text:
How secure are Pixel Recorder files?
I noticed that the files stored on Pixel's Recorder app (if not backed up/synced) cannot be easily imported from other apps.
They are stored in /data/data/com.google.android.apps.recorder/files/recordings which I understand requires root access to directly access the files outside of the Recorder app.
My question - and I apologize in advance for the newbie nature of this question - is, on a non-rooted phone, how easily could these files be accessed by an app that has permission to access media files or all files? Thinking of malicious apps, or apps like TikTok which have been known to gather/access more data than they need.

The directory /data/data/com.google.android.apps.recorder and the files and folders within are app-private which means that no other regular app can access those files.
This is true as long a the app itself does not provide a way to access the internal files (this is possible providing a ContentProvider). But for an audio recoding app this would be quite unusual to implement something like that.
The only exceptions are system apps and may be other apps from Google (assuming the the recorder app has set some special sharing flags (sharedUserId ). But this flag is rarely used and thus not very likely to be present here.
The last possibility is an malicious app which uses a vulnerability to temporary gain root permissions.


text:
How to restore Google Accounts from a local backup in MIUI 10?
Lately, I reset my Redmi Note 6 Pro and even backed up everything.
Now, my question is that if I restore the local backup file will my multiple G-Mail or Google accounts get restored too?

No, it won't restore automatically. You have to manually sign in all the accounts even after back

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text:
How do i check my Wireless earbuds Battery?
Okay, So I don't really know What's the appropriate section of StackExchange to post this question, But I'd like recommendations on that.
So i'm using new wireless earbuds that I bought earlier this week, And when i pair them to another phone (A Samsung Galaxy S10+ in this case) It seems to show battery information under the Bluetooth device's name. e.g(Battery : 100%)
Although, when i use the earbuds with my tablet (An extremely laggy and weak Lenovo tablet) It seems to show nothing under the Device's name... What can i do to make it show the Battery information? where can i get battery information about my Xiaomi earbuds?

According to this blog post battery status of Bluetooth devices is only showing on devices running Android 8.1 or higher. Older system requires an app like BatOn to show the info.

I have found the answer to this question, As User @Robert commented on my post, And i installed BatOn And now the battery usage shows up. Thank you!.

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text:
How to flash Official ROM on SAMSUNG GALAXY S6 EDGE
I was offered a Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge a few months ago and I discovered over time that applications installed themselves on my phone and performed operations in the background and my ins such as activate the microphone , play music or send sms. I tried several factory values reset but nothing changes, each time I have the internet connection activated they reinstall completely. This has the effect of heating my phone and reducing the life of the battery.
So I decided to flash my phone with an Official ROM that I did on SamMobile But when I launched the flash with Odin and my phone in download mode the operation failed!
I haven't been able to solve this problem for months already that's why I come here to ask for your help.
when the flash fails, my phone displays the error "SECURE CHECK FAIL: (BOOTLOADER)
I would like to make some clarifications:
- my phone is an SM-G925F (This is what is written behind it is also what is displayed in the settings)
- In download mode I rather see Product: name SM-G925L
- in the developer option, I don't find the "Unlock OEM" button
- When I click on "Software update" in my phone, nothing happens
- I don't know if it's important to specify it but I live in Cameroon
I need help please!

One potential reason for the error message could be that you are trying to flash the wrong firmware image (which has the wrong signature what makes the signature/security check to fail). Sometimes there are multiple versions of the same phone available e.g. for different countries. Make sure you have the correct firmware (may be you have to try different versions out). Based on other discussions the model number shown in download mode is the correct model number, the other model name is manipulated.

If the model number displayed in download mode is correct, why is it different from the one written on the back of the phone? Which ROM should I try now? the SM-G925L or another variant of the SM-G925F?

May be the SM-G925L version was cheaper or better available (version for Latin America, India, Australia) and the it got re-flashed with the global firmware of SM-G925F. I am also not sure if the SM-G925F on the backside is genuine. The Bootloader is the only think you can't forge that easily, hence it stills shows the original model number (and this is the firmware you have to use or you could try to flash the international version skipping the botloader).

you must flash SM-G925L of course. if not available on sammobile or updato, flash SM-G925F with modded odin

It might be worth mentioning that, if using Windows, there's a tool called "Frija" which you can use to download firmware directly from Samsung's servers.

I flashed an SM-G925L and it worked except that the SM-G925L that I found on SamMobile was all designed for South Korea and for LG U+ So every time I turn on my samsung a beautiful LG logo is displayed but everything works correctly and I got rid of malware!

It looks like you Galaxy S6 Edge may have been rooted as I see current binary and system status are indicated as custom and that would explain not being able to OTA update.  I also know that some unlocked refurbished phone replace motherboards as long as the hardware fits.  Its my understanding that what is displayed in the download mode, i,n this case "G925L", will be the correct variant when choosing the proper firmware.
  I've rooted every Samsung I have ever owned and have never had the issues you described prior to factory reset.  It is my humble option that your phone may have been compromise  and suggest your change all your password accounts.  It would be easier is you did this after a successful boot rather than before as you'll face Google FRP lock.   Good luck


text:
Samsung Galaxy S stuck upgrading firmware. Should I unplug my phone? Should I keep on waiting?
I tried to upgrade my firmware on my Samsung Galaxy S using Kies
The Firmware upgrade appears to have gotten stuck.
Kies says
Upgradeing firmware... Do not disconnect a mobile device from the PC during upgrade process
Progress Bar has "Upgrade is in progress.." and is stack at about 1/3
The phone screen shows a green triangle with Downloading... below it and "Do not turn off Target!!! at the bottom.
It has been this way for about an hour.
What should I do?
Should I unplug my phone?
Should I keep on waiting?
I really don't want to end up with a brick.

in 30 minutes I am going to unplug it, unless someone has provided an answer before then.

I've noticed that Kies will often display pop-up windows behind other applications and just wait for you to notice them.  Double check that it hasn't done it in this case.

@Niall I couldn't find any hidden pop-up windows

OK, sorry I couldn't help.  Glad to see it recovered OK.

An hour was definitely too long, I'm sure the entire process was about half that when I upgraded (and most of that time was spent in the download from Samsung's servers).

I disconnected the cable
Kies popped up an error message which said, the upgrade failed and offered to try to recover for me.
By following the instructions on screen I was able to recover my device.

What did the instructions say?

I had faced same problem on Windows 7. Then I tried updating firmware from Windows XP and it worked without any problem.

I did faced the same problem, but resolved successfully in second attempt.

See if you have any USB autorun restrictions for USB devices, I do have USB Security software Installed, which disables autorun feature for all external devices connects to PC either USB or any optical drive.
Try lengthened the display timeout for your mobile device (I set it to 30 minutes) to ensure your device do not got disconnected and system re-connects it during upgrade process.

There was a failure for my first upgrade attempt, I waited for around 40 minutes (after firmware download completed from Samsung server), then I removed the USB cable and Kies asked whether I want to stop upgrade process or not? I chose yes and closed the program. After that I restarted my device and I saw an empty battery and the device went off, I restarted the device after connecting the USB cable and now I saw a Green battery with small dots below showing progress, simultaneously I saw a window showing me to enable emergency repair for firmware, I followed steps and that wasn't successful, but my device was working perfect after that process.
I followed the first 2 steps mentioned above and then ran the upgrade process again and it was a smooth process upgrading the firmware successfully.
Thanks.

If you are encountering issues or lack of update make sure that your Kies window is maximized before proceeding with the update. The hidden popups do happen and you will otherwise not be able to find them. Once the window is maximized the popups get focus and you should be able to proceed with the update.

Well, for me it started the download process, and then Kies said it could not recognise the phone, and disconnected it - but the phone (A Galaxy S) was still in the "downloading, do not turn off" screen. No other recovery other than to restart with battery reset. Fingers crossed...
Well it booted at least.
On thing to consider would be to force Kies to run in compatibility mode, given that it is a 2013 program - to Win 7, or even Win XP (above poster gives that clue). I am trying this on a Win 8.1 rig

Galaxy S's are nearly unbrickable, I've never heard of one being bricked apart from the (very few) hardware locked ones.  Firmware updates have quite often failed for me and worked the next time I tried.  So I would go ahead and unplug it and retry.  The likely worst case is that you'll need to use Odin.

I had to open task manager and end all processes like skype, icloud, last.fm, spotify. once there was a decent amount of cpu and memory available, the program went from 69% complete, to 85% to 100% within five mins of when i opened task manager.

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text:
How do you remove Facebook birthday from "My Calendars"?
My calendar is full of facebook friend birthdays! and worse, they are listed under "My Calendar", not Facebook calendar, so I can't hide them by unchecking Facebook in Calendar, Settings > Calendars. Even thouh they are listed under My Calendar, they still have facebook logos on the entry and a sync logo. I tried by turning off the sync option, but they are still there. How can I remove them from my calendars, and add them to the "facebook" calendar?

I have the same issue with a Facebook event I accepted by mistake, can't get rid of it off my calendar either. Even although I've removed it in Facebook.

birthday is worse because it makes your calendar really full, lol.

How did they get there to begin with?  Via the official Facebook app or something else?

I think it must have gotten there from built-in account sync. I can remove my facebook account and check whether they still remain, but I'm a bit reluctant to do this because 1) it will mess with my contacts and 2) I'm not sure whether the birthday will really be removed when I do that.

This was reported in the Android Central forum here with a link to LifeHacker. It sounds like it will allow you to sync your Facbook calendar without the birthdays because you're exporting the events directly from Facebook. First, you may want to undo the sync that you have going on now. Hope it helps.
Quoting the post from Android Central:

just go to your google
  calendar thats linked with your google
  account on your phone and then follow
  this article.
Add Your Facebook Events to Google
  Calendar

In Facebook, go to your EVENTS page.
At the top of that page click EXPORT EVENTS
You'll get a pop up window with a URL, copy it.
In Google Cal, on the bottom left you'll see ‘Other Calendars' and below
  that a link to ADD. Click ADD
One of the new options you'll be presented with is ADD BY URL, select
  that
Paste the URL from Facebook where it asks for it.

and thats it! when your phone calendar
  syncs with your google calendar, all
  your facebook events will show up too
  and no birthdays.

the problem is that the birthdays show up as entries from "My Calendar", not as a Facebook event (they still have facebook logos on the entry and a sync logo though). I unchecked Facebook from calendar sync setting but still the birthday show up in the calendar.

It may be because the birthday's are syncing through the Contact Sync, then syncing from your contacts to your calendar.

@matt: how to cancel that?

I awarded the bounty because it's about to expire and I dont want to just lose 50 rep to the air :D but still the issue is not solved :(

@Louis I wanted to earn that bounty so I added Facebook to accounts that sync, then added FB to the calendar. Birthdays only show up when I have a the FB calendar added. Like @Matt suggests, it could be something other than FB that's causing this. Trying playing around with which accounts are synced. Go to Settings > Accounts & Sync (or something like that).

There is a downward-pointing arrow on the top right of of the calendar. Hit this, and a list of all your calendars drops down. Untick the ones whose events you don't want synched to your phone's calendar.

Go into Accounts and sync in Settings and remove Facebook HTC Sense and your calendar will be back to normal. Stupid thing had my calendar full of birthdays from my Facebook that I don't really care about....

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text:
How to do USB tethering with an Android Froyo and a Mac OS X?
With Android Froyo (OS 2.2), how can I do USB tethering with a Mac OS X?

It is worthwhile noting that HTC phones have their own mechanism for doing USB tethering

Android 2.1 and HTC Hero here; HTC's tethering didn't work, but PDAnet does work over USB.

Note that Android 2.3.4 (e.g. on MyTouch 4G slide) has an option to switch between "windows" and "mac osx" when setting up usb tethering, in case you can upgrade the Android OS.

PDAnet: http://www.junefabrics.com/android/mac.php

I was hoping for using the native Froyo tethering support, but oh well!

That will depend on whether your carrier supports it and if they do it will cost more for two monyhs of the service than pdanets one time cost.

assuming carrier's support, do you where I can get the Mac drivers?

@notnoop:  It depends on your carrier but the ones that support it push it out in the 2.2 OTA update, and if your computer requires extra driver they will be installed from your phone (thats how it happens on Windows, I don't really know about Macs).  If your carrier supports it, you can go into Settings > Wireless & networks and you should see an option for "Tethering & portable hotspot."  If you don't see that I don't think your carrier supports it.  Either way, you can always use PDAnet.

EasyTether Lite works for me. I've used it on an XP machine as well as a Mac. I love that it's cross-platform.

Shares your phone Internet connection
  with computer/laptop/notebook (Windows
  7/Vista/XP 64-bit/32-bit, Mac OS X
  10.4/10.5/10.6, Ubuntu 10.4+). EasyTether works via USB.
Does not need root access.

There's also EasyTether Full.

Full app allows https - access to
  secure sites such as facebook, gmail,
  online banking etc.
Full app allows you to tether ps3,
  xbox 360, wii via your PC - enable
  Internet Connection Sharing on your
  computer for that.


text:
Can I hang up using a button?
When I'm on a phone call nothing is more important than the ability to hang up. If, for whatever reason, I suddenly find myself in an embarrassing situation or interrupted by something important, I must be able to terminate the call.
Currently the only option, that I know of, is a medium sized red button on the touch screen. I think this is deficient for a few reasons:

the touch screen doesn't always behave as you want (too sensitive, or not sensitive enough) - how often do you listen to chat radio shows and the callers are always "accidently" hitting the dial buttons in the middle of conversation
the GUI may be running slowly and be unresponsive

It there a way of mapping a generic button (such as a camera button on the HTC Desire) to perform the hang-up action? Perhaps someone could write such a service!

Not to mention if you happen to navigate away from the call screen it'll take a couple clicks to get back to where you can hang up.

I don't use bluetooth, but can't you use a bluetooth headset to terminate a call?

Settings | Accessibility | Power button ends call

During a call, pressing Power ends call instead of turning off screen.

No such setting on my HTC Desire Z with Froyo 2.2

Too bad. It's one of my favorite hidden features of my Droid.

There is such a setting on the Galaxy Tab.. just not on the HTC..

Actually this setting on the Galaxy Tab is a curse! I tried calling a call centre, and whenever the screen turned off I pressed the power button to turn the screen back on, which aborted the call! I couldn't get through to the call centre to press different numbers on the keypad once the screen powered off! Terrible.. So I had to switch this option OFF on my Galaxy Tab. Who was the "bright spark" that thought a hang up button was unnecessary???

Excellent! This option is present in the LG Optimus One model. Finally! Thanks.

Feature not present in CM6 - Magic

Not present in HTC Wildfire.

@Mob: Unfortunately, that is just one downside of carriers and OEMs "messing" with Android.

My first thought was the same as Al Everett's answer but if you, for some reason, don't have that setting, you can achieve it through Tasker.

New Profile -> Event -> Hardware -> choose the button event you'd like -> Done
+ button on the left bottom corner to add a task
Phone -> End Call -> Done

And you are ready to go ;)

you mean you can or can't?

Yes, it is possible through tasker. I'll update my answer

It seems to me the camera button would be an excellent candidate.


text:
How to add Google Search Widget on Samsung Verizon GalaxyS?
I have a Samsung Galaxy S phone from Verizon. I don't see the option to add the Google search widget like I have with other Android phones. Is there a simple way to add this without doing something as extensive as installing Cyanogen? I can't find the widget in the Market.

Long press on your home screen (any one from the home screens will do)
a screen; called "Add to Home screen"; will popup, choose the option "Widgets".
Another screen; "Choose widget"; will popup, start scrolling down till you find "Google Search", tap it and you will get the search options screen, pick what you want to go with, and it's all done.
I'm running Froyo on a non rooted Samsung Galaxy S GT-I9000
Update: in case of that didn't work for you, you can get an application called z4root from the android market (the official market) and this will root your phone with one click (further more, it gives you the option of un-rooting your phone also by one click) then you will be free to do whatever you want without doing any extensive things.
it works for both Eclair and Froyo, the only limitation is it doesn't work with NAND locked devices.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=833953
and as you've said, you can use the enhanced search apk; here is a much descriptive link, still you will need a third party launcher

It isn't an option ... looks like I have to install an  enhanced search apk until 2.2 is out for this phone.

http://phandroid.com/2010/09/13/google-search-coming-to-samsung-fascinate-with-android-2-2-but-why-wait-when-you-can-install-it-now/


text:
Why am I unable to view pictures sent to me by MMS from an iPhone?
If I receive a picture message from a friend with an iPhone, the MMS message appears with a "Slideshow" attachment.  When I try to open the Slideshow, I get a message saying, "Unsupported media type".
Can anyone help?  Why can't I view these messages?
Edit: I'm running the T-mod ROM with Froyo (2.2b)

@Trent: You probably want to ask that on the Apple Stack Exchange.

A few things you could try... (good luck!)

Reset the Messaging App
Settings>Menu>Applications>Manage applications>Soft menu key>Filter>All.  Scroll to the Messaging App and tap that. Tap Clear Data, Clear Defaults, then Force Stop. Powercycle the phone. Test MMS. If it fails to resolve the issue go the messaging application and tap the Menu soft key>Settings>Menu soft key again> Restore Default Settings.

Alternative Messaging Apps
Try ChompSMS or Handcent from the Market.

Download the message first
I forget how you do this exactly :o/ Maybe long press or menu button? Then try viewing the image from the Gallery app.


text:
Can I set Calendar default reminder to "none"?
This question has been asked recently, and the answer was "Menu->More->Settings->Default Reminder Time". On my Galaxy S II running 2.3 there is no "More" on the Calendar Menu. There is a "Settings" which allows the Default View to be set but no Default Reminder Time. Under Notification settings is the option to Set alerts and notifications, but that is simply the choice between alert and status bar. Like the previous poster I set most of the entries via the web and it is extremely frustrating to have every one appearing on the phone with a 10 minute notification set.

I have a Nexus S running 2.3 and when I go to Calendar -> Menu -> More -> Settings, I see this screen.  If you click the Default reminder time you have the option of None.

Interesting - it confirms that the earlier answer was correct for some phones. Mine, however, has only the other three options. The "Default reminder time " is missing.


text:
Installing G2X firmware on the LG P990 O2X?
I saw that EaglesBlood released a pre-alpha of Jelly Bean for the P999. Is it possible to make this boot on the O2X P990? I live in Europe.

You may be able to boot, but the likely hood that things like the camera, wifi and other things, working are slim. Even when it is "the same device", just a variant (like the vibrant, captivate, galaxy s, fascinate, for example) flashing a ROM not made for the specific device will not work.
The differences in the hardware causes modifications to the ROM. Everything from the wifi chip, to the camera can require custom drivers.
Most likely, you wont even be able to boot though.

Thanks, I think that I will run EB ICS until Jelly Bean reaches my phone before I attempt to flash


text:
How can I fix my lined screen on my Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1?
I was reading my Kindle app when suddenly the screen on my Galaxy 10.1" tablet went blank. The battery was low, so I figured it had just died. I pressed the power button to double check and my screen showed up, except that 3/4 of the screen was black and the rest had streaked lines where the background would be. I can't even do my unlock code because I cannot see it. There has been no water damage to it and it has never been dropped. I have also never altered the coding. I tried charging the battery, powering down and restarting but the screen stays the same. Please, help. Could it be the video card? I have only had it since December.
Update: I attempted a hard reset, but I can't see enough of the screen to continue the prompts. Any suggestions would be helpful.

Update: I attempted a hard reset, but I can't see enough of the screen to continue the prompts. Any suggestions would be helpful.

Wait, there are onscreen prompts for a hard reset? That kinda defeats the purpose...

I have same issue :(

This is a common issue on this particular device. My friend had the same thing happen and was going to give the tablet to me but after doing some research I found that its more than just a software issue.
I'd recommend counting your losses and buying a new tablet. =(


text:
Unable to dismiss calender alerts on Droid RAZR after 4.0.4 update
I updated my Droid RAZR to Android 4.0.4 last month. Ever since then I can't dismiss my calendar alerts. No matter what I do they just keep repeating every 5 minutes. I've tried using the dismiss button, the "X" to delete, and tried swiping the notification, but 5 minutes later I get a repeat notification. After about 30 minutes or so, they finally quit, but this is getting extremely annoying since I live by my calendar.

Have you tried clearing the app data? (I assume you're syncing to Google Calendar.) Have you tried a Force Stop on the calendar app? Have you tried removing the default reminder setting?

Hey this seemed to have worked.  Thanks for the advice.

http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/13347/app-x-isnt-working-correctly-how-can-i-fix-it


text:
Why the play store prompts "no network connection" while I use reverse USB tethering?
I used reverse USB tethering to share my laptop wired network connection, and my phone's browser works as normal, but the play store prompts "no network connection", why? How to enable it?


text:
How to view the files on mnt\sdcard on PC and how to set default download and save location
The directory mnt\sdcard is the location where all the downloads and the received files are saved, however this file cannot be located on the PC if connected using USB Cable. Moreover, it seems that this file is on the Phone's Internal Memory and not in the Memory card

Could you please specify the device used? On all of mine, /mnt/sdcard is on the sdcard (basically, it is the root of the sdcard). Second: If you have two questions, you should better ask them separately (you can still cross-reference if needed).

I'm using Sony Xperia Sola (MT27i) Android 2.3.7. While using File maneger Applications like Astro, I am able to see a directory called mnt\sdcard in which all the downloaded files are present. From the same application, Im also able to see a directory mnt\ext_card which contains the files that I have copied on to the memory card before mounting it in the Phone using a card reader.

It seems that, like on the Atrix, /mnt/sdcard is your internal storage, while /mnt/ext_card is your real sdcard. You can verify this if you check their seizes: You know the size of your sdcard, so you should be able to point that out. The internal will probably have a size which is not a multiple of 8 (most likely, it will be 6 GB or the like).
If you are unsure how to check this, you could e.g. use SanDisk Memory Zone1 or, even better, Storage Analyser2, which should make it easy to point out:


text:
How can I configure an OBD ELM327 cable to work with an ICS tablet?
I bought an OBD ELM327 USB cable in order to use it with Torque Pro since Ice Cream Sandwich USB host capabilities and the Torque website claims that it works. The problem is that when I connect the OBD adapter to my tablet it simply doesnt do anything, but I expected the choose application window to pop up. I downloaded a usb device app and I can see that it is connected, but it doesn't recognize it. How can I configure it so when I connect it the choose app window pops up?

Just a cable? As for the choose-app dialog, it usually doesn't pop up if you have nothing to handle the event.  Do you have an app that is supposed to work with this?

Its not really a cable, it is the OBDII ELM327 usb adapter.It is supposed to work with torque pro an app that specializes on car diagnostics via bluetooth and wifi but it also has the option to work with usb since ICS has the host capability.In the app's manual it says:Plug the usb and when the pop up window comes up for choosing an app to work with, check torque pro.I did this many times including when the engine was on but nothing happened.@MatthewRead

I downloaded an app called USB device info.It has two windows.Android and Linux.When i plug the usb, in the android window nothing comes up but in the linux one it recognizes it and gives me some device info @MatthewRead

It may be that your specific tablet doesn't support the necessary functions through USB OTG. It may only support storage and HID (keyboards & mice). Can you not use the adapter with bluetooth?

I have the kyocera event that also runs Ice Cream Sandwich and in turn is rooted... ...using kernel tuner(very old version) I saw it as well and tired it myself, it did work for about a minute then a portion of the system went bad and restarted. After it restarted the option was no longer visible in the app. In conclusion the option is there but full OTG  support is not. If you still want the support for OTG it may be best to flash a custom kernel.

You need a otg cable to put your android into hostmode, that is if your tablet offers usb otg mode. I have this setup running on my galaxy s2 and my daughters fuhu nabi 2 , works great except for I need better shielded cables to prevent ef interference freezing data.

OP is using an OTG cable with an OTG-capable tablet, since he could connect the cable to his tablet and he has an app that shows the cable is connected. The problem must be that the tablet lacks drivers for the ELM327.

on my Newsmy Carpad NU3001/NU5002 Android unit, i had to use a passive USB splitter hub 'octopus' and plugged it into the USB Host port.  Then I took a mini-USB cable and plugged that into the USB OTG port on the android box.  Then I plugged both the miniUSB cable and the ELM USB OBD2 adapter into the usb hub dongle octopus.  Then and only then was Torque able to see the adapter.  Basically I had to use both USB OTG and USB Host ports to get the USB ELM adapter working.

I don't have this exact combination of equipment, but you probably need to

connect the ELM device to the tablet
connect the ELM device
to the vehicle
turn the vehicle ignition on, but don't start the
engine; in other words turn the key to position II.


text:
How to delete gmail contacts from contacts app in Gingerbread
My phone is a Samsung Galaxy Y phone. I do not want my Gmail contacts in the phone contacts. I have disabled automatic sync. There seems to be no direct way to delete them

To completely remove them from device, go into:
Settings -> Accounts and sync -> (select your account) -> Turn "Sync Contacts" off

Now delete Gmail contacts from your phone:

Use the method @Ames suggested to filter out Gmail contacts only
Delete all contacts (only Gmail ones will get deleted)
Revert to displaying other contacts.

Since Contacts will not be synced, this will neither delete your contacts from web version of Gmail nor bring them back to your device. Just be careful not to turn this setting back on.

Depends on the firmware, but try this:

While viewing contacts select menu button and then More
Display Options
Under "Select contacts to display" uncheck the Gmail contacts.

Of course, strictly speaking, that doesn't delete them; it merely prevents them from being displayed.

I want to delete it though. Though I hide them, when adding a phone number to the contacts, it still shows the Gmail contacts.


text:
HTML signature in Gmail app
Is it possible to set a HTML signature in the Android Gmail app somehow? I set something like
mytitle

as a signature but the HTML tags didn't parse.
If you can suggest another app that allows HTML signature that will also be cool.

I suppose it doesn't work because the app can only sent plain text messages, hence also no HTML signatures.
I don't know of other email apps that support HTML messages.

Sorry to zombie this post, but I'm drumming up support for a proper fix. Here's where you can upvote the issue (please 'star' it, top left) to help us all get the fix. :) https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/69060926

One current work around would be to create a draft in gmail that has the signature and use it in the mobile app.

It does work. But once I use up this draft from mobile, do I have to create a draft again from PC?

I would recommend making a good hand full of blanks and see how long they last.  I only use them for certain messages when I want a more professional e-mail.

I normally attach signature to every mail. Your solution is cool but unfortunately not enough for me :)

accepted it anyway..

There is an open ticket to the Gmail application team via the android project to address this.  Please vote for the issue if you wish to see html signature support in the native gmail application.
http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=17752

The gmail app does not support html signatures, like you noticed only the actual html code will be sent and displayed.
You may want to try K9 or TouchDown.

I couldn't find a way to add signature in K9 tbh. However I found out it is a open project on github, hopefully more features will come to it.

You have to select your account and then settings in order to find signature settings. They exist. Thanks Robby Pond for the hint.

Go to the Market and get the app Enhanced Email.
This will allow you to do it. It does cost $2.99, but hey I believe its worth it if this guy has support and no one else does.

I downloaded an apk and tried it. It does work. But for a paid app the interface is not good enough. Also Gmail threads are showed as separate mails.

There is a solution for Gmail for mobile browsers.
When you don't use a mobile-specific signature, your desktop email signature from your main Gmail settings will be used.
But, not the Gmail app. Go figure!

The gmail app states that signature can only be in text form- no mention of HTML.

Where does it state this?

Under Settings for your account on the app, the signature option states "Append text to messages you send".

That's not really specific.  Rich text is still text.


text:
Android Packet data shortcut
I have a Samsung Galaxy Mini running Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread. In the previous version Froyo (2.2.1) when I held down power button I got in that menu a shortcut to enable packet data. In Gingerbread I couldn't make this shortcut appear.
Is there anything I can make to add this shortcut there? Because it's quite annoying to keep accessing Settings -> Wireless & networks -> Mobile networks -> Enable packet data.

Using a ROM found here: http://simple-blog.eu/cum-faci-upgrade-la-android-2-3-3-gingerbread-pentru-samsung-galaxi-mini/ Unfortunately it's in Romanian.

It's impossible to add any custom shortcuts to Power button menu. Looks like you have installed some custom ROM. If that is the case, you could also try to find the ROM which has this feature embedded. Here's the list of custom ROMs for you phone:
XDA-Developers: all samsung galaxy mini custom roms!
The ROMs that are based on CyanogenMod (CM) have nice feature called Notification Power Widget, it can be customized and Mobile Data switch could be added:

If you don't want to change the ROM, you still have some options:

As mentioned in another comment to your question, you could use Power Widget, also Android Market contains lots of widgets specially for Data switching.
Also you can simply automate the actions you want to do with earlier mentioned Tasker or Llama, which is free alternative to the Tasker. With this apps you could set Mobile Data to be turned on or off depending on events like your location, or, screen on/off, etc.

I am using now APNdroid. It's a cheap and simple application which cuts the packet data connection.

I used to do this using tasker and a plugin. It's a cost option, but it will work.
Tasker allows you to create widgets to tasks, so it doesn't have to be event based.
The plugin can be found here
Tasker (if you're unfamiliar with it) can be found here

This widget might help.  It has an airplane mode switch and "2G/3G" (I'm not sure if that's switching from one to another or includes switching both off).  There should be similar apps to do what you want if that one doesn't.

Maybe it's the best thing I can do. "Unfortunately, Android does not allow other applications to change the 2G/3G preference directly." It behaves like a shortcut to "Enable packet data".

@Daniel Ah, too bad. A one-click process would be better.


text:
Prevent overheating when tethering
When I tether my phone and download big files or large numbers of them, and download is non-stop for a few hours, my phone (Nexus One) overheats. Is there any way to prevent that, except avoiding overusing the net?
This has happened in multiple devices, so it's not a hardware malfunction; it also happens both in the original ROM and CM7.

You could physical approaches, such as setting a fan blowing across the phone or other airflow maximization (e.g., if you can stand it up, then both the back and front are exposed to air).
Lastly, if it doesn't interfere with the radios, you could try resting it on an upside-down heavy-duty aluminum jellyroll pan ("cookie sheet") which will function as a heat sink.
You can combine approaches of course; a fan blowing over the jellyroll pan will be even better.
That you're getting several hours before overheat tells me you're close, so you probably won't need to do much to dissipate the heat. Standing the phone up may be enough. A fan almost certainly will be.

I've been maximising airflow, but it hadn't even occured to me to use a fan. It makes sense - after all, all non-mobile devices would have fans. Thanks


text:
How do I factory reset when my Sprint LG phone that won't boot?
I have a Sprint LG model# LS670.
When turning on the power it just displays the Android logo in a loop.
How do I factory reset it?

Make sure the device isn't connected to power through the usb.
Take out the battery if the device is on to turn it off.
Put the battery back in.
For about 10 seconds hold the volume up, home key, and the power button to turn it back on. Keep holding until the Android system recovery menu loads.
Use the volume down button to navigate to wipe data/factory reset
Press the button with 4 squares (menu).
Another menu will appear to confirm you want to wipe the data. Use the volume to navigate down to Yes and press the menu button.
Reboot the phone through the menu.

Had the same problem.  Started 1.5 months ago and after rebooting 5 times and taking it to the store (they charged it only) it worked well until today.  I took it back to the store and they told me I needed to replace it. They placed the order for a new phone that will not arrive until next week Tuesday.  Well I read in a blog of LG4 with different carriers not to give up with rebooting that is what I did (including removing the memory card - sometimes the cards get corrupted), I must have rebooted about 12 times and now my cellphone works again.  I was able to back up all my pictures, videos, etc.  Guys, do not give up rebooting.  I know now this will happen again therefore ordering a replacement is just a matter of time.  At least back up all the files you want on a weekly basis.


text:
 Samsung Galaxy Player comparison
I noticed 3 devices all featuring same Android ver.
What is the most advanced device of these 3? Are their features overlapping each other, or they are three devices that are meant to serve different needs?

Galaxy Player 4 (YP-G1)
Galaxy Player 5 (YP-G70)
Galaxy Player 50 (YP-G50)

Any other versions missing in that page?
I wanna buy the latest and most advanced Android version that has the most features of that device.

From what I remember the main difference between the models is screen/device size and battery capacities, the version of Android isn't a main difference (specially as Samsung can update these freely without the networks blocking them like they've done with phones). Will see if I can dig some specs up and put a proper answer in.

According to the Galaxy Player Wikipedia page the differences are:

Galaxy Player 4 (YP-G1) The Galaxy Player 4 features a 4" Super Fine LCD.
  It had a flash internal storage of 8
  GB or 16 GB that can be expanded with
  microSD card.
Galaxy Player 5 (YP-G70) The Galaxy Player 5 features a 5" TFT LCD.
  It had a flash internal storage of 8
  GB or 16 GB that can be expanded with
  microSD card.
Galaxy Player 50 (YP-G50) The YP-G50 model carries a 3.2" LCD TFT
  instead of the AMOLED which is used by
  Samsung in most of its phones. The
  screen has a 240×400 resolution. It
  has a flash internal storage of 16 GB
  or 32 GB that can be expanded with a
  microSD card.

So the main differences are the size and quality of the screen (and the device), and the internal memory capacity.
Essentially the "50" has the smallest, worst quality screen, but (depending which capacity you get) has the most internal memory, the "4" and "5" are larger devices with better quality, larger screens but (potentially) not as much internal memory.
According to another review I found:

...4.0 and 5.0 have almost the same specifications... the 4 inch version has a battery
  capacity of 1200mAh, whereas the 5
  inch version is 2500mAh

So the "5" has a larger battery which should last longer, though this may be offset slightly by the larger screen, and will also make the device slightly bigger and heavier than the "4". Battery life should be better than equivalent phone models (especially if you switch off wifi when you're not using it), as the phone's wireless radio is one of the largest battery hogs in the device. Full size and weight specs of the devices are in the sidebar on the Wikipedia page.
So it looks like none of the devices are "better" than the others, they all appear to have their own benefits but are aimed at different buyers.

I now own an iPod Touch, I hate iTunes and decided to move to Android. I will appreciate any other highlights on my scenario.

I am confused about these product's name comparisons for international and US distribution.
None of these Galaxy Player models have been released in the US.
I have seen what you refer to as the Galaxy Player 4 & 5 labeled
as Galaxy S Wi-fi 4 & 5 in trade show videos on YouTube as well as Samsung's UK site, e.g. http://www.samsung.com/uk/consumer/tv-audio-video/mp3-digital-audio/mobile-internet-players/YP-G1CW/XEU/index.idx?pagetype=prd_detail.  In mid-May, Samung's US site http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/mp3-players/ had the Galaxy Player 4.0 and 5.0 listed with full specs, price and even reference to Best Buy as an official retailer before yanking down references to the Galaxy Player only a week later.  Very confusing.
I search Google daily for signs that the "Galaxy Player" 4 or 5 has been released in the US.  However, I am uncertain as to which search terms I should use because I have seen what appears to be the same product referred to both as the "Samsung Galaxy Player 4.0" and the "Samsung Galaxy S Wi-fi 4.0".
Does anyone have evidence indicating what Samsung will be calling the "Galaxy Player" 4 or 5 equivalent for the US market?

They are out in the US and have been for a while. I'm not sure when they came out but I saw one at Best Buy months ago and wanted one ever since and just finally got one a few days ago.


text:
Alarm clock with auto flight mode
I'm looking for an alarm clock which is able to turn off Airplane mode if I stop the alarm on wake up. (I turn on flight mode when I sleep.)
Do you know any alarm clock with this function?

you may be able to do what your want, in a way, with tasker. it wont "set off an alarm", but you should be able to trigger the airplane mode for a specific time frame.

You can use AutomateIt to enable/disable airplane mode on a schedule.  This may be easier than finding a custom alarm clock.

Gentle Alarm does that. At night, when you set the alarm, it goes into flight mode. When the alarm kicks off in the morning, it takes itself off flight mode.


text:
VLC video converting for Xoom
I have a mkv HD video and I'm trying to watch it on my motorola xoom. I found some players but none of them was good enough to play my video smoothly. Then I read on the internet that I need to convert my video to mp4 in a certain format but I can't find a free converter that can do that for me.
So I found out that VLC can convert the video for me but it takes too much time. I would like to know if someone have already converted hd videos using vlc and it played fine on the Xoom or if you have a better alternative free solution (I'm on a mac, so it'd be good to have a solution for mac).

Video transcoding always takes a long time.

Somone suggested that mailing yourself the video might get google to do the hard work for you. I've not tried it, but should be easy to test.

@syntheticbrain Can I email me a 2gb file? don't think so

Trying to convert it using VLC right now

You can try Handbrake - a multiplatform open-source video transcoder. It has quite user-friendly graphical interface, and supports different device profiles (you can roll your own as well). As to what settings to use on your Xoom: Here someone managed to find the correct settings to make their Xoom play the transcoded video.
Some extra googling would probably give you additional information how to set the device profile in Handbrake -- seems a lot of people are trying to transcode video on this tablet.

For reference, I've tried Handbrake-transcoded video on my device (HTC Desire), and it worked fine without much tinkering, but YMMV.

The VLC converting didn't worked. Trying the Handbreak now.

avconv (libav tools) does the job perfectly, and relatively fast. It's a command level tool, I use it on Linux but I don't know if there is a Mac version. I have converted several captured TV movies (.ts format) to MPEG4 x264, at 2000 bitrate. On the XOOM side, MX-player plays it nicely, VLC (Beta version) chokes on it.
Here is a sample conversion command:
avconv -i infile.ts -c:v libx264 -c:a libmp3lame -crf 23 outfile.mp4


text:
Android ICS ROMs for MID Tablet
I have a MID (Chinese) tablet and I found 2 Android 4.0 firmwares, but with the first one wireless doesn't work and with the second camera doesn't work, the other components and functions of my tablet work perfectly with both firmwares.
Is there a way to extract the "wireless driver" from the second firmware and use it on the first one?

based on my experience with Chinese-made MID, we can extract it ONLY if we have the access to it's kernel (which usually the manufacturer doesn't release it). Maybe you can start looking for the solution at tabletrepublic.com forum.
Find the specific device model and chipset used, and I am sure there will be a lot devs out there willing to help.


text:
Any way to dial international calling codes automatically based on my location?
I do a fair amount of international traveling (currently mostly between the U.S. and Mexico, but will be visiting Europe, Africa, and South America soon, too), and am looking for a dialing app that lets me set international dialing rules, so to speak, for each of my contacts.
This post describes pretty well what I'm looking for, and an app for PalmOS that apparently did it pretty well.
In short, I should be able to:

Specify a country for each contact phone number
Specify the country where I am located (either automatically by GPS location, or I can select my location, or a dialing profile, or whatever)
Then when I dial, it will automatically dial the appropriate country code before the number.

Example scenario:

I have a contact entry for Bob, who's phone number is 123-555-1234, and he is in the U.S.
When I am in the U.S., Bob is automatically dialed as 123-555-1234
When I am in Mexico, Bob is automatically dialed as 00-1-123-555-1234

or

I have a contact entry for Alice, who's phone number is 33-33-12-34-56, and she is in Mexico.
When I am in the U.S., Alice is automatically dialed as 011-52-33-33-12-34-56
When I am in Mexico, Alice is automatically dialed as 33-33-12-34-56

Please note this question is not about how to select the cheapest calling plan for each number, or making international calls with Skype or another VoIP service.  It's simply about dialing the proper international exit codes when doing standard "direct-dial" with whichever mobile provider I'm using.

Generally speaking, we do "How can I do X?" but not "Is there an app that does X?" questions.  In this case I think it's pretty much one and the same (I don't see any non-app way to solve this problem).  That said, if you phrased it the former way it would be helpful in discouraging the bad "shopping" style app-rec questions and might get you a better response :)

@MatthewRead: Thanks for the suggestions.  I've updated the question to hopefully be more inline with your suggestions.  I've also added some examples, and removed a reference to VoIP to hopefully make it more clear what specific functionality I'm looking for.

Can't you just save the numbers in international form? For example, Bob's would be +1-123-555-1234 and Alice's +52-33-33-12-34-56.

@onik: I may be showing my ignorance here, but I don't think +52-33-33-12-34-56 will work when I'm dialing from within Mexico... but maybe I'm wrong about that? It's certainly worth a try next time I'm in Mexico (next week)

@Flimzy Not sure about Mexico, but it works in all the countries I've been to in Europe.

@onik: I will definitely try it then, next week.

You can just save the numbers in international form. For example, Bob's would be +1-123-555-1234 and Alice's +52-33-33-12-34-56.

Thanks! This is working quite well for me, except when receiving texts... So I have asked a followup question.


text:
Keyboard scroll down in Google Reader app
How can I use the arrow keys in my keyboard to scroll down on a page in the Google Reader app?
I can scroll down only via the tactile screen, which is not easy to be done when wearing gloves in winter time.

There are (inexpensive) gloves that work with capacitive touch screens.  http://www.agloves.com/

What about Google Reader via the Browser?  I haven't tried it recently so don't remember how well it works on Mobile.

It doesn't seem to be possible.
At least not in the post it self. In the list of posts it is however.
The only way I am able to scroll in posts, is sideways, which changes the post.
It could be done programmatically though, by combining and rewriting some stuff. But then it is of course no longer Google Reader :)
A suggestion however (which is what I do) is to make a small hole in the thumb of the glove. Then the skin is able to make electric connections on the touch screen :)

No luck then. I posted the request on Google Reader's App website: http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/reader/thread?tid=2d12029dc59dbb51&hl=en


text:
Isn't Firefox mobile able to save tabs when switching to another app and back to Firefox?
Besides its slowness, one big problem of Firefox to me is whenever I leave the app (e.g. looking up a translation in a dictionary) and switch back via ALT-TAB or long press HOME, Firefox reloads all tabs, they are already empty when reopening Firefox (so Ff seems to lose the tabs and only saves the URL's).
Is this due to low memory of Smartphone (500 MB RAM) or does Ff show the same behaviour on Tablets and high-specs smartphones? I also need Ff for Tiddlywiki and switch between apps and reopen Ff quite a lot. So a solution/explanation for this problem would be fine.

I guess that's about the way FF is implemented, I don't think it's about your device configuration, besides, 500Mb of RAM is pretty good for a phone, isn't is?

@mdelolmo it's true, but 500mb is also min. required RAM for ff to run on any phone. All the high class phones have 1GB RAM

I guess that's one of the reasons I'm giving up with FireFox step by step. I didn't even tried the Android version, maybe I should... But, my guess as an Android developer is that they don't check any device property of that kind in runtime, in fact, I don't think that is possible, at least with the API.

Someone with more clout than me (who knows the ins and outs of how to do this) should file a bug report on this.  It is annoying to the point of making Firefox useless when I have a web page that takes 30-45 seconds to load and Firefox decides it needs to be reloaded just because I switched to another app that was already loaded and did not exert any more memory pressure!

Android never removes applications from its memory, unless it has no memory left, then it initiates a low memory warning to unused applications and kills them when needed...
Android WebViews (The default android implementation of web browser) consume lots of memory, and so is Firefox's implementation of their web browser. Actually, Gecko (Firefox's rendering engine) is much slower and a bigger memory consumer than Android's default Webkit rendering engine.
So when you exit Firefox on your Android, the memory is probably nearly full, the system kills it, but Firefox has a mechanism that saves the URLs of the previously opened tabs, and though it starts the application again (and not resuming it) it loads everything you left open again...
And no,512MB are no enough, Android 2.3 takes approx 300MB to run.


text:
How to delete an app installed with Amazon Appstore?
I've installed an app using Amazon Appstore, but I don't see a way to uninstall it. Amazon support has failed to respond to my question after 2 days.
I prefer a method that does not involve deleting it with a file manager or some sort of root access.

Sidenote:  Has the Amazon app store even been open for 2 days?  I thought it just opened yesterday... :-\

@loneboat - This was actually the second thing I noticed about it.  The first was how much it bugged me that you can't download a free app without turning on One-Click and therefore associating a CC# with your account.  Super lame.

From the homescreen hit the menu button and select Settings.  Then select Applications, and then Manage applications.  Find the app you want to uninstall and select it, then clear the data associated with it by tapping Clear data and then tap Uninstall.
Voila!
Edit: I actually just noticed this in Amazon's official help documentation for their Appstore (from June 14th, 2011):

...
Amazon Tested
  To ensure the highest
  quality apps in our catalog, we take
  all submissions through a series of
  tests. In this process we screen the
  apps for known viruses and malware,
  test the app to check that it actually
  does what it claims to do, and test
  whether the app affects the stability
  of the other functions of your phone.
  These tests include (but are not
  limited to):

Installation: The application installs
  and opens, upgrades can be installed
  and the application can be uninstalled
  by following the phone's regular
  uninstall method.

...

(Italics added by me.)
Clearly they intentionally left out an Amazon Appstore-native method of removing apps you've downloaded and installed from them.

I knew it was something right under my nose. My mistake was expecting the feature to be in the Amazon Appstore app itself. Thanks.

@James Roth - Yeah, it really is dumb that Amazon didn't think to add that feature to their store.  Amateur hour over there.  By the way, do the site a favor and don't forget to mark answers as "correct" if they helped you solve your problem; it reflects in the site's stats since it's still in Beta (it also helps both our rep scores :-D).

Will do. StackExchange is doesn't allow users to mark the question as correct within 10 minutes of it being asked.

@James Roth - Really?  Sorry about that then, I didn't mean to sound like a prick.  I've never encountered that.

@JonnyP There's also some debate about accepting answers too quickly, see for example http://meta.fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/64/answers-accepted-too-soon

@Matthew Read - Very interesting... that's definitely a legitimate concern.

that's standard application uninstall, right? :D

@Pitto - Indeed.

Well this is just dandy, because the OS itself doesn't recognize the app as being installed!

Just FYI, they have instructions posted on their site under the "Your Apps & Device" section of amazon.com/apps, support should have been able to respond to that very quickly. Uninstall is definitely lacking in the app itself.
Note: if you uninstall the Amazon Appstore itself, some apps downloaded through it may no longer function, this was confirmed with Angry Birds Rio by Droid-life.

Did you guys checkout the updated Amazon's official help documentation?

How can I delete an app from the My Apps list?
Visit Your Apps from a web browser. Select "Delete this app" from
  the "Actions..." drop down menu to the right of the app you'd like to
  delete. Confirm you'd like to delete the app and your app will be
  removed from the My Apps list on all Android devices registered to
  your account. If the app has been downloaded to a device, it will have
  to be manually uninstalled.

It also says if I delete, I will have to pay for the app if I want to install it again later. This is not acceptable! I need to remove because there is some sort of malfunction with the app install.

Update: From the android app go to My Apps > Cloud, long press and it will prompt for uninstall from the Amazon Cloud level.
No more pesky accidental re-installations.


text:
How to reduce number of screens on HTC Sense android phones?
I was wondering, is there a way to reduce the number of screens available with HTC sense phones to say 5? Just I find that 7 screens is excessive for my needs, and I heard I can get a decent performance / battery boost from having less screens.
So is there a way to reduce the number of screens without using a custom launcher (which I think gets rid of HTC sense?)
Currently I just have my two side screens blank, but that looks off when you zoom out, however I have found that even that has produced a noticeable improvement on my Desire HD
Thanks!

Unfortunately you can't change the number of screens and still use the HTC Sense UI. At least not in any of the versions I've seen.
You can uninstall it or turn it off, but then you won't have free access to all of the HTC widgets, if you like those.
If you really want the performance kick you'll get from less screens in total, and therefore using less RAM, you'll have to go back to Vanilla Android.  Simply using less widgets, as you've done, will certainly help somewhat.
I feel you pain too, I really only need 3 screens for my favorite widgets and folders, but I kind of like some of the HTC widgets.

ah ok. That's a pitty. Hope HTC will add it in future upgrades!

In general, the less widgets you use on your home screens, the better performance your phone is going to have (less processing for widgets).
If you want to reduce the number of homescreens, then I suggest switching to another home launcher such as LauncherPro which will let you change how many homescreens you have. LauncherPro has some similar widgets to HTC's Sense too.

use Go launcher ex.
i'm using it for nearly as long as i have the DHD.
very customizable, lots of themes and widgets even own locker screen (go locker)
and: it's free!

The OP asked "without using a custom launcher"!


text:
How can I open an HTML file I have copied from PC to SD Card of Phone?
How can I open an HTML file I have copied from PC to SD Card of Phone?
I've tried opening it with the default application which is HTML Viewer but I get a "Web page not available" system page.
The URL that the browser shows is:
content://com.android.htmlfileprovider/mnt/sdcard/Documents/To%20Read.html?text/html
Any ideas?
Thanks.

Similar (newer) question that deals with some other filetypes as well: How can I can open local files in the default Android browser?

There's also an app for this, "open in browser, which lets you click a html file in a file manager, and opens the corresponding file:// in a browser app of your choice.

You should be able to point the browser at the file you want with a URL of the format file:///path/to/file.html. For example, I just did this on my EVO with a file I saved to the root of my SD card as post.html by launching the browser and entering the URL file:///sdcard/post.html.
Alternatively, my file manager lets me open an HTML file with "HTML Viewer". This is not as feature-rich, though, and didn't seem to render images for me (whereas the browser way loaded everything properly). My file manager does not give me the option to open the file with the browser, or either of the other browsers I have (Firefox and Opera Mobile).

Excellent, thank you! It seems to work with just file:// (only 2 forward slashes) as well. Also, you are right, it's HTMLViewer software that opens it from the file browser app, not the real browser. Android should give you the option to open HTML files and such using any installed browser, hopefully in the future.

I am trying the same with opera.It is asking me not able to connect, check network settings. :(

I had to file://mnt/sdcard/ and it showed Chrome's internal file explorer. Bookmark it to use. Homescreen shortcut wouldn't work.

What about internal storage? What path to use then?

If your file is at /mnt/sdcard/test/file.html you can access it through the browser from using:
content://com.android.htmlfileprovider/sdcard/test/file.html
Note:
Your file location should not contain any spaces i.e. /mnt/sdcard/test location/file.html doesn't work, even if the URL replaces it with %20.
Additionally, bookmarking the URL helps!

The content:// URL just redirects me to a google search.

Just type file://localhost/
It works in Opera Mobile.

Doesn't work for me but file://localhost/mnt/sdcard/ does on Opera version 30.0.1856 (24 Jun 2015) (don't confuse with Opera Mini which can't open local files).
Found that it's very convenient to open such files with ES File Explorer: long tap on file -> More -> Open As -> Text -> Opera

A few people allude to the issue of having spaces in the file name. I will clarify.
Android is based on Linux, and therefore uses a posix file system. This means that file names with spaces cause issues. Don't use spaces if you are creating a file or directory; leave them out or use periods (.), dashes (-), or underscores (_). To load an existing file with space in it, you must quote the file.
Using the example from the question replace:
content://com.android.htmlfileprovider/mnt/sdcard/Documents/To%20Read.html?text/html

with this:
content://com.android.htmlfileprovider/mnt/sdcard/Documents/"To Read.html"?text/html

If you are otherwise simply opening a file, you may quote the whole string. Like this:
"/mnt/sdcard/Documents/To Read.html"

In addition to spaces which can cause problems, posix systems permit characters in file names that are not permitted in Windows. To avoid issues when copying files between systems, even though some are still permitted on Windows as well, do not include the following characters in file names: / \ ? * : % " < > | + # '
To avoid further problems use a consistent style of capitalization in file names. Note that posix systems are case sensitive, which means file names are case sensitive. This means that file.txt, FILE.TXT, file.TXT, File.txt, georgE.txt, etc. are all different files on a posix system, while they are considered the same file on Windows.

On my Droid 4 (ICS) from VERIZON I get the browser's address box and type:
/mnt/sdcard-ext/my_page/index.html

Then set it as a bookmark. I use Chrome, not sure if I can set it as a home page like on my PC. This is on my SD card in a folder with lotsa pix.
To hide the pix from cluttering up your gallery, give the directory a period in front of it like /.my_page/. Use root explorer or a terminal emulator to check the location.
I think mnt/sdcard/ may point to device internal storage.

instead of hiding the directory (naming it .my_page), you can simply put an empty file named .nomedia into the directory -- with the advantage to easier find your directory (as it is not hidden), while still not "cluttering up your gallery". Media scanner skips all directories having this file inside.

Download the Android App from here - Google Play Store - OpenHTML

Can you elaborate a bit?

Simple and elegant solution.

Just rename the file by appendinh ".html" to it.
For example, if the file name is "abcd", rename it to abcd.hmtl. This works for me in android 2.3.


text:
When I edit contacts on my Nexus S, it's deleting their birthdays from Google Contacts. Am I doing something wrong?
Is it something I'm doing wrong?
Where do  I report this?

I'm guessing there isn't a field for Birthday in the Android contacts app, and when you edit it's replacing the old info with the info on your phone (which has no birthday due to no field for it).
Here's the process for reporting bugs at Android.com: http://source.android.com/source/report-bugs.html


text:
What is the best way to read PDFs on Android?
What is the best way to convert PDF's to some kind of format that is easily readable? For example can you convert it to ebook format?

Related questions: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/2188/best-way-to-read-programming-technical-math-pdfs-on-android-device http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/2736/is-there-an-app-which-supports-both-pdf-and-epub-ebook-formats

I ended up using epub2go.com to convert the pdfs to epub format then used Aldiko to read them.

Such conversions aren't reliable..

PDFs are easily readable, in my books.  Adobe's Reader app is actually pretty good, not bloated like the desktop version.
As for conversion, Google probably does a better job of giving you info that I could.  The first result for this search is a site that will convert to the ePub format, for example.
Adobe Reader for Android:

Thanks for the suggestion but I didn't like how Adobe's reader tried to make the pdf's readable on a smaller screen.

@aboes81: you can disable the "Text Reflow" feature, press "Menu > View Mode".

Can't find the "goto page" function? It baffled me too, almost junked the product.. but there is a way: tap the bottom of a PDF page, it will bring a slider up which you can use to navigate pages - yes.. stupid I know.. why not just include it in the menu?!

Reader doesn't save your place in the book, does it?  That's the most basic thing you need in an ebook reader.

If you have a PC, try the Calibre program. I converts almost every kind of ebook into every other format of ebook.
So you can convert any pdf into any format our Android device can read in whatever program you have or are accustomed with.
Best of all, it's free !
The pdf reader from Adobe is a big program to install on the phone ... and aside from that: I don't like the attitude of Adobe to install updates every day ( mind you that's on the pc, but still - we are not living into an Android only world, are we ? ).

You don't like it when software manufacturers keep their products free of bugs and vulnerabilities? o_O

@endolith Do you really think Adobe finds vulnerabilities every day ? They just change some algorithm so that a group of hackers has to hack it again every time (this is told to me by a person who programs quicker in assembler than in a high level language - so someone who knows how to disassemble code).


text:
How to set up a proxy on a Samsung Galaxy Tab?
Dear all,
  Is it possible to configure a proxy server for Https web browsing in samsung galaxy tab?
What if I install an ubuntu on it?
Thanks in advance,

Ubuntu questions should be asked somewhere else.  Ubuntu has had proxy support for a long time and it is basically independent of the device.

My main question is about the android 2.2 installed on samsung galaxy tab by default.

And I only addressed the Ubuntu part.

Try HTTP Proxy Settings.

But does it require a rooted phone?

I don't believe so.


text:
How to remove home-screens on a Vodafone 845?
Good day,
after playing around with the Vodafone 845 (Android 2.1) icons positions I ended up with additional empty home-screens (or are they desktops, not sure for the term). What is the proper way to remove those empty screens?

You can't with the default launcher. However, with a lot of home screen replacements you can define how many home screens to have. (Zeam, Go Launcher, and Launcher Pro do, for sure.)

Loks like this phone comes with a funny custom homescreen app: "Android 2.1 comes with five home screens that you can flick through from side to side. With the 845, if you drag an icon to the border of the existing home screens, a new home screen is created. In effect, you can create an unlimited number of rows and columns to fit all the icons and widgets you want." - http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/smartphones/279154/vodafone-845

yes, it seems there's no obvious way to remove newly created screens with the default launcher.

Nicked from here:

Menu -> Edit. Click the red (-) button in the upper-right corner of the screens you want to delete. Use the [+] button at the bottom to add a new screen.

Perhaps with the Captivate, but the stock Android launcher doesn't have any such options.

@Al correct, but the article I linked to in the comment on your answer says this phone has a custom home screen, so I don't think it is the stock home screen we're talking about here

@Foley: I wish these carriers would stop overcustomizing this stuff.

@Foley: whether we call it custom or default(stock) launcher - I didn't find the way to remove those screens. I gave LauncherPro a try but first impression was not so good (the touchpad didn't work for screen scrolling). Perhaps I will stick with the default launcher meanwhile.

@dindras Odd, the stock launcher also doesn't automatically create new home screens...

I found this option in both Eclair (2.1. 2.1-update1) as well as Froyo (2.2) - on Samsung Galaxy S. In fact in froyo, the red X button has been dumped for drag-and-drop (to trash) style removal of home screens.


text:
Is there an Android open source alarm clock? I want to log whether or not I press snooze
I want to add custom features to an alarm clock in a way that it logs whether or not I press snooze every day.
Is there a good open source alarm clock that I could use as a basis?

I am interested, where is the modified code? Have you released the modified app on the Android Market? Thanks!

I highly recommend the standard android clock as a basis for this: http://android.git.kernel.org/?p=platform/packages/apps/DeskClock.git;a=summary

I know this is old, but there's another called Alarm Klock that is open source as well.. Apache2 license.
https://code.google.com/p/kraigsandroid/


text:
Can you get a list of the RUNNING applications on Android for the purpose of activating them?
On my Samsung Galaxy S Android phone: if I start a couple of apps, I can get an overview of them in the 'Active applications' icon on my first screen.
Clicking this icon, shows me all active applications but allows me only to end them.
I find no way to activate them.
Pressing the center touchpath at the bottom displays the last 6 clicked icons - which may or may not be the ones running.
F.i. if I start 6 applications, I see these 6 icons, if I start a 7th one I see the last 6 started. I wont see the first icon again . So how can I activate this first one, other than knowing it is running, and tapping it's icon again ?
Please don't start telling me why I should start 6 or more applications. That's not the point, here , of course  :)
ANSWER:
You can't - at least not by using the system as it is installed. A well, no big deal, really. Just wanted to see if I was missing something here. Coming from a Windows background (and aren't we all because otherwise we should be holding an iPhone now), this did not seem to illogical. Thanks for all answers.

I keep my list of most used applications on the 'home' screen. So I dont have to use the ignoring 6 applications list. Great question!

For the record, Advanced Task Killer Free by ReChild can be used as a sort of an app switcher. You can set its "Default Click Action" to "Switch To". However, doing something like that isn't really the regular Android workflow.

The app Smart Taskbar will show you a list of the all tasks(apps) that are currently running on your device and allow you to switch to that app, similar to the native functionality but you are not limited to the 6 most recent apps.
Basically it opens from any screen and also lets you set some shortcuts and widgets and choose from all installed apps (like the app drawer) so you can complete any task from anywhere on your phone without having to go to the home screen first.
There are a bunch of other apps that let you switch between running apps, just search the market for "task switcher."

Sounds like you're overthinking it. Android goes out of it's way to intelligently manage applications and resources. When you leave an app it will generally keep running as long as the resources are available. Long pressing Home and selecting it or just launching the shortcut again should take you right back to the running app.
Theoretically it shouldn't matter if it is still running or not, though -- every app is supposed to save it's state in such a way that if the OS kills it before you come back, it should still be able to launch back to the same state you left it in. This isn't universally applied in programs yet, but it does seem to be much more widespread these days -- presumably because the developers are getting used to the "android way."

I know. But the application button gives me (at the moment already) 3 pages full of icons , and that list will grow for sure. I don't want to go to page 2 or 3 or 4 to restart (or call up depending on your view point) one of the listed icons. I started some before, and I just want to restart one of those .. not wade through all installed ones.

I can sympathize, but I still think you are working against the way the system is setup. There really is no running or not distinction, other than apps that are actively doing background work, and they will be leaving a notification in that case. If you have frequently used apps that you don't wish to dig to get to, perhaps you would be better served by shortcuts on your home screens or trying a home replacement app that allowed for organization of the app menu. I believe Launcher Pro does this, for example.

I know of two other places in Android to get the list of what's currently running. (This is on my Motorola Droid.)
From the Home screen:
Settings | Applications | Running Services

OR
Settings | Applications | Manage Applications | Running

The views are different; one shows all the services from each app, the other just shows the apps.

@Al E.: OK, same comment as the other anwser. You only see a list of running programs, you can't activate the program, or can you ? I want to activate it (bring it on top).

You need to start the app. Are you missing the application list? I don't know what Samsung has done to your interface, but on my Droid I have three icons on the bottom of my home screen. A phone on the left, a globe on the right (launches browser) and a grid in the middle, which pulls up the list of all the apps installed on my phone.

I think he wants to switch to the app from the "running apps" list.  Kind of like Alt+tab on Windows.

Yep, like alt-tab - I know of the application button, but that gives me (at the moment already) 3 pages full of icons. I don't want to go to page 2 to restart (or call up depending on your view point) one of the listed icons. I started some before, and I just want to restart one of those .. not wade through all installed ones.

That's not how the phone works. If you want to use an app, you just tap the icon for it. For apps you want quick access to, make a shortcut on one of your home screens.

@Al E. It's taken me a while to come to terms with this.  For a while I was trying to use the phone like a windows machine, which it thankfully is not.

A program like Advanced Task Killer will give you a list of running applications.  Long press on one of them pops up a menu, and one of the options there is to switch to the application.  You can also customize the long press so that the default action is 'switch to', saving you a menu.
There are lots of reasons why something like a task killer is not something you should be using, but I won't get into all that.  I have it on there for the extremely rare occasion that I need to kill a rogue process.
You can also do a search over at App Brain for 'task switchers'.  AppSwipe! looks decent, but I've not used it (or any of them).

This may not exactly answer your question, but if you press-and-hold the home button, you should get a list of the most recently-run applications.  Pressing any of them will activate the app.
This is built in to (I believe) the launcher, so it is possible that this only applies to stock Android and that it has different behavior on TouchWiz (or whatever skin Samsung put on the Galaxy S phones).

I usually started an application by inputting the name of the application on the Search Textbox. In my Samsung Spica, there is a dedicated "search button", I can click on the search button to go to the Search Textbox and start typing the first few letters of the apps I want to start; the autocomplete will do the rest and you can click on the application you want to start.
In Android, conceptually all programs are continuous and never halted. When the OS needs to reclaim memory, it pauses the application and asks it to save state; later on, the OS wakes the app up and asks it to load its state. Conceptually, applications never dies; conceptually, all applications are running all the time; Android's Activity life cycle is designed to give this sort of illusion.

I know. But the application button gives me (at the moment already) 3 pages full of icons , and that list will grow for sure. I don't want to go to page 2 or 3 or 4 to restart (or call up depending on your view point) one of the listed icons. I started some before, and I just want to restart one of those .. not wade through all installed ones.

@Edelcom: Did you read my first paragraph? You don't need to wade through all that icons, the quick search box can be used to search for installed applications as well as the web. You can type the first few letters of the applications' name, and the textbox searchs the app you want to start.

I did read your first paragraph? But, why should I need to remember the first chars of any application just to activate it ? For common ones like Facebook and Twitter, ok , but other ?  The search box is very usefull, but for activating a running application ? Having said that: it really is not a big deal (my question that is). Coming from a Windows background (and arent't we all), I just found it strange to be able to call up the last 6 you clicked, but not the one's you decided not to terminate.

@Edelcom: But in Android, conceptually, all programs are always running all the time and never terminates, the "list of currently running programs" are exactly "all of your applications". If you have some favorite programs you use regularly, put a shortcut in your home screen; if you want to go back to a recently used app, 6 latest apps are shown (I don't think anyone can manage more than 6 active tasks at the same time, most human's brain can only hold 3-7 pieces of information at a time); if you want to start a rarely used app, either use the quick search or the full application menu.


text:
android.process.media issue
Off late I have been seeing the android.process.media error frequently on my android device. Find the screenshot below containing the java.lang.OutOtMemoryError:

Not sure what causes this.
Some other observations:

Data usage by System Apps sees a 80% rise approximately
Most of the times this error pop-up comes up while launching apps.

What I have tried:

Cleared All data by going to Apps --> Google Services Framework
Opened Google Play Services from Apps --> Google Play Services
Cleared All data and Force stop Google Play services
Cleared All data and Force stop Google Services Framework
Device Reboot

It didn't work! I know there is an option to format the device. But I am wondering if there is a better way to do it.

The error clearly tries to write a JSON file and chokes on it. The question is now where the JSON file is located and to which app it belongs.
My first guess would be to clear the data and cache of the system app "Media storage" (com.android.providers.media). Hopefully the JSON file belongs to this app and clearing the data resets it so that it can start again from zero size.
BTW: The "memory" here means RAM - not flash memory. Therefore clearing data/caches of unrelated apps will not help in this case.

Surprisingly, could not locate com.android.providers.media

Got it now! Do I need to take a backup before I clear it ?

AFAIK no. All it does is storing meta-data of the files you have. Deleting the data will just trigger the mechanism to scan the files and collect the meta-data again.

This has worked for me so far! Does this process (com.android.providers.media) has anything to do with data usage ? I am experiencing high data usage even with no activity. And I am pretty sure the usual background processes doesn't consume 1.4 GB a day. Upon checking, I noticed majority of the data s being used by System apps (90% of which is used by Downloads system app). Also I found 2 downloads apps with different versions.

AFAIK this app does not do any network traffic at all. It provides the audio/video meta data and the list of files you can see when you connect your phone via USB to your PC. However what I say is about the AOSP version, don't know if Xaiomi has modified it.


text:
Cannot receive group messages from iPhone users
I switched from an iPhone, of which I was a fanatic, to the Samsung Galaxy S3. I can receive individual messages from iPhone users, but I cannot receive any group messages. I have downloaded many apps to try and fix the issue such as Handcent and GoSMS. I have re-enabled and disabled iMessage. Unregistered the iPhone(s) from my Apple ID and it doesn't seem to work.
AT&T has tried to help but because they don't get this too often they couldn't help me. I have called Apple but they want me to pay $29 for any type of support. How can I receive group messages on my Galaxy S3? I'd hate to have to go back over this issue.

Welcome to android.SE and Congratulations because of switching from iphone (really they asked you to pay 29$ just to support?!! what a greedy company!). BTW, it seems you should enlighten some details: How you send group message from iphone to s3? iMessage?!! s3 does support iMessage?!! what do you mean by "group messages"? some apps (like GoSMS) support group chat and group messages, do you refer to such thing? or what? please clarify, thanks.

Sorry, by Group Message I mean similar to iMessage. I did use iMessage on my iPhone 4.  Also I used those apps and they did not help at all, now I use the stock messaging app.

This person seems to be having the opposite problem

@AlEverett - I suspect OP's problem is the same. n_starnes, do you still receive their messages, but they just aren't put together into the group convo? They arrive individually from each person?

I'm not receiving them in anyway shape or form. They see that I'm not getting their group conversation messages so then they send me individual.

I believe that this is an At&t issue. I have noticed this and that Verizon doesn't seem to have this issue.

I have the same problem, but for simple message from iPhone users, I receive 8/10 of them.

This is the most fascinating issue that I've seen in a long while.  And it's clear that Samsung is turning a blind eye (I've read that there are some whose phones work fine with the stock ICS messaging app).  This problem is posted all over every forum that I've searched.  And the only answer is GoSMS, or Handcent, or blah, blah, blah.  I count myself among the many that would like the group messaging to work in both directions.  One would think that one of the most basic functions of a smart phone would not have such an elementary problem.  After searching high and low, I'm of the belief that the stock messaging app can't do bidirectional group texts and that a third party app is the only possible solution.
Like many other iPhone converts, it's a shame that I have to admit that my awesome S3 has such a fundamental shortcoming.

Group texts may not be as simple as you think... What may Android users don't realize is, many of the "interface" features are not part of the stock OS but is part of the Skin that the handset manufacturer or the wireless provider put on it.  I have been told that the newer versions of Android (Jellybean for instance) has more functionality so these "skins" aren't as heavy duty.  Also many manufacturers take insult to the term "skin" because of the amount of development and changes they make to the functionality of the Android OS.  This is not a good or bad thing, this is just the nature of Android.
That being said, let's talk about iMessage vs SMS.  iMessage is a service that Apple created to allow iPhones, other apple devices and Macs to talk to each other.  When an iPhone user is sending an iMessage, their "send" button is in blue.  If an iPhone user is sending to a non-apple supported device, it automatically uses SMS and the "send" button turns green.  When sending a group message, if any one recipient in the list is a non-apple device, the whole message is sent using SMS (green button).
I have found that some Android phones receive these messages find and some don't (again because of the effort made by the manufacturer).  But before you blame Apple or AT&T, I have seen them have the same issue regardless of carrier or device.  I have friends with iPhones on multiple carriers and I have friends with Android phones and Blackberries and other types of devices.  It's only certain manufacturers of some Android phones that seem to not support this group messaging.
The reason why I am on this site, is because I was hoping to find a solution for one of my friends who can't participate in the group texting... it sounds like there may be a few 3rd party apps that she can try out.  Since my other Android friends don't have this issue, we know it's just a limitation of her handset.

You can send in Handcent but can't receive. Because of this, I'm switching back. No 3rd-party works to receive group iMessages.

I was having the same problem. I downloaded the stock Verizon messaging app and then Handcent worked fine both ways, I hope this helps.

I just switched from a sprint gs3 to a Verizon RAZR HD and I can group message with iPhones fine now.

You have to have your iphone friends delete your information from text history.  they need to start a text, type your name into the recipient field and click on the "i".  This will allow them to delete you from the text history...Then they start a new thread and this will allow you to receive group text.

The problem, as you have mentioned, is because you had iMessage active on your iPhone. This means that your phone number is still registered with Apple to use the iMessage service. When other people with iPhone sends a message, their phone will try to send it through the iMessage service instead of through the SMS/MMS protocol.
The sollution is to de-register your number from the iMessage service. This can be done here:
https://selfsolve.apple.com/deregister-imessage
I see you said that you have tried to disable iMessage on the iPhone. Did you do this with your sim card in the phone? This is important so that the iMessage is disabled for the right phone number.

If you switched from iPhone either go to App-Store or take SIM-Card out and put into any iPhone and turn your iMessage off by going to Message Settings then turn off iMessages and finally put the SIM Card back in your phone.
Hope this helps.

Below is a summary of what I done:

Check Signal - Done
Reset Network Settings - Done
Check Carrier - Done (Am Able to send Text via old Iphone 4)
Verify that every phone number in your contacts list includes an area code. (Done)
When sending to existing contacts, ensure that your contacts include the full phone number, and not just the information needed to dial locally.(Done)
If you have recently ported your number from another carrier, please contact your current carrier to verify that the porting process has completed successfully. (Done: This is an old carrier, it's not an issue as I am able to use the same sim card to send text via my old iphone 4)
Perform a full restore back to factory original setting (Done)

The question asks very speficifically about a group message problem. You don't address that at all... Why should a full wipe fix the problem?

authors: Анна  Беляева


text:
How do I manually update my Nexus S to Jelly Bean?
I bought a used Nexus S that is on version 2.3.6.
It does not seem to be reading any SIM cards and the baseband version is listed as unknown. I think it may be on a custom ROM because of this. I want to flash it back to a stock ROM but have no idea where to start. My Nexus S is I9020A so I downloaded 4.1.1 from here but have no idea where to go from here.
Are there any easy to follow guides? And am I even on the right track here?

I don't think there is such a model as "galaxy nexus S".  There's a "galaxy Nexus", and a "Nexus S".  I assume you have the latter, since the URL for its official image is almost the same as what you mentioned: https://dl.google.com/dl/android/aosp/soju-jro03e-factory-c9f5a67d.tgz

It looks like this might explain how to do it.

It sounds like your phone is missing the modem. I accidentally did the same thing once while updating a phone. You can just find the best modem for your area and flash it to fix this.

Did you notice that the link you provided points to a Nexus S 4G model, which is not the same as I9020a? The correct firmware would be sojuajro03e


text:
Chrome reopens previous tabs even after shutdown
On my Nexus 7 when starting Chrome it reopens the previous tabs.  I can understand doing this as I switch from Chrome to another running app and then back to Chrome, but not if I've shut the app down, and certainly not if I've rebooted the device. Yet for some reason Chrome assumes that I must want to look again at the last thing I was looking at. Rather presumptuous.
I would have thought there would be an option to turn that "feature" on or off, but I've not been able to find it.
Is it possible to disable the opening of previously viewed tabs?

I think this is probably necessary to work with the recent tab-sync feature. If you want to open a tab you had open on your device on your desktop browser later, for instance. That said, that's the default behavior and I haven't seen a way to change it. Every once in a while I'll go in and close (almost) all my old tabs. Fortunately, once you've opened up the tab accordion it's easy to just tap-tap-tap to close them.

It's an intended feature and can't be turned off. Why do you don't want to restore your previous opened tabs? I couldn't live without this feature.

I guess what's really missing on Android's Chrome is a Close all tabs and/or Close tabs to the right feature.

I too want my Chrome browser to open without the previous tabs. There should be an option to turn this feature off, or a prompt on startup asking whether to open previous tabs as it does on the desktop. When I'm done with browsing, I just swipe the browser off. I don't want to have to close each tab separately before exiting to stop those tabs from reopening when I open the browser again.

You are describing the expected behavior while launching the Chrome browser with theSign in feature enabled.
Here's how to sign out from within the Chrome browser:

Touch Menu > Settings > your email address > Disconnect Google Account.
In the confirmation dialog that appears, touch Disconnect.

Note that if you had your device configured to synchronize in the background at regular intervals, it is still configurued to sync and update your emails with your google account. This procedure just prevents the Chrome browser from loading a previous session state at browser launch because the browser is signed in.

Sounds credible, however disconnecting my browser from my account did nothing for the behaviour of re-opening the previously open tab.

Not sure what you should do. Maybe clear the browser cache/cookies? Also, maybe you have some Chrome addon extension that includes being a session state manager among whatever else you might be using it for.

Leandros is right that it is an intended feature, and there is no way to turn off. There is a report on the Chromium project to allow close all tabs on tablets: http://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=268157
I urge everyone interested to voice their opinions on the bug thread.


text:
USSD attack official notification
I have an HTC that is vulnerable to USSD attack. I am trying to tell the HTC helpdesk about this issue, but they tell me that unless there is an official news from android team about this, they will ignore the huge amount of articles from blogs and websites that talk about this.
There is any official android article about this that I can link to them?

https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=37982, star the issue and forward to htc...

Look at Full Disclosure for HTC response to such issues.  eg. http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2012/Aug/100

That's dangerously ignorant. I just checked today with a trustworthy site, and indeed, my Milestone² was affected as well. The source is known to be the stock dialer, so HTC phones are affected as well (at least unless they're running Jelly Bean already). I'd tell them to please give this statement in written form on company paper (with the HTC header), so you can go with that to some boulevard press to have it printed in the daily news. Maybe it's more convincing to them to read the fact there than in known reputable sources.
Meanwhile, the main issue is to get yourself protected. I recommend to install NoTelURL, which in its latest version runs on all Android versions from 2.0.1 up. I can vouch for the developer as a trusted person: he's a member of the AndroidPIT community with high reputation. Having this app installed, all USSD actions triggered by an app will open a pop-up to select the app the action should be performed with: the dialer (which was the only one registered for this before) or NoTelUrl. Then you can decide: Select the dialer to really execute, or simply press the "back" button. Just don't make anything the default here ;)


text:
The long SMS is converted to MMS and shows sending. How do I make sure it is sent?
I typed a long message and it was converted to a multimedia message. When I press the send button it shows "sending" but never shows "sent". How do I know it has been sent or not?

It hasn't. The status would change if the message went through. Now you'll have to check you MMS settings from Messaging ->menu-> Settings -> Multimedia message settings and your MMS APN from Settings -> Wireless -> Mobile networks -> Access point names (or Settings -> More.. -> Mobile networks -> Access point names in newer versions).
After you have corrected these and verified that your carrier/operator has enabled MMS on your account, the message should be sent. Or you have to long-press it and select Retry.


text:
How to unbrick a non responsive Gio
I downloaded ROM Manager today onto my Samsung Galaxy Gio, and after several attempts to back up my ROM in its current state I tried to reboot my phone into recovery mode through the app. It immediately died, and responds to nothing I do.
I've tried booting it various ways, yet it remains as dead as a battery-less phone (no, charging doesn't do anything, although my battery was low at the time). The phone has been quite stable up till now. I don't have a custom ROM, it is rooted, and everything else is backed up. Is there anything I can do that will work?

If you can't get the device to even turn on, then this will not really help...
From XDA post about unbricking this device:

Prepare ODIN with the firmware you want to flash (in my case was Gingerbread 2.3.4) and get it ready to go.
Remove battery, wait for a bit. Insert battery again.
Flash a recovery with your specific filesystem (EXT4 or RFS)-(If you have EXT4, download ext4 only, don't get ext4+rfs)
Enter recovery & Wipe | Format:

System
Data
Cache
Dalvik Cache

Have ODIN ready. Connect phone to PC.
Reboot to Download Mode

Hold Volume down + Power + Home button at the same time.

At this point Odin should have detected your Galaxy Gio (Yellow rectangle should appear).
Insert the Stock Rom or Custom Rom.
Click Start button in Odin and wait about 5 min.
Reboot and wait

The post has other options like using a tool called "one click unbrick" but I have never tried that tool.

Wont boot into recovery. I suspect my ROM has been erased, or at least key elements of it. Would a USB jig work, or do I have to take it to a repair shop?

This doesnt boot it in to recovery, it boots it to download mode.

Download doesn't work either, tried all various key combinations provided to get it into download mode.


text:
Why can I not install Firefox on my HTC G1/Dream with CyanogenMod 6.1?
I have a HTC G1/Dream with CyanogenMod 6.1, based on Android 2.2.1. I would like to install Firefox, which requires Android 2.0 and up. But I cannot find it in the Android Market, and when I try to install it remotely from the web Android Market, I can see "This article is not compatible with your device".
What could be the origin of my problem?

What does it say when you try to install?

Firefox also requires an ARMv7 processor. The HTC Dream/G1 is officially unsupported because its processor is ARMv6. See the supported/unsupported device list on the Mozilla wiki:

These devices have ARMv6 processors and are not compatible with
  Firefox for Android:
...

HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1, Android Dev Phone 1)

...

The answer to this question from eldarerathis is currently correct; now, though, ARMv6 support is in the works too, and it can be downloaded from Mozilla.
(However, the Aurora build of mobile Firefox worked better for me than the nightly build last time I tried it; however, I have a slightly unusual device using a QVGA (small) screen and a keyboard).