text:
A2DP Bluetooth audio randomly shows "(no media)"
Sometimes when I connect my phone to my headset, the Bluetooth device will be listed as:
"Connected ( no media )"

When this happens, it uses the "Phone audio" profile. The "Media audio" profile (A2DP) will also have a checkmark, as if it were connected, but all sound is coming from the phone's speaker (see photo below). If I attempt to uncheck it, it will immediately recheck itself. When it is working properly, it will wait two seconds and disconnect.

Rebooting the headset, or disconnecting it manually doesn't solve the issue.

Solved: The android system is likely connected to the headset for phone calls, and some other device for A2DP (media). Some other device is still using the audio connection, even though the sound comes from android's speaker!
What this means is that if you have any other A2DP devices that you've paired your android with (laptop/stereo/etc) then you will have to disconnect via the other device, not android.
However under android's "Paired Devices" list (see image), the other device isn't always listed as connected, even though it is! If you manually try to un-check the "Media audio" profile for the other device, it will not disconnect!
You must manually disconnect the other device outside of android.
For example: If the other device is a laptop, you must disconnect the audio connection using the laptop. If the other device has no way to manually disconnect (no buttons), just turn it off and use your android to connect to the correct device.

Wow, this was my problem and surprising (what a terrible design that you cannot figure it out on the device).  In my case it was a Fedora laptop, which did not show the A2DP device as connected (it was the other day) but as soon as I turned off the Bluetooth stack on the laptop, the "music source" connection was usable after I disconnected and reconnected on Android.
The headset itself said it was "ready to pair" so I don't think it was connected to the laptop.  It may be that since the laptop is paired with the handset as well they were all on the same PAN (needs to be tested/isolated).

This helped me realize my Android Wear watch was the culprit. I'd just disconnect and reconnect my headphones, and it'd be fine. But I wonder if disallowing "Contact Sharing" to my watch will help...

authors: Кирилл Терехов


text:
Lag when opening Data Manager Settings
Since I have a prepaid Internet/Data Plan, I need to turn off/on Data Connection frequently. But Navigating to Settings -> Data Manager takes at least 25-30s on my Moto Defy (2.2) device. What could be the problem?
EDIT : As a workaround I am using this app to turn on/off. Have installed and uninstalled lots of other widgets which never worked.

When you say "Navigating to Settings -> Data Manager takes atleast 25-30s on my moto defy (2.2) device." Why does the process take so long? Where is it slow?

@Peanut After I tap on Data Manager it doesn't open up immediately. it shows a blank screen and loads the menu after 30s. This is the same problem I have but there was no solution as to how the OP fixed it.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
Backlight flickering at low brightness levels
I noticed my phone's backlight would start to flicker/pulse intermittently when I switch my brightness level to something low (est. between 1% to 15% brightness). The flickering or pulsing is as if the power supplied to the light is fluctuating.
My phone is a HTC Desire, OS used to be stock (Froyo 2.2) when I experienced this, now it is on CM7.2 (GB 2.3.7), still has this problem. I have not tried any other ROMs on this phone, and not sure if it is a software or a hardware problem.
Is there any way to prevent this flickering, other than not setting the brightness to such levels?

Did you change your display?

You could try this fix

Those running the cynogen mod on their HTC Desire and experiencing problems with auto adjustment of brightness would be happy to hear that a fix has been developed to tackle it.

If it doesn't work you could try another rom to determine if its a software or a hardware issue.

If you really want the brightness that low on your device, try an "overlay" dimmer which displays a dark layer over the screen to simulate darker brightness. To you it will be the same.
Try Lux. It will let you pick how low to let the brightness goes (just before flickering), then it will activate the overlay beyond that.

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


text:
SD card won't format on my Samsung Galaxy S3
My Samsung Galaxy S3 tells me that I have used up all of my memory. So, I bought a brand-new 32GB SD card, and placed it in the phone. I went to storage settings and followed the instructions to format the SD card. Then, it tells me it's updating memory and my total space available is 32GB remaining.
However, nothing is happening. It still says I have ran out of memory. I have turned off the phone and turned it back on several times. I have also restarted phone. I have formatted SD card many times, but nothing is happening.
This is frustrating, because I deleted so many apps because it's not letting me download or open anything because it's full.
Please help.

If your device talks about "low memory", it is not evaluating the sd card -- but rather means internal memory. So it doesn't help to buy a bigger sd card: what you have to do is to free up internal storage.
This is an issue coming up here frequently -- so for details please look at the solutions already present:

Low disk storage Space
More internal memory or less memory + SD card
My internal storage capacity is running low, what can I do?
Message Memory Full, Incoming message rejected

There are many more -- just follow the internal-storage tag and watch out...


text:
Am I consuming "roaming" services?
I've borrowed an Android phone so I can decide whether to buy one. I have a GSM SIM without a data plan, but I am using Wifi that is broadcast from my other smartphone which does have a data plan.
The phone's GSM signal icon has a tiny "R" that indicates that I am roaming -- why?
My phone is an HTC Desire Z with (I think!) Android 2.3.
Under Settings > Mobile Networks I have these settings:
Data enabled = unticked
International data roaming = unticked
National data roaming = unticked
Use only 2G networks = ticked
The notification list sometimes shows me a message that is too long to be displayed, but some googling tells me that this is the complete text:

"You have lost data connectivity because you left your home network with data roaming turned off"

The notification list also shows that I am in fact on the correct network: My SIM card is from the provider "bob" and the phone shows that I am on the "bob" network.
Am I consuming anything related to roaming? How can I ensure that I will not use roaming?

In some ROM the display of 'R' will be bit confusing. The 'R' might be displayed in different colours to highlight roaming or not. To ensure, can you go to Settings -> About phone -> Status and see what the item "Roaming" shows? In my LG P500 when not in roaming it shows "Not Roaming". Probably this could clear if you are a victim of ambiguous display of 'R'.

Maybe this post from XDA will answer your question.

This isn't an APN problem, it is a SIM problem.
Your provider has one set of numbers on your card, and another set of
  numbers that actually identify the network, and they don't match.
  Technically, from the phone's point of view, you are roaming, even
  if it is the same provider. From the provider's point of view, you
  aren't roaming.
Up until cupcake, we had that same problem here in Canada when using
  the "Fido" network (which is owned and operated by "Rogers"). The
  network identified itself as "Rogers", the SIM cards identify
  themselves as "Fido", the phone think's its roaming.
So; you don't need to worry about roaming charges when you are
  actually connected to the correct network.
BUT; You don't have an easy to read display to tell you when you are
  really roaming, nor can you make configurations that are based on whether you are or are not roaming.

This could make sense, thank you! The "bob" network is a low-budget provider that operates on top of another provider ("A1"). So if my phone sees that it's on "A1" then this matches your explanation. It's just confusing because it still shows "bob"...


text:
How can I check the firmware version of my ONDA V712?
Is there an easy way to check the firmware version (not Android version)?

How about in Settings > About Phone? My Galaxy S2 has it there.

You can use either the way geff_chang suggested or use android service menus
In the service menu, it is located at Software info -> Phone info
You can always use third party apps as well.

It's a tablet so the service menu won't work

@Casebash see the edit.

That app certainly gives very detailed information, but I can't see the firmware version anywhere

go to app -> select system tab -> click Buildinfos The firmware version is what's called as the Id


text:
Private keys cannot be verified in recovery
I am trying to sign zip packages before flashing them in recovery. By using the test keys by Google, the zip can be verified and flashed successfully. However, when I try to sign using my private keys, the signing process is OK but the verification always fails.
First method:
Using keytool and jarsigner
Generating private keys:
keytool -genkey -v -keystore test.keystore alias zippack -keyalg RSA -keysize 2048 -validity 1000

Signing:
jarsigner -verbose -sigalg MD5withRSA -digestalg SHA1 -keystore test.keystore test.zip zippack

Result:
E: signature verification failed

Second method (a):
Using OpenSSL and SignApk.jar
Generating private keys:
openssl genrsa -out key.pem 2048
openssl req -new -key key.pem -out request.pem
openssl x509 -req -days 9999 -in request.pem -signkey key.pem -out certificate.pem
openssl pkcs8 -topk8 -outform DER -in key.pem -inform PEM -out key.pk8 -nocrypt

Signing:
java -jar -w signapk.jar certificate.pem key.pk8 test.zip test-signed.zip

Result:
E: failed to verify whole file signature
I: verify_file returned 1
E: signature verification failed

Second method (b):
OpenSSL and SignApk.jar (changes in commands)
Generating private keys:
Same as above

Signing:
java -jar signapk.jar certificate.pem key.pk8 test.zip test-signed.zip

Result:
E: signature verification failed

That's about what I did. The methods above works for APKs, but not for zips. Anyone can help on this? Thanks in advanced.
P.S. I managed to get a look at the source code for recovery, and found that my errors are generated by this part of the code: https://github.com/CyanogenMod/android_bootable_recovery/blob/jellybean/verifier.c Maybe it might help answering.

This looks like a programming question, and should be on StackOverflow.com instead.

I don't think so because this is not programming, it is something related to the internals of Android OS.

From the code comments:
// ... Verify it matches one of the given public
// keys.

You can't just use any old signature, that would defeat the purpose.  APKs, on the other hand, are intended to be created and distributed by anyone and the signature is ostensibly to verify the source rather than limit the source.


text:
Is there way to switch between proxy settings on ICS?
I have an Xperia S running 4.0.4. I often need to switch to a proxy for accessing a test server. I can do this fine by modifying my Wifi connection, selecting to show advanced options and then entering the proxy information manually.
The problem is that if I then need to disable the proxy, ICS 'forgets' the settings so I have to enter them manually each time. I need the proxy to work with Adobe Edge Inspect and so browser-specific proxy options are not the answer.
Is there a reputable third-party app which will let me switch between proxies for the current network connection?

Just try ProxyDroid
This app need root permission and IPTABLES support.
It's a full feature proxy application including support for HTTP/Socks proxy types, global/individual proxy mode, multiple profiles.
Binding configuration to WIFI's ssid or mobile connection is also supported.

There is an app which is perfect for your situation

Wifi Manager

You can also try Proxy Server Pro
Note: These apps do not ask for root permissions. But if you're supposed to have root permission, which you don't in your stock ROM, you may want to unlock the bootloader to have root access. See this for rooting details.

rooting Xperia S 4.0.4 does NOT need unlocking bootloader, as answered by me on the question you have linked to.

well, the suggested app does what you need do yes? :)

I'm not the one who asked for the app :)

okay :)

@Sid what do you mean by 'if you're supposed to have root permission?'

@yrajabi I would actually quite like to get rid of the animation provided by O2 as part of the boot process. Does that require unlocking the bootloader?

@Sid When adding a proxy in Wifi Manager it tells me that only the web browser and no other applications will use it. I need it to work for all applications

@codecowboy it means if you have root permission in your originally unrooted device. And let's see if others have solutions for you.

@Sid nobody else has added comments and Proxy Server pro is a server and not what I need.


text:
HTC Desire Z stuck in boot-loop
I'm a total n00b with Android, and the existing questions tagged boot-loop didn't help me.
Apologies if I missed something "obvious"!
I've borrowed a used HTC Desire Z from my brother so I can decide whether to switch to Android. The phone was provided with CyanogenMod 7 and worked like a charm for a few days. I rebooted it today to see whether a reboot would clear up this other question and since then it keeps rebooting itself.
By "rebooting" I mean this sequence:
The device shows the HTC logo and then the cyanogen(mod)7 logo with the robot on a skateboard. After that, it shows the SIM PIN entry screen while the status bar says that it's loading the SD card. Without me touching the device, the screen goes black and boots again from the HTC logo onwards.
It's got the ClocworkMod Recovery v5.0.2.7 and I'm guessing that this is part of the CM7 package. It's (supposed to be) a helpful way to reset and recover the device.
Here's what I've tried so far (with reboots in between), without success:

I made a backup and then cleared the /cache.
I restored the backup.
I then reset the phone with the wipe data/factory reset function.
I removed the SIM and the SD card, then did another factory reset.
I wiped the Dalvik cache, whatever that is.
With help, I downloaded a fresh CM7.1 zip file and installed that via the Recovery and SD card. Also wiped all caches again, just to be sure.
I downloaded a CM9 rom that was made for this device and installed that. It starts fine and seems to work, but the exact same problem still occurs.

The phone now boots to the welcome screen that says "touch the Android to start" and then, as before, goes black and reboots without me touching it. By the way, the battery is about 70% charged so it's not due to an empty battery, and the problem is the same while plugged into the charger or not.
How can I get this device to run again? I don't care (much) for the settings I had; I can begin all over if need be. But I need a working device first...
Update: I added the steps 6&7 above. Didn't solve the problem but it seems to prove that it's not a ROM issue. Is the device physically defective?

It seems that the HTC Desire models are known to have hardware that easily gets defective... :-/
I've searched far and wide, and the general consensus seems to be that if a restore and/or factory reset doesn't resolve the problem, then it's not a software issue but a hardware defect.
The device could probably be repaired, but if the warranty gone then it's probably wiser buying a new device instead.


text:
How do I make JB use my external sd card (/storage/extSdCard)
I have a Samsung Note2 with 4.1.1 on it. I have what appears to be a virtual sd card called /storage/sdcard0. It uses phone memory. When I installed my new 32gb sdcard it was mounted as /storage/extSdCard.
The OS only seems to use sdcard0 for SD-like storage (like apps). I know this because SuperBox is reporting apps on my SDCard and they are really on sdcard0. The only way I can use my external card is if I tell some application to use it for storage.
Since sdcard0 is just eating up precious phone RAM is there a way I can safely convince JB to start using /storage/extSdCard instead?

You are very funny: sdcard0 is just eating up precious phone RAM is a good joke! Sorry, but that is your sdcard (though the internal), but not RAM. See: Why did /sdcard/ turn into /sdcard/0/ with 4.2?

I do not have 4.2.  It really is based on RAM.  It cannot both be internal and an SD card.

sdcard0 is not using RAM, sdcard0, as @Izzy said is your internal storage that is available. /sdcard/ is just a symlink to /storage/sdcard0/. It IS considered "sdcard" because it is built in storage that acts just like sdcard, except it cannot be removed. You cannot use the internal storage for anything except what you would use a normal sdcard for.

It might be considered SD card, and the intention might be to use it like an sd card, but it isn't an SD card.  And the only place that it can come from is RAM.  That's the only storage available to it.  So again, I claim it is RAM.  And funnily enough, if you look at SuperBox, my Phone's RAM usage is tracking almost exactly with my /storage/sdcard0 usage.  I haven't found the fstab for it yet, but I bet if I do I'm going to find a RAM device mounted at location /storage/sdcard0 and then symlinked to /sdcard as well.

I think you confused RAM with internal flash storage (memory).

@Izzy, though OP confused RAM with internal storage, this is a very painful question. I'm facing the same right now with my GT-I9505 (AOSP 4.4.2). It uses emulated SD card instead of external and I have no idea on how to convince it to use the right one.

Umm... I knew we had this somewhere already. You might also wish to watch How do I make /sdcard link point to external SD Card?

@Izzy, yep, I started that =)

Ugh... nevermind. Shall we close one of the two as duplicate? #D

@Izzy, mine is about KitKat, so it's not quite a duplicate.

If you're rooted, a simple, though kinda brute force, solution is simply to swap the mount points around.  Root External 2 Internal will do this automatically at boot for you.  This app is strictly intended for the GS3, but reviews report success with the Note 2 also.


text:
Connectify doesn't work with Android
I use Connectify Hotspot Pro to create Wi-Fi network. However, my Android phone is unable to display this Wi-Fi hotspot at all. What do I need to do to make it work?

What do you mean by display? Can other devices not see it? Why don't you use the built in hotspot system?

Have you seen this: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/26121/connectify-not-working-properly

While it is an understatement to say that Connectify doesn't work on android, the software developers claim that this is due to a bug in android, which occasionally causes
the device not to get assigned an IP address, causing the device to be stuck at "Obtaining IP address" or constantly dropping connections
Fortunately there is a workaround which involves changing from DHCP to Static address option.
Here are the steps to fix it:

Go to Settings and tap on Wi-Fi.
Turn on the Wi-Fi and connect to your Connectify hotspot.
Long press on the connected network and select Modify Network

Join the Connectify Hotspot.
To find the IP address of your hotspot, hover mouse over the name of the hotspot, it will appear in a tooltip bubble.
Here it is 192.168.50.1 (Use this as the Gateway) Proceed with modifying static IP address chose 192.168.50.xxx where xxx is any number between 2 and 255.

Screenshot (click image for larger variant)

Select DNS you wish to use e.g 8.8.8.8 (leave Network Prefix as it is) and save.

This should solve the connection drops obtaining IP address error.
(Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Connectify brand, only that I have been a regular user and thought to share on how to resolve these errors)
Credits: How to fix when Android is stuck "Obtaining IP Address..." ( and llustrations).


text:
Copy application data file from internal memory to sdcard via update.zip script
Unlock pattern has been used too many times on this android device and we don't have username and password. Most probably USB debugging might also be disabled. I can reset wipe data/factory reset from recovery mode, but I want to backup contacts and messages before I do that. Because we don't have username and password, so contacts can't be recovered even if it is synced to Google account (which I think won't be anyway). Only option I have is apply update from sdcard in recovery mode.
So is there any way to write some update script to copy the contacts data file to sdcard and then run it from update.zip?
Or if I can reboot the phone in USB debugging mode through update script as it happens after flashing some kernels?
Or if I can install an APK through update script?
Other details as below (in case if it matters)
Device: Samsung Galaxy S2
Android version: Never upgraded. So it is as it was bought.
Root Status: Unrooted

if you are in recovery, does adb work?

No, phone is not detected when I do adb devices. Even when I'm on lock screen.

See this

already gone through it. No username password so can't install Screen Lock Bypass. adb doesn't work. null funda also didn't worked for me. Phone call and then back button also didn't worked for me. Tried all possible things out of those..

Actually my phone is not getting detected by system even when on lock screen. When I connect USB, on Windows 7 it says driver installation for SAMSUNG Mobile USB Composite Device failed.

Try this BUT you will have the numbers and names... But if you are unrooted, then I think you're well and truly hosed! :( i.e. Factory reset it....

Still hope there, Try deleting the driver from windows first and restart it, then re-try plugging it in again...

I don't have CWM recovery. It's just simple recovery only 4 options. And yes it's unrooted phone. :-( . I will try deleting driver tomorrow. But once I've already done that. Still I'll try again.

I tried deleting driver and restart. :( No joy. Also I installed kies just in case if USB drivers are not properly installed by this exe


text:
LG L3 : difference between system memory and internal memory
I'm using LG L3 E405, and when I see memory usage in App Manager. I see there three sections: First is system memory (just about 200M), second is internal memory (1 GB) and last is my sd card (8GB).
I know difference between internal memory (is internal sd card) and normal sd card. But I don't know purpose of system memory. It's too low, and often applications are installed to there. After install, I must move those apps again to internal memory, but not all I can do this.
Please help me figure out this point.

Internal memory is the actual RAM "chip" (for want of better word, technically integrated within the CPU) itself. System "memory" is a partition in which the Android OS resides in (note how I emphasized memory in context of system!)

Isn't system memory a memory where Android OS is installed? Internal memory is where the apps are installed (or necessary files are linked). SD card gets the secondary storage.

You better go to Cellshopes, get "Root" on your Adroid device, but it's too risky and oftentimes warranty will be voided once it happen.

-1 This doesn't answer the question.


text:
"Low on space" message on an android tablet
I just got a Agptek 9" tablet.  It's running android 4.04, ICS with 8GB storage and 512MB of RAM.  It generally runs great.  After a few days the tablet is getting a "low on space" error message in the notification bar.
In the storage area of settings, it shows over 800MB not used.  Because of this error, it will not allow downloads, including updates and the tablet very runs slow. All downloaded apps have been moved to the SD card.  All cache has been removed.
The only software in the internal storage is android files and apps that came with the tablet, which can not be moved or removed.  Yet, the notification bar shows "low on space".  I did a "factory data reset" and the problem was resolved for a while.  But, the problem shorty returns.
Can you give me assistance in how to fix this.  Or steer me in the right direction for help.

Hint: follow the internal-storage tag I just added. This is a frequent question, so there are already plenty answers available on our site.

Even if you move apps to the SDcard, the apps will still use space in /data/data/ this is where the user data is stored for the application. this includes things like the database, additional application specific files, other cached data.
Devices that do not have large a /data/data partition are very troublesome with a lot of current applications. Applications like Google+, Chrome, Gmail (just as a couple examples) can use a lot of space in /data/data/.
To see if the issue is /data/data/ you can try and clear Data for some applications and see if the notification goes away. Not just the cache for the application, actually clearing the data.

Ok, in the storage section of settings, it shows

Seems you RAM usage is on higher side. Install XDA Assistant from Play Store and do some cleanup of your tablet. Its an all in one and comes handy with lots of utility. It has:

Document explorer
If rooted, you can remove bloatwares.
RAM Booster
Wifi Explorer
App2SD
Remove Programs from startup
and lot more utilities in a single app.

It works well when you have root permissions on your device.Also I would recommend History Eraser to clean any sort of cache.
** Please note , I am just a user of this app not the representative of its company.**

Ok, in the storage section of settings, it shows: Total space-.98GB,  Apps-148MB. And Available-6.07MB. There is over 800MB unaccounted for.  In the apps section on the "internal storage" scale on the bottom it shows .97GB used with 17MB free.  I'm an old windows man. and It just does add up.

Oh yes.  When I moved the apps to the sd card, the available space go up to around 250mb and the low space warning went away.  But then, as I was looking at the srorage area, the available space started to chane, all by itself.  I did NOT touch the tablet.  It got lower and lower until the low space warning reappeared.  How is that for Weird?!

Ok,I just uninstalled all apps except for Adobe Flash Player and Google Play Music, about 20mb total.  Now, storage shows Total Space-.98GB, Apps-121mb, available-29.22mb. Under apps, the "internal storage" bar shows .96gb used with 29mb free. What do I do now?  Do I need to do another Factory Data Reset?

Oh yes,  after uninstalling all the apps, I still have "insufficient space available to install XDA Assistant.  Thank you,sincerely, for your time and assistance


text:
High CPU usage from UEventObserver and inputmethod.latin (Nexus S)
I have kept my Google Nexus S up to date with the latest Android O/S since I've owned it and its always had performance problems to varying degrees. I'm currently running:
Android version: 4.1.2
Baseband version: I9023XXKI1
Kernel version: 3.0.31-g5894150
Build number: JZO54K
Uptime: 145:35:00

Currently the performance is particularly bad. The UI is generally very sluggish, apps can take a long time to open or switch, occasionally the home screen appears empty after switching away from a "big" app (e.g. Bad Piggies or Chrome) almost as if the shell had crashed and restarted. The performance seems to deteriorate the longer the phone has been without a reboot. There is a bug where the phone think its still charging after being unplugged. I am not sure if this is associated with the performance issue.
I tried various performance monitoring apps but none of them told me anything useful. I finally installed a terminal emulator and ran the trusty top. Here are the results:

These two threads: com.google.android.inputmethod.latin and UEventObserver, appear to consistently be using high CPU. I have seem UEventObserver using as much as 40-50%. Regarding the inputmethod.latin I am assuming this is keyboard related but I am only using the standard Android keyboard so the high CPU usage is inexplicable.
Any theories about what is going on?
How can I fix these two threads that are hogging the CPU?

Have you checked around on XDA?

as matter of interest, you're using Android Terminal Emulator right? Possibly that even?

I've done a fair bit of googling, but nothing seems to come up with the specific searches for the thread names. Yes I think its Android Terminal Emulator

What is the uptime on that nexus s? Quite possibly you could have stumbled on a kernel glitch? In short, you cannot "fix these two threads that are hogging the CPU", the binder_X I see in there, some service must have died and ended up in repeat restart die loop...

Might help to include a logcat of what's going on... :)

Uptime added. Researching 'logcat'...

You can check "adb shell getevent" to see which events are coming at the time of this high CPU. That may help.


text:
Set MP3 as ringtone on CyanogenMod 10
Without using a market app, how can I set a custom MP3 file as ringtone?
I've tried placing the MP3 in media/audio/ringtones and variations (e.g. media/ringtones), but the MP3 does not show in Settings->Sound->Ringtone.
Thank you.

I had to reboot. Related: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/56905/where-is-the-default-ringtone-stored

I placed mine in /sdcard/media/audio/ringtones. After that the sound appears in the settings menu.
See also: How do I set a custom MP3 as a ringtone for other notifications?

Folder names are case-sensitive?

Yup, folder names are case-sensitive. Thank you.

There's no such thing as "Set as Ringtone" from music app, is there?

He asked how to do it without such an app.

I am he. :) There was a "Set as" from the default music player that came with the original Samsung-branded OS.

I had the same issue and recently found a perfect solution by accident. While viewing the playlist that contains the song you wish to use as a ringtone (on the apollo media player),a longpress on the song you want to use will give you a list of options; among that list will be "use as ringtone". Simply select, and enjoy your new ringtone! This only works for call ringtones, for message tones you will need another fix. Hope this helps. Works on samsung galaxy S running Cyanogen Mod 10.1 RC5.

I had the same error on Froyo and Gingerbread roms and i found a solution:

Put your sounds into /system/media/audio/ringtones
Clear cache from recovery

This might work as I read it from other sources too, but it means every time you flash a new ROM the ringtones will be lost.

What worked for me was to add it to the sdcard ringtones directory (if not there, create it), copy the file manually to that directory and then reboot. Before the reboot the file did not show up in my Cyanomod 7.2 Cooper (Samsung S5380), but it did after the reboot. The file I copied was a mp3 file. I hope this solution works too for other mods.


text:
Can't update or unroot Droid Bionic, or reinstall deleted apps
Details:
Running Android 2.3.4
System Version  5.9.905.XT875
I rooted my Droid Bionic using SuperOneClick. Stupidly, I didn't backup my ROM at any point before beginning to tinker with it.
The only thing I did that required root access was freeze and delete some bloatware using Root Uninstaller. Every program that I froze or deleted, I first backed up. When an Android update (don't remember which one) was made available and I let it download and install, it simply said "The software update failed!" after rebooting. I went back to unfreeze/install every system app so that the phone was back to it's state before using Root Uninstaller, but two apps won't reinstall. Those apps are "SmartCarDock" and "Social Networking" (The APK is called FriendFeed). When I run the APK for each program, it just says "Application not installed". From what I've gathered from searching, my best guess is that it could be something to do with saved userdata that is preventing the system from installing an app that "should" be installed, but I have no idea where to start.
I also am unable to unroot, presumably because of those two apps.
I know this could have been prevented by backing up the ROM, but, well, I made a mistake.
In general, I am asking because I want to update my Bionic to ICS, so if anyone has answers pertaining to that, all is helpful.
Let me know if more details are needed!

A factory reset might work, although it might not restore the missing apps either.  You could backup the backups somewhere off the device and try it, then try to reinstall the apps if they haven't shown up at that point.  Is your bootloader locked?

@MatthewRead When I boot into recovery, it just shows an android with an exclamation point. In the past, I tried installing from my computer, and it still didn't work.

That's Download Mode, not Recovery Mode.  You may need to use a different key combination to get there (from an off state of from the former mode).


text:
How do i know if my touch screen has HW problem after flashing
My device [ SGH-i957 ] Worked perfectly on HC 3.2, After flashing the ICS official update, my touch screen stopped working.
How do i know if it is HE or SW problem ?
NOTE: i can use ASM normally to get my current tablet screen displayed on my ubuntu laptop if that matters

I have also tried androidscreencast.zip , no luck their as well

ASM? What's that...?


text:
How do I use an external USB keyboard?
My tablet's running Android 4.0.3, and I'm trying to use an external keyboard with it. My tablet isn't detecting the keyboard, but it works when I plug it into my computer. This keyboard uses a normal USB output to connect, but my tablet uses MicroUSB, so I bought an adapter. How do I get this keyboard to work?

See also this question for more info on testing Host mode and getting it working How can I determine if my device has USB Host Mode (OTG) support?

If your tablet doesn't provide a USB host port, you'll need an USB OTG adapter to connect your keyboard. There are many cheap USB OTG adapters on eBay and other electronics shops.

I don't know if this will help at all, but I had a problem with the Shift Key not working when I had a USB keyboard plugged into my Android phone and I found a solution.  Maybe the solution I found for my problem will fix your problem as well.  If not, I do apologize.
I have a Samsung Galaxy S5 Android phone.  I purchased a USB external physical keyboard that can connect with my Windows computers and my Android devices (via micro USB).  The keyboard worked fine when I plugged it into my Windows computers.  The keyboard worked pretty well Android phone, except for the fact that the Shift Key didn't do anything when I held it down and pressed other keys (to capitalize letters, type symbols found above the number keys, etc.).  I tried a lot of stuff to get the Shift Key to work on my USB keyboard when I had it plugged into my phone. I couldn't get the Shift Key to work when I used the stock Google/Android keyboard app, the Samsung Keyboard app, or the SwiftKey Keyboard app. After a lot of trial and error with apps and settings (and a lot of frustration), I FINALLY came across an app  that DOES solve the Shift key problem: The "Go Keyboard" app on the Google Play app store.
After I installed this app and set it as the default keyboard app on my Android phone (Samsung Galaxy S5), the Shift key  worked just fine when I used it while it was plugged into my Android phone (allowing me to capitalize letters and  type symbols above the number keys).
I hope this works for you, too!


text:
Sync problems with Samsung Galaxy I9000
I'm having the following issues:

'Market' not functioning ('A network error has occurred. Retry, or cancel...')
Gmail not functioning ('No connection')
Red triangle in top-left of screen = 'Sign-in-error (email address)'

I think these issues are related to the problems I am having with sync-ing Contacts / Calender / Memo with the PC. The process stalls at 25% completion.
The phone also seems to be slower to respond lately.
Any ideas?


text:
Does rooting your phone always involve installing/using tools?
I want to know if tools are the only mean to root an android phone ?
can it be done using only a root terminal ?
edit: by tools i mean apps to install like https://www.google.be/search?sclient=psy-ab&hl=en&tbo=d&site=&source=hp&q=root+android

Can you clarify what your question is and please define  tools? What tools? Where did you see that? References?

Not to say a root terminal, most of such methods are utilising ADB (Android Debugging Bridge) to push root-related files and binaries into your phone to get it "rooted".
Sometimes, there are also methods where you are required to boot into recovery to "flash" zip packages that contains those files, but this method is mostly device specific.

thanks this is exactly what i wanted to know , i dont trust 'magic' software who are supposed to do everything for you


text:
Does a special NFC Chip have to be installed before using the phone as a charge card?
When NFC is turned on, can you pay for something at a store, or do you need to install a special chip?

If you have an NFC chip (and a Secure Element (SE), but as far as I know all current NFC phones have both) then theoretically you should be able to pay for goods using Google Wallet, however only certain phones on certain networks are supported and it can only be used in the USA.
EDIT: Just to make it clear it may still be possible to pay for goods via NFC using your phone without a SE but if you want to use Google Wallet then you'll need both.
It's feasible that companies could have their own custom payment application where you load credit onto it and have an ID/cryptographic key stored in your device and then pay using that. I don't think this is too likely however because of the security implications of someone else using your ID/key and also, what would the benefit for the merchant be? They now have to support this NFC payment infrastructure and it saves them only a small percentage of money on credit card fees.

Well, in Germany one food discounter (called "Netto") just started supporting "pay with your Android phone". I did not yet check how they do that, but in this case it requires an app from that discounter. Guess it's not NFC -- but it's "pay with your phone" :)

Ah we have Netto in UK as well but I haven't seen this in their shops. It may still be pay-by-NFC but some kind of custom application where perhaps you load credit onto it or something first... Could you link me to a webpage where they talk about it? I spend quite a bit of time looking at NFC security stuff so this could be interesting! I'll edit my answer to try and make it more clear on the restrictions I mention.

I doubt it's NFC, as the NettoApp does not request the corresponding permissions. Further, the description reads (excerpt): You tell your user-id, and then confirm the price on your device by entering your pin into the app. Doesn't sound like NFC :)

Ah you're right then it isn't NFC. I'd be interested in how they do that, or at least the security of the application. I'll have to find a way to get the .apk from the Play store though since in the UK it won't let me download it to any devices.

We're getting off-topic, @Peanut. Check this AndroidPIT article for details (you might need to Google-Translate it from German), for more meet me in Chat :)

Any phone that supports NFC has the necessary "chip" already (that is, the hardware supports that kind of transaction). The crucial factor is the software running on the phone. Unlike with magnetic-stripe and chip-and-PIN credit card transactions, there's no one standard: there are several competing contactless payment systems. Google has Google Wallet (but only in some countries), Paypal has one, Orange (a phone network) runs one in the UK. In addition, most Bitcoin clients (such as Bitcoin Wallet) can use NFC to exchange payment details, but you still need a network connection to actually carry out the transaction.
If you sign up for one of these payment systems, and you install their app on your NFC-capable phone, then you can use your phone to pay at any shop that supports that payment system. There's no extra hardware for you to add to the phone.


text:
Is it possible to reinstall stock Android on the Nexus 7
I'm new to rooting my phone, but I was thinking of trying out the KDE tablet interface on my Nexus 7. I'm probably not going to keep using this, since I like the huge app ecosystem on Android, so is it possible to reinstall stock Android on my tablet?

Yes. One option would be to use the images distributed by Google at Factory Images for Nexus Devices. Download the appropriate package (the 4.2.1 Nexus 7 archive is what you'd presumably want) and then either flash the images manually or use the included flash-all.sh script (if on Linux). Manually running the commands will be of the form:
fastboot flash <partition name> /path/to/image.img

So, as an example, you'd flash the system partition with:
fastboot flash system /path/to/system.img

You'll need to have the fastboot utility configured for this, but it will work regardless of what OS or recovery system are installed on the N7 at the time as long as you don't modify the bootloader. You'll also need to use fastboot oem unlock to unlock your bootloader if you haven't already, which will wipe your personal data.


text:
Do DropBox favorites sync?
Do files I mark as favorites in Dropbox sync across iPad and android phone?  I have marked some photos as favorite on iPad and they do not show up in the favorites folder on my android phone.
Can I sync them? If yes, how?  I have the app on both iPad and android phone and camera uploads work fine. Thanks.

No. Favouriting a file in Dropbox for Android is like "pinning" in some other software: it downloads the file to the device and keeps it there so you can access it offline. I don't use the iPad version, but I assume it has the same effect there.
Since you might want different files on different devices (for example, you might want a lot of PDFs or videos on a tablet with a bigger screen and more storage to put them on), favouriting a file only applies to the device you do it on.

Thanks for the practical explanation of this confusing "favorite" feature and partial sync capability. While not as helpful, I found the Dropbox mobile favorite support page interesting. Maybe they will improve the sync capability in the future?


text:
saving route while still connected to wifi
In Google Maps is there a way to save a route while you're still connected to wifi so that it saves your data plan? Does scrolling through the map while still connected to wifi help because then the points get cached?

You could just cache the route portion of the map using the Make available offline feature. Then, all need afterwards is the GPS, which doesn't use your data plan.

How do I use Make available offline feature?

@Celeritas It's in Google Maps. Open the context menu (In my S2, it's the left softkey button). You should see Clear Map,  Make Available offline, Settings, Help. When you click that Make Available offline, it will ask you to select an area you want to cache.

@geff_change what difference does it make when you zoom in or out on a selected area? For example is it only stored on the exact zoom level so if you were zoomed in farther it would use your data plan?

@Celeritas The area inside the box will be cached. The more Zoomed Out you are, the more area is cached. So, that will take a bit longer to cache, as more data will be downloaded. There is a minimum Zoom Out level. If you're past that level, you can't cache the area. You need to Zoom In a bit.


text:
Problem after updating Galaxy S3 to Android 4.1.1
After updating my Galaxy S3 to Android 4.1.1, I started to experience some problems.
For instance, while listening music or 'surfing' in the phone, suddenly phone starts to 'nearly' freeze for a 1 second and turns to normal life.
If I am listening to music, naturally music stops for 1 second and then continues. I do not know if this is a performance issue, or another thing.
Can someone help? Thanks!

Most probably it looks like a OS issue, might be firmware related, might be kernel related. Have you tried a factory reset? Or sometimes even a reboot might clear things up. If 4.1 is not working well for you, you can always downgrade by flashing an older firmware via ODIN. Get you firmwares from http://samfirmware.com. You will need to register in order to download files from there.


text:
Retrieving text messages from stolen Android phone
My Samsung Galaxy Nexus was stolen the other night. Is it possible to retrieve my texts and save them to my computer if I know the phone number and IMEI? I have a Gmail account set up on the phone but, haven't installed any backup app.

Yes, its possible, from your desktop PC, go to Play Store, and install AndroidLost remotely to your handset.
At this point, a caveat emptor is needed:

Provided you have 3G Data switched on, it will remotely install on to the handset and also
There is sufficient battery power

Read the starting page by visiting the main AndroidLost.
Send the text "androidlost register" (without the quotes) to your number of the handset that is stolen.
There's a box in the upper right hand corner of the page, Click on sign in, using your Google Account, if doing this for the first time, you will be prompted for AndroidLost to have permission to access your Google Account, as they are both tied into it together.
The message will appear - "Waiting for phone to be registered.", please be patient.
Wait for a while, sign out and sign back in, eventually, from there, you can remotely control the handset via that same website and fingers crossed it will have a happy ending.
Good luck :)

An additional point that ought to be noted: this won't work if the thief has wiped the phone or disconnected the owner's Google Account.

NO, you cannot restore your text messages even if you know the phone number. If you didn't backup your phone with GMail, you can not get the backup because the text message are stored in phone's memory or SIM, not the SD. So, I think it is possible to get them back.

What's the relation between GMail and the phone memory or SIM?


text:
How do I set the correct time zone on my Nexus 4?
I just purchased a Nexus 4.
I'm perplexed, however, in that it thinks that I am in the Central timezone when I'm actually in the Eastern timezone.
The Clock application that came with the phone has a "Home Timezone" option. This only puts a secondary clock on the clock app when I'm outside of my Home Timezone, which is always the case, because the phone thinks I'm on the Central timezone.
How do I set my phone to the correct timezone?

It should be under your system settings (the Settings "app"), in the "Date & Time" subsection (which is near the bottom). Uncheck the "Automatic time zone" option and then select the correct one manually:

Right on! My sim card was not a micro sim, so I'm currently running without a network-provided time zone. Thanks for the help!

You can also follow the advice in How do I change the time zone (which is disabled) in Honeycomb on a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1? which is to use free application Timezone Changer. There is also Timezone Fixer, which updates timezone files (needs ROOT access).


text:
Purchasing sd card will solve "insufficient memory storage" issue?
After unsuccesfully rooting my android 4.1.1 tab,I can't download anny apps even though I still have 4 gb of
free memory on my internal storage.
I've done factory resetting but it didn work,will inserting an sd card possibly resolve my concern?
Can I restore apps I lost by doing this?

"I can't download anny apps even though I still have 4 gb of free memory" <- you're supplying way too little information. Why can't you download any apps? What is your error message?

Buying a new SD card will not solve the problem. In Android phones, all applications are installed in internal memory. Some apps/games which ask for big data to be downloaded from the net also save the data in internal memory. So, if you insert external memory card in your device, then still you face same problem.
To solve this, first you need a external SD card; at least 8GB more would be better. Then, you need to configure your device so that it forcibly installs all data on external SD card. For more information, read this.

I'm pretty sure by factory resetting all your apps are lost. What you can do is login your account in Play Store and click My Apps, and redownload all your lost stuff again.
I'm not sure though if plugging in an SD card will solve your issue with downloading apps, but when my phone with ICS didn't have an SD card even though it has an internal storage, it wouldn't let me capture photos. My bet is, yes you need to plugin an SD card. Try borrowing one first and see if that solves your problem, then buy one. I think you should definitely buy one though, for your media like music, photos and videos.
One more thing, if you don't want to lose apps, I suggest you download Appmonster. It saves your applications as apk files in your external storage. What does this mean? You can backup all your apps, revert to older versions of applications, and even save app memory. Just uninstall the apps you don't need and install them whenever you need them. All this, without having to go to the Play Store.


text:
Broken screen, need to boot to original firmware
This is kind of an odd question, but I have a Razr with a broken screen which has safestrap 2.x (maybe .10) installed and CM10 currently booted up, using VNC/ADB/LOTS of patience, I managed to backup all my information in the CM10 partition.
However, I need to boot to the original firmware (the other partition), however since the screen is broken I can't see safestrap windows to do so, what I'm asking for is if someone has screenshots of the safestrap windows that enable me to blindly navigate (since the physical buttons work) through the screens in order to boot to the original firmware, then I will repeat the ADB/VNC process to remove the safestrap traces so I can send it to Motorola.

Please check out my answer to this question, which could be useful for you. Originally this was going to be an answer to your question, but I did not post it here because it does not respond exactly to what you're asking.

Does that work with safestrap? I mean can I visualize the safestrap/recovery screen? o.0

I'm not sure about it: also that's why I didn't post that as an answer here. Anyway you could try that to see if it works for you.


text:
Can you actually determine the mAh of a battery?
You can skip the story part but for better reference, please read it:
A Little Story
My phone claims it has a battery of 4000 mAh that lasts for 3 days. I got the phone, really psyched because of the battery. When I bought it it has 50% left on the battery. I did some texts and some first time testing on the phone, but no heavy usage. The phone lasted 19 hours before saying it was now low on battery (5%).
The next day, I charged it for six hours, turned on the 3G and used the Facebook app, Opera Mini, and Google Play for four hours before I removed the 3G. The battery read 29%. I was disappointed. Most of the people who bought this phone reported that it should last 10 hours with 3G on and heavy usage. Most people even say that with heavy usage their phone lasts 2 days, using the internet, apps that require it, and gaming with the phone.
Now I'm on the process of claiming the warranty and I called some service centers to determine where I will take it to. The first service center claimed that all Android phones last for only one day, the second one claimed that even if only a Messaging app is on, if I leave it open even if my screen is off the battery will be drained quickly. The third one basically told me to go to the Play Store and download a Task Killer. The last one I called told me to bring the phone to the service center so they could "observe it". That doesn't sound good to me.
Question
My question is can technicians actually tell if the battery has the capacity it claims it has and if the battery is healthy? I want to go prepared to that service center if the observation they'll be doing will be to look at my "Battery" setting only and asking me what I've been doing only for them to say that's what been draining my battery.
Also can 3G drain a battery within 4 hours if a battery has 4000 mAh?
Note: My phone is a rebranded Innos D9, it's a Cloudfone Thrill 430x.

Multiple things with your issue:

I would never trust a tech who recommends a Task-Killer for this problem. Disqualified 100%.
Same for the one claiming all Android phones last for only one day. That's bogus. It always depends on usage. I have one lasting 7 days (well, no SIM card inserted, not WiFi activated -- it's rather used as a stand-by computing device for some apps -- but it's a phone, and it runs longer than 10h ;), and my "standard phone" ends up at ~75-80% after 14h usage.
tech #2 and #4 sound more reasonable: any app (especially if "consuming push services") can be the cause for such a problem (see below), and monitoring battery usage is a generally good idea (that tech I would trust most from the ones you mentioned)
Different kind of usage causes different battery drain.
Sometimes processes go havoc and drain the battery quite fast. I had that "big surprise" multiple times already, last time yesterday: went down from ~80% to 5% and "emergency shutdown" within ~2h while in my pocket -- I only noticed that by the "beep" on shutdown. But this should not be a regular (daily) issue; I experienced this maybe 4-5 times in a year with my current device.

recommendation: Take a look at the battery statistics (usually found in Settings → About Phone) to determine which app(s) are causing the most battery drain. Maybe you've got some "bad egg" on your device, if this happens regularly.
second recommendation: Take a look at How to deal with (orphaned) WakeLocks? -- maybe that's what affects you. Again, this could be a mal-functioning app.

battery only lasting for ~10h is nothing rare with heavy usage. Remember these are no longer "dumb-phones", but rather "pocket-computers which also can make phone calls".

Useful resources also include:

How can I tell what is really draining my battery?
How to debug a battery issue?
How can I find out what causes “Android OS” to consume battery?
Follow the tag battery-life

Whoa, quite a comprehensive answer! Might I just add that I don't know what your phone is but the battery seems impressive. This leads me to think my 4000mah phone really has a problem.

Nah, the phone is no big deal (HTC Wildfire/Buzz). Thing is: just for fun, try one day without data services enabled (i.e. no WiFi, Bluetooth, mobile data, etc.) -- you will get big eyes. Then take out the SIM completely, and have another shock. Once you removed these "permanents", there's not so much left eating your battery. OTOH, my main device (Motorola Milestone²) ends up with ~75..80% as well (fixed to 2G, and kept all data eating apps well configured to not eat to often).

Could ram probably eat my battery too? I made a new question here http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/36828/0-ram-free-on-ics where I found out my ram usage was maxed out. Anyway, I think 3G's the one at fault on this. I used the Facebook app for a straight 4 hours without even turning the screen off. I was left with 29% when I disconnected the data.

Nope. There's no such thing as "unused RAM" on Linux/Unix based systems. But the Facebook thingy: Yeah, 4h with screnn on on 3G, that's it. Check the battery-life tag for questions on battery saving/usage, I've made an answer somewhere detailing what components are especially "battery hungry" -- ah: here it is.

So you're saying that 4 hours continues 3G using the Facebook app can deplete a 4000 mAh battery? Great link by the way.

No. I said the combination of having the screen turned on permanently while heavy-using 3G have been the biggest contributors to that. Taking a look at the linked table, you see you only could top that by (additionally) recording a video ;) Values for your device will certainly look different, but making a raw estimation: just those two items ~ 8000mWh; @4V -> 2000mA = 50% (not accurate, just wildly calculated).

Oh man, yeah I should definitely rethink the whole brightness scheme of my phone, thanks!

You're welcome -- glad I could bring "light" into your issue (though that might sound ironic in this context ;)

How far can we trust on the battery capacity that these manufacturers mention in their devices and in their product specification? This is one important question which we can't overlook during such debates.  Also, the battery capacity is at its best during its first charge cycle and it actually drops with every successive cycle, though the rate of drop varies from type of battery to number of cycles and many other factors included.
So, the only true way to measure the current battery performance is to monitor how many amps being drawn during a particular operation/duration. Unless you are doing for a research purpose this kind of investigation doesn't pay off in any way.
BTW, if your 4000 mAH battery drains in 4 hours from full charge, the current handled is around 1 Amps and I think that is too much for these kind of electronics.
In your case, I would lay all my suspicion on the over optimistic battery rating of your manufacturer.

But people actually claim the battery claim is true, the majority of them anyway. In a group I'm in, all the members claim that the battery is what they say it is, excluding me and another person whose battery drains like crazy only second to mine. The first charge cycle means the first charging I did after I got the phone? That's the 4 hours in 3G. So you're basically saying that the technician couldn't possibly check if the battery has the capacity it says it has?

First charge cycle - correct. With a Multimeter/Ammeter and with few wiring you can even trouble shoot. Take a bulb with a known wattage and connect it to your fully charged battery and see how long it sustains (and do the math).  This can ascertain whether your battery is defective or not.

Hey bud, if you're reading this then you'd know I chose the other answer. Lesson learned? Don't accept answers too eagerly. To make up for it, I made up my mind that my other question you've answered has been satisfied. Thanks for answering my questions! :)

Reputations? It means nothing for me other than a number. So down voting, up voting, accepting or rejecting an answer are all not that attractive for me from reputation point of view, rather I am happy to see you've got better answer. :)


text:
How to solve "application can not be installed" error
I am facing an application can not be installed error on my Samsaung Galaxy S Plus whenever I try to install applications. I have already allowed installation from unknown sources, but it didn't work. It still have a lot of memory space although my phone has no SD card.
Can you suggest some solutions to solve this? Thanks in advance.

Have you already restarted your phone since you got this error?

And what is the complete error message? Is there more to it than just "cannot", maybe some reason given?

If your locale and UI language on the phone is not set to english, change it to english and try again.

Did you see this?

First, make sure you have sufficient internal memory (that should be more than just the app size, because app needs to store data too). The storage for apps is different from internal mass storage. You can find it under Settings > Storage, look for the Applications label.
Also, if the app is, say 20 MB, keep at least 50 MB free, because apart from the app storage, Android also tends to slow down when short on internal memory.
If you're trying to update/overwrite an installed app, try removing it first. source.
If that didn't work, try this solution. It is aimed at Titanium Backup, but I guess it might work for other apps too.

There might be mainly these two possibilities
1) either the device didn't have the sufficient memory
2) ADB Connection Time out error
To solve
1) clear you temporary memory, un install application or clear un wanted cache
2) go to preferences->Android->DDMS and increase you ADB connection time out according to your need mine is 11000

That happened to me when I was trying to test on a real device an unsigned app that I built, maybe that's the case.
If you're a developer, sign the app before testing it.

I'm getting Minecraft:Pocket Edition can't be installed on USB storage or SD card. ...Error code -18. While upgrading the installed version from Google Play.  Samsung tablet, Android 4.4.2. More than 2G of memory available, uninstalled, rebooted, cleared cache,prayed to moon.. My kid is upset, appreciate any help!

i had same error on my HUAWEI phone and it solved when I changed Default install Location on SD card.

Thanks for sharing, bijan! Could you please clarify: Did you change that settings so apps get installed on SD card now, or the other way around?


text:
GPS issues, location permission - one app only
One app (Dino Dominion) will not register location but will express this complaint: "In order to register your location, please turn the location permission setting on in the application settings."
The app itself has permissions (told to me when installed and when Managing Applications) of coarse and fine location. I didn't think these permissions needed "turning on" - other apps are using GPS without problems.
I asked the app developer, but all they said was "You have to turn on location permission on your device" and "GPS needs to be valid on the side of your device."
I couldn't see any relevant settings anywhere. The GPS is working fine. Also, other users of the app seem to have no problems.
I have HTC Nexus One and Android 2.2.2.

Do other location-apps on your device work w/o trouble, e.g. Google Maps? I guess the dev is referring to the system settings (System -> Location & Security), where you can tell the Android system which services (GPS, network-based) it should enable. Anything enabled there?

Other location-apps work fine. Under "My Location" in the menu you mentioned, "Use wireless networks" and "Use GPS satellites" are both enabled. That's why I'm so puzzled.

Sounds like the issue is the app. I wonder if the developer set the API level too low and is using a function not available for 2.2.2.

Just stumbled upon this question that I'd asked a while ago. In case anyone is curious, the problem was that I had mock locations switched on. The app didn't like it (for potential cheating by pretending I was elsewhere) but it would have been nice if the app's error message was clear about it, though.


text:
How can I symlink the /cache folder on boot?
After rooting and installing link2sd on my HTC Explorer, I still have low memory issues.
On Google Play, I can't download apps larger than 10-15M. This is because the /cache folder is in the internal memory, which is desperately small. In my version, Google Play writes directly in /cache, not in subfolders.
Using adb as root, I deleted /cache and created a symlink /cache -> /mnt/sdcard/cache.
This is fine, but when I reboot the phone the symlink is replaced by the old folder.
Is there a proper way to solve this issue once and for all?
Thanks for any hint,
A

Theoretically using busybox's runparts, and issue this mount -o bind /mnt/sdcard/cache /cache... this is in theory as have never tried it...

Alas, that's not possible.
At least not without reflashing the HTC's partition table (which happens to be in the bootloader section, aka. hboot). There's seemingly no modded hboot out there for the explorer. I only know of repartitioned hboots for the HTC Desire.
Reason:
/cache is backed by a separate block device on all Android devices(i.e. mount-point or partition), it's needed to hold firmware update files (e.g. definitely needed for encrypted phones). So if you move it, there's no gain because that partition will still be there and not free up space for the /data partition. In case you shrink the /cache partition, OTA updates will not be possible any more (you'd have to use a custom recovery to do it).

Thanks for clarification -- wasn't aware of that speciality of the Explorer. I will still leave my answer there (though adding a note) for non-explorers exploring our site :)

EDIT: All Android devices have a /cache partition (it's needed to hold firmware update files for upgrading Android, especially on encrypted devices this is a must, when the recovery must access the firmware file in clear text).

It's (been) dreadful. Google did hard work to change it with Android 4.0+, so it's not a problem on recent devices any more. Read some background here: http://www.androidpolice.com/2011/11/18/impromptu-qa-session-with-android-engineer-dan-morrill-brings-to-light-reasons-behind-galaxy-nexus-lack-of-usb-mass-storage/

Sorry, I somewhat misread your Q (I know it has only a 90MB /data partition): You can of course automate the symlinking on boot: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/7873615/how-to-run-script-at-boot-time

You might want to take a look at DirectoryBind, which was developed for things like this. It takes care for the user-configured "mounts" at boot-time and also on-demand, so nothing should "disappear" on a boot.
Basically, it is intended to map things from internal/phone storage to external/sd storage -- especially for cases like yours, were internal memory is running low.
NOTE: According to ce4's answer, this method will not bring any profit concerning the /data folder, as /cache is using its own partition (this seems to apply to all Android devices -- checked with 7 different devices from 5 different manufacturers; according to ce4 this is especially needed on encrypted devices, as an unencrypted partition is required to store firmware updates onto for execution). So if your concern is increasing storage on /data, this won't do with /cache. But if you simply need more space in /cache, it should be perfectly fine. You could then use the original block device (where /cache was pointing to) for something else ;)
NOTE2: AFAIK Google Playstore uses /data/local to buffer its downloads. On most devices, this should only be a directory on the /data partition, and thus could easily be handled by DirectoryBind.
Additional hint: check with the df command from within a terminal whether the directory you want to move from internal to external storage is using a separate partition or not.


text:
can galaxy tab 2 gt-p5113 receive internet calls?
I have a samsung galaxy tab2 gt - p5113. i would like to use sipdroid to make internet calls. unfortunately i'm not able to find the call settings option to enable "Receive internet calls".
Is it posssible to make internet calls in this tab? if yes - how?

Click on the phone menu, then click on the right side. There will be three options:

send message
speed dial setting
call setting


text:
WiFi Direct Doesn't Work
I have two Android devices running Android 4.1.1 with the latest OTA update from the manufacturer. I do not have root or any other system-level customizations on either device, just a bunch of very standard apps.
Device 1: Google Nexus 7
Device 2: Motorola Droid Razr Maxx HD
The only way I have found to send a file between these two devices, without the involvement of a third device (router, computer, SD card, ...) is using the Bluetooth file beaming protocol, which is incredibly slow and short-range. I wanted to use WiFi Direct to achieve much greater speed and distance for file transfers, but I can't get WiFi Direct to connect.
I followed all the instructions and read all the comments here but it just doesn't work.
On this screen, I can see the other Android device advertising WiFi Direct:

What I can't seem to do is to get them to connect to each other. I see the request go to the other device, and receive the request pop-up asking me to confirm the connection. I click Accept, and then after a few seconds, the UI on both devices "resets" to the first screen (the screenshot above) with no indication that a connection was successful.
Side-note: NFC doesn't work either and exhibits similar symptoms of the devices "just not being compatible". It's 2013 and I can hold two flagship Android devices right next to eachother and have no way to send files between them any faster than about 100 KB/s bluetooth beaming.

What version of Android and what ROMs are you running on your devices?

It's Android 4.1.1 on both devices. They are stock, OTA ROMs as I said. Both devices have received multiple OTA updates from the respective manufacturers over time, but I've never rooted or installed custom ROMs.

Sorry I just assumed based on the Screen shot that your Nexus 7 was running some CyanogenMod variant as that screenshot is not stock. I now realize that you posted it from the other post. Can you include screenshots of what you actually see?

That screenshot is copied from the post I linked to in my question. That isn't from my actual system. Sorry for the confusion.


text:
Galaxy S2 not charging
Galaxy S2 not charging tried usb and wall charger, initially I had this problem I removed and put the battery back it and it then began to charge however on next charge it stopped in mid charge ( normally leave phone off when charging).. now its just a lump of black plastic.
I tried removing the battery while plugged in , then powering on immediately after putting the battery back in , cleaning the port, even reboot does not work ...any suggestions...my guess I need a new battery although it is less than 12 months.

If you didn't change anything on your phone and it's still under warranty (you said less than 12 months), the easiest solution would be to take your phone to a Samsung service center. They might change your battery for free.

2 possible causes:

Faulty battery
USB port defect

Both of these are hardware problems. To be frank, battery charging problems seldom have to do with software defects, so the best thing is to send it to the nearest Samsung service centre and get it fixed, or maybe even a replacement.


text:
How do I disable/change the NFC sounds?
I love the NFC functionality of my LG L5, but the sounds are too annoying.
Is there a way to customize or disable the sounds that are played whenever a tag was read?

Most Android sounds are in .apk files and are a pain to edit. You have to find a way to open them, then you can remove or edit the sound, finally you have to package them up and sign them.
It's much easier to use NFC Task Launcher.

I finally figured out how to do this, at least on my phone (OnePlus One).
You have to first install the Xposed framework, then install this module.  In the module configuration, there are several settings, including the ability to disable some or all of the NFC-related sounds.
Usual caveats about backing up first apply, since the Xposed framework does some pretty low-level hacking, but all the modules I've experimented with have had no issues.


text:
SGS running CyanogenMod 10 headphone volume cap
Is there a way to increase the max volume cap for SGS running CM10, please?
Thank you.

What do you mean by "cap"? ("max volume cap")

Volume cap means volume limit ~ max volume level.

Are you concerned with the volume in headphones or from the speakers?

Headphones. (title)

Have you tried playing around with the CM DSP app ?


text:
Does the YouTube App on the Nexus 10 allow the selection of a default video playback resolution?
Does anyone know if you can set the default playback resolution on the YouTube app?  I can do this on my Motorola RAZR V phone, but can't do it on my Samsung Galaxy Tab 2.  Can I set it on the Nexus 10?  Does anyone know of any other Android tablet that allows the selection of the default video resolution in the YouTube app?


text:
MTP mounts vs USB storage - restrictions
Just got a nexus 4, and tried to copy files from my nexus one to it.  Copying the N1 SD data to my linux box was a breeze, but the N4 doesn't offer simple mounting.  Shows up as a USB Camera, with only access to DCIM.  I was able to find and use mtpfs to mount the device, but even that has some serious limitations.

The software on the phone's end seems to make some decisions for you.  I tried copying a mix of files from the N1's Ringtones directory to a Ringtones directory on the N4, and the N4 decided that mp3's belong in the Music directory, etc.  I couldn't control where stuff went.  Interesting, some flv files that were there went to Ringones, but not the mp3's.  At first I thought the mp3's weren't copied at all.  I was able to fool this logic by copying to Download on the N4.  Anyway, not sure I like the phone making these decisions.
The mtpfs mount didn't allow me to preserve the timestamps on the copied files.  I copied a bunch of pictures (cp -p) from the N1's DCIM/Camera folder to the N4's.  They all came over with the current date/time.  I can see where it'd be a good idea not to allow a usb mount to set the owner or permissions for a file, but the timestamp?  Is there a way around this, or is this just a shortcoming of the linux mtpfs implementation?

One more MTP question... In 4.2 multi-user mode, does MTP only mount the current user's storage area?  And does it force ownership of all written files to that user?  How about if your phone's rooted?

This has to be a limitation on linux, because in windows I see the entire internal storage and the entire sdcard for my device. Also, I am not sure what question you are actually asking.

With mtpfs I see what appears to be the entire internal storage, though it turns out that, for example, what shows up as /DCIM is really /storage/o/DCIM (or something like that).  That's good, since it seems to be showing only the current user's internal storage (and not the OS itself).  But my questions remain - I can write (where I can write), but I can't set the timestamp on files I write.

The timestamp issue should be raised as a separate question. It is mostly the old 'push' / 'pull' problem, with the recipient host not honouring the (remote) timestamp. This can be circumvented by copying 'from', instead of 'to', the target location.


text:
Does Android have a formal release cycle?
I have been tasked with documenting Google/Android's release plan so that our company has a policy of advanced testing our software on new mobile operating systems.
It seems like Apple/iOS has a fairly routine plan where several rounds of betas are available to developers.
The most detailed report I found was this: http://reecewagner.com/post/21956240240
but it is a little lacking in official sources, and is less relevant for application developers.
I would like to know when they offer the SDK/emulator with new OS image compared to when phones ship/platform updates roll out.

Rule #1 - never ask for ETA :) Just monitor the Google's developer blog for new releases of SDK and also, Android-Building newsgroups and watch for Google's Android head-honcho, Jean-Baptiste Queru who is responsible for the rollouts of the Android platform... :)

@t0mm13b thats the CM rule :) Google does need to be on a set cycle if they expect enterprise to start making internal enterprise applications.

@RyanConrad Heh! yeah of course the rule belongs to CM! :) I did hear some rumour now that they're starting on "enterprise"y stuff... something about play store.. not sure... its been bandied about.. :)

Even if there were a regular cycle from Google, carriers and/or manufacturers need to add their own changes after the official Android release. And they can vary from several months to over a year, and vary by device. There's no rhyme or reason.

All that said I don't think this question is a good fit for this site.

@AlEverett - where do you think it belongs? Seemed better here than stackoverflow.

Not every question has a place in the Stack Exchange network. Frankly, the forums at http://developer.android.com would seem to be a better place to me.

This quotes Andy Rubin in saying that they will move from a twice a year release schedule to a yearly cycle. But I don't know of an actual "official" publication. Also, this "yearly" cycle probably only means "major" releases, but there will still probably be "minor" updates through out the year like they have done in the past.
The Quote:

So we launched it, and from our internal 0.8, we got to 1.0 pretty quickly, and we went through this iteration cycle. You’ve noticed, probably, that that’s slowed down a little bit. Our product cycle is now, basically twice a year, and it will probably end up being once a year when things start settling down, because a platform that’s moving — it’s hard for developers to keep up. I want developers to basically leverage the innovation. I don’t want developers to have to predict the innovation.

ANDY RUBIN VP of Engineering for Android at Google

No, there's no officially published plan. The only people who get advance access to new versions before they're released are certain big-name developers (and tier 1 hardware vendors, of course) under NDA, so they can be ready take advantage of new features. The rest of us get it when the updates get pushed out. (Usually, the new SDK and emulator images appear a little after the new devices ship.)
Unless you want to take advantage of not-yet-announced features, there's no need to change your app for new OS versions, because of the backwards-compatibility features present in Android.


text:
portable Wi-Fi hotspot configuraiton
How it is possible to enable portable Wi-Fi hotspot from ADB shell or by editing some configuration files on Android Jelly Bean?
I need to do it interactive for automatic test server

What's wrong with Settings > More... (underneath Wi-fi) > Tethering and Portable hotspot > Portable Wifi hotspot?

I need to do it interactive (using ADB) - need it for automatic test server

@Dima See: How to turn on the wi-fi hotspot using ADB?

If you have root on your phone, you can use Wifi Tether for Root Users.  I have a Droid4 with Jellybean and got it working after installing the latest version.
For my Droid4, the following settings worked:
Device-Profile: Generic ICS/JB (wlan1)
Setup-Method: Netd-Ndc (master)

I need to enable Wi-Fi hotspot from ADB shell, not from GUI

There is an app called FoxFi that lets you tether your phone's internet over bluetooth or wifi. There is no need for adb etc.
It is compatible with Jellybean because I use it too
Here is the link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.foxfi

I need to do it interactive (using ADB) - need it for automatic test server

You could trigger that using Tasker:

WiFi Tether: Turn on sharing of the device's Internet connection via wifi.

You just need to pick a fitting trigger -- I picked File Events for this example:

Condition: File Events
Task: WiFi Tether

So with that set up (specifying the parameters of course), you should be able to trigger your WiFi hotspot (aka "WiFi Tether", as the Tasker manual names it) by placing a file -- and trigger it off again by removing the file. Did not try that myself -- but that's how I understand it :)


text:
Displaying age of contact on birthday calendar events
When entering birthdays on a Galaxy Ace S8530i (e.g. Tim 1993), how can I get the calendar to show Tim 1993 20 where the 20 on the end is Tim's age?

What's your question?

Hi and welcome to Android Enthusiasts. Please try to improve the
quality of your question. Some good hints how to ask questions can be
found on Meta. This
will also increase your chances to get a good answer.

Question seems clear enough to me, when OP enters a contacts birthday how can he get it to show how old the contact is on the calender reminder, is that correct?

@Sapper, for you to know, you cannot show the age in your (stock) calendar. But automatic addition of event for birthdays is possible. See the anwer.

First of all, remember that you can only do this with your birthdays and events that are in your google account contacts. NOT phone contacts.

Go to google.com/calendar from a computer.
Under Other calendars in the left pane, click add.
Click Browse interesting calendars
Click More (the More next to Sports).
On Contacts' birthdays and events, click subscribe.
Sync your contacts and calendar with your google account.

After sucessful syncing, the events should appear in your handsets calendar.
If you need to add the event details of your phone contacts, you need to export your phone contacts to your google account (or to your Gmail)
See this link for more info

Doesn't answer the question: Automatically displaying the age of the contact in title of the event.
I remember Nokia non-smartphones doing this just fine anno 2002.


text:
Is it possible to filter Google Play search results by permission?

Possible Duplicate:
How to search the Play Store by permissions?

I would like to exclude apps that require permissions I find too intrusive from Google Play search results like network access, reading SMS, location, etc.
Is it possible to filter search results by permission on Google Play website and Android app? Or maybe from other sites like Appbrain?

Sounds like you're looking for the same thing discussed in How to search the Play Store by permissions?, correct?

@eldarerathis You are right. It seems "filter permission" request filtered this question ;) Thanks


text:
How can I see how "Internal" storage is used

How can I see how apps are using Internal Storage?
How can I see percistent/constant usage?
How can I see how much applications on SD-card would use extra, if I moved them to the phone.

I am referring to /data, Which Link2SD calls Internal (Storage).
There is also "System" (/system) and  "Cache" (/cache), which are also probably internal in the sense that they are not on the SD - but my problem is the Internal as defined above.

What do you mean by "persistent/constant"?  Also, by "on-SD", do you mean all the stuff you've moved to the SD card with Link2SD?

"On the SD" are apps moved to the SD, mostly by Link2SD.  Persistent/constant is what it would use without being used.

For the first question (and the 3rd If I'm understanding you correctly), since you're presumably rooted, a simple method for getting a look at things would be to install busybox (if you haven't already) and a terminal emulator and use the du utility.
For example, if I want to look at how much space each app's own data is taking up, I would use du -d 1 -h /data/data, which gives me the contents of /data/data (where all the apps' data is stored) to 1 level deep (just the directories directly below /data/data, which are all named after the apps' package names) and give me the sizes in human readable format (Kilobytes, megabytes, etc.).  This will tell you exactly how much data every app on your device is storing.  You can point this wherever you like.  For the 3rd question, you'd simply point it at wherever Link2SD mounts its storage.
For persistent storage, just look at /data/app, which is where the apks themselves are stored.
For further info on the usage of du, refer to the busybox manual.

You can achieve the same with Samba, I guess?

if I am not going to root, there is no option ?


text:
Is the "What's here?" Google maps feature known from the PC/Browser available on Android?
The PC Version of Google Maps offers a What's here? feature (giving grid reference in decimal degrees) which is seemingly not available on the Nexus 7.
This is very useful for navigation to locations without a specific street or house number address, e.g. rural areas.
How can this feature be accessed or is there a work around?

Just tap and hold the point of interest on the map, and then tap the location when it pops up. Then select What's nearby?.


text:
0 ram free on ICS
I'm new to the ICS os, coming from Gingerbread from another phone. The phone's quite nice and fast when I first used it, but just this morning it started exhibiting weird actions. Camera360 doesn't open up automatically when I click it, the Camera closes for no reason, Pocket restarts when an article has an image, and TTPod resets the song to the previous song on my widget in the middle of a new song I'm playing.
I checked out the ram, and and was surprised to see 500+ mb used, 0 mb available. I looked at the list of programs and I see the usual culprits like Facebook, but the ram they're using doesn't add up to 500+ mb. Yeah, I know that the whole ram indicated isn't usable by the apps, but I don't think I've done anything to warrant the 0 mb. I close my apps. There are times when there's free 4 to 5 mb, but I think that too shouldn't be the case. I tried installing Advance Task Killer, it listed less than 10 apps, killed it, still the ram is what it is above.
I did a reboot, and now it reads 300+ mb usage, 200 something free.
What can I do? How do I ensure an app's closed on ICS? I installed GoLaucher because it has a handy task killer and I can see the ram freed in an instant, but I would like to know if there's a better way to handle the RAM.

Please re-edit your question, I know you're frustrated but the question is coming across as ranty...

There, done. :)

While it's quite unusual to really have 0 byte free, there is no such thing as "unused RAM" on Linux/Unix based systems. RAM that's not used by apps themselves is used to e.g. buffer data from slower media, and caching stuff from the file system. You will see that quite nicely when running the free command on a command line (using a terminal emulator app, or via adb shell). An example (here from a rooted Android running the Terminal Emulator app) looks like this:

Note the high numbers for "buffers" and "cached" -- which are the reason why the RAM used by apps plus the amount of free RAM "doesn't add up" to the total RAM available. Nothing to worry about.
As for Task Killers: Kill them, they won't do you much good. True they can be useful -- but not in this context: use them to kill hanging/misbehaving apps e.g. hogging your CPU and won't quit otherwise. But it makes absolutely no sense to use them to "free RAM" or "save battery" -- to the contrary: most "killed" apps will simply re-launch themselves immediately, using the same RAM again -- but needing more battery for the relaunch then they'd used had you not killed them. To close apps, exit them via the back button (not the home button). If the dev designed them well, this should place them on the "exit list" (check for "OOM killer" and "application life cycle" if you want more technical details).
Don't worry about handling the RAM -- Android does a good job here already on its own :)

Yeah, I believe in the Android, that's why I'm really confused my ram is 0 and the apps are going crazy. Thanks for the helpful tips! :)

I believe my problem may caused by the BUG of ROM.

You probably have a bad app that causes this (or a bug in your phone's firmware).
Have a look at Memory Usage or enable ADB access and look through the logs (adb logcat)
to spot the bad app/problem.
In general:
Don't use task killers on Android 2.3+ it's just fine without. Here's an  article by Dianne Hackborn on Google's official Android blog. She's an Android engineer at Google.
The same happens in general with linux which Android uses. See the linux ate my ram article why 0MB free is fine.

Yeah, I was expecting not to worry about the ram since I came from a phone with just a little below 300 mb ram usable without any ram issues. I'll check that app out, and come back with the results. Thanks!


text:
Copy SD Card contents to USB HDD
I'm considering to buy an Android Tablet (e.g. Nexus 7). One of the things
I would like to do is, copy some content of my SD Cards (e.g. camera, gopro) to
a USB HDD.
Can I do this with an android tablet? What app(s) do I need (if any)?
Anything else?
Is somebody aware of any instructions or How Tos that describe this?
Many Thanks!

The n7 doesn't support writing to USB drives out of the box, you need to root it + StickMount. More here. One can also install a custom firmware, eg CyanogenMod. Other brands may support this out of the box. Besides this limitation: The N7 is very capable an worth it's money, it's also rather easily moddable and will receive longer software support than others (just some hints on the pros/cons).

Thanks ce4! How about the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7". I have seen that it has a USB connectivity kit? would that also be a solution? THX!

The Samsung Tab would be possible, for sure. I prefer Google Nexus devices because of superior experience (longer software suppport cycle, faster updates, great community support for 3rd party firmware, etc.). They're also very cheap to boot. So: If you don't mind to root it and/or install a custom ROM like CyanogenMod, go for a Nexus 7. Else buy the Samsung tab (Here's a side by side comparison of N7 and Tab2, note the LCD and processor/graphics differences especially)

Note that the Samsung has a micro SD slot that supports up to 32 GB. I have an N7 myself, but I'm looking at using it to backup photos to HDD. Whatever I end up doing, I need to factor in an external SD card reader.


text:
What's the security implication of having an unlocked boot loader?
Nexus devices can be unlocked using the fastboot command fastboot oem unlock to install a custom firmware. For security reasons, the phone is wiped when this command is executed. However after this is done, most people leave the boot loader unlocked.
Devices that support unlocking the boot loader: SonyEricsson (now Sony), Sony, newer HTC devices, ??
Is there a security problem with an unlocked bootloader?
If this is the case, what can be done?

A permanently unlocked boot loader (BL) on a Nexus device is a big security risk.
It's only recommended for a pure developer phone.
An insecure BL enables all sorts of fastboot commands that can be used for e.g. doing the following:

Conduct a cold boot attack to recover the key for Android's full disk encryption
Make a copy of the device
E.g. by booting a custom image (adb boot boot.img), then copying partition dumps
Erase data  using fastboot erase
Flash arbitrary Android firmware, recovery images or radio firmware
fastboot flash radio|recovery|boot|...
Install a root kit (boot custom recovery, then modify system files)
Steal Google/Facebook/whatever accounts stored on the phone
etc.

In case someone has their device encrypted, full access is not immediately possible. However there exists cracking software to brute force the used encryption PIN/passphrase. Altering the firmware is always possible (i.e. an evil maid attack, aka. installing a rootkit/password logger/etc.)
This is the normal process of modding a Nexus device:

unlock the bootloader (fastboot oem unlock)
boot/install insecure/open custom recovery
install custom firmware

To secure your modded device you should do this afterwards:

install a safe recovery image again (custom recoveries like TWRP/CWM are unsafe)
use the extracted recovery.img from Google's factory firmware file, available here
relock the bootloader (fastboot oem lock)

This breaks the usual update mechanisms like RomManager. In case you need to upgrade, you can run flash_image recovery recovery.img (as root on the regular Android OS, it bypasses the BL lock) to install a temporary custom recovery again and use this once to upgrade the firmware and then remove the custom recovery again by doing a flash_image recovery stock.img. I know, this is not very user friendly right now, but let's hope the situation improves at the custom recovery front.
Some background on what's possible: http://hak5.org/episodes/hak5-1205 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uM2_CpuzQ0o

Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat.


text:
Incoming call notification that supports landscape mode
With my HTC One V in the car dock in landscape mode, incoming call notifications still appear in portrait mode. Is there a way I can configure or replace this with something that will display properly in landscape mode?

Unfortunately, this isn't something that can be done natively (as far as my research has turned up). The next best thing I found were car dock apps, like Car Home Ultra, which force everything to rotate into landscape and/or display a driver-friendly UI. I'm not sure if it will work for all versions of Android and what other limitations there are but it's worth a try, I guess. If all else fails, try Rotation Control.


text:
How to turn off camera click sound on Samsung Galaxy S2?
I have a Samsung Galaxy S2 through boost mobile.
I want to get rid of the camera sounds. I bought Tasker, and set up the profile like I was told. Everything is on or off. But when I exit Tasker at first, it says "Active profile". Then, it then says "no active profile".
How do I get rid of this annoying sound? I did system sound, notification sounds, media sounds, and slient sound. But I still have the dang noise.
Please help.

You just need to put mobile in silent mode. It will disable camera sound.

Have a look at SilentCamera.
Alternatively, if your phone's rooted you can delete those files:
/system/media/audio/ui/camera_click.ogg
/system/media/audio/ui/camera_focus.ogg
XDA has a mod for devices with custom firmwares.


text:
LG Optimus G and Mac OSX
I just got an LG Optimus G from my carrier, and was extremely excited for it! I finished recovering my documents and such, and then I went to load my music and pictures... But my Mac isn't recognizing it!
I checked my phone, and it was set to just USB Charging. That explains it... I tried the LG Software option, but couldn't find it on their website for Mac OSX. I emailed LG Support, and they said their software does not run on OSX. OK, I got another 3 options to try...
USB Tethering wouldn't transfer files... Maybe Media Sync (MTP)? It says that I can transfer files or synchronize with Windows Media Player. I select that, but nothing appears on my computer, and iTunes doesn't read it. Finally, I tried the Camera (PTP) option; this brought up my iPhoto asking me to download pictures. It doesn't let me add files to the phone though.
So my question is, how can I transfer files easily (preferably via a sync) between my phone and my OSX 10.6 MacBook Pro?
EDIT: I received an email reply back after they told me they do not have their LG software available for a Mac. They told me to try Salling Software to do the sync, along with instructions. However, my phone is not listed (actually, no LG phones are listed) as being compatible with the software. I followed LG's instructions, but it did not help (instructions below)

EDIT 2: A friend suggested Winamp for Mac. I'm just trying to get it to properly import all my media, then I will post the results

What is your Android version?

@Liam 4.0.4. 15 character minimum

Is there not a USB Mass Storage option? Try System Settings->Storage->Menu->USB Computer Connection. This will mount is as a pen drive like device.

No menu comes up on the storage menu

I found a few work arounds, although not too elegant.
Music
I used Winamp for Mac, and the Winamp app to transfer the music from my iTunes library. I loaded Winamp, and told it to import my iTunes media, waited for it to finish, then created playlists. I can then right-click the playlist on the left, and click Send To->LG Optimus G. The transfer took a while over Wifi, but it moved my library over
Other Files
I used the Bluetooth Exchange program for my Mac. In hindsight, I learned eventually I could have transferred via Wifi with ES File Explorer's FTP or SMB sharing. But again, this is how I solved it. Bluetooth was deadly slow, but it did eventually work.

The way it works for me is that I use the "MTP" transfer function on my LG Optimus G, together with the Android File Transfer, which is downloadable here:

http://www.android.com/filetransfer/

And tadaaa! It works.

Download an application called "Android File Transfer". The application should pop up automatically whenever you set "Media Sync" once you connect the Mac to your phone via the USB. Then, you should be able to drag and drop files to and from your phone to the mac.

Please provide a link to the app.


text:
BlueStacks with proxy

Possible Duplicate:
How to configure BlueStack AppPlayer to use Proxy settings when connecting to Network?

I am using BlueStacks 0.7.7.813. I want to run apps like whatsapp on my laptop and the internet is connected with proxy. Is there any way to run apps like whatsapp on BluStacks behind proxy server?

This is a duplicate of: How to configure BlueStack AppPlayer to use Proxy settings when connecting to Network?
The answer is NO; proxy is not yet supported.


text:
Where is the code for the Bootloader stored in an Android phone?
Where is the bootloader program on an Android phone stored ?

The boot-loader code is stored within the /boot partition. Majority of Android handsets uses the Qualcomm's Boot Loader, called LK (Little Kernel), barring Samsung, which uses their own form of boot-code.
LK has the following:

Variety of nand devices for bootup
USB driver to enable upgrading images over usb during development
Keypad driver to enable developers enter ‘fastboot’ mode for image upgrades
Display driver for debugging and splash screen
Enable Android recovery image and image upgrades

This applies to only, Qualcomm chipsets hence the exemption of Samsung based handsets
There is a website blog that cites this from source
The actual source code, if anyone is curious enough, can be found on CodeAurora site. This is known as CAF, in which a lot of Qualcomm specific code for kernels can be found in.
As a side-note: Google releases source to AOSP, CAF, pulls from them, modifies it to make it fit within Qualcomm chipsets, then the Manufacturers pull those down and add their own bits, it is that for the reason there's, AOSP, CAF and CyanogenMod that are the main three flavours of Android.
The actual source code to the boot-loader can be found on CAF's git repository, and has not changed much, it can also be found in CyanogenMod's source, specifically in, /bootable/bootloader also.

Do you know if CAF/LK would have been used for the nVidia chipset Nexus 7 (2012)?

@Greg have no idea as I have never owned a Nexus 7, nVidia - But having said that - there is AOSP sources available to download - might be worthwhile to do a repo sync and build the sources for the nakasi device, you will learn so much out of that.

What's the difference between aboot and booloader (LK) ? Why is there a separate partition called /aboot in my device, instead of being in /boot itself?

Is the AOSP stock bootloader available open source? I pulled AOSP and bootable/ contains only recovery/, not bootloader/.