date stringlengths 10 10 | nb_tokens int64 60 629k | text_size int64 234 1.02M | content stringlengths 234 1.02M |
|---|---|---|---|
2010/09/13 | 261 | 1,035 | <issue_start>username_0: What do I need to install/change so that when I get a call the picture of the caller is in fullscreen mode instead of the regular small image.<issue_comment>username_1: I think the dimensions of different parts of the GUI require changes in the framework-res.apk files in the internal system partition. This requires you to be rooted, of course. I haven't seen any custom themes for custom ROMs that have a full screen portrait however.
Upvotes: 1 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Maybe you need something like that:
* [BIG! caller ID](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wroclawstudio.screencaller),
* [Full Screen Caller ID](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.androminigsm.fscifree&feature=related_apps).
Notice: Both are free just for first five contacts. For more, you must purchase full version. Both require to assign HD photos manually (from SD Card, Camera or Facebook). None of them support images stored with your contacts on your Google account.
Upvotes: 2 |
2010/09/13 | 169 | 695 | <issue_start>username_0: I can never end a task easily on the HTC tattoo - is there a shortcut to it I can make, or an easier app to use?<issue_comment>username_1: The fastest way I know is from the home screen click Menu->Settings->Applications->Running Services. There are some task manager applications, though from what I've read they may be more trouble than their worth as far as bugginess and/or eating through your battery quickly.
Upvotes: 2 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Personalize (lower right button on home screen)
Shortcut
Settings
Running services
This adds a shortcut to the Running Services screen to my home screen, HTC Thunderbolt with Sense 2.0 UI
Upvotes: 0 |
2010/09/13 | 659 | 3,066 | <issue_start>username_0: When installing a custom ROM onto a rooted Android device, they often recommend to upgrade the radio firmware.
**What exactly is Android's radio firmware?**<issue_comment>username_1: Phone service carriers will sometimes update the firmware on your radio. For reasons unknown, improved radio firmware isn't always made available to customers.
The radio firmware will, through software, increase your service coverage, giving you better signal and battery life.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: The radio firmware controls basic low-level functions like network connectivity, Wi-Fi, and GPS. For several years, though, "radio" means "baseband", and controls network connectivity aspects only, while WiFi and GPS are governed by OS drivers, like any other devices.
Usually upgrading your radio will not give you any new features but will fix connectivity issues, increase range or performance, decrease battery usage, or the like. Some ROM's require you to have the latest radio versions to work.
While a botched radio upgrade can brick your phone, the process is basically the same as upgrading your ROM. Just make sure not to unplug or power down your phone in the middle, make sure you trust the person who released the radio firmware, and try to read some comments or reviews.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: As a side note on radio firmwares beware of upgrading them without having seen a test of the version on your network.
Sometimes new radio firmwares add features for some network providers that result in worse bandwidth, disconnections and other disagreement if you use them on another network. Network operators don't provide phones with such broken firmwares (they wait for the next version or just provide the same radio firmware forever) but if you install them yourself it's a risk you take.
But if you want to use the latest firmware all the times before your network operator or phone manufacturer provide the update you may need to take this risk (Video crashed the HTC Desire when used with all but the latest radio rom on froyo...)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: If you don't think it is necessary to flash a radio then don't do it. At least I heard that it will not make any difference to your phone storage and speed. But somehow if you have connectivity issues like dropped calls, WiFi connection not searching or GPS does not seem to work then surely you need to flash the radio to another version than you are using at the moment.
If you want to see which radio your phone is working on go to settings > About phone > Baseband version > See the last some digits and then search for your phone Like HTC desire latest radio etc..
Note: I Recommend you should read more about Radio before flashing it. Sometimes there is a chance to brick your phone but don't worry if you have searched enough of it you are not going to lose anything. At least give a weekend or two to search for tutorials on forums like XDA, Android Central, Google, Wiki etc..
Happy Flashing
Upvotes: 2 |
2010/09/13 | 217 | 877 | <issue_start>username_0: When I go to the Galaxy S's gallery app, it shows me every JPG/PNG it can find on my SD card, including album art.
Is there a way of stopping this so it's filtered?<issue_comment>username_1: If you add an empty file called .nomedia to a directory the media scanner will ignore it.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: adding a .nomedia file block your music from showing in your media player.
I solved the issue by deleting all of my .jpg albumart files in my music folders then letting PowerAmp download its own albumart, it makes an albumthumbs folder on your internal SD card and saves the images as non-jpg binary files so the Android media scanner doesn't pick them up.
My gallery app is clutter-free now! :)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Name your cover files "albumart.jpg", the gallery will ignore them.
Upvotes: 2 |
2010/09/13 | 524 | 2,019 | <issue_start>username_0: I'd like to setup some combination of On/Off settings and create profiles. For example, when at home, I'd like Bluetooth/Wifi On, but Mobile Off. When going to work, I want Mobile On and everything else off. Is there an easy way to do this?<issue_comment>username_1: Check out [Locale](http://www.twofortyfouram.com/product.html). It's not the cheapest app, but it is very well made and will allow you to do this. It switches to profiles automatically based on certain conditions too.
For example, when it detects that you are at home it can automatically switch to your Bluetooth/Wi-fi profile and turn off the mobile network.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Check out Settings Profile - <http://www.probeez.com/>. I bought both and I prefer Settings Profile (it's also cheaper @ $3.95). There is also a free version that only allows one active rule at a time.
Setting up the profiles in SP is more intuitive (to me). The notification bar displays the active profile(s) and that interface allows you to easily change to a new profile. SP contains a few settings for free that Locale doesn't (i.e. Airplane mode, Dock mode). There are plugins for Locale ($1.99) that can handle this - not sure if there are any free plugins.
I'd recommend trying out the free version to see how setting up profiles work, in general.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: <http://tasker.dinglisch.net/>
Tasker is a bit complicated BUT it is insanely powerful. Check it out
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: Cyanogenmod 9 can do this. I think CM 7 also had this feature.
Unlike the other solutions, you'd have to switch the profiles manually. The upside is that it integrates into the OS more nicely.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_4: Another possibility is [Llama](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kebab.Llama). It's similar to Tasker and Locale, but free. I don't know what other differences there are as Llama is the only one I've tried so far.
Upvotes: 2 |
2010/09/13 | 273 | 1,096 | <issue_start>username_0: I live in scandinavia and the Market for paid applications is not available here yet. Is there any way I can enable it? Or a workaround?<issue_comment>username_1: You need to install an application called Market Enabler, note this only works on rooted phones . You can download it from [here](http://code.google.com/p/market-enabler/downloads/detail?name=MarketEnabler_latest.html)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: You don't need to root if you get a prepaid sim card from a country where paid market is visible. Of course it's bit annoying to have to change the sim from time to time...
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: Both rooting and using a prepaid SIM seem a bit extreme. I'd suggest looking at other App Markets to see if that will help before turning to such drastic measures. I have started a question [here](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/216/alternative-android-app-markets) about different App Markets and suggested two in the question. Hopefully, there will be some replies soon and you may have your pick.
Upvotes: 2 |
2010/09/13 | 214 | 906 | <issue_start>username_0: The only way I found to do it is by installing a 3rd party file explorer software. Isn't there a default app that does that? At least for media files?<issue_comment>username_1: The BT stack on Android phones does not support the file transfer profile. You may be able to add this by rooting your phone and loading a custom BT stack.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: Certain apps like the gallery let your share content via Bluetooth (or any other number of methods). The gallery handles video and images. Highlight the item and hit menu to get the Share menu.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: [Bluetooth File Transfer](https://market.android.com/details?id=it.medieval.blueftp) provides OBEX FTP and OPP for android. It allows you to send a file via bluetooth to an android device or any other devices that implement these bluetooth profiles.
Upvotes: 2 |
2010/09/13 | 563 | 2,025 | <issue_start>username_0: Is there a free location-aware todo list out there?
I need something, that: reminds me to buy milk, when I'm near to my favourite shop.<issue_comment>username_1: If you are already using Locale (which is not free), Astrid is a free task/todo list manager which can be configured to open a list of tasks with a specific tag. Astrid also integrates with Remember the Milk.
You can configure the list to open by various Locale conditions, including location.
I use it to remind me of maintenance tasks when I'm near the hardware store.
Additionally, Remember the Milk is a free app which can trigger by location, but it does require a Pro subscription to Remember The Milk's website.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: New app [Location Alert](https://market.android.com/details?id=com.mofirst.locationalert) will do this.
>
> Never forget another task with
> Location Alert - now available
> completely free! Location Alert is a
> cutting-edge application that reminds
> you to perform tasks based upon your
> current location, rather than time.
> Often there are tasks to which you
> cannot specify a certain time,
> however, would like to be reminded
> when in a certain vicinity. For
> instance, you don’t know when exactly
> you will leave work this evening, but
> whenever you do, and are crossing the
> grocery store on your way home, you
> want to be reminded to pick up milk.
> Location Alert to the rescue!
>
>
> * Don't know what time you'll be crossing the science department, but
> need to remember to drop off that
> assignment whenever you do?
> * Don't know what time you'll reach office but must remember to hand in
> that check to accounting?
> * Need a reminder to pick up the DVD you left at Sam's house whenever
> you're in the vicinity next time?
>
>
> ...
>
>
>
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: [Google Keep](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.keep) now supports location reminders.
Upvotes: 1 |
2010/09/13 | 784 | 2,855 | <issue_start>username_0: I know about [Astro Player](http://www.astroplayer.com/). Any other apps that feature podcast managment and variable speed playback?<issue_comment>username_1: Have you tried doubleTwist? I have been enjoying this music app very much.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_2: Astro Player Beta will go up to 2x I think. Works pretty well.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: as of today, there is no android application that supports podcast management and variable speed playback.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_4: If you'll pardon the "non-answer"...
I wrote [Taffy](https://github.com/username_4hilliard/Taffy) to act as a proxy between your Android device and the podcast provider. It speeds up the podcast before your podcatcher downloads it. There are several undesirable aspects to this approach (hosting not the least among them, nor inability to *change* playback speed during playback), but I use it every day to listen to several podcasts on my Droid at faster speeds.
Here's to it becoming obselete soon.
My Droid uses [BeyondPod](http://www.beyondpod.mobi/android/index.htm), pointed to Taffy podcast feeds, to automatically download all of my podcasts straight to my handset during pre-dawn hours. I wake every morning (and have for months -- Taffy's a pain to setup, but it's pretty smooth sailing from there) to no-hassle, "sped-up" podcasts ready for my commute.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: Today, [Presto](http://www.aocate.com/presto/ "Presto") entered open beta. Presto provides a background Service which allows other applications to play MP3 and Ogg Vorbis files on your Android device at faster or slower speeds and/or faster or slower pitches, so that any application can have variable speed playback, as long as the end user has Presto installed. Developers must modify their app for Presto to be used while playing audio, and I've released open source code to make that almost a drop-in replacement for the Android MediaPlayer.
BeyondPod, DoggCatcher, and PodTrapper have all been working with me in the course of development, so should have a version that can use Presto
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_6: BeyondPod Podcast Manager ([free trial](http://www.appbrain.com/app/beyondpod-podcast-manager/mobi.beyondpod), [$6.99 unlock](http://www.appbrain.com/app/beyondpod-unlock-key/mobi.beyondpod.unlockkey)) will play at 1.5 and 2 times speed, however you also need to purchase the [Presto Sound Library Open Beta ($3.99)](http://www.appbrain.com/app/presto-sound-library-open-beta/com.aocate.presto) to enable that particular functionality.
Works well once you've done that, though.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_7: [AntennaPod](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.danoeh.antennapod) recently included support for variable speed playback via Presto.
Upvotes: 2 |
2010/09/13 | 1,520 | 5,486 | <issue_start>username_0: When I take a picture it makes a 'click' sound. As this is default behavior, I would like to turn it off. Is there a setting to do so; or if I find+delete the sound file, will there be repercussions?
\*\*Please note I am looking for a basically permanent solution rather than one that I would need to set/unset with each use of the app. I like the idea of a root solution, or an app solution; but for the sake of non-root memory-hog slow-camera-app-starting people who can't afford to run another background service, let's make a...
>
> Clarification: let's clarify that this is to do with the Motorola Droid (per the tag, sorry). I'm glad it works for other phone models, however to the best of my knowledge it is not a stock option (if I am wrong please point the way) from 2.0.1, 2.1, or 2.2 on the Motorola Droid. That is to say, unless you are referring to the overall volume controls, there is no volume control/mute for the camera application. (Settings options for camera are: zoom|flash|white balance|store location|focus/exposure settings).
>
>
>
**I'd like to really tie this question's answer off with a bow: aside from the root option and app option, is there an option to turn off sound in the camera/system settings? [Temporarily muting the phone is a poor option.]**<issue_comment>username_1: You'll need root to delete the sound file, but this should be it:
```
Delete /system/media/audio/ui/camera_click.ogg
```
Repercussions? It won't play the sound anymore? :)
Alternatively, you could download another camera app that does not produce a camera sound.
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: When you're in the camera, just use the normal volume to turn sound all the way down. This worked for me on stock Nexus One running Froyo.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: I use an app called [Silent Camera](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=soft.kinoko.SilentCamera).
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: I suppose this must be new for Froyo but in the camera settings there is an option to turn off the shutter sound.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: The option to turn the shutter sound off is not new in Froyo. I am using 2.1 Eclair on a Samsung Vibrant (Galaxy S) and under Settings:[Wrench Icon] scroll to the second page there is the "Shutter sound" option where you can select one of three different sounds or "Off."
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_6: Placing the volume level at silent (below vibrate) will eventually turn off all the sounds including the one for camera.
Note: I use SonyEricsson X10 series.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_7: If you have a rooted phone you can edit the `default.prop` file to bring the "No Sound" back to the Shutter Sound menu.
Login to the shell using adb (part of the Android SDK), then switch to super user mode
```
$ adb shell
# su
```
*Note - depending on how your phone is rooted you may need to confirm that "Unknown Application" can become super user - make sure your phone is unlocked and the screen visible before typing SU then accept this when prompted or it will just echo the commands out.*
Mount the System Drive in read write mode, and copy default.prop to your SD Card
```
# mount -o remount,rw -t yaffs2 /dev/mtdblock2 /system
# cp /system/default.prop /sdcard/
```
Copy the file to your desktop (I used SWIFTP), then change the line (I used Notepad++ so the line endings weren't mangled) which reads
```
ro.camera.sound.forced=1
```
to
```
ro.camera.sound.forced=0
```
Copy the file back to your SD card then
```
# cp /sdcard/default.prop /system/
```
Exit the ADB Prompt
```
$ CTRL + C
```
Reboot your phone.
When you next go into the camera app choose the settings menu and the "No Sound" option should be available.
Alternatively after mounding the /system partition overwrite the `shutter.ogg` by issuing the following commands
```
# cd /system/media/audio/camera
# cp sound0/no_sound.ogg sound3/shutter.ogg
```
Kill the camera app if it's already running, start the camera app, choose "sound3" and then you'll have a silent shutter.
Works on my T-Mobile-UK customised Sony Ericsson Xperia X10i, but should work on most (all?) rooted Android phones.
If you actually enable the "No Sound" option, not only does it disable the really loud camera shutter racket but it means when listening to music it no longer goes silent to allow the shutter sound to be played, and it seems to take photos much faster. Changing the .ogg files doesn't gain you these advantages.
*Thanks to zephyrix's hint at <http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=713295> and for j4mm3r's note on how to make /system writeable.*
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_8: If you have ["Tasker"](http://tasker.dinglisch.net/) installed, then
1. Create an application context for the camera app
2. Create a task to set system volume down to zero.
When you exit the camera app, the system volume is restored to its original state.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_9: Without ROOT you can use this application it works on a range of phone's although not all of them:
<https://market.android.com/details?id=com.blundell>
Stock Camera / No Shutter Noise
**The original silent camera app!** :-)
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_10: If you are using a Lenovo mobile, please process should work:
Turn on your camera --> Go to Settings --> Click on the 3 dots to pull up more options --> Set Snap Sound to OFF
Upvotes: 0 |
2010/09/13 | 740 | 3,042 | <issue_start>username_0: When I use Android in business I have some secret data on my phone. So if I lose my phone this can easily be stolen.
Is there any way I can secure my phone? E.g. adding password for unlocking it. Any recommendations? apps? or best-practice?<issue_comment>username_1: Check out a piece of software such as [Mobile Defense](https://www.mobiledefense.com/) which gives you remote tracking and wiping of your phone.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: You should also be able to add a [lock-pattern](http://www.bestandroidresources.com/Bar/A-Little-More-Secure) that makes it slightly-more-difficult to open the phone
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: Don't store data on the micro SD card. It's easy to take out and insert into another device.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: The most common way to hack your phone is thru insecure WiFi spots. (<NAME> was hacked that way.)
I'd recommend to install [Y5](https://market.android.com/details?id=pl.polidea.y5) application, which enables WiFi only for spots you trust.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: The best way to protect your phone is to encrypt the whole data on it.
I know Nexus devices have option to encrypt devices under security settings.
What this will do, is every time you boot up your device it will ask for your password, if you don't know it, you will not be able to recover any data on your phone.
You will need to set up some password or lock after you turn of your screen as well, so no one can access your phone if you leave it on table or somewhere else.
If you are often using public access points to connect to internet via your Android device, you should always use https sites.
Most common attacks against smartphone users are man in the middle attacks, this will allow attacker to intercept your session with the current server you are gaining informations from (for example Facebook) and it will be able to login to your account and make changes to your account, post on your behalf etc etc, there is no good defense against this, but you can use [DroidSheep Guard](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.trier.infsec.koch.droidsheep.guard.free).
It will detect if anyone on the network is using this kind of attack, and if so, it will automatically disconnect you from that network, therefor preventing an attack.
There are also some viruses being made lately against android devices, which can harm your device in different ways, I have found out that the best thing you can do against this is, use only play store to download your apps, and check what other people say about application, before downloading it,a lso latest android update has additional security, so if you are installing app from other sources, it can check that app for any malicious code in it.
I don't recommend installing antivirus software on android device, it won't help much, and it will slow your device.
I hope this will be helpful for you and others having concerns about this kind of stuff.
Upvotes: 2 |
2010/09/13 | 499 | 1,900 | <issue_start>username_0: If I take some photos, and then go to the Gallery app, those photos do not always appear immediately. I've tried causing the Gallery to refresh, but the images simply do not appear for more than 15 minutes. I can open the Camera app again and browse through them, so I know they have been stored.
Is there a way to eliminate the latency between when a photo is taken using Camera and when it appears in Gallery?<issue_comment>username_1: IMHO there are these ways to decrease the latency:
1. Use CyanogenMod (it's much faster than stock Android)
2. Get a faster phone (i.g. Nexus One)
3. Remove Appkillers
Else you might just have to wait for an update of the Gallery app.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: Heres an alternative to the 3D Gallery its a 2dGallery they updates very fast!
<http://forum.xda-developers.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=377221&d=1281435373>
Enjoy!
p.s - if t doesn't work you might need to login / register on XDA and then download it but its worth it! I download this and then just remove the other gallery since its laggy.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: The delay is because the Android media scanner process doesn't run constantly. There's an app in the market to force it to run -- <http://www.appbrain.com/app/com.addz.mediascanner>
I haven't used this app personally, but it is highly rated.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_4: There are certain actions that always set the media scanner running when you carry them out.
If you attach your phone to a PC and mount it as a USB drive, the media scanner will run after you unplug.
Most file managers will notify the media scanner if you use them to move files around.
A couple of the other apps I use, like Image Transfer set the media scanner runnning (presumably to check that they've got up to date info on what media has changed recently).
Upvotes: 0 |
2010/09/13 | 207 | 746 | <issue_start>username_0: The four buttons at the bottom of the Motorola Droid (back,menu,home,search) are backlit when its dark and the phone is unlocked. The brightness of the buttons' back light doesn't adjust with the brightness of the screen, which can be a real problem when I'm using an app at night. Is there any way to turn off or dim these buttons?<issue_comment>username_1: There's the [LEDs Hack](http://www.appbrain.com/app/leds-hack-%28root-only%29/net.geekherd.softbuttonshack) app if you've got the root thing going.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: There's an app called [Screen Filter](https://market.android.com/details?id=com.haxor) that will allow you to switch the menu button backlight off.
Upvotes: 1 |
2010/09/13 | 205 | 761 | <issue_start>username_0: >
> **Possible Duplicate:**
>
> [I checked 'use as default' when choosing the default launcher, but now I can't start ADW.Launcher any more](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/6042/i-checked-use-as-default-when-choosing-the-default-launcher-but-now-i-cant-s)
>
>
>
I've installed and set up LauncherPro as a replacement launcher app. How do I reset the phone to use the Android default launcher app?<issue_comment>username_1: Go into your Settings -> Applications -> Manage Applications. Find Launcher Pro and select it. Hit the button that says Clear Defaults.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Go to settings, applications, manage applications, LauncherPro and click "Clear Defaults"
Upvotes: 2 |
2010/09/13 | 437 | 1,631 | <issue_start>username_0: I know I can get to alarm setup through the Clock app, but I swear this used to be a separate app. How do you get directly to the Alarms app?<issue_comment>username_1: On my Droid X, there was an app preinstalled called "Alarm & Timer". That's what I've been using for alarms. Not sure if this is the same thing you are talking about though.
Which verison of the OS are you running? My Droid X is still on 2.1.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: Quick look around shows that the Alarm function is most definitely part of the Clock app.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: I know that with [LauncherPro](http://www.launcherpro.com/) you can set up "actions" as shortcuts, rather than directly to apps. You might be able to create a shortcut directly to the Alarm app.
There are probably other apps out there that do this. I would be interested in the answer, as I have a similar gripe about all of the "sub apps" included with the Clock app.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: I set my alarms by tapping the Current Time on [Beautiful Widgets](http://www.appbrain.com/app/com.levelup.beautifulwidgets). The "Beautiful Smaller Home Weather" widget takes up 4 slots on the home-screen but allows short-cuts to 3 actions: Set Alarms, Calendar, and Weather Forecast. The widget also lets you see the Current Time, Today's Date, and Current Weather with a glance at your home-screen.
[Beautiful Widgets](http://www.appbrain.com/app/com.levelup.beautifulwidgets) has a 4.5 star rating from 22k+ ratings. It costs ~$2 but I am not alone in saying that it is worth the price.
Upvotes: 1 |
2010/09/13 | 352 | 1,307 | <issue_start>username_0: Does the android platform have any firewall application?<issue_comment>username_1: I'm pretty sure that Android includes iptables, which is the standard firewall for any Linux.
What I have no information about is whether iptables is compiled into the kernel used on all phones, but you might get more information out of [this thread in the xda-developers forum](http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=444004).
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: DroidWall is pretty good, but it requires root, of course.
<http://www.appbrain.com/app/com.googlecode.droidwall>
It allows you to control on an app-by-app basis which applications can access the network, and has separate permissions for Wifi and 3g.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: As per @username_2's answer above - DroidWall is no longer developed nor supported and is forked into a superior version called [AFWall](https://github.com/ukanth/afwall) found on Github.
For those who do not wish to tinker with the code, here's the direct linky to the [Play Store](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=dev.ukanth.ufirewall)
AFWall works very well with the newer Ice Cream Sandwich and upwards.
And yes it has the same requirement as the old DroidWall, i.e. requiring root.
Upvotes: 1 |
2010/09/13 | 883 | 3,679 | <issue_start>username_0: What can you do if you are located in a country that still does not support paid apps? Please include solutions for non-rooted users as well.<issue_comment>username_1: **Requirements**
* a google checkout account with valid credit card (this has no country limitations)
* pre-paid SIM card from supported country (for me pre-paid Three UK SIM worked just fine)
**Steps for purchasing**
* insert the pre-paid SIM
* enter google account that is associated with google checkout (account will be asked because of SIM change)
* connect over Wi-Fi
* purchase the wished application
* just download and install
***Questions***
**What about roaming charges?** As a rule pre-paid SIMs do not work in other countries, so the only way to browse the market and download applications is connecting over Wi-Fi.
**Why is a SIM required?** Market detects Your location by SIM cards home country. By using a SIM from supported country You are effectively faking Your location.
**Isn't it required for Google Checkout account or credit card used to be in supported country?** It seems that not. For me these were both located in Estonia and everything went without problems.
**What if application is using some weird copy protection that locks it to a specific SIM card?** Would the app not stop working when real SIM is swapped in? To prevent this kind of copy protection on locking to the incorrect SIM the easiest option is to cancel the download after purchase has been complete. Swap the real SIM in and complete the download. If there is some kind of SIM check, it can be only done after installation has been complete.
**Where can I get a pre-paid SIM card?** Check eBay :) There is no actual credit required on the SIM, so these should be pretty cheap.
*--credit: the poster himself [(JaanusSiim)](https://android.stackexchange.com/users/72/jaanussiim)*
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: For rooted phones:
There is an app called [Market Enabler](http://code.google.com/p/market-enabler/) that allows you to fake which country and carrier you're on when you're browsing the market so that you can easily browse markets from other countries or carriers. using this you should be able to connect to other European markets (I don't know which country you're in but many European markets such as UK do allow paid apps, you don't have to go to the US for them).
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: I think you'd need to have a credit card that has a billing address in the US (or other supported country).
In Europe apps can be bought by users in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, the UK, and Switzerland.
Hopefully the number of supported countries will be increased when Google announces its apparently imminent Market improvements. The recent change to the terms and conditions to allow for carrier billing and rumours of Paypal support suggest that there will be new payment options in the near future, potentially for countries where Google Checkout is not currently available.
If you can't use the official market you could use [AndAppStore](http://andappstore.com/), [SlideME](http://slideme.org/) or one of the other third party app stores. The app selection and user base is considerably reduced however.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: You could also use Entropay for obtaining a Virtual Card to make payments in Google Play Store wherever you are. I was able to buy games and apps for my Moto X using the Virtual Card from Entropay as I live in India and Google Play Store doesn't accept my debit card.
Thanks to Mr. Narendran for sharing this info.
<https://android.stackexchange.com/a/65739/77738>
Upvotes: 0 |
2010/09/13 | 380 | 1,575 | <issue_start>username_0: Every so often, my phone (Motorola Milestone, firmware 2.1-update1) decides that the battery is almost drained and that I have to turn the phone off. This may happen just a few hours after charging it, and a subsequent restart confirms that yes, the battery does still have a charge, still at 70-80% capacity.
This tends to happen every few weeks, and it's been happening basically ever since I bought the phone a few months ago, so I'm pretty sure it's not a charge memory issue, especially when combined with the fact that the problem is intermittent and very infrequent.
Does anyone know why this might happen, and what I could do to fix it?<issue_comment>username_1: Some custom recovery images have a command to clear the battery cache, this has fixed similar problems on different phones for me.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: Although not generally recommended for Li-ion batteries, I believe a full discharge and recharge cycle will also clear these statistics.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: I saw this exact same issue on my Motorol DROID v1 (same hardware I believe). With Android 2.0, 2.1, and 2.1 update 1 my phone would sometimes report the battery completely drained just a few minutes after unplugging it. I have not seen this issue again since the 2.2 update. Before the update the way I would get the phone to display the proper charge level was to plug in the USB charger for just a moment. As soon as the phone saw that it was charging the charge level immediately displayed correctly.
Upvotes: 2 [selected_answer] |
2010/09/13 | 527 | 1,641 | <issue_start>username_0: >
> **Possible Duplicate:**
>
> [Are there any devices that are like an iPod Touch, but run Android?](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/967/are-there-any-devices-that-are-like-an-ipod-touch-but-run-android)
>
>
>
In other words, is there a piece of dedicated hardware designed (or shipped with) Android that is meant as a media player, so that I wouldn't have to pay for a phone, and just not use the phone features?<issue_comment>username_1: The [Archos 32](http://www.talkandroid.com/14183-archos-32-pmp-pretends-to-be-an-android-tablet) sounds like it's the closest, so far. Although it is bizarrely referred to as a tablet.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: Samsung has a [Galaxy Player 50 PMP](http://phandroid.com/2010/09/02/samsung-shows-off-galaxy-player-50-pmp-not-the-yp-mb2-at-ifa/), which will be coming out soon.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: The Barnes & Noble Nook is based on Android, has no monthly fees, and includes the ability to playback music. It probably isn't what you have in mind as a media player, but I think it fits your description.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: There's also the [Archos 28](http://www.archos.com/products/ta/archos_28it/index.html?country=gb&lang=en) which is a little smaller and a little cheaper than the [Archos 32](http://www.archos.com/products/ta/archos_32it/index.html?country=gb&lang=en). Again, they're both referred to as tablets but the Archos site (links previously) both say "Excellent multimedia player".
Also, [MP4Nation](http://www.mp4nation.net/catalog/) may have some Android PMPs.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2010/09/13 | 1,641 | 6,124 | <issue_start>username_0: My device is already rooted, this is why I'm asking.
Do you need root to monitor the logcat stream on the phone? If I ran the logcat command from within a Terminal on the phone, would that work?<issue_comment>username_1: The application [Android System Info](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.electricsheep.asi&hl=en) has the ability to output log info to the screen which as far as I can tell is the same log info as logcat spits out.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: No, you don't need root to get logcat information.
To do it, you probably want to download the Android SDK and run "adb logcat", using the adb tool that comes with the SDK. Alternatively, you could install the ADT Eclipse plugin and use its handy streaming Logcat viewer.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: You don't need to root your phone to run `adb logcat` with the Android SDK, but I did just test it in my [Terminal Emulator](https://github.com/jackpal/Android-Terminal-Emulator/wiki) and I did have to be root (used the `su` command -- my phone is already rooted) to run logcat in the terminal on my phone.
So yes: if you have root on your phone you can run logcat from a terminal on your phone.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: These free apps in the Market claim to be able to display your logcat, and don't make any mention of root. Should only take you a few minutes to try them out:
* [CatLog](https://market.android.com/details?id=com.nolanlawson.logcat)
* [aLogcat](https://market.android.com/details?id=org.jtb.alogcat)
* [LogViewer](https://market.android.com/details?id=ukzzang.android.app.logviewer)
EDIT: Thanks to @mente for reminding me that these apps will only let you view the full logfile in older versions of Android. Android 4.1 brought in a new security model around logfiles that meant that apps could only read their own logfiles and logfile entries, and can't read logfile entries written by the system or other apps.
There is however still both a way for an app's user to generate a logfile of the app's recent log entries to be sent to a developer, and for a phone's owner to grant permissions to allow an app to read the logfile without full root, but this does require you to use an ADB command, which unfortunately takes it out of the reach of most normal phone users:
>
> If you want the user to give you debugging information, you can have
> them **generate a bug report with power + volume down + volume up which
> includes the logs** and lots of other data, and automatically brings up
> their e-mail app to sent it all (plus a screenshot). We were just
> discussing that we should have an easier way to generate these as
> well, I am going to look at adding something to the settings app.
>
>
> I also have started introducing the concept of a **"development"
> permission, which read logs** is classified as. This allows the app to
> request the permission, but not get it at install. You can however
> **grant it with an adb shell command** once it is installed. At some
> point later I expect to have a UI in the system for doing this, but we
> are going to hold off on that to be careful about how we present this.
>
>
>
*Excerpt from a [post on Google Groups](https://groups.google.com/d/msg/android-developers/6U4A5irWang/dEsqi0dyPkkJ) by <NAME>, Android Framework Engineer. My emphasis.*
The mentioned ADB command to grant an application permission to read the logs is:
```
adb shell pm grant android.permission.READ\_LOGS
```
This setting should survive reboots and upgrades of the app (but not uninstalls/reinstalls).
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_5: No, you don't need root to access logcat. My device (Samsung Galaxy Note, Gingerbread 2.3.6 with stock ROM) is not rooted (yet!) and I have used the following ways to access log on my device:
* CatLog app
* aLogcat app
* Activated SSHDroid app, and connected to the device terminal using an SSH client
* Using Android SDK and running `adb logcat`
However, the Terminal app doesn't allow you to run logcat, and gives you "permission denied". I'm not sure why.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_6: Logcat does not need root. Simples - its a de-facto standard across the board in respect to different Android versions and is part of Android irrespective if you're rooted or not, and is a standard means for diagnosing problems as in for example - you install an app, the app force close, you complain to developer of said app, chances are quite high the developer will ask "send over the logcat" regardless if you're rooted or not!
[aLogCat](http://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdid=org.jtb.alogcat&fdpage=1) is one way of gathering the information, with the option of logging to webpage layout or plain text, bear in mind, if you schedule it to log at a certain frequency such as every 15 minutes, the SDCard will fill up quite quickly.
Another aspect, usage of logcat will be dependent on the kernel in terms of how much it can store - in any kernel that is used by the ROM, the source for the logging from a kernel level, where it reserves the memory for the logcat service can be found in `drivers/staging/android/logger.c` using the appropriate defines for example:
>
> DEFINE\_LOGGER\_DEVICE(log\_main, LOGGER\_LOG\_MAIN, 64\*1024)
> DEFINE\_LOGGER\_DEVICE(log\_events, LOGGER\_LOG\_EVENTS, 256\*1024)
> DEFINE\_LOGGER\_DEVICE(log\_radio, LOGGER\_LOG\_RADIO, 64\*1024)
> DEFINE\_LOGGER\_DEVICE(log\_system, LOGGER\_LOG\_SYSTEM, 64\*1024)
>
>
>
Again, mileage will vary, some developers of such ROMs will choose to minimize consumption to reduce memory overheads...
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_7: It seems you cannot run logcat from Terminal Emulator without having root on your phone. In this case you have to su first. AFAIK, it comes from Android Permissions: Terminal Emulator simply doesn't have enough permissions to view device's log. So the system says Permission denied.
On the other hand, as others said, there are plenty of apps that allow you to view device's log just because they request the permission.
Upvotes: 1 |
2010/09/13 | 1,635 | 6,628 | <issue_start>username_0: >
> **Possible Duplicate:**
>
> [How can I stop applications and services from running?](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/30332/how-can-i-stop-applications-and-services-from-running)
>
>
>
I've installed some applications that I mostly like, except for the fact that they all decided they were too important not to auto-start. None of them give me any option *within* the application to disable the auto-start "feature."
Can I stop these applications from auto-starting? And if so, how?
Note: My phone is not rooted, so I'm especially interested in solutions that do *not* require a rooted device, but all answers are welcome, even if they require rooting the device, since I may do this eventually.
Also note: I'd prefer **not** to fiddle around with clumsy auto-kill features in task-killer programs, as I've found them to be incredibly unreliable on my phone (Motorola Milestone/Droid).<issue_comment>username_1: You can use applications like "[Startup Cleaner](http://www.appbrain.com/app/com.bright.startup2)" or other [similar applications](http://www.appbrain.com/search?q=startup)
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_2: You don't really want or need to run a task killer. See: [Do I really need to install a task manager?](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/9/do-i-really-need-to-install-a-task-manager)
Apps on the Android are pretty well-behaved. If an app is starting automatically it's because it needs to. Well-designed apps that may or may not really need to run automatically will have an option in their settings to turn that on or off.
Note that unlike your PC, having extra RAM doesn't improve performance so much. It's better for your often used apps to already be in RAM when you launch them, so that they don't need to be loaded. Running with little to no free RAM is a good thing on Android, and the OS does a good job of killing things it doesn't need any more.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: **Please, please, please, please put down the task killer.**
It isn't needed. The operating system knows how to handle and end applications just fine. Otherwise you are going to waste performance/battery because when you kill a task it is going to re-spawn back up. And if you killed a task that was writing to disk (or a database), then you could potentially create *corruption*.
The only time you ever, ever, ever should kill a task is if it is obviously running wild or hung up (and usually when this happens you get the Force Close screen. If not, go to Settings --> Applications --> find your app and kill the task there).
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_4: Android is an OS specifically designed for resource constrained environment. Android manages resources intelligently, and will kill applications when other applications need to use memory, and resurrect them later to restore service. Unlike some other phones, which sacrifices basic smartphone functionality, like multitasking, by only allowing one running application at a time).
As for how Android determine how to resurrect apps, it's mainly determined by Intents. Applications can register to be notified by the OS when certain events occur, e.g. the phone starting up, you're entering a particular location, the wifi gets turned on, etc. When handling notifications (Intents), the application (or parts of it) may get resurrected. In a sense, conceptually in Android, all installed applications are always running all the time and you have conceptually infinite memory. The OS will kill and resurrect applications as needed to maintain this illusion.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: Though not a dedicated app for this purpose, the [System Tuner](https://market.android.com/details?id=ccc71.pmw&hl=en) free app has the feature of disabling "startup apps".
You can find that option by scrolling the list of buttons below in the app and select "Apps" then choose the "startups" tab.
This seems to perform things in a much better fashion than other startup managers.
I am not sure if it works exactly like a auto task killer or if it explicitly requires root (other features of system tuner may be the ones demanding root actually)
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_6: There are some apps around that will claim to offer this functionality. However, they are basically task killers under the hood. This means they will allow the app to load, and then kill it. This means that extra battery power is used to kill the app, and then it will probably be reloaded on some event trigger later, only to be killed again.
Honestly, if you use these apps, and don't want to uninstall them, the best thing is to just let them load. They will use a bit of memory, as long as there is some that isn't being used. As soon as something needs the memory, then the system will kill the app - and believe me the Android system has a better idea of which tasks to kill than any dumb task killer.
There is a good description about why task killers are a bad idea here: <http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=6426198#post6426198>
Otherwise, there is no way to do this on an unrooted phone, unless the app specifically gives an option to disable auto-startup. On a rooted phone, however, there are a range of apps that are able to actually change the way broadcast intents are delivered to apps, meaning they can pre-emptively be prevented from starting.
To be honest I struggle to think of a reason that an app might want to load a service at startup, that it couldn't achieve by just registering a broadcast listener. Services should typically be used for background tasks that have a limited lifetime. Some apps may load a service at startup to do some processing, but will then typically close it once that processing is complete.
However, that said, not all developers understand the rules. I would rather uninstall a badly written app that consumes resources like this.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_7: I doubt you can fix this without rooting the phone. But, if you are ready to root, you can try [Autorun manager](https://market.android.com/details?id=com.rs.autorun).
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_8: I'd recommend the application [Autostarts](https://market.android.com/details?id=com.elsdoerfer.android.autostarts).
What it does (citing from the Market description):
>
> Keep control over your phone: See what applications do behind your
> back.
>
>
> Shows you what apps run on phone startup, and what other events
> trigger in the background. Root users can disable unwanted autostarts
> and speed up their phone boot.
>
>
>
Upvotes: 2 |
2010/09/13 | 1,990 | 7,598 | <issue_start>username_0: I see lots of tutorials telling me *how* to root my phone (Motorola Droid), but none of them mention any potential "side effects."
Aside from a few relatively minor issues that seem to require rooting to fix, I'm basically happy with the phone and therefore a little leery of messing with a device that cost me a lot of money and is only a few months old.
Assuming that I'm *just* talking about rooting, and none of the typical post-root actions (like installing a custom ROM), am I taking any risks by choosing to root?
* Does it have the potential to brick the device?
* Will it void my warranty?
* Will I stop getting updates?
* Will the cops show up at my front door the next day? *(Yes, I'm being facetious.)*
* Anything else I should be aware of?
(See also: [Are there any risks to flashing a ROM?](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/21042/1465))<issue_comment>username_1: **Does it have the potential to brick the device?**
Although it has become relatively simple on the Droid, some methods of rooting pose more risk than others. So in short yes there is a potential.
**Will it void my warranty?**
It mostly depends on where you live and on your manufacturer (and their warranty policies). But technically this does void your warranty in most cases.
**Will I stop getting updates?**
Again this depends. Some manufacturer provide updates for rooted devices while others do not. These will usually continue to come in and may unroot your phone if you install them, or even require you to unroot manually before you can receive their updates. If you install a third party ROM, then there's nothing else to do with your original manufacturer.
**Will the cops show up at my front door the next day?**
I certainly hope not :) but if rooting involves cracking a bootloader, it could theoretically get you in legal trouble in some jurisdictions (anti-circumvention laws, etc.)
**EDIT:** Also be aware that there are different root methods based on which current build you are running.
**EDIT:** It may (as of May 24, 2017) prevent you from installing some apps: [Google Play can now prevent rooted users from downloading certain apps](http://www.androidauthority.com/google-play-store-apps-download-block-root-users-773824/)
Upvotes: 7 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: >
> Does it have the potential to brick the device?
>
>
>
Yes, it is possible to brick your phone, but should be very unlikely. Usually there is a way out of even what seems to be a brick.
If you do not know what you are doing and want to use the ADB method (entering shell commands manually) to root your phone, then be sure to follow all of the directions exactly as listed. If you somehow brick your phone, then it does not matter how good your phone insurance is with your cell provider; if they find out you rooted or attempted to, they will not fix it.
If you do somehow brick your phone, then **do not panic.** Try these things:
1. Post a thread to where you downloaded the root program or where the root method was posted.
2. Post to XDA under their [questions and answers section](http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=456).
3. [Search the web](http://www.google.com/search?btnG=1&pws=0&q=unbrick+android). Someone else has probably had the same problem as you.
It is quite possible to unbrick your phone, but it will take some time and patience to sort it out.
>
> Will it void my warranty?
>
>
>
Yes. But in most cases you can restore your phone to a condition that they'll never know that you rooted your phone. And sometimes they do not even check to see if you rooted your phone when you return it.
>
> Will I stop getting updates?
>
>
>
Yes and no. If you flash a rom, yes. But most likely that rom has constant updates (such as CyanogenMod). Also if you root and keep stock rom, you will still get OTA update notifications (but running an update will un-root your phone).
>
> Anything else I should be aware of?
>
>
>
May the force be with you. No, really, it's a relatively painless process with a lot of these "easy one touch (un)root tools" and even then there is a plethora of guides and help from [XDA](http://forum.xda-developers.com/) to guide you and troubleshoot any problems you might have. But if you are happy with your phone just the way it is, then **don't root.**
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_3: ```
Does it have the potential to brick the device?
```
Yes.
```
Will it void my warranty?
```
Definitely.
```
Will I stop getting updates?
```
Yes, if you install a custom ROM.
```
Will the cops show up at my front door the next day?
```
Yes, but only if you're Chinese ;-). And even then, only if your police administration is near enough to Beijing.
And you should be aware that it is a security risk. A root user has access to the entire phone, including all of its functionality, and the memory of all running applications. A backdoor could be installed in a custom ROM. It might not even be to your disadvantage, but your phone might become part of a botnet.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: Rooted phones are just as secure as an unrooted phones if you never grant root permission to any apps. The problem is that if you root your phone, you're bound to give root permission (otherwise, why are you rooting your phone in the first place), and applications that you give root permission may turned out to be rogue or leak their permission to allow an untrusted applications to gain root-like permission.
Running rooted phone is safe as long as you know which app to give root access and which are not. Problem is, even assuming that you only pick trustworthy apps they still can leak permissions inadvertantly (in security parlance, this is called [confused deputy problem](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confused_deputy_problem)), so you must really be careful when choosing trusted apps.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_5: Some malwares can escalate to root permissions even on a un-rooted phone. Like the one they just recently found in over 50 (popular) apps on the android market.
<http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/221247/droiddream_becomes_android_market_nightmare.html>
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_6: TLDR Version (2017)
Does it have the potential to brick the device?
-----------------------------------------------
**Yes and no**, kinda depends on the method: Installing an official rooted ROM or a setting toggle is safe. Using a script that relies on a CPU bug to crack kernel security isn't.
Will it void my warranty?
-------------------------
It depends on:
1. The OEM ToS (Terms of Service). Most major OEMs say you lose warranty.
2. ToS validity under the regional law. For example, in the EU a ToS claiming warranty voids upon rooting is not enforceable. They can't legally refuse your warranty because of it. But in worst case you may have to fight them in court to get it (unheard of as yet).
Will I stop getting updates?
----------------------------
**50/50**, varies by OEM. In the negative case, you can often unroot then re-root the updated version. But not always.
Cops? Other stuff?
------------------
No cops. Rooting is **not illegal**, anywhere. But:
* the play store can detect it and may prevent you from downloading certain apps, though it doesn't prevent you getting those apps elsewhere.
* apps with root permission can do more damage to your system, so beware of security threats, see [here](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/6009/security-risks-of-rooting-your-android-smartphone "Security Q")
Upvotes: 1 |
2010/09/13 | 664 | 2,631 | <issue_start>username_0: I have been trying out [Voice Actions](http://www.google.com/mobile/voice-actions/) on an HTC Desire. Actions like "Navigate to...", "Directions to..." and "Note to self..." work fine. When I try saying "Set alarm to 9 o'clock" though I get this error message:
>
> "Set alarm..."
>
>
> In order to use this feature, download the latest Clock from the Android Market.
>
>
>
I already have the HTC Clock application and as far as I am aware it is fully updated but I'm assuming that the HTC Clock doesn't support the voice actions. Where is the correct "Clock" application? Opening the Market and searching for "Clock" doesn't seem to show any promising results (though I have to admit that I haven't checked all 1062 hits). Has anyone got this working on an HTC Desire? What do I need to do?<issue_comment>username_1: I believe the clock application on the HTC Desire is one made by HTC and not Google. I believe Google is in the process of releasing their own clock application via the Market as they have done with their other apps like Maps and soon to be Gmail.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: It appears that it is possible to get the "Set Alarm..." voice action working by installing a leaked version of DeskClockGoogle.apk as described on [this website](http://www.droid-life.com/2010/09/09/download-new-desk-clock-fixes-set-alarm-voice-action/). I have not tested it.
It seems that this feature is not yet officially released but is coming soon.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: In order for the Voice Actions to successfully set the alarm the device must contain an app that implements the `android.intent.action.SET_ALARM` intent. (Read more in the documentation of [android.provider.AlarmClock](http://developer.android.com/reference/android/provider/AlarmClock.html).) There is no guarantee that your device contains such an app (unless it's a stock Android). The situation is worse on Samsung Galaxy S II (with ICS) which by default comes with Samsung's own Clock app which seems to handle the intent but actually does not, i.e. in response to the Voice Action a blank Clock window pops up and no alarm is set. So Voice Actions won't even find out that the alarm setting task was not carried out.
The only app that I'm aware of that properly handles this intent and can be used with Voice Actions is [Alarm Clock Plus★](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vp.alarmClockPlusDock). It is likely that there are more such apps but Android Market does not make finding them easy, because it does not offer a search-by-intent feature...
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2010/09/13 | 1,058 | 3,711 | <issue_start>username_0: So far Samsung has been rolling updates out using its windows only software Kies, and not over the air like the rest of the android world.
Is there anyway that non windows users can get these updates?<issue_comment>username_1: If you can find someone or somewhere who has a direct link to the update, you can probably download it to your SD card using your mobile browser. Im not sure what the key combos are for the Galaxy S to get to your Recovery, but im sure with some web searching you can find out how. Once you are in Recovery, you can flash the update. I am basing all this on how it works on other Android phones but have not actually seen it done on a Galaxy S variant. You may try this site for Samsung Firmwares: <http://www.samfirmware.webs.com/>
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I'd get a virtual machine and run windows in that for updates. Will probably be the easiest for you, if you're not comfortable with flashing. Usually the ROMs for Samsung come out as Odin packages (program Samsung uses for flashing i guess).
The forum for Galaxy on XDA has alot of resources to get you started. <http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=665>
If the above doesn't help you, you can use a custom recovery. ClockworkMod Recovery has just been updated today. Follow the steps on <http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=734166>. With this you will be able to flash updates from Samsung when the community releases them as update.zip, from your sdcard.
This REQUIRES root on your device, but is probably your only solution without Windows. Before you start with this, sit down and read the resources on the forum. Flashing a wrong firmware COULD damage your phone. Be aware of your phone version. The above guide is for the Galaxy S i9000 International version.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: Going through the [Galaxy S Flash/Root/ADB/ROM guide](http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=723596) on XDA, I just spotted this:
>
> 1. I'm running Linux/OSX. Can I still flash my firmware? Do I need to
> install windows?
>
>
> If you are running
> Linux you do not need to install
> Windows. You can either run Odin in a
> virtual machine or alternatively use
> Heimdall by <NAME>. Heimdall
> runs natively on Linux and has reached
> a well tested release state.
>
>
>
Which takes us to here [Heimdall - Cross-Platform Open-Source Flashing Software](http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=755265):
>
> **What is Heimdall?** Heimdall is a
> cross-platform open-source utility to
> flash ROMs onto Samsung Galaxy S
> phones.
>
>
> **How does it work?** Heimdall uses the
> same protocol as Odin to interact with
> a device in download mode. USB
> communication in Heimdall is handled
> by the popular open-source USB
> library, libusb-1.0.
>
>
> **What platforms does Heimdall run on?**
> Linux, OS X and Windows (XP, Vista, 7
> etc.)
>
>
> **What Galaxy S variants has Heimdall
> been tested with?** I've tested Heimdall
> with a Galaxy S GT-I9000 (8 GB) from
> the United Kingdom and Galaxy S
> GT-I9000 (16 GB) from Australia. I
> don't have access to any other devices
> to test with at present, but community
> members have confirmed it to also
> function correctly for the AT&T
> Captivate.
>
>
>
Hopefully this will help us all out!
Though obviously as this is effectively a replacement for Samsung's Odin software it's more designed towards people who are happy grabbing their ROMs from various places across the internet and flashing them on in a fairly custom way, as opposed to Kies which is (supposed to be) pretty much plug and play.
Upvotes: 3 |
2010/09/13 | 288 | 1,125 | <issue_start>username_0: Out of the box, I noticed my Incredible has *a lot* of stuff running/turned on by default. Besides the basics of turning off WiFi, GPS, and BlueTooth when I'm not using them, are there more steps I can take to make my battery last longer?<issue_comment>username_1: Switching to 2G when there's no need to use 3G networks is also increasing the battery life.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: In general, I believe reducing use of vibration helps save battery life on a phone. So for the Incredible, I even disabled the feature of vibrating when entering keystrokes.
Here are some good tips from [wikiHow](http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Your-Cell-Phone-Battery-Last-Longer).
Upvotes: 2 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: The biggest thing I've seen is to dim the backlight as much as possible (while remaining comfortable for your eyes), as well as lowering screen time-out length. Another big killer is to stay connected to wifi or 3g with a very weak signal. If it is at the point of losing connection and reconnecting repeatedly, it will eat through the battery very quickly.
Upvotes: 0 |
2010/09/13 | 603 | 2,327 | <issue_start>username_0: Is there any way to have certain apps automatically turn on GPS when they launch (or at least prompt me if I want to)?
For example, if I use voice commands to ask for navigation directions, and GPS is not turned on, I'd like for it to enable GPS instead of guessing from cell towers. Bonus points if it turns it back off when I close the app.<issue_comment>username_1: Even if you do have GPS enabled it's only used when you are using an application that is actually requiring GPS location services.
So the best way to get your apps to use GPS location is turning on GPS by default.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Take a look at [Tasker](http://www.appbrain.com/app/net.dinglisch.android.taskerm). It pretty much allows you to automate and set rules for everything on your phone based on times of the day, what apps you are using, your location... You can set a profile to automatically turn your GPS on or off based on almost any condition you can imagine.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: If you don't want to pay for [Tasker](https://market.android.com/details?id=net.dinglisch.android.taskerm) or [Locale](https://market.android.com/details?id=com.twofortyfouram.locale), you can use [AutomateIt](https://market.android.com/details?id=AutomateIt.mainPackage), which is free and has the same idea, though it offers much fewer triggers and actions, it does allow you to enable or disable the GPS when you start or end an app.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: You can use the "[Auto-Enable GPS for Maps](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.duniti.mapsgps)" application, which switches both WiFi and GPS on when you launch Maps, Navigation, Local or Latitude, and restores them to their old state (e.g. switched off) when you quit these apps.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_5: I published a GitHub entry for the GPSToggler quite some time ago.
To enable/disable GPS you need root. Period.
<http://github.com/sms2000/GPSToggler>
Some antivirus and automatic system backup applications conflict with the GPSToggler. I'm investigating this problem.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_6: Note that turning on the GPS programmatically seems to be impossible without rooting your device after 2.3 (according to the AutomateIt description).
Upvotes: 1 |
2010/09/13 | 2,738 | 9,496 | <issue_start>username_0: The plug sure looks like any old micro USB plug. Will another cable (like the one from my digital camera) work to charge the battery, or do I need one specifically designed for my phone (incredible)<issue_comment>username_1: Any Micro USB cable that has the capability of charging your phone does excactly that.
I found a link on [USB powering](http://www.girr.org/mac_stuff/usb_stuff.html#method). The source is from 2005 but the issue remains the same.
Some cables do charge your device due to a sufficient power flow through the cable while others don't.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: My un-technical answer is no. I have a microUSB AC Adapter for a bluetooth headset that charges my headset just fine but won't charge my phone for some reason. I also have a retractable miniUSB cable to connect to the computer with and it is fine for data but it also fails to charge my phone.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: I'd say it depends on the cable, but you have a fair chance to get your phoned charged.
I've tested HTC Hero with 3 types of USB cable (universal, bought with my pocket hdd and bough with my dvd-drive), 2 types of a GPS charger and one type of a GPS car charger. All worked well. :)
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: For what it's worth, I purchased a generic MicroUSB cable on Amazon for like $2, which was advertised as being for BlackBerry users, and it works just fine on my Incredible. I use it as my charger at the office.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_5: **Edit:** Proof of theory is in testing it, so the reults are right on top to encourage making an informed decision while shopping for USB charging cables.
Of late, I noticed that my Huawei Honor 6 device was charging slower and decided to replace USB charging cable. I bought these [Tronsmart cables](http://www.amazon.in/Tronsmart-Compatible-Charging-transfer-Motorolla/dp/B01CCQHGUG?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00) at a price comparable with budget cables. These are 20 AWG thickness for charging (provide best charging) 28 AWG for data (thinner thickness doesn't affect data transfer speeds). Picture below from product
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/TC34km.jpg)
**Performance:** I have two devices Samsung Note 2 and Huawei Honor 6 both with OEM chargers and OEM cables (nearly a year old). Charging current as measured using OEM cables and Tronsmart cables is very encouraging
>
> * Samsung Note 2 with OEM cable - **1100 mA**, with Tronsmart cable - **1900 mA**
> * Huawei Honor 6 with OEM cable - **550 mA**, with Tronsmart cable - **1750 mA**
>
>
>
**Caution:** Please make sure you don't end up buying *[CCA](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B00ZGVMNRQ) (Copper Clad Aluminum Cables)* instead of Copper cables. Former are comparatively brittle and have lower conductivity compared to Copper conductors
---
**Standards**
* [USB standard 3.0](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_3.0) in lays down standards of 10 W: 5 V, 2 A for *smartphones and tablets*
* [Battery Charging Revision 1.2](https://www.maximintegrated.com/en/app-notes/index.mvp/id/5801) lays down " *standard for establishing the proper way to charge a battery from a USB port* "
* [American Wire Gauge (AWG)](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_wire_gauge) is a reference for thickness of cables. In this system, **larger numbers indicate thinner wires.** USB specification above makes reference to AWG numbers of 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28,
These standards are to ensure that appropriate **Voltage and Current** are available to the device being charged and selection of **right USB cable is based on these to deliver right amount of Power to charge**
---
*This is applicable for all Android phones- OP's device is taken as an example ( see Notes at end )*
All USB cables are **NOT the same when it comes to charging**
=============================================================
Selection of USB cables depends on:
* Device it is meant to charge
* Length of cable
* Thickness of cable in AWG ( externally, they may look the same but what matters is the electrical conductor thickness internally ). USB cables of standard make are marked showing the thickness, for example,
`28AWG/2C and 24AWG/2C` or `28AWG/1P + 24AWG/2C`
[This means](http://voyager8.blogspot.in/2013/04/how-to-choose-good-usb-data-and.html?m=1)
>
> The first code is normally the specification of the data signal pair, which is normally 28AWG. "2C" means 2 conductors, and "1P" or "1Pr" means 1 pair. "2C" and "1P" are basically the same.
>
>
> The **important part is the second code,** which is the specification of the **power distribution pair** (*relevant to the solution here*)
>
>
>
Before we get into details of how to select based on these factors, a quick recap of basic electrify would help:
```
Ohm's Law Current = Voltage divided by Resistance
Resistance = Length of cable divided by Area of cable (ignoring resistivity)
Power = Voltage multiplied by Current
```
What do those equations mean?
=============================
Current carrying capacity depends on resistance, for the same Voltage.
Resistance is inversely proportional to the area of the wire ( Less area = Thinner Wire = More Resistance = Less Current )
Resistance is directly proportional to length (Longer cable = More resistance and vice versa )
**Power in turn is therefore dependent on length and thickness of cable (affecting resistance) and Voltage**
In a nut shell, quoting from [USB Cable Resistance: Why your phone/tablet might be charging slow](http://goughlui.com/2014/10/01/usb-cable-resistance-why-your-phonetablet-might-be-charging-slow/)
>
> if you are going to replace your cable with an aftermarket cable, it would be best to see if you can find a cable with the thickest possible conductors for the **power**. If that isn’t possible, stick with short (to very short) lengths, as that always works.
>
>
>
Power (Voltage times Current), thickness, short lengths are qualitative and need to be in numbers to choose the right cable. For this you need to know, firstly, **Power-** Refers to the charger rating of your device . Your device as mentioned is "incredible" and [Charger for HTC Droid Incredible](http://www.shopandroid.com/samsung-micro-usb-1a-travel-charger/5A17A11813.htm) shows it to be rated for **1A**
Next, is **Voltage-** For a **5V output**, the USB specification demands that the voltage remains within 5% (i.e. an acceptable voltage drop of 0.25V). Some vendors provide a slightly higher Voltage rating
>
> .... some vendors have realized the issue (*of Voltage drop* ) and decided to push the output voltage up to 5.1v or 5.2v, which is still within USB specification but allows for an extra 0.1-0.2v voltage drop. This is a potentially nice feature as it means the requirements on the cables are slightly relaxed (i.e. maybe even 0.7v voltage drop is tolerable).
>
>
>
Choosing the right cable
========================
You know the Power and Voltage , only thing left is to know the **thickness and length of USB cable**. For that refer to the [tables](http://goughlui.com/2014/10/01/usb-cable-resistance-why-your-phonetablet-might-be-charging-slow/) (choose under the current rating of table *With Contact Resistance*, which is real life, *without contact resistance* is to give the effect of cable alone) and look for maximum cable length / thickness combinations by choosing "non red" color (green or yellow) which tell you that you can safely choose, as indicated by arrows:
* 24 AWG cable upto 2 metres in length
* 26 AWG cable upto 1 metres in length
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/fJIiq.jpg)
Google for this cable specs (normally cables are commonly sold as 24/28 AWG ,in which case select maximum 1 meter length ) and buy from a reputed vendor. Done!!
**Notes**
1. You can calculate the voltage drop using Ohm's law yourself. Tables are for convenience. Helpful pointers on using the tables :
* If the exact rating of your charger is not available, say 1.35 A, select the next higher rating or work it out issuing Ohm's law
* *Green* color in table indicates, that the values are compliant to USB standard.
* *Yellow* While yellow-zone figures are not going to be strictly compliant with the USB -0.25V maximum drop, it may still be sufficient for a full charge as many devices can accept somewhat more loss of voltage without detriment to charging
* *Red* Non compliant to standards. Don't use
* For lower current rating upto 1.5 A, selection of yellow zone lengths may still be sufficient for a full charge as many devices can accept somewhat more loss of voltage without detriment to charging. For higher currents (more than 1.5V), you need to be more conservative, so you should choose towards the green.
2. For Tablet users: you need to choose what falls in "green" zone only, since Voltage drop sensitivity is higher. See this as an example [Google Nexus 7 Charging](https://sites.google.com/a/mst.edu/robert_ruark/projects/google-nexus-7-charging)
3. I am in no way affiliated with the source and I believe it to be credible given the detailed logic presented and relates well with other sources which recommend short cables, without proper justification. It is an educative read for those inclined to get into technical details
Upvotes: 2 |
2010/09/13 | 439 | 1,691 | <issue_start>username_0: I find it quite hard to edit spelling mistakes, **using just the touchscreen**. Currently I try to tap the screen exactly where I want the cursor to be, but this isn't very accurate.
The iPhone has a nice '[magnifying glass](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hzoh30umm_c)' feature which allows you to accurately move the cursor. Is there a similarly nice way to do this in Android?<issue_comment>username_1: Using the trackball or D-pad for this is pretty accurate.
You can easily go up, down, left and right with it.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: If you use [swype](http://swypeinc.com/) you can move the cursor by swyping from the swype symbol to the SYM key. That brings up a screen where you can do easy cursor movements and text selection. Also, you can correct words easily by double-tapping on a word; this will bring up the word choice box.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: Yes - if you touch into the text on a word and hold, you will usually get a small magnifying glass bubble just above your fingertip that will allow you to drag your finger and change the cursor point.
I say usually because sometimes pressing and holding will bring up the "Edit Text" menu that gives you the options to "Select All", "Copy", etc.
If this happens, just exit out of the menu and try again.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_4: [TouchPal](http://www.cootek.com/) input method has a (similar to Swype) feature to do cursor movement, copy, cut, paste functions.
You need to long press on the "Edit" key (that's the one to left of the SPACE button, with the pencil icon) and you'll get cursor movements and edit keys keyboard.
Upvotes: 1 |
2010/09/13 | 609 | 2,490 | <issue_start>username_0: I have a Milestone and sometimes when I plug my (supplied Motorola) charger in the 'charging light' on the side does not illuminate and the phone does not charge. I think that this may also happen even after a successful initial connection (i.e. after plugging it in and getting the light) since occasionally I have unplugged the phone in the morning, after an overnight charge, and it is only 30% full (rather than the expected 100%).
This problem is intermittent and sometimes rights itself but other times I need to reboot the phone.
I have replaced the cable, and still have the same issue, so it is unlikely to be due to a faulty cable.
This happens both when charging it from a wall socket or a USB port.
Does anybody else have this problem? Or maybe have an idea of what it could be?
*edit:* Faulty hardware may be the cause... I have seen similar posts about people having intermittent problems connecting their Milestones to USB ports, so I'm curious that this may be either a generic bug or a generic hardware fault, rather than just my phone.<issue_comment>username_1: May be possible that when plugging in your charger/usb cables it's not making a connection, I had a problem on an old phone (Nokia N95) with this and had to send it off for a new one.
Also possible that it may be the charger, have you got another you could try?
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: I have a charger with a bad cable. It sometimes charges and sometimes it won't. Wiggling the cable point seems to help (don't do that though for risk of damaging your phone.
Check if its your cable or your phone by charging your phone with a data cable. If that charges your device your original charges is faulty. If this doesnt work either your phone connector is bad and you can either wiggle till it works or get a new phone.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: Do you use any app killer? I used to use this kind of software, and sometimes I accidentally killed some system service and then it only charged again after a reboot.
I stopped using app killers after that.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_4: Sometimes cables don't conform to standards and mess up the auto-negotiation of power level for the devices attached to them. (Devices can tell the computer / charger how much electricity they require). Phone can handle the max level of electricity, so soldering the 2nd and 3rd pins together on the cable will demand more power from the computer.
Upvotes: 1 |
2010/09/13 | 429 | 1,788 | <issue_start>username_0: I've been told rooting is the be all and end all, but at the moment, I want to see how far I can extend my device without rooting it.
One thing that would be good is screenshot functionality, but I can't seem to find an application on the marketplace that does this without a **\*\* ROOTED PHONES ONLY \*\*** disclaimer.
Is there any way to get screenshot functionality without a rooted phone? And what is the reason for this functionality being disabled by default. The iFail can get screenshotted with 2 button pushes, why not the Android?<issue_comment>username_1: This functionality is available with the developer toolkit. The post is a bit old so newer versions of Android will have different icons and slightly different menus, but it walks you through getting the tools installed and then being able to capture screen-shots. Also the tutorial is for Windows, but it should work with any OS that you get the Android dev tools running on (Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux).
[How to take screenshots of your Android based phone from Windows](http://www.simplehelp.net/2009/07/21/how-to-take-screenshots-of-your-android-based-phone-from-windows/)
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: No - there is no way to get screenshot functionality on your phone without rooting it.
If you want to carry around a laptop with you just so you can take a screengrab whenever you want, you can install the JDK and hook it up via USB.
But if you want an experience comparable to the iPhone process (on device screenshotting), then you'll have to root.
As to why this is disabled by default, I haven't found a good answer to that.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: You can try pressing the power button and the home button at the same time.
Upvotes: -1 |
2010/09/14 | 690 | 2,963 | <issue_start>username_0: My Moto Droid has seen great performance improvements with each new Android version, and has been much more stable and reliable with each version release.
Recently I was in a situation where the phone just didn't think it had a cell signal, and then wouldn't disconnect the call that it couldn't place because of the non-existent cell signal. Ultimately I had to reboot the phone to get it to be usable again. This happened when I really needed to make a call and was a huge hassle. Having a smart phone with tons of data network features is great, but I still pay more for minutes than I do for data (thank you US carriers...) so not having it function as a phone when I need it is very frustrating.
I'm running Android 2.2 and don't use many widgets nor do I keep many programs running that use background services (don't usually keep GTalk connected, etc)
Does anyone have any general tips or apps to avoid to help keep my phone stable and reliable?<issue_comment>username_1: Well, it sounds like you don't want to monkey much. (Otherwise I'd recommend rooting and then installing vanilla 2.2, which is going to be the most stable of any release). It sounds like the problem you experienced is just a flat out bug and might not have anything to do with any apps you are running.
On the other hand, are you using any task-killing apps, or battery saving apps or anything that might be screwing around with system processes? If you are, I would recommend getting rid of them -- they are generally cause more problems in the long-run than they solve. If not, then I'm not sure what to tell you other than file a bug report or call Verizon and complain, but neither of these options will fix your problem.
If the problem was at root a signal issue, there is a way to update cell tower information, which Verizon can help you with. It involves dialing a number and allowing an automatic update.
BUT, if you did want to monkey a bit, then I do suggest flashing the vanilla froyo. It is just a little intensive, but wouldn't take you longer than an hour. If you want information in this regard, I can provide you with a website that includes step by step instructions.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: A couple of things here:
* Widgets use memory. The more widgets you have running, the more memory will be consumed thus slowing down the unit
* The more applications you have that will give ongoing notifications (i.e. Twitter clients, weather apps, etc.) the more memory will be used. Some of these have to run as a background service to function
On another note, I have found that if I am in an area where the signal is poor (or I guess in this case where the phone thinks the signal is poor) not only does my battery get used up faster, but it seems to slow my phone down. I think, and I don't have data to back this up, that if the phone struggles to find a signal it does degrade performance.
Upvotes: 1 |
2010/09/14 | 6,131 | 22,113 | <issue_start>username_0: How many competing Android markets (other than the Play Store itself) are there and are they any good? Which ones do you use and why?<issue_comment>username_1: I use [AppBrain](http://www.appbrain.com/) because it provides a nice site, and it makes it really easy to install apps onto my phone. Additionally, I'm finding that many bloggers that are reviewing apps are putting links to the AppBrain page for the app in their posts. This makes it really easy to mark something for install while I'm at my computer reading the blog posts, and then install it when I get a chance.
---
Edit by username_7:
[AppBrain](http://www.appbrain.com/) offers an alternative (and much cleaner) interface to the [Google Play Store](https://play.google.com/store/apps), which offers several advantages:
* search results are much less limited (30 pages à 10 apps = 300 results, much more than Play offers)
* search results "gray out" possible spam, offensive, and otherwise harmful apps. You still can see them, though – but it's quite clear what to skip
* app details page gives the most important details at a glance. It's easy to see what permissions are requested. And if those form "potential dangerous combinations" (called "concerns" at AppBrain), that's automatically pointed out by a warning sign on the permissions tab
* Their app (an alternative to the Playstore app) enables you to skip single (or all) updates on a per-app-base, which keeps your list of "pending updates" quite clean.
For installation, you will be redirected to [Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps). In the past, [AppBrain](http://www.appbrain.com/) had a separate app for this called the "Fast Web Installer", but unfortunately this app was banned by Google. So even for batch updates, the Playstore app will now be opened for each app separately (not AppBrains fault).
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/VYZ8c.png) [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/jhWDI.png) [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/PbqoY.png)
*AppBrain App Market* (source: [AppBrain](http://www.appbrain.com/app/appbrain-app-market/com.appspot.swisscodemonkeys.apps); click images for larger variants)
Still, I count their Website as a much better alternative to the [Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps) website – and the same is to be said for their app, though for installations it has to redirect you as described above.
Upvotes: 7 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: [SlideME](http://slideme.org/), this is very handy when you want to buy stuff in countries without paid Market. (actually you mention it in your question. I posted this answer just for the sake of completeness)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: The [Amazon Appstore](https://www.amazon.com/gp/mas/get/amazonapp) (download link).
* [Web site](http://www.amazon.com/mobile-apps/b/?node=2350149011) (You can download apps from here to your device once its set up)
* [Advantages of the Amazon Appstore](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/7258/2422)
* [Uninstalling Apps from the Amazon Appstore](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/7352/2422)
* [Using the Amazon Appstore from an "Unsupported Region"](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/7254/2422)
* [Developer FAQ](https://developer.amazon.com/help/faq.html)
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_4: There are actually several alternatives to the 'official' Google Android market (aka Play Store).
I personally like to search for new apps from my PC browser, and a bit less from my phone. Most (all?) of the markets nowadays offer both, via a dedicated phone-app that you'll have to install, except from the official one which is already there.
Until, well, yesterday, the 'official' market would not have been available from your PC (meaning: on a PC web browser). Now it is, with a neat push-to-your-phone one-click installation that is taking away one of the advantages of the competition (see AppBrain). The alternative markets, though, have still their peculiarities. I'll make a short summary but don't expect it to highlight all of the differences. Some markets (e.g. AndSpot) do not offer very specific features to users, but try to gather developers by offering advanced features such as easy stats.
* **[Amazon AppStore](http://www.amazon.com/mobile-apps/b?ie=UTF8&node=2350149011)**: latest big entry. countries limitations; catalog looking very promising with some (exclusive?) good pay-for apps; also features special offers and daily freebies. Def worth checking out
* **[AppBrain](http://www.appbrain.com/)**: born to let you install Android Market applications directly from your PC web browser, also allows you to discover new apps based on the ones you have. It's a *meta-store* (my favourite before the official market update)
* **[APKPure](https://apkpure.com)**: don't need any registration to use it
* **[SlideME](http://slideme.org/)**: they provide *applications to niche markets, based on geographic location, payment method, or even types of applications that users can't find in traditional channels*
* **[Samsung Apps](http://apps.samsung.com/)** (must be installed on Samsung Galaxy devices, or else you can't use this): Samsung app store, which of course requires you to own a Samsung Android device
* **[F-Droid](https://f-droid.org/)** they distribute FOSS open source packages that pass audit and verification to ensure that code has no malicious parts.
* **[GetJar](http://www.getjar.com/)**: my latest discovery. Quite a lot of apps, and they have special ("GOLD") commercial apps for free. An extremely interesting platform for developers, since they seem to offer above-the-average marketing and PS activities!
I suggest you click on some of these links and see for yourself if the look/applications suit your style!
Thanks to various sources, in particular, this [thenextweb.com](http://thenextweb.com/apps/2011/01/09/6-alternatives-to-the-android-market/) article
Upvotes: 7 <issue_comment>username_5: I've been using [F-Droid](http://f-droid.org/), which is a smallish repository focused on free and open source tools. Not all encompassing by any means but one of the few that is explicit about showing you the *license* before you download an app.
---
Edit by username_7:
[F-Droid](http://f-droid.org/) is a small, but superb alternative to [Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps). Though it offers only about 1.200 apps1 in its main repository, they are mostly high quality. In comparision, these are some advantages it has over the Playstore:
* Apps are [OpenSource](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_source "Wikipedia: Open Source"), which means they are all free (to support the devs, there are donation buttons on each apps page)
* F-Droid compiles the packages from the sources. This adds a level of security, as it makes sure nothing was "sneaked into". The draw-back is, you cannot simply cross-update apps between the F-Droid main repo and other sources.
* Compiling the sources themselves, they also often throw out "binary blobs" and other unfree material (i.e. included modules from proprietary sources). In many cases, this means the advertisement stuff being removed. This again increases security (and privacy). But in some cases it has the draw-back of some functionality being broken, if the removed part was e.g. stuff enabling specific Google services, such as maps.
* Next to its main repository, [F-Droid](http://f-droid.org/) offers several others2. Developers can provide their own "channel", e.g. for Beta versions. A nice way also for companies or organizations to keep together groups of apps their members are supposed to use.
* [F-Droid](http://f-droid.org/) is very clear when it comes to "anti-features" such as ads. If an app in any way deviates from the [OpenSource](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_source "Wikipedia: Open Source") idea, that's pointed out straight in colored boxes you can't miss when browsing the apps pages. Quoting bgvaughan from the comments:
>
> f-droid's Preferences allow you to screen apps by various traits: whether they contain advertising, track your activity, or promote non-free add-ons, among others. While I miss the lack of user ratings on f-droid, and f-droid app versions sometimes trail behind those on Google Play, the fact that I can be sure that anything on f-droid is free, open-source, and not a freaking PITA, is more than enough to recommend its use.
>
>
>
I can also only approve what Nicolas says about [F-Droid](http://f-droid.org/) in his comment:
>
> F-Droid apps are guaranteed open source, ad-free, tracking-free. That means smaller apps that don't waste your bandwidth for anti-features.
>
>
>
*F-Droid* also offers its own Android client, the *F-Droid* Application Manager:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/fz242.jpg)
*F-Droid App* (source: [AndroidNext](http://www.androidnext.de/apps/f-droid-repository-fuer-open-source-apps/); click for larger variant)
More details on *F-Droid* can also be found [at Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-Droid). Interesting fact: *F-Droid* is a fork of [Aptoide](https://android.stackexchange.com/a/74705/16575)3.
---
**1** as of 06/2014
**2** see also Broam's and daithib8's comments below – and [this list](https://android.izzysoft.de/articles/named/list-of-fdroid-repos "username_7OnDroid: Unofficial (and incomplete) list of F-Droid repositories")
**3** see [Wikipedia: F-Droid History](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-Droid#History)
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_6: Don't forget about [GetJAR](http://www.getjar.com). :-) This market got its first big break when Rovio announced Angry Birds would be exclusive to them when it first launched.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_7: ~~Missing in previous answers is **[AndroidPIT](http://www.androidpit.com/)** which is running a separate market. Sure, almost all apps found there are also in the Playstore (but not necessarily vice-versa: so for missing apps there are links to the playstore provided). Developers need to actively maintain their apps on this platform (i.e. upload new versions), and for paid apps *AndroidPIT* provides its own license API.~~
So what is the plus of this platform? It has an active community (in the forums and the news blogs), and one can use alternative payment methods (e.g. Paypal) in addition to credit cards. Moreover, reviews for apps can be found there as well. So with the playstore comments, local comments, *and* the reviews, one can get a better idea of what an app is like -- before downloading it. Furthermore, the [German branch](http://www.androidpit.de/) even has an *App Reviews* section in their forum, including overviews for apps on a kind of "per-category" base -- which makes it easier to find a suiting app, as similar apps are grouped together.
So if you like that idea, but do not want another "source of apps" (it's a good idea to stick to one market platform, especially for paid apps -- so you don't lose track which app you installed from what source, and get into trouble on a re-install for a new (or factory-reset) device), you can still go there for information.
**UPDATE:** AndroidPIT has [closed its independent app market on 2014-12-31](http://www.androidpit.com/site-announcement-androidpit-app-center-closing).
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_8: The [Opera (as in web browser) mobile store (now Bemobi Mobile Store)](http://android.oms.apps.bemobi.com/en_us/) has many Android Applications that are arranged by category.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_9: [The Samsung app store](https://www.samsung.com/us/apps/galaxy-store/) is installed on every Samsung mobile device (which is a lot). They are ultra helpful, unlike every other app store I have submitted to.
It can take over a week to get a new app past their quality control but it's worth the wait. They are so good at reviewing apps that I now submit to Samsung before Google Play.
It can be a little confusing at first to understand what they call their seller office is all about but hey, we are developers so are used to learning curves.
Among other things they review content to ensure that there are no copyright issues (something that can get you banned from Google Play) and they review every option VERY thoroughly on ALL the devices you have selected.
If anything goes wrong and quality control fails you get a complete breakdown of exactly what went wrong (including log cat) and even a video replicating the issue and they provide details on what is expected from you to fix it and re-submit.
What really impresses me is that they are so constructive with their criticisms.
Once an app has been approved by Samsung, I am more than happy that I have a very solid app that functions the way I want it to.
I just get a comfortable feeling when Samsung approves one of my apps. They don't tell you off or slap you on the wrists or, in any other way treat you like a naughty school kid if you get something wrong. They just help you to understand what to put right. Google Play will just pull your app and suspend you with no help whatsoever to put things right.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_10: I received a very good amount of installs from [mobiletoones.com](https://www.mobiletoones.com/downloads/android-apps/) and [apps.opera.com (now android.oms.apps.bemobi.com)](http://android.oms.apps.bemobi.com/en_us/).
Also, my revenue was ramped up too within 2 days. If you are looking for targeted users for your app, then you should distribute your app to many sources, not just stick to one website!
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_8: Now Google is focusing on the educational side, offering a special version of its app store called [Google Play for Education](http://www.google.com/edu/tablets/). (Initially applicable to USA only I believe).
It makes it easier for educators to find apps, books, videos, and other content appropriate for K-12 students, enables bulk purchasing and the ability to distribute apps to a group of students’ tablets wirelessly.
At launch, Google is offering Play for Education bundled with Google Nexus 7 tablets. In early 2014 the company plans to offer Asus Transformer Pad and HP Slate 8 Pro tablets as well.
Teachers can find apps by grade level, subject, or other criteria, and content can be paid for using a purchase order.
Video: [Introducing Tablets with Google Play for Education](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzvpcEffvaE)
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_7: Though it's rather a "link only answer", in this case there's no way around as the given source is (hopefully) maintained and the content subject to change: Here's a [list of available markets](http://www.dmoz.org/Computers/Software/Operating_Systems/Android/Markets) in the [DMOZ](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DMOZ) Mozilla directory, also giving users the possibility to report issues with them (if any). In addition to those already mentioned in answers here, it also names e.g. [Aptoide](http://www.aptoide.com/), [AOpenSource](http://www.aopensource.com/) – altogether at the moment of this writing 25 Android markets.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_7: **[Aptoide](https://www.aptoide.com/)** serves a bunch of repositories in [APT](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Packaging_Tool) style (which some of you might know from [Debian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debian) and its derivates). They also have their own Android client used to access (search and install apps from) them. For checking available apps, any web browser can be used as well – simply point it to [m.aptoide.com](http://m.aptoide.com/). According to [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aptoide), they serve more than 900,000 different apps with over 3.6 billion downloads in over 250,000 stores (as of 5/2017).
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/x8X0o.png) [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/4uykC.png) [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/iLPZB.png)
*Aptoide App* for Android (source: [Aptoide](http://m.apps.store.aptoide.com/app/market/cm.aptoide.pt/436/6160394/Aptoide); click images for larger variants)
Often associated with black markets and other "unsafe sources", that's not what it is by default (like peer-to-peer exchanges are not, and like Youtube isn't – though you easily can find "pirated content" there). <NAME>, co-founder of Aptoide, kindly pointed out several details behind Aptoide in [his answer](https://android.stackexchange.com/a/74813/16575) on [How safe is it to use Aptoide?](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/74618/16575) And even more in a mail he sent to me. Some core-points:
* Like *Google Play*, [Aptoide](https://www.aptoide.com/) actively scans its repositories for malware. They're using 3 different malware scanners, doing signature checks, and having implemented a chain-of-trust based in the signature of the developers.
* They work with several universities and research centers to make and keep the environment as safe as possible.
* They use a "trust stamp" to mark apps they've thoroughly checked (see the now archived [1000contest](https://web.archive.org/web/20130713104454/http://m.aptoide.com/1000contest)). If you see that on the page for an app, you can consider it 99.9% safe (according to Paulo).1
* Privacy is considered a high value. *Aptoide* is very cautious about the way they internally handle the user’s private information.
* Their “Apps” store is manually curated. So when looking for a way to stay as safe as possible with all those hundred-thousands of repositories, this would be the place (all the app links in this post point there). But even towards all the other repos, Paulo states:
>
> we have a responsibility to assure that the apps in those stores do not harm the end user.
>
>
>
In his mail to me, Paulo concluded: *Believe we still can do better.* Which to me indicates they don't settle on what they have achieved, but try to continually improve. If you additionally consider there's a company behind the "stores" which recently even [filed an antitrust complaint against Google](http://www.electronista.com/articles/14/06/18/claims.google.abusing.position.over.third.party.app.store.measures/ "Aptoide files European antitrust complaint over Google Play dominance"), that should be sufficient to deviate from associating *Aptoide* with "black markets" and "piracy" any more than *Youtube* – but rather consider it a good alternative (or supplement) to other Android app markets.
---
There are some more advantages worth mentioning:
* you can have your own repository there – whether private or public. Their [Aptoide Uploader](http://m.apps.store.aptoide.com/app/market/pt.caixamagica.aptoide.uploader/20/5840422/Aptoide%20Uploader) helps you upload your apps there.
* you can use a private repository to automatically backup your apps. Their [Aptoide Backup Apps](http://m.apps.store.aptoide.com/app/market/pt.aptoide.backupapps/20101/5840328/Aptoide%20Backup%20Apps) is your helper for that.
* you can schedule installs/updates. Comes in handy when you're e.g. on mobile data, and just found a bigger app you'd prefer installing on WiFi. Just mark it, and when on WiFi toggle the "scheduled installs" (see third screenshot above).
Try that with *Google Play* :)
---
**1** Example of *untrusted* app detection:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/pJvC0.png)
*Aptoide* warns an application might be malicious (source: Aptoide; click image for larger variant)
A couple of things to see here:
* The little yellow exclamation mark with the red "Warning" title is visible immediately; details below are displayed when "show" was clicked
* 3 anti-malware-checks have been run against this package, one of them the *Aptoide* specific malware guard
* the signature was found suspicious for multiple reasons:
+ it is not known to Aptoide as a "trusted signature" (*Aptoide* maintains a "chain of trust" for signatures, comparable to PGP/GPG)
+ it was used elsewhere to sign another developers package (and moreover, that developers signature was known to Aptoide, so that was a "re-sign" possibly introducing a hack of some kind)
* some information on the Anti-Malware checks is included at the end of the box
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_11: [Yalp Store](https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.github.yeriomin.yalpstore/ "Yalp Store") allows the download of apps directly from Google Play Store.
>
> By default Yalp Store connects to Google services using a built-in account, so you do not have to own a Google account to use it . The only reason to use a live Google account is to access the paid apps you own or leave reviews.
>
>
>
It has an option to know the number of trackers found in an app and view the app's report via [Exodus Privacy](https://exodus-privacy.eu.org/en/)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Z5SCa.jpg)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_12: [**Aurora Store**](https://gitlab.com/AuroraOSS/AuroraStore) is an open source fork of [Yalp Store](https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.github.yeriomin.yalpstore/) which provides a Material UI to the later.
>
> Aurora Store is an UnOfficial FOSS client to Google's Play Store, with an elegant design, using Aurora you can download apps,
> update existing apps, search for apps, get details about in-app trackers and much more.
>
> You can also Spoof your Device Information, Language and Region to get access to the apps that are not yet available or restricted in your Country | Device.
>
> Aurora Store does not require Google's Proprietary Framework to operate, it works perfectly fine with or without GooglePlayService or MicroG. Thereby avoiding the various privacy issues.
>
>
>
Upvotes: 2 |
2010/09/14 | 6,318 | 22,842 | <issue_start>username_0: Stock Droid X, running 2.1. I have the USB Connection mode set to "Charge Only".
Whenever I connect the phone to my computer to charge, the SD card mounts as a drive in the computer. In the phone's USB Connection settings, it is still listed as "Charge Only", but the SD card is not available to the phone.
They only way to get it back is to:
1. Change the connection mode to "USB Mass Storage" on the phone
2. Unmount the SD card within Windows.
3. Change the connection mode back to "Charge Only"
This works, but it is a pain to do this every time, when I should be able to just set the connection I want and plug it in. Is there anything I'm missing?
Edit: This happens with more than one computer - one running Windows XP, one running Windows 7. Neither have the Android SDK installed.
**Update** - The upgrade to Froyo seems to have fixed this issue.<issue_comment>username_1: I use [AppBrain](http://www.appbrain.com/) because it provides a nice site, and it makes it really easy to install apps onto my phone. Additionally, I'm finding that many bloggers that are reviewing apps are putting links to the AppBrain page for the app in their posts. This makes it really easy to mark something for install while I'm at my computer reading the blog posts, and then install it when I get a chance.
---
Edit by username_7:
[AppBrain](http://www.appbrain.com/) offers an alternative (and much cleaner) interface to the [Google Play Store](https://play.google.com/store/apps), which offers several advantages:
* search results are much less limited (30 pages à 10 apps = 300 results, much more than Play offers)
* search results "gray out" possible spam, offensive, and otherwise harmful apps. You still can see them, though – but it's quite clear what to skip
* app details page gives the most important details at a glance. It's easy to see what permissions are requested. And if those form "potential dangerous combinations" (called "concerns" at AppBrain), that's automatically pointed out by a warning sign on the permissions tab
* Their app (an alternative to the Playstore app) enables you to skip single (or all) updates on a per-app-base, which keeps your list of "pending updates" quite clean.
For installation, you will be redirected to [Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps). In the past, [AppBrain](http://www.appbrain.com/) had a separate app for this called the "Fast Web Installer", but unfortunately this app was banned by Google. So even for batch updates, the Playstore app will now be opened for each app separately (not AppBrains fault).
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/VYZ8c.png) [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/jhWDI.png) [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/PbqoY.png)
*AppBrain App Market* (source: [AppBrain](http://www.appbrain.com/app/appbrain-app-market/com.appspot.swisscodemonkeys.apps); click images for larger variants)
Still, I count their Website as a much better alternative to the [Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps) website – and the same is to be said for their app, though for installations it has to redirect you as described above.
Upvotes: 7 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: [SlideME](http://slideme.org/), this is very handy when you want to buy stuff in countries without paid Market. (actually you mention it in your question. I posted this answer just for the sake of completeness)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: The [Amazon Appstore](https://www.amazon.com/gp/mas/get/amazonapp) (download link).
* [Web site](http://www.amazon.com/mobile-apps/b/?node=2350149011) (You can download apps from here to your device once its set up)
* [Advantages of the Amazon Appstore](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/7258/2422)
* [Uninstalling Apps from the Amazon Appstore](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/7352/2422)
* [Using the Amazon Appstore from an "Unsupported Region"](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/7254/2422)
* [Developer FAQ](https://developer.amazon.com/help/faq.html)
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_4: There are actually several alternatives to the 'official' Google Android market (aka Play Store).
I personally like to search for new apps from my PC browser, and a bit less from my phone. Most (all?) of the markets nowadays offer both, via a dedicated phone-app that you'll have to install, except from the official one which is already there.
Until, well, yesterday, the 'official' market would not have been available from your PC (meaning: on a PC web browser). Now it is, with a neat push-to-your-phone one-click installation that is taking away one of the advantages of the competition (see AppBrain). The alternative markets, though, have still their peculiarities. I'll make a short summary but don't expect it to highlight all of the differences. Some markets (e.g. AndSpot) do not offer very specific features to users, but try to gather developers by offering advanced features such as easy stats.
* **[Amazon AppStore](http://www.amazon.com/mobile-apps/b?ie=UTF8&node=2350149011)**: latest big entry. countries limitations; catalog looking very promising with some (exclusive?) good pay-for apps; also features special offers and daily freebies. Def worth checking out
* **[AppBrain](http://www.appbrain.com/)**: born to let you install Android Market applications directly from your PC web browser, also allows you to discover new apps based on the ones you have. It's a *meta-store* (my favourite before the official market update)
* **[APKPure](https://apkpure.com)**: don't need any registration to use it
* **[SlideME](http://slideme.org/)**: they provide *applications to niche markets, based on geographic location, payment method, or even types of applications that users can't find in traditional channels*
* **[Samsung Apps](http://apps.samsung.com/)** (must be installed on Samsung Galaxy devices, or else you can't use this): Samsung app store, which of course requires you to own a Samsung Android device
* **[F-Droid](https://f-droid.org/)** they distribute FOSS open source packages that pass audit and verification to ensure that code has no malicious parts.
* **[GetJar](http://www.getjar.com/)**: my latest discovery. Quite a lot of apps, and they have special ("GOLD") commercial apps for free. An extremely interesting platform for developers, since they seem to offer above-the-average marketing and PS activities!
I suggest you click on some of these links and see for yourself if the look/applications suit your style!
Thanks to various sources, in particular, this [thenextweb.com](http://thenextweb.com/apps/2011/01/09/6-alternatives-to-the-android-market/) article
Upvotes: 7 <issue_comment>username_5: I've been using [F-Droid](http://f-droid.org/), which is a smallish repository focused on free and open source tools. Not all encompassing by any means but one of the few that is explicit about showing you the *license* before you download an app.
---
Edit by username_7:
[F-Droid](http://f-droid.org/) is a small, but superb alternative to [Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps). Though it offers only about 1.200 apps1 in its main repository, they are mostly high quality. In comparision, these are some advantages it has over the Playstore:
* Apps are [OpenSource](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_source "Wikipedia: Open Source"), which means they are all free (to support the devs, there are donation buttons on each apps page)
* F-Droid compiles the packages from the sources. This adds a level of security, as it makes sure nothing was "sneaked into". The draw-back is, you cannot simply cross-update apps between the F-Droid main repo and other sources.
* Compiling the sources themselves, they also often throw out "binary blobs" and other unfree material (i.e. included modules from proprietary sources). In many cases, this means the advertisement stuff being removed. This again increases security (and privacy). But in some cases it has the draw-back of some functionality being broken, if the removed part was e.g. stuff enabling specific Google services, such as maps.
* Next to its main repository, [F-Droid](http://f-droid.org/) offers several others2. Developers can provide their own "channel", e.g. for Beta versions. A nice way also for companies or organizations to keep together groups of apps their members are supposed to use.
* [F-Droid](http://f-droid.org/) is very clear when it comes to "anti-features" such as ads. If an app in any way deviates from the [OpenSource](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_source "Wikipedia: Open Source") idea, that's pointed out straight in colored boxes you can't miss when browsing the apps pages. Quoting bgvaughan from the comments:
>
> f-droid's Preferences allow you to screen apps by various traits: whether they contain advertising, track your activity, or promote non-free add-ons, among others. While I miss the lack of user ratings on f-droid, and f-droid app versions sometimes trail behind those on Google Play, the fact that I can be sure that anything on f-droid is free, open-source, and not a freaking PITA, is more than enough to recommend its use.
>
>
>
I can also only approve what Nicolas says about [F-Droid](http://f-droid.org/) in his comment:
>
> F-Droid apps are guaranteed open source, ad-free, tracking-free. That means smaller apps that don't waste your bandwidth for anti-features.
>
>
>
*F-Droid* also offers its own Android client, the *F-Droid* Application Manager:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/fz242.jpg)
*F-Droid App* (source: [AndroidNext](http://www.androidnext.de/apps/f-droid-repository-fuer-open-source-apps/); click for larger variant)
More details on *F-Droid* can also be found [at Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-Droid). Interesting fact: *F-Droid* is a fork of [Aptoide](https://android.stackexchange.com/a/74705/16575)3.
---
**1** as of 06/2014
**2** see also Broam's and daithib8's comments below – and [this list](https://android.izzysoft.de/articles/named/list-of-fdroid-repos "username_7OnDroid: Unofficial (and incomplete) list of F-Droid repositories")
**3** see [Wikipedia: F-Droid History](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-Droid#History)
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_6: Don't forget about [GetJAR](http://www.getjar.com). :-) This market got its first big break when Rovio announced Angry Birds would be exclusive to them when it first launched.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_7: ~~Missing in previous answers is **[AndroidPIT](http://www.androidpit.com/)** which is running a separate market. Sure, almost all apps found there are also in the Playstore (but not necessarily vice-versa: so for missing apps there are links to the playstore provided). Developers need to actively maintain their apps on this platform (i.e. upload new versions), and for paid apps *AndroidPIT* provides its own license API.~~
So what is the plus of this platform? It has an active community (in the forums and the news blogs), and one can use alternative payment methods (e.g. Paypal) in addition to credit cards. Moreover, reviews for apps can be found there as well. So with the playstore comments, local comments, *and* the reviews, one can get a better idea of what an app is like -- before downloading it. Furthermore, the [German branch](http://www.androidpit.de/) even has an *App Reviews* section in their forum, including overviews for apps on a kind of "per-category" base -- which makes it easier to find a suiting app, as similar apps are grouped together.
So if you like that idea, but do not want another "source of apps" (it's a good idea to stick to one market platform, especially for paid apps -- so you don't lose track which app you installed from what source, and get into trouble on a re-install for a new (or factory-reset) device), you can still go there for information.
**UPDATE:** AndroidPIT has [closed its independent app market on 2014-12-31](http://www.androidpit.com/site-announcement-androidpit-app-center-closing).
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_8: The [Opera (as in web browser) mobile store (now Bemobi Mobile Store)](http://android.oms.apps.bemobi.com/en_us/) has many Android Applications that are arranged by category.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_9: [The Samsung app store](https://www.samsung.com/us/apps/galaxy-store/) is installed on every Samsung mobile device (which is a lot). They are ultra helpful, unlike every other app store I have submitted to.
It can take over a week to get a new app past their quality control but it's worth the wait. They are so good at reviewing apps that I now submit to Samsung before Google Play.
It can be a little confusing at first to understand what they call their seller office is all about but hey, we are developers so are used to learning curves.
Among other things they review content to ensure that there are no copyright issues (something that can get you banned from Google Play) and they review every option VERY thoroughly on ALL the devices you have selected.
If anything goes wrong and quality control fails you get a complete breakdown of exactly what went wrong (including log cat) and even a video replicating the issue and they provide details on what is expected from you to fix it and re-submit.
What really impresses me is that they are so constructive with their criticisms.
Once an app has been approved by Samsung, I am more than happy that I have a very solid app that functions the way I want it to.
I just get a comfortable feeling when Samsung approves one of my apps. They don't tell you off or slap you on the wrists or, in any other way treat you like a naughty school kid if you get something wrong. They just help you to understand what to put right. Google Play will just pull your app and suspend you with no help whatsoever to put things right.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_10: I received a very good amount of installs from [mobiletoones.com](https://www.mobiletoones.com/downloads/android-apps/) and [apps.opera.com (now android.oms.apps.bemobi.com)](http://android.oms.apps.bemobi.com/en_us/).
Also, my revenue was ramped up too within 2 days. If you are looking for targeted users for your app, then you should distribute your app to many sources, not just stick to one website!
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_8: Now Google is focusing on the educational side, offering a special version of its app store called [Google Play for Education](http://www.google.com/edu/tablets/). (Initially applicable to USA only I believe).
It makes it easier for educators to find apps, books, videos, and other content appropriate for K-12 students, enables bulk purchasing and the ability to distribute apps to a group of students’ tablets wirelessly.
At launch, Google is offering Play for Education bundled with Google Nexus 7 tablets. In early 2014 the company plans to offer Asus Transformer Pad and HP Slate 8 Pro tablets as well.
Teachers can find apps by grade level, subject, or other criteria, and content can be paid for using a purchase order.
Video: [Introducing Tablets with Google Play for Education](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzvpcEffvaE)
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_7: Though it's rather a "link only answer", in this case there's no way around as the given source is (hopefully) maintained and the content subject to change: Here's a [list of available markets](http://www.dmoz.org/Computers/Software/Operating_Systems/Android/Markets) in the [DMOZ](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DMOZ) Mozilla directory, also giving users the possibility to report issues with them (if any). In addition to those already mentioned in answers here, it also names e.g. [Aptoide](http://www.aptoide.com/), [AOpenSource](http://www.aopensource.com/) – altogether at the moment of this writing 25 Android markets.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_7: **[Aptoide](https://www.aptoide.com/)** serves a bunch of repositories in [APT](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Packaging_Tool) style (which some of you might know from [Debian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debian) and its derivates). They also have their own Android client used to access (search and install apps from) them. For checking available apps, any web browser can be used as well – simply point it to [m.aptoide.com](http://m.aptoide.com/). According to [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aptoide), they serve more than 900,000 different apps with over 3.6 billion downloads in over 250,000 stores (as of 5/2017).
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/x8X0o.png) [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/4uykC.png) [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/iLPZB.png)
*Aptoide App* for Android (source: [Aptoide](http://m.apps.store.aptoide.com/app/market/cm.aptoide.pt/436/6160394/Aptoide); click images for larger variants)
Often associated with black markets and other "unsafe sources", that's not what it is by default (like peer-to-peer exchanges are not, and like Youtube isn't – though you easily can find "pirated content" there). <NAME>, co-founder of Aptoide, kindly pointed out several details behind Aptoide in [his answer](https://android.stackexchange.com/a/74813/16575) on [How safe is it to use Aptoide?](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/74618/16575) And even more in a mail he sent to me. Some core-points:
* Like *Google Play*, [Aptoide](https://www.aptoide.com/) actively scans its repositories for malware. They're using 3 different malware scanners, doing signature checks, and having implemented a chain-of-trust based in the signature of the developers.
* They work with several universities and research centers to make and keep the environment as safe as possible.
* They use a "trust stamp" to mark apps they've thoroughly checked (see the now archived [1000contest](https://web.archive.org/web/20130713104454/http://m.aptoide.com/1000contest)). If you see that on the page for an app, you can consider it 99.9% safe (according to Paulo).1
* Privacy is considered a high value. *Aptoide* is very cautious about the way they internally handle the user’s private information.
* Their “Apps” store is manually curated. So when looking for a way to stay as safe as possible with all those hundred-thousands of repositories, this would be the place (all the app links in this post point there). But even towards all the other repos, Paulo states:
>
> we have a responsibility to assure that the apps in those stores do not harm the end user.
>
>
>
In his mail to me, Paulo concluded: *Believe we still can do better.* Which to me indicates they don't settle on what they have achieved, but try to continually improve. If you additionally consider there's a company behind the "stores" which recently even [filed an antitrust complaint against Google](http://www.electronista.com/articles/14/06/18/claims.google.abusing.position.over.third.party.app.store.measures/ "Aptoide files European antitrust complaint over Google Play dominance"), that should be sufficient to deviate from associating *Aptoide* with "black markets" and "piracy" any more than *Youtube* – but rather consider it a good alternative (or supplement) to other Android app markets.
---
There are some more advantages worth mentioning:
* you can have your own repository there – whether private or public. Their [Aptoide Uploader](http://m.apps.store.aptoide.com/app/market/pt.caixamagica.aptoide.uploader/20/5840422/Aptoide%20Uploader) helps you upload your apps there.
* you can use a private repository to automatically backup your apps. Their [Aptoide Backup Apps](http://m.apps.store.aptoide.com/app/market/pt.aptoide.backupapps/20101/5840328/Aptoide%20Backup%20Apps) is your helper for that.
* you can schedule installs/updates. Comes in handy when you're e.g. on mobile data, and just found a bigger app you'd prefer installing on WiFi. Just mark it, and when on WiFi toggle the "scheduled installs" (see third screenshot above).
Try that with *Google Play* :)
---
**1** Example of *untrusted* app detection:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/pJvC0.png)
*Aptoide* warns an application might be malicious (source: Aptoide; click image for larger variant)
A couple of things to see here:
* The little yellow exclamation mark with the red "Warning" title is visible immediately; details below are displayed when "show" was clicked
* 3 anti-malware-checks have been run against this package, one of them the *Aptoide* specific malware guard
* the signature was found suspicious for multiple reasons:
+ it is not known to Aptoide as a "trusted signature" (*Aptoide* maintains a "chain of trust" for signatures, comparable to PGP/GPG)
+ it was used elsewhere to sign another developers package (and moreover, that developers signature was known to Aptoide, so that was a "re-sign" possibly introducing a hack of some kind)
* some information on the Anti-Malware checks is included at the end of the box
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_11: [Yalp Store](https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.github.yeriomin.yalpstore/ "Yalp Store") allows the download of apps directly from Google Play Store.
>
> By default Yalp Store connects to Google services using a built-in account, so you do not have to own a Google account to use it . The only reason to use a live Google account is to access the paid apps you own or leave reviews.
>
>
>
It has an option to know the number of trackers found in an app and view the app's report via [Exodus Privacy](https://exodus-privacy.eu.org/en/)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Z5SCa.jpg)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_12: [**Aurora Store**](https://gitlab.com/AuroraOSS/AuroraStore) is an open source fork of [Yalp Store](https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.github.yeriomin.yalpstore/) which provides a Material UI to the later.
>
> Aurora Store is an UnOfficial FOSS client to Google's Play Store, with an elegant design, using Aurora you can download apps,
> update existing apps, search for apps, get details about in-app trackers and much more.
>
> You can also Spoof your Device Information, Language and Region to get access to the apps that are not yet available or restricted in your Country | Device.
>
> Aurora Store does not require Google's Proprietary Framework to operate, it works perfectly fine with or without GooglePlayService or MicroG. Thereby avoiding the various privacy issues.
>
>
>
Upvotes: 2 |
2010/09/14 | 649 | 2,762 | <issue_start>username_0: Occasionally I'll start an app only to be presented with the App's title bar and a black screen. Usually the app's interface shows after 3-10 seconds. Very rarely the screen will stay black. I don't have any real idea about why or how to reproduce it.
I'm wondering if this is simply the phone working to try to start the app or maybe I've got too many other applications open?
Is there some way to reduce/prevent apps from showing a black screen at first and/or not opening at all?<issue_comment>username_1: I've seen this before, it seems to be when the application is loading or switching back into the foreground while the OS is busy doing something else. Seems more likely to occur when in the middle of a sync or while happening to receive a text message or some other notification causing event.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: The black screen is probably related to 'lag'. This lag can be caused by a number of things.
On the Samsung Galaxy S its a 'known' problem that the memory used for main storage is pretty slow. Especially when another app is writing a lot of data (mostly big downloads and marketplace updates)
When I'm updating applications or creating a lot of data traffic I generally just don't use my device for anything while those apps are busy, this should help you too prevent the 'black screen of lag' on your device.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: Black is the default plot color for Android, so this is the placeholder until the app completes it's layout operation. There are a number of things that can cause an app to have a delay here:
* Performing a network call(s).
* Loading data from disk.
* Garbage collection from other tasks.
* Restoring a complex drawing.
You can check to see if it is related to network latency by putting your phone in airplane mode and opening the app. If the app pops right up, the long delay is likely due to a network call that takes a while to complete (and completes immediately as an error when there is no connection).
The other three are trickier to test for. If it is garbage collection, you will likely only see the delay when other apps have been recently running and then switching immediately the misbehaving app. You can completely uninstall an app, including user data, and then re-install to see if it has something to do with your personal settings.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_4: when you flip your smartphone you can tell if the app is protected (maybe want to register first before use or so like Obi Dos Applications).
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_5: Go to Settings select Systems > Reset > Reset all settings.
Upvotes: 0 |
2010/09/14 | 577 | 2,111 | <issue_start>username_0: I have an HTC Droid Incredible running Android 2.2 FroYo and would like to use custom sounds/songs as ringtones for text message notifications, event and task reminders, Facebook and Twitter notifications, and email messages. I have the MP3s that I want to use located in the /ringtones directory of my phone, but they don't show up on the list of possible sound effects/tones/notifications, but they do show up in the selection for incoming call ringtones. What do I do to use them?<issue_comment>username_1: I use [Tone Picker](http://www.cyrket.com/p/android/com.hlidskialf.android.tonepicker/) to use any of my mp3 or other audio files for ringtones or other alerts. Even clock alarms!
Pro Tip: ambient music makes for a lousy wake-up call.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: [RingDroid](http://www.appbrain.com/app/com.ringdroid) will let you use any MP3 or part of an MP3 or even record your own sound as an MP3 as a ringtone.
Here's the QR Code:
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: To do this you need to create a folder called "**notifications**" on the root of your SD. You could mount your device to do this or use an application "Astrow" either way, Put your MP3 files here and you can use them as Notification sounds as well as ringtones.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: It seems in froyo (at least in my HTC Legend with froyo) you need to have the .mp3 file not in notifications folder but in "ringtones" folder at the same level with notifications.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: Put the sounds in the /media/audio/notifications folder on your SD card. Create this folder if it doesn't exist.
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_6: To set up your mp3 file as a ringtone, simply create a new folder on your SD Card and rename it "ringtones", without the quotes of course. (Do same for alarms, notifications and ui). After that, add your mp3 files to the folder. Go to "Setting--sound--phone ringtone", there, you will see your added mp3 file.
username_6 (Slow).
Upvotes: 2 |
2010/09/14 | 1,900 | 7,998 | <issue_start>username_0: I heard this phrase or the variants (rooted phone, rooting, etc.) in android forums but I don't know what it means. Can you explain it in simple terms?<issue_comment>username_1: To 'root' your phone means to gain administrative rights on the file system of your phone (in linux, *root* is the username of the master admin). With root access, you can install and uninstall anything you want on the phone.
Most phones come with limited access regarding what you can and can't do on it. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, because it can keep users from accidentally breaking something they shouldn't mess with on the phone, especially in regards to the operating system. However, many manufacturers limit your rights to things that aren't really so mission critical, too, and rooting the phone gets around this.
If you have a few unnecessary applications (bloatware) pre-installed on your phone that you cannot uninstall, rooting will give you this ability. It will also allow you to upgrade to newer versions of Android before your phone's manufacturer and/or cell provider make the updates available to you. Be warned, though, that rooting may void your warranty.
For more info on what rooting enables you to do with your phone, check out [this question](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/1/ive-rooted-my-phone-now-what).
Upvotes: 8 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: To gain root (administrator) access to a phone.
'root' is the user with UID 0, which is the equivalent of a full 'System Administration Account'.
It means you have the permission to do anything.
Anything includes opening protected ports (for example for WiFi-tethering), update and upgrade the OS and all software, replace the operating system with your own software, full access to every file on the machine, and the ability to delete any file, including the entire operating system.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_3: When you "root" your phone you are unlocking the administrative privileges of the phone which by default are locked by the manufacturer. It's similar to "Jailbreaking" in the iphone world.
Rooting your device allows you to do things like overclock or underclock your CPU, delete those preloaded apps that your phone wont delete like Amazon MP3 or Corp Calendar, install certain apps that require root access, load custom ROMs...
The manufacturers don't want you to have access to these options for a number of reasons including but not limited to:
* They want to control and ensure a specific user experience
* Certain carriers require that certain functions are locked out because they want you to pay for them or because they are incompatible with their network
* If you don't know what you are doing you can "brick" (render useless) your phone or at least cause enough problems where you'll be calling tech support demanding to know why your phone doesn't work.
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_4: In short, it means to get administrator access to the phone. To do things that a normal (non-administrator) user of the phone cannot do.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_5: Other answers are already correct, but just for a bit of nerd reference. In all Unix-based systems, there is a "root" user who has access to any and all functions available by the operating system. This is a very powerful (and dangerous) privilege because once you are root, you can do anything, and much of what you can do can completely destroy the system.
This is why when you administer a server, you usually don't do it as root so that you can take advantage of the operating system saying "umm... you don't want to do THAT!" when you accidentally ask it to wipe clean the entire hard drive at 3am.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_6: This is a bit of an amendment to everything. Essencially Rooting is Jailbreaking. You are a user, you don't have administrator access to your own phone. Rooting is the process of getting access to the "root" user. Once you have root, there are some fun things you can do.
* Remove "system" apps like Sprint's Nascar or NFL apps.
* Use tools like Open Tethering to do wifi tethering (for free)
* Underclock or Overclock your processor (underclocking with SetCPU helps keep battery usage up while not really affecting performance when your phone is in idle/etc.)
* Install a custom recovery tool.
+ Nandroid Backup -- A complete dump of your android's internal memory to the SD card which allows you to do a very clean backup and literally roll your android back to that point when needed. Also allows you to swap operating systems in minutes by having 2 backups, 1 of each.
Recently rooting is getting more efficient and with 1-click rooting coming up, it should be a breeze for most people, just set up and let it run for a half an hr.
The only risk is bricking your phone (screwing up some critical software thus making it impossible to start it up or install a fix).
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_7: This question is one of the most viewed on this site, yet all answers say the same: "getting admin rights, let's you do stuff like xyz and abc". The latter is not really part of a relevant answer, and indeed there is already a question here: [what can a rooted phone do?](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/1/ive-rooted-my-phone-now-what-what-do-i-gain-from-rooting).
Sure rooting equals getting admin rights, but let's add some more details: how admin rights are *implemented* in Android. Whats happens, on a technical level, when you root a phone? A new program/applet becomes available: **su**. It sits in the /system/xbin/ folder and allows users to switch to a different user ID --including root (aka admin).
Remember that in android applications normally run under their own user ID. So if 1) su exists and 2) an app uses it to change to root, then the app can do anything the root user could do!
Not all rooting methods produce the same change. For example many methods rely on an additional app called superuser.apk that has a custom version of the su binary. This lets the app act as a permission control manager whenever su is invoked by an app.
In addition to su and superuser (or SuperSu), often busybox gets installed as part of the rooting script. These three files (technically busybox is a set of files) are the most common additions when we talk about rooting a phone.
---
It is not trivial to just copy a `su` to the folder yourself, as the /system partition is mounted read only and you need root rights to (re)mount it as writable (and you'd need write permissions if it was).
One 'indirect' way of doing this is using a recovery with extended functionality, it can mount /system as writable and copy files to it. In most cases this means flashing a custom recovery, as many stock recoveries are limited to patching only specific (OEM) files.
A more 'direct' way would be to directly flash a new /system partition (with root files) using some flashing tool. Such tools include:
* odin(PC--Samsung only)
* fastboot(PC--Generic Android)
* flashify(app--Generic Android)
It is relatively easy to copy the /system partition from your phone--or an image file from the web, and flash the root-modified partition back. Lastly you may be able to get a root shell using ADB, if the ROM was compiled to allow it (not common in stock ROMs). Using the root shell it is trivial to remount partitions and copy files anywhere you want--if you know linux commands.
These simple methods work for phones that are unlocked/easy to unlock. When a bootloader is locked the process of rooting can become a convoluted process that may differ between devices, see more specific rooting info [here](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/1184/how-do-i-root-my-android-device).
This is because any custom modifications to important partitions will break the OEM 'signature' and cause the bootloader to refuse loading (bootloop). Or, in some cases the bootloader will just undo any changes.
Upvotes: 3 |
2010/09/14 | 622 | 2,155 | <issue_start>username_0: I work third shift so I sleep during the day but I get calls all day long so I shut my ringer off. I would like to be able to set a couple phone numbers that can ring through no matter what. Using Google Voice to do this won't work because I get calls directly to my cell # as well as to Google Voice.<issue_comment>username_1: The [Setting Profiles](http://www.probeez.com/) app can do that. From their site:
>
> **What if I don’t want to miss an important call while I’m on mute?**
>
>
> You can overwrite current sound
> settings with a rule based on Incoming
> Call condition. Here is how to:
>
>
> * Create a new rule
> * Add Incoming Call condition and set it to your preferred contacts group (like VIP or Family)
> * Add Activate Profile action to activate the profile where sound is On and/or some custom ring tone specified
>
>
> That’s it! Now even if your phone is
> set to mute, it will still ring in
> case of a call from someone from
> Contact Group you have set up in step
> two.
>
>
>
They currently have two versions of the app - a [Lite](http://www.appbrain.com/app/com.probeez.liteprofiles) and [Full](http://www.appbrain.com/app/com.probeez.profiles). I would try the Lite version to see if it has this feature first.
QR Code for Setting Profiles Lite:
QR Code for Setting Profiles Full:
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: I use "Shh! Auto-Silencer" for a similar purpose, screening notification automatically (so I don't get calls at work rather than while sleeping).
It is a time profile based app that silences your phone between time A and B and allows you to set exception for contacts. The best thing about it is that it runs in the background (boot on start-up and runs off the alarm clock service), you don't need to enable/disable it as a sound mode.
* [Shh!auto-silencer lite](http://www.androlib.com/android.application.com-zeus-chut-iqwn.aspx)
Upvotes: 0 |
2010/09/14 | 561 | 2,242 | <issue_start>username_0: I'd like to be able to set, at the contact level, which phone number is used to dial out. For example, I'd like to be able to set it so calls to my boss use Google Voice by default where as calls to my family use my cell number. Any suggestions?<issue_comment>username_1: The Google Voice app it self only lets you choose three things: all calls with regular number, all calls with GV number, or you can choose at a call-by-call basis. I do the call-by-call basis to get sort of what you want. I don't think there is any way to automatically have it choose one way or another per contact level.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: I just found [Voice Choice](http://www.appbrain.com/app/com.voiceplus) which claims to do what I want but I haven't tried it yet because its a big purchasing decision at $3. I will have to discuss with the family and check with my financial advisor. I'll report back if it actually does the job (or not).
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: Although it doesn't address the real request, the widget available with the latest version of Google Voice makes it easier to switch modes as you can step through 4 modes (do not use for calls/International calls only/ask for every call/use for all calls) from your home screen.
The widget is fast, so I think once you learn the sequence, you'd be able to rapidly select the mode you want for a call before opening the phone app. I only wish you could select which of the 4 icons in the widget you want displayed so it could use less than 3x1 spots on the home screen.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: I still haven't tried Voice Choice, but I just downloaded this free app: [Voice Plus](http://www.appbrain.com/app/voice-plus/com.bbrother.googlevoicebyname)
This looks perfect. From the description:
> Allows you to set rules for which number dialed will use your Google Voice number. Specify rules based on area code or by contacts (using contact groups). No more annoyance of having to press another button when dialing to choose where to call from!
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_4: You can do this with [voice plus](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bbrother.googlevoicebyname)
Upvotes: -1 |
2010/09/14 | 262 | 899 | <issue_start>username_0: Is there some way to change the "sweep glass" idle screen (screen you see when the phone comes back from turning off screen)?
I like the "sweep glass" screen, but have seen some others. Eg. Screen similar to the "phone call" screen - two options (answer, reject) that need to be swiped to either side.
Aside: idea of puzzle pieces for messages, emails, etc is brilliant!<issue_comment>username_1: There's [flyscreen](http://www.myflyscreen.com/), which lets you put widgets and such on your lock screen. ([App brain link](http://www.appbrain.com/app/com.flydroid.FlyScreen))
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: I've been using [WidgetLocker](http://teslacoilsw.com/) ([AppBrain](http://www.appbrain.com/app/com.teslacoilsw.widgetlocker)). Its very customizable and has worked like a charm for me.
Upvotes: 2 |
2010/09/14 | 1,749 | 6,243 | <issue_start>username_0: Is there a way for WiFi-tethering without root access.
I mean before Froyo.
I have HTC Hero 2.1, and frankly, I don't want to root it for security reasons.<issue_comment>username_1: I don't know of any way to do wifi tethering without root (before 2.2). You can, however, use bluetooth or a USB cable with [PDANet](http://www.junefabrics.com/android/) which does **not** require root.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: You won't like this answer but your carrier may provide the service if you're willing to pay extra for it. Sprint offered a WiFi hotspot feature for $30/month on the Evo pre 2.2. Ridiculous, yes. But may be your only option.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: Easy tether is an awesome app that allows wifi tethering. <http://www.androidzoom.com/android_applications/communication/easytether-lite_eoqh.html>
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: My samsung galaxy s (android 2.1) had a tethering option build in from the start.
Settings->wifi-Mobile AP and I only had to check a checkbox for it to work. And it works really great. (not locked here t-mobile/netherlands)
I can't find the application name though.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: You can get unrevoked, its an app which gives you root access without changing your kernel/flashing a rom/voiding your warrenty, use that on every startup (its automatic) and then get the superuser app. Then you can use the Open Tethering app which requires root access.
Thats the ONLY free way to do wifi tethering. Otherwise pay sprint or your provider the monthly enable tethering fee.
Worst Case Scenario you can tether using EasyTether app. It creates a forwarding mechanism for HTTP requests through the USB port. Requires software on android + computer. Its not WiFi Tethering, but its free, rootless tethering. For 3 bucks you can get the pro version and do HTTPS as well. Better than nothing (or 30 bucks a month --err thats insane--)
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_6: Short answer, you need to root for wifi hotspot tethering, or pay Sprint $30 a month. I thought about purchasing the package, but decided against it because they already charge you $10 extra per line for no legit reason. My thought there is they expect you to tether and can't do anything about it really, so they charge you extra and every month, 10 bucks adds up quickly per line, especially for those on your plan who don't even care to tether at all.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_7: Here is the ultimate answer:
First, on your phone, install a terminal-emulator from Android market, then run
```
cat /proc/cpuinfo
```
which will show you the detailed processor information of your phone (ARM5 in my case).
Afterwards, you need to install an ARM5 cross-compiler environment on your Linux box (download Ubuntu and VirtualBox if you are a Windows/Mac-freak and don't have a Linux box), in order to compile native code for your phone.
You do this in order to be able to start a privilege escalation attack ON YOUR PHONE.
So, next, you need to cross-compile a privilege-escalation attack for ARM5 (HTC Hero microprocessor). For that, use the RageAgainstTheCage attack made by <NAME> of Suse Linux Berlin (in binary only), reverse-engineered here:
<http://pastebin.com/fXsGij3N>
A precompiled version is available here
<http://cmw.22aaf3.com/common/rageagainstthecage-arm5.zip>
Download the Android SDK starter kit from Google.
Install the appropriate Android Platform SDK (version 2.1 for me).
<http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html>
Then, download the superuser (su) package:
<http://cmw.22aaf3.com/common/su-2.3.6.2-efgh.zip>
Put all, the superuser package, the su program, and the RageAgainstTheCage exploit in the same folder as adb (a program to connect to your android phone from the Android SDK).
You need to enable USB-Debugging, and switch of internet sharing.
Next, you transmit the file rageagainstthecage.bin to folder /data/local/tmp on your phone (initially, as normal user, you have write access only to the sdcard and the temp folder, but this is sufficient)
```
adb push rageagainstthecage.bin /data/local/tmp/
```
Then you start a shell on your phone:
```
adb shell
```
And change ownership on rageagainstthecage.bin to all
```
chmod 755 /data/local/tmp/rageagainstthecage.bin
```
Next, you start rageagainstthecage on your phone as normal user
```
/data/local/tmp/rageagainstthecage
```
When the exploit finished, your adb connection should terminate.
If it doesn't type
```
exit
adb kill-server
adb start-server
```
Now connect again to your phone:
```
adb shell
```
ADB shell now runs with escalated privileges (root).
So now, remount the file system so you can write on the system partition.
```
mount -o remount,rw -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock3 /system
exit
```
Now push su and superuser to your phone (remember, you have write access now)
```
adb push su /system/xbin/
adb push Superuser.apk /system/app/
```
And then change ownership on su to all
```
adb shell chmod 4755 /system/xbin/su
```
Next download and install one of all those free tether apps that require you to root your phone.
Start superuser.
Now start your tether app.
A popup will appear, which will ask you whether you want to grant this app root access.
Say yes, and check remember.
Now switch of your phone and restart.
When it has restarted, everything is back to normal, no more root privileges.
But su is still there and executable for everyone.
So, when logged in, start the wifi tether app.
Since you checked remember in the superuser app, it will use su to switch this application to root, which means it will now run fine, with only the tether app with root privileges :)
Next, connect with your Linux box to your brand-new working Android WIFI hotspot. After you're sure it works, don't forget to put access restrictions for the hotspot in place.
BTW, if you use your escalated privileges to export some apk packages for reverse-engineering, you will notice that android lacks the cp command.
You can circumvent that restriction by using cat (copy-cat) instead:
```
cat /data/app/superuser.apk >> /sdcard/Downloads/superuser.apk
```
;-)
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2010/09/14 | 543 | 1,997 | <issue_start>username_0: Android is based on Linux and has a Linux kernel underneath. Is there any way I can use shell commands and interact directly with the Linux system? E.g. A shell app that has access to the Linux system?<issue_comment>username_1: Yes there is,
Check out the application `Better Terminal` or `Android Terminal Emulator` both are support from 1.5
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: The [Scripting Layer for Android](https://github.com/damonkohler/sl4a) also includes a shell.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: Recently I had similar requirement, and I found '[busybox](http://www.busybox.net/)' utility. The terminal emulator apps are useful however those support very few commands. However 'busybox' gave me access to most of the generally used Linux commands.
[Here is](http://mycottonsilk.wordpress.com/2010/12/16/busybox-on-android/) how I used it.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: If you have a wireless network set up I can recommend to connect via SSH. It allows you to access and fully manage your Android in a few minutes.
For Linux or Putty users there is no difference to a standard terminal using SSH besides some specific Android commands. Moreover, some file managers such as Nautilus support the SSH protocol so you will have the flexibility of a shell and additionally the comfort for file operations using a graphical file manager. I liked SSH so much that I have written a small how-to for Android ([in German](http://www.osfight.de/2011/06/android-per-ssh-verwalten/)). I know, it might not fully apply to your question but can be considered while working with an additional computer and an Android phone.
An easy to use SSH server is [SSH Droid](https://market.android.com/details?id=berserker.android.apps.sshdroid&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDEsImJlcnNlcmtlci5hbmRyb2lkLmFwcHMuc3NoZHJvaWQiXQ..), available in the Google market.
Upvotes: 4 |
2010/09/14 | 604 | 2,381 | <issue_start>username_0: Is there an app that will allow you to make playlists with your music (on your computer) and then transfer those playlists, and the associated MP3 files, over to the phone?
I'd prefer not to have to "Sync" stuff because of all the headaches that syncing carries with it, but I just don't see anything in the market that has this functionality.<issue_comment>username_1: Most apps use M3U playlist which is a pretty standard format. You can manually sync or sync your playlists using DoubleTwist for `insert OS here`. I dont even believe that youre required to run doubleTwist on your phone.
Also Cubed has the ability to create and edit playlists right on the phone
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: Why not install "DropBox" on your PC and on your Phone. You can drag and drop files either way back and forth then ;) I haven't tried it with a playlist. But certainly done it for MP3 and other files.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: As a further answer I forgot there is [Media Monkey](http://www.mediamonkey.com) which just has basic USB copy which will do what you want - let you make a playlist and just copy it to your phone.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_4: After years of different problems with iSyncr, I just found out that the "File Manager+" app can give me fpt address to access the mobile from the pc (using WinSCP on PC), if on same wi-fi.
Now I just copy files both sides, and refresh iTunes =)
Also, if using iTunes to organize files on folders, watch out after you refresh, if you rename artists and albums. You'll need to update file structure on mobile as well, if it's your case (it's mine).
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_5: I tried Media Monkey. Not the right fit. It is not clear how it handles playlist references, and appears to pull all the music with playlists off the source phone and recreate them on the target phone. (When the music is already on target phone.) I contacted their support with questions and did not hear back.
Tried dropbox. Not quite right, because the m3u files need to be tweaked by hand. IOW: It is fine for moving media files (and poss also m3u files), but it doesn't give you working playlists on the target phone.
Ultimately, wasn't that hard, but took some dancing. I describe the process [here](https://android.stackexchange.com/a/244671/155633).
Upvotes: 0 |
2010/09/14 | 226 | 985 | <issue_start>username_0: Is it possible to easy copy applications between phones (eg. two HTCs via bluetooth) and get them running fine? Or apps just need to be downloaded from AM each time because of some installation routine that comes right after downloading?<issue_comment>username_1: Android 2.2 introduces the App Sharing app which is installed by default. I think this might be what you are looking for, however you will need a FroYo device.
For earlier versions you could use the app "Bluetooth File Transfer" to share the APK files, if you have these available on your memory card for example.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: I use an app called App Manager by Amazing Droid (search pub:"Amazing Droid" on market) which is free and allows you to do batch backups to SD and batch installs from SD (and also batch uninstalls). The backup places the .APK files into a known location on your SD card so you can copy them off to another device.
Upvotes: 2 |
2010/09/14 | 539 | 2,158 | <issue_start>username_0: I want a Music ID app, I have tried both Shazam and SoundHound which were good. They both have a limit of 5 songs, and cost $5 to upgrade to unlimited. Before purchasing one of them, I want to make sure I'm making the right choice. What are the advantages/disadvantages of each one?
Are there any other competing apps I should consider?
**Update:** I used SoundHound's old name, Midomi, accidentally.<issue_comment>username_1: I use [SoundHound](http://www.androidcentral.com/android-quick-app-soundhound). It also costs $5 for the full version. I can't really articulate why, though; I just liked the interface better.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: I would pick a handful of songs that are of the type of music you like and see how each one does at identifying them. Also consider how long it takes each one to get you your results. Also if you buy music through a particular service, consider the app's ability to interface easily with that service. The other big thing to consider would be startup time of the app, since you want to be able to tag a song before it ends!
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: I've used both and usually Shazam gets me a better result on slower networks. Soundhound has some great extra features. But for long-term, I think I would just use an app like Shazam or Soundhound to find a song I hear, not to share or anything like that.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_4: Both are pretty much the same. I've found that each one sometimes can't identify songs that the other one can.
Both have pretty much the exact same features. SoundHound is a little quicker at recognising the song... it doesn't need that full 10 seconds of the song and will sometimes stop after only 5 seconds of recording.
I'm not 100% sure if Shazam has this but SoundHound also allows you to view the artist and album of the song... i.e. so if you've identified the song, SoundHouse will show you which album that song is from and you can then browse that album right within SoundHound which is pretty good.
I used both but in the end chose to use SoundHound because of the mentioned features above.
Upvotes: 1 |
2010/09/14 | 515 | 1,701 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm currently using LauncherPro which lets me have 4x5 icons and a bar at the bottom of my home screen. Are there any alternative Launcher apps that will let me cram more in?<issue_comment>username_1: Not a launcher app itself, but [MultIcon](http://www.androidpolice.com/2010/09/06/app-of-the-week-multicon-reclaim-your-home-screen-real-estate/) (review link) lets you cram multiple icons into a teeny tiny space. Also available via [cyrket.](http://www.cyrket.com/p/android/com.h9kdroid.multicon/)
Now, that unconfigured screnshot is the extreme example -- but the density ranges from 4 incons in the space of 1 on down. It's pretty handy -- plus it comes with its own shortcuts widgets to a few things. Can't have icons for normal folders, however. Bummer.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: You should try the [ADW.launcher](http://www.appbrain.com/app/org.adw.launcher) , its free and lets you have up to a 8 x 8 screen plus 4 dock icons . It also allows you to resize widgets ( I reduce my clock to 1x1 and increase a few others).
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: Don't forget you can use folders as well to cram lots of apps into one space, I usually keep apps in category folders, it's a nice way of being organised also!
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: Zeam ([Zeam.org](http://zeam.org/)) is a great alternative launcher that offers an 8x8 workspace on each screen (up to 7) as well as multiple dock icons.
[Zeam Is the Fastest Android Launcher We've Seen Yet](http://lifehacker.com/5729485/zeam-is-the-fastest-android-launcher-weve-seen-yet) (via Lifehacker)
Upvotes: 2 |
2010/09/14 | 600 | 2,273 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm running Android 2.2 FroYo on an HTC Droid Incredible. When I go to bed, I want to turn off all notifications except for incoming phone calls, which I still want to receive. Is this possible, either natively or through an application?<issue_comment>username_1: The [Setting Profiles](http://www.probeez.com/) should be able to do something like that. You can set up a profile that turns off all notifications for when you get ready for bed. Then, add a rule that overrides the profile - turning notifications back on only for incoming calls:
* Create a new rule
* Add Incoming Call condition - this can be set to a specific contact group of just to <> depending on your preferences
* Add Activate Profile action to activate a different profile where sound is On and/or some custom ring tone specified
They currently have two versions of the app - a [Lite](http://www.appbrain.com/app/com.probeez.liteprofiles) and [Full](http://www.appbrain.com/app/com.probeez.profiles). The Lite version is limited to one rule at a time. You might be able to try it out with the Lite version and then get the Full if it works out for you.
QR Code for Setting Profiles Lite:
QR Code for Setting Profiles Full:
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: I asked this question to a friend and he suggested the [AudioManager Widget](http://www.cyrket.com/p/android/com.smartandroidapps.audiowidget/). It allows you to control volumes for Alarm, Media, Alerts, Ringer, System, and Voice Calls independently. It also allows you to toggle vibrate for alerts and ringer independently. So far, it seems to be a solid app.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: You can try [Tasker](https://market.android.com/details?id=net.dinglisch.android.taskerm) or [Locale](https://market.android.com/details?id=com.twofortyfouram.locale). They can be configured to do this automatically.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: You can create a profile and switch it by long pressing the power button. At least on Cyanogen, there is a menu item Change Profile. On stock Sense ROM it is likely there, too.
Upvotes: 0 |
2010/09/14 | 1,025 | 3,343 | <issue_start>username_0: Is there any app available in the Android Market for Stack Exchange sites?<issue_comment>username_1: [DroidStack](https://stackapps.com/questions/585/droidstack-for-android-1-0-8) seems to be the ticket. [*Android Market Link*](https://market.android.com/details?id=org.droidstack)
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: There are a couple of apps out there like [Droidstack](https://stackapps.com/questions/585/droidstack-for-android-1-0-8b) and [StackWidget](https://stackapps.com/questions/821/stackwidget-for-android). Both of the apps can work together. I've just installed them, but so far you can't seem to answer or respond to questions with them. You can though, follow your questions and get notifications when you get answers. Droidstack is a question browser, and StackWidget lets you watch specific questions.
There is also [TopStack](https://stackapps.com/questions/979/topstack-android-client-for-stack-exchange) for question browsing and [SOflair](http://www.androidzoom.com/android_applications/social/soflair_nuy.html) for reputation monitoring. Having tried them.
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: There just happens to be such a tool. It's not an actual application, but it works quite well with and is optimized for Android phones and tablets.
### Website: [StackMobile.com](http://stackmobile.com/beta)
Some of the features you will find:
* Full access to all questions, answers, comments, and users on the site.
* Full question and user search capability.
* The ability to easily switch between StackMobile and the equivalent page on the main site.
* View tags and tag wiki excerpts as well as questions with certain tags.
* View user profiles including a user's top 5 question / answers.
* The ability to quickly share pages using social network buttons.
**Disclaimer:** I wrote it.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_4: There is a site specifically for apps that use the Stack Exchange API(s): [Stack Apps](https://stackapps.com/).
If you're looking for Stack Exchange apps for Android, simply look under the [android](https://stackapps.com/questions/tagged/android) tag there.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: I recently had the opportunity to try [Stack Remote](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.b5d.android&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5iNWQuYW5kcm9pZCJd), which features an incredibly well-designed interface that looks really slick:
As is the case with all other apps that use the latest version of the API (2.1 at the time of this writing), there is no support for asking and answering questions. However, the app is handy for checking your inbox and quickly browsing questions.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_5: The [**official Stack Exchange app**](http://blog.stackoverflow.com/2014/01/stack-exchange-for-android-is-here/) is now [available in the Play Store](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.stackexchange.marvin).
Upvotes: 5 |
2010/09/14 | 302 | 1,128 | <issue_start>username_0: Apps in the market have a lot of comments and reviews. How do I add my own rating and comment to these?<issue_comment>username_1: Navigate to Market, select Menu > Downloads and you will see the list of apps on your phone. Notice the My Rating section where you can star and comment on the app.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Once you've actually installed an application, open it up in the Market and the "My Review" section will appear -- you can give it a 1-5 star rating, and then submit comments.
If you haven't installed (or have uninstalled the app)s, you can only view comments (or mark as spam).
See Also: [Market comment posting policy.](http://market.android.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=138329)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: Just to be clear: You cannot add a comment to an app until you have rated it (out of 5 stars). You cannot rate an app until you have installed it.
Once you have installed and rated and app, then you can comment. (Even if you no longer have the app installed.)
Upvotes: 2 |
2010/09/14 | 896 | 3,947 | <issue_start>username_0: I use Linux for half a decade now, so I am not used to dealing with viruses anymore. To my surprise, I saw some discussion about antiviruses in Android. I haven't installed any yet, but this bugs me: are they really necessary? Are there (or were) any known viruses in the market? Doesn't Google runs an antivirus before allowing an app to the market?
I haven't had no problem in one year of Android, but my cellphone has a lot of important information, and I wouldn't like to be surprised with some virus cleaning my phone, or making international calls while I sleep, or whatsoever. Should I install an antivirus?<issue_comment>username_1: You shouldn't need to worry about running an anti-virus on your phone. I would recommend running one on your PC though and having it set to scan peripheral devices. When you plug in your phone and it gets mounted as a mass storage device the desktop's antivirus will scan the phone for viruses' signatures and you will be doing the minimum to ensure your security.
It is an illusion to believe that just because you are running \*nix or OSX you won't benefit from the security afforded by AV software; that said you dont need to spend anything to get a good, lean program especially in Linux.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: There have been a few reports of Trojans that basically pretend to do something, but they are actually texting short codes charing you money or stealing data or something. However, I'm not sure how these 'anti virus' programs could actually counter that as they don't have anyway to monitor what these other apps are actually doing.
All you really need to do is take a close look at the permissions requested when you install an app, and ask yourself 'should this app need full internet access and contacts access and location?'
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_3: I say no, and I have two reasons for that:
1. Always read the required permissions before installing any application, and ensure that this application needs these permissions for its function and not just asks to do some crap on your phone. Do not allow any application to take permission to tamper with your phone information.
2. Installing an anti-virus app will slow down your phone, so better scan for viruses from your PC.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: Antivirus isn't as necessary as it is on Windows but it isn't a bad idea to have it. Google does check apps that are submitted to the Play Store as far as I am aware. However, there have been a few incidents of malicious apps on the Play Store and people downloading these. The bigger issue is apps from outside the Play Store, especially if your device is rooted. It's probably sensible to have antivirus software installed, especially since they are so effective, according to the AV-Test Android results [here](https://www.av-test.org/en/antivirus/mobile-devices/android/ "AV-Test Android results"), where some programs get close to 100% detection rates. This website also includes 'Usability', which includes whether the antivirus slows down the device during normal usage.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_5: In Android Market was only few viruses so the possibility of catching an virus is rare occurrence. The problem is when you download the apps from internet. I highly do not recommend it.
***What about AV for Android phones?***
I am always laughing when people insist that AV for Android device is must have.
**Why it is not necessary?** Consider what the names like kernel, root etc come from. Android is based on Linux and I have never heard about strong viruses for Unix like operating systems. Yes, there is possibility to create virus, yes it might work but only if you give the app permissions. That is why I think that AV for Android is just a scam.
So to sum up as long as you download apps from Google market feel comfortable and just forget about viruses.
Upvotes: 1 |
2010/09/14 | 372 | 1,373 | <issue_start>username_0: Currently I am using Samsung Galaxy 3 (i5801) with Android 2.1. Is there any app available to support flash video ?<issue_comment>username_1: assuming you're in the united states it's just a matter of days before you get your 2.2 update which comes with Flash. I don't believe any other aftermarket player will decode FLV files for you at this time.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: There is an alternative browser, Skyfire, which purports to support at least some Flash videos on Android 2.1.
It should be available in the Market.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: you can install flash by these steps
The first step is to download flash\_for\_21.zip to your computer and extract the .apk file.
Now navigate to the market and install “Apps Installer” utility to your phone.
Now connect your Android phone to the computer and copy .apk file to your SD card. Make sure that it is in SD card root and not in a sub folder.
After this launch “Apps Installer” on your phone and follow the on screen instructions to install flash\_for\_21.apk file.
After installation is complete, simply reboot your phone and there you go! You now have Flash 10.1 on your phone.
[get flash for 2.1](http://www.addictivetips.com/wp-content/uploads/android/apps/flash_for_21.zip)
Upvotes: -1 |
2010/09/14 | 706 | 2,583 | <issue_start>username_0: When posting app links, I'm always using a link on Cyrket or AppBrain -- becuase I can't get a link to anything in the official Android Market.
But I have seen some links out there for use w/ Android itself ( ''market://'' protocol ):
```
market://details?id=de.schildbach.oeffi
```
(as seen @ [Android Dev Studio](http://androiddevstudio.com/tutorials/how-to-put-the-link-on-market-app-from-a-web-page))
Is it possible to web-link to apps in the Market so that a non-Android user can link to the appropriate Market page in a non-Android web browser?<issue_comment>username_1: If you are talking about making a link that goes directly to the app in the market on an Android device, yes, just append the Package Name to the `market://details?id=` or `market://search?q=pname:` to create the link. In your example above the Package Name is: `de.schildbach.oeffi`.
If you don't know the package name you can get it from [AndroLib](http://www.androlib.com). It's a pain because their pages are so busy but if you can't find it just do a text search for "Package Name."
Just to be clear this link format only works when clicked on and Android Market enabled device.
---
**Update: Yes.** You now access the full Android Market on the website, and when you use the link format that [username_2](https://android.stackexchange.com/users/464/username_2) mentions in [his answer](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/345/how-do-you-link-to-applications-in-the-android-market/1576#1576) (with <http://market..>.), users clicking it on their phone will be brought to app in the market and users clicking on it on the web will be brought to the app's market web page.
**Edit:** No. The Android Market can only be accessed on Android Devices (more specifically only Android Devices with the Android Market Enabled).
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: It's worth noting that you don't have to use the `market://` protocol - you can swap in
`http://market.android.com/` instead of `market://`.
eg these two links should have the same effect:
* <http://market.android.com/details?id=de.schildbach.oeffi>
* market://details?id=de.schildbach.oeffi
Unfortunately, this currently isn't quite as useful as it could be since a non-Android browser will just get a 404 from the `http://` link, but I imagine if Google wanted to they could give you a useful page instead.
See the [Publishing Your Applications](http://developer.android.com/guide/publishing/publishing.html) page in the Android developer guide for more details.
Upvotes: 3 |
2010/09/14 | 240 | 873 | <issue_start>username_0: The button is broken and I'm waiting for my replacement phone. I can turn it on by sliding open the keyboard but I have to wait for it to sleep to turn the screen off. Is there an app or a shortcut that I can put on the home screen to do this? Or maybe a hack to change my camera button to a screen off button? It's an un-rooted Motorola Droid 1 running 2.2.<issue_comment>username_1: There was an app reviewed by "Android Guys" yesterday call screen off , unfortunately its not free and costs 99 cents , here is the [link](http://www.androidguys.com/2010/09/14/app-review-screen-2/)
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: I ended up using this free app: <http://code.google.com/p/lockenabler/> and with smart bar I was able to set the camera button as a shortcut. My cam button now turns off the screen on a long press.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2010/09/14 | 556 | 2,153 | <issue_start>username_0: Occasionally (maybe twice a month) my Milestone just reboots (goes black and then to the Android startup screen (but not all the way to the Motorola screen)).
I presume that such behaviour could be caused a poorly written app. I have uninstalled a few but to no avail. Is there any sort of log that I could pull which would shed some light on this or even a dump file?
Could this restarting issue be caused by something else?
I am currently running Android 2.1 (no OTA update available for me, yet) on a Milestone and have had this problem since I bought it in December (when it was 2.0).<issue_comment>username_1: I have uninstalled TaskKiller as I read that these types of applications can cause stability issues on Android 2.1 and 2.2. So far so good...
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I know its too late to answer the question. But anyway, Restart generally occurs when,
1. Phone is going out of resources, (Memory)
2. Bad Battery contacts, due to frequent pullouts.
3. Faulty apps leading to crash and screens of death.
I am saying so as Android too is an OS and these are the basic nature of an OS. So if your Milestone is rooted, use XDA Assistant from Market and do some tweaks to your phone like
1. See your startup list and remove unwanted services while boot.
2. Also download InfoLLc CacheCleaner to clean cache on regular intervals.
3. Install AdBlockers to block unwanted ads, sometimes they leads to crash.
4. Remove all apps that are not in use.
5. Instead of Auto Cleaning , do manual memory cleanup {RAM} using taskkillers.
6. Dont use any Battery Defenders as they too run their own service on the phone 24X7 {in wake phone} and consumes memory.
7. Use App2SD and try to move all your apps from pHone memory to your SD Card.
Finally I would like to say, keep your OS as light(clean) as possible.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: I have the same problem. One possible reason is that the graphics card does not support it. Delete graphics, especially pics attached in the phonebook. Everytime I am tempted to attach pics to the phonebook, I get this problem.
Hope it will help.
Upvotes: 0 |
2010/09/14 | 327 | 1,458 | <issue_start>username_0: The Calendar app on the Samsung Captivate is fed by the Google Calendar, but I have to make all my entries online. Otherwise, they are (uselessly) local to just my phone.
Is there any way to sync them back to my Google Calendar and (most importantly) include the events that I add from the calendar?<issue_comment>username_1: I use the Gemini calendar app, and it seems to sync back to your Google account. It does, however, require the stock Google Calendar app, which based on your question, may pose a problem.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: Assuming Samsung have made the same changes for the Captivate as the Galaxy, then fully opening an appointment in the Calendar app and pressing Edit, you should have a line labelled "Calendar" that will say "My Calendar" (this is the local calendar on the phone), press the arrow beside that and it takes you to a list of your calendars and lets you select your Google Calendar to move the appointment there.
Also when you're in the Calendar and want to create a new appointment there are two ways to do it. Either long pressing on a day/time takes you to the quick appointment creation box, this always goes into your phone's local calendar and then needs moving out to your GCal. However if you press the Menu button and select "Create" then it takes you to the same screen as the Edit screen, and you can pick which calendar to save to from there.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer] |
2010/09/15 | 444 | 1,650 | <issue_start>username_0: I have a Moto Droid, running Android 2.2 (Froyo), although this behavior also existed on 2.1. Whenever I plug something in the headphone jack, the Music app will start up (sometimes with a bit of a delay) and start playing something (generally Christmas music).
More often than not, I'm plugging in headphones to use Google Listen to listen to podcasts... if Listen is already running, I may end up with both apps playing at the same time.
The Music app doesn't seem to have any settings that would affect this behavior. Is there some way, short of deleting all of the music so that there's nothing *to* play?<issue_comment>username_1: It's been reported as a known issue on [code.google.com](http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=5134). There's a long list of 79 comments which seem to indicate that rooting and adding a program called "Autostarts" fixes the problem. This is obviously not something everyone is going to want to do... be careful if you go that route.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: You can use the [Headset Blocker](http://www.appbrain.com/app/com.idunnolol.headsetblocker) widget to disable that behavior.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: When you plug in your headset click the Music On The Go Event in smart connect and then go to the options and disable Smart Connect. Worked on my Sony Xperia Z3 on Droid 5.0.2
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_4: Fixed!
Go to: Settings; General
Select: Context Awareness
Select: When earphones are plugged in
Then click the slide to disable.
Upvotes: 1 |
2010/09/15 | 2,118 | 8,447 | <issue_start>username_0: Can anyone recommend a good way to backup Android devices?
Ideally I would like to do this wirelessly and, not only backup my data, but also my user settings. Is it possible to backup an image of an Android device - so that one doesn't even need to reinstall apps?
It would be particularly useful to hear from users that have restored backups, as to how easy, and complete, their processes were.
Thanks<issue_comment>username_1: Depending on your phone is the complexity of this task.
HTC Evo (and supported phones) you can use unrEVOked root tool to get root access. Install Titanium Backup and back everything (system included) up onto the memory card (and can copy it to your computer for extra backup).
Otherwise you need to either get something similar to unrEVOked to root and use Titanium.
If not possible, you need to root your phone and do a NANDROID backup. This backs up everything on the phone's memory as an image and can be restored at any point to fully replace anything on the phone with what it was, even if you installed another version of android.
Otherwise... HTC PC Sync? By that is kinda crappy compared to the other tools.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: The requirement being that you must be ROOTED, you could get [Titanium Backup](http://www.appbrain.com/app/com.keramidas.TitaniumBackup) and back up your phone using that.
The reason for using [Titanium Backup](http://www.appbrain.com/app/com.keramidas.TitaniumBackup) is so that you can selectively restore parts of your data if you were to install a different version and/or build of Android. NANDROID backup is good for having a safe image to fall back on but it isn't good for restoring data on top of a new OS installation (there are side effects sometimes).
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: There are a number of apps you can use but many will already have the ES File Manager
Note: **Turn off as many apps as you can. Some apps will not backup while running.**
* Launch ES File Manager
(When you open it you are normally in the file manager mode)
* Tap the second icon from the right to switch to Application mode
* Long press on any icon. Select "Select All" from the context menu
* Press Menu. Select "Backup"
While the backup is running, you can watch its progress by opening the notification bar
The applications will be copied into backup/apps
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: A good way to back up app data if you're not rooted is to used [`adb`](http://developer.android.com/guide/developing/tools/adb.html) from the [Android SDK](http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html). For example, to back up the data for Locale, you'd do something like the following:
`adb pull /data/data/com.twofortyfouram.locale/ C:\backup\locale\`
And to restore, just use `adb push` with the same arguments in reverse order, i.e.:
`adb push C:\backup\locale\ /data/data/com.twofortyfouram.locale/`
You should be able to back up apps from `/data/app/` the same way.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_5: If you want to do what is essentially a 1-to-1 backup of your device, you can use a custom recovery to create a "nandroid" backup. Doing so effectively creates disk images of your NAND partitions (hence "nandroid") that you can restore from at a later point. This is going to vary a bit by device and recovery system, but in general if you want to perform a full backup of your phone's internal memory you would need to:
* Root your device and install a custom recovery. The most popular recovery is probably [ClockworkMod](http://www.clockworkmod.com/rommanager). How you install it will vary widely by device, but [ROM Manager](https://market.android.com/details?id=com.koushikdutta.rommanager&hl=en) can do it for you on most popular devices. You simply launch ROM Manager and select "Flash ClockworkMod Recovery" from the main menu.
* If using ClockworkMod, open ROM Manager and select "Backup current ROM". This should do all of the work for you.
* If not using ROM Manager **or** if you use a recovery other than ClockworkMod:
+ Reboot your device into recovery mode. This again varies by device, but ROM Manager has a "Reboot into recovery" option that works *regardless* of what recovery you have installed. Another option is to issue `adb reboot recovery` from a connected PC with ADB configured and set up. There may be other requirements for getting into recovery depending on your device (e.g. the Kindle Fire is very different from others).
+ Navigate to the "Backup/Restore" or "Nandroid" menu (or similar).
+ Select "Backup" and (if needed) select which partitions you would like to back up. Some recoveries will also give you the option to compress the backup.
+ Select "Perform backup" (or similar) and wait for the process to finish.
Once the backup has been performed you should be able to use it to recover from many "soft" bricks. However, the two situations you would not be able to recover from with a backup alone would be:
* Your bootloader is invalid/corrupted/etc
* Your recovery partition is invalid/corrupted/etc
In both of thse scenarios, you would first need to fix the offending partition (bootloader or recovery) before being able to restore the backup. Basically, anything that prevents you from accessing your recovery partition will also prevent you from using your recovery to restore your backup. Such situations are, I would say, fairly rare. You **can** use a backup to recover a bad `/boot` or `/system` partition, so flashing a kernel or ROM should have an extremely small likelihood of permanently bricking your device (unless it modifies your recovery or bootloader, as noted above).
You *may* be able to flash an uncompressed backup from `fastboot` but this would depend on what recovery you are using and how it performs its backups. As I recall, ClockworkMod simply uses `dd` to create the image and they actually will flash correctly on some devices. However, I would **strongly advise researching this before trying** as a bad fastboot write could soft brick you as well. Of course, as long as you don't try to overwite your bootloader you won't lose access to `fastboot`, so in some ways this could be a "nothing ventured, nothing gained" situation.
To actually restore a backup you can:
* In ROM Manager select "Manage and Restore Backups", then select the backup you wish to restore from.
* If not using ROM Manager **or** not using ClockworkMod:
+ Reboot into recovery
+ Select "Backup/Restore" or "Nandroid" (or similar)
+ Select "Restore"
+ Pick the backup you would like to restore from (if more than one)
+ Select the partitions you would like to restore (if givent the option)
+ Select "Restore" and wait for the process to finish
Nandroid backups are, by default, stored on your external storage device in pretty much every situation. Some exceptions may be devices with no separate external storage (e.g. devices like the Galaxy Nexus) where the `/sdcard` directory is actually on the physical internal storage. In any case, though, it will save to your `/sdcard` directory, which is readable from a PC as USB mass storage or `adb`. You can copy a nandroid backup off of your phone and onto a computer for safe-keeping, then copy it back over later if you need to restore.
To do this you can simply plug in your device and look for a path like `/sdcard/nandroid` (or `/sdcard/TWRP` for TeamWin recovery, possibly elsewhere for others). Then you can copy the contents of the folder over to your computer. Alternatively, you can pull it with `adb` by plugging in the device and issuing something akin to:
```
adb pull /path/to/backups
```
...from a PC shell.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_6: If you ***don't have root***, you can use [MyBackup](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rerware.android.MyBackup). It can save applications & media (photos, music, videos), and it can save data (contacts, SMS, MMS, alarms, ...).
Unfortunately it requires internet connection (for MyBackup / Rerware account) even for local save and restore (e.g. on SD card), and free version is *single phone only* (you cannot copy backup to other phone).
Note that non-root version is less powerful than e.g. Titanium Backup or MyBackup Root.
---
There is also [Helium](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.koushikdutta.backup) (formerly Carbon), which also doesn't require root.
Upvotes: 0 |
2010/09/15 | 346 | 1,441 | <issue_start>username_0: My HTC Desire is set up to flash its LED lamp whenever I receive an email, SMS etc.
Only problem is that (without touching the phone) the LED stops flashing after 5 minutes or so. So if a message comes in while I'm not near my phone and I don't come back for more than 5 minutes, I have to turn on the screen to discover the message.
I've searched through everything, but there seems to be no setting for this.
Am I missing something, or is this by design? Is there an app for this problem?<issue_comment>username_1: Must be by design. Flashing the LED infinitely would drain the battery (even if only slightly). I don't see anything in Settings regarding lengthening the amount of time the LED will flash; you can only specify what things cause LED notification.
After some searching it looks like the "Missed Reminder" app allows for a lot of notification customization - LED interval, color, etc. Not sure how to link an app so just search for it in the market. Sounds promising. Hope it helps.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: I've noticed the my Moto Droid started doing this with the latest Android 2.2. The notification icon stays in the notification area, but the LED stops flashing. Personally, I like this behavior, but I don't know of any way to prevent it from "silencing" the blinking LED. Seems to be by design, and seems to be for the latest versions of Android.
Upvotes: 1 |
2010/09/15 | 235 | 879 | <issue_start>username_0: >
> **Possible Duplicate:**
>
> [How can I uninstall applications that are locked by phone vendor?](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/6851/how-can-i-uninstall-applications-that-are-locked-by-phone-vendor)
>
>
>
I want to uninstall the facebook app, as I don't use facebook. The phone won't let me uninstall that app.
I have a Droid Eris and a Motorola Droid. I want to get rid of it from both these phones.<issue_comment>username_1: unfortunately you need root permission to uninstall system apps. If you are rooted you can use ADB and type
```
adb uinstall
```
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Titanium Backup actually has a convenient interface for doing this. Requires root though. Be careful not to remove something important (I removed com.android.mms and was unable to receive sms messages).
Upvotes: 2 |
2010/09/15 | 672 | 2,703 | <issue_start>username_0: I have a Moto DROID (v1). On a trip from Tyler, TX to DFW airport I had my phone in the car dock and charging. I was using Navigation for directions to the airport and also had Listen running to play a podcast over the device speaker. As I neared the airport, the phone rebooted a few times and then remained off. I took the phone out of the dock and noticed it was very hot to the touch. At the airport, the phone had cooled and I plugged it into a wall charger. The battery was completely drained!
My brother had the same experience with his Moto DROID (v2). He was on a 4 hour road trip and was using the navigation app and participating in a conference call (hands-free). The phone was connected to the car dock and charging the entire time, but after a couple of hours the phone rebooted and then shut-off with a dead battery. We left the phone off and plugged into the charger for a while and it was able to boot again, and like with mine showed a dead battery!
Is the phone really able to drain the battery faster than it can be charged via the car dock? If so, are there known combinations of apps or uses that will cause this behavior?<issue_comment>username_1: I think you answered your own question ;)
Navigation uses a lot of power: it needs constant use of GPS along with reading the map and processing text to speech. Throw in another power-intensive activity like bluetooth or the phone's speaker (or calling, or data, etc), and it's very conceivable that it would drain power faster than it can pull it from a charger, especially a car charger, though the exact specifics would vary from phone to phone.
[Here](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/266/battery-conservation/269#269) is a great list of the things that use the most power on a phone.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: You can always underclock the phone, I notice a SIGNIFICANT decrease in heat generated which means less energy used. Yes it affects performance, but may give you what you need. Running the EVO 4G (so I can underclock to 50% and still get same mhz as the droid).
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: This might just be a nonsense story but here is a start.
Some 'chargers' don't supply enough power to fully and quickly charge the device. A car charger might just not give enough power to charge faster then the applications are using the battery.
Ever noticed a computer cable charging slower then a wall socket charger. There is a difference there.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: Make sure the charger outputs 1 amp. Most vehicle chargers that aren't specifically for smartphones or don't list output are going to be .5 amp.
Upvotes: 3 |
2010/09/15 | 200 | 749 | <issue_start>username_0: I have been playing flash videos using skyfire, but I would really like to play some games like chopper using flash.
How can I get flash enabled on Froyo? I have heard that Froyo supports adobe flash.<issue_comment>username_1: You can download the [Flash Player 10.1 app](https://market.android.com/details?id=com.adobe.flashplayer) from the Market or by going to <http://adobe.com> on your phone and clicking on the Get Adobe Flash Player button.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Not sure what you mean by "stock", I have a T-Mobile G2, it has Android 2.2 out of the box, and Flash was pre-loaded. There is flash handling enabled in the browser and (I presume) in the YouTube application.
Upvotes: 1 |
2010/09/15 | 590 | 1,950 | <issue_start>username_0: Is there an app to play videos from Netflix and Hulu for the Android?<issue_comment>username_1: As of today, no there is nothing public. Like Matt says, you can find this out through other sites instead of asking here. A simple Google search will give you results of speculation and rumor like this:
<http://mashable.com/2010/08/07/netflix-android-app/>
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: No, as of Sept. 18, 2010, but according to this story Netflix appears to have hired Android developers, almost certainly for this purpose: <http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/08/10/netflix-android-app/>
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: Netflix recently posted on their blog that they will begin to roll out support for individual devices in the coming year, but not a generic Netflix app. They claim:
>
> The hurdle has been the lack of a generic and complete platform security and content protection mechanism available for Android.
>
>
>
You can read the entire post at <http://blog.netflix.com/2010/11/netflix-on-android.html> .
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: **Yes there is**!
Today Netflix released an [offical App](https://market.android.com/details?id=com.netflix.mediaclient&feature=search_result).
[Netflix Blog post](http://blog.netflix.com/2011/05/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html) about release.
Currently Netflix playback is supported on the following phones:
* HTC Incredible with Android 2.2
* HTC Nexus One with Android 2.2, 2.3
* HTC Evo 4G with Android 2.2
* HTC G2 with Android 2.2
* Samsung Nexus S with Android 2.3
If you don't have one of these devices but you do have an HTC or Samsung device you can try [this method here](http://lifehacker.com/5801720/how-to-install-netflix-on-almost-any-android-device) to make the Netflix app work on your device. I have not tried this myself as I have one of the supported devices. Try this at your own risk
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer] |
2010/09/15 | 938 | 3,646 | <issue_start>username_0: I just got my replacement Droid and will be sending my current Droid back to Motorola. I'm sure they are going to refurbish it and resell it. I've backed up everything and I'm going to be keeping my microSD card, but how to ensure that all the data is completely wiped off the internal memory so there is no chance that it can be recovered by someone else?<issue_comment>username_1: Keeping the microSD is probably the main thing, so since that's the plan already it's just the phone to go.
I couldn't swear to this, but I used it when selling my g1:
uninstall everything - except astro file browser or similar
Use astro to wipe out any app related folders
remove astro
Use the "factory data reset" (on 2.2 its under Privacy)
Power up and check it's greeting you as a new user
Power off
Remove sim card
Power up and check it does even less
Power off & send
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Keep in mind that creating a copy of your data and destroying the original data is a not a backup, just a transport action.
Create a copy of you data on another device/usb stick from your phone and use the **move** command. This will create another 'copy' and essentially makes sure you didn't forgot anything to move. Moving the data also 'deletes' is from the original device. (better save then sorry)
Now make a list of all things you don't want them to get and make sure they are deleted/removed. After this execute a factory data reset (from settings or boot menu) and check you phone if its really clean.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: **Perform a factory reset then write to the memory and reset again. This is the best way I have found to prevent data remnance.**
I was aware that with a magnetic based drive there is almost always data remnanace. I believe the standard to effectively erase info on a magnetic drive is erasing and re-writing over the drive 7-20 times (don't quote me on those number). I was under the impression that once you erased data from flash storage it was gone for good but recalled the story of a woman finding [porn on her refurbished Evo](http://www.tomsguide.com/us/google-android-evo-4g-porn,news-7418.html). So, I asked about data remnance at [Superuser](https://superuser.com/questions/190399/are-there-any-data-remanence-issues-with-flash-storage-devices/190435#190435) on flash memory and found that data sometimes can remain after it is deleted. The recommendation there was: formatting, writing to the memory and formatting again.
To format, as the answers above suggested, I performed a factory reset. This can be done one of two ways on the Droid:
1. Go to the "Settings" menu, choose "Privacy" then choose "Factory Data Reset"
2. [Do a hard reset](http://www.ehow.com/how_5634169_hard-reset-motorola-droid.html)
Ultimately I just did the Factory Reset because I was too lazy to load the system memory up and I suspect that 99.99% the Factory Reset is sufficient, but it's good to know what the risks are.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_4: As I understand it, factory reset only "deletes" user specific files and databases. They still could be recovered if not overwritten at least once.
Also internal android flash memory is partitioned into several areas with independent file system. Some of these partitions are not directly writable.
I would do the following:
1. Make a factory reset.
2. Install as many apps as possible to overwrite almost all of the data blocks in the "data" partition.
3. Make another factory reset.
If there were a stock ROM to overwrite the currently installed ROM, I would reinstall that ROM, too.
Upvotes: 1 |
2010/09/15 | 953 | 3,168 | <issue_start>username_0: Is there any WEP cracking application available for android?
If not is WEP cracking technically possible with the API's and hardware available on your average android phone?
This is a purely academic question please leave ethical arguments out of it.<issue_comment>username_1: There is nothing available. While it is theoretically possible with the hardware, in practice it would be very difficult to implement and would probably need a custom ROM that supported it.
Even the tools for doing this on a desktop (Aircrack, etc.) generally require specific wireless chipsets and drivers to do wireless packet capture.
EDIT:
There's now a project that got monitor mode working on the Galaxy S2 and the Google Nexus One.
See <http://bcmon.blogspot.de/>
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: As Rohan said, you need at least a device with a wireless card that can be set on "monitor" or "promiscuous" mode, so you can sniff the packets sent between the clients and servers of the wireless network.
So, technically it is possible, but at the beginning it would be a very device-specific solution
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: The Broadcom bcm4329 chipset in a lot of android phones (Nexus One, Evo, G1) probably many more) supports monitor/promiscuous mode. The driver needs to be modified to allow monitor mode to be enabled.
Here is the source of the current drivers:
[monitor mode flag](http://android.git.kernel.org/?p=kernel/msm.git;a=blob;f=drivers/net/wireless/bcm4329/include/wlioctl.h;h=751d5cdaff76485fbcfada2bd149527418e2f6bf;hb=refs/heads/android-msm-2.6.29-nexusone#l539)
[method to that sets the mode](http://android.git.kernel.org/?p=kernel/msm.git;a=blob;f=drivers/net/wireless/bcm4329/wl_iw.c;h=cd387b1ae1641ca29809e6ef1acd419c2a0f66fe;hb=refs/heads/android-msm-2.6.29-nexusone#l1062)
In the second link, you can see that monitor mode flag is not even in the switch statement so it's just gets ignored when called.
Someone also got [tcpdump working on a G1](http://junxian-huang.blogspot.com/2009/03/finally-tcpdump-on-gphone-g1-android.html) so it's possible, we jsut need to put in some work to get it functional though.
A few more links about the chipset, drivers, and modifications to them:
* <http://forum.aircrack-ng.org/index.php?topic=281.0>
* <http://aircrack-ng.org/doku.php?id=b43>
* <http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/b43>
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_4: technically no. however you can jailbreak it and install a OS on it and it would look just like a normal OS. just a smaller version. once thats done you can install softwares like aircrack exct. and it would capture the packets and then crack them.. now this does take some time.. anywhere from 15 minutes to a few days all depending on their encryptionsetings. but the average wifi shouldnt take more then 30 minutes.. tops. so yes in theory it is "possible" but it all depends on how much work you want to put into it in order to get it. there is no "app" YET.. im not sure if anyone is converting a software like aircrack from an OS to app compatable.. although im sure someone is somewhere.
Upvotes: -1 |
2010/09/15 | 233 | 833 | <issue_start>username_0: I have a bit.ly account, and I want to be able to track my shortened links. However, using the Twitter, it allows me to choose what shortening I use, but I can't seem to find an option to have any shortened links linked to my bit.ly account.
I know that my twitpic account is used to upload pictures (and I've set twitpic as the default), but I want to know if there is a way to do this with bit.ly<issue_comment>username_1: I don't think there is a way in the Twitter app, but if you really want that functionality, Seesmic has it.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: And [HootSuite](http://hootsuite.com/android) has their ow.ly shortener
See other options @ [comparison of twitter apps](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/358/comparision-of-twitter-apps/362#362)
Upvotes: 1 |
2010/09/15 | 552 | 1,999 | <issue_start>username_0: When I use Google Maps it sets my Google Latitude location, but once I turn Maps off it stops. I'd like it to update with my location on a regular basis. I don't want to drain the battery by always using the GPS, but it'd be nice if it updated, say, every half hour or so.<issue_comment>username_1: I found [this](http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Google%20Mobile/thread?tid=00fd6e74b895ef95&hl=en) from the Google Mobile Help forum after a little searching. It's from 8/15/09 so I actually see something a little different on my phone Settings > Location > Google Location Services. I haven't tested it but hope it helps.
Quoting the site:
>
> Hi everyone, Apologies for not
> updating this thread specifically
> sooner. There is a new version
> available in Android Market (version
> 3.1.2). Just search for "Google Maps" if you have at least the 1.5 system
> update (Cupcake) and install this over
> your current version of Maps.
>
>
> Please let me know if you experience
> background location updating issues
> with this version. As long as you have
> enabled automatic location detection
> in the Latitude privacy menu and have
> enabled location detection (Settings >
> Security & location > Use wireless
> networks), Latitude should update your
> location while your phone is on. This
> means your location should never
> appear older than ~1 hour to any of
> your friends.
>
>
> Thank you all for your patience! Chris
>
>
>
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Using [Latify](https://market.android.com/details?id=com.ecs.latify), you can configure location updates using a specific interval. It will syncup with Google Latitude using either GPS or WIFI at the defined interval, even when the application is not running.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: Check out [Backitude](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=gaugler.backitude). It takes over the Latitude updating for you. Good reviews.
Upvotes: 1 |
2010/09/15 | 310 | 1,177 | <issue_start>username_0: I'd like to try out some Android beta software I found online, but when I tried installing it on the device I got a message that said that installing non-market apps has been disabled for security reasons. Can I bypass/disable this restriction? I am using the at&t Captivate (Samsung Galaxy S) with Android 2.1.<issue_comment>username_1: The first step is to root your device:
<http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=739304>
Then you'll want to try out some custom ROMs. That thread recommends using ROM Manager from the Market. I would start there.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: No need to load a custom ROM. You have two paths possible -- You can simply use special software on your PC to sideload apps or you can do some edits to the configuration databases on the phone to bypass the block permanently.
This page covers both methods -- <http://samsungcaptivate.wikia.com/wiki/How_to_Sideload>
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: If don't want to root you can use
<http://www.androidcentral.com/sideload-android-apps-all-you-want-sideload-wonder-machine>
Its much easier than side loading with adb
Upvotes: 1 |
2010/09/16 | 382 | 1,402 | <issue_start>username_0: I have a HTC Legend, and on occasion, I get an error "Process com.htc.bg has stopped unexpectedly".
According to other forums, this *could* be caused by issues with internet connectivity relating to updating Facebook contacts.
I have removed the syncing of Facebook all together (only syncs when I force it to), but I am still getting these errors.
Has anyone else worked out what is causing these issues, and how to resolve it? The processing crashing is usually just a popup, the process restarts ok without any issue, but on occasion the entire thing locks up, restarts, or the home screen reloads (as if coming from a restart)<issue_comment>username_1: I don't have a Legend, nor HTC, but some googling turned these out:
* <http://androidforums.com/htc-droid-eris/59163-process-com-htc-bg-has-stopped-unexpectedly-please-try-again-wtf.html>
* <http://www.incredibleforum.com/forum/htc-incredible-help/224-error-message-com-htc-bg.html>
apparently it's related to Facebook Sync.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: I have also experienced this problem with an Exchange account. My solution was to remove the account completely and re-add it.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: I had this while using "go launcher ex notifications" seems it was running two notifications at the same time, made a conflict, so I uninstalled and it seems fine. HTC desire.
Upvotes: 1 |
2010/09/16 | 449 | 1,630 | <issue_start>username_0: These two (empty) calendars appear in the list of calendars inside the stock calendar app (at least on HTC Sense setups). I'm not entirely sure what they are but they are both unused and cluttering things up. I know I can hide them but is there anyway to just make them gone? When I select Remove Calendars, they don't show up in the list.
Why would anyone want to sync a calendar to a PC anyway? That's the big advantage to a cloud calendar like Google's...
More Information:
I have installed HTC's desktop Sync app (not for syncing, for development related things).<issue_comment>username_1: That must be an HTC Sense thing; no such calendars ever existed on my Droid.
It doesn't look like you'll be able to get rid of them short of rooting your phone.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: You can't delete them but you can uncheck them so no information from them shows in the calendar.
Many folks are still using Outlook for calendaring and need the ability to sync with the desktop.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: For calendars. Go to the calendar. touch any day. then hit menu. then hit more. then select calendars. then un-check facebook. (at least one calendar has to be selected btw. it took off all the birthdays.
for contacts. hit people. hit menu. select view. then check just phone.
however when you search some things. facebook contacts somehow still are searched. So i dont know how to remove them COMPLETELY.
thanks to <NAME> <NAME>
<http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=15423&post=112530&uid=41158896424#!/topic.php?uid=41158896424&topic=15423>
Upvotes: -1 |
2010/09/16 | 647 | 2,771 | <issue_start>username_0: According to JuicePlotter, my HTC Evo's 3G radio is always on when the screen is on -- even when doing absolutely nothing. I tested this by turning the brightness down to 1 and opening the settings menu and just leaving it there. The screen was set to never shut off. I got pretty significant battery drain.
I ask because I want to improve my battery life when reading downloaded books with the Kindle app. It seems to me that the radio should be in sleep mode when not in use. I'd rather not switch to airplane mode because I'd still like to receive calls/texts.
To clarify:
* I have a strong signal at all times
* When the screen is off, JuicePlotter says the radio is off (and the battery lasts practically forever)
* When in airplane mode with the screen on, JuicePlotter says the radio is off (duh) and the battery life is much better.
* Android reports that my display only consumes between 5 and 10% of power
* Android reports that Cell Standby consumes 30% (and that's with great signal)
I think these tests demonstrate that the display itself is not the problem, the radio is. So again the question is: **why does the radio use so much power when the screen is on but it's not being used?**<issue_comment>username_1: With cdma phones the data and voice use the same radio. Its going to run all the time anyway because its constantly syncing data, towers, location... If you want to stop it without turning off voice you should turn off the apn. Doing this will not put your radio to sleep but it will reduce your power consumption. Check into apndroid or quick settings, and tasker to set triggers and automation.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: The radio is not "on" all the time. Just as in any other cellphone, it makes very brief contacts to the towers to update its registration with the network; this consumes a small amount of power, but the power management design of the radio and the coprocessor which runs it are pretty well done, so it can power up the circuity it needs just long enough and then power it back down again. Without that we wouldn't be getting multi-day battery life even from simple candy bar phones.
The screen in a smartphone itself consumes some power, but any any time the screen is on, the application processor - which runs linux and android - is also going to be on, and that consumes a lot of power compared to keeping the radio processor registered on the network but not actively exchanging data. With the screen off and nothing holding wakelocks, the application processor can try to go to sleep, and only wake up every few minutes to make quick checks. That's where your real power savings comes from, and yes, scheduling more or less frequent email polling can change this.
Upvotes: 0 |
2010/07/14 | 526 | 1,710 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm tired of waiting for my Android 2.1 update to arrive, so I've decided to root my HTC Hero.
Any direction as to how I should do this?
*Note: I actually have a T-Mobile branded version, so I do need some workaround because it doesn't let itself be unlocked as easily as vanilla HTC Heros.*<issue_comment>username_1: I was able to root mine with the [unrevoked](http://unrevoked.com/) tool. (Sprint HTC Hero w/2.1)
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: UniversalAndroot - Awesome tool that is EXTREMELY! easy. I used it for my Sprint HTC Hero all I did was download the .apk at the bottom of the post, put it on my sdcard. Ran it off my SDCard via Estrong File Explorer and it rooted my device perfectly. After it roots, run Rom Manager and install the ClockWorkMod Recovery Screen. After that, find the ROM you want to flash.
<http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=747598>
Good luck!
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: See here:
<http://rootmydroid.co.uk/guides/hero/howto-root-your-htc-hero/>
Like you, I got fed up with waiting for OTA upgrade from Orange. Using [VillainRom 12](http://www.villainrom.co.uk/wiki/index.php?title=VillainROM_12_Series), which is brilliant. No regrets!
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_4: The second half of the first post in [this XDA thread](http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=875351) tells you how you can root your current firmware. Basically you just use z4root:
* Download z4root from <http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=833953>
* Install and run z4root, click Permanent Root
* Let it run until it says it has completed
* Ensure you see Superuser in your app drawer
Upvotes: 1 |
2010/07/14 | 949 | 4,109 | <issue_start>username_0: What are the main differences between Android and iPhone implementations of multitasking at the application level?
(Let's not turn this into a subjective fanboy argument please?)<issue_comment>username_1: As far as I can tell.
The iPhone multitasking is much more restricted. The multitasked activity must be one of the following:
* Background audio
* VoIP
* Background location
* Push notifications
* Local notifications
* Task completion
* Fast app switching
[Thanks [Gizmodo](http://gizmodo.com/5512656/how-multitasking-works-in-the-new-iphone-os-40)!]
Android, on the other hand, allows for true multitasking in a similar way to a PC.
Before I get accused of being an Android fanboi, let me explain something. The iPhone multitasking model is more than sufficient for most situations and avoids a lot of the problems (ie memory shortages) that accompany the Android system.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_1: This is not an answer to your question, but it's worth clarifying that both operating systems are fully multitasking [1] under the hood (insofar as they can and do run multiple processes).
Your question is clearly about application-level multitasking ("can I leave one application running while using another?"), which is a relatively new use of the term, and isn't always well-defined, even if it does have some obvious examples (like listening to Pandora while reading email). Specifically, many applications don't need to run in the background in order to present themselves to the user as if they had never stopped running, so long as they save/restore their state. Applications which must perform periodic operations (like checking mail or popping up alarms) don't need to run continuously in the background either; they can invoked occasionally by the OS. The big issue is usually applications which need constant CPU while in the background, like Pandora.
In general, Apple has worked much harder to discourage or prevent continuously-running background applications, whereas Android seems more open to it. But they are converging, as Apple allows apps like Pandora to run in the background and Android provides richer tools to discourage needless background tasks when polling or saved state would suffice.
[1] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_multitasking>
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_1: Android has a different concept of application level multitasking than a PC. There is more of a disconnect between data, how to view the data, and how to operate on the data.
You can only have one app view open at a time, but the operation on the data can be going in the background. This makes it tough for application developers to make it feel like the desktop when switching between apps, quitting apps, and starting new apps. It sometimes feels impossible to kill an app, but it also sometimes feels like it is impossible to switch to one task and back again. It depends on how the app developer did it.
You can have as many background processes going at once, and they are scheduled like desktop apps. The Linux kernel will choose how to prioritize which ones get memory and CPU resources. When the phone decides it's out of memory, it will start killing things to make more memory. This is done differently than the way Linux or most other OSs normally behave.
The data of a program is always available. As long as the app has permissions to access the data, it is available. You don't need a service running in the background for it to be available.
Apple has very specific ways in which you can multitask. They are a subset of the ways that Android allows. Only specific types of apps can run in the background and they have to be specifically programmed to do so.
A desktop is very different from both of these things. Each application's view, data, and data processing logic are often locked together. I would say that WebOS, Symbian, and Maemo/Meego are examples of this on mobile devices. If an application does expose it's data and background processing to other "views", it will tend to be a very special application.
Upvotes: 2 |
2010/07/14 | 649 | 2,491 | <issue_start>username_0: I just bought a new Android Phone (HTC Hero), but I need to import my Outlook contacts with all their phone numbers.
Any directions as to how to do this?<issue_comment>username_1: The easiest way would be to synchronise your contacts with your Google Account (you have one of those, right?). If your account is signed in to that Google Account all your contacts will soon appear on that phone.
Something like [OggSync](http://oggsync.com/) might help, although I'm sure there's others.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Your aim needs to be to get the contacts in to the Google account that it is associated with the phone. Once the contacts are in Google, they should automatically synchronise to the phone.
The first step is to create a CSV from your Outlook contacts:
1. From Outlook, do the following:
`File -> Import and Export...`
2. Choose `Export to a file`
3. Choose `Comma separated values (DOS)`
4. Select the `Contacts` folder
5. Choose a filename to export to and OK it
6. Hit Next and then Finish and let Outlook create the file
Now that you have your file, you need to import the CSV file in to Google Mail.
1. Log in to Google Mail in the normal way
2. Select `Contacts` from the left navigation bar
3. From the top right, choose `Import`
4. Choose the CSV that you just saved from Outlook
5. Hit the `Import` button
Once that has finished uploading, your contacts should be available in Google Mail. They should automatically sync up to your phone within a few minutes.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: For others who are looking to move their contacts from a Nokia S60 phone to an Android phone, these instructions work well:
<http://www.upfrontsystems.co.za/Members/gustav/the-perpetual-newbie-experience/how-to-move-contacts-from-nokia-phone-to-android-phone>
The idea is essentially the same, but the aim is to create a big vCard (.vcf) file containing all the contact details in place of the CSV file.
The part requiring a command line terminal can be replicated in DOS/Windows. Instead of:
```
cat *.vcf > contacts.vcf
```
use:
```
type *.vcf > contacts.vcf
```
Works very well.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: There is a good comparison of the available software on
[syncdroid](http://www.syncdroid.net/)
I have used the Companion Link trial. The sync worked fine, but the software on the phone was not that good. But there is a new version I did not try. I will try gsyncit next.
Upvotes: 0 |
2010/07/14 | 4,898 | 17,109 | <issue_start>username_0: What can I do to get better battery life on my Droid? Battery life seems awful. Less than 15 hours or so on normal usage.<issue_comment>username_1: **Some of the biggest power drainers**: GPS, Wifi, and Bluetooth.
In general, it is best to keep these services off unless you are using them. However, GPS will only be used when an application calls for it, so you could technically leave it on all the time.
**Some other tips**:
* Lower the screen brightness
* Turn off 3G (if you have a phone that you can switch between 3G and 2G).
* Disable automatic Data Sync or:
* Set your apps to sync at longer intervals or don't use apps/widgets that do synchronize often
* Turn off any unnecessary vibrations or haptic feedbacks
* Disable the keyboards backlight
* Avoid using the speakers, opt in for using headphones
* Underclock the CPU (rooted users)
* Turn off data completely (using an app like [APNDroid](http://www.appbrain.com/app/com.google.code.apndroid))
* **Don't use task killers to automatically kill off processes.** They simply will respawn. Uninstall undesired apps.
* Use applications like [Locale](http://www.appbrain.com/app/com.twofortyfouram.locale) or [Tasker](http://www.appbrain.com/app/net.dinglisch.android.taskerm) to control your phone's Wifi/GPS/Bluetooth/Sreen brightness/etc. settings automatically with profiles that activate under certain conditions
* Set your screen timeout to a short time interval. Then use [Screebl](http://www.appbrain.com/app/com.keyes.screebl.lite) to keep your phone screen on when the phone is only held at certain angles.
Upvotes: 7 <issue_comment>username_2: Android comes with a widget to easily turn on and off the most common power drainers.
To get it on the home screen:
1. long press on empty area of home screen
2. select 'android widgets'
3. select 'power control' (it takes up a whole row)
It allows you to turn on/off bluetooth, wi-fi, gps, auto aync and screen brightness.
The notifications bar allows wi-fi, bluetooth and gps to be turned on and off.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_3: To add to these great suggestions;
* Dont use live wallpapers.
* Use a dark background if you have AMOLED.
Good guide here with these points and more; [Android Battery Saving Guide](http://androinica.com/2010/08/a-guide-to-making-your-android%E2%80%99s-battery-last-a-little-longer/)
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_4: Don't use Google Voice for Text Messages the way that you are supposed to use it out of the box.
If you set up GV to push your SMS notifications as email (rather than maintaining the Voice app and constant polling), and then do all of your replies via email it minimizes the use for GV, saves on battery, and keeps your SMS's free.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: For 4g phones, keep the 4g antenna off until you have a use for it. And if no 4g spot is found, turn it off. 4G antenna is the most expensive power wise antenna out there. And unless you are watching videos even htc recommends turning it off.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_6: Unfortunately battery life on android devices seems to be worse then other similar phones (iPhone and blackberry). This is from personal, anecdotal experience.
Things to do are to check your update frequency settings-> accounts & sync. You can lower your update frequencies.
Additionally keep blue tooth or wifi off when you don't need them. You can find widgets for your homescreen that will let you toggle these quickly.
Also settings-> About Phone -> Battery -> Battery Use
could show you any unusual heavy hitters on your battery.
You can also find applications in the market such as "Spare Parts" that give you more detailed battery use information.
Some people have reported that that applications such as "Advanced Task Killer" can be used to periodically kill running applications if you find that your phone vendor has installed any pesky applications that you want to periodically kill. On my current phone though I've found that Advanced Task Killer just used unnecessary battery power and didn't really help me.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_6: I played with this for a little while after getting my Droid, and found that there are a few easy things you can do that make a big difference. There's also a lot of misinformation out there, so you need to do some testing. I get 20 hours of regular use or 16 hours of heavy use.
Note that these are my results on a Motorola Droid with OS 2.1. Your results may vary, particularly if you're using a different OS version!
* Don't use Live Wallpapers. They're cool, but they eat battery.
* Don't use Sense UI. That's HTC's home app. Again, it's pretty, but not friendly to battery.
* Prefer the back button over the home button. The back button lets apps decide if they want to run in the background. The home screen often leaves apps running when they don't need to.
* Don't use app killers! There's no need for them if you use the back button, and you'll end up crippling other apps because of non-obvious dependencies between apps.
* Use WiFi whenever you have access to a network because it uses less battery than 3G. (Shorter distance, lower power.) Turn WiFi off when you don't have access to a network, otherwise it will keep looking for a WiFi network it can use (which drains battery).
* Reduce the frequency at which apps refresh their content. Common offenders are social media clients (Twitter, Facebook, etc.), email, and news or weather apps.
* Finally, watch your battery usage under Settings -> About Phone -> Battery -> Battery Use. This will show you what has been using the battery since it was last charged. (So it shows nothing while charging!) If anything unexpected is using the battery, consider replacing it with another app or service.
Best of luck, and enjoy your Android phone!
Upvotes: 7 <issue_comment>username_6: I usually find that the display uses the most battery. Turning down the brightness drastically improves my battery life.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_6: I run [Tasker](http://tasker.dinglisch.net/) on my HTC and it's made a noticeable difference without me having to think about power-management. It's kind of a scripting tool for the phone - set a condition and what you want to happen as a result.
Mine is set to turn off Mobile Internet whenever *connected* via Wifi (and vice versa), only turn on Bluetooth when docked in the car, turn off Wifi when I leave home or work (and forget!) and dim the display after dark.
I've also got it to automatically turn on/off GPS when set apps are running.
It's a set-and-forget app and allows you to automate a lot of the good advice on other answers above. Downside is that it's not free; but cheap. YMMV, but I'm a happy user.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_6: If you have an OLED screen (I know the Droid doesn't), then you can get significant savings by tweaking what is displayed. <NAME> has recently posted a [blog entry](http://jsharkey.org/blog/2010/07/01/android-surfaceflinger-tricks-for-fun-and-profit/) describing his experiments with screen colour and the effect on battery usage.
>
> Filtering to show only red pixels only requires 35% of the original baseline OLED panel current, on average. Adding back the baseline current, **the best case overall is about 42% of the original system current, effectively doubling the battery life.** Also, showing only red pixels doubles as an awesome night vision mode, perfect for astronomy. :)
>
>
>
So a dark and/or reddish background could save a lot of juice.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_6: Consider [JuiceDefender](http://www.androlib.com/android.application.com-latedroid-juicedefender-pFAx.aspx). This app turns off your data services when the phone's screen is off and then only enables them again for 3 minutes every 15 (this is configurable). By making all your apps sync at once on a schedule you prevent a lot of thrashing on your radios. It can also prevent the wifi from searching for hotspots when you are not close to any stored hotspots. Also, watch out for task killers, since they are always running, monitoring apps, they can end up causing more drain than the apps themselves
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_7: I discovered one thing that absolutely *killed* my battery life:
Setting **Wi-Fi Sleep Policy** to **When screen turns off**. ← Don't do this!
Make sure it is set to **Never** sleep or else it will power the Wi-Fi radio on/off every time it needs to sync something.
On my Samsung Galaxy S Captivate this can be found under: *Settings* → *Wireless and network* → *Wi-Fi Settings* → *MenuKey:Advanced*
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_8: **SetCPU** is a great little software available for free on XDA forums and on the market for 1.99$.
It allows to set different CPU profiles in different conditions.
I have set the following profiles and the battery usage dropped a lot:
* Default mode is `conservative` with maximum speed set to 768 Mhz (I have Snapdragon 1Ghz CPU).
* Let the CPU run at maximum speed and `performance` profile when the phone is in charge via USB.
* Set the CPU to drop to 500 Mhz and `powersave` profile when the screen is off.
There are many other possibilities. The only draw back is that it requires **root access**.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_9: If your main power drain is the screen, you might try a magnetic case (or adding a magnet to your existing case) + Holster Snooze to automatically turn off your screen when you put your phone away.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_10: There are so many things one can do I don't wanna repeat here: Remove bad apps, reduce brightness of your dis… ahem, said: not repeat, OK. But if you think about what you could turn off/down and what effect it offers: There's a nice table to be found at the German technology site Heise, titled [Energiesparplan](http://www.heise.de/mobil/artikel/Tipps-und-Tools-fuer-eine-bessere-Akkulaufzeit-unter-Android-1145579.html) ([Google Translate Version here](http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.heise.de%2Fmobil%2Fartikel%2FTipps-und-Tools-fuer-eine-bessere-Akkulaufzeit-unter-Android-1145579.html)). They slightly modified a Motorola Droid to be able to get precise data on energy consumption – and ended up with a nice table like this, which already substracts the „base consumption“ and thus gives the data for each component/action.
In July 2012, the same publisher again made something similar with his article [Durchhaltetraining](http://www.heise.de/artikel-archiv/ct/2012/17/124_kiosk) (Google translate: [Hang on!](http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.heise.de%2Fartikel-archiv%2Fct%2F2012%2F17%2F124_kiosk) – this article is available online, but paywalled), this time utilizing the more recent *Samsung Galaxy S3;* same [for the *Samsung Galaxy S6* in January 2016](https://shop.heise.de/ct-android-2016)1 – so I add their values here:
```
┌─────────────────┬────────────────────┬───────────┬───────────┐
| Action | Motorola Droid | Galaxy S3 | Galaxy S6 |
├─────────────────┼────────────────────┼───────────┤───────────┤
| Video recording | 1557 mW | 1683 mW | 2277 mW² |
| UMTS Upload | 1410 mW | 1033 mW | 908 mW |
| UMTS Download | 1349 mW | 1074 mW | 1138 mW |
| EGDE Upload | 1179 mW | | |
| Wifi Download | 1158 mW | 549 mW | 1138 mW |
| Play Video*1 | 1135 mW | 597 mW | 395 mW² |
| UMTS call | 983 mW | 637 mW | 362 mW |
| Camera*1 | 934 mW | 1460 mW | 2335 mW |
| EGDE Download | 853 mW | | 635 mW |
| BT receive | 751 mW | 487 mW | |
| Display (max) | 730 mW | 1568 mW | 1227 mW |
| GPS Searching | 550 mW | 263 mW | 191 mW |
| GSM call | 511 mW | 297 mW | 310 mW |
| BT send | 487 mW | 454 mW | |
| Wifi Upload | 479 mW | 488 mW | 987 mW |
| Display (min) | 310 mW | 567 mW | 260 mW |
| MP3 play | 160 mW | 153 mW | 140 mW |
| UMTS Standby | 18.3 mW | 10.9 mW | 16.2 mW |
| GSM/EDGE Standby| 11.6 mW | 9.5 mW | 15 mW |
| Wifi Stdby 2.4 | 7.8 mW | 9.3 mW | 18 mW |
| Wifi Stby 5 GHz | - | 14.6 mW | 20 mW |
| BT Standby | 2.8 mW | 1.8 mW | 2.9 mW |
| GPS Standby | 0.4 mW | 0.7 mW | 0.2 mW |
| NFC Standby | - | 4 mW | 0.1 µW |
| Wifi Tether*2 | | 372 mW | 542 mW³ |
| Wifi Tether DL*3| | 1254 mW | 1871 mW³ |
└─────────────────┴────────────────────┴───────────┴───────────┘
```
\*1 fullscreen, already minus the display
\*2 Tether active with 1 user
\*3 download from notebook via Wifi Tether
As an additional reference, the baseline: Airplane Mode: 6.4 / 6.4 / 10.7 mW.
Recommendation for cold days to get warm fingers: Take your device with both hands, plug in the charger. Now stream a HD video from youtube via 3G/LTE, play it fullsize, and in the background do some video recording which in parallel gets uploaded via 3G/LTE. **CAREFUL !!!** Wear gloves … #-)
---
**1:** calculations used a different base with this third run, so I „rebased“ the values here to match
**2:** full HD
**3:** with LTE
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_11: Try to do CPU-intensive tasks like downloading stuff, installing updates, watching video, etc, whilst connected to a charger. This will reduce the wear on your battery so it will perform well for longer.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_10: If you have root access on your device, it's certainly worth taking a look at [Greenify](http://www.appbrain.com/app/greenify-%2aroot%3A-renew-my-phone/com.oasisfeng.greenify). This app takes care for those processes permanently running in background and waking up your device needlessly: As soon as you switch your display off, *Greenify* "hibernates" apps you selected to be handled, so they can no longer wake up your device to "do something needless". They get "re-animated" once you switch your screen back on.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_12: If you have a **Nexus 5** the following Youtube video entitled ["Nexus 5 Top 10 Battery Saving Tips"](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FKscsPxKAI) should prove useful and highlights:
* Turning off vibrating Key Press
* Turning off auto brightness
* Setting GPS to Battery Saving
* Using the Default Launcher
* Turning NFC off
* Use Apps like Tasker for Automation
* Minimise the use of Widgets & Screens
* Use a custom kernel (**requires Root**)
* Use **ART** runtime
* Turn off **"OK Google"**
**Please note that whilst the video highlights the Nexus 5, it will of course be applicable to a whole host of other Android devices as well.**
For a more comprehensive look see also this guide entitled ["How to extend your Android’s battery life"](http://www.androidauthority.com/android-battery-saver-tips-tricks-189882/) published on April 15th 2013, for Android Authority.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_13: Just adding to what people have suggested for underclocking - you can create a profile for an underclocked frequency and enable that profile only when the phone is locked. This will ensure that your phone performs well when unlocked but saves battery when locked.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_14: This is radical but very useful if you are in a remote region without cellular network or in an crowded event where the network capacity isn't enough for everybody: turn off your chips.
Go to Configuration → SIM Cards → uncheck all your cards.
If you have a multi-chip phone, turn off one your secondary chip that it will help.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_14: Turn off always on monitoring Apps, like the fitness applications. Google Fit has a High Precision mode that eats more battery.
Also turn off "Ok Google": Configuration → Idiom and Text → Google voice dictation → Ok Google detection → Turn off all, or at least the "from any screen" config.
Turn off any other monitoring App you can think about.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_15: As no one mentioned this, so if all the other solutions didn't increase your battery lifetime, then a factory reset is your last choice. Based on [this question](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/125069/better-battery-life-by-factory-reset), the user has said that he got tremendous battery performance after factory resetting the device.
***Note***: Factory resetting without backing up your data you will lose data. So backup all the data(contacts, SMS, app-data etc) before factory resetting and also read [this answer](https://android.stackexchange.com/a/18038/27149)
Upvotes: 2 |
2010/07/14 | 710 | 2,468 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm using Google Chrome and syncing the bookmarks with the built-in feature. How can I get those bookmarks in my Android device?<issue_comment>username_1: According to [this answer by goblinbox:](https://android.stackexchange.com/a/25512/96277)
>
> The Dolphin mobile browser is supposed to have built-in Google Bookmarks sync capability.
>
>
>
An alternative would be to use GoMarks
>
> GoMarks is a application that helps
> you sync and manage your bookmarks
> with Google Bookmarks. Ideal solution
> if you on desktop use Google Toolbar,
> GMarks or any other Google Bookmarks
> tools.
>
>
> Features:
>
>
> * Background sync
> * Labels
> * Use Menu->More->Share page to add new bookmark from Android browser
>
>
>
As <NAME> mentions:
>
> There is currently no way to do this natively. [Android's bug tracker has an open issue for this.](http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=2907)
>
>
>
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: There is currently no way to do this natively. Android's bug tracker has an open issue for this.
<http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=2907>
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: As noted [here](http://www.google.com/support/chrome/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=100215), the bookmark sync used in Chrome is separate from Google Bookmarks. The app that username_1 suggests works only for google bookmarks.
There is an app (which I haven't tried) that seems to allow access to Chrome bookmarks called ChromeMarks, but it isn't free.
The way that I access my bookmarks is through google docs: go to **docs.google.com**, at the bottom of the page select **My Folders**, then select the folder that has the bookmarks you want. If you want to make access to this page easier, you can bookmark it in the mobile browser and put a shortcut on your homescreen.
This will get me by until it is built into the system (see <NAME>'s post for more on that).
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: Synchronizing bookmarks between the Android browser and your Chrome desktop browser is now a built-in feature of Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0).
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: Two possibilities:
* [Xmarks](https://xmarks.com/) Premium (1$/month)
* [Google Chrome](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.android.chrome) for Android (only for Android 4.0/ICS or higher), syncs Bookmarks for the Desktop Chrome versions via the Google Account
Upvotes: 1 |
2010/07/14 | 2,763 | 9,964 | <issue_start>username_0: I'd like my Android device to keep quiet during the night, no alerts for mails and talk messages, only calls and of course, the wake-up alarm. How can I do it?<issue_comment>username_1: You can set the alarm to be active during 'silent mode', but that would eliminate calls.
Also, you can download Tasker or Locale from the market to create custom profiles based on time. These two apps (and I'm sure there are others) are *extremely* customizable and you will be able to set up profiles exactly like you mentioned.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_1: Timeriffic is fantastic for this purpose. You can get the latest version from the app's [Google Play store page](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.alfray.timeriffic), or you can get an older version from [f-droid.org](http://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdfilter=timeriffic&fdid=com.alfray.timeriffic).
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_1: I am surprised nobody has mentioned **Sweet Dreams for Android**. Its a free app and can
pretty much do everything but tuck you in at night and make eggs and bacon in the morning:
* switch your phone to slient mode automatically during preset times
* those preset silent times can be overridden if your phone detects noise (i.e. you are still awake)
* it has an alarm feature that can wake you up as well
This app was the winner in one of the Android Developer Challenges as well.
More Info:
<http://www.androidguys.com/2010/02/11/adc2-winner-sweetdreams-hits-android-market/>
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Stock sys volume settings:
* Alarm vol up
* Ringer up
* Notifications down
* Sys vol down
You can use Quick Settings to quickly change these settings or Quick Profiles to create profiles for one click profile switching. I use this last option and have 2 shortcuts on my home, one that turns on my bedtime profile and one that turns on the daytime profile.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: Another alternative is one of the original taskers:
<https://market.android.com/details?id=com.cooolmagic.android.toggle5&feature=search_result> (the lite version)
<https://market.android.com/details?id=com.cooolmagic.android.togglepro&feature=search_result> (Paid version)
Have being using it since Android 1.6.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_4: Or... you can use the simplest solution.
1. Add the Power Control widget
2. At night, turn off the Data Sync widget (fourth from the left, between GPS and Light)
No email or other notifications will make noise. In the morning, just turn it back on and you'll get all your notifications.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: No widget necessary. I turn off auto sync and turn the volume down to vibrate. I have a sleep tracker app called WakeMate on my phone and the alarm still goes off, even when the volume is turned down to vibrate (using the button on the side, not in settings). To turn off Auto Sync, I press (unselect) the icon that looks like a Refresh symbol on the floating toolbar. If you removed the toolbar, you can turn off auto sync by pressing Settings > Accounts & sync > Auto-sync (clear the check box). It prevents the phone from going to get your email and so on. Turn it back on when you wake up and turn up your volume and you'll soon hear the familiar downloading of emails, text messages, Twitter updates, App updates, whatever.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_6: [Bedside](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.geekherd.bedsidepro2)
Best app. Runs as a clock at night, only thing that will make noise are phone calls. Love it.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_7: I use [Llama](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kebab.Llama&feature=search_result) to achieve this. It is free and very flexible and can control a lot of other settings too. It uses nearby cells to identify your location, so it is not as accurate as others that use GPS, but does not require the GPS to be on in order to achieve location based profiles.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_8: A new app I've been using is [**Silence**](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.epsilonlabs.silence.ads) (Free, but you can [pay to get rid of the ads](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.epsilonlabs.silence)).
It's really pretty simple to set up. You simply add a new event, give it the start and end times, optionally set it to repeat on which days and set your "toggles". It can toggle more than sounds, though:
* Ringer + Notification
* Media
* Alarm
* Airplane Mode
* Wi-Fi
* Bluetooth
* Mobile Data
You can toggle off any or all of those. Another nice feature is that you tell it what to do with the toggle when the event ends:
* Change back (to whatever it was set at before)
* Do nothing
* Silent (for sound toggles)
* Vibrate (for sound toggles)
* Set a volume level (for sound toggles)
* Turn on/off (for system toggles)
I particularly like the "Change back" setting. If I've already silenced the ringer manually, I don't necessarily want it to come back on when the event ends.
They also recently added the ability to tie an event to an event in your calendar.
I use this to set my ringer to vibrate and turn off wi-fi during the times I'm (generally) commuting on the train (because I sit in the Quiet Car and there's no wi-fi available). I also use it to turn off the sound on my tablet during the hours I'm likely to be asleep.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_9: Samsung devices running Jelly Bean have this functionality built in-in the form of Blocking mode, which will allow you to shut off notifications, alarms, incoming calls, and alarms (any or all of the above) for whatever space of time you select.
For the incoming calls (and SMS/email notifications), you can also select whether to block all calls or allow some numbers through.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_10: Even easier with [Tasker](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.dinglisch.android.taskerm&hl=en):
Create a profile called ***silentMode***
* Set it to be active between *23:00* until *09:00*
* Now, add a task, call it **muteAudio**, with a tasker's function called '*Silent Mode*', Set that to *On*
That's one profile created. Now to do the opposite logic...
Create another profile called ***normalMode***
* Set it to be active between *09:01* until *22:59*
* Now, add a task call it **soundOn**, with a tasker's function called '*Silent Mode*', set that to *Off*
Now, both tasks will be activated depending on the clock on the device :)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_11: 'Night clock' free app for Samsung.
Problem solved. Alarm works with phone mute.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_12: If you have Lollipop you can use "**Downtime and Interuptions**" feature. It lets you define priority interuptions and set the downtime for specific time that you can define for a duration of time. You can also set it as a countdown for one hour or adjust the time by pressing the `+` or the `-` sign. You can access this feature by clicking on the volume rocker button and pressing the corresponding tab to use this feature. You can also access this under `Sound & notification > Interruptions`.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/dFMIV.jpg)
Downtime Feature in Lollipop - [Image Source](http://www.androidcentral.com/android-51-muting-your-lollipop-phone-overnight-just-got-bit-easier)
If you think that you don't want to be disturbed by anthing not even alarms you can set the interuption to "None" as shown in the above screenshot.
Depending on your device, you can set the following types of notifications as priority:
* Events and reminders.
* Calls from anyone, starred contacts, or any of your contacts (depending on your default phone app).
* Messages from anyone, starred contacts, or any of your contacts (depending on your default messaging app).
* Alarms are always set as priority interruptions. Keep in mind that if you set your notifications to "None" or "Don't interrupt," alarms won't make a sound when they go off. If you need to use an alarm, make sure you allow "All" or "Priority interruptions."
This will be confusing for many Lollipop users. So read anyone of the following links to get to know more about this useful feature.
[Set your notifications - Downtime and Interuptions feature](https://support.google.com/nexus/answer/6111295?hl=en)
[Master notifications in Android Lollipop with Notification Priority and Downtime](http://www.greenbot.com/article/2854634/master-notifications-in-android-lollipop-with-notification-priority-and-downtime.html)
[How to Manage Interruptions and Downtime in Android 5.0](http://www.howtogeek.com/203716/how-to-manage-interruptions-and-downtime-in-android-5.0/)
[Avoid interruptions and set downtime in Motorola](https://help.motorola.com/hc/3309/50/global/en-us/T1410105705.html)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_13: In Marshmallow you don't need to install any apps as this is a native feature:
* Go to `settings` > `Sound & notification` > `Do not disturb` > `Automatic rules` > `Weeknight`
Activate the rule and press `Do not disturb` to choose if anything should be allowed to get through.
You can choose from:
* Priority only (in the `settings` > `Sound & notification` > `Do not disturb` menu you can configure what is classed as a priority)
* Alarms only
* Total silence
For me this is a really useful feature.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_14: You should definitely look at **Sound off Reborn** app (<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.hubalek.android.apps.soundoff>). It works in similar way as scheduled do-not-disturb included in Android 6 but it has nice graphic view of your schedule. It also supports even and odd weeks and what is best: it is completely free. With no ads.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/IvkgI.png)
Upvotes: 0 |
2010/07/14 | 406 | 1,708 | <issue_start>username_0: I have an HTC Evo with contacts that were imported by Sprint from my old Palm Centro. On the Centro, I could have contacts with no name but a business/organization, and the contact list would use that as the display, and I could search on that field. (Handy for calling pizza restaurants!) On my new Android device, that sort of contact shows up as "Unknown", and the Organization name can't be searched.
1. Is there a way to get the Android contact list to mimic the Palm's (quite reasonable and user-friendly!) behavior?
2. Is there a quick way to copy the Organizations into the (say) Last Name field, if the above is not possible?
3. What is the "right way" to deal with contacts that are businesses, not people, on Android devices?<issue_comment>username_1: On my evo when I add a contact with an organization and no name the organization is the displayed name. Maybe try going to a contact and hitting edit? This might get the phone to prepare the contact.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: On my HTC Magic, I just put the business name in the contact's name field, then have all the businesses in a Contacts group called "Businesses" for when I want to find one of them quickly. To be honest this is also the way I used to do it on my old Palm, too.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_1: For some reason, my contacts were sorted by organization and name, but something happened that my contacts were linked and the organization name dropped off. If you go to those contacts that just show number, click Edit, then Link, and then from the drop-down, select the organization name...too much work for something that was working fine, but that was my work-around.
Upvotes: 0 |
2010/07/14 | 198 | 833 | <issue_start>username_0: My HTC Tattoo loses its mobile broadband connection after a couple of days without a restart. Calling and SMS still work but no data connections. Disabling and reenabling the mobile data connection does not help. Only with a restart the data connection can be used again. Is there a solution to this problem?<issue_comment>username_1: I do suppose you went to Settings > Wireless & networks > Mobile network settings and have "Enable always-on mobile.." checked on?
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: Smartphones, like any computerised device, need to be power-cycled regularly in order to function properly. Lots of things get cleaned up by this. If you leave your phone on overnight to use the alarm to wake-up, just power-cycle your phone as soon as you're up. It will be fresh for the day.
Upvotes: 0 |
2010/07/14 | 503 | 1,696 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm thinking about unrooting and going back to completely stock, vanilla Android on my Droid.
How can I do this?<issue_comment>username_1: This is a stab in the dark, that I read somewhere else:
>
> Power + X
>
>
> Volume up + Camera button
>
>
> And in the menu select reset to
> factory defaults?
>
>
> I'm assuming this is going to take you
> back to ver 2.0 without root, without
> any apps, contacts or anything else
> you've done to your phone.
>
>
> Granted, I don't know this for sure
> but its typically how all devices work
> *eyes his old ipod video* I've reset that thing so many times with a
> 'restore' and it always removes any
> hacks I've done to it.
>
>
>
I'd be interested to find out how this works after the phone has been rooted.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: This code is used for factory format. It'll remove all files and settings including the internal memory storage. It'll also reinstall the phone firmware, which should remove your root!
Once you give this code, there is no way to cancel the operation unless you remove the battery from the phone. So think twice before giving this code.
Enter this: **\*2767\*3855#**
in the dialer.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: This website has a very good answer:
<http://www.droidforums.net/forum/droid-hacks/13466-how-back-stock-no-su-no-busybox-etc.html>
Seems to cover all your bases.
Essentially involves:
* flashing the stock recovery and boot images to replace custom ones
* then either
+ manually removing all the "root" bits, or
+ (option B in the post) flashing the official update.zip putting your phone back to stock!
Good luck :)
Upvotes: 2 |
2010/07/14 | 1,233 | 4,558 | <issue_start>username_0: I was wondering how accurate is the GPS is in my HTC Desire Android compared to a dedicated hand held GPS unit or in car satnav?
The reason I ask is that I have read articles complaining that the iPhone's GPS is not very accurate and wondered if it applied to all mobiles.<issue_comment>username_1: I have an HTC Kaiser (AT&T Tilt) that I had Google Maps installed on. Google maps gave me the number of satellites that it could see in parentheses at all times. When I used my phone's internal GPS, I would get about 4 satellites, when I would use an external Bluetooth GPS, I would get about 12 satellites. When I use my TomTom, I get about 7. The number of satellites is the biggest deal for getting good location; the more the better. I never tried an external GPS antenna on my HTC Kaiser to see if it was just the antenna that was the issue or if it was something else.
The program called "[GPS Status](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.eclipsim.gpsstatus2)" available from Google Play Store, will show you how accurate your GPS is at any given time. The number of bins with green bars in them is the number of satellites that your phone can "hear/see" at any given time and then it also gives you the accuracy in meters on the display.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_1: Assisted GPS (AGPS) chips that you find in most cell phones require some assistance from the cell phone network (the towers) to get an initial fix. No matter how accurate they are, they won't work well without a cell tower in range compared to a stand-alone GPS chipset.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_2: The GPS chip used in the Android devices (usually SiRF Star 3/4) are of civilian grade. Civilian grade chips has some deliberate limitations in par with military grade chips. The civilian chips does have some intentional errors called "[Selective Availablity](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_Availability#Selective_availability)".
Hence, whether it is Android or iPhone or Bluetooth GPS receiver or a dedicated unit which could be handheld or the one in car comes under civilian category which cannot be more accurate than 20 meters under the best possible satellite lock (of course, with AGPS it can be improved). Please check the Wikipedia [article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Positioning_System#Selective_availability) which says "...improving the precision of civilian GPS from 100 meters (330 ft) to 20 meters (66 ft)."
iPhone uses BroadCOM's BCM4750 chip and Android phones (Samsung Galaxy S2) uses SiRF Star 4.
Interestingly, a [web page](http://blog.geogarage.com/2010/12/iphoneipad-gps.html) claims "The published steady state position accuracy of the BCM4750 is 2m.", which in my opinion could not be correct. In [this](http://www.gmat.unsw.edu.au/snap/publications/zhangj_etal2010a.pdf) research publication it is said as "iPhone 4 exhibits an offset (of about 20 metres)", which seems to be more scientific and correlates with the Wikipedia page.
However, all these talks are about hardware aspect only. It is the software that reads the input from chip, processes it and displays. If it is not doing a good job, well, still it spoils the show.
So, finally my answer would be again be a question "If all these civilian GPS devices cannot be accurate by more than 20 meters, does it mean anything to say X is good and Y is bad? ;-) "
**Update** Thanks to [@Ropo](https://android.stackexchange.com/users/27477/ropo) I observe that Selective Availability is indeed removed. Here is [the official statement](http://www.gps.gov/systems/gps/modernization/sa/), which says:
>
> Selective Availability (SA) was an intentional degradation of public GPS signals implemented for national security reasons.
>
>
> In May 2000, at the direction of President <NAME>, the U.S
> government discontinued its use of Selective Availability in order to
> make GPS more responsive to civil and commercial users worldwide.
>
>
> The United States has no intent to ever use Selective Availability
> again. In September 2007, the U.S. government announced its decision
> to procure the future generation of GPS satellites, known as GPS III,
> without the SA feature. Doing this will make the policy decision of
> 2000 permanent and eliminate a source of uncertainty in GPS
> performance that had been of concern to civil GPS users worldwide.
>
>
>
Please take a look at a [question](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1567443/how-accurate-is-android-gps) at StackOverflow as well.
Upvotes: 3 |
2010/07/14 | 482 | 1,783 | <issue_start>username_0: Is there a way to stream all sound from an Android phone to a PC to be played by the boxes of the PC?
At best wirelessly?<issue_comment>username_1: Based on some quick testing I did on my Nexus One running Android 2.2 (Froyo), it seems like all sound is routed through headphones when they are plugged in.
You could attach a male-to-male 1/8" (3.5mm) audio cable from the headphone jack on your phone (or the mini-USB-to-headphone-jack adapter, depending on your phone model) to the Line In jack on your PC. You may need to do some configuration on your PC to get sound from the Line In to play to the speakers — I recommend sister site [Super User](https://superuser.com/) if you need help with that.
There's one caveat: although all sound is routed through the headphone jack, some sounds are still also heard through the phone's speakers. The two most notable of these are the ringer and the camera shutter sound. Depending on what exactly you're going for, that could be an issue.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Use any DLNA streaming server app on android is one solution. [This is my answer](https://android.stackexchange.com/a/165119/202272) to another similar question which might be useful
>
> Yes there are. Some which I found are for gaming live streaming like *YouTube Gaming*, *Mobcrush* & *Twitch*. Some for screen mirroring and streaming like *Screen Stream Mirroring Free*. Some streaming videos and audios like *AllConnect - Play & Stream* which supports DLNA/UPnP. Some also make your android a UPnP/DLNA streaming server like *BubbleUPnP UPnP/DLNA*, *MediaHouse UPnP / DLNA Browser*, *Plex & BubbleUPnP for DLNA/Chromecast*.
>
>
>
Of course, this could be done on local network or online via internet connection.
Upvotes: 0 |
2010/07/14 | 722 | 3,014 | <issue_start>username_0: >
> **Possible Duplicate:**
>
> [Do I really need to install a task manager?](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/9/do-i-really-need-to-install-a-task-manager)
>
>
>
Should I run a task killer on Android or does Android manage applications well enough on its own?<issue_comment>username_1: In my own experience using a task killer can help your battery if you opened too much applications or you don't need them anymore like the facebook app running in background when you turned off wifi or the data connection (3G/EDGE/GPRS/whatever)
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_1: Android is very good at managing its memory such that task killers should not be necessary. Processes that are not on the screen will use essentially 0% CPU power until they are either re-activated, or have to perform some background work (such as downloading emails).
If you open so many programs that there is not enough memory left, the Android system will start killing off unused programs on your behalf. It is completely self-managing.
The performance of the phone should not be affected by the number of applications running. That said, I do keep one installed, because every now and again, a process can "go rogue" and start using a lot of CPU power and thus give poor battery life (this is rare though).
More background here: <http://geekfor.me/faq/you-shouldnt-be-using-a-task-killer-with-android/>
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: I agree with the general position that they are unnecessary, however I have recently come to the conclusion, based on personal experience that it depends which version of Android you are running. Let me explain...
I used to use a Task Killer on my Droid but stopped after I started seeing more and more people explaining why they don't actually work (see the links Al posted above). After I stopped using it I actually noticed better performance. I was baffled about how I used to think that using the Task Killer improved my performance.
Then I got a tablet running Android 2.1. This tablet has a faster processor than my Droid and more on board memory so logically it should perform better, however after loading a modest amount of apps it was very, very laggy. Out of frustration I turned back to my old fiend Advanced Task Killer and the tablets performance improved dramatically.
Trying to reconcile the inconsistent experiences I realized that ATK worked great on my Droid when it was running on Android 2.1. It was after upgrading to 2.2 that I stopped using it and I never made the connection that Froyo made the task killer unnecessary.
The conventional wisdom is still that Task Killers are unnecessary (even counterproductive) and for devices running Android 2.2 I wholeheartedly agree. For devices running 2.1 or lower, while theoretically they don't need them, it has been my experience that task killer vastly improves the performance of these devices (at least on the devices I used: Moto Droid and Archos 70IT).
Upvotes: 2 |
2010/07/14 | 490 | 1,754 | <issue_start>username_0: Can I use a bluetooth keyboard with Android?<issue_comment>username_1: Android natively doesn't support the Bluetooth HID profile which would be required for this. So, your options are limited depending on whether you're rooted or not:
1. (If rooted): [This YouTube video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajmhUcmbinc&feature=related) shows the Nexus One connected to a Microsoft Wireless Entertainment Keyboard 7000.
2. (If not rooted): [Teksoft](http://www.teksoftco.com/index.php?section=blueinputandroid) provide a Bluetooth HID driver (commercially, costs about 10 Euros), which is reportedly successful.
Note: Individual devices that run Android may have the HID profile added by their manufacturer -- for example, the Dell Streak supports Bluetooth keyboards.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: It does now. I am using an iTrivia Palmkey on my Galaxy S2 running Gingerbread 2.3.5.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: Android 3.0+ supports several bluetooth keyboards such as the [Logitech Tablet Keyboard](http://www.logitech.com/keyboards/keyboard/devices/8232), which I use successfully with my Android 4.0 phone (not tablet) for note-taking and IM.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: Yes, you can. Just pair with the keyboard and it will work.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_5: Yes, I paired with my folding EC Technology Bluetooth [keyboard](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/B00QT8WQ86) on the first attempt. Alas I find that one or two very useful characters by default require awkward multi-key presses (see [here](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/111740/reconfiguring-a-bluetooth-keyboard-on-android)).
Upvotes: 0 |
2010/07/15 | 776 | 2,982 | <issue_start>username_0: I've done [some research](http://www.slashgear.com/htc-desire-vs-google-nexus-one-2074966/) and there seem to be advantages and disadvantages to each. I'm fairly confident that I can physically run both in Australia, however which will give me the best experience given the mobile bands and technology available here?
The main things I'm concerned with:
* Reception for phone calls - probably fine in the US, but what about AU?
* Data speeds - Are 3G and/or HSDPA available?
* Handset speed - specs are similar, but which one actually performs, and will it perform within Australia?<issue_comment>username_1: This doesn't directly address your three main things, so downvote me if you must, but one big current advantage to the Nexus One is that it's really *the* Google phone and gets preferential treatment when it comes to Android updates.
In the US at least, carriers who release and subsidize phones often call the shots as to what software ships on the phone and when it gets OS updates, if ever. The N1, being unlocked and carrier neutral doesn't have these issues. The HTC Desire has the Sense UI which seems to lag behind upstream Android releases quite a bit. However, some people greatly prefer the Sense UI to the stock Android UI, so there is a trade-off to be made there.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: My recommendation would be for you to get the Nexus One. Though the Nexus One and the Desire both have the same 1Ghz Snapdragon processor, the Nexus One now runs Android 2.2 "Froyo" that has a JIT compiler that can execute code up to 6x as fast as the Android 2.1 on the Desire. The fact that the Nexus One is the official Google phone means that it's going to be the first to receive the latest software, while other devices (like the Desire) will lag behind or not get updated at all.
The other big deciding factor is HTC's Sense. Though many people like Sense, there are others, including myself, that prefer the stock Android UI. If you can, try and see if you can play with both UIs before deciding which one you want to buy (stock Android 2.1, which can be found on the Motorola Milestone, is similar to stock 2.2, but lacks a shortcut to the phone dialer at the bottom on the home screen).
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_1: I would go the HTC desire. You can run it on telstra's 3.5G networks and get the true 21mbps speed over 3G.
The nexus one is sold online only here - so servicing would be through visiting one of the limited HTC centre's. Buying a desire from Telstra gives you repair/help etc at every telstra store.
Yes the nexus one currently has an android 2.2 update and the official HTC desire upgrade won't be till september - but there is already an unofficial ROM for 2.2 on the desire people are running.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_1: I own an HTC Desire and I like it a lot, it is comparable to the Nexus one the tow things I am missing are the trackball and the Google experience.
Upvotes: 0 |
2010/07/15 | 1,228 | 4,395 | <issue_start>username_0: I'd like for my Android phone to automatically turn off some features overnight to save battery, and re-enable them in the morning. Among the things I'd like to turn do:
* Turn off wifi
* Turn off the GPS
* Use only 2G data networks
I don't need any fancy idle detection. I'd be happy with the ability to do this from, say, 12am to 6am.
What Android apps are good for this sort of thing?<issue_comment>username_1: You can certainly do it based on your location: <http://www.twofortyfouram.com/product.html>
I have enquired of their support whether you can use time as one of the switching criteria, I would be surprised if you could not. Even if it isn't available out of the box, there is a plugin system and scripting that I am sure would do it.
I do not own the app so I cannot comment on it's efficacy, but I have seen good references.
* edit
Response from developer
>
> Can Locale be made to switch situations based on time alone, such as
> going silent at night regardless of location?
> John
>
>
>
-
>
> Hi John,
>
>
> Yes!
>
>
>
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_1: Maybe [SweetDreams](http://www.inizziativa.com/productos/) can do the work for you. According to a ruleset it will turn off bluetooth, wifi and select the ringtone configuration of your choice during a determinate time range.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_1: I use [Timeriffic](http://www.appbrain.com/app/com.alfray.timeriffic) (free) which will turn on/off wifi, gps, change ringer, brightness etc. based on timed schedules.
Unfortunately "Use only 2G data networks" is not in the options.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: If you don't mind paying for an app, then this is very similar to the sort of thing that [Locale](http://www.twofortyfouram.com/) for Android does, you can set it to switch stuff on or off, or run apps on your phone when certain conditions like fine/coarse location, etc are met. There are also quite a few Locale plugins (many of them free) available on the market that give it loads of extra functionality.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: Also, if you use Juicedefender <https://market.android.com/details?id=com.latedroid.juicedefender&hl=en> that has an option for night mode with everything you were talking about and more, JuiceDefender is pretty awesome anyway. Lastly, if you have rooted your phone, Cyanogenmod <http://www.cyanogenmod.com/> also has a night mode.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: I use [Llama](https://market.android.com/details?id=com.kebab.Llama) to do similar things on a schedule, e.g. put my phone on silent while I'm at work during working hours, turn off Wi-Fi when I leave home, and so on.
You can set events to occur based on where you are among other conditions such as time/date, screen on/off, battery level, etc. Llama learns locations based on the cell towers that are in range rather than your Wi-Fi or GPS location, so it does not eat into your battery at all. Llama does not require root. I find it very easy to use and now that I have it configured the way I want, I don't ever look at it unless I want to change something.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: I use [Tasker](https://market.android.com/details?id=net.dinglisch.android.taskerm) to do exactly that, and much (much) more. Whether or not it can switch between 2G and 3G seems to depend on the handset, which you don't mention. [Here is an example](http://tasker.wikidot.com/airplanenight) from the Tasker Wiki, showing how to set the phone into Airplane mode at night.
Note that the GPS only uses power if something uses it, so turning it off is highly unlikely to make any meaningful difference to your battery life.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_6: [Silence](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.epsilonlabs.silence.ads) can toggle your ringer, Wi-fi, Bluetooth, and airplane mode settings automatically over scheduled intervals.
>
> Features:
>
>
> * Simple, intuitive Holo-themed interface
> * Schedule events that occur once, or repeat on certain days of the week
> * Change your ringer to silent, vibrate, or normal mode
> * Turn Wi-fi, Bluetooth, and airplane mode on and off
> * Change your settings back automatically when the scheduled event ends
>
>
>
There is also a [paid version](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.epsilonlabs.silence) without ads.
Upvotes: 0 |
2010/07/15 | 390 | 1,282 | <issue_start>username_0: How can I get the 2.2 version of Android on my HTC Desire and when?<issue_comment>username_1: The official Froyo release for the HTC Desire seems to [be imminent](http://phandroid.com/2010/06/22/htc-delivering-froyo-to-the-htc-desire-and-legend-within-the-next-two-weeks/). Though since it's already been over *three* weeks since they said it would come within the next *two*, you might have better luck with an [unofficial ROM](http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=690477).
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: The initial leaked information was "late June", but this turned out to be incorrect. HTC have released a full statement now stating that the upgrade will be during Q3 (so anytime between now and the end of September). See this [TechRadar article](http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/htc-desire-android-2-2-update-coming-in-q3-699715) for more information.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: Here is a good article about putting a custom [2.2 on your HTC Desire](http://blog.icanhaspi.com/archives/732), I've heard first hand reports that it worked.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: I just got the update notification (unbranded Desire, Germany).
So the answer to "when" is: Now.
Upvotes: 3 |
2010/07/15 | 191 | 776 | <issue_start>username_0: My current phone is an HTC Desire and I was using an iPhone before. I am really liking the ringtons and other system sounds on the iPhone and I am now looking a way to have these on my Android phone. Are there any apps for that?<issue_comment>username_1: As the iPhone system sounds are the property of Apple, I cannot help you find them. If you do, however, place ringtones on your SD card under `/ringtones` and other sounds like new mail notification under `/notifications`. Go back into preferences and you should now be able to select these sounds.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: [Zedge](https://market.android.com/details?id=net.zedge.android) is a pretty sweet ringtones/wallpaper app which I am sure includes said ringtones.
Upvotes: 2 |
2010/07/15 | 533 | 1,907 | <issue_start>username_0: Well [Fring is blocked](http://www.fring.com/blog/?p=2322). I'm located in China. I neeeeed to make free skype calls to my family around the world. Skype Lite is not an option, has anybody cracked this cookie?<issue_comment>username_1: You could try out [Nimbuzz](http://www.nimbuzz.com/en).
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: At the time this question was originally asked, Skype Lite was the only official Skype client and it was locked into the Verizon Network and it locked voice calling to wifi only (so as not to compete with their cell minute plans). As of early October, Skype released it to the Market for phones on other carriers. It was still crippled from making SkypeOut calls over the 3G connection, until a Hacker over at Droid Forums came up with a [solution](http://www.droidforums.net/forum/xeudoxus/78843-apks-unlocked-apps.html) and as I was typing this I realize that it was only for phones in the US, so it looks like it's still a no go. **Sebastiaan's answer, Nimbuzz is your best bet.**
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: What you could do is uninstall the latest version of Skype and install an older version. I recently had to do this as I found the most recent versions of Skype were just bloatware and couldn't even do basic stuff (like voice chat) anymore.
Now I have to warn you that you are taking a risk installing a non-Market app, but I believe that Freewarelovers is a reputable site.
1. Uninstall your current version of Skype. Just go to Market, My Apps,
Skype, Uninstall.
2. Switch on Settings, Applications, Unknown Sources.
3. Download version 1.0.0.984 from this link <http://www.freewarelovers.com/android/app/skype#old_versions>
4. When the download is finished, just install it.
5. Remember to turn off Unknown Sources afterwards.
Try version 1.0.0.984 for starters. If that doesn't work keep trying earlier versions!
Upvotes: 0 |
2010/07/15 | 577 | 2,128 | <issue_start>username_0: Located in China I've been waiting forever for the HTC Hero update to Android 2.1. However now everywhere around the world people are getting it.
I do get the occasional update, and then I get prompted to reset the phone, however when I reset it the update does not get installed (missing update.zip on SD card?)
Or maybe I have to relocate to England? Could I fake this with a VPN/proxy? If so how could I set this up?
Cheers<issue_comment>username_1: You could try out [Nimbuzz](http://www.nimbuzz.com/en).
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: At the time this question was originally asked, Skype Lite was the only official Skype client and it was locked into the Verizon Network and it locked voice calling to wifi only (so as not to compete with their cell minute plans). As of early October, Skype released it to the Market for phones on other carriers. It was still crippled from making SkypeOut calls over the 3G connection, until a Hacker over at Droid Forums came up with a [solution](http://www.droidforums.net/forum/xeudoxus/78843-apks-unlocked-apps.html) and as I was typing this I realize that it was only for phones in the US, so it looks like it's still a no go. **Sebastiaan's answer, Nimbuzz is your best bet.**
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: What you could do is uninstall the latest version of Skype and install an older version. I recently had to do this as I found the most recent versions of Skype were just bloatware and couldn't even do basic stuff (like voice chat) anymore.
Now I have to warn you that you are taking a risk installing a non-Market app, but I believe that Freewarelovers is a reputable site.
1. Uninstall your current version of Skype. Just go to Market, My Apps,
Skype, Uninstall.
2. Switch on Settings, Applications, Unknown Sources.
3. Download version 1.0.0.984 from this link <http://www.freewarelovers.com/android/app/skype#old_versions>
4. When the download is finished, just install it.
5. Remember to turn off Unknown Sources afterwards.
Try version 1.0.0.984 for starters. If that doesn't work keep trying earlier versions!
Upvotes: 0 |
2010/07/15 | 553 | 1,781 | <issue_start>username_0: >
> **Possible Duplicate:**
>
> [When will my phone get the Android 2.2 update (FroYo)?](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/2696/when-will-my-phone-get-the-android-2-2-update-froyo)
>
>
>
Does anyone know when 2.2 will be released for Verizon phones? Also, is there a way to install it currently? I'd like to upgrade as soon as possible because it is really nice but, Verizon is so slow in getting these out.<issue_comment>username_1: There isn't a release date yet. Every rumored date gets pushed back. The most recent was a July 13th date that is now pushed to 'August'. This is all hearsay, though.
Only way to currently get 2.2 is if you are rooted and install either a vanilla build of 2.2 or a custom ROM built with the 2.2 source code.
As soon as the official update hits, expect the 'update.zip' to be all over the web within the first day, then we can all download and install it (rooted or not).
* [How to root a Droid running 2.1](http://www.droid-life.com/2010/05/06/guide-to-rooting-android-2-1-on-a-motorola-droid/ "How to root a Droid running 2.1")
* Once rooted, download ROM Manager from the market. This app will download and install many different ROMs for you.
**NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE** :)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Current speculation is the OTA update will be August 12.
You can also download the official Android 2.2 update file, no Root needed. ([Android Tapp](http://www.androidtapp.com/how-to-manually-install-android-2-2-on-verizon-motorola-droid/) has the details.)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_1: Update: Android 2.2 is now being sent to Verizon phones now as an automatic update.
Note: They still disable a few 2.2 features, like the mobile wi-fi hotspot option.
Upvotes: 2 |
2010/07/15 | 306 | 1,388 | <issue_start>username_0: With its multi-tasking, it's easy to launch lots of applications on Android. I understand that background applications use fairly minimal resources, but they often activate features (GPS WiFi etc.) that drain the battery.
How can you find out what applications are running and what resources they're using? and how can you stop them safely?<issue_comment>username_1: All Android applications have to be granted 'Permissions'. These 'Permissions' include internet access, GPS, etc.
You can see these 'Permissions' by going to the application in the market, hitting 'Menu' and selecting 'Security' (I think).
As for 'activating features', applications cannot activate GPS or WiFi if you have them turned off. Also, GPS, even when activated, is only 'awake' when an application is polling for location, then immediately goes back to sleep.
It's always good to remember to turn off WiFi and other features you don't need when you aren't using them, although Android is very good about only using these features when necessary.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_1: If you go to `Start screen / Menu key / Settings / About phone / Battery / Battery use` you can see exactly how much different applications drained your battery since your last recharge.
To stop application you can use the file manager ASTRO or a Task killer like Advanced Task Killer.
Upvotes: 2 |
2010/07/15 | 523 | 1,950 | <issue_start>username_0: I prefer my week view of my calendar to start on Monday rather than Sunday. I already have my Google Calendar set that way (to which I sync).
How can I do the same on my Droid (Android 2.2)?<issue_comment>username_1: I'm not exactly sure whether it's the same on general Android as my have a Hero with Sense but on my phone it's:
Open Calendar/Press Menu Key/ Press More/ Settings/Calendar View Settings/First day of the Week
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: This is apparently not possible on a Motorola Droid with Android 2.1.
~~FroYo is slated to release next week. Maybe it will also change the ability to set this value. (If it does I'll change this answer.)~~
Sadly, this is still not possible with Android 2.2 either.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: The popular home screen replacement LauncherPro Plus comes with a home screen widget that does just this and sync's with your Google calendar
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_1: I just found the way to change start day of the week in Calendar app. It's related to Language ("Locale" in pre-2.3) settings:
* "English (United Kingdom)" sets Monday as the start day of the week.
* "English (United States)" sets Sunday as the start day of the week.
Where to find this option:
* Android 2.1 Eclair (Samsung Galaxy Spica)
+ at Home screen -> [Menu] button -> Settings -> Language & Keyboard -> Select locale
* Android 2.3.7 Gingerbread, (<NAME> Xperia ST25i)
+ at Home screen -> [Menu] button -> Settings -> Language & Keyboard -> Select language
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: 1. Uninstall the app.
2. Cange the language of the device to an European one (English UK or Spanish)
3. Go to Play Store and download the Google Calendar app. Install it.
Now the week starts on a Monday
4. Change the language of your device back to your previous one (English US)
5. The week starts on Monday.
It worked for me.
Upvotes: 1 |
2010/07/15 | 424 | 1,623 | <issue_start>username_0: One reason that I haven't switched to Android in the past is that it has seemed sluggish when I've tried phones that run it. I see that Google claims [performance improvements](http://developer.android.com/sdk/android-2.2-highlights.html) of 4x to 5x over previous versions, but those numbers are based on benchmarks, not on real-world use.
Does anyone have any information about how Android 2.2 affects typical smartphone usage. Not just making calls -- scrolling through a long contact list, reading emails, browsing the web, navigating photo albums, playing games? Ideally, a side-by-side comparison of device *X* running 2.2 and an earlier version.<issue_comment>username_1: [This page](http://johnhaller.com/jh/useful_stuff/nexus_one_outperforms_iphone_4/) has a couple of benchmarks that compare not only a Nexus One running 2.2 vs. one running 2.1, but also includes iPhones and the iPad. In both cases, the Nexus One running 2.2 outperforms the 2.1 version by over 2x.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: *Google claims performance improvements of 4x to 5x over previous versions*
No they didn't claim such, what they claimed is that JIT compiler can give 4x to 5x improvement on compute-bound process (CPU-bound process; processes doing heavy computations). If you're scrolling on a long contact list, browsing web or gallery, etc you're more likely to be I/O bound by slow network or slow disk rather than CPU-bound, and JIT only helps very little in those cases.
Outside of benchmarks and games, it is in fact very rare for applications to be CPU-bound.
Upvotes: 2 |
2010/07/15 | 924 | 3,546 | <issue_start>username_0: >
> **Possible Duplicate:**
>
> [What can I do to increase battery life on my Android device?](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/476/what-can-i-do-to-increase-battery-life-on-my-android-device)
>
>
>
My Desire is absolutely great, but with my usage the battery life is really a big problem.
I have a few apps running and polling in the background, obviously the Google stuff (Gmail, Talk, Maps probably poll because of Latitude). Then I have Twitter running (checks every 5 minutes), Google Listen (checks every hour). Google Market also checks for updates sometimes apparently, don't think I can switch that off.
My usage is pretty heavy, on my bicycle I listen to Spotify or a podcast for 20 minutes, then in the morning train (45 minutes) I will usually read Twitter and Google reader (the web app). Then I get to work and my battery is down to about 75%-70%. I usually charge it but if I don't then I will be out of battery by about 6PM. So thats 9 hours of battery life. The commute back is pretty much the same, battery will be dead before I get home.
I don't want to give up on instant notifications, so the 3G will always be on.
When I went camping for a weekend I turned all of the above polling off and only checked Twitter about 4 times, didn't use the phone for the rest of the day. Battery life improved slightly to about 14 hours. Still not great, I was hoping for at least 24 hours.
WiFi is always off by the way!
I've tried rebooting but the timings are mostly the same. Is it wise to buy a battery that can provide more mAh? Is there any good solutions for backup power when I don't have power available, when camping for example (aside from buying extra batteries)?<issue_comment>username_1: I would say that unfortunately your experience sounds fairly common with android. I use this: <http://us.kensington.com/html/15460.html> it's like carrying around an extra battery but it has the bonus of working with any device's USB charger.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_1: Go to `StartScreen/Menu Key/Settings/About Phone/Battery/Battery use`. It tells you which of your applications are using how much energy. Then you can make a more informed decision about whether certain applications are worth their energy usage.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_1: When I first got my Desire, I did the same as you because I had found on my previous phone (Nokia E71) that with WiFi turned on the battery would be dead in 4 hours vs. 2 days on 3G.
I have found the opposite to be true of the Desire. If you have a WiFi signal available, use it. The WiFi chip in the Desire appears to be much more efficient than the 3G data radio. When I am out and about on 3G, the battery drains as you suggest - lucky to get 10 hours from it. When on WiFi at home, I will usually have 30-40 percent remaining when I go to bed at night. **So turn that WiFi back on!**
GPS is the other big killer. I've you've got Latitude or something like it that requires positional updates, I have found using WiFi and cell positioning (rather than GPS) saves a lot of battery (although it does lose accuracy of course).
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: The most crucial information for figuring out what EXACTLY and HOW exactly your battery is being used to find relevant remedies can be found by typing this on your phone:
```
*#*#4636#*#*
```
You will gain access to the testing facilities in Android and you can check **DETAILED** usage statistics, battery history and battery information.
Upvotes: 0 |
2010/07/15 | 424 | 1,553 | <issue_start>username_0: I have a nexus one and would love to watch divx and wmv videos on it. Is there a way to do that?<issue_comment>username_1: The only one I'm aware of is [yxflash](http://www.androlib.com/android.application.kr-mobilesoft-yxflash-qEnD.aspx), and I wasn't too impressed by it - the video was quite choppy. I am looking forward to the upcoming Android version of [CorePlayer](http://coreplayer.com/), though, because I was able to play smooth DivX videos with its predecessor TCPMP on my Tungsten T5 with a fraction of the power my Nexus One had.
**edit:** I just saw that there's a new media player out for Android called [RockPlayer](http://rockplayer.freecoder.org/index_en.html) that will play DivX and WMV. I haven't had a chance to test it though.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I've installed RockPlayer from the Android Market on my Nexus One, limited testing for avi, divx and mkv formats has been successful. Have yet to check wmv's.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: I've done it with both [arcMedia](https://market.android.com/details?id=sns.arcMedia.playerInterface.arm6 "arcMedia in Android Market") and [MoboPlayer](https://market.android.com/details?id=com.clov4r.android.nil "MoboPlayer in Android Market") to view these. WMVs play fine with this.
An alternative is do send it to your gmail and watch it from the gmail app or to upload it to Picasa and view it in the Gallery or through the browser. In both cases the video is converted in transit to something the video player understands.
Upvotes: 1 |
2010/07/16 | 400 | 1,469 | <issue_start>username_0: How to erase all contacts from an Android phone?
There are about 3200 contacts.
The full story
--------------
I don't manage my contacts with Google Contacts, but with another tool that can export to the VCF format.
The first time I imported my VCF file into Google Contacts, my Android phone synced and got all contacts, perfect.
After a while, having new contacts, I exported to VCF again, and imported again to Google Calendar. All contacts got duplicated on the phone.
I removed all contacts using Google Contacts web interface in Gmail, and re-imported, but contacts get duplicated every time.
I just want to start from scratch, remove all contacts, and import from my new VCF file.<issue_comment>username_1: Does this work for you?
contacts -> menu -> delete -> select all -> delete
If not there are apps "Delete Contacts" in the market you could try.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: I cant find that option in my Nexus 7. It seems they have removed this in Jellybean or Kitkat. This is what i do.
>
> Settings>Apps>All> Contacts> Clear data, clear cache
>
>
> Settings>Apps>All> Contacts Storage > Clear data, clear cache
>
>
>
This will clear all the database of the People app.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/SYhOum.png)
that is very easy. you should go setting>app>all>contact and remove data
Upvotes: -1 |
2010/07/16 | 2,509 | 8,470 | <issue_start>username_0: I need a way (possibly a third-party application) that allows me to use maps and GPS without an Internet connection.
I don't use it by car, just for walking in cities. It would be nice if I could just copy all data relative to a particular city before going there for tourism.
The Google Maps app does not store maps reliably, so it is risky to rely on it without an Internet connection.<issue_comment>username_1: I haven't had a chance to try it myself yet, but I've heard good things about Maverick:
[Maverick for Google Android - Code Sector](http://www.codesector.com/maverick.php?am)
There is both a limited free and pay version.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_1: Have you tried BackCountry Navigator?
[BackCountry Navigator](http://www.backcountrynavigator.com/)
It has topo maps, open street maps, and aerial photography.
It has a 16 day demo and a paid license.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: For England and much of Europe, ViewRanger is great. Supports Ordnance Survey and other official-type maps; also some open street map projects. But it is absolutely what I would use -- and do -- if I am hiking with a phone. [For Android - ViewRanger](http://www.viewranger.com/android/)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: Google Maps 5.0 [now supports offline mode](http://lifehacker.com/5714230/google-maps-50-blows-other-maps-out-of-the-water-with-3d-compass-mode-and-offline-navigation)!
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_4: [Maps (-)](http://maps.coderminus.com/) allows to store maps for offline use from OpenStreetMap, from OpenCycleMap and from Google Maps.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_5: Note: many of these applications use map data from a [really cool free map project](http://thenextweb.com/insider/2014/02/28/openstreetmap/) called OSM ([OpenStreetMap](http://www.openstreetmap.org/)), which anyone can contribute to. OSM is constantly improving, but in many areas it may lack information like house/building numbers.
**Free:**
* [Google Maps](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.maps)
+ Google Maps does have some offline functionality ([including offline navigation as of version 9.17](https://googleblog.blogspot.ca/2015/11/navigate-and-search-real-world-online.html)), but the size of the area you can download is limited (you can't download an entire US state, for instance) and [some countries or areas aren't available for download](http://web.archive.org/web/20141227080802/https://support.google.com/gmm/answer/2650347). See here for instructions: [Download a map and use it offline](https://support.google.com/gmm/answer/3273567)
* [HERE Maps](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.here.app.maps)
+ Unless you're looking to support OSM, this is probably the best free option out there. [It works offline, has maps in nearly 200 countries](http://360.here.com/2014/08/29/here-samsung-galaxy-android/), and [turn-by-turn navigation in over 100 countries](http://360.here.com/2014/12/10/android-now-available-free-google-play/). Features include full street addresses, points of interest, alternate routes, traffic, public transport, and speed limits. Notable features that are missing: [ability to add multiple stops to a route](https://help.here.com/en/android/maps/#q1728), lane assist, [rerouting based on traffic](https://help.here.com/en/android/maps/#q1766), and ability to navigate to contacts' addresses.
* [OsmAnd](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.osmand)
+ Open-source, uses data from OSM. [Currently](http://code.google.com/p/osmand/issues/detail?id=144) only has 2D navigation, but one of the better free options available.
* [MapFactor](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mapfactor.navigator)
+ OSM-based offline navigation. Fairly basic but promising. TomTom maps available as an in-app purchase.
* [Navmii](https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Navmii) (formerly NavFree): [North/Latin America](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.navfree.android.OSM.USA), [elsewhere](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.navfree.android.OSM.ALL)
+ Ad-supported. Allows you to download maps for offline navigation, also OSM-based. OSM has maps for the whole world, but for some reason Navmii [only has maps available for certain countries](http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Navmii), mostly in Europe and North America.
* Many others based on OSM here: [Android - OpenStreetMap Wiki](http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Android)
**Paid:**
* [CoPilot GPS](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.alk.copilot.mapviewer)
+ CoPilot Live is a very nice, full-featured app, which will let you download maps ahead of time and use GPS offline. I ended up using it because the US version was so cheap compared to the other paid navigation apps, but I've been very pleased with the quality, features, customer support, and free app and map upgrades. It has all the features I could want in a GPS app, the only downsides being you have to have a paid subscription for traffic data (the paid app includes a free one-year subscription), and you will have to buy new maps if you travel outside your purchased area.
* Other paid apps that I haven't used:
+ [Garmin viago](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.garmin.android.apps.viago)
+ [Magellan SmartGPS](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.magellangps.SmartGPS)
+ [NDrive](https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=NDrive%20Navigation%20Systems,%20SA)
+ Scout (formerly Skobbler): [USA](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.telenav.app.android.scout_us), [elsewhere](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.skobbler.forevermapng)
+ [Sygic](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sygic.aura)
+ [TomTom](https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=TomTom%20International%20BV)
There are detailed reviews of many Android GPS apps here: [Android Sat Nav Apps](http://mobile.jack-frost.co.uk/android_sat_nav_apps.php)
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_6: I regularly use [Locus](http://locus.asamm.cz). It doesn't have much in the way of navigation support (although I think this is in the works), but for off-road and off-line use it's fantastic.
It allows downloading of maps for off-line use, supports SQLite and GEMF maps, which allow large map (2GB limit for SQLite, no realistic limit for GEMF) tile sets on your SD card without wasting masses of space. It also supports vector maps as well as bitmap ones (more coverage, less disk space). It has a very good interface and is well supported.
There's a free version with ads which doesn't support in-app map downloading (I think), although you can use your PC to download the maps. The paid version is not expensive.
That all sounds excessively glowing, so I should emphasise that I'm not the developer and have no affiliation; just a very happy user!
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_7: If you are looking for North American maps (and European maps as well I'm told), than I can recommend [CoPilot Live](http://www.copilotlive.com/us/). It's not free though.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_8: You might want to use [Sygic](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sygic.aura) if you are in India. It comes with free maps.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_9: I am now using [OsmAnd](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.osmand).
It stores [OpenStreetMap](http://openstreetmap.org/) maps on the phone's storage.
OsmAnd uses a vectorial format, which means it can store a lot of information without taking too much space, and is visible in all zoom factors.
You can download the maps you want, for instance Italy, Bolivia, or any other country/region.
Free, open source.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_10: [Mapy.cz](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cz.seznam.mapy) is the easiest to use app and now it has all the content of the whole world for download to offline in vectors (which means smaller files).
It is both for cities and tourism.
For navigation it currently needs a network, but they claim they'll make it offline as well.
It is free. The world is covered by a great render of OpenStreetMap. The Czech Republic has its own (great) cartographic data.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/58xEJ.png)
Upvotes: 0 |
2010/07/16 | 934 | 3,359 | <issue_start>username_0: When I give presentations, I have to keep an eye on the clock to make sure my speech does not take more than alloted time, or in the end to know whether I can take more questions.
Looking at my watch is inconvenient, I would prefer my Android phone's large screen to:
* Just display the time (for example 14:28).
* Not go into standby mode.
* Hugest font possible, black on white, landscape.
Sounds trivial. Is there such an app?
*Priority to free apps, biggest priority to open source apps.*<issue_comment>username_1: [Digital Clock](http://www.androlib.com/android.application.com-socialnmobile-clock-digital-jqnj.aspx) does *almost* everything you ask. Ignore the rubbish picture from the page, it is a full-screen clock with white text on black and it's free.
To configure it as you need, launch the app, then open the settings (tap the screen to open the options then tap **Settings**) then set:
* **Clock**->**Screen timeout** to unchecked.
* **Clock**->**Orientation** to **Landscape**.
* **Time & Date**->**Show date** to unchecked.
You can also adjust the time format and colour if you wish. The time is about half the screen height, but I can easily read it on my phone from more than 20ft away so that may not be a problem.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: I use
[Stopwatch & Timer](http://www.appbrain.com/app/stopwatch-timer/com.sportstracklive.stopwatch)
Goes full screen when you change into landscape orientation, also I used the lap times when we had to give a team presentation.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: I use [Flow Timer](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bimjay.flowtimer) for this, it displays the (countdown) time in the largest possible width in black on white (default).
Furthermore by default it just dims the screen but doesn't turn it off (in the settings there is a choice to keep it at "bright", that is, to not even dim the screen a bit).
Landscape mode (even tablet) as well.
You can also add several timers after each other for different parts of the presentation. No interaction required, it just makes a small beep (configurable) and continues/finishes.
Full disclosure: I'm the author
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: I use [Ovo timer](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.ilumbo.ovo "Ovo timer @ Google Play Store"): a minimalist app to set your timer by dragging an arc on your screen. Also, you can set time by voice (it needs Internet connection for this). It runs on Android 2.1 and up. The only con I've found is that it only supports times not greater than 1 hour.
  
About what you're asking for:
* *Just display the time (for example 14:28).* **Check**.
* *Not go into standby mode.* **Check**: You can configure it to do so via Preferences.
* *Hugest font possible, black on white, landscape.* **Close enough**: It rotates as your device does. Also the red/white arc animation gives you a clue about remaining time.
* *Free app.* **Check**.
* *Open source app.* **I think not**.
Upvotes: 2 |
2010/07/16 | 329 | 1,248 | <issue_start>username_0: Once per hour, I get a message on my HTC Desire saying that a process has stopped unexpectedly. It is the com.htc.bg process. The problem disappears if I disable the syncing of my Facebook account to the phone. To back this up, I have found that the list of contacts downloaded from Facebook is incomplete, so I am wondering if it is crashing halfway through the sync process.
Rather than just disabling it to stop the error, I want the Facebook contact sync to work properly. Is there a way to fix this?<issue_comment>username_1: I found [this in another forum](http://androidforums.com/htc-droid-eris/59163-process-com-htc-bg-has-stopped-unexpectedly-please-try-again-wtf.html):
1. Go to the *People* (contact list) app
2. Go to the Online Directories (Globe) tab
3. Select Facebook
4. You will be asked to log in to your Facebook account. Once logged in, you will see all of your contacts on your Facebook account.
5. Return to the full list of your contacts on the phone and try and sync
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: I've had a similar problem with the contacts sync for an Exchange account. I found that deleting the account on my Desire and re-adding it made the errors go away. Give it a try.
Upvotes: 1 |
2010/07/16 | 687 | 2,533 | <issue_start>username_0: While I can chose `Share` by a contact on my Droid's contact list, the Droid on the other end seems unable to open, or really do anything with, the resulting attachment if I receive it via Gmail or the normal mail client. Am I missing something? How do I import what I've shared?<issue_comment>username_1: There is an app called [Hoccer](http://www.hoccer.com/) which allows transfer of arbitrary data (contacts, pictures, links, ...) by making gestures with your phone. It also works with the iPhone but of course requires both devices to have the app installed.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: It's a known issue that Android (at least pre-2.2) does not support import of .vcf files via email or sms, see <http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=3537>
However, it does appear to work in Froyo on my Nexus One, when importing from email. As far as I'm aware it's still not catered for over SMS, and the thread above suggests it doesn't work for downloads in the browser either.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: If both droids are in the same room the following will apply - You can both install Barcode Scanner and then on your device, open the contact, tap share, then tap Barcode Scanner. This will generate a QR Code. On the other phone, open the barcode scanner app and scan the QR Code. The second device will be able to add the contact via the scanned QR Code via the Add as Contact button after the scan successfully completes.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: There's also [Bump](http://www.appbrain.com/app/bump/com.bumptech.bumpga).
>
> Bump™ makes sharing photos, contacts,
> and apps with people as simple as
> bumping your phones together.
>
>
> HOW TO USE BUMP™: 1) Open Bump™ on
> both phones 2) While holding the
> phones, gently bump your hands
> together 3) Confirm the exchange
>
>
> Compatible with iPhone too!
>
>
>
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: I've got an <NAME> Xperia X10 and while viewing a contact, I just press the menu button, Send Business Card and choose between Bluetooth, Gmail, SMS or Moxier Mail (Exchange Client I think).
I've send contacts back and forth between my Android phone and my Palm phone. I don't have two Android phones, but I don't see why it wouldn't work.
Previously I was using 1.6 which was fully compatible with all my contacts on my old Palm phone, but since upgrading to 2.1 this does not work as well as I had hoped.
So, no software to install, works right out of the box for me.
Upvotes: 0 |
2010/07/17 | 1,363 | 5,596 | <issue_start>username_0: I am on call sometimes and I am getting SMS and email from our systems. The sender is an email to SMS gateway that is unique to this and always the same, the messages start with the same words. I need to be woken up by them, but right now, that isn't happening.
I use Locale, and the Locale "Inbound SMS" Plug-in, but that does not seem to be working yet (with a test account, it does not go full loud and alt ring tone).
I would like it to do something like have a song start playing loudly. It would also be nice if it sanely handled getting 200 pages in 10 min (probably just disable Locale).
I have T-Mobile G1 on Android 1.6. I could root it if it is needed, but really rather not.
Any tips or thoughts?<issue_comment>username_1: I went with Tasker, it is a bit cheaper (especially when you realize that you are less likely to need plug ins with it, though it can use Locale plug ins it seems), it is trickier to get running, but allows for a much wider range of options than Locale.
So when it sees an SMS come in with "PROBLEM" in the subject, it turns music playback to maximum volume, and then starts playing a song in a loop, until you click on the stop button. I need to add the feature to not trigger again for a few minutes (to deal with the flood issue).
I looked at Setting Profiles web page, but have not tried it.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_1: **Tasker** is undoubtedly a powerful answer to this and MANY other wants, so you have probably solved your need. I will just add, a good point-solution for this specific need would be **Where's My Droid**. It is a free app, geared toward finding a misplaced phone. But it would work for this use case as well, with the exception that you don't get to select a custom ringtone.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I saw a tip recently: You can set your "[Where's My Droid?](https://wheresmydroid.com/)" passphrase to be that string that you're expecting. That'll change the device from silent mode and go to maximum volume.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: Why not just use Handcent SMS and configure a custom "loud" ringtone for that particular sender. you can also configure the app to repeat the username_2rt every X minutes, so you keep getting reminded until you dismiss the username_2rt.
In Handcent, open the conversation thread you want to customise and click the Personalization icon (in the top bar, to the right of the name of the person). you can then set different notification icon / ringtone / vibrate pattern and LED settings (if your device has one).
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: I am the developer of Locale.
This can be accomplished with Locale, with a slight tweak to the current setup.
As current described, you have a race condition: Locale is increasing the volume but only after Android has already posted the notification, so the volume increase appears to have no effect.
To get this to work correctly, try the Locale Notification Plug-in to post a separate notification when the text message comes in. The Notification Plug-in has a "force volume" option that will turn the volume up and ensure the notification is heard.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: You can do this using [Android Automate](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.llamalab.automate), an app I personally prefer to Tasker for most things. Here's [a screenshot](https://i.stack.imgur.com/PACtZ.jpg) of the flow I used to trigger an alarm when a text is received from a specific phone number. Use this screenshot to see the order in which the blocks need to connect to each other.
And the details of the blocks:
SMS received
------------
This block waits for a text to be received. Set the "Phone number" field to the number you want to watch.
Sound play
----------
This is what we'll use to simulate the alarm. Set the "Proceed" option to "Immediately." This will ensure that the sound plays continuously until we manually stop it using another block. For good measure, check the "Repeat sound indefinitely" checkbox as well.
Set the "Notification channel" to a user-managed channel with "Urgent" priority. If you don't already have one, in the dialog that appears, click the plus button at the top of the dialog to create the new channel. You'll then need to save out of the block and flow, all the way back to the list of all flows. Then tap the hamburger menu at the top of the screen and click "Settings" > "Notification channels." Then tap on the name of the new channel you created. This will take you to your phone's settings for the channel. Set "Importance" to "Urgent", and turn on both "Vibrate" and "Override Do Not Disturb." Then go back to the Automate app and return to editing the new flow.
Dialog message
--------------
This displays a dialog that you have to manually close before we'll stop the sound.
Set the title and message options to whatever you wish, and check "Show window directly if possible."
Sound stop
----------
This is what stops the alarm once you close out the dialog. It's important that you connect this block's "OK" circle to the "IN" circle of the "SMS received" block. Doing this ensures that the flow will loop and continue listening for SMS messages once an alarm is dismissed.
Finishing Setup
---------------
Once you've finished creating the flow, save it, rename it to what you wish, and click the "Start" button. It's also a good idea to go to the app's settings and enable "Run on system startup." This will ensure that the SMS alarms flow will resume immediately when you restart the phone.
Upvotes: 1 |