text:
Bluetooth: A2DP stopped working
From one day to another it seems that A2DP stopped working for me. I used it to stream music from my phone to my car's stereo. Everything worked fine until yesterday. I didn't install or upgrade any software as far as I remember. What happens now is that everything seem to work but I don't hear anything. The media player on the phone is running. When I adjust the volume on the phone I see the popping out slider showing 'bluetooth media volume'. Also I can skip tracks using my car's buttons (AVRCP profile) and display track information in my car's display (ACRCP 1.3 supported by Samsung media player on Galaxy SII). I can use the phone, too (handsfree profile), here I can hear everything.
I think its a matter with the phone and not with the car since I tried another phone, that works as expected. Unfortunately I don't have another A2DP headset or similar to try with my phone.
A already tried to delete the pairing and pair new but it didn't help. Ideas anybody? I use a Galaxy SII running 2.3.4.
One more thing I should mention: I don't think that this is the reason but I had an issue with my phone's micro USB port the same day. It was always saying it's getting charged via USB but it wasn't. Also car mode switched on and off sometimes without user interaction. So I removed the battery, tried to clean the micro USB port by blowing in it, waited some hours and after that everything's fine again. But as I said, I don't think that this is related since there's no reason why a defect micro USB port (and it doesn't seem to be defect though) should stop A2DP working.
Update: Found this similar problem and will try unpair, remove battery and pair again as suggested tomorrow. Will give an update here.

Finally I found the solution: When in car mode (automatically toggled using Llama when my car connects via Bluetooth), I use Car Dock Home v3 as home replacement. Inside it's preferences in the "Car Mode System Settings" there's an option called "Samsung USB Mount Au..." (can't read the complete entry). I had already forgotten that I checked this option since I wanted to know what it does. Now I know that it mutes A2DP ;) No Idea what it should do but fortunately now I have sound again.

Had a similar issue between Nexus S and 2012 Kia Sportage. Worked fine for about a week, then audio streaming just stopped. Connection was still good, could make and receive calls. Tried a number of things like cycling the BT on/off, disconnecting/reconnecting, renaming the phone, etc. Brought it to dealer but was told the problem was with the phone since they were able to stream using an iPhone. In the end, a soft reset (power off/on) fixed it.


text:
Is there a way to allow certain numbers to be called from a locked phone?
When I got my first cell phone I was told to put a "In case of an emergency call  XXX" at the top of my list of phone numbers.  While I haven't ever benefited directly from that, I have benefited from similar emergency preparedness advice.  My old phone finally made the trip to electronics heaven (RIP dear RAZR) and I moved over to a Verizon Android phone (Samsung Stratosphere - with Gingerbread 2.3.5). I really like that I can "lock" this phone to prevent someone else from using it in malicious ways, but I would really like a method for someone to be able to determine who my emergency contacts are, and ideally contact those people, if I'm ever incapacitated.
When I saw the "Emergency Call" button I thought that might be the functionality I was looking for, but it isn't - ( What is an "Emergency Call," and can I  set number for it? )
Is there any way to have two or three people and their contact info accessible without unlocking the phone?
Clarifying edit: Maybe I'm being picky, but I'd also like to have my emergency contacts actually able to be contacted, i.e., someone could pick up my phone - without knowing the lock code - and actually be able to call my emergency contacts.

I'd still go with ID and maybe a card with contacts on it in your wallet ;)

Matthew's comment seems most practical ...
But you can try Contact Owner; that displays info for one contact on your lock screen.   I use it; it works fine.

There are quite many ICE (In Case of Emergency) apps on the market; these apps displays your contact information in your lock screen.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
What are the steps for rooting an Android device, in general?
I'm aware that for different devices the particular procedures are different, but I guess there are principal similarities in the procedure.
So what are the basic steps to root your phone? What actually happens behind the scene, when someone follows any of the rooting guides available?
What is the magic that gives you root privileges to your phone? How are the user privileges handled afterwards?

There are a few parts to the process:

Unlocking or bypassing any bootloader protection, allowing the system partition to be written
Installing the relevant binaries to acquire root.

Both of these stages can vary from phone to phone, but here are a few examples:
Unlocking the bootloader
On many OEM phones, this traditionally involves exploiting a vulnerability in part of the system in order to rewrite certain partitions. Sometimes it will mean flashing a new bootloader, a new recovery (this is becoming common) or temporarily booting from an image over USB, in order to gain recovery access to the system partiton.
On the Nexus range of phones, and the development phones that were released by Google, it is as simple as running "fastboot oem unlock", though this will wipe the phone. Also, bowing to pressure from the development community, many manufacturers now offer an official route to unlocking the bootloader.
Installing the root binaries.
Once the system partition has been cracked then the rest is fairly straight-forward. It basically means installing the 'su' binary (this escalates to super user permissions), and an apk which provides an Android front end to 'su', and prompts the user when an app is requesting root permission.
There are several approaches to this second stage. The most common has been to use a pre-rooted ROM provided by the community. There is often a choice, from the stock ROM provided by the manufacturer and then tinkered with to add the binaries, through to a whole range of AOSP (Android Open Source Project) ROMs, such as CyanogenMod (one which I contribute to).
There are some other methods. For example, some phones (eg Galaxy Nexus) can use a "superboot" bootloader, which tinkers with your existing ROM as bard of the boot process. It is flashed to your phone using the fastboot program.
Typically there will be a single favoured approach for any particular phone.

A lot of of the time rooting is done in-place and requires exploiting a hole in the OS.  Throwing in the binaries isn't enough.  That's the meat of the process IMO, otherwise rooting would always be dead easy if you had an unlocked/unlockable bootloader.

It's pretty simple:

Unlock the bootloader;
Install a custom recovery that doesn't check if the ZIP is an official update;
Install the relevant binaries, usually with SuperSU.

The actual steps to do those may vary from device to device.
Unlocking the bootloader
This is required so the system partition can be written on.
On some devices like Samsung and LG, there's a Download mode, where you can use Odin to flash something (in this case, a custom recovery) without having to unlock the bootloader.
Other devices don't have a Download mode, but some have an official way, like Nexus and Moto. They generally use the fastboot oem unlock fastboot command.
In the case of Moto phones, it's required to get a key for your device on the official Motorola website, which will then be used on the unlock command.
WARNING: That command will wipe the phone if done on a Nexus!
Some devices don't have either a Download mode or an official method. In this case, it's required to use an exploit.
Installing a custom recovery
On devices where there is a Download mode, you could skip the previous step.
 1. Download Odin and any custom recovery;
 2. Enter Download mode;
 3. Install it.
On devices where there isn't:
 1. Download the recovery .img;
 2. Enter fastboot mode;
 2. Flash it.
WARNING: The recovery HAS to be a version for your specific device!
Installing the binaries
This is practically unvariable. Just download the SuperSU zip, enter recovery mode and install it.
Sidenotes

Contrary to popular belief, there is 0% chance to brick your device, unless you do it wrong, which is totally your fault;
Updates will either softbrick your phone or remove root access. Remember, softbricks are always fixable.
Warranty is lost;

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


text:
How to set special ringtone for all foreign numbers?

Possible Duplicate:
Separate ringtone for calls from numbers not in the contact list?

How to make all numbers except of "+375..." play different ringtone (or set ringtone just for this pattern of numbers)?
Also I want to set other special ringtone for unknown (not in phonebook) numbers. I don't want to specify ringtone for every record in phonebook.

You might want to check Separate ringtone for calls from numbers not in the contact list?.


text:
text editor that starts out in view mode?
I would like a text editor that works like the Google Docs app, where you start out viewing a file and if you want to edit it you specifically have to click an "Edit" button.  The reason this would be useful is that the keyboard pops up automatically if you are editing text.  90% of the time, I simply want to view the text file and not make changes.  Or maybe I want to view the file and decide if I want to make changes after I see it.  Dismissing the keyboard or being prompted to save the file every time is annoying when I only wanted to view it.

MiniNoteViewer (https://market.android.com/details?id=jp.gr.java_conf.hatalab.mnv&hl=en) basically works the way I want.  There's no explicit switch between "Edit" and "View" modes, but it doesn't pop up the keyboard until you tell it to.  Good enough.
Also Jota View (https://market.android.com/details?id=jp.sblo.pandora.jota) can be set to not pop up the keyboard when you are viewing a note (Preferences->Input->Viewer), though the app is overcomplicated IMO.

You can install Google docs in your Android device.
Also you can use an editor called INKPAD, that works your way, the keyboard only is showed if you want to edit the note.

Thanks but I'm specifically looking for an editor for .txt files, typically files I've downloaded from my Dropbox account.  I don't think either Google Docs or Inkpad can view .txt files.

Google Docs can import .txt files.

Also you can see
https://market.android.com/search?q=dropbox&so=1&c=apps


text:
Video player with ability to set SW/HW for Audio and Video separately
I want following: be able to set hardware mode for video decoding and software mode for audio. Best players I have seen so far support one switch for both. Am I corrent that hardware mode for video is beneficial in terms performance/battery life?

MX Player does HW video / SW audio.


text:
Droid x on Liberty 3 v 2: How can I restore contacts with titanium backup after flashing?
I just rooted my droid X and installed liberty 3v2. Awesome experience so far.
Before I flashed, I backed up most of my apps + system data with titanium backup. What app / data do I need restore from titanium backup in order to get my contacts back?

If your device is linked to a Google Account, merely syncing will restore your contacts and calendar.
Otherwise, in TiB - look for Contacts / Contacts Storage in the backup/restore tab.


text:
USB connection problem with Galaxy Ace
My Galaxy Ace doesn't get recognized by my HP laptop with USB connection. When I tried to connect it with my friend's cable on his Dell laptop, it notified CONNECTION UNSUCCESSFUL - NO DRIVER FOUND. My phone still gets charged though. When I tried the *#7284# solution it wrote:
DIAG CONFIG
[1]USB[*]
[2]UART[]
[3]DBG MSG ON[]
[4]DBG MSG OFF[*]

I selected [1]USB[*] and it gave me:
USB_Diag Selected
Change Complete.
IF you change Uart or USB diag
Please reboot the mobile.

I'm not able to find MODEM->PDA mode.

You need to download the correct version of kies from samsung website and after successful installation check for kies update.
also try toggling under
settings->development->USB debugging, w/wo connecting USB cable.

Notice the cable. Once I tried a normal USB cable for a Samsung Nexus S phone, and the connection failed. The cable that was given together with the phone worked. The official cable's shape is a little bit different from a normal cable. It has a small cylindrical protrusion on the wire.
I know this sounds strange, but it might matter.


text:
Shared contacts list
I want to have a shared contact list between two (or more) handsets. So that whenever someone is adding a contact to the list, it'll be automatically added to all handsets who share this.
It's very useful for people who work in the same place, and have many shared work-related contacts. Instead of making each employee add them to the contact list - any one who add work-related contact will add it to everyone.
How can I do that with Android?

Actually, this is pretty easy.  There are two workable answers I can offer:

If you have Google Apps for your organization, you can simply turn
on contact sharing and make sure everyone adds their Google Apps
account to their phone.
If you don't have Google Apps or don't want to use contact sharing,
simply set up a single dummy gmail/Google Apps account for every
person to add to their phone.  Any contacts added to this account,
be it via a phones or via the gmail contacts book, will appear
on every phone whenever a sync happens.

To add another account to your phone:
Settings->Accounts and sync->Add account

After adding the account on the phone, make sure you click on it again and set syncing to just contacts and not gmail, calendar, etc (unless you want these)

Simple and beautiful. I knew about the Google Apps path, but I think about adding another account.

There's an app for that, it's called Shared Contact List. It does exactly the thing you describe.
Disclaimer: I work at the company that made it.


text:
How to block access to a website?
Is there any way to block access to a particular website through the stock Android browser?

To filter adult content in web browser apps you can use "Mobile Security" which has parental controls plus backup and antivirus features for mobile.

If you have root, you can mount the systems partition as editable and edit the hosts file and set the site in question to redirect to 127.0.0.1.  This is somewhat complicated voodoo, however, and I wouldn't recommend it if you don't know what I'm talking about already.
However if you don't want to do this manually and have rooted your phone, the app Hosts Editor is a nice little single purpose utility just for this.
If you're up for the voodoo, and have ADB installed:

From the terminal invoke the adb command with remount option otherwise you will get "failed to copy 'hosts' to '/system/etc/hosts': Read-only file system".
adb remount
In the terminal pull the default hosts file from /system/etc/hosts or /etc/hosts which is the symlink of the file not only for backup purpose but also to get the file to modify.
adb pull /system/etc/hosts <path to pull hosts file to>
Modify the file according to your needs.
(eg) 127.0.0.1 www.somewebsite.com
Push the file back to the phone:
adb push <path you pulled hosts file to>/hosts /system/etc/
That's it.  You can check it out from the shell:
adb -e shell
cat /system/etc/hosts

source

The simplest way to block access to a website is by adding that domain name to hosts file as mostly DNS resolvers honor that file. But it's not possible to edit /etc/hosts without rooting Android device. Here are a few options you can go with on unrooted device:

Use a VPN app which intercepts DNS traffic and looks up a custom hosts file before making queries to configured upstream DNS server.
Run a DNS server; they can be configured to return a predefined IP address for a specific name. For instance if using dnsmasq, add address=/xyz.com/0.0.0.0 to “dnsmasq.conf”. Or on dnscrypt-proxy add xyz.com 0.0.0.0 to “cloaking-rules.txt”.
Configure phone to use a proxy or VPN and then add the entry 0.0.0.0 xyz.com to hosts file on proxy server or run a local DNS server on VPN server.
If bootloader is unlockable, edit hosts file from custom recovery.

For more details see: How to always resolve a domain name to a fixed IP without rooting?

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


text:
How to add a pin / marker in Google Maps?
I met a new contact from another city and quickly wanted to add his contact address in maps (so that I can find it quickly when I drive down there).
Even after a lot of fiddlying, I couldn't find an easy way to simply add a "Pin" to the map. I could select places / businesses by long pressing on them and starring them. But I couldn't add my own places/pins/markers on the map.
I am using Google Maps on Asus Transformer with Honeycomb 3.2, with all updates installed.

Google Maps for Android allows storing places/locations by starring them, this should also work for every place on the map, not just places and businesses.

Long press on the point on the map you want to star
The Address will load, press it
In the upper right corner is a little gray star, select it

These stars are also synced on maps.google.com if you are logged in with your account. The star will be named after the nearest address, but it will be exactly at the point you selected.

Thanks but I can only star existing addresses this way. I want to add a new place / pin on the map.

I am able to do so. The star will be named after the nearest address, but it will be exactly on the point you selected.

I'm also facing the same problem. I can star the place but can't name it like "Friend A's house". To overcome this I email myself the current location and in computer I name it properly. This is a very lame way. So, I'm also looking for a better solution.

@roxan This is not the same problem. You should ask a question like "How can I name a stared place on Google Maps" But I doubt that this is currently possible.

@Flow Upvoting you, I didn't know the star is placed exactly where I select it. But this is not very useful since after few days I won't remember why I placed a star there. I think roxan's use-case is similar to mine.

Does this still work in the latest app? This is what I see: screenshot

One way you can create a custom place in Google Maps is by putting a name in parentheses after the address. For example, search for "123 4th St (Bob's Place)" and you will see a place bubble on the map with the name "Bob's Place" and the specified address. Then you can star that and save it for later.


text:
Any android app capable of storing "unsent tweet" then send it out when internet connection is resumed?
As question, I have found something called offline twitter, but seems that it is broken in my HTC ChaCha, as I can't copy the "pin number" from twitter site back to offline twitter. Thanks.

A number of 3rd-party "social" apps have this feature.
Personally I use TweetDeck.  When Internet connection is not available, it will save my tweet, and throw a notification saying that it will be sent when connectivity is re-established.

Same for me with twicca.


text:
ADB do not recognize a Tegra Based Tablet
I have a tablet and I'd like to use adb but I have some probles, I looked on google but without luck...
Tablet Info: (from tablet)
Model Nr: SN10T1
Android OS Version: 2.2
TapUI Version: 1.2-4204
Kernel Version: 2.6.32.9-0001
Build Nr: FRF91

I did the following:

Activate Debug Usb on tablet
Downloaded and installed android-sdk and google-usb-driver
Edited the file extras/google/usb_driver/android_winusb.inf adding under [Google.NTx86] and [Google.NTamd64]
;NVIDIA Tegra
%SingleAdbInterface% = USB_Install, USB\VID_0955&PID_7000
%CompositeAdbInterface% = USB_Install, USB\VID_0955&PID_7100&MI_01

Restarted adb but using adb devices it does not show the tablet....
I checked under device manager the VID and PID of my device and VID = 0955, PID = 7100 so they are the same of the file above...
Triyng to reinstall the driver using extras/google/usb_driver/android_winusb.inf I got this error:
The folder you specified doesn't contain a compatible software driver for your device. If the folder contains a driver, make sure it's designed to works with  Windows x64 based system
I have windows 7 64bit Professional...

Have you looked for drivers from the manufacturer?

I can't find the driver... if they exist

Follow the instructions here.
I just followed them (changing the PID and VID numbers as you did and it worked!)
TIPS

In the changed .inf file remember leaving an empty line after pasting the code after [Google.NTx86] or [Google.NTamd64]; and also after it and the beginning of the next paragraph.
Don't forget the step 5 where you must put your VID number (example: if your VID  is 0955, then put 0x955).

And the rest is exactly the same. It worked for an Excite 10 from Toshiba with Tegra 3 processor.


text:
Device upgrade issue via Samsung Kies

Possible Duplicate:
Kies: Firmware can not be upgraded?

Device: Galaxy SL (GT I9003)
I had fresh install from Samsung Service center for Android. They again installed Android 2.2. And now the Kies is saying,

Your device does not support software upgrading via Kies. Current
  Firmware Version:  I9003DDKF1/I9003ODDKA6/I9003DDKA5/I9003DDKF1

I stay in India. google search suggests that 2.3.5 update is available. How to solve this issue?

Whether an update is available via doesn't just depend on which country you're in, it also depends which phone network you're on. If your phone network hasn't authorised the update yet, then it won't be avaialable via Kies.

@GAThrawn yes the update is available for India. Need to check if is updated for Vodafone or not.

@GAThrawn have verified with Vodafone.. it is not regulated by Vodfone or anyothr service providers. So its at Samsung end only


text:
How to download apps without a wireless data plan
I bought an i7500, no data plan. I had assumed that connecting to my router would allow me to download apps from the marketplace; apparently not. I get a message about not being able to connect via the SIM data plan.
Is there a way for me to download and install apps without actually getting a data plan?

You can always use sites like SlideMe.org, which "mirror" many Market apps and allow you to download them without registering your Android device. Beware of stolen apps, though (i.e. paid apps which are available for free). You can also use the Marketplace app with only a wireless router in range.

xda developers has a guide for this. See Guide: Using Android Without a Data Plan. I cannot verify these instructions but the comments in the xda thread seem positive.
Below is the section regarding getting apps:

The easiest way to find apps is to type the app name and apk into
  google, but most of the time, this does not work (and is illegal for
  paid apps, unless you get it from the dev directly). Since this
  doesn't usually work, you can get apps using a special avd and the
  android emulator.

Download/Setup the Android SDK and Download the accessmarket.rar file (originally found at
  http://tech-droid.blogspot.com/2009/...-emulator.html)
Copy the contents of accessmarket.rar to C:/Users//.android/avd/ - you might have to enable "show hidden files"
  in folder options to see the .android folder
Edit C:/Users//.android/avd/AndEmu.ini, and change the username in the file to your username
Start SDKSetup.exe, then click Virtual Devices, launch the device called "AndEmu"
Once this is started, download ASTRO file manager from market (it works in this emulator!) - ASTRO will allow you to backup the apks for
  apps that you download from the market. (NOTE: for protected/private
  apps, you can use Titanium Backup to back them up)
5.5. You can download any app from the market, and back it up
The apps you backup will be backed up to /sdcard/backups/apps/
You can use one of the following adb commands to pull these files from the emulator:
adb pull /sdcard/backups/apps/ /AndApps
This will download all of your backed up apps to a folder on your
  root drive called AndApps
or
adb pull /sdcard/backups/apps/.apk /AndApps/.apk
This will copy a single apk of your choosing to /AndApps/
After you do this, you need to copy the apk to your sdcard (either by taking the card out, or using the SD Share widget), and then you
  can install it to your phone with ASTRO

Note: Special Applications:
Some applications like to let you download themes and such within the
  app, without any other source. Most of these applications store files
  on a folder named after the app (com.something.something) so you can
  download the stuff within the app on the emulator, and backup the
  folder on the emu's sd card and put it on your phone.

It doesn't seem to work. Aside from installation problems, when I finally get it running, Google refuses to acknowledge that I have a device.

So you get the market but no apps can be downloaded? Since then have you tried signing in to the market from a PC?

I can download, install, and run apps from the market on my emulated device, but Google reports no phones. I even set the OS to 1.6 and 2.3, still no go. Yes, I signed in from a PC since then.

any other ideas?

I suggest editing your question with things you've tried... If nothing else this will bring your question back to the top and will get a few more eyes on it.

Simply, install Amazon App Store. Its the only app store on planet which could compete with official Android Market. It also provides one paid app for free daily.


text:
Turn off volume button notification sound in Galaxy S2
1) I get a beep sound every-time I increase the ringer volume using the side button in Samsung Galaxy S2. How can I turn of this sound. I have set the notifications sound to Silent. But still am getting this sound.
2) Also whenever I connect the charger, I am getting a notification sound. How can I make this to silent as well.?

I haven't found any way to do this through the software. The only way I've found to disable the sounds is to go to /system/media/audio/ui on your phone and delete files Volume-1.mp3 through Volume-7.mp3 for the volume tones, and Charger_Connection.ogg for the connection tone. Just tested this on my phone and it does indeed work. You may want to back up the files first in case you want to restore them at some point. You may also have to be rooted to be able to remove the files.
Edit: Actually, I'm sure you'll need root, as I had to su in a terminal emulator to be able to do anything in that directory.

You can simply get rid of the beep on power connection by setting the notification sound to zero in System > Sound > Volumes.


text:
I have used a GB of data in less than 24 hours, how is this possible
I got my android phone a week ago. This morning I recieved an text from telus telling me I have used 75% of my data, then an hour later I recieved a text saying I used 95%. Since I was sleeping and was not using my phone I want to know if this is at all possible, I took my phone into telus and all the settings for wifi are off. Is someone taking internet from me? What should my settings be?

Wi-Fi is not the same as mobile data.  I believe we have some questions on tracking what uses your mobile data, try a search and see if they help.

You actually want to switch wifi on if you're having these problems. If you have a home/office/school/etc internet connection that has wireless access, then while you're connected to that any data will go through the wifi, not the mobile phone company's network, so it won't count toward your data limit.

All sorts of background processes and applications will use cell data bandwidth.  If you've installed some new apps recently, which given your phone is only a week old seems likely, check to see if some of them are doing anything in the background.
If you list your apps, perhaps we could shed some light on which ones might be data hogs.

Are you downloading any games? Some of the more complex games could weigh hundreds of megabytes, and they download additional resource data when they're first run.

Duplicates my comment above...

My Verizon data widget was telling me numbers I couldn't believe.  I went through a gigabyte over night and was at 3 gigabytes for the month most in the last 10 day of the cycle.
I found the My Data Manager app in the market and that told me which app was causing the problem. The app breaks down data by Wireless and Wifi and shows you how much data each app used. I LOVE this app.


text:
Calendar Event Location: Diallable Conference call number with host/participant code
In attending/hosting conference calls, I'd like to be able to dial the conference call provider and enter the required PIN code directly from the entry in my calendar.
The process I currently use is:

When scheduling the call - create the calendar entry for the call, including in the field [Where - Event Location] the number and PIN to dial in the format +CCAAANNNNNNN,,PPPPPP#, where CC = country code, AAA = area code, NNNNNNN is the conference call telephone number, PPPPPP = the PIN code needed. The first two commas are to wait long enough, the third comma is to stop the # required to enter the PIN from not being recognised.
When setting up or dialling into the call: 1. Open the calendar entry, 2. Edit, 3. Select the text in the "Where- event location" field, 4. Copy, 5. Switch to the dialler, 6. Paste, and then 7. Dial.

Whilst this works, is is clearly not as efficient as clicking a link in the Calendar Event +CCAAANNNNNNN,,PPPPPP#,. Frustratingly, this even comes up as a hyperlink, but Android gives me the options Earth & Maps (as well as two other proprietary links - Radar which is part of the App "GPS Status", and ZVVFahrplan - part of the Zürich city public transports system's app).
I have tried all permutations that I can think of rfc3966.txt: The tel URI for Telephone Numbers. For example
tel:+442012345555,,123456#, or, tel:+442012345555","","123456"#""," or tel:+442012345555PP123456FP
If if put the number in the Notes field within the Calendar event, it turns into a diallable link, but chopped up. I can dial the number, but not the PIN.
Any thoughts or ideas?

Thanks to Doug Plenty for providing the answer to me directly. This is the subject of an Apple patent and over which they are suing HTC (amongst others) who customise Android in a way that the stock OS doesn't dare.
See for example http://mashable.com/2011/12/19/apple-patent-victory/

Why don't you just use an app for it? Try MeetingMogul, that's what I use.
It fills out all the bridge info for you by picking it up from your calendar. So you can dial in by just tapping the phone icon it gives next to each conference call. It's a totally free app and doesn't charge for anything unlike other apps I've tried.
Plus it gives you a lot of other features like being able to notify meeting participants with one tap by text or email, taking voice or text notes against an event with one tap, setting up new conference calls with just a few taps from the app, viewing details from your CRM related to an upcoming call or meeting like emails, proposals, quotes, team notes, LinkedIn profiles, etc.

I have an Android phone. Samsung Galaxy victory.
I tried this with calendar:
in the Description field, I pasted a phone number (with two waits and a hash symbol) copied and pasted from my phone contacts using clipboard.
A long touch on the resulting link resulted in a search of my phone contacts including the phone number both with and without the PIN.
I chose to dial with the PIN and confirmation after wait prompts, and I was in.

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3.2 update causes strange swype problem
I own a galaxy tab 10.1. After updating to honeycomb 3.2, I have noticed the following problem whenever trying to use the swype keyboard in the url bar of the stock browser:
After having written any word using sliding, then the two last letters of that word are automatically erased if I try to tap any letter or the spacebar.
Has anyone else noticed this strange behavior?
Does anyone know how to fix this issue which is really very frustrating?
Thanks in advance for your help.

After I've resolved Swype crashing following a Galaxy Tab hardware upgrade, I just want to share what might be the solution to a lot of Swype problems: try going into applications maintenance and clear Swype's application data.

I've noticed that the spacing gets off in some fields, it will show extra spaces or back up over the last characters. Sometimes I have to use a different keyboard - the stock one or another tap keyboard.
Do you have the latest version of Skype Beta?  They put out a couple of them recently. Maybe that will help.

I currently have version v3.25.91.34889.34889.5238.GT_P7510. This comes preinstalled in galaxy tab 10.1, which means that I cannot upgrade to any newer version of swype.


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What's the standard font called that comes on droid x running 2.3?
What font ships with the droid x on 2.3? Is the same font used across all android devices running 2.3?

The answer to this question applies to all phones that don't have a replaced standard font (like maybe some of the expensive fashion branded phones)

Prior to Android 4.0 (aka Ice Cream Sandwich) It's called "Droid", and comes in Serif (Regular, Bold, Italic, Bold Italic), Sans (Regular, Bold), and Sans Mono variants.
A new font family "Roboto" was released with 4.0.
Wikipedia article on Droid (font)
Google+ post on Roboto


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Same Apps for multiple tablets

Possible Duplicate:
Can bought android apps be shared between devices you own?

I am thinking about purchasing an android tablet for each of my four young children. If I purchase an app or e-book or book on one tablet, will it download for free onto the other three? Or will I need to re-purchase it for the other three?

Also http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/7099/move-paid-apps-between-devices and http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/2437/can-i-use-multiple-android-devices-with-a-single-google-account

@eldarerathis all questions should be merged into http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/11407/can-bought-android-apps-be-shared-between-devices-you-own imho

@Flow: Yeah, I'd agree with you there. It's certainly phrased in the most generic and to-the-point manner.

Yes, the applications can be downloaded on each device as long as each device uses the same Google account in the Android Market. Your account's ownership of the app persists even if you have to delete it for some reason, such as running out of space.


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Remove google-account from older smartphone
I gave my sister my older smartphone without removing my google-account.
How can I remove that permission without removing her settings completely, or how can I remove that certain android device from my google dashboard?
If possible, it would be great if I could do it remotely (via my google dashboard).

If you are using Google Two Step authorisation, then you can revoke the one-time password that you assigned to the phone remotely from your Google account's settings, I don't think that this is possible unless you are using the Two Step authorisation.
Go to your Google Account Settings page, click the Edit link beside "2 step verification", click "Manage application-specific passwords", look down the list for the password assigned to your old phone and click the "Revoke" link. Next time the phone tries to access your Google account, it should be denied access and your sister will see a warning asking her to enter the new password.
If you haven't set up the two step authorisation then, to do it directly on the phone, as long as the phone is running Android 2.1 (Eclair) or newer, then you can go into Settings -> Accounts and sync -> then select the account and you should have a Remove account button at the bottom of the screen.
Once you've done this switch the phone off and on again (just to make sure that no apps are running that have already logged in), and it should be removed.
Note that this won't remove all of your old data from the phone, it will just remove some of the Google synced data, and stop anything new from coming down from (or going up to) your Google account. To be sure that all of your old data is removed from the phone, you will need to wipe the phone with a factory reset.

Thanks for that. I don't have Two Step Auth enabled, so I'll remove the account from her phone.

This will only work if the OP's account is not the primary account used to set up the phone; otherwise, a factory reset will need to be done.

@Logos checked and you're right, but only seems to be true up to Gingerbread. The Gingerbread manual mentions this, http://www.google.com/help/hc/pdfs/mobile/AndroidUsersGuide-2.3.4.pdf (p130 & 374) the Honeycomb manual doesn't mention it http://static.googleusercontent.com/external_content/untrusted_dlcp/www.google.com/en//help/hc/pdfs/mobile/AndroidUsersGuide-30-100.pdf (p96) in my defence I've most recently added and removed accounts on my tablet.

If the account is the one you used to set up the phone originally, you won't be able to remove it without a factory reset.  You won't be able to save the phone settings, but you can at least back up the apps & data using Titanium Backup.


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Application that is able to resume failed download
It's often happening when I want to download a file with browser that download fails due to a bad connection and then I have to download a file from the beginning.
Is there an app or browser plugin that is able to continue downloading of failed download?
I found only byte tornado app which is not much help.

Maybe this is not what you are looking for, but if you have installed busybox and a terminal application, you can continue your download with:
wget --continue --output-document file.part URL

I tried bosybox but it needs the phone to be rooted. I'm not so advanced user yet and I heard that with rooted device warranty is lost.

You can also install busybox without rooting your phone.

If you have an android device try HTTP Downloader. It can be used to request download from any byte offset. So that you can skip how much you have already downloaded & complete the remaining.
After completing, you can join those 2 file parts to get the full completed file. (File joiner is inbuilt in the app. Also they provide free File joiner application for PC)
Here are the links
App: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ajk.http.downloader
Step wise instructions: https://youtu.be/lI4hm0NuosQ
Note: I  am affiliated with the developer Resonance which developed that app and the video.


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Google cache links in search results
When searching for something while the target is offline its most convenient to click on Google's cache link for that certain target or search result. But I don't see such link on my android phone using the default browser. Is it related to mobile Google search? I wonder if I could reenable this. I use Android 2.3.3 with Samsung Galaxy S i9000.

Space is at a premium on a mobile screen. I expect that Google's mobile-optimized search results have dropped the link to the cache from the results. I know that search results have had a bit of a makeover recently any way and the cache link it hidden behind a mouseover event, which, of course, you can't do on a phone anyway.

If you go to the bottom of the search results page, you will see something like (View Google in: Mobile | Classic), you can click on "Classic" to view the current search result in desktop version of Google, which of course have the 'cached' link.

Yes!, I've searched for this, but overlooked, Thanks!


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How do I get my stock ringtones back?
I have a Droid X, and I've been having issues with my music lately.  I finally deleted the Albums, Music, and Playlists directories from my SD Card, and used SDRescan to get the media library to update.  That did the trick for the music, but now my stock ringtones have disappeared.  Were they on the SD card?
Why did they disappear, and how can I get them back?  My phone isn't rooted.

I realize this isn't very helpful, but http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=4908 describes a possibly-similar problem

I tried rebooting when I was seeing the problem, and that didn't help.  I wound up setting two songs from my SD card as the ringtone and notification sounds, and that didn't help either.  My phone crashed hard today while downloading an app, and I had to pull the battery to restart it.  After that, the original choices reappeared.  Go figure.


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Samsung galaxy i9000 switching off on its own like a gazillion times a day
I have been a proud owner of a samsung galaxy i9000 for about a year now. However, my phone recently developed a problem that I had not anticipated. The phone now just switches off on its own. Sometimes it can do so up to 5 times a day. One moment the phone will be working and you go on with whatever you will be doing and before you know it the phone is off. The phone cannot be restarted using the normal on and off button. I actually have to remove the battery and put it back for the phone to restart again. Anyone with a clue?

Does this happen only when the phone is idle, or does it shut itself off while you are actively using it (e.g. during phone calls, web browsing, game playing, etc.?)

Overheating, perhaps? Or corroded connectors on the battery?

V-T-C as its TL?


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How to avoid email/gtalk notifications when logged in in both, PC and Mobile?
Is there a way to avoid double notification, both pc and mobile, when logged in in both? IE, my work mobile is Android based and at work we use gapps, so even if i am at my pc i get the email notification even though i'm logged in, the same with Gtalk.
Thanks!

:-) I would like an answer to the exact opposite question: how can I have the gtalk notification on EVERY machine connected to the same account? At the moment, if I'm logged on the PC, on the tablet and on the phone, when one of my contacts starts a conversation, I receive the notification ONLY on the phone. The next notifications of the same conversations arrives on the device that I use to answer...

I think this is as designed. When an initial talk request comes in from one of your contacts, Google don't know which screen you're paying most attention to at the time. Once you reply to the message from either the PC or mobile, further notifications in that conversation should only appear on the device that you replied from.
You can totally turn off notifications on one clienmt or the other, but that doesn't sound like what you're after?
To turn off notifications totally on your mobile, open the Talk app, press Menu then select Settings, and take the tick out of "IM Notifications: Notify in status bar when IM arrives". The Google Talk application and web app are blocked on the PC I'm using at the moment, so can't give exact directions, but there should be a similar option to disable notifications there.
See also How do Gmail (desktop) and Talk (Android) chats interact?


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Facebook mobile for Droid unable to delete friends
How does one go about deleting friends via the Droid's Facebook application? I am running the latest build of Facebook.

You mean Android, don't you? As far as I know there isn't a Droid-specific Facebook app.

@AlEverett The device was the Droid, as the apps function differently on different devices.

@Woot4Moo: I don't know that this is still the case. I've updated the Facebook app from the Market a couple of times now and I don't see a Droid-specific version.

It doesn't appear that you can, at least at this time.
Not particularly surprising. Their app just sends you to m.facebook.com for anything more than basic functionality.

I will leave this open until end of day and mark this as the answer if this remains the case.  Thanks

Viewing their profile touch the friends tab, a menu should pop up and at the bottom should be the option to "unfriend".  Hope this helps.

You can't do it using the Droid app. The only way is to use Facebook's mobile webapp. Find the friend you want to delete, then scroll down and find the remove friend option.

Sometimes if you are viewing your news feed, you are seeing posts from a profile you are not necessarily friends with, you just "liked" something of theirs which will then add to your news feed. In THAT case you go to their profile and "unlike" them. That should stop them from posting to your wall.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/


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GMail - notify until read?
I'm a new Android user with a Motorola X2 running Android 2.3.4 and the GMail app version 2.3.5.2.
I have a set of labels set up and custom notifications enabled for those that I need to have distinguished. I need a constant alert until the message is marked as read.
I have been looking at the GMail Label Notifier app but it doesn't appear to have the necessary option. Any suggestions?

Do you mean that you need the notification to not be dismissed when you open the Gmail app?

I'm after an audio / vibration (preferably both) alert which will not dismiss until I have read a message.

The Google's own Gmail app doesn't have this functionality built-in.
Unfortunately with the latest version of the app (v2.3.5.2 as of this writing,) Google have disabled access to Gmail's data by other 3rd-party apps and widgets.  This was most likely done for security purposes.  The side-effect is that none of the 3rd-party apps on the Market that need access to your Gmail accounts (notifiers, widgets, etc.) stopped working.
Your best bet is to find an alternate e-mail app that has such a feature.  I've used K-9 Mail, but I don't remember any settings that would give you non-stop alerts. You could try submitting a feature request on K-9's support site.


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Change name of shortcut icon?
I have created a shortcut to a single document. The home page icon carries the name of the file manager (Astro) that I used to create the shortcut (using the method explained here).
I'd like to rename the icon to something more relevant so I can distinguish it from shortcuts to other documents or folders. Is there any way to do this?

Some Launchers (like GO Launcher) let you rename icons on the home screen.

Partial Solution

Long press on home screen to activate shortcut launcher
Tap on Shortcut
Tap on Activites
Tap on file manager (Astro)
Navigate to file location (internal or external SD card)
Tap on target file
Accept (or amend) suggested shortcut name > OK
Named  shortcut appears on home page under an icon for the associated app to display the document

To open the document, tap on the icon and then tap on the associated app in the menu .

Renaming shortcuts depends on what launcher you use.  For example, with GO Launcher, you simply hold down your finger on whatever you want to rename and a box pops up asking if you want to rename it.
The point being is that each launcher is different, but most are intuitive enough to where you just long click on the icon to rename it.


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Todo app that syncs with Google Tasks and has notification badges?
Coming from an iPhone, one of the things I miss the most is the little red notification badges on my app icons. I don't understand why more Android apps don't have them (not even the phone!?). I digress.
Is there an app available that both syncs with Google Tasks and uses a notification badge to keep track of the number of uncompleted tasks?

Try a different home screen manager.  Launcher Pro does this on my phone for email and texts in the app shortcuts in the launcher bar.  I don't use Google Tasks, so I can't speak to that one particularly.

Google Tasks is one component of their world that is still rather lacking, sadly.

Tick tick is the only one I can find but unfortunately their implementation makes it pretty useless (the badge only goes up to 9)

You should try different launchers. Most of them are better than the stock ones.
So e.g.: Apex Launcher, Nova Launcher, Launcher Pro, and GO Launcher EX support adding notification badges.
The best todo app I've ever seen is Any.DO To-do List & Task List. Give it a try.

Could you please elaborate how this answers the question? Do the mentioned launchers bring the "notification badges", or does the "Any.do" app (links?), or is it a certain combination?

Those launchers have the option to add notification badges, that's why I listed them.
Here you can get Apex: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.anddoes.launcher

I've merged your comments into your answer. You might want to check if I got it right. Feel free to update your answer if not, or if it misses some other details.

Try SplenDo - To Do List.  It shows badge with Today's task count + overdue task count like (2+3)


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How to back up the address book?
I want to wipe the phone clean (or reset it, not sure about the nomenclature).  Meaning, I'd like to get rid of all the apps, all the data, everything.  Except for the contacts.  I'd like to somehow restore them after wiping the phone.
So I know there is an option to go to Settings/Privacy/Factory data reset, which wipes it clean (i assume), and that is what I am planning to use.
I also see an option to Back up my data in Settings/Privacy.  However, this option backs up all the application data, passwords, etc... as well to Google servers.  But, again, I only want the contacts.
So, is there a way to do what I want?
For reference, this is a Nexus One with Android 2.3.6.

Your contacts are automatically backed up to the Google account you set up your phone with.  So long as you have the "Contacts" sync setting on, any changes you've made to your contacts should be mirrored in your Gmail contacts online.  After you wipe your phone, if you use the same account to set it up again the contacts will automatically download on the first sync.
You can verify that your contacts are backed up by going online to Gmail, clicking on "Contacts", and checking them against your phone's address book.


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Gameloft Game Graphics problem
I installed a Gameloft game Brother in Arms. But the graphics of the game is shown as below.
Use 2.3.3 on Samsung S2
Any idea why its not being displayed ?

Thank you for reporting this. Our team will look into this :) If you have additional details, please send an e-mail at support@gameloft.com. Have a great day!:)

Also have a Samsung Galaxy S2 and had the exact same problem with HAWKS ,I installed a different version and it worked fine.I guess it's because of the mali gpu and compatibility.

Samsung elected not to include all the texture compression formats when they integrated the Mali-400 GPU into the Exynos chip that powers the Galaxy S II. This is because some formats are patented and would require Samsung to pay a fee to the patent-holder to support them.
Because the S II was the first high-end phone not to support these formats, most game vendors weren't ready to use alternative texture compression formats in their games, and such games will draw with missing textures, like in your screenshot. Also, at the time the S II came out, Google Play made it very hard to support multiple texture formats with one app: you had to include all the formats in one APK file, making it unnecessarily large.
It's now much easier to build for different compression formats and automatically select the right textures for the device you're running on.


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Password sync with Chrome
I know about Xmarks and LastPass, but is there a free solution for password syncing between Android and Chrome?

Keepass is an option. You can set up the KeePassDroid app to use a password database that you keep synced with Dropbox (a good tutorial is available at AndroidPolice). Not very elegant, but it might be what you're looking for.

You might like to try http://phonemarks.blogspot.com/

Thanks, but that is just for bookmarks. I was asking for a tool for password sync.


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Disadvantages of CyanogenMod
If I root and flash my phone, will I get some limitations? I understand that I will lose any carrier and manufacturer specific apps/launcher/widget (and this actually may be a bonus); however I want to know:

what will happen to my gmail/calendar/market account? Will it work as before?
will I get battery/radio/GPS issues?
will I lose some compatibility with apps (Is a custom ROM less compatible)?
can I still use the phone for developing apps?

Just have one thing in mind - CyanogenMod is even better for developers than stock row as it provides some more options for that (mocking locations, etc), but I had some problems when I was trying to test applications on my S2 phone from within IntelliJ Idea.

You google apps will work exactly the same as before; either they'll be prepackaged with CM or you will download an update pack that will install them for you.
Battery/radio/GPS issues are mostly related to specific hardware.  You'd have to check the CM forums and wiki for your phone model to answer that one.
Compatibility is an issue for some apps, but in the vast majority of cases the answer to this will be no (and in fact, some apps are compatible with CM but not with stock ROMs).
You can most definitely still use the phone to develop apps :)

The nice thing with flashing a new ROM is that you can go back to the stock experience anytime you like, either by making a backup or downloading the stock ROM and keeping it around to flash later if you want it.  So you aren't really risking anything except some time invested in fiddling the ROMs.

I would add that you do risk losing the warranty you have with carrier and/or manufacturer, since installing a custom ROM often means unlocking the bootloader.

@Chahk Apart from possibly for the Nexus devices, I don't know of any agreements that let you flash ROMs without voiding the warranty even when the bootloader came unlocked ;)

@Matthew Read: true, true. However if you didn't have to unlock the bootloader (or could re-lock it,) how would they know of your flashing shenanigans if you restore the device back too stock? ;)

@Chahk I like the way you think :P

And of course you may well get a later version of Android than is supplied for your phone by the carrier. My phone went from Android 2.1 to 2.3 with Cyanogenmod 7 meaning I could install a lot of apps that won't work with 2.1


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How do I configure which programs autostart when connecting to the internet?
Right now skype starts, email clients send/receive.
I really don't want skype to start and login when I connect to 3G, but it's OK if I connect to wifi.
How do I configure which programs autostart when connecting to 3G / wifi?
(Sony Ericsson Xperia X8, NOT rooted)

Without root you only have the control the app developers give you: If an app allows you to configure this behaviour, you can do so -- otherwise you can't.
If your device were rooted, on the other hand, you'ld have several possibilities:

Use DroidWall to define which apps may use 3g, which Wifi, which both, and which none (1st pic below)
Use LBE Privacy Guard to do the same, and more (2nd pic)
Use Autorun Manager to disable certain listeners of apps, so they no longer get informed about network changes (3rd pic; experienced users only!)

This is just a selection, and thus the list is very incomplete. As you already wrote your device is not rooted, it doesn't make sense to put all those details here; it's just to give you an idea what would be possible with root, not to elaborate all options ;)


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How do you save a contact onto the home screen?
I can't figure out how to save a contact shortcut on the home screen for easy dialing (Ice Cream Sandwich on Galaxy Nexus).
Long-pressing on the home screen prompts me to choose a wallpaper. Long-pressing on a contact in the People app has no effect. I can't find any menu option to do it.
How do you do it?

Found it. There's a Direct dial widget you can add from the Applications/Widgets menu. When you select this, it prompts you to choose a contact.
There are also shortcut widgets for Direct message, Open contact, etc.

FYI, you should click the checkmark next to your self-answer to mark this as answered :)

I will do in 2 days as soon as I am able.

Oh - I didn't realize there was a time limit? My bad :P


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Sync without gmail playing big brother?
My happiness turned to despire when I realised that to have Android0based cell means to have a mandatory GMail account and an mandatory sync of all data to Google even if one just wants to sync just PC and cell in good old fashioned way. :(
I am not comfortable being forced to use GMail, moreover I don't want an online sync! I just want my phone and my PC to be in sync. Is there any other good way to achieve this without smashing my cell to pieces and hating Google for the rest of my life?
I am really unhappy that Google is this ruthless for data, maybe I made a mistake switching. Please help me if any of you have a solution, I have invested quite a lot blindly trusting Google. :(

Possible duplicate: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/7774/suggestions-for-syncing-data-to-someone-besides-google-funambol

Related: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/6677/how-can-i-control-the-frequency-of-synchronization-with-google and http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/8025/can-i-use-the-google-market-without-syncing-other-google-data.

If you don't want to be tied in to Google, why would you choose an Android phone?

You need to be explicit about what exactly you're trying to sync ... I don't know of anything on my PC that requires GMail to sync.

You can easily limit what data is synced by navigating to Settings > Accounts and Sync. ( Your menu may look somewhat different than this but should be similar.) From there you can deselect Background Data, Auto-Sync as well as individual accounts such as your Google (@gmail), Facebook, etc. However, I believe this will just prevent syncing from occurring automatically. If you open the GMail application, I believe it will sync your inbox/outbox/etc. BUT, if you're not using GMail, this wouldn't apply to you.
While you're at it, you can navigate to Settings > Connect to PC > Default Connection Type. There you may have another option regarding Syncing (with a PC). I see "HTC Sync" but I'm not certain what other manufacturers have in that menu.

This is what I did to solve this Google forcing on me problem.
This method will most likely void your warranty for your device proceed at your own risk.
First of all my phone was already rooted so, I did not need to root my phone. So you will need to root your phone. You will need to install titanium backup on to your rooted phone and run a full backup of your phone apps. Then you will need to look for a file called Google Contact Sync and uninstalled/or freeze it. It is also wise to install droidwall firewall or even Avast mobile firewall. Now I have to do something about calendar syncing to Gmail, None!


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Sync Android contacts to Gmail
I am trying to backup contacts from my phone (Galaxy S, Android 2.2.1) to Gmail account. The procedure I found on the Internet goes as follows:

Open Contacts
Menu -> Import/Export -> Export to SD card
Menu -> Import/Export -> Import from SD card -> Google (i.e. save imported to Google account)

For some reason I don't have option to use SD card, so I use SIM instead. However, when I import contacts, they save to the phone (there is no prompt where to store them). I changed settings to automatically save contacts to Google and it works for newly created ones, but doesn't affect importing.
Am I missing something? Or could you verify this behavior on your phones?

I remember this. When I first got my phone I made the same mistake, setting my contacts to save to my phone instead of Google. I believe I ended up using the free version of MyBackup to backup my contacts, then restore them as Google contacts.

Contacts, by default, that are saved on the device, will sync with the google account ( or accounts ) that are signed in on the device.
If you have contacts on your sim, you can go in to the contacts application, go in to the menu and select "Import/Export", then you select Import from SIM. This will import your contacts that are on your SIM to the account(s) that you are logged in to on the device.
Finally, make sure you have Contact Sync enabled for your account. Go in to the settings -> Accounts & Sync, Select the Google Account you want to sync the contacts and then make sure "Contacts" is checked.
In response to your last comment about "you can save contacts to SIM", I guess that would depend on your device. AOSP (Stock) Android 2.3.5 does not give you the option for phone the device and SIM. Below is a screenshot of all of my synced accounts, and the only option for "unsynced". Since you say you see icons next to some of them, I would be willing to guess you have a samsung device that is running touchwiz. There is a setting that you can change to "always add to 'this' account". Don't bother "linking" multiple contacts together, it is only on the phone side, it does nothing when syncing.

You're wrong. If you set contacts to be saved on device, they don't sync.

No, contacts saved to the sim do not sync. If you "add" them to an account they sync. "Saving to the phone" does not save them to an account, so they do not sync. "Saving to phone" is saving them to the SIM card. I have ad multiple android devices, and never has it defaulted to save to SIM/Phone, it always defaulted to my google accounts.

also, did you read my answer, I told you how to import them if they are saved on the phone/sim... and it doesn't require you to use a market app to do so.

I think there is some misconception. Actually you can save contacts to SIM (sim icon will appear next to the contact), physical device (no icon) or Google account ("g" icon). They will be synced only in the last case.

see my original post for some more information.


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What does "discover known accounts" permission mean?
I am not sure what an app can do to me if it is able to discover my account, to what extent?
Thank you very much.

This permission is of moderate-high importance. This allows the
  application to read what accounts you have and the usernames
  associated with them. It allows the app to interact with permission
  related to that account. An example would be an app that was restoring
  your contact, would discover your Google account then send you to
  Google's login screen. It doesn't actually get to see your password,
  but it gets to work with the account. This is also legitimately used
  by applications to add contacts to your accounts, such as dialer
  replacements and contact managers/backup/sync/etc.

Source

Thanks, but still a little confused. Am I right that: even if the application discovers my account (and thus knows my email address), it still needs to get my additional explicit permission to interact with my Google account (e.g. Google Reader asks for my permission on first run)?

@danteisnotaGeek It would need the "Use Credentials" permissions to actually use that account (it doesn't share your password, but an authentication token, sort of like how OAuth works on Twitter and Facebook).

Its a huge security hole because it allows an application to add your facebook and google and other account names to your online profile without you realizing it. If the site is hacked the hackers could follow through to other know accounts if you were stupid enough to use the same password. Lots of people are that stupid so it will happen.
An online dating site or porn site might leak your real facebook and google account names to the people you are chatting with even though you never gave that information to the site itself.
Anonymous online? Not any more.


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How can I buy an app that isn't supported on my (current) device?
As you may know, the official Android Market is in the process of having a sale, charging only 10 cents for a bunch of apps for 10 days. They're going to pick 10 new apps each day, so the apps for sale today won't be on sale tomorrow.
I am an OG Droid owner, and I'm one of the many who is waiting to pounce on the moment the Galaxy Nexus shows up in Verizon stores. I could have upgraded my phone weeks ago, but .. well.. you know how it is.
One of the apps on sale today (Asphalt 6: Adrenaline HD) won't let me purchase it, because the Droid doesn't support it. But (hopefully) within a week I will have a phone that definitely supports this game. I don't even care if the game sucks; it's only 10 cents!
Is there any way I can buy the app anyway, so I can install it at a later date?

Do you have root access? You might be able to change the build.prop file to spoof your phone as a different device

In this case, root is not an option. I was just hoping Google would have the concept of "pay for app, but don't immediately install it". If I miss out on a few 10-cent apps that don't support the Droid 1, for just a few days (come on December 9th!), it isn't the end of the world.

Do you have a friend with a supported device? You could login to your gmail on that phone, purchase it, then remove your account when done.

I wish the answers were Market functionality and not hacks :(  That's also a theoretically good idea that isn't going to happen, Bryan.

You can buy it on the Amazon android appstore. They have the same prices the Google Play. It just gives you a warning that you may be purchasing a game that does not work with your device.
and, as of today (Dec 11th 2011) its still $.10

You can only buy apps from the Amazon app store if you have an american account.

There are still some apps that are 10 cents, don't want to install on my Droid, and aren't available on the Amazon market, but it is nice to know that where there is overlap, the price is 10c on both.  Also, as a side note, I'm obviously still without my Nexus; probably won't be released during the entire 10-day sale :(

I would suggest using a friend's android phone that does support the game, setting up your account in his phone and purchasing it. Be careful not to select any auto-sync features while doing so and make sure you remove the account from the phone once you've finished your purchases.
@Bryan Denny : Looks like you beat me to it :) Didn't see your comment for the question.

There apparently aren't many devices out there that support this particular game, especially with all the Nexus delays in the US. This is a less-than-ideal solution even if I had a friend with a different bleeding-edge phone. I sound like a broken record, but I find this to be a surprising missing feature from the official Market, even though it doesn't really come up except during sales like this one.

@Josh sorry a bit late as its dropped off the 10 cent list today, but you don't need a very new phone for Asphalt 6 HD, I got it yesterday and it installed ok on my (over a year old) original Galaxy S.


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Double click word doesn't select it
I'd a Samsung Galaxy I5510 with stock rom, android 2.2. Whenever I double-clicked any word in an input field it got selected. Now I bought a Samsung Galaxy Ace I still have stock rom and andrond 2.3.4 and double-clicking a word does nothing. Is there any way I can get this functionality back? It was very useful to add words to swype after typing them.

Apparently this functionality lays on the keyboard. I'd and old version of Swype (which came installed). After rooting, I followed this instructions to update Swype and now I get this functionality back. Good luck to everyone!


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How can I run a java app on my Pandigital Planet tablet?

Possible Duplicate:
Are there any Android browsers that support loading a Java Applet in-browser?

I am trying to acess my web based emulator for work and the tablet does not support java virtual machine which needs to be installed to run the emulator tried to download and it tells me that the device does not support java . Is there an app that i can load to make java work or is there a mobil tablet that supports this ?

Are you trying to execute an Java-Applet within an Browser on Android?

Sounds more like this one to me? Are there any Android browsers that support loading a Java Applet in-browser?

Although most Android apps are originally written in Java, they are then converted into Dalvik code which runs on a Dalvik Virtual Machine on the Android device. Android devices don't natively have any Java Virtual Machine installed, and can't run Java apps or applets.
Someone would have to write a JVM that can run on Android and then make it available as a browser plugin (like Flash), or as part of a separate web browser. Both of these are options but I don't believe that anyone has written one yet, and searches of the Android Market don't show anything that's likely to help you yet.
If your Java app just was originally written for mobile devices and only uses the JavaME part of Java then it may be possible to convert it to run on Android using a technique like the one here Converting JavaME applications to the Android platform.
See also these previous questions:

Are there any Android browsers that support loading a Java Applet in-browser?
How can I install .jar files on my Android?


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Will installing cyanogenmod7 on my Samsung Vibrant require me to wipe my phone first?
I'm interested in putting CyanogenMod on my Samsung Vibrant (Galaxy S).  The FAQ on Cyanogenmod says:

Q: Do I have to wipe my data before I install CyanogenMod?
A: Short answer: Maybe. Long answer: Maybe.

I understand there's a possibility if something goes wrong that I might have to wipe my phone.  However, in the Vibrant instructions right after booting into ClockworkMod Recovery it says to "wipe data/factory reset" and "wipe cache partition".  That seems to me to indicate that a factory reset is required, which I would think would wipe out everything on my phone.
Is it just that the Vibrant's instruction require a reset or am I not understanding something?  Thanks!

In my experience, yes.  I tried without wiping and CM7 failed to boot.

My experience, too. I tried once and I boot-looped. I tried a different time and it booted, but practically everything I opened force closed.


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Motorola Droid 3 many random reboots
I am having the feared random reboots in my recently acquired Droid 3.
It is rebooting more than 10 times a day randomly, both when idle and when doing anything in the phone.
The only pattern I've been to able to catch is that around 30 seconds before a reboot, I lose phone signal (the signal strength meter is empty and showing a cross). WiFi keeps working until the reboot.
I am located in Spain and using the phone in GSM/UMTS mode, with CDMA disabled. Some times when I lose the signal prior to a reboot, I get a pop-up asking if I want to put the phone in "global" mode for it to search for CDMA signal.
I am using rooted Steel Droid 3 with OTA 5.6.890, but it happened with Verizon's stock ROM as well.
I have googled extensively for the last couple of days and did everything I have found about possible solutions:

Factory reset and disabling Google restoring features on initial config (to prevent restoring WiFi hotspot data, alleged to cause reboots)
Manually wiping all WiFi hotspot info
Disable WiFi
Running with no apps installed
Formatting sd card
Wiping user data and cache from Recovery
Checking if the battery is loose, wedge a piece of paper to lock it in place

None of this have prevented or even alleviated the random reboots.
I'm fearing my phone might be a total lemon, but unfortunately as I am in Spain I can't return it and get a replacement. Anyway I have been reading that people have returned their Droids four or five times and still get random reboots in every new or refurbished Droid they get.
Other than that the phone works perfectly well, and I really love it. But having reboots when you are in the middle of something is going to get more and more annoying and I fear I will throw it out of the window sooner or later. I really need to solve this.
I run adb logcat in hopes of finding what is causing it, but it didn't see anything revelatory. Here are the tails of my last 3 logs before a crash:
12-06 22:39:43.764   512  3986 W Smack/Packet: notify conn break (IOEx), close connection12-06 22:39:43.764   512  3986 D Smack   : [XMPPConn] close connection, notifyClosed=false
12-06 22:39:43.921   512   608 I GTalkService: [GTalkConnection.18] connectionClosed: connId=28343, error=CONNECTION FAILED
12-06 22:39:43.921   317   323 D ConnectivityService: reportNetworkCondition(1,0)
12-06 22:39:43.929   317   370 D ConnectivityService: Inet connectivity change,net=1, condition=0,mActiveDefaultNetwork=1
12-06 22:39:43.929   317   370 D ConnectivityService: starting a change hold12-06 22:39:43.936   512   608 I GTalkService: [GTalkConnection.18] (WORKER THREAD) update account status
12-06 22:39:43.999   512   608 I GTalkService: [GTalkConnection.18] (WORKER THREAD) update account status - done, took 58 ms
12-06 22:39:46.944   400   400 D StatusBarPolicy: the netConditon of netType 1 is updated as 0 by android.net.conn.INET_CONDITION_ACTION,icon color should be white.
12-06 22:39:46.944   400   400 V StatusBarPolicy: NetworkInfo: NetworkInfo: type: WIFI[], state: CONNECTED/CONNECTED, reason: (unspecified), extra: (none), roaming: false, failover: false, isAvailable: true, inetCondition=     0
12-06 22:39:46.944   400   400 V StatusBarPolicy: mModemIsResetting=false
12-06 22:39:46.944   317   370 D ConnectivityService: Inet hold end, net=1, condition =0, published condition =100
12-06 22:39:59.702   195   237 D libmdmctrl: file /sys/bus/usb/devices/usb2/power/control, buff = auto
12-06 22:39:59.702   195   237 D libmdmctrl:
12-06 22:39:59.702   195   237 D libmdmctrl: file /sys/bus/usb/devices/usb2/power/control opened in write only mode
12-06 22:39:59.702   195   237 D libmdmctrl:

Log 2:
12-06 23:12:14.951   533  1016 I EventLogService: Aggregate from 1323209010096 (log), 1323207734851 (data)
12-06 23:12:16.654   317   382 D dalvikvm: GC_EXPLICIT freed 143K, 38% free 8201K/13063K, external 5433K/6784K, paused 158ms
12-06 23:12:21.990   195   237 D libmdmctrl: file /sys/bus/usb/devices/usb2/power/control, buff = auto
12-06 23:12:21.990   195   237 D libmdmctrl:
12-06 23:12:21.990   195   237 D libmdmctrl: file /sys/bus/usb/devices/usb2/power/control opened in write only mode
12-06 23:12:21.990   195   237 D libmdmctrl:
12-06 23:12:24.591  4743  4754 W googleanalytics: Problem with socket or streams.
12-06 23:12:24.591  4743  4754 W googleanalytics: java.net.ConnectException: www.google-analytics.com/127.0.0.1:80 - Connection refused
12-06 23:12:24.591  4743  4754 W googleanalytics:       at org.apache.harmony.luni.net.PlainSocketImpl.connect(PlainSocketImpl.java:207)
12-06 23:12:24.591  4743  4754 W googleanalytics:       at org.apache.harmony.luni.net.PlainSocketImpl.connect(PlainSocketImpl.java:437)
12-06 23:12:24.591  4743  4754 W googleanalytics:       at java.net.Socket.connect(Socket.java:983)
12-06 23:12:24.591  4743  4754 W googleanalytics:       at org.apache.http.conn.scheme.PlainSocketFactory.connectSocket(PlainSocketFactory.java:119)
12-06 23:12:24.591  4743  4754 W googleanalytics:       at com.google.android.apps.analytics.PipelinedRequester.maybeOpenConnection(Unknown Source)
12-06 23:12:24.591  4743  4754 W googleanalytics:       at com.google.android.apps.analytics.PipelinedRequester.addRequest(Unknown Source)
12-06 23:12:24.591  4743  4754 W googleanalytics:       at com.google.android.apps.analytics.NetworkDispatcher$DispatcherThread$AsyncDispatchTask.dispatchSomePendingEvents(Unknown Source)
12-06 23:12:24.591  4743  4754 W googleanalytics:       at com.google.android.apps.analytics.NetworkDispatcher$DispatcherThread$AsyncDispatchTask.run(Unknown Source)
12-06 23:12:24.591  4743  4754 W googleanalytics:       at android.os.Handler.handleCallback(Handler.java:587)
12-06 23:12:24.591  4743  4754 W googleanalytics:       at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:92)
12-06 23:12:24.591  4743  4754 W googleanalytics:       at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:130)
12-06 23:12:24.591  4743  4754 W googleanalytics:       at android.os.HandlerThread.run(HandlerThread.java:60)
12-06 23:12:24.849   445   467 D dalvikvm: GC_CONCURRENT freed 1098K, 49% free 4008K/7815K, external 2692K/3351K, paused 2ms+2ms
12-06 23:12:24.896   445   445 W KeyCharacterMap: Can't open keycharmap file
12-06 23:12:24.896   445   445 W KeyCharacterMap: Error loading keycharmap file'/data/usr/keychars/omap-keypad.kcm.bin'. hw.keyboards.0.devname='omap-keypad'

Log 3:
12-06 23:46:26.576   677  1930 W IdleConnectionHandler: Removing a connection that never existed!12-06 23:46:26.576   677  1930 D News Processor:  SAVED http://www.meneame.net/rss2.php
12-06 23:46:26.584   677  1932 D News Processor:  PROCESSING source: 20 http://www.meneame.net/rss2.php
12-06 23:46:26.646   677  1932 D News Processor:  HAS NEW: false - http://www.meneame.net/rss2.php
12-06 23:46:33.584  1480  1491 W googleanalytics: Problem with socket or streams.
12-06 23:46:33.584  1480  1491 W googleanalytics: java.net.ConnectException: www.google-analytics.com/127.0.0.1:80 - Connection refused
12-06 23:46:33.584  1480  1491 W googleanalytics:       at org.apache.harmony.luni.net.PlainSocketImpl.connect(PlainSocketImpl.java:207)
12-06 23:46:33.584  1480  1491 W googleanalytics:       at org.apache.harmony.luni.net.PlainSocketImpl.connect(PlainSocketImpl.java:437)
12-06 23:46:33.584  1480  1491 W googleanalytics:       at java.net.Socket.connect(Socket.java:983)
12-06 23:46:33.584  1480  1491 W googleanalytics:       at org.apache.http.conn.scheme.PlainSocketFactory.connectSocket(PlainSocketFactory.java:119)
12-06 23:46:33.584  1480  1491 W googleanalytics:       at com.google.android.apps.analytics.PipelinedRequester.maybeOpenConnection(Unknown Source)
12-06 23:46:33.584  1480  1491 W googleanalytics:       at com.google.android.apps.analytics.PipelinedRequester.addRequest(Unknown Source)
12-06 23:46:33.584  1480  1491 W googleanalytics:       at com.google.android.apps.analytics.NetworkDispatcher$DispatcherThread$AsyncDispatchTask.dispatchSomePendingEvents(Unknown Source)
12-06 23:46:33.584  1480  1491 W googleanalytics:       at com.google.android.apps.analytics.NetworkDispatcher$DispatcherThread$AsyncDispatchTask.run(Unknown Source)
12-06 23:46:33.584  1480  1491 W googleanalytics:       at android.os.Handler.handleCallback(Handler.java:587)
12-06 23:46:33.584  1480  1491 W googleanalytics:       at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:92)
12-06 23:46:33.584  1480  1491 W googleanalytics:       at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:130)
12-06 23:46:33.584  1480  1491 W googleanalytics:       at android.os.HandlerThread.run(HandlerThread.java:60)
12-06 23:46:36.334   195   237 D libmdmctrl: file /sys/bus/usb/devices/usb2/power/control, buff = auto
12-06 23:46:36.334   195   237 D libmdmctrl:
12-06 23:46:36.334   195   237 D libmdmctrl: file /sys/bus/usb/devices/usb2/power/control opened in write only mode
12-06 23:46:36.334   195   237 D libmdmctrl:

I have seen that the most common before-reboot output is
12-06 22:39:59.702   195   237 D libmdmctrl: file /sys/bus/usb/devices/usb2/power/control, buff = auto
12-06 22:39:59.702   195   237 D libmdmctrl:
12-06 22:39:59.702   195   237 D libmdmctrl: file /sys/bus/usb/devices/usb2/power/control opened in write only mode
12-06 22:39:59.702   195   237 D libmdmctrl:

But I have googled for libmdmctrl and there is only 1 result that has nothing to do with anything.
I am really in the dark, thanks for any help!

I tried a different approach, seeing the problem was with radio / telephony...
I put in another SIM from a different carrier, and so far I am having no reboots!
What is the difference? My main carrier is a "virtual carrier", a company that rents other company's network to offer their service, usually with more competitive prices.
The SIM I'm using now is from a traditional carrier that owns the network directly.
What I think happens is that when using a virtual carrier, you are having a sort of permanent roaming: the phone has to first get into the network owning carrier and then join the virtual network of the virtual carrier. Somehow this is making the Droid 3 crazy.
The signal strength meter was indeed showing a small "R" indicating I was in roaming. I assumed this was because being an US phone, it took any non-US network as roaming, but now that I am using the regular carrier SIM, the signal strength bar is not showing "R" anymore.
Seems I will have to change my carrier to a network owner, which unfortunately have much less competitive prices. But at least I found a way of using the Droid 3 without constant reboots!!
For future reference to other Spanish users: I am having the reboots using a Simyo SIM (which runs on the Orange network), but with a Movistar SIM there are no reboots.

It sounds to me it could a hardware issue and not a software issue.
Things I would try

Flashing even more ROMs. Try CM7 if it is available for Droid 3. If it keeps rebooting with other ROMs, you most likely have a hardware problem
Hardware suggestions: try a new/different battery.  Also, since you are using GSM and it deals with losing your signal, perhaps it is an issue with your SIM card?
Otherwise: contact customer support and tell them of your hardware issue of reboots. They might have some additional info or procedures to help you. Or a new refurb phone. (But since you're in Spain, that sounds like a problem).

Thanks, your remark about a possible problem with the SIM card made me try another one and find the solution :)


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WebM playback faulty on Android 2.3.6
When I open a 720p ".webm" file on the "Movies" app in Android 2.3.6 (Nexus One) it displays only one frame and plays the audio correctly. How to fix it? Should I try a lower resolution file?

I just found out it happens only with HD videos. 480p and 320p videos play normally.
The problem is caused by the Hardware Decoder.
When I use a player like MX Video Player, that allows me to choose a SW decoder, the playback is normal.


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Samsung Galaxy S2 hangs/freezes sometime
I am using Samsung Galaxy S2 for last 4 days. After two days of usage, I am experiencing phone hanging frequently. It just freezes while operating. The screen light won't go off and screen stays freezed. Only way out is press & hold power off button and restart S2.
I was using a launcher called, Go Launcher EX. Thinking this launcher is making the problem, I uninstalled everything related to this. But it didn't fix the problem.
I am running the following applications other than the defaul samsung installed ones.

Advanced task killer
Amazon Kindle
Angry birds
Dropbox
Facebook
Firefox
Gmail
Picture Dial
Springpad

I am not sure which application causes the problem. I am thinking of doing a factory reset. Before I do that, just wanted to see if someone else faced the problem.
If the crash/freeze happens next time, is there a place that I can look for diagnostic information? Like logs, dumps etc.
Edit
I got it freezing again. I was charging the phone and got a call. That froze the phone.
Any help would be appreciated

How often do you use the task killer? Because you really shouldn't.

I use it whenever I see lot of applications are running. I heard, it is good to use that. Why do you think it should be run often?

No, you shouldn't use the task killer at all. See http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/9/do-i-really-need-to-install-a-task-manager

If you suspect an app or service is causing the freeze, and if your phone is rooted, install Bloat Freezer and then freeze  background apps and services in groups to try and isolate the problem.
A good list of apps that can be safely frozen can be found here. Some of them are:

All share
Analog clock
Android live wallpapers
Ap Mobile
Bookstore

There are over a hundred listed in the post I've referenced.


text:
PIN reset for purchases on Market
I created a PIN for accepting purchases on the Android Market, and I seem to have forgotten it. How can I reset it? It looks as though I can't access User Controls without said PIN. It's not a huge deal, since I can still purchase apps from the website, but it would be good to have that option if I was on the go.

Settings -> Applications -> Manage applications -> Market -> Clear data


text:
Root Nexus One without wiping?
I have a Nexus One running Gingerbread (2.3.6), completely stock and unrooted. I would like to root my phone, and try installing ROMs like Cyanogen. However, as far as I know, the official way to do so, fastboot oem unlock, will wipe my phone, causing me to lose all of my data.
Is there any good way for me to root my phone without wiping, so that I can use something like Titanium Backup to back up all of my data before I unlock my bootloader and thus wipe my data?
If not, is there any good, automated way, to back up as much data as possible without root, and give me some indication of what could not be backed up? I don't want to have to go through every application and figure out if it has some way of exporting its data.

This XDA thread provides a method for rooting without unlocking, though I don't know if it will still work for 2.3.6.  Worth a shot.  If I doesn't I think you'd need to downgrade your firmware to avoid unlocking, which would wipe your data anyways.
As for backing up without root, see How can data on an unrooted phone be backed up?

I was able to flawlessly root Nexus One with stock 2.3.6 with DooMLoRD's Easy Rooting Toolkit [v4.0](zergRush Exploit).
This also installed Busybox and Superuser app.
No bootloader unlock or wipe was performed and no user data or apps were lost.
Some useful info can be also obtained here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/HTC_Nexus_One/Flashing_Guide

Thanks! I'd forgotten I'd even asked this question, and have even moved on to a Nexus 4, but good to know anyhow, maybe I'll play around with my N1 again at some point.


text:
Improving performance of HTC Magic
I have installed Cyanogenmod 6.1 and it's OK - better app compatibility, and stable - but it's slow (and USB SD-card mounting doesn't work, but maybe that's an app or something).
What can I do to speed this thing up?
Ginger Yoshi 1.5 sounded like a good option, but I got errors when I tried to flash it.

I think this is too subjective, and you've worded it as a poll.  It would be best to browse the XDA subforum for your device and see what people say.

@Matthew Read Are you serious? 1: Best performance isn't really subjective. 2: Somebody might know the answer, and save myself and every other person to have this question, hours of reading forums. This is the point of StackExchange sites.  3: Why not submit your answer as an answer? Downvoting legit questions helps no-one.

Saying the word "best" isn't subjective is ridiculous.  My suggestion isn't an answer, and I would expect this question to be closed -- I've commented and voted while waiting to see if others agree.

MGOwen: Matthew has stated and expressed his opinion of your question. Which is perfectly fine here. I think your question is ok, if you would rephrase it. For example: "How can I improve the performance of the HTC Magic?" Then state in the body of the question that you are also willing to try different ROMs.

@Flow is right. As is, you're asking for people's opinions ("what do others use?") rather than for a solution to a particular problem. Further, "best performance" is subjective without an objective metric. What are you measuring?

I have taken a stab at making the question more about a problem to solve than to ask for opinions.

To answer the question - to speed that thing up you need to roll back to CM4 or another Android 1.6 based ROM.
I have a Magic and have used several ROMs including CMs 4, 5 and 6.  It is unfortunately hamstrung by its first-generation hardware - you simply are NOT going to get both features and speed from this phone, period.
Android 2.x ROMs do not make the Magic faster.  With all their config options they can make some things appear fast but this comes at the cost of performance in other areas.

I have tried several roms on HTC magic: Stock 1.5, Sense 1.5, CM6.1 and YoshiMod GingerBread
I always Benchmarked the phone with Quadrant for each new rom, I found out that Sense was better than plain 1.5, then CM 6.1 was faster than Sense, but the faster for me was YoshiMod with GingerBread, had no troubles with it... CM6.1 was also solid though.
Check this post for info on YoshiMod GingerBread for HTC Magic Install Ginger Yoshi 1.4 on HTC Magic 32a, which radio do I need?


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3G Connection Not Working on Samsung Galaxy S2
I have a Galaxy S2 that for some reason does not work when it's connected to a 3G network(or at least I think it's connected, there's a '3G' symbol next to my signal meter). When I say it doesn't work, I mean that I don't have any data connection what-so-ever. No internet, nothing.
When my phone is connected with the 'H+' symbol next to the signal meter then everything works perfectly. But the problem is that my phone is constantly trying to use 3G, which of course is useless.
My phone details are:
Model Number:       GT-I9100
Android Version:    2.3.3
Baseband version:   I9100XXKE7
Kernal Version:     2.6.35.7-I9100XWKF3-CL276555root@DELL101 #2
Build number:       GINGERBREAD.XWKF3
If anyone has an idea why this would happen, please give me a shout. It's so frustrating having no data connection for the most of my day. Also if there's a way to just stop the phone completely from trying to connect/use a 3G connection. That would be great.
PS - I'm in South Africa and my carrier is 'Cell C'.
Thank in advance!

Well, you could try going into Settings - Wireless and Networks - Mobile Networks - Tick use only 2G networks.
That will disable 3G connectivity.
If you wish to disable mobile data, then un-tick the mobile data option.

Airplane mode would kill the 3G connection.... but it would also kill the Wifi connection.
APNDroid can kill just the 3G connection.
As for the actual 3G problem... have you talked to your carrier?  Does your phone have to know some sort of preferred roaming list that it is missing?


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Internet access from my Samsung G II through my office PC network via USB?

Possible Duplicate:
How to set up reverse tethering over USB?

How do I connect and have internet access from my Samsung G II through my office PC network via USB?

The PDAnet app has always worked for me in getting internet over USB.  The only difference between the free and paid versions is that paid supports https.

I believe PDAnet is for tethering and @Yazid is asking for reverse tethering.

Mmm, quite possibly. The grammar is bad enough that it's hard to tell...

Even I had tried but didn't work for me. However, you can try this:
http://www.linuxreaders.com/2011/03/09/android-access-internet-from-computer-via-usb/
Another option is to set up your laptop as a wifi hotspot. This might help-
http://keithmac.com/?p=125

I have set up the same way at home without a wifi router. I have a wireless adapter on my desktop and set up an adhoc network and I can access my internet connection on my phone. But there's a catch. It might not work without rooting your phone.


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How can I modify the phone model in build.prop to get unsupported apps?
I currently have a rooted HTC Legend. In light of the current Android Market sales, I would love to be able to purchase some of the apps on sale without a compatible handset, since I plan to get a GNex in the next few weeks.
I've read that it may be possible to modify my build.prop file to a more modern handset, however beyond this suggestion, I can't find any more specific details, nor which phone model would be ideal for this. How can I do this?
I note that a number of people complain they've bricked after messing with build.prop. Is this a real danger or would it just require fixing the build.prop from adb, or reflashing the ROM?

Found this http://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/ha5oh/root_how_to_edit_your_buildprop_to_make_netflix/ which looks very likely to apply in my case.

I would just like to advise to tread carefully when messing with build.prop. I went through a phase of tinkering with it and I got myself in a right mess at one point!

There is no particular phone that's ideal, given the app devs can choose to support whatever subset of devices they wish.  The Nexus devices are probably the most likely to be broadly compatible though.
You can't brick with build.prop as far as I know, though you can certainly prevent your phone from booting if you change the wrong setting.  Make a backup of the file and don't edit anything under this line:
# end build properties

Just edit anything that has the device name, e.g. 'ro.product.device' or similar.  Replace it with the corresponding entry from the build.prop for the device you're emulating (extract it from the ROM or see if it's been posted somewhere).  Updating any other text to be accurate (like manufacturer) is best too.  Note that changing the version of Android in this file won't help, since it looks like the Market polls the system directly.  Nothing you can do about that unfortunately.
After editing, make sure /system is mounted read-only.  Then reboot and clear the data for the Market.
Below is the relevant portion of my Vibrant's build.prop, with which I just got Minecraft for 10 cents :)

# begin build properties
# autogenerated by buildinfo.sh
ro.build.id=FROYO
ro.build.display.id=Bionix NextGen 1 by TeamWhiskey
ro.build.version.incremental=UVKA6
ro.build.version.sdk=8
ro.build.version.codename=REL
ro.build.version.release=2.2
ro.build.date=2011. 01. 18. (화) 21:53:23 KST
ro.build.date.utc=1295355203
ro.build.type=user
ro.build.user=jaeyoon.yoon
ro.build.host=SEP-05
ro.build.tags=release-keys
ro.product.model=SGH-T959
ro.product.brand=Samsung
ro.product.name=SGH-T959
ro.product.device=SGH-T959
ro.product.board=SGH-T959
ro.product.cpu.abi=armeabi-v7a
ro.product.cpu.abi2=armeabi
ro.product.manufacturer=Samsung
ro.product.locale.language=en
ro.product.locale.region=US
ro.wifi.channels=
ro.board.platform=s5pc110
# ro.build.product is obsolete; use ro.product.device
ro.build.product=SGH-T959
# Do not try to parse ro.build.description or .fingerprint
ro.build.description=SGH-T959-user 2.2 FROYO UVKA6 release-keys
ro.build.fingerprint=Samsung/SGH-T959/SGH-T959/SGH-T959:2.2/FROYO/UVKA6:user/release-keys
# Samsung Specific Properties
ro.build.PDA=T959UVKA6
ro.build.hidden_ver=T959UVKA6
ro.build.changelist=860813
ro.tether.denied=false
# end build properties

I tried modifying the fingerprint here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=973919 which seems to have worked for others, how had no effect for me. There does seem to be an element of luck in how long it takes for the Market to update after you've changed the fingerprint though which I might need to wait for.

OK, the problem seems to be that I'm not able to write to build.prop, or in fact /system at all, despite either running the remount command, or enabling mount r/w with ES Explorer. Fishy stuff going on, and I also can't get HTC Sync to install so that I can use adb.

@DanH I use Root Explorer, you might have better luck with that.  I assume ES requested and you granted escalation via the SuperUser app, right?

Yeah it's really weird, I grant ES access, then it appears to write successfully initially, however that just makes the build.prop file totally disappear, including from terminal emulator. After this initial "success" and then disappearance, I'm no longer able to write to anything under /system. Rebooting just seems to restore the build.prop to it's original state.

@DanH I wonder if you might need to re-root for whatever reason.  That's really strange.

Ahh OK, hadn't considered that re-rooting was a thing :) I'll look into that too thanks :D

Can you please update values or tell me what I should change so my device becomes a Galaxy S II?

@Shimmy You should search and see if you can find the SGS II's build.prop file or a ROM from which you can extract it; I don't have one handy.  Or ask someone who has the device to extract it :)

@MatthewRead, thanks for your response. I've tried the model in your example, and it worked for some apps. However some apps (Google Search, Go Launcher Ex Notifications etc.) are still unavailable, any idea why, maybe it's not related to the device model (My device is actually a Galaxy Player 5 USA (YP-G70).

@Shimmy I'm not sure. Maybe regional restrictions?

@MatthewRead, thanks again for your effort. I've used Market Enabler to become US T-Mobile, and also reduced density to factory setting, but these apps are still unavailable, what else can you think of?

@Shimmy Last thing I can think of is the Android version, which can't be faked without altering the OS, but I assume you have the required version?  And Google Search ought to be available to all versions.  Hmm.  Sometimes the Market doesn't pick up Market Enabler changes right away ... you may need to clear the Market data, reboot, and wait for a bit before opening the Market (connect via mobile data rather than wifi).

@MatthewRead, I'm on the SGP which has no data-conn, just WiFi. I did what you said and it didn't work. Thanks for your ideas. Should you come up with new ones, please come back and throw them in. Thanks a lot!

@Shimmy Ah I see, that might be the issue ... I've never had much success tricking the Market over Wi-Fi.

@MatthewRead, I never knew there is a difference between 3G network and WiFi. Anyway, yet if you come up with an idea, please come back :)