect there is no other solution.

@Matthew agree, although I've started to try Touchdown as an alternative, I think it's fine for this specific question.

I ended up deleting my account and registering it again, and it worked, but this is a workaround.
As pointed out by other people, the native Mail app is buggy, so I started evaluating Touchdown.

I know you were going for the "onboard" solution for Exchange e-mail, but at my workplace a bunch of folks use Touchdown:
http://www.appbrain.com/app/exchange-by-touchdown-key/com.nitrodesk.touchdownpro
Only problem is that is is $19.99. It works well with ActiveSync policies and doesn't force you to encrypt your whole device if your SysAdmin has required as such.

another problem with TouchDown is battery drain. I finally had to uninstall it because it was draining my battery several times faster than the stock email app.


text:
How can I manage Intent association with Apps?
When the system emits an Intent for which you have multiple apps that can handle the intent, a dialog opens to tell you which application you want to use with that intent.
Is there a way to see what these associations are, and clear them?
If there is no app or interface to do that, do you know of an API to access these associations?
EDIT: When I said associations, I was thiking of the "late-bound" associations. For example, when I open a link and I have multiple browsers, an intent is fired saying "view link", and I choose "always use that application"; what can I do if, after some time, I would prefer to use another application for that intent?

The fact that one cannot view all registered Intents is a serious flaw in the AOSP

I believe it's a no to both those questions. Yes you can clear default associations only if you know which app is associated with with Intent (you will still be prompted with the dialog asking you which app you'd like to use with the current Intent).
Apart from that there is no way to clear associations. They are hard coded inside each app, there is no way to remove them.
UPDATE: To answer your edited question head to Settings > Applications > Manage applications find your application that you chose as your default app for that intent, click Clear defaults

You can remove some Intent associations by going to the specific app that you specified the Intent for in the Settings --> Applications --> Manager Applications --> [Find your app] --> "Clear Defaults" button.
There is no way to view all associations given from Intents to Apps

If your device is rooted, you can use apps like AutoRun Manager (ARM) to list up all registered listeners, and even can disable/enable them at will (e.g. to prevent a certain app from firing up at times you don't want it to). This would correspond to "clearing an association".

The app you link to only appears to enable and disable broadcast receivers, so it won't affect different activities that you can choose between.

I was looking exactly for AutoRun Manager. Thanks!


text:
Every time I plug in my phone via USB it automatically mounts the SD card
I have a Motorla Droid running CM6 (essentially Android 2.2).  I'm connecting to Windows 7 machines via USB.  Every time I plug in my phone via USB it automatically mounts the SD card as external storage.
How can I stop this behavior?  I haven't really noticed when it started, sometime after I installed CM6?

fyi, my droid running stock 2.2 doesn't auto-mount.

I kind of borrowed your question http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/15380/every-time-i-plug-in-my-phone-via-usb-it-automatically-mounts-the-sd-card-xperi

Apparently the Winamp app has an Enable auto-mount setting that is by default set to true.  Problem resolved.

Also I found in the past that the DoubleTwist app annoyingly does this too.

I believe in both cases the publishers of these apps consider this a helpful feature.

I find it highly annoying because I usually just plug in my phone via usb to charge, not mount as a drive

Well, at least there is the option to turn it off.

While connected via USB, you will notice a USB icon on notification bar.
Drag the notification bar down, you will see a "USB connection" item. Click it.
Select "none" or "nothing" (I'm not sure about the option name in english, because my Motorola Milestone is in portuguese).

Doesn't answer the question. His is auto-mounting, before he picks anything from the notification item.

You only have to do this once. The next time you connect your phone via USB, it won't auto-mount.


text:
Why does my wifi not automatically reconnect to prefered networks?
I've got a San Francisco handset running 2.1.
I've configured it to connect to my wifi network at home. If I go out of range, or reboot the phone, it fails to re-connect automatically and I have to manually go thru the settings, disable wireless, then enable it for it to re-attach itself to my network
Is there an easier way?

Might be related to: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/2408/how-can-i-configure-my-phone-to-automatically-connect-to-remembered-wifi-networks

Add the Power Control widget (available by default in Android 2.1+ for most phones) or a similar wi-fi toggle app to your home screen. (Long press on the home screen, Widget, Power Control.) That usually fixes it for me.


text:
Not able to select entire image for wallpaper
When I put the wallpaper in /dcim/Camera and go to change the wallpaper and choose Media gallery and I select the wallpaper I want, it asks me to choose only a small region of the image. What do I need to do to use the entire image?

The phone wants to make a wallpaper that's the right size and shape for your screen, on most phones that's as tall as your screen resolution and twice as wide as your screen width (notice how the wallpaper scrolls slightly as you move between your home screens). There are posts on here that list the correct wallpaper sizes for most Android devices.

List of wallpaper sizes for various devices http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/2026/what-size-should-images-be-for-android-wallpaper Also no need to put new pictures into the Camera folder (that's really only meant for your devices' camera to write to) just create a folder on your SD-card called pictures, or wallpapers, or something like that and put it in there.

If i remember correctly, you can drag the frame to the full size of the image, so that the whole picture will be selected as background.

The above answer is vague.  Here's a more complete answer.
First
Go through the wallpaper settings and open the image you want to use for wallpaper. You will be prompted to crop it.

Second
Drag the cropping reticule to the bottom right corner.

Third
Drag the left edge of the cropping reticule all the way to the left edge of the screen.  The reticule should grow to encompass the whole image.

Lastly
Tap the "Crop" button at the top right.  It will "crop" the image to the size that it already is, and set it as your wallpaper.
Dénouement
All this because the developers who wrote the wallpaper cropping app couldn't be bothered to check whether the selected image is already the correct size for the device. All they had to do was say "This image is already the right size. Would you like to crop it anyway?", and give us buttons labeled "Crop It" and "Just Use It". Instead, we're stuck with this thoroughly non-intuitive mess.
Well done, Android devs. slow clap
In case anyone is curious, the wallpaper shown in the screenshots above comes along with McKinley Tabor's excellent Asus Transformer Prime Wallpaper Template.

When I try to set wallpaper from gallery I only got option for portrait image not landscape scrolling image throughout screen, check here http://imgur.com/29USrQ4


text:
How to set the DNS server on Nexus One?
The ISP I use on my N1 doesn't allow me to open facebook. Using a PC, I can use Google DNS server (8.8.8.8) to by-pass them but on N1, I can't find where to put the stufff.
Please help if you know how to.

While you're on Wifi, have a look in Wi-Fi settings > menu|Advanced.
It looks like it's easier when you're on Wifi than when you're on a celular signal (3 or 2.5g).I've found a blog post here that seems to do what your asking, but you may need to have rooted the phone, or at least be comfotable with editing a few system bits and bobs.

The following was added as an edit to the question. It seems like it should be an answer.

Go to Setting - Wireless & Network - Wifi settings
Press Menu button, and select Advance
Check Use Static IP
Enter IP adress, Gateway, Netmask and DNS Server 1&2 of associated with your LAN networks.

Eg., for me, I use

ip=192.168.1.100
gateway=192.168.1.1
DNS1=8.8.8.8
DNS2=8.8.4.4


text:
Android Market disappeared! How do I get it back?
Since upgrading to FroYo, the Android Market app has disappeared from my wife's Droid X: it doesn't appear on the home screen or in the Applications list in settings. Is there any way to get it back?

In what way has it "disappeared"? Do you mean it no longer appears as a shortcut icon on the home screen?

from here I tried  http://androidforums.com/droid-x-support-troubleshooting/196653-help-market-place-gone.html
To get the Marked app back, without doing a hard reset.
used ASTRO file manager

Opened ASTRO, clicked Up
navigate to /system/app
Locate Vending.apk
push on it to install it, clicked ok etc

Now back on home screen, follow what is suggested about a clean slate ...

Settings -> Applications -> Manage Applications
Chose All
Find Market
Push on it and select Clear data
go back to main home screen, turn your phone off and back on

Worked great! I had to power cycle the phone before the Market would run though.

It's a built-in app and can't be uninstalled.
To restore the icon to the home screen, find the icon in the application list and long-press, then drop it where you want it. Alternately, long-press the home screen where you want the icon to be, choose "Shortcuts", then "Applications", then the "Market" icon.
Update: Okay, it appears that you're not the only one with this issue. See this thread on the Google support forum: http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Android%20Market/thread?tid=3322620a3c715568&hl=en
One offered solution is to do a factory reset. It's up to you to decide how comfortable you are with that.
Update 2: Several people in this thread said that the factory reset worked for them. Additionally, someone wrote a script (also in that thread) to fix the issue, which you would need to get on the phone. (USB would seem to be your best bet.) Caveat Emptor. Someone also mentioned that if you get the Vendor.apk you can also get the Market back. (Details are a little fuzzier.)

It really seems to be gone, as if the upgrade uninstalled it.

If you are running stock Android I believe you are going to have to do a factory reset.  If you are rooted and running some custom mod, you can probably just install the googleapps.apk or reflash the rom.

I just figured it out, very easy.  The Android Market is now called "PLAY STORE" by Google, and is listed under "P" in your phone (not "G" for Google Play Store).  Just go into all your apps, go down to "P" and long hold the "PLAY STORE" icon to get it to your home screen.  This icon looks like a white shopping bag with handles and a blue, red and tan diamond/pyramid figure on the front.  GOOD LUCK and have a great day.

Please note: This question is from November, 2010. That the Market was just renamed to Google Play is obviously not the answer to this question.

@AlEverett This question will show up in Google searches for people who've just lost the Market icon due to the recent update. For that reason I think this is a valid answer?

My android market icon dissapeared when i clicked on it yesterday on 2.2  i just read today in the news that google changed the name from Android market to Google Play to get more customers focused on its videos and books.  I found a brand new icon in the second apps location on my phone.  It is called google play not called  android market any longer. All you do is click accept and use.....

Note the date of the question.


text:
Do you still see ads even if your phone is offline?
An uncle of mine refuses to use the free version of Astro File Manager, because he dislikes ads.
I told him to just leave his 3G off (he only uses it on demand anyway) and he shouldn't see them anyway, as my expectation was that they couldn't be downloaded.
But is this really true? I tried it with Angry Birds and after turning off 3G, I no longer saw any ads, but is this possible?

Most ads require internet access.  If you remove the internet access, then it shouldn't load the ads (unless they are somehow cached?).
If he really, really, really wants to get rid of ads all together, you can install the AdFree app on rooted phones.  It will remove ads from the browser, from apps, etc.  Anything that is in its blacklist will refuse to load.
However, developers do try to make a living and often provide their apps for free at the cost of a little advertising.  You may also want to try and explain this to him and if he really likes the app he can support the developer further by purchasing the full (ad free) version.  No money, no developers.

DroidWall is another solution.

He was actually willing to just pay for it, but the Market doesn't actually make it easy to pay in some countries ;-)

@ivo: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/216/alternative-android-app-markets

I expect that this is going to depend on the ad network. What you've seen apparently works on AdMob, but as to whether other ad networks will require a connection or will display cached ads, I couldn't say.
By the way, Astro File Manager Pro (no ads) is only $3.99.


text:
How can I replace HTC Sense?
I saw not using HTC Sense as a power-saving tip on another question, but I just wanted to know what the easiest way to replace HTC Sense is and what it requires me to do?
Do I lose all my widgets too or will it mostly change the way my Home screen looks?
Edit: I don't need HTC Sense to disappear completely from my phone or need to root it. I'm just curious how I would go about replacing HTC Sense with another application launcher.

To replace HTC Sense completely you will have to root your phone and replace the ROM completely. Please see this post for more information: How do I root my Android device?
If on the other hand you're looking at replacing your homescreen/launcher then there are plenty of options.

LauncherPro
ADW.Launcher
HelixLauncher
plenty more...

I personally have LauncherPro and have upgraded to the Plus version. The Plus version has 90% of the widgets Sense UI has but is in my opinion far quicker, more stable and has way more features.
NB: I don't believe any of these Launchers allow you to utilise the widgets from Sense UI.
EDIT: Just to answer your comment. LauncherPro is an app you can download and install from the Android Market. Once installed clicking the Home button will prompt you to select which launcher you'd like to use (either LauncherPro or Sense UI). All you would do from there is check the "Default" checkbox and select LauncherPro.

I guess I was more looking into how do you effectively replace HTC Sense with for example LauncherPro. How does it work? But +1 anyway for the effort!

@Ivo Sorry about that... forgot about that bit. Please see my edited answer.

Essentially those are what we call "home" replacements.  You have the stock android home, or HTC's custom Sense home (or [insert manufacturer's custom home here]) that come with your device. But you can go on the market and download another one like LauncherPro or Helixlauncher or ADW launcher.
Usually people use these for additional features the stock home doesn't have, such as more screens, more icons on the screens or app drawer, or advanced memory management, special widgets, etc. (LauncherPro).


text:
How-to unlink the main Google account from android device without a factory reset
While setting up my HTC Hero phone, I have entered my gmail account in the setup. But now I want to remove it (I don;t want to change with another account). How do I do it ?
I have searched a lot on Google and everywhere I found that I have to do factory reset but this is not my favoured option.
If there is another way, please let me know.

A factory reset isn't so bad. I recently did one.

@AlEverett: a factory reset wipes your data, and if you  have no way to backup it than I wouldn't call it "a good thing".

Of course it does. Aren't you backing up to the cloud?

You could try this: https://support.google.com/mail/answer/4570255.
It describes the steps to change the accounts associated with your android phone.
Hope it helps.

What do you mean,  by 'delete it' exactly? Your phone needs to be linked to a Google account, no matter what (as far as I know). If you do wish to change the "main" Google account your phone is linked with, a factory reset is the way. I've had to do it myself a few times.
If you just want to stop receiving Gmail notifications, go into Settings > Accounts and uncheck the "sync" option for the account you no longer wish to have Gmail sync with.

Yes, factory reset is the only way to get rid of the main linked Google account to your phone.

Android devices don't need to be linked with a Google Account..

@user931 - "Android devices don't need to be linked with a Google Account" If you only want to use it as a phone and you won't be downloading any apps, then you're probably right. But, if you want to be able to go to Google-Play, then I think you do need a Google account.

There are ways to do it without a factory reset.  However, depending upon the phone, it may not work without being linked with a Google account.  I'm not sure about the Hero one way or the other.  See here.
Another option is that you could just create a dummy Google account, then never use it.

Easy! No Factory Reset Needed.. Go to Settings>Accounts&Sync>Then Click the google account you wanna delete(this also applies to the main account)>then press MENU soft key>then Delete Account
That's it!

That works perfectly.  The MENU button is the little three-square-dots icon in the upper right corner.

Just use Erazzer (requires root).

This program will be very useful if you want to change main Google account on your Android device without resetting it to defaults preferences. Some features:

supported on Android 2.x
deleting Google accounts (2 methods)
accounts backup/restore
quick reboot/shutdown
widget for quick operations

Warning! Function "reboot in recovery mode" can delete all data on some devices, it is disabled by defaults. Don't use it without necessary or if you don't know what is it.

When I pass my phone to other family member, I tried many times to change from my Google  account to another Google account. So far, I know of none, except remove current Google account and then set different Google account. Please note, when you remove the Google account, everything (including all the app) in the phone will be gone, and the phone is reset to factory original condition. Please also note, you can also add another account to your Android. That means your phone will have multiple accounts, but Android always use the first account you entered as default.
To remove Google account:
- settings - Applications - Manage Applications -
left click - Filter - select filter option - mark "All"
select "google Apps"
tap "clear data" button
tap "your account must be updated"
now enter your new Google account info.
Reboot.
In another Samsung Galaxy 3 i8700, to reset Google account, all I need is:
- settings - Privacy -
Under "Personal Data" - Factory Data Reset - erases all data on phone.
You will remove current Google account. Then, re-enter another Google account in:
- settings - Accounts and Sync - "Add Account"

Simply change the password of your Google account using your  laptop and afterwards your Android will scream that he needs the new details and will let you enter a different account

Are you sure it will scream for username also?

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


text:
Phantom Multimedia Message
At regular, though infrequent, intervals I receive a multi media message in my inbox from 'δ@' which has no content. The message is completely blank. I do not have such a contact and I receive mmms so little that I'm sure it cannot actually be a real message from someone I know.
I have a HTC Desire with Android 2.2 on Orange (UK).
What is this and what can I do about it?

I have the same problem. HTC Desire 2.2 on Orange, and I get them all the time. The message details say
Type: SMS message
From: Δ@ [although in the message it actually says δ@]
Recieved: 28/12/10
Maybe an Orange problem?

Rather late in the day, but here's a thread about the same issue - it does sound like it's related to Orange UK's voicemail, and possibly was specific to HTC phones running Android 2.2? http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=609019

You should be able to long-press on the text, and select View Message Details, this should give you the actual phone number it was sent from.
With this in hand you can go through your phone book and double-check that it's not anyone you know.
If it's not then you should be able to contact your service provider and ask them to block messages from that number. Also, many automated text services that use short message codes to send are set to remove you from their list if you reply with just the word STOP in a text message.

There is no text in the message - it's completely blank.


text:
What is involved in installing Android onto a device?
I just picked up a Viewsonic G-Tablet.  It's got killer hardware specs and is running Android 2.2 but it's barely usable because of this terrible TapUI that's crippling the device.  I have been following a thread at the XDA forums where users are attempting to root it and get a custom ROM installed, but I'm wondering how hard it is to just wipe it clean and get the stock Android 2.2 running on it.  The people who have rooted and blocked most of the TapUI report losing access to their settings, which I guess is heavily integrated into the TapUI.
Is the problem that Android 2.2 doesn't support specific hardware and someone needs to create a ROM with all the necessary drivers?

Basically you have to compile Android for that device with its drivers.  Example of compilation process. An older example from the official dev site for building 1.6 for the G1.
Devices like the N1 and G1 (Dev phones) let you easily put these images on your phone after compilation, because that is what they were made for (unlockable and hackable). I believe their drivers are in the official Android source (I could be wrong, but they are easily available).
All other devices don't come unlocked, so first you have to unlock (root) your phone to be able to write anything else to it.
I've never compiled Android or a ROM, so I can't give you much more details than this.  Essentially there are proprietary binaries (the drivers) that are also needed for each specific Android phone in order to get it to run on that device.  So you either have to get those drivers from the vendor or write them yourself.

It is up to the manufacturer of the device to provide the appropriate and functional drivers for any hardware on their device.  Unfortunately, many of them also like to add their own UI (often poorly designed and implemented).  This is the case with the TapUI from all I've heard.  This is not a problem with Android.  It's a problem with Viewsonic.

I'm not trying to place blame when I say "problem" but isolate the solution.  So you are saying that the issue is that Viewsonic has not released their drivers?  And a stock version of Android won't work without them?  Also, how about a crack at my question?  What's involved in installing Android onto a device?  What steps & components are necessary?

Bryan's answer covers the concept well. You don't need extra hardware really. You just need a compiled version of Android that is compatible with the hardware in question (i.e. includes the necessary hardware drivers). You copy the binaries and it will need an "installer" application which will install it on the hardware. That's a bit oversimplified, especially if something goes wrong during the install. If that happens you can lose access to the hardware and generally then only the manufacturer can restore it using specialized hardware. A lot of people don't want to risk that.


text:
Is there a free way of unlocking an Android phone from a particular network?
I bought a cheap Android handset for development and it is an exclusive to a particular network.
I would like to unlock it so I can use an existing SIM card from another network. I've done some googling and it appears that there are many services online where you can get a code from supplying your IMEI number.
Firstly, can anyone elaborate on what the unlocking process involves, and secondly, is there any application that can do this process, or are you forced to pay someone to generate a code for you?

Specifying the carrier you are trying to unlock from may help.  Its not absolutely necessary to answer the question but it may help.

I know that T-mobile will unlock your phone after x days of service. http://support.t-mobile.com/doc/tm51885.xml

It's an orange pay as you go San Francisco handset. Thanks

There are also device-specific methods.  The Galaxy S has the unlock code stored on the device, for example.

To unlock you phone for free you can root it. But it is at your own risk. I found this guide but don't know if it works for you.

-1, the OP pointed out this - It's an orange pay as you go San Francisco handset. Thanks

The Rooting method for the T-Mobile G2 / HTC Desire Z unlocks the SIM lock on the modem, but this is device specific.

Actually, for just about any HTC device, obtaining S-off removes the network lock.  The S flag is basically the master control for all "security", not just the bootloader.

-1, like the OP pointed out this dated Nov 2nd 2010 It's an orange pay as you go San Francisco handset. Thanks

I'm a little late getting to this (7 years actually) but if you still have it and it's still carrier locked, call the phone carrier and ask them if they have any conditions

authors: Любченко Татьяна


text:
Reading images of QR codes displayed in the browser
I constantly come across websites that reference an Android application, and provide a QR code of the URL to download the application from the marketplace.  Those same sites very rarely provide the actual link to the application in any other form.
I am looking for way to read QR codes that are on the phone itself.  Ideally, I would like a method that utilizes the "share" functionality of the built in browser in such a way that I merely hold my finger down on an image of a QR code, select "share" from the resulting menu that comes up and select an app to send the image of the QR code to.
Are there any ways to do this or come close to the above functionality?

Interesting idea to use the "share" function to pass it an app that could read/interpret the QR code.

You can do this from the Browser itself using "QR Droid". Search for it and install it. After that:

In the Browser, long-click the image and select "Save image"
After downloaded, open image from notification bar
Select Menu > Share > "Decode with QR Droid"

Barcode Generator / Reader is an app that reads and decodes QR codes from a file.
Also, you can bookmark this web based reader: ZXing Decoder Online, then when you come across a QR code, long-press on it, copy the image URL, then paste it into the linked page.


text:
Is there an app which will force reconnects on remembered in-range wifi networks?
I'm having some difficulties with my San Francisco handset, running 2.1
It seems to keep dropping Wifi connection randomly. I've got the wireless router sat next to me, and its connected OK, but if I walk downstairs (still within range) it will drop connection.
At the moment I manually have to go to settings > wireless and force it to reconnect, this is quite annoying
Is there any app which will periodically check for in-range remembered networks, and force reconnects if possible?

Related: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/2547/why-does-my-wifi-not-automatically-reconnect-to-prefered-networks http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/2408/how-can-i-configure-my-phone-to-automatically-connect-to-remembered-wifi-networks http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/2264/quickly-connecting-to-wifi-with-android

Auto WiFi Toggle has been getting quite a lot of traction this past week and it looks like it may be what you're looking for.
It will search for WiFi networks in your range every interval (set by user) and then connect to them.
Auto WiFi Toggle:

I had the same problem with my San Francisco. The WiFi wouldn't reconnect properly after the screen had woken.
Haven't tried 'Auto WiFi Toggle' but 'WiFi Auto ReEnabler' set to 'Disconnect then re-connect' on wake seems to be working for me.


text:
Wipe and re-install Android 2.2 on Droid2?
I used to have a Motorola Droid, and I loved it because it was barebones Android, none of that flashy aftermarket crap they put on it to make it appeal more to consumers. No, I like my android plain, how it comes straight from Google.
So I was slightly disappointed to find out that with the Motorola Droid2, Motorola installed their own flavor of Android with a bunch of extra shit that I don't want.
So my question to you is, is it possible for me to wipe out and re-install a base Android 2.2 on my device? Will there be any problems? If this is possible, a link to a tutorial or better yet, step-by-step instructions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

I ended up figuring it out, but it took a lot of research and time. Here's what I did, probably not exactly like this since it took me a few tries to get right:
Root your phone.
Download the Koush Bootstrapper/loader and install it onto your phone, via their site or the Android Market.
Go to Team DeFuse's website to download the Fission 2.2 ZIP file. Put this on your SD card somewhere.
Boot into Koush, apply the bootloader patch, and then reboot into the bootloader.
Clear cache/data, mount /data and /system, clear cache/data again, install update, select ZIP file on SD card, once that's done, clear cache/data again, and then reboot.
You should then boot into a fresh install of "vanilla" Froyo Android. No apps. No settings. And best of all, no Motoblur!
... I think I got all that right. If I missed something, let me know.

Looks like it is possible.  Haven't done it myself, but this looks promising.
It indicates that you need to be rooted and already have Koush’s Droid X Bootstrap Recovery installed, but from there it looks like a matter of simply applying the ROM .zip file from Recovery.

I don't want to root my phone, I just want vanilla Android. An official Google-released ROM would be preferrable.

I see you were able to get it up and running using a similar method.  Well done, and enjoy!


text:
Best Car stereo for my android phone
I just got a HCT EVO and was thinking about getting car stereo with bluetooth, car mount, and car charger to go with it (for my 2005 Civic).
First of all, are there any products that will do all of these?  A mount/charger that can also be hooked into the car audio?  It doesn't even have to be bluetooth if it can just directly hook my phone into the car speakers, but I haven't been able to find anything like this.
Otherwise, I am having trouble finding a minimal bluetooth device... I don't really need anything features except routing bluetooth to my car audio, because my phone does everything else.
I am also concerned that I've read some reviews that say they only work with the phones bluetooth calling and not with playing media.  I'd like to be able to listen to pandora in the car.  How can I make sure that when I see "bluetooth" I can know it supports both?
Can anyone give me some tips on what to look for or where to look?  Are these things hard to install yourself?

Check that the device supports A2DP and AVRCP.  You'll find many handsfree kits that connect to your stereo support those (it's what I use) - check out Parrot's range for examples.
Then you can use a separate mount and charger so that when you replace your phone you don't have to replace everything.

You might just use the audio jack.  I know this works with headphones when making calls, maybe it would work with playing the audio through speakers too?

Except I don't have one :-(.  There don't seem to be any cheap ways around this either.

For the "minimal bluetooth device" -- It sounds like your minimum is streaming Bluetooth audio (calls & media) to the stereo. For that, I've found the Motorola T505 to work well with Android. It pairs via Bluetooth to your phone and has a built in FM transmitter to send audio to your stereo. It handled music and calls very well on my Samsung Vibrant with 2.1 & 2.2 so your EVO should be fine. As far as redundant features -- Only that it also functions as a standalone speakerphone, which I considered more a perk than problem.


text:
Anyone knows of way to compare your mobile with a 'standard' installation set?
I have a Samsung Galaxy S mobile phone, running Android 2.1, and am very pleased with it (can't compare though, since it's my first device with Android).
When I had some problem with the installed Facebook application, and got some answers here fro the site, it seemed that I was using a 'Facebook S!' application and not the 'standard' Facebook for Android.
I was just wondering just now: is there a way to compare an Android on your device with a standard installation ? I , for one , would like know that applications have been written by my mobile manufacturor and my mobile operator, and which are standard.

It's not an absolute answer, but if you go into Settings, Applications, Manage Applications. Then press Menu, select Filter, and make sure that Third-party is selected. Anything in that list didn't get onto your phone as part of the standard Android install. They've either been added by your phone manufacturer, your phone network, or yourself.
Unfortunately some standard Android apps show up in that list, if you've updated them from the market (like Google Maps) and a lot of manufacturer added apps don't show up.
I've got a Galaxy S too, but had a HTC Magic running stock Android before. Apps that I've spotted as obviously being modified/added by Samsung are the Music Player app, Camera app, Contacts App, Clock app, Daily Briefing, FM Radio, Video PlayerMemo, Mini Diary, My Files, Samsung Apps (and everything listed in there), Social hub, Voice Recorder, Task Manager. Also a lot of the "Look and feel" of the phone, including the way the 7 home screens, and the Applications screens work has been added as part of Samsung's Touch Wiz interface.
TL;DR Galaxy S has a lot of custom apps, easiest way to compare is probably actually to find someone with a stock phone (like a Nexus One) and directly compare.


text:
Does HTC Sync work well with Thunderbird?
As I no longer have access to Outlook, I have to look for alternatives for managing mail, agenda's and contacts.
My first guess would be Thunderbird, but I wonder how well this syncs with HTC Sync as I never had any trouble setting it up with Outlook, I would prefer that it stayed that way.
So does anyone have any experience with syncing their Android phone through Thunderbird?

Any reason you can't sync to Google and use Thunderbird as an IMAP client?

I can, but it's just that I prefer managing all these things on my desktop and Google's contact management sucks. So normally I used Outlook as an email client for all my email addresses and managing everything from one application. But I do have everything syncing with Google off course ;-)

Well, with https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/7307/ and http://www.mozilla.org/projects/calendar/ you should be able to manage your contacts and calendar in Thunderbird and sync with Google.

I'd recommend, rather, using Thunderbird as an IMAP client with the Google Contacts and Lightning add-ons ( http://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/7307 and http://mozilla.org/projects/calendar). You should be able to manage your contacts and calendar in Thunderbird and sync with Google. So then your Thunderbird and phone will each synchronize to and from Google.


text:
How can I locate my Android device around the house?
Oftentimes, I don't know where I placed my Android around the house. Is there a way to make it vibrate and emit high volume sounds/music that will help me find it?

Four come to mind:

Phoning Pigeon
Where's My Droid
Lookout Mobile
Prey

Each goes about it in different ways. Phoning Pigeon probably has the lightest touch. You pre-define one or more phone numbers with the app. Then, if the phone receives two consecutive calls from one of those numbers, it will turn the ringer on at maximum volume.
Where's My Droid is similar, but you send an SMS message with specific text.
The Lookout siren is very loud; you'd have no trouble finding it. The app has several other functions as well, including virus scanning and backing up your data.
Prey is similar to Lookout's tracking and probably wouldn't be as useful for finding a misplaced phone in your house; it's more for tracking a phone that has been taken. It might work for you, though, and there's no risk in checking it out.

+1 for Lookout - it does quite a bit more than just allow you to find your phone.

Use the Phone function of your wife's phone, to, erm , phone it.

Not much help when the phone is on vibrate.

Lookout is free and works well.

Why the down vote?

I expect because Lookout was already mentioned in a previous answer.

If you've lost the phone before you remembered to install one of the mentioned apps, you have one more option: Plan B (from the same people who developed Lookout).
Basically you install it after the phone goes missing and trigger it via text message.

PlanB is showing only support for Android 2.0 - 2.3. Sure would be nice if support was broader, excellent idea though.

The best  simple, official app to locate your lost phone is Android Device Manager. You can register as many phones as you want with it.

I use wheresmycellphone.com, rather than downloading an app. Works great!

How is that different than just calling it from a different phone?

And how do I know that this site isn't just for harvesting cell phone numbers?

And what if your cell phone is just in "silent mode"? Nothing will ring then. No sound is played. It might not even vibrate.


text:
Is it possible to export my Google Listen Status?
I am playing with the idea of switching from a rooted stock Froyo ROM on my Droid to a Cyanogen ROM, and one of the things that is holding me back is the Google Listen status.
I want to be able to preserve the contents of my queue, and, if possible, the last stopped point on any episodes in the queue.  It would also be great if I didn't have to re-download all of the episodes in my queue (I prefer to download them in advance, when I am on wifi, rather than stream them).  If I have to re-download, that isn't a big deal, but it would be nice if I could skip this.
Is this possible?  This seems to be the only thing that does not live in the cloud (at least that affects me).

How about exporting to a different podcatcher?

I would suggest using a utility such as TitaniumBackup to completely back-up all your applications and your data. It will be stored on your SD card so that you can restore them all after you've installed your new ROM, and you wouldn't even notice that it was gone.

+1 Titanium is the way to go if you are rooted and switching from stock to custom rom (or to another custom rom)

This looks like exactly what I have been looking for. Titanium backup, where have you been all my life?

This is actually one of the few apps I've paid for the donate version. It's really nice to be able to just set it to back-up right before I switch to a new ROM.

Titanium Backup is a great app. I will upvote this answer. Too bad it doesn't do what I really want, which is to transfer the queue to another podcast program (like BeyondPod) now that Google Listen is probably never going to be updated again.


text:
Stream Sound from Ubuntu to Android
I got tired of replugging my headset between a desktop and Android when someone calls me. Is there a way to stream sound from Ubuntu (I use Pulseaudio) to Android phone over wifi or usb?

i found this but not sure how to make it work together http://www.damonkohler.com/2009/01/rhythmbox-shout2send-plugin.html

and there is a way to use vlc http://traveldevel.com/ but it gives an error "too many errors" when i try to stream over http. there is also this one which i will try later http://www.reddit.com/r/Android/related/d0hr0/howto_live_streaming_videoaudio_from_vlc_to_your/

I'd get a bluetooth dongle and send phone audio to your pc (in a snap) :)

There's a very similar question on superuser, with multiple answers:
https://superuser.com/questions/605445/how-to-stream-my-gnu-linux-audio-output-to-android-devices-over-wi-fi

Ubuntu has built Ubuntu One Mobile for that very purpose. The service is free to try for one month, then $3.99/month (or $39.99 yearly). It's worth mentioning that the paid account gives you 25GB of storage and unlimited streaming for devices running Android 2.1+, iOS 3.1+ as well as Windows XP, Vista and 7 (and there are rates for additional storage).
(For those who do not wish to stream music, Ubuntu One provides 5GB of cloud storage for free.)

ubuntu one is no more...

Yes! There is an app called Remote Audio which tunnels your computer's audio output over either SSH or 1 or 2 other protocols. I just installed it and haven't set it up yet, but I plan on using it alongside a remote VNC connection to my desktop at home so I can use Energy XT remotely to sequence song ideas from wherever in the world I happen to be. =)
I'm sure the Ubuntu thing works awesome for music, and probably involves a simpler set-up, but this will stream ANY sound your computer makes, and it's free (and works with any *nix system). The Rhythembox thing you posted about would work awesome too, but you need to set up an Icecast media streaming server first.

Do you have a link for the app? I can't find it.

I use the old Winamp Shoutcast streaming server tools. Then use one of the apps that play Shoutcast stations. Winamp (official app, but Shoutcast streaming still in development as of 11/8/2010) or XiiaLive (AppBrain link).

Have you thought of an UPnP AV approach? The protocol allows streaming of media between various devices in the same network (e.g. Wifi). There is a large variety of servers and clients for all the OSes.
For example, MediaTomb is a well-known media server also available for Ubuntu. For playback on the phone you could use allShare, which comes preinstalled on some phones, or a free client like BubbleUPNP or Skifta.

+1 MediaTomb also streams video's to you Android device.

You can install airbubble on your android, which works as a speaker using apple's AirPlay (DAAP) protocol.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bubblesoft.android.airbubble
Pulseaudio can be configured to stream to any AirPlay receiver - check this answer for details on setting that up:
https://superuser.com/questions/331126/how-can-you-stream-music-from-ubuntu-to-airplay-speakers-on-your-network-with-ub
With airbubble running, it should show up as a speaker option in the ubuntu sound menu.

nope airbubble is not showing up

Check out subsonic. www.subsonic.org
It has its own app in the market and should play nice with phone calls.
Takes about 2 seconds to setup on an internal only network and 3 min to access it from anywhere.


text:
Swype Private Beta for HTC Desire
I read here that you can email the Swype developers to ask for an invite for the private beta of Swype on the HTC Desire, and you may or may not get an invite. I'd like to try it out as it looks pretty neat.

Is the private beta still running?
Is there some official announcement that describes how to register for the private beta?
What email should I write to and what should I write to increase my chances of an invite?

what does "for HTC Desire" and the tag "htc-desire" have to do with the swype beta? it's hardware agnostic: "The beta is open to all phones using Android which DO NOT already have Swype pre-installed by the phone manufacturer / carrier." per http://beta.swype.com/android/agreement/

Answering your questions:

The beta is still running
http://beta.swype.com/
The beta is currently closed

Thanks. I'll try the "Register" link and see what happens. If nothing else, hopefully I'll at least get a mail as soon as the product goes on the market.

@Mark I got in on it the very first go they had a beta.  I think they've only opened it up once since then.  The only other way to get it is to either purchase a phone that has it.  I've been hearing good things about UltraKeyboard as an alternative, haven't tried it myself.

I just got an email from SwypeInc saying that they have activated my Beta account. :-)

Beta must have reopened, because I set up an account and got the installer last week.

There are apk's out there.  I use it on my Desire and it is a great keyboard alternative.

Is that legal to do that?


text:
Can a Dream's camera really zoom from the camera app?
I upgraded my HTC Dream to CM6.1, and the camera app now has a zoom option.  Is this a real zoom, or just a digital blow-up of the image?  I'm guessing the latter.

see also: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/2650/in-camera-apps-is-zoom-a-digital-zoom-or-an-optical-zoom/

There is no mention of physical zoom on the HTC Dream specification page. (To my knowledge no Android camera has that.)


text:
How can I connect to a number with a conference-call code via Google Voice?
I have a phone number for a conference-call service. Under ordinary use, I call the number, and when the automated system answers, I enter a 10-digit code for the conference I wish to join, and then press #. I have the number assigned to a contact like this: 800-555-1234,1234567890#.
When I call that contact without Google Voice enabled (either "do not use Google Voice to make any calls" or "ask every time I make a call" and then answer no), it connects fine, but when I enable GV for outgoing calls, a dialog box appears saying "Google Voice could not connect," and it gives me options of retrying with GV or to call without GV. Retrying fails in the same manner, and the latter choice allows the call to connect, but it waits for me to enter the conference code myself. It's as though GV isn't providing the conference code.
As a workaround, I can use Voice Plus; I have it set to use GV for all contacts except for those in the "No Google Voice" group, which includes the conference contact. I'd prefer not to have to do that, though, because I'd like my conference calls to show up in my GV call history, and I'd also like as few exceptions as possible to my dialing rules.
How can I get my phone to call the number through Google Voice and enter the conference code automatically?

Evidently, the Google Voice app doesn't support conference codes or other extensions. (At least not yet.)
To call an extended number through the Google Voice service, dial as though the GV app weren't installed, or as if you were calling from something other than a smartphone:

Dial your own Google Voice phone number.
If voicemail access isn't enabled for the number you're calling from, press * to access the GV menu.
Enter your PIN, if required.
Press 2 (to tell the GV service you wish to place a call).
Enter the conference phone number, and press #. GV will connect you.
Proceed as normal for calling the desired number (i.e., enter the extension, the conference-room number, the passcode, etc.).

So, the contact is programmed with a number like this: 612-555-4321,[PIN,]2,800-555-1234#,,1234567890#. (As I understand it, this is a limited application of the process Flex Dialer uses.)
If you have the GV app installed, then use another app like Voice Plus or Voice Choice to exclude this contact from GV. (This is a consolation to what was originally asked for, which requested fewer exceptions to the phone's GV dialing rules. Shouldn't be a big problem, though.)
If you have your GV number associated with a contact for yourself or your voice mail, then that's the contact that will appear in your phone's call history. However, the "real" contact will show in your Google Voice call history.

Good job finding that.

In a Google Voice support thread, some people are indicating that 'p' in the phone number field will add a 1 second pause. However, someone else (in the "accepted answer") says that Google Voice doesn't currently support pause or wait characters.
I don't think Android will let you put numbers in a phone number field, but it might be worth a try.
On a slightly different tack, have you tried a semi-colon instead of a comma?

Thanks. Android offers a "pause" button on the *#( page of the keypad; it enters a comma in the phone-number field. There's no way to enter a semicolon or a p on my phone, but Google Contacts on the Web will let me enter whatever text I want, and the phone will sync to it. (Semicolon failed the same as comma; P made GV think it was making an international call, and then failed.) This led me to some more ideas on how to get what I want; see my answer.


text:
App Installation Fails Every Time
My wife uses a Droid (first gen) running v2.2, and in the past month or so she can no longer download or update apps from the Market. We've tried rebooting the phone without any luck. The phone has internal storage available, so I don't believe that's an issue. Please help!

It would be helpful to know specifically is happening when she tries to dl or update an app. Does she get an error? Does it start and get stuck? Does nothing happen?

The phone can download the app just fine. It's always the installation that fails.

Maybe you also want to check the "Linked" section to the right? There are some matching Q&As like http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/682/android-an-app-failed-to-download-install-what-do-i-do / http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/15932/package-install-via-market-sometimes-fails-and-gives-seemingly-random-error-mess

If she is rooted, try the following here.
Otherwise, does long pressing on the download --> cancel, then re-starting the install work?

I don't know what you mean by "long pressing on the download --> cancel" mean. (I'm not very familiar with Android, sorry).

Go to the Android market.  Go to the downloads screen.  Does it show that they are simply "downloading"?  If so, long press on on the item it is stuck on "downloading", then select cancel from the modal popup.  Then you can try to re-start the download.

Related: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/1518/dropbox-always-downloading-on-htc-incredible/1519#1519

As I stated above, the phone can download the app just fine. It always errors when it tries to install it ("Installation unsuccessful).

Go through the app install process again.  When you click install/download it'll kick you back to the download screen.  Click on the app name again (while it is downloading and installing).  At the top of the screen it should list the install error code when it fails.  Please report back what the error code is.

When I install an app from the "Market" app, it doesn't take me to the download screen. It kicks me back to the home screen. I only know it's downloading/installing/failing via the notification area.
If I go back to the Market app and go to the download screen, when I click on the app, it pops open a menu that gives me two options: View Details or Cancel Download. View Details just takes me back to the Market page for the app.

@RHPT At the top of that screen, when the install fails, it should provide an error code right there.  If not, I'm not sure what else to suggest

I managed to successfully install aLog. Here's the log file with the error code highlighted: http://pastebin.com/c7H2rf5v

It looks like you're trying to install Angry Birds.  Do you have sufficient free space on your phone?

It's not just Angry Birds though. The phone has plenty of space. Here's another log when some apps installed OK, while others failed. http://pastebin.com/mcE58K6Z

It might be because those apps are trying to default install to the SD card.  See this XDA post: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=753437  It does indeed look like the install failure is the same as mine.  "Unknown reason -18"

I've also found the need to Cancel the download, then restart the phone, then start the install again. In some cases, I had to uninstall the app and then reinstall to fix the problem.

If all else fails do a factory reset: http://www.ehow.com/i/#article_5634169


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Connect Android phone to wifly board
My team and i are trying to connect an android phone to a wifly board. We are having trouble getting this to connect. Can anyone verify certain phones that do not support this or do support this functionality and what we must do to be able to perform this connection? We have tried a few things and still not working. Please assist! Any help or suggestions are greatly appreciated. If you need further information let me know.
Thanks in Advance!

I am currently researching for a solution. Once found, i will post here.

I am currently looking into barnacle. This application requires rooting and will allow this type of connection. If this solves our problem i am going to take the parts out of barnacle that i need and use them in my application. I will update this question as we come closer to our solution.

I do not have rep to comment, is wifly a serial interface?
Second, this is a good place to ask that, I understood they were inviting developers here.
 Extra, after comment reply
As far as I have found there is no ability for serial from the android phones.
I have found sources where people mod the OS to support USB on the Go. Then you can be a USB host, which would suffice for me as usb to serial adapters are relatively easy to come by.
I am new to android and spend most my time on the Electronics and Robotics SO site, but I was interested in this feature.
 And More!
From prolink007

Google is looking into adding this
  feature in a firmware release. For the
  time being we are just looking into
  rooting the phone and adding the
  feature that way. Our goal is to not
  have to root a phone for this feature
  to be enabled. If we can figure a way
  around this i will post here as soon
  as possible. I will keep this updated
  as we progress.

Yes, it is a serial adapter.

That is what I remembered.

extra info added.

Well it is a wireless serial adapter. I am not sure that the usb host would be a solution to our problem, unless i am misunderstanding your suggestion.

you could use a simple FT232 chip to convert USB to serial. You would see a com port on the phone with drivers. This is very clean.

On that note, android serial connection would make my life very very easy, so if you find an existing method I will look forward to your information!

Google is looking into adding this feature in a firmware release. For the time being we are just looking into rooting the phone and adding the feature that way. Our goal is to not have to root a phone for this feature to be enabled. If we can figure a way around this i will post here as soon as possible. I will keep this updated as we progress.

http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=82  That is the link to the source for this information.

XDA forums may be the best place to ask for this sort of help.

lol, this is the second time that i have been redirected to another forum. Thanks, i will post it there soon, also.

@prolink007: I don't just want to redirect, but XDA is where the homies who deal with custom roms and possibly hardware hang out. Just looking for the most bang-for-your-buck question area :)


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How do you transfer a programs database to another device
I am using the Book Catalog program to scan and enter my collection of books.
This program provides an export/backup and import feature, so I can transfer the entered data onto another device.
But I am wondering now: programs can create databases on one device. Can you transfer these database onto another device ?
More specific, could I buy another Samsung Galaxy (or any other Android powered device) and transfer the database onto it for use with the same program (without the export/import feature ) ?

This only applies if you have root access, as Bryan already pointed out in the comments.
I would suggest using a utility such as TitaniumBackup to completely back-up all your applications and your data. It will be stored on your SD card so that you can transfer its files to another device and restore the backups on there.

Note that TitaniumBackup requires root (to backup application data).

@Bryan You're right, I tend to forget my phone is rooted.

@Bryan Denny: I don't know what rooted means or how to do it, although I have a very good idea of it and I'm sure this site will have some answers on how to root your phone. I am a developer, but since I'm learning Android (and it's development just now), I'm a little hesitant to give myself to many priviliges just yet. I know what one can do to a device if you do not have the knowledge to do ik correct.


text:
Can I use my ipod touch as a wireless camera over bluetooth or wifi and watch it on my droid x?
Just like the title says. I need something to work like a wireless spy camera.

Fun idea. Good luck making it work...

The iStuff part of this question is offtopic, voted to close.

I think there is a Ustream live video broadcasting / viewing app for Android & iOS, though this would broadcast over the internets rather than directly over bluetooth or wifi.
The Qik app might also be an option.


text:
In camera apps, is "zoom" a digital zoom, or an optical zoom?
In some camera apps (native camera app in 2.2, Camera 360), "zoom" zooms in on the image -- filling the entire screen with a closer-in view of what you're shooting. In at least one app (Vignette [see below]) "zoom" shrinks the picture down. The latter behavior -- along with surely-lacking mechanical lens focus mechanism -- suggests that all of these zooms are purely digital, and not optical.

See Also:
Can a Dream's camera really zoom from the camera app? [device-specific question]

Keep in mind that even a digital zoom is still "legit" and useful if the camera resolution is higher than the output resolution.  Cropping to the area of interest and outputting the same image size still provides greater resolution in the area of interest.

More often than not, Digital. Consider:

How in the world would the motor for moving a lens fit in a phone case? For that matter, where would the find the room to have variable focal length?
Would the manufacturers really put such a battery-drainer in the unit? How much more expensive would it be, too?
Should somebody actually come up with a phone with optical zoom, it would be a big deal and a huge marketing gimmick. ("The only phone camera with optical zoom!") I haven't seen any. Have you?

That's not to say that someday someone won't make hasn't made such a phone. There sure aren't any right now. Unless they make a big deal about the camera zoom, you can assume it's digital.

There are at least two Android phones with optical zooms: http://stackoverflow.com/q/18856127/112705

Al Everett has suggested that "no Android camera has [optical zoom]", but the 14-Megapixel Altek Leo Android seems to have 3x optical zoom "(not digital like other cellphones)."
The Altek Leo won't be available until at least 2011, though.

And, as I suspected, it's a big marketing bullet point for them. I'll adjust my answer.

The best way to tell if it is digital or optical:  Do the pixels look blown up (and therefore blurry)?

But if the camera's resolution is higher than the output image resolution, it won't look blown up.

You can still get crappy lenses and CCDs and weird software algorithms that leave weird artifacts, making it difficult to tell. Plus, I hate to look at (side)effects, when the specs should available somewhere. Not that that does not provide an answer.

Well, technically, a digital zoom is  just a cropping of the image.  It only gets blurry if you stretch the digital zoom to match the size of the original image.

Um there is a way to tell if the phone has a optical lense... Actually 2 ways.

When zooming in, is there a motor sound coming from the phone?
When zooming in, does the camera lens look different (duh, it zoomed so it should look different when looking directly into the camera).

99% chance that the answer is NO.


text:
Can I get Skype on my HTC Wildfire in 3?
I recently got HTC Wildfire from 3. On the webpage & in shop they told me that I will be able to do Skype talks. After doing some research I found out that:

HTC Wildfire is not officilly supported
Some claims that installing the Skype from apk just works

Hence I have following questions:

Is it legal to install Skype in such way (according to UK or English law)? On one hand it is advertised feature of phone (or at least it looks like it is) on the other hand Skype is propertary.
Which apk files I need?

Could someone create & add htc-wildfire tag?

What do you mean by "3"?

@EricSchaefer: http://www.three.co.uk/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hutchison_3G

HTC wildfire is supported by 3.  You need to go to favoured on 3 website and choose Skype. Then it begins to download.

Where's the site link ?

Don't install any random Skype APK that you find on the web as it will charge for calls.  You MUST install the APK from the Three website to not be charged.
AS an aside, who told you that Three do not support the Wildfire?  They have massive sales of Wildfires on Three and they ARE officially supported by the network.
It is completely legal to install an APK of Skpye from Skpye's website but why would you when the APK that Three provide ensures that your Skype calls on Three are not charged?
Try this link - !!!WARNING, this will only work on UK Three Android handsets!!!

Thanks. Sorry I'm asking but "Skype calls on Three are not charged" - do you mean that Skype calls does not count into my data limit (I assumed free Skype-to-Skype as marketspeak - i.e. stating that calls from Skype to Skype are free)?

@Maciej: Skype calls to Skype or any other destination (land-line, mobile) are charged by Skype except on Three Skype-to-Skype calls are free but ONLY with the Three provided Skype client.  They do not count towards your data limit (except in-app presence queries) as the calls themselves are routed through a special number to avoid clogging the 3G network.  This is why you need that particular client and NOT the generic Skype one.

@Toad: Ok. Sorry for the last clarification - does calls to land-line or mobile from Skype client count towards data limit?

No calls over Skype cut into your data limit if you have the correct client, whether Skype-to-Skype or Skype-to-landline/mobile.  However, Skype WILL charge you for calls that are Skype-to-landline/mobile (which is charged directly by Skype, not Three)

You need the 3 version of Skype, which surely is supported on the Wildfire version of Android supplied by 3. If you don't use 3's version of Skype you won't get free Skype calls via the 3 mobile network - your calls will subtract from your monthly data allowance.


text:
Where's the best place to report bugs with the GMail app?
I want to report a bug / RFE with the official GMail app, but I'm finding it hard to find the right place to do this - all the forums / discussion groups I've found so far seem to be moribund (eg not much activity since 2008).
What's the recommended place?

As per this comment, the place for bug reports seems to be via the About -> Send Feedback link within the GMail app - this links to this survey page:
http://www.google.com/m/survey/mail_ca

The official issue database for bugs/features/etc. of the Android OS can be found here.

Hmm, I found someone had already reported the issue I'd found, but someone said that's the wrong place: http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=12373

As per the comment in the thread the GMail App isn't part of the Android OS project.


text:
Associate android actions (at least turn sound on/off) with calendar
Is there an app for associating events with time. For example:

If it is during event in specific callendars (say Meetings) the profile is turned to vibrate
Otherwise switch to normal profile

I looked on Tasker and it looks nice but possibly it is something free or cheaper.

Tasker or Locale are going to be your best bets.

I wasn't able to find a free solution so I am doing exactly what you're looking for with Tasker.  When my work calendar shows me in a meeting it turns the ringer to vibrate.

locale  The best by far.  Well worth the $.  Nothing else is a question.

Here's a few...
Free:

SoundManager
Silencr

Paid:

AudioManager Pro $1.99
Volume / Mode Scheduler $2.99

Edit: Just realized you may have been looking for something more robust than just a sound profile manager/scheduler.  Chronos ($0.99) and Chronos Lite (Free) appear to do similar things to Tasker and are much cheaper but they don't have the best reviews.  I haven't used them but they may be worth a shot.  (My 2 cents: Just get Tasker)


text:
How can I use the volume buttons for skipping songs?
Is there a way to use the volume buttons to change songs on the Nexus One?

When the lock-screen is enabled, Android disallows apps to interact with buttons in the way you ask. However, though it's not an app, but I believe CyanogenMod ROM allows for this. And if that's the case, there will be other ROMs out there that allow for the same.


text:
Make phone wake up using the volume keys?
Is it possible to make the phone (N1) wake up some other way than using the power button without rooting the device?

Unfortunately I do not believe this is possible. No app can interact with the phone once the phone has been locked / put into standby mode... therefore without installing a custom ROM (which has modified the code allowing other buttons to unlock / wake up the phone) this is not possible.

I have bought a Nexus 4 and now use KitKat OS. Is this possible on it?


text:
How can I collect repeated contact entries under one call log entry?
I'm running Cyanogen 5.0.8 and previously had stock 1.2 before this. On both releases I'd like is to be able to able to collect repeated call log entries in only one single entry reflecting last activity, whether it is "received", "missed", or "dialed". When the entry is to be tapped all activities related to the contact would be shown.
Is any one familiar with such feature and how can I achieve it on my phone?

This feature is available on CM6.  Is it possible for you to upgrade?

It is possible of course. But I don't want to. But thanks, I didn't know that.

Yeah, CM6 will group your call log together of repeated calls in a row into one entry that you can expand.  I believe it is a Android 2.2 feature.

CyanogenMod 6 does this feature because it is native to Android 2.2.  See this CyanogenMod issue report for more details.

I just installed CM6 on my Dream. It is pretty amazing. It has that feature and many more. More important, it is a lot smother on my phone than CM5.0.8.
Upgrade process went smoothly with pre-installed apps intact and no change to my settings.

6.1 will be out soon :)  They usually recommend a wipe and reload for upgrades, so if you encounter any problems with CM6, I'd try that first.  You can backup all apps and their data with Titanium backup.


text:
Say caller name feature
I am missing that feature from Nokia devices, Is there a chance to make my Xperia X10 say callers name when I have incoming call

The application SayMyName Dessert does this quite well.


text:
In camera apps, if zoom is digital, how is (auto) focus achieved?
In almost all Android devices, zoom is digital -- there just isn't a mechanism for changing the length of the barrel and gathering more info.
So how is focus achieved?
If you're not physically changing the lens properties, or extending the barrel length, you've only got dilation of the aperture as the last focus method. Which is mechanical. Unless you've got a fixed focus system -- which most android phones do not seem to have.
The android-spec for the autoFocus() method isn't much help - although it says it must be supported by the hardware, although most phones seem to have it.
So if it is hardware -- how? I'm not hearing any little motors whirring around in there.... And is there really even any room for a mechanism in these things?
See Also:

Android.SE: In camera apps, is “zoom” a digital zoom, or an optical zoom?
Understanding camera AutoFocus
Wikipedia:Autofocus

Sorry I know this question is almost 10 years old but I can't find many relevant discussions regarding this topic. Your link says that camera apps almost always use digital zoom, but the answer you selected says there is a mechanical zoom, which you seem to agree with based on your comment. I still find this very hard to believe that a mechanical zoom would be present inside a phone case. Was that for a specific device? Or do phones actually come with mechanical zoom?

The phone I had at the time I claimed to hear the auto-focus is long gone. Based on some other reading - https://photo.stackexchange.com/questions/31227/how-does-focus-work-on-mobile-phone-cameras - it appears that some phones have a mechanically controlled APERTURE. https://www.androidcentral.com/understanding-aperture-and-why-it-matters

Ah, here's some more that claims that most phones TODAY have mechanical focus on the rear-facing camera: https://www.giffgaff.com/blog/how-does-auto-focus-work-on-your-smartphone/

The focus function is achieved by moving the lens back or forth so it is actually a mechanical thing.
You can try it yourself. Download ZXings Barcode Scanner and fire it up. You'll hear a click every time it tries to refocus you can also see the lens moving back and forth.

Loooong delay prior to accept. I just didn't hear the auto-focus sound until recently.

Often there is no focus at all. These cameras often make up for a complete lack of focus by having a large depth of field, which is exactly what is done with those "disposable" film cameras.
Digital zoom is a simple scaling of the input image, so there's no need to adjust zoom when digital zoom is applied, for the same reason there's no need to apply focus when scaling an image in photoshop. Focus is only needed for optical zooms because optical zoom changes the focal length of the camera.

My Incredible has digital zom, but it also has (Auto) focus. I know it's not wide depth of field, because whatever is out-of-focus is variable.

Digital zom? Does your Android have digital zom? nope!

@Michael: I can't afford an Android, so I have absolutely no idea. You'll notice that nothing in my answer is inherently android specific -- I'm just generalizing from cell phone cameras I've seen that don't actually have hardware (optical) zooms. If your camera has optical zoom, then it would need some kind of focus. Otherwise there's no reason it couldn't get away with the high depth-of-field trick used in the "instamatic" cameras which don't have focus hardware at all. This is why I used the word "often" above -- I don't have specific hardware to play with.

And what I said about digital zooms is true -- there's no change in focus required on a digital zoom. I have no idea whether or not android as a system uses digital zoom or not.

Sorry, I was riffing on my mis-spelling; Most androids [as of late 2010] do have auto-focus instead of fixed focus, so I went w/ @Octavian's answer


text:
If I set up a VPN, does *everything* go over it?
If I set up a VPN connection for Android, what gets routed over the VPN?  Just web browsing?  All internet connections from all apps?
In Cyanogenmod, in the Add OpenVPN config, "Advanced" settings, there is an option for "Redirect gateway - Force all traffic to berouted thru the VPN tunnel", which is off by default.
With this off, which apps/communications get routed through it?
The other VPN types do not have this option.  Do they work this way or not?
After setting up a VPN, how can I verify that it's working?

The setting that you're talking about is in effect the --redirect-gateway option of OpenVPN and is documented on the OpenVPN man page

--redirect-gateway
Automatically execute routing commands to cause all outgoing IP traffic to be redirected over the VPN.

This option performs three steps:

Create a static route for the --remote address which forwards to the pre-existing default gateway. This is done so that (3) will not create a routing loop.
Delete the default gateway route.
Set the new default gateway to be the VPN endpoint address (derived either from --route-gateway or the second parameter to --ifconfig when --dev tun is specified).

When the tunnel is torn down, all of the above steps are reversed so that the original default route is restored.

The routing of all network connections occurs at the system level. Only apps that have the ability to modify the routing table of the device to use a different gateway than the default can bypass the VPN. Theoretically any app with SuperUser access could do this.

Typically, yes.
You're creating a private network -- you want to route stuff through the network. It's private.
If only the browser applications were routing through the private network -- some other app could be sniffing activity, and sending it through the other connection. Goodbye, private!
See Also:

http://www.howstuffworks.com/vpn.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_private_network

Yes, that's what it should do.  I'm asking what it does do, in the specific context of an Android device.

I haven't found any information saying that any Android VPN implementations are not really VPN implementations -- that they are, indeed, private, virtual networks in the commonly accepted understanding of the term. There is no evidence to suggest otherwise.

No evidence until someone finds some ;) I think the question is, based on the way VPNs are coded in Android is there a way for a rouge (or poorly coded) app to miss/bypass/ignore the VPN & connect through the standard connection? I'm not dev but an example in laymen's terms would be a VPN app that tells Android that all connections should go through it, but a poorly coded app may not even ask Android where to route network traffic & assume it should go about biz as usual. On the other hand if the VPN takes over the connection management entirely I'd feel more comfortable that it'll work.

There's a comment on http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/8904/how-do-i-set-up-a-vpn-from-my-android-2-3-device-to-my-home-ubuntu-desktop that says that web browsing does not go through the VPN.

If I set up a VPN, does everything go over it?

No, e.g. if one tethers one's Internet connection on the Android phone that is connected to the VPN server, by default the connections going through tethering won't go through the VPN.


text:
Converting phone to SIP gateway
Is there a way to use my phone as a SIP GSM gateway, so I can make and receive cellular calls using a SIP phone and/or re-route them through a SIP PBX?

Possibly related: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/1265/best-sip-application

@Al Everett: The question you linked is about turning your phone into a SIP softphone. I am trying to figure out how to serve SIP, not for another client.

Which is why I wrote "possibly".

@Al Everett: Understood. Yet it would be nice SIPdroid to support that!

asterisk+bluetooth dongle on server, and chan_celliax or chan_mobile.

Not possible until we have source code of mobile device drivers responsible for radio communication, You can read a related article which describe that Why it is not possible to use phone as sip to gsm gateway.
according that article

Third hurdle to make Android work as a GSM Gateway is that vendor RIL
  is not open source. Every vendor has their own library of RIL that
  communicates with Radio Daemon (rild).

No.
At the moment, that is not available. Potentially you could port a linux application for this to your Android phone, easier if it's a CLI application, but as it stands at the moment there is no application that can do what you ask.

Leaving question open, because if I ask it again in the future, when an application like this exists, it might be considered as duplicate to this and get deleted.

This would seem to require device in which the in-call audio can be sourced/obtained by an application.  On the typical android phone architecture, in call audio is handled by the radio co-processor, entirely out of reach of anything running under linux/android - the same reason why you can't really record calls.
If you got a rooted phone with (or hackable for) USB host support and found a usb audio dongle with linux drivers you could theoretically loop around and plug that into the phone's headset jack... but wouldn't it be simpler just to buy SIP gateway service from someone?

And in the case of Samsung where the radio processor is simply the dsp?


text:
HTC Desire: why not to root and install Froyo (no-porting)?
I've bought an HTC Desire a quite ago and, since now, works fine for me (except for this).
Now I'm waiting for Android 2.3, or 3.0, or whatever, and I'm thinking: is it possible to install the original Android ROM on my Desire instead of HTC porting?
This will make spare me a lot of time in waiting HTC porting.
My only doubt is if all functionality stay the same. (except for Sense and similar HTC proprietary software).

There are many ROMs available for the Desire based on stock Android / the open souce project. I currently run Cyanogen's ROM on my Desire, but I have also used OpenDesire and many others.
Take a look on the XDA forums.
There is no 'Official' stock ROM for the Desire, because no one is selling in without the HTC ROM, but OpenDesire is as close to the open source project as you are likely to get, where as Cyanogen's ROM is more feature packed!
You will of course need to root your phone to install custom ROMs. This is easily done on the Desire using Unrevoked.

Most HTC phones generally have very nice alternative ROMS, definitely worth a shot