text:
App icons disappear from home screen on app update
Ever since I got my Nexus 5, I've notice that apps sometimes disappear from the launcher for no reason. This seems to correspond to that app being updated, although it doesn't always happen to every app on every update. I've seem some questions about icons disappearing due to moving them onto an SD card, but I don't have one of those so that's not it.
The apps are still installed and show up in Settings > Apps or in the alphabetized pages one gets by pressing the ::: icon. Some of the apps this has happened to include Facebook, Android IRC, TransitTimes+, QuickPic, and Minecraft — but it's not just limited to those, and it doesn't seem to happen to those with every update.
I'm not using any special launcher or anything — just the stock one that comes with KitKat 4.4 on the Nexus 5. (Updated to 4.4.2)
What's going on and how can I fix it?

I'm curious as to which apps are disappearing. Also, when an icon has disappeared, does it still show up in Settings > Apps?

@dotVezz They disappear from home screen and the screens of icons I've arranged to the right of that, and sometimes from the quick launch today below,  but they are still installed — they are in Settings > Apps and in the alphabetical pages brought up by the rows-of-dots icon in the launch bar.

Maybe a bug in the launcher you're using; which one is it (so maybe somebody else can confirm)?

Name a couple of specific apps that disappered?

I am having this exact problem. First the screen to the right of the main launcher screen disappeared. It contained all of the default Google media widgets. Then, when I placed some folders and apps on that screen, they disappeared again a few days later. The entire screen, not just some icons. This is really annoying. The apps are still installed, they just are gone from the home screen launcher pages, and I have to go to all apps to add them back. For reference, I am using the default launcher.

This has happened to me on several occasions with 4.4 and 4.4.1 using the stock launcher on a Nexus 4. Since enabling the Google Now launcher and updating to 4.4.2 it seems to have gone away. But that won't help you as the Nexus 5 uses the Google Now launcher by default.

I've seen this on all my Nexus devices: 4, 5, and 10. Seems to randomly hit.

I've noticed this issue on my nexus 7 running KitKat and the GEL. if an app that's in a group gets updated the entire group disappears from my home screen. I don't think the GEL is available for the nexus 7 officially though, so it's an understandable bug.

Happen to me too, on our app we sometimes hear about users that update and the app disappear from the screen. The strange thing that it happens for some users and for others not (the very same version from the play) so I really think it's a bug or something with google launcher.

I have the same problem on my Galaxy S7 with Android 8.0.0  Is there a solution in the meantime?

This is not a bug with the Nexus 5.  It seems like the Google Experience Launcher (aka Google Now Launcher) seems to handle app shortcuts a little differently than other launchers do.  The cause of this has to do with the way the developer is updating their app.  I have seen this problems specifically with Franco Kernel Updater on my Nexus 5 with GEL/GNL, almost every update that comes out I have to add the icon back onto my launcher home screen.
I think I read somewhere that it is when the manifest file is changed... but don't quote me on that yet.

authors: نرم افزار حضور و غیاب


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How to install android market app manually?
I have device with android 2.1 and I want to install android market app manually. Can I do that?
I have download android_app.apk file into my device but while installing getting following error.
Package com.android.market_app requires unavailable shared library com.google.android.datamessaging; failing!
I tried to search datamessaging.jar file but I can not able to find.
Does I need to do something else.

Which device is this for?

is market app is device specific or android version specific or both?

If you have wi-fi or 3G you can install it through AppBrain Andoid market App
In case if you dont have any network connection you have to find the .pkg (compiled android package) for Android market application, then you need to install it via ADB

I have install android_app.apk file into my device but I was getting error. Package com.android.market_app requires unavailable shared library com.google.android.datamessaging; failing!

How did you install it, with adb or some other way???

using adb install command

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
GPS calibration?
I am using the sportstracklive app on my EVO to track my fitness activities. One issues is that elevation profiles are incorrect. For example, a riverfront section of a recent bike ride was recorded on the elevation profile as 101 feet below sea level.
Is there a way to calibrate the gps so that I get more accurate results?
Also, I'm pretty sure that the app itself is not at fault. I've experimented with a couple of other fitness tracking apps that are producing similar results; so that's why I'm thinking that the issue is with the gps.
Here're a couple of screen grabs of the route. The one with the red shading is correct and was generated by ridewithgps. The one with blue shading is generated by sportstracklive on the EVO gps (blue shaded area is elevation profile). A profile from my Garmin looks like the correct (red) one.

ng

How do you know it was wrong?  Many low-lying areas (like valleys with rivers in them) are below sea level.

Well, 101 feet is pretty far down there. Death Valley is less than 300 feet below sea level.

I know the elevation of my location by other means. According to USGS topographic maps and Google Earth, the area recorded as -101 feet is actually 35 feet. The river surface is 10 feet and the channel is 45 feet deep. So, even if the gps thought I was on the river bottom it was still incorrect.

@wdypdx22: Does it matter that much? Isn't the difference in elevation the key datum?

...And my hope is that when I am in unknown areas on hikes and bike rides, I can get relatively accurate profiles. I also have a Garmin GPS device which correlates closely with topo maps.

@Al - Actually the difference is wrong. The first 2 miles of the ride in question are flat. The gps profile has me undulating below sea level for that entire section.

That is odd. I hope you can find a solution.

Your GPS is nothing more than a precise clock, passively receiving signals. There is, unfortunately, nothing to calibrate. Source
If you'd like, consider going to the problem locations with an app such as "GPS Test" to view the internals of your phone's GPS to try and understand the problem, although there isn't much you can do about it.

Bummer. The EVO must have a crappy gps implementation. My Garmin generated profiles overlay very tightly with the routes I create on ridewithgps. Was hoping to not have to carry it along...it's an older model and a bit heavy, but accurate...

Guess I was confused. The Garmin has a barometric altimeter, so long as I calibrate, I get accurate elevation profiles. I had forgotten that I wasn't making a gps calibration.

You can use the GPS Status app to tell you exactly what your device's GPS is doing. It will tell you things like your current GPS calculated position and the accuracy of that position (in the Error field).
It may be that at times your device's GPS is not getting a good lock, maybe one that's only accurate to 30m (which is what mine's reporting curretly in a built up area, and would explain a 100ft altitude error) and the apps you're using aren't taking into account the accuracy of the current fix. Also if you're out exercising in the countryside, your phone won't be able to take advantage of the closely packed cell towers and nearby wifi points that it uses to assist the GPS in urban areas.
You should also be aware that the altitude accuracy of a GPS unit is normally much less accurate than the horizontal accuracy, this is a problem inherent in GPS, particularly with the cheaper GPS chips used in phones as opposed to those used in dedicated GPS units like your Garmin, see GPS Altitude Readout > How Accurate?.

Thanks for the GPS Altitude Readout link. Explains a lot. After re-checking today, I find that the EVO gps is quite accurate horizontally. And in a comparison with known altitudes, it's off roughly by 80' to 110'.

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


text:
Will the HTC Desire HD have superior hardware than the Samsung Galaxy S?
I'm thinking about ditching my iPhone and going Android, so far the best contenders are the HTC Desire HD and the Samsung, which one has superior hardware specifications?

It really depends what you mean by superior. The Desire HD will be basically the same as the existing Desire but with a 4.3" screen and will have the same amount of internal storage as the Galaxy S.
The Desire HD will have 768 MB of RAM instead of 512 MB on the Galaxy S.
But the Desire HD will have the same Snapdragon processor as the old Desire, whereas the Galaxy S has the superior Hummingbird.
However, the Desire HD will have a 8 MP camera whereas the Galaxy S only has 5 MP, and the Desire HD has dual LED camera flash whereas some of the Galaxy S phones don't have a flash at all.
That sums up the major differences, and personally I'd lean toward the Desire HD, but you should compare for yourself and see what better fits your needs:

HTC Desire HD specifications
Samsung Galaxy S specifications

In addition to you excellent answer I can add that the GPU on Galaxy S is superior than the one mounted on Desire HD, so if you main goal is gaming could make some difference.

Actually with the new Adreno 205 GPU which is on par with the one in the Galaxy S and along with the faster CPU, the Desire HD should be as fast if not faster.

In fact the Desire HD also has a better CPU than the Desire (Snapdragon QSD8250 vs Snapdragon MSM8255). In the end the combination of the better CPU plus the (way) better GPU than the Desire, the Desire HD becomes quite as fast as the Galaxy S.

I chose the Desire HD over the Galaxy for a couple of fairly qualitative unscientific reasons.

I've had good experience with other HTC android phones (I adored my HTC magic).
To my eyes at least, the Samsung Galaxy has been styled to look just like an iPhone 3g. If I wanted something that looked like an iPhone, I'd get an iPhone.

On a more scientific level. As has been mentioned, while the Desire HD is still clocked at 1Ghz, it's snapdragon is the latest revision, made with the smaller process than the old Desire, and with the improved graphics. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snapdragon_%28processor%29
The screen on the desire is also bigger (and to my eyes awesome), but most reviews I've read say the colour and sharpness of the Galaxy is better. The Desire HD is also a big package overall, it may be a little too large for some pockets, I don't know how much more comact (if any) the galaxy is.

+1 At last someone agrees with me. I spent the best part of a week trying to work out whether I REALLY wanted the Galaxy S (this was months before Desire HD) amazing phone, amazing hardware, but the guy that designed the look and shape of the outside of the phone needs to be taken outside and shot! Sure, it looks great, but only because the designer of the iPhone 3G did a great job. The number of people who think I have an iPhone at first glance really p's me off!


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Why do some apps with no internet features require internet access?
A couple of apps I've installed or considered say they require internet access even though they have no obvious internet features.  One of the most surprising ones was a simple compass app.
Why is this?

Usually apps require internet access for ads, analytical data, or for sending bug reports/stack traces back to the developer.
Other reasons might include using Google's licensing servers to validate legitimate copies of apps with Android market purchases (Google's licensing servers use the CHECK_LICENSE permission).  Similarly, some developers produce their own keys and license servers (prior to Google's implementation).
For instance, I am the developer of a tipping calculator app.  It requires the internet permission to send analytical data back to me via Flurry.  One day I plan to add this remote stack tracing program for more detailed errors (but I haven't yet because so far my app hasn't really generated any bugs/errors).  But the value of this information is worth asking for the internet permission.  I can see exactly how many users of what Android OS are using my app and what are the most popular phones using my app.  However, I also give users an "opt out" in the settings if they choose to not send me this information.

Apps use the CHECK_LICENSE permission for Google's licensing rather than the Internet permission.

@Dan I stand corrected then, thanks for pointing that out.


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How can you tell which version of an app is on your Android phone?
I was just browsing through the AppBrain Android store and saw as one of the popular downloads Gmail.
This made me wonder how to see the version info of an application on my Galaxy S mobile phone.
How can I tell the version so that I may update this application to a new version?

Go to Settings > application settings > manage application then tap on the app. It'll say the version you are running under the name. You shouldn't have to check though; If the app in the market doesn't say "Installed" then you don't have the most recent version.

Thanks for pointing this out - I am really new to Android, so I am asking basic questions. However, having gmail taken as example, the gmail application is not in this list (Twitter, Facebook and IMDB are f.i. but no gmail ) ?

@Edelcom: I'm using Samsung Galaxy S2, with Android 4.0.3. GMail can be found in Settings > Applications.

You can't assume everyone uses Google Play (Market). Some devices use Amazon App Store, or have some other store. Some don't even have an app store and require apps to be side-loaded. So it isn't always a simple matter of checking Google Play to make sure you have the most recent version.

Play app
Android 5.1.1 Xperia Z3:

find app
permission details
right at the top is shows:
Version XXX can accesss

Note: this may not work for some "magic" apps, like the Play App itself.
Device settings
Settings > Apps > Downloaded > App name

and the version is shown at the top of the screen.
I was not able to search by the app name, so get ready for some scrolling.
Going under Running instead of Downloaded did not work: if you find your app there, it shows only runtime stats.
adb
Better method if you've got it setup.
Discussed at: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/11942762/get-application-version-name-using-adb
The best command so far is:
adb shell dumpsys package com.google.android.apps.photos | grep versionName

How to get the package name: View app's full package name?
But this method is not perfect, as they can give multiple results because of the Hidden system packages: section.
Feature request for Google Play Store
Those would be ideal places for it:
https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/play/CfSPJbhB6-k

For non Xperia Z3 users, unless your OEM deliberately changed the menu, the location would be the same i.e. "Settings > Apps > Downloaded > App name", for Android 4.x as well as 5.x.

You can easily to settings then application settings after that choose manage application.  you will find the infomations of the android apps.

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


text:
How can I see in the App store whether I am working secure
I wanted to buy some small application from the app store, it asked for my credit card information, but I was unsure whether we were working in secure mode.
How can you see, during payment, whether your are working in secure mode or not ? (like the green colour in Internet Explorer).

Assuming you were purchasing through Android Market (App Store is iPhone), credit card payments are handled by Google Checkout.  (More info: http://market.android.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=105916 )
Google Checkout API is secure even though you won't see an HTTPS indicator like you would for SSL-enabled sites in a web browser (e.g. the green location bar in Internet Explorer).

@J. Farray: I would expect the payment to be secure but the link you provided just tells that we can use credit cards, it doesn't mention whether it is secure. With security being so important these days, one would expect some clear indication when you are paying over https: or not. Still leaves me uncertain.

@Edelcom: The article I linked to states that purchases are handled by Google Checkout.  There are plenty of articles available about Google Checkout's security model.  The reason you don't have a "this is secure" indicator is because Google Checkout only operates over HTTPS.  There is no "unsecured" mode.

@ J.Farray: I agree, but still I, as a user, would like to see that I am working secure. Just stating somewhere in some documentation that the whole system is secure, is not enough, IMHO. We all tell our users of Windows browsers to certainly check the secure indicator as to not send your password and credit card information over a non secure link, but a 'new' operating system as Android does not give any indication that it works secure . That's an oversight in my book.

No one is answering my question here ... so I presume it simply is not possible to view whether you are using a secure connection of not.
In this age, this is a great oversight, in my opinion.


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How do I use the emulator with AppInventor?
How did you enable an emulator for AppInventor? I want to test out the junk that I created on a emulator, before using it on my phone.

Check out this page on the App Inventor website on how to use App Inventor with an emulator.

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


text:
How can I download Android apps by scanning the barcode?
I see all these apps that can be downloaded by scanning a barcode. The question is, how do I actually do this?  What app do I use to scan the barcode and install an app?

I think you mean QR codes and not barcodes, correct?

@Amanda: yes, that is correct

I prefer Google Goggles (available in the Market) for QR scanning to download an app.  The most recent version now "sees" the QR and automatically captures it (older version required you to snap the picture before it is processed), then presents a link to the market.

Nuts! Beat me to it.

Barcode Scanner is the best, you can also create QR Codes to share with others on their website.

I use Quickmark QR Code Reader.  The most popular is simply called Barcode Scanner.

QRDroid does it for me. It gives you lots of options to share the scanned data, and even does the opposite (generate a QR code out of an URL or text, for example).


text:
How do I connect a PS3 Controller with Xperia P?
How do I connect a PS3 Controller with Xperia P?

If your android is rooted  you can follow the steps

Install Sixaxis Pairing tool in your pc
Install Sixaxis Controller app in your android
In android app Tap the start button and wait for bluetooth to initiate. If you
get an 'Error: Missing required protocol' message, your device is
not supported.
You must manually pair the controller with your
phone. This can be done using SixaxisPairTool in yor pc.Your phones bluetooth
address should be shown at the bottom of the main application window
and will look something like 1A:3C:13:00:21:C2; you need to enter
this number into the SixaxisPairTool
Once paired, unplug the USB cable and press the power button on the
controller. If successful, the lights on the controller will stop
blinking and a single light will remain on.
Tap the 'Change Input Method' button and select 'Sixaxis Controller'. You should now
be able to use the controller in any games or applications that
support key bindings, such as many emulators.

Source: http://www.dancingpixelstudios.com/sixaxiscontroller/instructions.html
Youtube video :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI3t-h390rc#t=22
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBcO_Gt0fd4


text:
Alternative for Kies
New firmware upgrade is available. I tried to install it through Kies at least 15 times. But every time, it fails. I am using latest version of Kies on my PC.
I Googled for alternative. I found ODIN for the same. But I am doubtful whether it is reliable.
Please tell me if someone knows reliable way to upgrade firmware without using Kies.

Did you try rebooting your device or connecting it while in Download Mode?

There is no alternative for Kies.
Kies is the only offical way to update Samsung's Android devices.
To unofficially flash/update Samsung devices Odin (for Windows) and Heimdall (for Linux) are the de facto standard. These two a very reliable.

I tried ODIN. and now i am having updated firmware on 1st attempt. But lost my all contacts, data, sms due to my one foolish step.


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Different sounds for different alarms
Is there a way (app, root code, etc) to set a different alarm sound for each alarm?

What phone do you have? The AOSP alarm clock has this as a built-in feature, but the manufacturer of your phone may have replaced it with their own app.

I think the best option is Sleep Bot. you can choose an alarm sound for each alarm, you can have plenty of alarms with different labels, you can also choose individually the snooze time.and the seconds you want the alarm to sound!!

Hopefully this app is your answer: GM Alarm as mentioned in google play, this app has different alarm sounds and you can select the option for random alarm sounds each day. and the alarm sound will not repeat as it maintains a history for previous alarm sounds. Might be useful for you.

also try alarm clock plus this app has a lot of options too!

thanx! I'll give them a try!
I'm now wondering, is it possible to set a playlist as alarm? or to play a random tune from it or a folder?

if you want playlist as your alarm tunes. this app is your tool for the task you require.


text:
Disable open Google Search by sliding up from the home button "feature"?
Galaxy Nexus running Android version 4.1.1.
After a recent update, it seems google has added a feature where you can place your finger on the bottom home buttons, and slide up, to open google search. This feature is extremely useful when I want to interrupt my game play to open a google search while running the streets of liberty city. I am wondering if anyone knows how to disable this wonderful feature.
Thanks.

A simpler solution that doesn't require root access is to go into Settings then Apps. From there, disable Google Search. This will also disable the homescreen searchbar and Google Now features.

Worked like a charm. I wish I could make use of the extra screen space though. Oh well, thanks.

you can if chosing a different path :)

My phone (Android 5.0) no longer has Google Search. Any idea about what to disable now to block this feature?

But again, these solutions require you to be rooted. I don't know how
  only to disable the swipe feature...

...I do!! How about creating a launcher that does nothing, but instead of the home button, use the swipe gesture? Google Now Swipe Disabler does just that! I know I'm a little late, but if you're still wondering, or if someone else comes across this thread, I hope it will help. But the main point of this is to keep ALL of Google Search's features, except the swipe without rooting, or doing any other messy work.

That app is gone for good. For those wanting this way, take a look at alternatives as SwipeLaunch Disabler – or the new app from the original app's dev, Swipeup Utility.

It depends on whether or not you want to remove Google Now in its entirety or just disable the swipe gesture. If you are ok with disabling Google Now, and you are rooted, you can remove the Velvet.apk file (or add .bak after the name) from /system/app. You could also disable it from Applications under settings.
But again, these solutions require you to be rooted. I don't know how only to disable the swipe feature...

The links in the previous answers seems dead.
I just developed an app to disable this annoying feature, enjoy ;-)
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ulk.gesturedisabler

Is this only for the Nexus, as its name suggests – or should it work on other devices as well?

To unlock the screen you can swipe from anywhere and to any direction. Ignore the arrow.
Google search will only appears if you swiped up from the bottom of the screen. That's what the arrow is meant for.

This does not answer the question of how to disable the Google Search swipe.


text:
Blank screen while installing Software Update -- htc one x
I was on 4.0.4. I saw a software update notification, and I clicked it. The update was about 35mb. It downloaded successfully. But when I selected to install it, it first took more than 30 minutes. Now, there is nothing, just a black screen. Not sure even if the phone is ON or OFF.
P.S. While doing all this, my battery was very low. So, I had the phone connected with my laptop to give it power. Now I can see only the black screen (as if phone is switched off) and the orange light near the speaker is blinking that usually blinks to indicate charging.

This may sound saucy now: But you never should start any update without having charged your device to at least 90%. In most cases, you will still end up with 80% or even more -- but in several cases it literally saves you headaches...

As I mentioned my phone was connected to the laptop. That was causing the problem. On my laptop MobileGo (PC suit for Android) services were running. When MobileGo detected the device it tried to connect with it. Which was actually interrupting the installation process.
From my task manager I stopped the MobilGo services and the installation went through.


text:
How can I prevent lag when recording video on HTC Desire S?
I have lags after recording and playing back videos on my HTC device. Look at this video capture:
˃ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmOAr476DHc&hd=1
I thought it had something to do with autofocus but it is only available in shoot mode. Maybe it is still active in video capturing mode but without ability to let user change settings so they can only be changed in shooting mode? This happened with stock Sandisk 8GB Class 4 SD card and happens with Sandisk 16GB Class 4 SD card that i bought recently.
HTC Desire S
Android 2.3.3 (stock)

Enable USB debugging, plug your phone into a computer via USB for a couple of minutes and disconnect. - source
You can also try a faster memory card, as ^ has adviced.
Keep some reasonable amount of free space on phone memory, move apps to SD card if necessary. Android often suffers performance issues when internal memory is low (much like any OS, really).
If nothing else works, try a factory reset and record it again. If there are no lags, it might be because of any resource-intensive apps you have installed.

Have you tried using Kingston Class 4? If you can find Class 10, even better!
Source


text:
How can I disable automatic Facebook photo sync?
Device: XPeria P
Android: JB 4.1.1
I recently enabled automatic photo sync, but I could not remember how I did it. Now, all of my photos gets synchronized to Facebook, and my data/3G charge is skyrocketing as the photos are always get synced.
So, how can I disable this feature?

Open the Facebook app and tap the top right (hamburger) menu item in your sidebar. Scroll to the bottom and select Account > App Settings > Sync Photos. Choose Don't sync my photos.
Source.

Thanks for the response. But I do not have such an option in my facebook app. But i was able to do this by disconnecting my facebook account from the phone.


text:
Fixing GPS lock that takes too long without installing a custom ROM
My phone (Huawei Y300) takes a little under 10 minutes to get a GPS lock. This has been happening both in new locations as well as in and around my home (where it's on frequently).
What could be the problem that is causing this?
Are there any possible workarounds for this (and I don't mean custom ROMs)?

Install GPS Status & Toolbox. Then go to the app's settings > gps sensors > auto-download AGPS data, and set it to whatever you like. It also has a Pro key, which unlocks other features.

The main goal for the application is to assist you and all the other
  applications on your device to get a GPS lock as fast as possible. It
  is much better to know what is happening inside your phone than
  staring cluelessly on a blinking notificaion icon and hoping that it
  will stop blinking sooner or later. (Some people just simply enjoy
  watching all the raw data ;)

Steps to follow if you have a non-locking GPS, from their FAQ:

Menu / Tools / manage aGPS state.
Select 'Reset' to clear the internal state of the GPS.
Select 'Download' to re-download the assistance data. You will need an active internet connection at this step.
Close the GPS Status application for 10 seconds.
Go outside and find a spot where large part of the sky is visible.
Make sure you have the 'Keep the screen on' settings turned on (in Menu / Settings / Display & Tools'.
Let the program run and try to acquire your GPS position for at least 15 minutes.

NOTES:

If the above steps do not resolve the GPS issue then you most likely have a hardware problem with the phone.
Certain phone cases block the GPS signal (remove the phone from it, if you are not sure.)
Certain windshields may block the GPS signal inside cars (those that have metallic coating to keep the heat out.)
Certain phones (usually CDMA) turn off the GPS chip if you put the phone into flight mode.
If you travel a long distance without turning on the GPS (i.e. flight) you can expect much longer fix times at your destination
  initially.
Obviously you cannot expect the GPS to work in your basement! (yes I'm serious)

See if that improves the GPS lock.

The problem is the assisted GPS. Disabling it allows me to get a faster lock.
First, go to Settings then Location and turn off Google WiFi and mobile network location.  Just by turning that off doesn't disable the A-GPS but it should.
For the second step your phone will need to be rooted. Download Root Explorer from the Play store and use it to navigate to /system/etc. Find the file name gps.conf and rename it to anything that you want (I just renamed it to gpsxxx.conf).  When this file is not accessible by the system the A-GPS cannot work.
If you ever use an app like GPS Status after renaming the file, then it will redownload the A-GPS file, and you will need to go back into Root Explorer and rename or delete it

Assisted GPS isn't Google's invention - even dumbphones have it - and it can't be used to spy. It's just a way for GPS receivers to download the ephemeris data from the internet instead of the GPS signal.

Never said it was Googles invention. Everyone is entitled to there own opinion. Google is helping the nsa spy on the American people through their devices

Sure, you're entitled to your own opinion. But that doesn't mean we are also entitled to your opinion. Answers on this site are expected to be fact-based and to relate to the question. Your answer is much more useful now that it's focused on solving the problem.


text:
changing the "hi galaxy" phrase. is it even possible?
Every once in a while, my note 3 wakes up on its own thinking somebody said "Hi Galaxy" and gets itself into the listening mode to start capturing what it hears from that moment on, then submits to Google for a search!
Boy! I had a few situations and eventually I had to turn off that awesome feature.
Is there a way to change this "hi galaxy" phrase to something less likely to be confused?
Can I personalize it?
Something like "ok Samsung, wake up now!" or "ok note 3, wake up now" etc...
the longer the phrase, the less likelyhood for an unintentional match, I assume.
Also, being able to personalize this phrase will prevent other people's getting your way... Imagine, the guy in the bus says "Hi galaxy" to his phone and all the galaxy devices in the bus within reach wakes up. LOL!

Open the S Voice app, and open its settings. You should be able to change it via Set wake-up command.
Here's the setting from my Samsung Galaxy S4:

no geffchang. that's a boolean setting. you'd think that would be the place to do so. but unfortunately, it is not.

@AverageJoe Uploaded the correct screenshot.

Wow! I can get there only when I take the path from "s find -> set wake-up command" route. Interestingly, for the note 3 I got (at&t), the setting you describe is not available; so "S Voice app -> open its settings" does not allow me to see "set wake-up command". but anyway, thanks to you, I used the s-find and get to that jem!

got it.:) Please see this link.  There, somebody else is also  making the same point that this setting is missing on note 3: http://support.t-mobile.com/thread/56280 also, even if I were to do the "sfind->set wake - up command", I'm unable to configure the function 2,3 and 4.  I wish there was a way to video capture the screen.

So, you were never able to change the command? I think you also misunderstood my previous comment. Although my answer helped you, it did not fix your problem. Instead, your solution fixed the problem. So I suggest adding your solution as an Answer (instead of it being just a comment), and accepting it later when you are able to (I think 2 days later). :)

Well, the fact of the matter is neither of our solutions fixed it. The problem is rooted in the note3 itself. Other samsung devices do not suffer from this. My method was a hack to get to the setting that you brought up (the Set wake-up command setting). In note 3, the only way you get there is by going thru the s find-> wake. But even that yields nothing because assigning various phrases are disabled on note3. In other words, your 2nd screenshot is available but disabled. It beats me as to why Samsung took this approach. I will keep your answer as still the one cause that's the closest.

The "Set Wake-Up Command" you mentioned (via  S Find-> wake), is just a help file on the actual commands. If you go to the following, you can change what the Note 3 responds to on the lock screen:
Settings -> Device -> Lock Screen -> Wake up in lock screen -> Wake-up function X
(Note this is just the lock screen when the phone is set to swipe mode, not while it's asleep. Neither does this affect S Voice, but you can still do some cool things.)

my buck stops at settings>device>lock screen.

cause right there, I see, Screen Security & Screen lock (none) and nothing else. You sounded like I should have seen Wake up in lock screen option.

The voice commands are part of the screen lock settings.  Touch the"screen lock" setting and it will take you to the"screen lock" settings which include "wake up commands". Once you check/turn on "wake up commands" you will have a new button below that should be called "set wakeup commands" or something similar.  I have a Galaxy S4.


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Where can I get the stock untouched ROM for HTC Desire C?
I just checked XDA Developers, and I can't find the stock ROM for HTC Desire C. Is it actually discontinued, and is my desire outdated?

But here I was asking for a link specifically for the desire C as I saw it was apparently discontinued.

I understand. If we had one "where can I find ROMs" question for every Android device ever, the site would just be like a poorly maintained Google. We'd rather have one question that's useful to everybody than a load of very narrow questions.

Sorry about that, I'm new to stackexchange and I didn't have much of an idea about how it works, but thanks for the reply and I will try and ask more appropriate questions.

In xda found this.

First download and install the zip from this thread, this will bring
you back to stock
If you want to flash over your recovery and kernel Do this after you have flashed to zip, if you do it before you cannot flash any zips at all! Follow these command carefully to flash back to stock recovery:
fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
fastboot flash boot boot.img

Thanks, I was just wondering about where the download link was, because here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2092147 said it was discontinued.

Also, do I reboot before I flash the recovery and boot?

Do I have to do anything with gapps, as well?

@thePlasm its a stock rom and gapps will be there inside the rom.

I tried to install the fastboot way and it is getting stuck and boot and now my TWRP is gone! I'm trying to install CWM but it's getting stuck at the htc screen when I'm trying to boot into recovery. Please help!

I fixed that, but I reflashed Slimbean, can I flash the zip with TWRP, also, should I wipe dalvik, cache and data?


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Find application size on Google Play Store
Google Play site on PC doesn't show application size. Additionally, after last update, Play Store application doesn't show application size either.
Is there a way to find application size without downloading/installing it?

In the app and in the website, you can only get the size of the APK.

But for additional downloads (extensions), it's usually not documented, but they can go to as much as 4GB. See this SO question: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/21330911/max-size-of-an-android-application
In some cases, it just says "Varies with device".

If that doesn't work, or if they remove it, you can alway tap on install. When you see the size, cancel it. :D

google playstore not giving me size info* when i tap install


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Nexus 5 USB not working on LinuxMint
I tried to connect my Nexus 5 to a USB on a LinuxMint (OS) PC.
At first it worked; it asked me to choose MTP or something else. Now, it's not giving me any feedback. I tried resetting - still getting nothing.
I think it's the phone, because I'm only getting a message of charging, not of being connected to the PC.

What OS are you using?

LinuxMint, I think the MTP support is just sucky because a windows laptop responded as it should.

Rephrased question so it doesn't get closed.

I ended up using AirDroid.
This is by far the best solution to wirelessly connect an Android to a PC (you can even make accessible only inside your LAN, so it's pretty secure).
Seems that solid MTP support is not going to happen for Linux.

Have you tried changing the connecting USB cable?
From other forums I found out that there are charging only or charing + data cables.
It could be that something happened to the data part of it so you see it charging when connected, but the phone can't be mounted because there is no data transfer. That's why I was sure the problem had to be elsewhere, phone or computer
My previous answer suggested to move the cable to another USB port which previously worked, but it suddenly stopped working again and I had to look for another solution. Wiggling it the first time must have restored the data connection for a bit..


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Repartitioning Internal Memory of Android Device
How can I repartition my device such that the storage for device internal usage (i.e application storage or internal memory) can be increased in lieu of decreasing the User available memory.
Currently, I have:

Internal memory = 740 MB
User Available Space = 2.0 GB

How can I repartition to move some Phone Storage/User Available Space to Internal Memory?
I have an External SD card for Media Storage. So, I don't require 2 GB in the phone storage.

That's not possible. But you might wish to see: What can I do to manage my phone's internal storage? and our insufficient-memory tag-wiki.

@TSDCR Would it be possible to mention your phone model and manufacturer in this question as well. This will allow us to clearly answer your question in detail.

You may also take a look at this question in order to solve your issue -> http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/24164/repartitioning-htc-sensation-4gb-internal-memory-for-data

I solved this problem the best way was to do the following:

Root the phone (do it t your own risk!!!! - I sure did and works fine).
Install any memory management application (RAM Management app - refer XDA forum).

3.It will ask you to allocate some of your internal memory as SWAP space.

When done you will have the SWAP act as a backup RAM in case the internal RAM is full.

That did work for me and phone is working faster since then (only small lags while playing HD games)..
Note ; done this before 5 Months sorry for the late update

It's a bad idea to use internal storage as swap.  Use an SD card instead.  If/when the storage wears out from swapping, it's the difference between a new $15 SD card and a new $500 phone.

You can repartition the internal memory. In essence it can be done, but what many others have answered is basically correct. Not only is it quite difficult and risky to perform it, it also requires specialized skills which the average user may not have. There is one solution to the problem though.
The easiest way to do this is to look for a custom ROM for your phone. Many custom ROM providers recognize the issue already and have a fix for it in some way or the other.
Your phone model can provide more information if you like.

If I understood your question correctly, the answer is: You can't. The internal memory is built into the phone and can not be altered, hence why many phones come with SD card expansion option. Those that do not will either have high internal memory from the get-go, or are simply not meant to function beyond basic phone functions (such as call and SMS).
If it is simply a question of optimizing the use of your internal memory, I answered a thread that was roughly about that here: Gmail won't sync, apps don't update: "Device doesn't have enough storage space"

if both the memory are partitions of the same device then is it possible to reformat and extend the internal memory.


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Camera app crashing on Nexus i9250 Android 4.2.1
I just bought a i9250 Nexus, and the system proposed to upgrade to newer version 4.2.1 (it is not a rooted phone. It is an unblocked UK phone)
I played with the new phone and after a couple of days I did upgrade it.
Now the camera is not working. When I try to use the camera, it calls the application and before I can see any image from camera, it says "Unfortunately the GALLERY has stopped"
How can I downgrade to previous version? (The phone is not rooted)
Or, does anybody knows how to fix it? or anything that I can try to bring the camera back to action?

Have you tried clearing the data of the camera or gallery apps?

An update to 4.2.2 should fix the bugs. My Galaxy Nexus has been running a lot more stable since the update.
You should be able to find the update in
Settings>>About Phone>>System Updates.


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Remote Access/Editing files from Android without rooting on any other remote platform
I have a Nexus 7 Tablet and a Samsung Galaxy Ace Phone. I wish to use WiFi only. The phone does not have a 3G tariff.
As the Nexus 7 Tablet does not have an SD card slot of any type, I wish to find a way to connect the Nexus 7 Tablet to other devices including the Samsung Galaxy ACE phone or any other form of inexpensive external storage while mobile, and Windows/Linux PC's when at home.
More specifically I wish to access files stored remotely, to edit the files, and save them remotely, without writing the file to the Nexus 7 local storage at any point from opening to saving and closing, and using any application on the Nexus 7, such as a Word Processor/Spreadsheet.
I wish to accomplish this without rooting either the Tablet or the Phone. I am concerned that rooting will compromise what little security is built into Android. My concern stems from the fact that there is little guarantee that some applications will not accidentally or deliberately take advantage of the device once rooted.
I am aware of applications such as ES File Explorer, and would choose to use such an app, if I could connect it to another Android Device, perhaps if there were a Samba/CIFS server which could use custom ports (>1024) as long as I could also use the same ports on ES File Explorer (or similar app) either through the config of the apps themselves or by some mechanism to reroute ports as may be found in a Home Firewall Router.
I would also be open to using SSH as a means of facilitating a connection if necessary.
I do not wish to use Cloud Services as I do not trust that the Operator will not copy, use, or lose any data I upload.

"My concern stems from the fact that there is little guarantee that some applications will not accidentally or deliberately take advantage of the device once rooted." Rooting the device doesn't mean that every app has root: it means you can choose. Only an app you choose to give root access has the opportunity to exploit it.

if I could connect it to another Android Device, perhaps if there were a Samba/CIFS server which could use custom ports (>1024) Have you checked the play store for those? Most Samba servers will require root, but if you can live with the "custom ports", there's e.g. Samba Server not requiring root.

Would FTP be acceptable solution?  It does mean writing the file locally though, but seems like the easiest direction without rooting.

You may use software like FTPServer to let someone read and write your files on your device remotely via FTP, and ES or similar software to access to. Note though that you'll still need to download the file, in order to modify it.
The simpliest solution may be to run an SSH server on your target device and then accessing it via a terminal emulator: in this way, you'll be able to edit your text files without the need of downloading it (using nano or similar software, installed on the target device).

I guess the part rendering solutions close to imposible is without writing the file to the Nexus 7 local storage at any point from opening to saving and closing. If that should also exclude automatically created temp files, you're very much out of luck.
Additionally: and using any application on the Nexus 7 Yo. That means either all apps have to support Samba/CIFS/whatever network protocol to be used – or you need to mount that network drive locally. This brings it down to apps like CifsManager (last release: 4/2011) or Mount Manager (requires root; I would wonder if that doesn't apply to CifsManager as well). Moreover, on your remote device you will need the counterpart providing the network drive, of course. No problem on the PC, where it comes with the OS. For your other Android device, as pointed out in my comment on your question, that could e.g. be Samba Server.


text:
Enable Location Services via Remote Control
I always disable (Google) Location Services on my phone because they are always drain a lot battery (probably because my mobile Internet is very slow). But in case I lose my phone I can't use any Phone-Lost tools, because they need it...
Is there a way to enable the location Services remotely?
Any better alternatives for me?

Same problem, but it's not enough to turn the location ON remotely, you first need to turn internet/data's ON. Google "finds my device" needs both, it should do it by itself, but I'm afraid it doesn't.

I think Cerebus (paid, but they do free promotions from time to time) can activate location services remotely on Android 2.3+, but only if you have root.
Alternatively, if you just want to enable GPS via SMS, you can look into AutomateIt (free) or Tasker (paid), they also need root on 2.3+ though

Cerebus doesn't do it (got a free promotion some time ago), AutomateIt and Tasker might work I've 4.2.2 with Root :)

About cerberus, did you try to install it as a system app as per the FAQ?
`- Uninstall Cerberus from your device

Download Cerberus.apk and put the file on your sd card
Open a terminal emulator and execute:

su
mount -o remount,rw /system
cp /sdcard/Cerberus.apk /system/app/
chmod 644 /system/app/Cerberus.apk`

I found that lost Android devices operate using Google Play Services with the phone's background data. It seems to locate my phone using GPS, network, or WiFi even when GPS is off, but won't work if I have restricted the background data under the data manager settings on the phone.
I used active GPS hoping it would allow my GPS to work, but I'm not sure it's made a difference.
Air Droid connects straight to my phone. Seems to use more battery but does okay locating the phone. I was also looking at adding a task manager to see if I could activate the GPS remotely. Still checking it out.
I found PingBot SMS - GPS Tracker which is supposed to briefly enable GPS when a keyword you set is received by text. It seems to work on my phone.
Out of all of this, just making sure the phone background data is unrestricted was most effective. You can also use Where's My Droid.

According to the reviews Wheres My Droid seems to be quite useless...

On Samsung devices, you can use Find My Mobile which will turn on the GPS if it is off.

Xiaomi/redmi does it too (at least on miui 11)

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


text:
Connect PS3 Controller to Nexus 4
Is it possible to connect a PS3 Controller wireless (bluetooth) to the Google Nexus 4 without rooting it? There was a way on earlier Android versions, i heard.
How about now?
Thank you

If your phone is rooted then one option may be to try the Sixaxis Controller app (it's a paid app, but you can test compatibility with your phone using the free Sixaxis Compatibility Checker app).
The app should work with both official Sixaxis and DualShock 3 Playstation controllers over bluetooth, but due to the non-standard bluetooth protocol used by the PS3 controllers it isn't compatible with all phones, so test first (using the app above), or check their website.

The question explicitly asks about non-rooted phones.


text:
imo Messenger can't do Skype IM anymore, any alternatives?
I used imo messenger to chat (instant messages) with my Skype contacts, but this feature is now unavailable.
The real Skype client sucks my battery dry in no time.
Any recommendations for further alternatives to log in or federate with Skype? I don't need voice or video calls, just text.

Have you tried IM+?
It mentions that for the Skype function you need to use an in-app purchase. However it has good reviews overall, however I'm not sure what the battery drain is like.

The free version of IM+ does not support skype, not even instant messaging in skype.


text:
AT&T Samsung Galaxy Skyrocket running jellybean update, Voice Dialer issues with BlueAnt
I upgraded my phone using KIES through a USB connection and now when ever I try to use my BlueAnt Q2 bluetooth headset it starts the new Voice Dialler that just doesn't work at all. Can't recognize a word I say and then takes off dialing a number that's not even close to what I have said. Is there any solution to this or am I just hosed..


text:
Wow, my Android OS used 1.75GB in 5 days
I just purchased a samsung galaxy s2 from Virgin Mobile on the 7th of May 2013. Have it activated on the 8th of May 2013. Can anyone tell me why my Android OS would have used up 1.75 GB of data in that amount of time. Not to mention the slow data speeds I am  receiving I could barely download anything unless I waited a very long time and had very poor internet connections. was constantly getting webpage not available every time I used the Google search. Have had many conversations with virgin mobile to no avail. Can anyone help or at least explain to me what is happening here?

If you're speaking of 1,75GB data being transfered (and not of 1,75GB of storage used up), and at the same time speaking of "slow data speed", that's almost a contradiction: at an average 2G speed of 100kBit, that would mean a ~40.8h transfer. Maybe it felt slow to you (as background transfers used most of your bandwidth, see GAThrawn's answer)? You also didn't specify what kind of connection (2g/3g/4g) you have, what speed limit your provider has set, and what volume your data plan includes before getting throttled.

Phones always use more data than normal in the first day or so, particularly if you didn't connect it to wifi while it was being set up.
Things that happen in the first day will be checking for (and downloading and installing) OS updates (which can be large), downloading and installing new apps (some of which could be large), syncing data down from the cloud to apps for the first time, syncing data and apps down from backed up Android data to your device.
You might also want to see these previous questions for more info:

How to monitor the amount of data traffic?
Minimizing data usage for users with data caps

Well, I'm guessing you went to the "Data Usage" option in the Settings Menu in order to find out how much data has been transferred.
If so, this screen will also list each of the applications that participated in that transfer and how much each one has transferred. Look for the one(s) that did most of this huge transfer.
If they're non-standard apps (like Chrome, Maps, etc), disable them: Settings->Apps->All, click on app, click "Disable" and "Force Stop". Or better yet just uninstall them.
If they are standard apps, but you thing they're doing a lot more transfer than they should (i.e. Chrome transferring 1 gb in one day) you may have some virus or exploit or something like that. In that case you could try one ofthe AV programs:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Android+Antivirus&hl=en
though I've never tried any of those myself so I can't tell you how good they are. One other way to go in this situation is to wipe out everything (do a factory reset).

I finally found the solution, the problem is from apps running in the background. I'.m using the S4 on Android 4.2.2
This fixed the problem for me Got to SETTINGS\CONNECTIONS\DATA USAGE scroll and you will see all App's running and their offending data usage on the right of the screen. In my case vMYeyePro was using large amounts of background data 1.2gb in  a week. Tap on the App scroll to the bottom and you will see RESTRICT BACKGROUND DATA put a tick in this box and Voilà
Jobe done


text:
Determine if the phone supports cover art image files and the right filename and format
My music library master is stored in my PC, and I sync to my phone on a regular basis. Most of my album covers are stored in separate image files inside the related album folder, whereas very few of them are embedded in songs metadata.
Now, I noticed the stock ROM player in my phone is not able to handle the covers in separate image files; only covers embedded in metadata are shown.
So I googled around and I understand now there is no guarantee a certain player can handle separate albumart pictures and there is no fixed filename and format.
So I'd like to know if there is a way to determine if a player can handle separate albumart pictures and the filename and format it uses (e.g. AlbumArt.jpg).

The only ways for this, apart from analyzing all source code: 1) reading the app descriptions 2) visiting its home page and checking for more details 3) asking in the dedicated forums 4) asking the dev. Oh, and 5) googling around :)

If you're using the Google Play Music app (which is the stock music player in many phones, and is available for phones running Android 2.2 up if not) to play your music then this Google Support article "Copy music files directly from your computer" says:

If your music files have accompanying artwork in .jpeg format, rename
  the art file albumart.jpg and include it in the same folder as your
  music files.


text:
How to make Gmail in Android ask for user name and password as in laptop?
In my Samsung Galaxy Grand whenever I select the Gmail icon, it automatically takes me into the inbox, it doesn't ask me to give credentials like we do in laptop/desktop.
So the problem is when somebody else wants to use my mobile, they are able to see my all inbox mails etc etc as soon as they choose the Gmail icon.
So I want it set so that when I access the Gmail icon in Android, it should ask me to give username and password everytime .

The solution to your problem is using an "App Locker", which lets you protect selected apps with a password (or pattern). Each time you want to open a protected app, you then have to first "unlock" it. There might also be solutions permitting you to keep the "unlock" cached, e.g. for a confugured time span or place (e.g. when home) -- but as I don't need any app-locker I never remember which app offered that.
Examples for such app-lockers are Smart App Protector(App Lock), supporting password, pattern, and even gesture unlock, and Smart AppLock (App Protector):

Smart App Protector and Smart AppLock (Source: Google Play; click images for larger variant)

The reason for this is that the Gmail app doesn't have a login function, instead it uses the Google account that you have added to the phone. You either have to add the other person's Google account to your phone and remove it after they've used it (which is time-consuming) or tell them to use the browser to access their Gmail, which can be set to either remember or forget the user, like the desktop site.


text:
Network problems with Samsung Galaxy Young (S6312)
I'm having a network problem with my Samsung Galaxy Young (S6312) device. Sometimes while trying to make a call, even though the signal indicator shows 2 or 3 bars, the device displays a message like "Not registered on network" and the call doesn't get through.
Also, sometimes while my mobile data is turned on it doesn't connect to the internet. I have set the mobile network to the GSM/WCDMA(AUTO) mode.
Is there any solution for this?

I have had a similar problem to this. In my case, it was caused by the SIM card coming loose. Try the following steps:-

Turn the phone off completely
Remove the SIM card
Reinsert the SIM card
Turn the phone on again

and then see if you can make a call and use mobile Internet. If it happens repeatedly, you might need to wedge a small piece of paper in with your SIM card to keep it in place.

Is it an unlocked phone, my Samsung galaxy 2 can do the same thing. I have a Vodafone sim in it, but live in an area that SD does not get a Vodafone signal, only Optus (have Optus Nokia phone also) and the Samsung shows me a full 4 bars, and if I try to make a call it will show network not registered. When I get to an area that I know I will get a Vodafone signal I some times have to go into settings a tell it to use the Vodafone network. A bug as I see it as it knows what sim you have so it should ignore other networks.
Brian


text:
Is There Any Way To Increase Internal Memory?
My internal memory is 1 GB. After I reboot it changes to 64 MB. When I check the space on internal storage, I only see built in apps and shows no free space.

Welcome. Have you searched for related questions and answers? You may use the tag [tag:insufficient-memory].

Not only that -- this again looks like the old "free RAM" question. Or is the question rather referring "storage" instead of "memory"?

No, there is no way to increase internal memory; this is installed at the factory and is fixed.  You can, however, free up existing space on your internal memory by removing apps, cleaning out caches and deleting end user files that are stored there.  Modifying stock apps (ie, removing bloatware) usually requires a rooted device, and will prevent you from receiving over the air updates as well as most likely voiding your warranty.

Look under Settings / Applications / Memory    then narrow down to "running", and see what is taking room.
Before I found "running", I noticed that NFS Shift and Let's Golf took a very large amount of "memory" (akin to disk space) so uninstalled them.
Then under Running, I could see if there were any things running that I didn't want, in my case skype was running (I use the chat), IMO was running (I use the chat), etc.  but if I'd have found things I didn't want running I would see what I could do with them.

The best solution is to swap the 'Storage Memory's ' . It's to swap internal to external and external to internal.
If your phone's rooted it may be easy just to edit a file(depending on the model).
So better search How to Swap Internal and External for your model.
Better search XDA forums.


text:
How do I check which browser I'm using?
Some context: I'm using Desire, and it bugs me that it adds "http://www." when I type a word into the address bar. I just want to search...
The application I'm using is called "Internet". Is it something tailored to HTC? Is it based on Chromium?

Go to Settings - Applications - Manage Applications - All - Select the icon you use and this will give you all the information about the program

The default, built-in Android browser doesn't do a lot of advertising of itself at all (as it doesn't really need to). Most 3rd party browsers put their name and/or logo in as many places in the UI and menus as possible. If you can't see any browser names or logos in the interface then you're probably using the default built-in browser.
To see if a specific web browser on your phone is being used as the default for any actions, then go into Settings -> Applications -> Manage Applications -> All, and find it in the list (the built-in browser will be called either "Browser" or "Internet" in the list, depending on your version of Android). When you the browser's icon in that list the Application Info screen should appear, and if that browser is currently set to be the default, then you should see a section labelled "Launch by default" where it will say "You have selected to launch this application by default for some actions". If the browser isn't set as default that section will say "No defaults set".
If you want to change the default browser, just click the Clear defaults button on the one that is currently acting as the default, and next time you click a web link you should get a box pop-up asking you which browser to use, and giving you the option to set that as the default.
It's hard to tell from your question, but it's worded in a way that could also just be asking for more specifics of what the default, built-in browser is, in which case this previous question should help you out: Android browser


text:
How do I remove stocks from the stock card settings in Google Now?
I have added some stocks to the stock card settings that I want to remove, how do I do that? There is no obvious way, I tried long press & swiping but those gestures do nothing.

In Android 4.4:

Open Google Now.
Press the Options button in upper right corner of the Stock Card.
Press the Right Arrow to cycle through options for the card.
When asked about "Interested in the stock UNWANTED-STOCK-NAME?", tap "NO".

In older versions:
This should do it for you:

Open Google Now

Press the menu button

Press Settings

Press Google Now

Scroll down and press Stocks

Press the stock you want to remove

Press Remove


text:
Page up and page down in web pages and elsewhere
I can't figure out a usable way of scrolling page by page. I'm using Android 4.1 (stock Android from Google). I have root access if needed. I want this especially in the default browser, but a solution that works in all applications would be better.
I've found three ways to scroll down by one page.

Set my finger down at the bottom of the page, drag it to the top in a vertical line, raise my finger. This is clumsy because it requires a long finger gesture.
A flicking motion in the up direction. This is clumsy because it requires flicking by the exact amount, otherwise the text scrolls by more or less than one page. I just can't manage that much precision.
A sufficiently forceful flicking motion, then set my finger down when the text has reached the point where I want it to be. This requires more finger strength than I would like and a lot of visual concentration; my finger-eye coordination is nowhere near enough to succeed with reasonably high probability.

Given how common the “page down” task is, there must be a better way that I'm missing. What is it?

Something that "works in all applications" will almost certainly be impossible. Unlike desktop apps, which generally tap into a standard UI framework that can handle HID pageup/down events, Android apps can be developed with custom UI setups, and I don't even think that there is a pageup/down event in Android (I could definitely be wrong there). However, this is a really interesting question. I bet there are some browsers or browser addons that can give you this functionality, and I'd also love to know if Chrome or the stock browser can do this.

Actually, I take my "will almost certainly be impossible" comment back. If you can spoof a touch event that swipes from bottom to top, that would work in almost any app.

You mean to scroll from top to bottom(and vice versa) of a page in single vertical scroll/swipe?

@Lucky No, not from top to bottom. One screenful at a time. Like the PageUp/PageDown keys on a PC-style computer. And a swipe isn't a convenient UI, ideally this would be what the Volume Up/Down keys do in a text viewer such as a web browser.

@Firelord I'm currently on Cyanogenmod 10 based on Android 4.3. Please make that an answer, this seems to be exactly what I want!

Gilles, did you try my solution? I have another solution in mind, which wouldn't require you to even press those hardware keys. It would be based on LMT launcher and Tasker.

Have you found a solution for 7.0?  Volkey Scroll looks promising but isn't quite there.

@William I haven't even looked, my phone is stuck on 5.1.

You can use LMT Launcher's PIE navigation feature to achieve your objective. LMT wouldn't replace your current home launcher which means you can rest assured that your home screen would stay untouched.
Let's come to business. Here is the XDA thread about LMT Launcher. It's a freeware app and needs to be sideloaded into the system (not available on Play Store). Make sure that Unknown Sources is enabled before you try installing its APK.
It can be activated along the edges of the screen (I prefer at bottom) like this:
(Click image to enlarge; Source: Droid Life)

This navigation is called PIE and each of the blue section is referred as a pie.
How does it help?
You can configure a pie to execute a script. The script would be nothing more than:
su; input touchscreen swipe X1 Y1 X2 Y2

where the X1, Y1 and X2, Y2 coordinates can be obtained from my answer here (see step 1 or step 2 under Instructions for Tasker and Xposed Additions there).
You can also configure a pie to execute a KeyEvent. The keycode for Page Up and Page Down are 92 and 93 respectively. See more keycodes here.
Usage Instructions

Launch LMT launcher and activate it.
Go to Pie → Pie Item 1 → Script and enter:
su; input touchscreen swipe X1 Y1 X2 Y2

Replace the coordinates with the one you produced as ideal to simulate Scroll Down.
Configure  another pie in the manner noted above but interchange the  coordinates to X2 Y2 X1 Y1 to simulate Scroll Up.
In place of Script you may select Key option and enter the keycode you want to be executed.
Under Settings tab you can configure the settings of navigation system such as the place where you want the bar to show up, size of PIE's inner/outer radius, its color and so on.

(Click image to enlarge)

I tested my solution successfully on CM12. Here is a short ripped video (~6MB) showing the answer in action.

This is an impressive answer.  Could this be used to get Page Down to work properly http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/168500/page-down-and-page-up-dont  I'm not sure.

Sorry Liam, but I do not have an OTG cable or a bluetooth keyboard at my disposal to run tests. Have you tried my other solutions available on this very page?

I'll mail you a bluetooth keyboard if you think you can get this to work.  I have at least one extra one laying around.  Alternatively you can even go into an Apple Store and reconfigure one of their bluetooth keyboards to work with your phone temporarily.

My apologies @William, as I'm nowdays short on time to do anything significant or useful for any Android related issue. However, I think I can offer my generosity through a bounty. Please send me a bounty note and all the details you would want in an answer and I will offer a bounty of +150, if that's okay with you.

The old but good question. Answering it to myself, I came up with using MacroDroid alone for this. At least now volume up/down scrolls one page in Chrome. The method might be applied either to another program or to other options inside MacroDroid, for example buttons on screen:

Trigger: Volume Up/Down, might reguire giving MacroDroid accessebility permissions.
Action: Gesture [300 ms, 500, 1850-> 500,340]. My device has 1980 pixel height, so this values should be adjusted to the device/application.
Constraint: Chrome appliction in foreground. Other application often also might be used for this macro, but different screen layout might prevent from working correctly. For example, Quora has a toolbar at the bottom of the page, so I will probably need to create a separate macro for it.

It isn't available in the Stock Android Browser or not even in Chrome. But UC Browser provides this functinality of scrolling exactly one page at a time. You can use the "Scroll Buttons" or "Tap to scroll" or the "Volume keys" feature by installing UC Browser for Android. In the UC browser Settings page you can do configure the scroll style and it resembles the same Page Up & Page Down key actions like we do in our desktop keyboards.
Scroll Buttons: A virtual Page Up and Page Down arrow buttons are added at the right hand side of a webpage.
Tap to scroll:
You can either tap at the top half of the screen or th bottom half of the screen to exactly scroll one screen page at a time.
Volume Keys: You can also use your volume rocker keys to scroll the screen page one by one. Pressing the Volume down scrolls the page once downwards and pressing Volume up scroll the page once upwards.
For enabling this feature,

Install UC browser - Surf it Fast from the Play Store
Goto Settings > Browsing Settings > Scroll Options
Either set it to "Scroll Buttons" or "Tap to scroll" or "Volume buttons" > Press Ok
Now open any scrollable webpage and do the desired action based on your scroll settings. For example:

If you've enabled "Tap to Scroll", then click at the bottom half of the screen to scroll down by one screen page(similar to Page Down key).
Similiarly you can scroll to the top by tapping once at the top half of the screen on any scrollable webpage.

Screenshot - UCBrowser Scroll Settings (Click to enlarge image)
Note: You can also enable all the three options at once. But I recommend to use the "Scroll Buttons" option as it is easy to use and works fine for all pages. In Tap to scroll, clicking link will open the links and will not scroll the page up/down. So tap an area where there are no links available.

Nobody brought up a physical keyboard. So that.
If you have root access, Tasker can do  down button presses even without auto-input. This is still relevant for Android 4.4.4. I could get this to send a page down button, but it has peculiar triggers, like headset volume or media buttons.
The Button Savior (Root) app is promising, but I don't have a rooted device. Did not go anywhere with this, because it seems to not send the keystrokes to the active app.
Firelord's Aug 25 solution is better.

I hadn't brought up a physical keyboard because I do not consider carrying one in my pocket to be a viable option. What's “tasker”?

Tasker is an android automation app. Has all sorts of triggers you could use to do this, and it has function that can send a sequence of down keystrokes, if you have root. I think you should start with button savior.(I can't yet because I don't have root) sorry I realize this is a two year old question and you might have the answer, but I can't find it yet. It's annoying to not be able to do something so basic.

I have tried an external keyboard and page down buttons don't work

The need of using an Xposed module can be removed from my answer here. We can use Tasker and a very useful plugin named  AutoInput to simulate page up/down using Volume keys.
Instructions

Install both the apps.
Go to Settings  →  Accessibility and enable Services for both Tasker and AutoInput.
Launch Tasker. Under Tasks, create a task  named Scroll Up.
Create following actions in that task (A implies an action):

A1:

Plugin  →  AutoInput  →  Modes  →  Configuration → Key Suppress → Enable → Keys →  scroll to select Volume Up
Timeout: None

We're suppressing the Volume Key so that you don't end up with system  ringer volume dialog with a slider when you press that key.
A2:

Code  →  Run Shell:
Command: input touchscreen swipe X2 Y2 X1 Y1 or input keyevent 92
If you choose the former command, then use my answer to get the coordinates.
Check Use Root

Create another task  named Scroll Down.
Create following actions in that task:

A1:

Plugin → AutoInput → Modes → Configuration → Key Suppress → Enable → Keys →  scroll to select Volume Down
Timeout: None

A2:

Code → Run Shell:
Command: input touchscreen swipe X1 Y1 X2 Y2 or input keyevent 93
Check Use Root

Under Profiles tab, create two profiles named Autoinput Up Key and Autoinput Down Key.
Link the tasks Scroll Up in Autoinput Up Key and Scroll Down in Autoinput Down Key profile.
Create a third task named Launch Profiles and create following actions in it:

A1:

Tasker → Profile Status →  choose using lens icon Autoinput Up Key
Set: On

A2:

Tasker → Profile Status →  choose using lens icon Autoinput Down Key
Set: On

Create the final task named Kill Profiles and create the identical actions of step 10. Change Set from On to Off in both actions for this step. We need this task so that the custom actions meant for Volume keys doesn't affect other apps where the keys should function as normal.
Create a profile based on application context and select an app of your choice, such as Chrome.
Link Launch Profiles task in Chrome profile.
Link Kill Profiles as an exit task in Chrome profile.

You may now launch Chrome. Use Volume Up/Down to find that they would not change the ringer volume but would scroll up/down the page you've opened up in Chrome. Switch to another app not selected in above steps or close Chrome and those hardware keys would function as normal.

Note: It's not butter smooth as my linked answer but it's not sluggish either. If you're not comfortable with Xposed framework or modules then this answer would help for sure.
We're good to go!

Hacker's Keyboard has Page Up/Down keys which default browser and Chrome handles properly. You can even make it appear outside of input context with "Use permanent notification" option. That doesn't help much since having keyboard open all the time is a bit absurd, but proves the point that an app for having global Page Up/Down could exist.
PS. Dolphin browser also has an option for mapping Volume Up/Down to scroll by page and that's what I'm trying to use right now.

Mapping the Volume keys in Dolphin Browser is for version 10.x per https://dolphinbrowser.desk.com/customer/en/portal/articles/1249750-which-dolphin-versions-support-the-dolphin-key-?b_id=317 and said version is no longer available. Pooh.

Tasker allows creation of Scenes. We can use scenes to create virtual buttons on the screen which can work as navigational keys to scroll up/down/left/right on the screen.
This answer would make good use of all of my earlier answers written on this page. It goes without saying that root access would be needed than.
(Some mundane scenes I created; click image to enlarge)

(Excuse the drawing because I'm no good in it and neither I've tasted the power of scenes yet. Nevertheless, you can see how they are acting as navigational keys.)
Instructions for creating Scenes

Install and launch Tasker
Go to Scenes tab and create a new scene named Nav Buttons.
See Image 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Note that you need not to bother about where the scene would show up on the screen since we would configure it later. Simply decide how much space your Scene should be taking on the screen.
Under Tap create an action that you want to execute when the associated element is touched. You may choose to select an already existing task which may page up or swipe down the displayed app's page. See my answer here to know how to create swipe up/down tasks or see this answer to see KeyEvents which can do page up/down.
Optional: If you want to destroy the scene from inside the scene then you may consider adding an action under Long Tap to kill the scene or the app.

Scene can be destroyed using the action Scene → Destroy Scene → select the Scene using lens icon.
Alternatively, if you decide to create an app from this Scene (later on the app creation part) then create the action Code → Run Shell,

Command: am force-stop <PKG_NAME>
Create a unique <PKG_NAME>, such as com.user.android.se and keep it noted somewhere since we would need it in app creation.
Check Use Root

See Image 8, 9, 10, 11.

(Click image to enlarge; hover to know details)

Now, at this point we have multiple choices to proceed with the scene. You may,

Continue to use Tasker and create a profile where you want the scene to show up,
Use LMT Launcher's PIE navigation to use the Tasker shortcut in a pie. See my answer here to know how to use LMT Launcher. This approach would allow you to show/hide the scene at your will, at any place in system, and doesn't need a Tasker profile to work.
Use Xposed Additions Pro or AutoInput or QuickClick to show/hide that scene based on a Volume key press. See my answer  for Xposed Additions Pro's usage or try AutoInput using this answer.
Use an app like GMD Gesture Control to show/hide the scene based on screen gestures. The freedom is same as one granted for LMT Launcher. See this answer to know its usage.
You can use some automation apps like MacroDroid to show/hide the scene if they allow launching a Tasker shortcut (I know, why bother doing that, but wait for more!)

Or
You may use Tasker App Factory to transform a task into a full-fledged standalone app (read: Tasker independent) which can be sideloaded into system just like any other app and would work as if you're executing a task using Tasker itself.
The good part is that app creation using Tasker and Tasker App Factory  is legal, so one can distribute it at his/her own will.
You want more! Right. The biggest hurdle of depending upon commercial apps is pretty much solved in this particular case. If you do not own or do not want to buy Tasker but a person known to you has it, then you may kindly request that person to create an app for you. You may stick to the basic approach needed for navigational buttons mentioned in the current answer or give a chance to your own imagination.
Also, one more goodie. You can use that new app with any of the five options that I've listed for a Tasker scene. I've successfully tested all of them.
Create an app from a task in Tasker

Install Tasker App Factory
Under Tasks tab touch and hold your task entry and tap the three dotted line → Export → As App.
Create a unique package name for the app, such as com.unique.package.name.
Note that if you completed Long Tap step during Scene creation then you must use the same package name here.
You would see app creation detail. Try the icons at the bottom. The Android icon would initiate sideloading the newly created app using Android's Package Installer.
The app, once created, would be saved under  Tasker/factory/kids/ which is located in your default storage.
Also, the name of the app (seen in launcher after installation) and its icon would be same as the name of the Task and icon you selected in the task creation under Tasker.

I've created a demo app based on the current answer, hosted on my Google Drive. Find it here. The permissions it require are:
(Superuser permission isn't listed but is definitely required.)

(App icon made by Freepik from Flaticon, is licensed under CC BY 3.0)
There's is a slight problem here. While I was able to successfully test my app independently on my secondary Lollipop ROMs on the same device with same resolution, the app didn't work satisfactorily on my other but low resolution device. Oh well, what can I do!

UC Browser has two kinds of tap scrolling.  You can configure it to scroll up if you hit a non-link portion in the upper half of the screen or vice versa to scroll down.  You can also elect to display two arrow buttons (that you can drag around the screen so you can position them to your liking) for tap to scroll.
You can get it here:  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.UCMobile.intl
Note:  As I write this, the UC Browser HD (specifically for tablets) does NOT have this capability.


text:
Override detected WIFI parameters
I am trying to connect to our corporate WIFI network. I know that the type of the network is 802.1x because tech support told me so and I have colleagues that can connect to it using their iPhone with that type of authentication.
My problem is that my phone (Android 2.1) detects the network security as WEP and I can't override it. I tried to manually add a network with the same SSID and the correct configuration. However, when I look at the wireless networks, it says that only the detected network is in range, and that the one I added manually is out of range.
How can I fix this problem?

You should probably talk to your IT department.  They would certainly be able to help you, probably faster than you could get help on here too.
They may also have some settings that are restricting unauthorized devices from connecting.

I wasn't able to connect to 802.1x networks when I had 2.1 on my phone.  I don't think they were supported.  I can connect now that I have 2.2 though.

I don't know if connecting actually works, but the wireless settings have an option for that. I doubt they would added that feature if it didn't work, at least in some scenarios.

Probably true...


text:
What is the MIN # that looks like a cell number under my actual cell number?
When I go to settings, scroll all the way down to "About Phone", and tap on it, all this info pops up. Like MAC address or IP address if you use data. Phone Status and so on. I see my cell number then under it is a MIN # that looks like an actual cell phone number. I called it and a dude named Bill answered. I'm so confused. What is this??

The MIN # is the Mobile Identification Number.  This number is used to uniquely identify your phone within your mobile carriers network and may or may not be the same as your cell phone number, also known the Mobile Directory Number or MDN.  The MIN, just like the MDN, is limited to 10 digits so it appears to be a phone number but is not.


text:
Deactivate Talk Messages on Samsung
On my Samsung Galaxy S2, I am using Google Talk. I also use the preinstalled messaging app for SMS. This messaging app seams to read my Google account and shows Google Talk messages. Therefore I get Google Talk messages twice. Once in each app.
How can I deactivate receiving Google Talk messages in the preinstalled messaging app without deactivating the whole Google account on my phone?

Are you getting SMSes for the Talk messages, or is the Talk conversation just being linked from the Messaging app?

No SMSes. The messaging app "talks" Google Talk. Can not find any option to deactivate :-(

After the latest update, the Samsung messaging app provides an option to disable Google Talk messages. Exactly what I was looking for.

If you just want to disable the Talk notifications and use Messaging for everything, it should be as simple as opening Google Talk, going to its settings, then disabling IM notifications.

I want to disable IM notifications in the preinstalled messaging app. I still want to have the IM notifications in the Google Talk app. Because now I have always two notifications for the same incoming message. One from the messaging app and another one from the Google Talk app.

Why not just have all your IM happening through the built-in messaging app?  I haven't used Samsung's, myself, but it can't be any worse than the Google Talk one. :)

Samsungs messages app is buggy. After opening from notification bar, sometimes it jumps into wrong conversation. And it is very ugly. And it obviously does things I do not want. Samsung creates nice hardware, but should stop forcing their bad software on users.

Hm, then maybe there's a way of just replacing Samsung's messaging app with the standard Android one. That would kill two birds with one stone.

I think, the preinstalled apps can not be removed without rooting. And installing another messaging app does not stop the original one from running in the background and notifying about Google Talk messages.

@Witek You could try using auto-kill task managers to keep killing that preinstalled app until you find a better solution.

@Power-Inside Unfortunately, if the messaging app is getting the notification via broadcast intents, there's not a whole lot you can do to prevent the app from responding to them, due to the way intents work in Android.


text:
How to prevent buttons from activating screen
When I take my Android phone from my trousers pocket the screen is often activated since any press to the search, home, back or menu button activates the screen. Of course, this is a major battery drain. Even worse - sometimes the phone takes or rejects an incoming call while being in my pocket without me noticing. 8-(
So: is there any way to prevent these buttons from activating the screen? Only the power on button should wake it up, since it is much better hidden and cannot be accidentially pressed in the pocket.
In case that matters: my phone is a LG-P500 with Android version 2.2.2

Simply do not buy LG phone the next time. Their design sucks - see similar problem here: http://android.stackexchange.com/q/78241/68373

When your phone is locked and you press any key, the screen only lights up for a few seconds. Even if you accidentally press home or search, nothing will happen until you unlock it. There is no reason to have a dedicated button just for waking up the screen.
EDIT: It's about time, buddy. Get a Nexus device.

The trouble is that the erratic movement of the phone in my pocket does sometimes manage to unlock it via the slider. If that happens the phone sometimes shows the emergency call screen with tons of numbers pressed. The menu, search, back and home button should have no business waking up the phone - that's what the well hidden "on" button is for. :-(

If you did not find anything related in the settings, a solution could be to install a custom ROM (such as CyanogenMod). They often provide a much wider set of settings, and I remember having seen something like "Menu button wakes phones on/off" on some of my older devices.


text:
App To Scan Hyperlinks|Content On A Web Page?
The concept is same as scanning QR codes, but only hyperlinks and content. Is there such an app?
Sometimes i see long hyperlink on a web page that i would like to have copied to my smartphone.

FYI we prefer questions that are "how can I do X" questions, rather than "I need an app that does X" questions. While the answer to the first type may well be an app, the second is too narrow and smacks of a shopping recommendation. It is hoped that questions asked will be helpful to people facing the same problem in the future.

Scanning a hyperlink on a page (visually, as QR code usually is) can be problematic.  After all, almost every link on the page you're reading does not present a full URL that can be used by the handset (e.g. http://www.google.com doesn't bring you where it says that it does).  In light of this, the Chrome to Phone extension for the Chrome browser can send  a page to your phone where you can bookmark it.  In addition, you get several other nice features (send a highlighted number to your phone's dialer from the browser or launch Google Maps links on your phone from a browser link). Very handy.
If you aren't thrilled with Chrome, Firefox even has an add-on

Chrome to Phone is nice, definitely +1

Google Goggles
You can basically scan text with it and it is copied to the device as raw text.

@slhck: But internet/mobile packet data is required.

Worth mentioning, yeah. But where's the sense in having an Android phone without data plan anyway? :)

@Xperia how do you use a hyperlink without a data connection?

@GAThrawn - I am sitting before a Computer. I saw a hyperlink which I want to copy to my mobile. There are two options. One is that open the same web page on mobile and copy the link. Second one is taking a picture. And Itsn't worth. Because we cannot copy the text from a Picture. Using Google Goggles we can read the text anywhere not only from Computer. This is what my understanding is.

Google Goggles does not copy raw text, it only takes pictures.

... and converts text in that picture into raw text.


text:
HTC Desire S on Android Marketplace - "the requested item could not be found"
I cannot download, not update apps. I get the above mentioned message.

As far as I know "The requested item could not be found" status comes when the particular app/game is not compatible with your android mobile or its not there in  Market. I don't know if there are any other scenarios the same will occur.

Not really. Is Skype not compatible with my Android device? Today i somehow installed it successfully.

Because I got the same issue more than couple of times. And I rechecked that and found that thats happening because its not compatible with my mobile and not available in Market.

@Boris_yo Skype is compatible with very few phones and disallowed on many carriers.


text:
How can I "right click" with a USB mouse on Android 3.1?
I've got a Logitech USB mouse and keyboard plugged into my Xoom, which is running Tiamat 1.4.4 kernel on top of Android 3.1. Both are recognized and provide input correctly, but I noticed that the right mouse button is treated just as a left mouse button click. I had hoped that this would instead act like a long press since that's something of an analogue to the right click concept, but I can't find a way to do so. This is particularly annoying because I'm trying out Splashtop and it makes a lot of things really awkward or downright impossible.
Is there any setting (or other method) to make the right click button actually perform a "right click" type of action, such as a long press?

@raybritton: Sure, but I still feel like I have a wasted mouse button, and it's of course slower than a legitimate right click. This also seems to cause some weirdness with certain functions. Plus, Splashtop likes to plug games as a feature, and I'd hate to play e.g. Half Life 2 without a true alt-fire mouse button (it's comfortable and already ingrained into my head, though I could remap to left shift or something).

Presumably the kernel handles this (correct me if I'm wrong) so you could make or request a kernel mod to do this.

Unfortunately there is currently no way to get the right mouse button working as a right mouse button. Long press is the only way to do it. Sorry.

Any links to docs or source?

middle mouse button does it for me!


text:
Does LTE require a special modem from WiMAX or just a firmware upgrade?
Sprint has talks of starting LTE data, but for now all their 4g phones support WiMAX.
I am considering starting a sprint unlimited contract with the EVO 3D phone.
The phone supports WiMAX 4g, on a snapdragon msm8660 processor. I'm wondering if this phone will be able to support LTE if sprint does release it, or does LTE require a special modem?

The HTC Evo does not contain any LTE hardware, so it wont work

Even on Sprint, LTE will be supported through new devices, just like on all the other carriers. WiMAX is a different technology. Because they are both called 4G is irrelevant. HSPA+ is called 4G, too, and is also not the same as LTE (or WiMax),

Right, I get that it's a completely different protocol, I was just curious if the EVO 3d has LTE hardware, or if its CDMA or WiMax Radios can support LTE through firmware tweaks.

The technologies are on different frequencies; the filters used in the radios are all hardware and so you can't tweak it through firmware.


text:
Can I retrieve files from the voice recorder app after they've been deleted?
Is there any way I can retrieve files that were accidentally deleted from the voice recorder on an HTC Thunderbolt?

You deleted them. Android doesn't have a 'trash' that deleted files go to. If it didn't delete the actual file (which would surprise me) you can use a file browser like File Expert (my favorite) to open it.

If the files were stored on a physical microSD card, you may be able to use file recovery software on your computer.  There are a number of undelete and recovery software options, but many cost money. http://pcinspector.de has a flash memory recovery tool for free (Smart Recovery handles flash memory).
Writing more data to the card increases the chance that the file will be overwritten before you recover it.


text:
Can I use Kies with a Samsung Nexus S?
Kies is not detecting my Samsung Google Nexus S phone. Any idea why? I want to use Kies to sync my outlook contacts and calendars.

Has Kies worked with your Nexus S in the past? I actually thought it wasn't supported.

Kies does not work with the Nexus S. I'm glad it doesn't require it, being a Linux desktop user.

As the Nexus S is a "Pure Google" Android phone it works the way that Google intend Android to be used, this means that it is designed to sync everything constantly via the internet, it doesn't have any built in way to do old-fashioned occasional cable syncs with a PC.
What sort of account is your Outlook connected to?
If it is a corporate account, then it is probably connecting to a corporate Exchange server? If so then, depending on whether your company allow it, you can add your corporate account to your phone and sync your mail/contacts/calendar directly with your company's mail server.
If your Outlook is being used with a personal mail account, with mail coming from your ISP's mail servers (or similar) then you can either redirect that mail to a GMail account, and then sync your phone with that, or use tools to sync your Outlook's mail/calendar/contacts up to a GMail account whenever your PC is on, such as Google Calendar Sync, Google Apps Sync, Google Apps Migration for Outlook or use one of the third party tools that will sync Outlook with a GMail account, like Plaxo.

See also these previous questions: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/1673/sync-setup-question-android-outlook-2010-gmail-calendar-and-contacts and http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/5421/is-there-any-way-to-sync-my-outlook-calendar-to-my-samsung-galaxy-s-without-kies

I believe eldarerathis is correct being that it is a pure google branded experience rather than Samsung but make sure you don't have USB debugging on, which is the problem some people run in to with Kies.


text:
HTC Sync fails to start when phone connected "updating htc library"
I have an HTC Desire S wich is failing to connect to HTC Sync. I have downloaded and installed the latest version but one of 2 possible scenarios occur:

The phone is connected to the pc. USB connection sound chimes and I see the phone in my Windows devices list. I then start HTC Sync. It will show the splash screen and use about 40-50% CPU power, but it will not go any farther... It only shows the message "Updating htc library".
The phone is not connected to USB. I start HTC Sync and wait for it to fully load. Then I connect the phone. Once again the phone shows up in my devices list, but HTC Sync will not recognize it, nor will it show my phone.

I am using Windows 7 x64, HTC Sync v3.0.5551 (june, 6th update by HTC).
Any help is greatly appreciated...

This thread on the HTC forums makes it seem like it's something of a common issue with the 3.x releases, but I haven't the faintest idea of where to download the older 2.x versions. Google isn't turning up much that's, er...reputable.

Your problem is due to errors related to HTC Sync, Windows 7 and Adobe AIR. There is a bug opened on Adobe site: https://bugbase.adobe.com/index.cfm?event=bug&id=2966976
The workaround should be to downgrade Adobe AIR to 2.6.xxx version. You can download it here. Upgrading to Adobe AIR 3.0.0.3880 RC1 didn't worked for me.


text:
Software Updates in devices
I want to know what is actually happening when we upgrade a device's software. For example we upgrade a device from Android ICS to Jellybean. We do download JellyBean from the server. Then we will install it. My question is: during installation does it replaces the ICS in memory or it resides in separate memory?
I know the Kernel is same for both ICS and JB. Can we downgrade to ICS from JB?

We do have some previous questions on updates, that do answer some parts of your question. For how do updates get to your device, see Who are responsible for pushing out the OTA updates? and How exactly does operating system update work on Android devices?. This question has more info on the actual update process How do I update the OS on my device?. But I don't think we have anything yet on how the actual files are replaced, etc

Also related are Why aren't the manufacturers updating the phone to the latest Android version when it's available? and Revert Android Update 4.0 to 3.0/3.2

And as a short answer to your first direct question: an update replaces the previously installed version. So before you ask: a factory-reset only resets the device to factory settings (it deletes all user data and user-installed apps), and does not revert to the Android version originally installed.

The new version replaces the old version, just like upgrading to a new Windows version or a new version of Ubuntu on your PC.
Also, it's not the case that the kernel is the same for ICS and JB. ICS uses a Linux kernel based on the 3.0.1 release, whereas JB's kernel is based on 3.0.31. Android-specific patches to the kernel were also added between the two versions, to support new driver features. But you can downgrade a device to an older version if you have a ROM image to downgrade to, whatever kernel versions they use. The only difference the kernel version makes is that if a device wasn't designed to support a particular kernel version, the manufacturer would have to supply device drivers for the target kernel in order to make a suitable ROM.