text:
Why does Dalvik virtual machine need to run in every process?
JVM and DVM both provide virtual environment.
JVM doesn't need to be in every process.
why DVM need to be in every process?
Thanks.

Neither DVM nor JVM runs on every processes. Natively compiled applications (e.g. the ones you see inside Terminal Emulator) are not associated with any DVM or JVM.
And even when you only count Android "apk" applications, the overhead of having JVM/DVM on (nearly) every process' address space is minimal since they are a shared dynamic library so Linux will smartly load them once in a copy-on-write buffer for the whole OS.

Ah, I forgot about native C++ code, I suppose that wouldn't need to go through the JVM then.

I am a little confused. on android developer website: http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/fundamentals.html

I am still a little confused.                             on android developer website: http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/fundamentals.html                                                              line7: "Each process has its own virtual machine (VM), so an application's code runs in isolation from other applications. "                                              but i think if we use JVM, JVM won't be in each process, but application's code still can be isolated from other applciations.

@librangel: Just as every Java apps need JVM, every Dalvik apps need DVM. That line is implicitly talking about Dalvik processes since most of Android applications are Dalvik applications. Native processes do not need DVM. Memory space isolation (virtual address space) is a feature of the Linux kernel, and each Dalvik application runs in their own process in their own virtual address space, however the kernel can smartly share memory used by shared libraries such as the DVM. So although physically they occupy the same area in RAM, each application conceptually has their own copy of DVM.

Android applications run Dalvik bytecode, so the DVM needs to be running.  Just like how running Java bytecode on a PC requires a JVM to run.

I think java virtual machine doesn't need to run in EVERY process, right? Then why DVM needs to run in EVERY process?

@librangel It does need to run for every process. Something has to translate the byte code (what Java apps are "compiled" into) into machine language (that the processor executes)


text:
Can I disable the hardware 'Search' button?
I'm teaching my 85 year old mother to use her first phone. Her first ever bit of computing. The first use is texting and I've removed all the apps from the main screens except for the messaging app, and after a few days of casual instruction she's now texting and replying to texts very well.
I've only taught her two other buttons so far:
Home (she insists on calling it the 'Hut' button so if I call it the 'Hut' button she knows what I mean).
Back/Undo button
If she gets into something that she doesn't understand her instructions are to hit 'Hut' or 'Undo' and that will cure most things.
However she still gets caught out pressing the search button which brings up 'the internet' and that's currently really confusing, too much for her to handle :-)
This is a Samsung I5503T so has a physical 'Search' button on the lower right. It's right beside the undo/back button so gets hit by mistake (a lot). Is there any way to disable the physical 'Search' button or reassign it so it does nothing.
I'll eventually add more apps but starting slowly (since I live in a different town so most support is by landline phone :-(

It is very late to answer this now but just to remove it from the "Unanswered Questions Section"
You can use these light weight apps:

Remap buttons and gestures
Button Mapper: Remap your keys

source: Stack Exchange

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

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sort: votes


text:
Why do I see a Smiley instead of Next button?
My relatively newly acquired Samsung Galaxy GT-I9000 running Android 2.1 should have a next button around the bottom right of the keypad as per manual/online information. However, I can only see a Smiley button which doesn't have newline as one of the options.
Is there a user configurable option to switch between Smiley and Next? If yes, how to invoke?

Do you know which keyboard you're using? The Galaxy S comes with a number of different keyboards by default, you may be using a different one than the instruction assume that you're using: go into Settings -> Locale and Text, Select Input Method and see which is selected (you should have at least Samsung Keyboard and Swype as options).

As below - I use Swype. Samsung keyboard gives Next button. I should imagine next is a must whereas smiley is nice to have - regardless of input method (just an opinion)

Can it be that you only have a next button when there is more than one field on screen ?
Please add what program you are using when you see this .

Agreed, using the Swype keyboard on my Galaxy S, the button on the bottom-right changes functions depending what app I'm in and what I'm doing, sometimes it's an Enter key, sometimes it's a Next field button, sometimes it's a Go button. I assume the same sort of thing happens on other keyboards.

Thirded, this is the same on my SGS Vibrant with the stock Android keyboard.

Hi. Thanks what I've noted since is that I don't have the issue on Samsung keyboard but Swype keyboard.

Also - to answer your question, I'm using it for regular SMS

This is quite normal on the default keyboard. The smiley should only shows if you're typing in a single-line textbox (i.e. it have been configured so you cannot add newline), and there is only a single textbox in the page, and the app did not bind custom functionality to it.

Is there a user configurable option to switch between Smiley and Next?

Not as far as I know. The developer of the app you're currently using gets to decide the "type" of keyboard that is shown by default, and they can customize the action button.

If yes, how to invoke?

Try opening the browser, while on the browser, the smiley should turn into newline button (e.g. on multiline form input), or Go button (on the address bar), or sometimes Next button (on pages that have multiple single-line input).

I have Jelly Bean 4.2.2 on a HTC One S and Swype 1.4 installed. I was ready to go on a shooting spree when I thought I couldn't hit a return button to start a new line!
I opened a SMS thread, tapped Menu > Settings and scrolled all the way down. There is an option at the bottom called Soft keyboard type. Open that and you get --
<> Smiley key
<> Send
<> Enter for a new line
Select the bottom one and you're golden!
This setting will change it for both the stock Android keyboard and Swype.
Cheers

Just to be clear for other visitors: this will change the behaviour for any keyboard, but only in the SMS app. As others have described, it's up to the app to choose whether an Enter key or some other action key is displayed.

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text:
AdSupported Angry Birds versions keep crashing on Android 2.2.1 Tablet PC
After RTFM, I decided to ask the question here.
Device is a generic android tablet device (http://www.reeder.com.tr/reedpad.asp),
idenfied as: "sec_smdkv210"
here is the build fingerprint:
"sec_smdkv210/smdkv210/smdkv210:2.2.1/FRF91/eng.root.20110224.011402:eng/release"
Android Version: 2.2.1
Problem occurs after I launch Angry Birds Rio, and try to play the first level, at the very beginning, it just quits from the game.
System Log:
http://pastebin.com/aBmfvXtF
Game is an adsupported version 1.0.0 downloaded from market.
No ad blocker installed, no add-ons. Device is rooted by z4root, but before or after rooting, behaviour is same. Also, same crash behaviour is observed with Angry Birds Seasons, but slighly different, it crashes if you  try to pause and reload the level during the game, resulting a similiar crash log which I didn't bother to paste here once again.
Same string appears in the crash log before the crash:
JNI WARNING: received null jstring (Check_GetStringUTFChars)
W/dalvikvm(25888): JNI WARNING: received null jstring (Check_GetStringUTFChars)
I/dalvikvm(25888): "GLThread 9" prio=5 tid=8 NATIVE
I/dalvikvm(25888):   | group="main" sCount=0 dsCount=0 s=N obj=0x46f97d70 self=0x225c10
I/dalvikvm(25888):   | sysTid=25895 nice=0 sched=0/0 cgrp=default handle=2251432
I/dalvikvm(25888):   | schedstat=( 7639180271 5104522289 130271 )
I/dalvikvm(25888):   at com.rovio.ka3d.WebViewWrapper.urlLoadedCallback(Native Method)
I/dalvikvm(25888):   at com.rovio.ka3d.WebViewWrapper.access$500(WebViewWrapper.java:42)
I/dalvikvm(25888):   at com.rovio.ka3d.WebViewWrapper$8.run(WebViewWrapper.java:216)
I/dalvikvm(25888):   at com.rovio.ka3d.MyRenderer.handleEvents(MyRenderer.java:118)
I/dalvikvm(25888):   at com.rovio.ka3d.MyRenderer.onDrawFrame(MyRenderer.java:77)
I/dalvikvm(25888):   at com.rovio.ka3d.GLSurfaceView$GLThread.guardedRun(GLSurfaceView.java:1346)
I/dalvikvm(25888):   at com.rovio.ka3d.GLSurfaceView$GLThread.run(GLSurfaceView.java:1121)
Trying to move from SD card to device did not help.
Trying to change the device locale from Turkish to English did not help.
Trying to update the device from manufacturer's site, did not help (it did not updated the android version, only manufacturer's build number changed)
Trying to root the device, did not help.
Anybody could suggest what could be going on here?
Best Regards,
q.m.

Whether anyone here can help you or not I highly suggest you submit this to the developer as well.

It looks like it's basically a null pointer error when Angry birds tries to create a surface, which probably means that your device is simply incapable of doing the video rendering needed.  I don't believe Angry Birds Rio has a Light version, unlike the regular game, so you're probably out of luck unless they release a version for less-capable devices.
From http://www.rovio.com/index.php?page=angry-birds---frequently-asked-questions-faq:

Q: I have a problem with the Angry Birds. What should I do?
A: Check Rovio’s web-pages and browse this FAQ section for a solution. If you cannot find solutions for your problem or questions, please contact Rovio’s customer support by email and provide as much information about your problem as possible: phone/device model and/or version, phone/device operating system version, Angry Bird game’s name and its version, a detailed problem description.

Thank you for your help. I'll try to contact the game developer's support. I'll also update this post if any solution is found.

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text:
Viewing web pages offline
I have a lot of saved web pages that I want to view whenever I want without the page connecting to the web site (I can do this on WM). How do I do this on Android? Every time I click on the HTML file it says "no connection".

You can try this method if you have the html page saved locally.

Maybe close this as a dupe of How can a complete web page be saved and viewed on an Android device??

You can use OffLine Browser by Nikodroid. It can save web pages (and related links) and then allows you to read them when you are offline.

This seems to work well, allows downloading things that are linked to as well, like photos.

One can use Pocket or Instapaper to save something from your desktop for offline reading on your mobile.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/reading_list/

You could also generate PDF files using the share feature of the Android system. I am currently researching the best way. For now I am using Web2PDF with Chrome on my Nexus 10. Does not work perfectly with all sites though. For those that do no work yet I am using the website PDFmyURL.com.
Today I noticed hat Firefox can save PDF of whole pages by default. It is hidden in Extras...

You can use PaperSpan app to save original page offline to SD Card. Saving links can be done through computer, and app will sync and save offline.

Do you have any connection to this app? You've posted two answers recently with it in.

You can open MHTML files with MHT & MHTML Viewer, Reader app.
I am using my file explorer to open the MHTML files using this app. Sometimes I need to use the option "Open as" to see this app as an option. Another way to open MHTML files is to browse your files using this app.
I am not affiliated to the app in any way though. Opera is also an excellent app to save (and view) MHTML files.


text:
Nexus one hack to work on 8500/1900 freqs
I have a nexus one that (by default) does not support 8500/19000 3g frequencies.
That forces me to use EDGE or lower with my carrier.
The question is: Is this something that can be modified or is it a hardware limitation?
Note that I don't mind rooting the phone to get 3g support

This is set in hardware, there is nothing you can do about this. You can learn more about this in http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/android/thread?tid=395c29e6b9cab6bc&hl=en


text:
google contacts not shown
When I log onto GMail on my HTC Desire, I can't find a way to access my GMail contacts. I read that there was some link on the left of the screen. I see none. I am now at a loss

Make sure your GMail contacts are syncing to the phone. Menu -> Settings -> Accounts & sync -> [your account name] and see if a box next to "Sync Contacts" is checked.

The Gmail app does not have a contacts section -- you only see you contacts when typing in the To field or whatever.  You should have a Contacts app with your Gmail contacts, if you are syncing them.  To change your sync settings, look in Settings -> Accounts and sync.
If you're referring to the website, that's not an Android question.  But the mobile website doesn't have Contacts on the left, you have to view the Full site (there's a link at the bottom of the mobile view).


text:
How can I change the language on my phone?

Possible Duplicate:
How can I set the locale and language?

Is there some way I can change the language of my phone's operating system? I mean status bar, options, everything -- I want it to be in Spanish.

See also: http://android.stackexchange.com/q/5303/1465

On the Nexus S go to Menu -> Settings -> Language & Keyboard -> Select Language.


text:
If an app is downloaded and never opened, is it considered Active?
What makes an app 'Active' in the Android marketplace reporting?
Is it when it is simply downloaded and on a device, or is it when it is downloaded, installed and opened?

Opened and....?

According to this Market support page, Active installs are installs that haven't been uninstalled.  It doesn't mention anything about the app having to be opened.


text:
Original OS For Samsung Galaxy S I9000

Possible Duplicate:
Where can I find stock or custom ROMs for my Android device?

I put a ROM on my Samsung Galaxy S I9000 and now it doesn't fully work.  I was wondering if there was a way to get the original ROM, that came with my device, from an official site somewhere.  I was told that apparently you can do it on the Android site, but I can't see any place to do that.

We need more information, including the ROM that you put on your phone and the method that you used to do so.

Ideally, you would make a nandroid backup before you flashed a new rom.  Did you do this?

Go to this XDA thread and download the newest firmware for your region.  Download Odin for Windows (search for "Heimdall" if you are on Linux).  Then do the following:

Put your phone into Download mode

Remove the battery
Hold VolumeDown plus the Home key

Reinsert the battery.
Let go of the power button only about 1 second after the white device logo appears (if it does)
After a few seconds a yellow triangle with an android in it should appear, you can let go of the keys since this is download mode.

Start up Odin.
Attach the phone to USB so that Odin recognizes it.  If it doesn't, reboot your phone, exit Odin, and go back to step (1).
Load the .zip file you downloaded (the custom ROM) into the PDA field of Odin.
Load the 512 .pit file into the PIT field of Odin.
Check "Re-partition".
Hit Start.  Odin will tell you when it's done; if it fails, reboot your phone and try again.  (This happens occasionally).

Note that if you need to back anything up, you should do that beforehand and save the backup to your PC, since everything (except probably the external SD card) will be wiped on the phone.  Also note that you do this at your own risk; Odin is very powerful and misusing it can damage your phone.  Re-partition in particular can be troublesome if you select the wrong PIT file.  I've used Odin dozens of times myself safely, though.

The Samsung Galaxy S shipped with OS 2.1 / Eclair so that's probably what you want to restore it to.
Without knowing how you installed the new OS (i.e. what steps did you follow?) and what isn't working now, it's hard to troubleshoot, but you ought to be able to get the original OS from Samsung support. I don't see the S i9000 on the US site, but you're perhaps not in the US?

There are three ways to get Android OS:

You can download a leaked ROM, e.g. for SGS i9000.
You can download from the source code from official repository, search/write drivers, and compile yourself.
Modded ROMs. There are many custom ROMs for Android, the most popular includes CyanogenMod, MIUI, etc.

I'd suggest #1 or #3, they're usually much less work since the drivers are already there and manufacturer's/custom ROM can often better utilize the phone's unique capability than the generic ROM you compile from source code (unless your device is of the Nexus-series).

Original ROMs are hosted on http://samfirmware.com
This isn't an official repository - rather, it's a community supported repository of official ROMs


text:
Why has my Android firmware upgrade been stuck at 0% for an hour? (Samsung Galaxy Ace)
I'm using Samsung Galaxy Ace GT-S5830.
More than an hour ago, Samsung-Kies prompted me to install a firmware update.
It downloaded the required files and then proceeded to the actual upgrade.
Now, since an hour, I'm getting 0% progress on the "Firware update in progress..." screen. It obviously says not to disconnect the phone.
The phone shows "Downloading..."
It's been like this since an hour.
I don't want to brick my phone by pulling the USB cable off.
Please suggest something.

I would suggest pulling it off and trying again.  Usually this happens when Kies wasn't able to properly communicate with the device after putting it into Download Mode.  I've had this happen before and rebooting my device and trying again worked.  You can also try putting the phone into Download Mode manually (may or may not work while plugged into USB):

Remove the battery
Hold VolumeDown plus the Home key plus Power.  While holding,

Reinsert the battery.
Release the Power button, still holding the others, about 1 second after the white logo text appears.
After a few seconds a yellow triangle with an android in it should appear, this is Download Mode.  If it doesn't, try this again while holding Power the whole time.

Thanks, Mat! Pulled it off and the phone started normally. Will try it again tomorrow, gotta go.

@Karan Did this work for you?

It works for me.

I know this sounds silly but press the power button ten times and walla! I read a YouTube comment after an hour of researching trying to find a solution and I tried it even thinking it was just a joke and I can't believe it actually worked !

does not work with Android 6, atleast on LG G4

worked for me with Nexus 5, Android 8

I had this issue and took my battery, sim card, and memory card out for about two hours. When I put it back together, it booted right up and is working fine now.


text:
Applications in notification area
I noticed that some ROMs (mainly HD ones like insertcoin) embed additional row with active applications into sliding notifications area. It's completely useless and makes that small area even smaller. Is there any way to get rid of this "feature"?

The simple answer is no.  You'd have to re-skin that part of the ROM and also dig into the code and remove whatever's doing that, most likely.  If it bothers you enough you should just switch ROMs.


text:
Gmail notification sound only for new mail
I am using the Google Gmail app, which I've configured to play a notification sound for new mail.
However, it actually plays the notification sound when there is any change at all to the account while I use it on the computer -- reading messages, deleting messages, etc -- in addition to when new mail actually arrives.
It's driving me crazy! How can I configure this so it only makes a sound when a new message arrives in my inbox?

What version of the app are you using?  I have v2.3.4.1 and it doesn't do this.

What device and carrier do you have? I don't see (hear) this behavior at all.

Further, what are your Notification settings in the Gmail app?

I get the issue if I mark anything as unread or move an unread archived item back into the inbox (i.e. the notification happens if the number of unread items in the inbox increases)

I think you want to turn on the "Notify once" setting.

You haven't specified the Android OS version nor the Gmail app version, but since the settings are pretty much straightforward, I'll leave here an overview covering the basics for all available versions.
Summary
Three things might be happening:

You are receiving notifications for each email that arrives;
You have the "notify once" active and are receiving notifications for the email that arrived, but also for a label you've setup to notify;
You are receiving notifications from the Gmail app, and from another app where you've also configured the same account.

Below is a summary for the Gmail app settings by version. Try and adjust them to fit your needs.
If you continue to experience the same issue, you're probably facing a bug and the best option is to report it.

Android 4.0.x (Ice cream sandwich)
To change Gmail settings, touch "Menu" > "Settings" from any Gmail screen.
Under "Account settings", you will find:

Email notifications:

When checked, you receive a notification when you have new email.

Ringtone:

Available when "Email notifications" is selected.
Touch to change any of three settings: The ringtone and vibrate settings for notifications, and an option to notify only the first time you have new email since you last read your messages, rather than each time a new message arrives.

Official Gmail app support page by Google for this Android version.

Android 3.0.x (Honeycomb)
To change Gmail settings, touch the Menu button at the top-right of the Application bar and touch Settings.
Under "Account settings", you will find:

Email notifications

When checked, you receive a notification when you have new email.

Notify once

Check to receive a notification from Gmail only the first time you have new email since you last read your messages, rather than each time a new message arrives.

Official Gmail app support page by Google for this Android version.

Android 2.3.x (Gingerbread)
To access the Gmail app's Account settings menu:

Open Gmail.
Press Menu.
Select More > Settings > Select account

Under "Notification settings", you will find:

Email notifications

When checked, you'll receive a notification when you have new email.

Labels to notify

Manage your notification preferences by label. You can only manage notification settings by label for labels that are synced.

You can enable notifications for specific labels, each means additional notifications when emails arrive:

When you enable sync for a particular label, you can also change your notification preferences so that you're notified when you receive new mail for that label.

Press Menu and touch More > Settings. Select the Gmail account whose settings you'd like to modify.
Touch Labels to notify.
Select a labels to change the notification preferences. You can modify the following settings:

Email notifications
Ringtone
Vibrate
Notify once

Only labels that have been set to sync will appear in the notifications menu.

Official Gmail app support page by Google for this Android version.

Good answer but I cant find that screen on 4.0.4. In the gmail app use the left button to get to settings and I have general settings which doesnt have anything about notification or ringtone.


text:
How can i update my experia x10 from 1.6 to 2.1?
Every time i try to upgrade it through PC companion it stuck in middle when of preparing the phone for installation. I have tried deleting, redownloading and reinstalling the PC companion. But still im not able to update my phone. What should be done?

Have you tried rebooting the phone?

Call support. They are really helpful. To the Swedish support it's +46-1-324-4500.


text:
My HTC Desire Z read messages showing up unread
I am starting to have some prolems with my Desire Z and was wondering if anyone knew how to help me. It is starting to show that I have an unread text message, but when I click on that contact, there isn't. So I tried to delete the message thread and then it just keeps loading and loading (all night even!) so i was forced to restart my phone in order to send any other texts. Also when I exit out of the message thread, "Sorry! The application Messages (process.com.android.mms) has stopped unexpectedly. Please Try again." With a "Force Close" button, comes up.. It's only doing this with one contact, any other messages I recieve don't stay "unread". And whenever I recieve more messages from that contact, the number of unread messages goes up!

Maybe backing up your data and clearing the Messaging app's data would help? Have your tried that?

Try another SMS app, see if it ends up fixing the DB for your SMS's.

It sounds like a problem with that contact, i would try deleting them from you contact list and putting them in as a fresh, new contact.


text:
unknown_error when installing couchdb on android
I was able to install CouchDB fine on my Samsung Captivate android phone using the app in the market. When I try and install it on my Samsung Galaxy I update the binaries, then I get an error:
{"error":"unknown_error","reason":"badarg"}

I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling but no luck. Any suggestions?

What model do you have?  "Samsung Galaxy" covers at least a dozen phones.

Sorry you're right - it's a Samsung Galaxy Tablet.

Thats a strange error, currently there are 2 common problems with the CouchDB install,

is that it isnt currently supported on 2.3.3 and above
is that your external storage isnt mounted on /sdcard/ (or it is currently mounted as a drive)

are either of those true? if so then they are already on https://github.com/couchbaselabs/couch-android-launcher/issues and I will update there when they are fixed, if not if you could run adb logcat it would be extremely useful
Cheers
Dale

I would guess it's (2) -- my Galaxy S has external storage mounted as /sdcard/external_sd/.

Thanks guys - sounds like 2 is a good candidate, as I am running the stock firmware which I believe is 2.2 (I don't have it with me). I will check the mount point and look into changing it.


text:
Where and how can I upgrade my Galaxy 5 legally to Froyo?

Possible Duplicate:
When will my phone get the Android 2.2 update (FroYo)?

I have a Galaxy 550 and want to upgrade it to android 2.2 where and how can i do this legal?
thanks already.

If the update is available in your region, take it to your nearest Samsung authorised service centre and get it flashed. Make sure to back up all your data and perform a factory reset before handing it across.
I'm uncertain about what you intend to mean by "legal"?

Isn't it possible to upgrade to android 2.2 using Samsung's Kies (of course, supposing that the update would already be available)?

@Rabarberski - Indeed it is. Provided, as you mention, the update is available for the particular region.

Is there some easy way to know when Samsung will make it available for my region? I've looked for RSS on their site but couldn't find any.

Not really - although I'd recommend you check out http://samfirmware.com - it's an unofficial repository of official Samsung Firmwares (not customized).

It depends also on your wireless provider.
Even if Samsung releases an update, that provider may need to adjust it to fit their technical (and commercial) needs.


text:
Android - how to install apk from SD card
Is it possible to install an app to an Android phone from an SD card?  To install it without a data connection, the marketplace, or using ADB?
I've tried searching for this but no luck so far.

If you have a file browser app installed, such as ASTRO, you can browse to the apk file on your SD card, click the apk, and it should pop up the apk installer.

You also have to enable unknown sources.

Another way is to copy it to the download folder of the browser (which can vary, so find it first) and than go over the browser to the downloaded files and start it from there.

Simply call the following URL in your browser:
file:///sdcard/yourApp.apk
It works!


text:
Samsung Galaxy S problem :WiFi doesn't reconnect with SSID broadcast disabled
Hi
I have a problem with my Wifi connection.
My Samsung Galaxy S does not connect to my Linksys wrt54g router after I'm disabling the SSID broadcast.
The connection is automatically returned when I enable the SSID Broadcast.
Why is it like that and how can I fix it?
Thanks.

Possible duplicate: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/2782/android-2-1-htc-hero-eu-and-wifi-configuration-issues/

This is because Android by default (manufactures could of added something ) connect using only the SSID, not the BSSID.
See this issue : http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=1041
This app here might help: https://market.android.com/details?id=jp.sourceforge.soopy.hidden.ssid.enabler&feature=search_result
This is the design to connect by SSID instead of BSSID for mesh networks, this becomes helpful.
Also if your router and phone support WPS button, try that.

Disabling the SSID broadcast doesn't provide any meaningful security to your wireless network. The days that it might help make your network harder to spot are long, long past.
As such the best "fix" is to re-enable the SSID broadcast.

This is right, not displaying the SSID does not help at all, you still show up to every computer. WPA is the only working security for WiFi. (WPA-AES has better OS support)


text:
How do I put back 3G data connection
Maybe a month ago I set my device to use only wifi for data connection. Now, with a bigger data package, I try to find where I can put back 3G for data connection.
I didn't do any fancy tricks nor # 4036# ... things.
Any ideas ?

You can turn 3G data back on through 'Settings'.

Go to 'Settings'
Go to 'Wireless & Networks'
Somewhere near the bottom should be 'Mobile Network' - enable it

Now you're phone should have both 3G and WiFi enabled. If it can connect to a WiFi, it'll use WiFi; otherwise, it'll fall back to use 3G.
edit: as Seth pointed out below, these instructions may differ slightly between android phones (but should be relatively similar). Instructions above are for the HTC Desire.

The option on his phone should list, Use Packet Data

Thank you. I had to turn off and on the device for the change to take effect.

I am using Samsung Nexus S.
I think most of the android phones are very similar.
Please follow the following steps;

Go to "Settings";
Go to "Wireless & Networks"
Scroll down to the bottom, go to "Mobile network settings".

Now you could enable "Data enabled" option, which is the first option could be selected.
Then, you could access the network through wifi or 3G.
Good luck.


text:
Can I get the email app to only download email headers -- and get bodies on demand? This is for an MS Exchange based email service
Can I get the email app to only download email headers -- and get bodies on demand?  This is for an MS Exchange based email service.  I have a Nexus One.  The email app works fine, but the volume of email I get for work is huge and although I need to see all the subject lines, I rarely need to read the full email when I'm not at work.  How can I get the email app to just download headers?  Alternatively, is there another email app in the Market I could use for this?
I have Android version 2.2.1

Which mail app?, I assume it's GMail client because you are using a Nexus, but there are lots of mail clients for android.

No.  The plain old Android email app.

If I look at my settings for an Exchange server I have a 'Incoming size' under 'General settings' where I can specify 'Headers only'.
I am running Froyo 2.2.1 on Samsung Galaxy S.

You can use Touchdown ($20):
http://www.nitrodesk.com/dk_touchdownFeatures.aspx
For the Email Download Size you can set No Body.


text:
Questions about Samsung Galaxy S security applications
Hello
I would like to know whether is it recommended to have some antiVirus+firewall application for this current phone? (I usually open email attachments for example)
1.Do these applications runs all the time in the background also when I'm not connected to WAP or WiFi?
2.In case you recommend to have such apps , which applications do you prefer?
3.Is it true that the more application I use I can mess up the whole android system like the registery in ordinary computers) and it can lead to the whole device to malfunction or to be more slow (like ordinary computer)?
4.According to question 3: What can I do to secure my system? Do I have some option to restore the whole android system if it will get massed up and bugy in the future.
Thanks

1.Do these applications runs all the time in the background also when I'm
  not connected to WAP or WiFi?

That depends on the specific security application.

2.In case you recommend to have such apps , which applications do you
  prefer?

I prefer being cautious in what I install, rather than having Big Brother Watching Over Me. As a Linux-based system, Android have a very strong security base and the Android framework on top of of it is very paranoid about security. Android is -- for all practical purpose -- impermeable to worm-type virus. However, like any Unix system, Android does not protect you from you taking a gun and shooting your own foot. If you tell Android to trust an application, Android will trust the application; if you give trust to the wrong application, don't blame the system for it.

3.Is it true that the more application I use I can mess up the whole android
  system like the registery in ordinary
  computers) and it can lead to the
  whole device to malfunction or to be
  more slow (like ordinary computer)?

If you're installing many applications that starts background services, then yes, it can slow down the system. Applications that are not running does not affect the speed of the system.

4.According to question 3: What can I do to secure my system? Do I have some
  option to restore the whole android
  system if it will get massed up and
  bugy in the future.

There is a bunch.

There is a factory reset on Settings > Privacy > Factory data reset.
If you buy the phone from your carrier, they usually can reflash your phone with original ROM.
On rooted phones, you can make a Nandroid backup.
On custom ROMs, you can make a ClockworkMod Recovery backup.
On many phones you can download and flash 3rd party or leaked original ROMs by yourself.

In case of smartphones I would be more worried about the physical security than malware. It's essential to have an application that allows you to locate the phone or at least remotely wipe all the data in case of robbery (or when you simply forget it). I use WaveSecure for that, but I'm sure there are other alternatives (feel free to add them in comments).

As the questioner mentions that they're on a Galaxy S, it's worth adding that this function is built into the Galaxy S in many regions (such as much of Europe and the Far East) as Mobile Tracker in Settings, Security and Location, and uses the http://www.samsungdive.com website to issue the remote locate, lock and wipe functions.

@Gathrawn: I didn't know that. I just created a Samsung acccount. But I assume you have to have the 'Mobile tracker' on for this feature to work, no ? Do you happen to know if this drains the battery much ?

@Edelc I don't think it drains the battery at all normally, I certainly haven't noticed. All it does is when you request your phone's location from SamsungDive your phone is sent this request through whichever data connection it has active at the time, your phone then activates GPS itself, sends some data back and forward, and then GPS switches back off and everything goes back to normal.


text:
Can I uninstall built in apps?

Possible Duplicate:
How can I uninstall applications that are locked by phone vendor?

Can I uninstall default applications that come with the Android OS?
For eg:contacts,calendar,message.

Possible duplicates: How can you uninstall an app that you didn't install on your Droid?, How can I uninstall apps that are locked by phone vendor?, Rooted phone but still can't uninstall apps

Also, http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/6625/how-to-uninstall-htc-applications-widgets, http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/1559/uninstall-sprint-apps-without-rooting, http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/50/how-to-remove-pre-installed-apps-like-peep-and-friend-stream-from-my-htc-phone


text:
Using Droid as a computer microphone via USB?
Is it possible to use my Droid as a computer microphone (for Skype, Teamspeak, etc) via the USB cord? If not, does anyone know of a Teamspeak client app?
Any help would be appreciated.

There are all sorts of apps that enable you to use your phone's camera and mic on your PC over Wi-fi or USB.
Here are some examples:

DroidCam
IP Webcam

The App Microphone allows this. Just do it by 3.5mm cord; it's way easier.

Very useful stuff :)

Sure... you just have to choose between hacking the phone or hacking the PC.
Via hacking the PC:
Enable USB debugging on the phone.  Install the SDK and get adb working.  Set up an adb port forward to the phone.  Write an apk which listens on a local network port and upon connection opens the microphone and pushes samples through the forwarded 'network' socket.  The hard part: on the PC, write a "microphone driver" which gets its data by connecting to the program on the android through the adb port forward.  You could also do the same thing substituting a wifi network for the adb-usb.
Via hacking the phone:
Compile a new USB kernel driver which presents the expected interface for a USB microphone, and have it gets its data from the microphone.  If going to this much trouble, you might as well make it into a USB webcam.  Root and serious coding required.

WO Virtual Mic 1.39€ + you need to install a client

The answer is "No" - at least not without a dedicated app (if such exists).
BTW, I can understand wanting to do this via Bluetooth, but via USB? Why?

The app would have to route this through debugging info and have a program pic it up.

Senstic PocketAudio Microphone, plus you need to install the PocketControl software on your PC (or Mac)

A link to the app might improve this answer. :)

just editing the post might save time :)


text:
Why have i received a message that wasnt sent from the said sender?
I received a message in error yesterday, i am using the Samsung Galaxy. It wasnt sent by my friend, who i was chatting with over sms at that time, but i still received it and it shows time of sending at that time itself. I believe had received the same message from my friend around 2 months back, it may be the same message. Has this happened with anyone else?

There was a sms bug a few months back but I thought it got fixed...

@Daniel depends on whether your OS has been updated since the bugs were fixed. Amazingly with Gingerbread already going out to many Galaxy S's, there are people who's phone companies haven't allowed them to upgrade since Eclair!

Maybe the error is not in your phone, or your friend's one. Maybe the error is from your provider, or the provider of your friend.
In some situations the network will not deliver a SMS due to overload, or many other causes, if this occurs some carriers delay the deliver some time, maybe this is the case, the network detected some problem and delayed the delivery of the SMS, and now you received a message send some time ago (like sometimes happens on December 31th with overloaded networks, you end up receiving a "Happy new year!!" on January 4th)


text:
Restrict access to device settings
How can I prevent people who borrow my device from changing any of my settings?

App locker more :

Smart App Lock

Advanced Protection

Apps Lock & Gallery Hider

App Lock (Pattern)

App Lockers doesn't block access to Settings completely... They could still open it from the Notifications Tab...


text:
How to restore the active applications widget in home screen?
In the home screen of my Galaxy Tab I accidentally deleted the widget which showed me the active applications running in the background. Can anyone tell me how I can restore this?

Sounds to me like you deleted a widget.  Long-press on a home screen, choose Widgets from the popup menu, and see if there's one matching your description.

Try pressing and holding the HOME button (hardware button in the bottom row) - that should pop up a screen listing recently opened apps. I believe the Galaxy Tab's interface has been modified to include a TASK MANAGER button. Is that what you're looking for?

I think you are talking about the program monitor widget: long press anywhere on your home screen, choose Widgets and select the Program Monitor from the list.


text:
HTTP Connection refused while connecting to a server
I am using my Android device to talk to my WAMP server .
I am sending bits viahttp connection to a script on /www/ directory.
But in logcat, I am getting the following error :
~error in http connection org.apache.http.conn.HttpHostConnectException :Connection to xx.xx.xx.xx:8080  was refused ! ~

xx.xx.xx.xx is my IP address !
Help needed asap .
Thanks

What does your Apache log say about the connection attempt? What about the Windows Event logs? Can any other devices/web browsers "talk" to it?

Please check the following:

You can access to your server and port with your browser
Your emulator has 3G or WiFi enabled
Your emulator's browser can access to the server and port

I am using a real Droid and it is connected to the Internet ! please !

Can you access to the server and port in your Droid's browser? It could be your carrier's policy.

when people see 1 answer, they don't view the question !! Little do they realize that the answer was irrelevant to the question asked: One of the limitations of this site !

For heaven's sake ! There's no carrier policy ! and yes everything is perfect from the hardware point of view.. please refrain from answering please ! your answers are irrelevant .

I need to have the context in order to help you. Clearly the minutes I would have used in finding a solution to your problem, would have been more than those you use in testing and answering. If you're unable to realize this then I hope someone else can help. Good luck.

@Heather: The error message seems straightforward, and probably means exactly what it says: the server is refusing the connection.  I think this is one of those times where you're going to have to do some troubleshooting and figure out what the problem is.  I would eliminate the obvious things first.

Hi, I have been having this problem for the past 4 days.. I wanna know what configurations I need to change on my wamp . thanks

I know that the error message is clear ! what is wrong with everyone today ! Robert, please re read your answer and tell me how it is supposed to help me !

@Heather: None of us know what the problem is.  Tell you what, I will clean up some of these comments and migrate your question to the Android site; maybe someone there has some specialized knowledge we don't.

Either your server is refusing connection or one of the routers between your phone and the server (e.g. your carrier's router) is refusing connection.
Try connecting to the server from another device (preferrably from a Wifi connection), if your connection is refused from that other device as well, then it is almost definitely a server configuration issue and this question should be asked on SuperUser or ServerFault.
Your question is way too vague to be answerable, you will need to answer these questions (hint: you can edit your question, then put a comment to notify your answerers):

There is no such thing as a device "talking" to another device. What do you mean by "talking" to the server? Is your server serving static HTML pages, CGI scripts, or is it some kind of media streaming server?
Is the IP address the server's local IP address (e.g. looks like 127.0.0.xxx or 192.168.xxx.xxx, or is it the server's public IP address?
Can you access this server from other devices? What have you tried?
How are you connecting to the serve from the Android? Is it over Wifi or over 3G?


text:
How do I root Samsung Galaxy Tab? (Verizon)
I need to install an app which requires root on my Samsung Galaxy tab(Verison).  How can this be done?

I have not attempted this myself, but here are the steps that I found and seems pretty close to how I rooted my Samsung Galaxy S.
I am not responsible for any issues that arise from following these steps, including, but not limited to your device spontaneously bursting in to flames. I suggest you do additional research and see what others say about using the tools below and read EVERYTHING TWICE before doing it. And follow the instructions step-by-step.

The firsts step is to make sure that you have KIES installed on your computer.
Now download SuperOneClick Root App from here and save it on your desktop.
Once this is done, turn your Samsung Galaxy Tab on and connect it with your computer. Make sure that you have USB debugging mode disabled and sync with KIES.
Now disconnect Galaxy Tab from computer and enable USB Debugging mode. You can enable the USB debugging mode by Settings>Applications>Development>USB Debugging.
Now reconnect your tab again to your PC and tap the Home button so that your Tab loses sync connection with KIES.
Once done, launch SuperOneClick.exe and click on root. Please wait for 5 to 10 minutes while the application roots your Galaxy Tab.


text:
Does anyone have experience wireshark running on Samsung Galaxy Tab? (Verizon)
I need to get detailed request data times on Samsung Galaxy Tab on Verison network.  Does anyone know what is invovled in getting Shark to run on this device?

Shark doesn't work?  Can you tell us what happens?  (Make sure you aren't running the native version, I assume that would be more unlikely to work).  Also, your best bet is to contact the developer.

I run tcpdump command on my rooted Galaxy tab and capture the output onto SD card. When I have captured enough, I pull the captured file from phone onto a Linux box using adb pull  and view the output using Wireshark.

I know how to do it.. With "Linux Installer" software you can install chrooted debian. Then I had to re-build my libpcap and wireshark on GTab because my Overcome kernel did support mmapped packet ring buffer.
I can give detailed instructions if anyone needs...
Oh, I forgot about X11.. You'll have to start X11 vncserver inside chrooted debian on your Android, and then connect to 127.0.0.1 from your Android with your favourite VNC client in order to access "X11".. Let's call this approach X11.99_pre_alpha_8 ))

Without those detailed instructions, this isn't much of an answer.

@eforezz So your first step is to remove the Android OS and replace it with Debian Linux? That's a drastic move just to get network timings from a device, and probably totally changes the results you'd get?


text:
How can I zip a folder into a zip file in Android to send over the Internet?
I have root, and I tried running the zip command from shell, but zip is not found. I think Android doesn't come with zip. How can I install zip on Android?

androzip might help you with that

The ZipOutputStream class will help you. There's an example of creating a zip file in the documentation.

I read that example, but it doesn't show how to recursively zip an entire folder consisting of multiple files and subdirectories.

I don't really understand your question, but if you are developing an app and you want to zip files with it, the following article might help you:
http://www.jondev.net/articles/Zipping_Files_with_Android_(Programmatically)

Thanks, but it doesn't show how to recursively zip an entire folder consisting of multiple files and subdirectories.
That's why I'm interested in a Linux zip command that I can execute from shell, thus skipping the programming of the ZipOutputStream method.


text:
Terminating adb.exe?
I am trying to hot spot my htc evo.  When I click on PDAnet,  it tells me that I have to terminate adb.exe.  how do i terminate adb.exe.   thank

ctrl+alt+del, look for adb and then terminate process. That should do the trick.

adb kill-server
You need to run that from wherever you installed the android tools.

This is the preferred way rather than killing it from the task manager. There's not a lot of shut-down logic, but it's always better to do things in a calm manner if you can. Just create a .bat file to do this and stick it some place convenient.


text:
Is there a standard place for the Owner Information on an Android phone?
I found an lost Android phone - is there a standard place on Android phones for owner information so I can contact the person who lost it?

If you go to Settings > Accounts & sync settings, you should be able to see their gmail address and possibly Facebook. You can probably contact them through one of those.

Settings / About Phone / Status shows the device's phone number. Call it and leave a message. Maybe the owner will check their voicemail from home.
Or call people in the contact list, especially ones that show recent history. "Your buddy lost a phone..."
Or call the carrier and tell them you found the phone. They will be able to contact the phone's owner and relay your contact information.

There is now a standard place for Android phone users to set their owner information:
Menu -> Settings -> Security - > Owner Information
There is also a checkbox that makes this information show up on the lock screen.
There is an article about it at CNET with this useful screenshot:

(source: cbsistatic.com)


text:
Could not dial on my galaxy tab
How to get Dialer application on my T-Mobile Galaxy tab?

Apparently the only way to get dialer is to reinstall the european firmware: http://www.thegalaxytabforum.com/index.php?/topic/151-gt-phone-dialer/
BTW, you are on the wrong site. SO is for specific programmers questions.

Thanks ... BTW, I hope that this question would not mess up stackoverflow ...

Awesome, going to check out that link now. thanks for sharing.

On your galaxy Tab goto
Application>Contacts

Now select Dialer tab

My Galaxy tab doesn't have Dailer tab ... When I wrote down the number on Memo and press on this number the message came "Dialer is not supported on this device."

I am not sure about T-mobile might be they have locked the device if that so you cant use dialer app unless you root your tablet


text:
Samsung S Galaxy II (i9100): possible with stock Google Android OS?
I'm in the market for a new Smartphone. Except for iPhone's, I'm new in the field and probably have some misconceptions.
My first choice was the Google Nexus S, but I was offered a great deal on the Samsung S Galaxy II (i9100). The only issue is that I read that it came with an "enhanced" version of Android. Being familiar with PC's, I know that these enhancements are almost always bloatware: I always do a clean install of Windows to get rid of it.
My question is fairly simple: is this possible to use the stock Google Android OS on the Samsung S Galaxy II (i9100)? That was the killer feature of the Nexus S for me: coming directly from Google, easily upgradable. Would that be possible and if yes, how?
Thank you for enlightening me.


text:
Android How to set new default user for Android Marketplace
I have a Sprint Samsung Captivate phone, and I am somewhat sharing it with co-worker.  Problem is that every time I want to download an app free or otherwise, her username comes up and prompts for password.  I would like to add own email and download under that without removing her account.  Much easier said than done.  I cannot seem to get her logged out and a new prompt for username and password where I could enter my user name.  This is a much tougher problem than I ever imagined.

I am open to all options here including deleting marketplace accounts and re-adding if needed.

possible duplicate of How to change the account for Android Market?

Unfortunately you can't do this.  You would need to entirely remove your account (the primary phone account) from the phone and add hers as the primary account, which would perform a factory reset on the phone.  Hopefully future versions of the Android OS will support multiple users, especially the tablet versions, but currently it does not.


text:
“There are no android phones associated with this account.”
I recently bought an eLocity A7 Internet Tablet. I'm unable to download any apps from the Android Market, even though I have a Google account. I keep getting the reason, “There are no android phones associated with this account.”
One fix I've heard of is to get a gmail account and hook up your Android phone number to it, then it will be associated with the account. But the eLocity tablet is not a phone.
Another fix has to do with installing the Android Market apk file, which brings a user to the Android Market. Signing in will associate the device with the account. But I haven't found a reputable link from which to download the app.
Any other ideas?

@Steve You don't need to edit the question to mark it as answered.  If you associate your StackOverflow and Android Enthusiasts accounts, you will regain control of this question, and can select an answer as the accepted solution (by hitting the checkmark below the answer's vote count) if you wish.

In short, you have a non-Google-approved device.  That's why there are no Google apps on it.  And you can't download from the Market unless you have the Market installed on your device.
There are ways to get the Market on your device anyways, though.  (See this question).  However, none of those ways will have a "reputable link" for you to download.  You're going outside Google and possibly the law, depending on your jurisdiction.

Looks like this is a very common problem, and I guess the google guys are on it, but so far, no solution.
I bought an Archos tablet and for two days I've been trying to download and install a good browser. I tried every single solution I found in every single forum on line (believe me when I say that it is a very common problem!!!). No luck.
What worked for me was quite simple: I found a website where you can download the same apps and they actually can be downloaded. You don't even need to create an account!! Try it: http://www.freewarelovers.com/android. Maybe you will find what you want. I did.
Good luck!

The "Google guys" have nothing to fix. See Matthew Read's answer regarding how the Market works with regards to non-approved devices.

Regardless of an Android device being a phone or tablet, I believe, that to make use of the core Google apps you will need to tie directly to a Google account.  I am user of a Moto Xoom (wifi only) and this is absolutely true.  So I would suggest adding a Google account with the device (Settigns - Accounts & Sync).

Kevin, I am unable to actually add any accounts to my device. Clicking on Add Account takes me to a page to add an Exchange account. No other account. No icons to add a Google account.

I am having the same issue.http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/10159/android-sdk-2-1-unable-to-install-app-from-android-market


text:
How can I search for or find text within a web page on the android browser?
How can I search for or find text within a web page on the android browser?

(Menu button) More -> Find on page.

That feature is broken. On guessing that's why they posted. It just highlights the text; but doesn't actually take you to where it is. Also the next previous buttons are also broken. Basically useless.


text:
Connecting Android mobile to Mail Exchange Server
I am currently pursuing a project, and need to connect my Android device to an Exchange mail server. I am having a problem connecting my Android mobile to a Windows server. Could any body please guide me through it? Do I need to connect it using EDGE, GPRS, or Wi-Fi?

In my case it works without any problem it, detailed descriptions of the problem may be helpful

I agree, we need a detailed description of what you're doing and what is resulting.  Your credentials, port settings, etc. are probably slightly off.

The version of Android will be key here, as there were a number of improvements to connecting to Exchange in Froyo.

In order to connect your phone to an Exchange account follow these steps:

From the home screen hit the menu button and choose "Settings".
Choose "Accounts & sync".
Click the "Add account" button on the bottom.
Choose "Corporate".
Enter the full E-mail address and Password of the Exchange account you're trying to link, then click "Next".
This step may require you to contact your Exchange server administrator.  You will need to know the name of the domain on which the Exchange server resides, and then enter it in the first field before the "\".  Leave the Password field alone, and make sure that the Server field lists either the IP address of your Exchange server or the name (commonly something like "mail.mycompany.com").  Depending on how the Exchange server is set up you may need to check or uncheck the two boxes below the Server field, but usually the defaults work fine.  Then hit "Next".
Agree to the disclaimer (all it says is that the administrator of the Exchange server has the ability to wipe any Exchange-related information from your phone without your permission) and you should be all set!

If everything went according to plan you should start receiving E-mails right away in the E-mail app.
Edit: These steps should work for Android 2.2 and definitely work for 2.3.


text:
MS Office Client for Android

Possible Duplicate:
How can I create and edit Microsoft Office documents in Android

I just bought a new Galaxy Tab P1000 and I want to open my office documents like Excel, Word, and Powerpoint.
Is there already a client like Microsoft Office for Android?

There is a great app called DocumentsToGo which lets you open MS Office files. If you want to be able to create new ones and edit them in your mobile phone, you need to buy a licence for their app, but otherwise you can use it for free.


text:
Change MAC address Android using ip link?
I am trying to change the MAC address on a device running Android. It has been rooted and a command line installed ("ConnectBot"); I was looking around Google for methods of changing the MAC address on it and I found something called ip and ip link. Initially I thought I would use ifconfig but I haven't found the name of the network interface to change.
How would this be done on an Android device?

As superuser run:
# netcfg

A list with the interfaces will appear. For example my interface was eth0
# ifconfig eth0 down
# ifconfig eth0 hw ether your:new:mac
# ifconfig eth0 up

Note that not all drivers support this operation, and the Android ifconfig do not support these commands. You will need another ifconfig executable, perhaps that from busybox will be suitable.
After the reboot these changes are lost.

How can this command be executed on each reboot, or does this change stick? My galaxy nexus randomly changes the mac id on every reboot due to an error in the kernel. (Google is aware but seems to be in no hurry to fix it. It makes mac id authentication impossible.)

@user14633: funny.  that's the behavior I'm looking to implement, in order to avoid being identified by my MAC wherever I go.

ifconfig -a to list interfaces.
ifconfig wlan0 hw ether ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff to set the MAC address, replacing wlan0 with the interface you want to use, and the MAC address with the one you want to spoof. Not all drivers support changing the MAC address though, so this may not work.

ifconfig -a returns the error "-a: no such device" on my rooted Desire.


text:
Android Browser Privacy Settings: "Clear cookies" and "clear cache"
I have a couple of questions about privacy and Android phones, though it probably relates to the windows phone as well and welcome the thoughts of any developers.
Do the 'clear cookies' and or 'clear cache' functions actually remove hidden tracking cookies that use either Flash based cookies or the client side storage area inside the web browser?
If not, how do you delete them without resetting the entire phone?

To reset the Flash based data storage (technically like cookies), you have to wipe the data for the Flash Plugin. Home => Settings => Applications => Manage Applications => Adobe Flash Player => Clear Data.  I would do the same procedure for your browser application, too, if have nothing valuable saved in the browser settings/passwords.
I wish Adobe had provided some form of privacy configuration application as they started to include with latest Flash Plugin for desktops.

Note that the HTML5 client-side storage isn't in either of those locations.
To clear that, you need to go into your browser, press the Menu button, select, More, then Settings then scroll right to the bottom where you can see (under the Advanced heading) Website settings, now you should be able to see which websites have stored data on your phone (shows as a rectangle that fills up, the more they store), as well as what other permissions you've given websites, like which ones can use your location data.


text:
Exclude App from Android 2.1 on Android Market for Performance Reasons?
I published a computationally intensive app for Android 2.1+ that has been very well received.
But there have been some negative reviews and comments pertaining to performance. These are from people who want to use the app, but can't because they say it's running way too slowly.
It works smoothly on my Sprint Evo 4G (Android 2.2). Moreover, from the many positive comments, I can see that many people do not have performance issues running this app on their devices.
Let's assume there are no programming issues and the code is maximally efficient. I am considering blocking the app from Android 2.1, and making it accessible only for 2.2 and above.
Have other people encountered this situation? Are there really some 2.1 phones out there that are very slow, say, using the speed of the Evo as a benchmark?

While newer versions of Android tend to mean newer phones and tend to mean faster phones, that is not a guarantee. Particularly when you factor in modded ROMs, even the T-Mobile G1 can run Android 2.1 (IIRC).

Are there really some 2.1 phones out there that are very slow, say, using the speed of the Evo as a benchmark?

Yes, absolutely.  I can't play Angry Birds on my HTC Hero running 2.1 because of poor performance.  The game plays fine on my wife's newer Evo.
My advice would be to see if you can buy an old used handset to test your apps on yourself.  That way you'll be able to head off any negative reviews by targeting devices where you know your app performs well.


text:
Android HTC G7 without Google applications
I recently got an Android HTC G7 phone which claims to be Android 2.2. But I do not see any Google applications installed (market, maps etc). Is there a way to install these libraries and get started?

The G7 is not actually made by HTC, it's a cheap knockoff.  I don't believe it actually runs Android.

There is no phone from HTC named G7, the HTC G7 Desire is in fact a clone of the HTC Desire phone which runs Windows phone 6.5.
How to identify a Desire clone:

Dual SIM
Run Windows instead of Android.
The rear speaker is on the left side
of the camera.
The 3.5 jack connector is on the
bottom of the phone side by side with
USB connector.

Real Desire:

Single SIM
Runs Android
The rear speaker is on the right side
of the camera, just like the flash.
The 3.5 jack connector is on the top
of the phone (top right corner)

This is a video of the clone.


text:
How can I clear the cache(s) of my g2x from adb?
I installed clockworkmod as the recovery, then installed cyanogen 7 nightly for the g2x.  I used Rom Manager to do so.  The problem I'm having is cyanogen shows the boot loading screen in an infinite loop.  From what I have read on the Internet, I need to clear out the cache on the phone, and it should boot.
I can adb reboot recovery but it does not go into clockworkmod.  Instead, it shows the icon of an arrow leaving a box - I suppose an indication it is trying to install an update.  I cannot get it to boot into recovery mode.
Is it possible to do so?  Or can I clear the cache or reflash the LG G2X using adb?  My poor phone!  I am lonely without it!
(This is a G2X - if the "tmobile-g2(s)" tag is incorrect, please remove it)

I am not sure about the G2X, but when I would reboot in to recovery on my Galaxy S Vibrant, I used to have to "apply updates", which would run the update.zip that was on the sdcard, this would bring me in to the clockwork recovery.
I also know that the adb reboot recovery does not yet work correctly on the Galaxy S Vibrant version, so this could be the same issue on the G2X.


text:
Tethering android devices together
I am very low-tech, but I have a very smart phone!  an android 2.2.1  I have recently discovered a wonderful application called tether, or tethering where you connect your phone & lap top or pc w/ a usb cord and from there the phone acts like a modem & wa-la! you get the internet! I just purchased the newest Android Tablet (3.0), an ASUS... okay My question is really this:  Can I tether my android phone to my Android tablet and get the same or different results? And if so, how? like with what type of cord would I connect these 2 devices, as there are no usb ports on the tablet. There are, however HDMI ports.

Go to Android Settings, the wireless then enable "portable wi-fi hotspot"
Then connect to that wifi using your tablets wifi manager. Then you should have internet

Kurru basically has it right, except that the portable wi-fi hotspot application will most likely require another monthly fee from your provider.
As far as wired tethering between devices, this is not possible. The protocols do not exist for android devices to accept external network connections through cables.
A very easy solution (if you are comfortable rooting your device), is Wifi Tether. I use this app constantly, and works exactly as Kurru described:

Install
Run application
Press "Tether" button
Select "Android Hotspot" from available wireless access points on your tablet

And bam! You're done! As a personal user, i have to say this is the single best advantage to rooting a phone, and 100% worth it.

Here in the UK we don't have such bad mobile providers, but if you do, I'd recommend install http://www.cyanogenmod.com/ or another root package to obtain it

running Unrevoked will work if you have an HTC device, otherwise any root will do. Then follow the link provided earlier for the Wifi Tether application and you're home free!


text:
Samsung galaxy S2 Storage management
I used to have an HTC Desire: there was an internal memory and my micro-SD card. I could navigate easily via file explorer to each.
With S II, I have also a micro-SD inserted however I can only navigate to the so-called USB storage section of the phone.
I am confused, how is storage managed in the S2 and how I can eplore the content of my micro-SD card?

Related (if not duplicate): http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/9509/whats-the-difference-between-sd-card-and-usb-storage

In the Galaxy S your phone storage is the same as any other phone's storage, but there is separate "internal SD" mounted at /sdcard/ that is treated by apps as if it were the external SD card.  The actual external card is mounted at /sdcard/external_sd/.
(Actually, I'm not sure if /sdcard/ is an alias, since you can also see it at /mnt/sdcard/.  There is no entry for the external SD in /mnt/, but you can of course access it via /mnt/sdcard/external_sd/ as well.)


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Android - Call log/ history : Retrieve a dialed number when there was no network coverage
I dialed a number when I had no network support but it does not appear in the call history of my android phone.
Is there any way to get it ? (system logs or whatever)
THanks a lot in advance,
Jack

A dup: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/14795/any-way-to-retrieve-phone-number-dialed-while-in-airplane-mode

Your phone deals with three types of calls: incoming, outgoing or missed. As you can see from the API documentation.
Technically speaking, you've typed some digits, but since you had no network coverage, you didn't actually place any call. So, there was no reason to log anything, or even a way to classify those digits as a valid outgoing call.
Android has a database to store all the calls made, but they must match one of the above three types, and as you can see here the existent fields on the database don't contemplate the possibility of  rows for every collection of digits typed that doesn't fit the parameters of a call (duration, type, etc..).


text:
Are my contacts encrypted on my Android?
Are my contacts encrypted on my Android and where are they?
How can I access them? Any public APIs? (From PC)

At least honeycomb allows user to encrypt all data (see article on http://www.netbooklive.com/android-honeycomb-can-encrypt-all-your-data-7497/).
You can export all your contacts from the application (tap in contacts app on menu, then import/export and choose export to SD Card)

By access, I mean from PC.

updated my answer.

Sorry, but an additional: if I do not export it to SD, where they originally are? Can I see them from PC?

You can see your contacts saved in google account in Google contacts. Contacts on the phone are stored at /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/contacts.db


text:
How to get an apk file onto the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1
I'm on a mac, and I have an apk file. When I connect the Tablet to the mac via USB, it does not show up in Finder. How can I get the apk transfered to the device?
I have installed Astro File Manager on the device, but that doesn't help me until I can get the apk file onto the device.

You still have to mount the storage medium within the OS. When you select USB mode after plugging in the cable, there should be a button offering to mount the internal SD card. Until the medium's mounted, there won't be anything for Finder to deal with.

Can you use adb to copy or install the apk file on the Samsung tablet? For example:
$ adb push my_app.apk /mnt/sdcard

or
$ adb install my_app.apk

I don't have a Galaxy tab so I don't know whether /mnt/sdcard is the correct location on that device.
EDIT: Oops. Forgot to say that when you connect your device via USB select the charge only option - don't mount the SD card!

@Claire I tried your suggestion but I get this in Terminal: -bash: adb: command not found

@clua7 adb is in android-sdk-mac-x86/platform-tools. Its exact location will depend on where you installed the sdk on your mac (for me it's in my home directory). Either cd to the directory and then run adb or use a relative path, e.g ~/android-sdk-mac-x86/platform-tools/adb

@Claire thanks for trying to help. I copied the adb file to my builds directory (where the apk is located). I still get adb: command not found

Tried this: ~/android-sdk-mac_x86/platform-tools/adb push myApp.apk /mnt/sdcard.  I get this: * daemon not running. starting it now on port 5037 *

daemon started successfully *
error: device not found

@clua - that's probably because the current directory isn't in your PATH (echo $PATH to see it). From the directory where adb is type ./adb this should find it.

@Claire, I got it to find adb, but I'm getting error: device not found now. It's connected via the USB cable.

What happens when you type adb devices? This should list all android devices, including running emulators, attached to your mac.

It just says "List of devices attached", and then a blank line

Sorry, I'm a complete muppet. You need to have USB debugging enabled to work. On my phone this is under Settings -> Applications -> Development then there's a check box for USB debugging.

When I connect the device, the device says "Connected. Press the home key to quit Samsung Kies". I have tried listing devices before and after hitting the home key.

@Claire, once I turned USB debugging on adb worked. Thanks!!!

You can also use Dropbox to move a file onto the device.  This will require minimal setup and provide an easy way to push future files to the Tab

The simplest way would be to use Bluetooth or to email the apk to your tablet. You can use adb as suggested by @Claire Swinson if your device is detected.


text:
When was my text message delivered?
In the text messaging application that came with my Android phone, a checkmark seems to appear next to text messages that have been successfully delivered. How can I find out when a text message was delivered?
Update: The text messaging app might be a custom one. It's the default for Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 mini. A couple of screen caps I've found:

As soon as the check mark is appeared on the message text body, it means it delivered the message.
If you want a confirmation then you can use mysms SMS app. This could deliver the status message.
If you want to track the time when the SMS delivered then try SMS Scheduler. It keeps track of all your previous messages also.

I'm looking for a solution that doesn't require me to constantly watch every message.

@Tim: You mean to say some kind of "Delivered Successfully" message back to your mobile ?

I don't want to be notified when it is delivered. I want to be able to find out when it was delivered, i.e. at which time the checkmark appeared.

@Tim: Please see my updated post.

I was hoping that there was a way with the native application. I'll check your suggestion out.

There are many things that are not there in native Android phones. Its like a framework where we can do lots of things outside.

In the Stock App for Short Messages, there is a way to get the informations you want to have:
Just longtap on the message and then choose "details" in the pop up.
If your manufacturer put another app for text messaging in replace for the android stock app, please tell us the name of it.

You're right, it doesn't seem to be the stock app. Longtapping only lets me choose "Copy message text", "Forward messge" and "Delete message". I've updated the question with some more info.

The SMS system itself doesn't support read or delivery confirmation past delivery to the network.
IOW your phone is notified when the message is received by the network with a recognised recipient, but nothing more.
If your application is like the one on my phone, the mark indicates unread responses to a message you sent (or unread incoming messages in general), not that a message you sent has been read by its recipient.

It might mean that the message has been received by the network, but I'm quite sure that it's about a message being received by the recipient. I know that it's possible for SMS messages to request a receipt.

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


text:
Is the Motorola Xoom tablet suitable for making notes on pdf?
I am considering buying a Motorola Xoom to get rid of piles of notes that I have from uni.
My questions are:

Does the Xoom have a digitizer pen (or can you buy a compatible one)?
Does Android have an app to make notes on pdf files?

It's also worth noting that the Xoom has a "capacitive" touch screen (as do most modern multi-touch compatible devices) most stylus pens are designed for the older "resistive" touch screens and won't do anything on a capacitive screen. See this previous question on suitable styluses for a capacitive screen http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/2490/

See also: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/14164/how-can-i-write-in-a-pdf-with-a-tablet-and-a-pen-a-k-a-is-there-a-xournal-alte

I do not believe there are any Android applications that will allow you to make notes on PDF files. You might be better off looking towards a Windows capable tablet, since you would be able to run Acrobat on that.

In fact, there are at least two apps now, that allow you to make notes in PDF files: RepliGo Reader and ezPDF Reader

I dont think the xoom can be used with a pen, it wasnt designed for that, i have a xoom and all i use it for is browsing the internet and playing games, it could be a very useful tool for taking notes and such with the onscreen keyboard and i think it is very handy to have. It has a ton of hard drive space and if you download a good app that lets you take notes then i think it would be good for you, if you dont like typing your notes and you want to actually write them then i dont think the xoom is good for that. you could try using a pen with it but it could scratch the screen, you could ask someone at an at&t or verison store if they would recommend a tablet that suits your needs.


text:
Can not install in country

Possible Duplicate:
How to install apps which are targetted for another country?

i would like to loadthe bbc news app but i get the following error on android market place.
This app is incompatible with your Samsung GT-P7510.
Samsung GT-P7510
This item cannot be installed in your device's country.
any ideas on how to solve this?

Try the Market enabler app


text:
Android doesn't say it's Ericsson, hard restart does nothing
I bought a Sony Ericsson X8 and saw on YouTube that when we turn on this phone a page is supposed to come up and mention the name of Sony Ericsson. When I turn on my phone just it says Android and that's all.
When I wanted to hard restart it or upgrade it, I pressed the back button but nothing happens. When I hold left and right keys together, the same situation when I release.
Is my phone a fake? Why it is like that?

Hang on a second, you wanted to hard reset your phone because your splash screen didn't look like the one on YouTube?

It is very common for carriers to change things like splash screens.
You don't say where you bought your phone or who your carrier is. Can't tell you if it is a fake.
If it is legit, you don't say if you bought your phone new or used or if you or a previous owner has rooted it and flashed a custom ROM. That would almost certainly change your boot splash screen.
I've never owned an Android phone that required pushing the back button during a hard reset. Here is the only method of hard resetting that I have ever needed:

From the main home screen, tap menu
Tap Settings, then Privacy
Tap Factory data reset
Tap Reset phone
Enter your password if required, then tap Erase everything to confirm

Would you please tell me where is backbutton exactly?
I guess the previous owner root it.
is there any way I back it to its previous version?

Out of the 3 Android phones I've had, one had an "Android" startup splash screen, one had a manufacturer startup splash screen, and one originally had a phone network (Vodafone) startup splash screen, but was changed to a manufacturer splash screen in one of the (official) firmware updates.All were bought new and legitimate with manufacturer/carrier supplied firmware.
I don't think you can judge anything by what the splash screen shows, especially as this can be changed by carriers and changed in official firmware updates. You need to compare it to an identical hardware model, supplied through the same channel that is running the same firmware/OS version. It is unlikely that a random Youtube video happens to be identical to yours in all those ways.


text:
Where does Amazon App Store keep the APKs

Possible Duplicate:
Amazon App Store - Location of the downloaded APK

I am trying to find an APK that I downloaded from the Amazon app store but it is nowhere to be found. I have looked in all the normal APK locations but none of the APKs from the Amazon app store are there. Does anyone know where they are hidden?

Never knew that Amazon's apks are located somewhere else then common ones... interesting!

@barmaley They're in the same spot when installed, but Amazon has a different folder to download them to than the Market does.

they are on the SD card.
The free ones are put here. (I would assume they all get put in the same spot.)
/sdcard/Android/data/com.amazon.venezia/cache

Their names are by no means associated with the app though.


text:
Are Tmobile using bogus DoD IP addresses (bogons)?
I recently started picking up some weird entries in my firewall log:
kernel: arplookup 26.XXX.XXX.XXX failed: host is not on local network
There are at least at dozen entries, all to different IP's within DISANET26.
I couldn't help but be curious as to what was going on so I fired up Wireshark and began capturing packets to try and find out where it was coming from.
Turns out it's my brand new HTC sensation with all but a handful of apps installed (standard google apps + other apps I've used in the past) - I don't even have it rooted yet.
Wireshark shows a Broadcast ARP packet coming from the sensation's mac address, but logs it as coming from the DoD IP in question. The target is the gateway (pfsense router).
I've found a similar discussion over at the tmobile forums with no official tmobile response: http://forums.t-mobile.com/t5/Help-General-Discussion/Hiport-connects-to-DoD/td-p/205863
I doubt I'll find someone at tmobile who will have a clue what I'm talking about but whether the DoD is involved or not there's no denying that the phone is trying to send these packets to them.
I won't sleep well until I know why.

I've heard of T-Mo doing this, yes.  They're internal addresses only so don't worry about the DoD thinking you're trying to hack them or something.  Just don't try to access that address manually -- use the external IP address (visit ipchicken.com or somewhere from your device browser to find it).

I had the same issue - t-mobile admitted assigning their ip but was not able to explain why

Some large ISPs/cell providers have been known to be assigning reserved IP addresses (i.e. IP address that does not belong to the private addresses) to devices in their network. Many organizations (government and universities) that participated in the early days of the Internet owned very large blocks of IP address that aren't being used, and their IP addresses are suspect to this sort of misuse.
The reason they did this is usually because they run out of supply for private IP addresses. This workaround is violating all kinds of standards, but it is generally safe as long as nobody in their network need to access a server using those reserved IP addresses, and since these IP addresses are unused by their owner anyway, nobody really cared to do anything about it.
btw, my superintendant told me to told you to not worry about the men in black suits in front of your residence, they're gardeners.

Yup, that's what Hamachi did with 5.0.0.0/8; wonder how they're coping now that it's allocated and in use.

@Piskvor Hamachi changed to 25.0.0.0/8

@pizzapants184: I wouldn't call "we've been evicted? Let's squat somebody else's address space then" a viable business model (especially when that someone has fighter jets and warships), but that's obviously Hamachi's problem, haven't used it for ages now.

Thanks for your quick response Lie Ryan.
Just to update this topic a bit I called Tmobile and spoke with L3 support and indeed they're using 10.x.x.x but also 25.x.x.x and 26.x.x.x for handing out IP addresses - it depends on the device/feature in use.
The issue was that since the device was joined over wifi and had no connection to tmobile in theory it shouldn't need a tmobile IP address at all.
Well it turns out that it's indeed connection to tmobile due to the wifi calling being enabled.
Still doesn't explained that unmarked van outside the house....

I was able to find my private IP on the GSM network interface (svnet0) and it corresponds with the IP I see in the ARP requests as soon as I turn WIFI on.


text:
Android: Force Music Application to Refresh List of Playlists
How can I force the built-in Music App in Android to refresh my list of playlists. Even after I delete one from my SD card, the playlist will still appear in my list of playlists.

Go to settings, applications, manage applications, [menu button], filter, all
Find the Media Storage app, and clear data.
This deletes everything! artists, albums, playlists. (data still on card)
Plug in, mount usb. Eject. Go back into music, and wait (a lot if you have more than a few tracks.)
Note: If the music app shows no changes, try force stopping the Media Storage app. The app showed no cache or data to clear, but force stopping it then opening the Music app worked for me.

I have a Moto Droid, and believe it or not, I had to do a factory reset on the phone (Settings -> Privacy -> Factory Data Reset) to get rid of the playlists that I erroneously put on the SD card.
After the phone rebooted, it reactivated my service and restored the apps I had previously downloaded from the Android Market.  The customizations I had made to my home screen needed to be redone, and the device needed to re-fetch all of my Google data (contacts, calendar, etc.)
They really need to come up with a better solution to that, but thankfully, I hadn't done much with the phone, so I didn't have many things that I needed to setup again.

This is definitely troubling. I hope this is fixed soon.

There is an application that deletes unused playlists from the database.  See http://roryok.com/blog/2010/07/23/clearing-out-deleted-playlists-in-android/


text:
Transfer applications and settings from my old Android phone to my new one

Possible Duplicate:
How to backup an Android device?

I recently purchased a new Android device and I would like to be able to back up all of my settings/installed applications/app settings so that I can easily transfer them from the old phone to the new phone.
I know that my Gmail synced items will automatically sync, but this doesn't help me with things like bookmarks and settings on my apps.
Are there any good applications available on the market for helping me with this transfer?
I'm not sure if it will cause any problems, but the old device is running Android 1.6, and the new device will be running Android 2.x

Titanuim Backup, MyBackup, Astro FileManager, Handy Backup and there are loads more in the market!


text:
How do I transfer numbers/contacts from Windows Mobile to Android?
I finally activated my Android phone and would like to import numbers/contacts to the new phone. I forgot to ask the store rep how to do this, but I figured since both of them can be hooked up to a computer, I can probably do it myself. I'm on a Windows platform.
What's the best way to do this?

It's pretty easy because your Android phone will sync to [Google Contacts][1].

Sync your Windows Mobile phone to your computer (Outlook, Outlook Express, whatever you normally sync to)

Export your contacts from there to a CSV:

Go to the File menu on the top-left in the Outlook
Click on Import and Export
Click on Export file to
Click Next
Click on Comma Separated Values (Windows)
Click on Next
click on Contacts
Click on Browse
Select the drive and folder where you want to save the file
Click on Next, and done

Use Google Contacts to import the CSV (import is in the upper right from https://contacts.google.com/)

Wait a couple of minutes.  All of your contacts will show up on your Android phone soon

That's how I moved and merged my contacts from a combination of an old Nokia phone (exported to CSV using Nokia's rubbishy desktop software), and an Outlook account, and imported them both into GMail's contacts. It even gives you an option to merge two contacts in GMail if you tick them both at the same time.

Thanks, this worked perfectly.  My old Windows Mobile phone already synced my contacts with Outlook so I just needed to export/import.

In my case, I needed to manually open CSV-file in spreadsheet programm and rename columns. Before I did so contacts wasn't imported correctly to Google account. Maybe this happened due to regional differences. Also different programs use different delimiters for CSV.

An even simpler method (at least for me) would be to first sync your contacts in WinMo to Google Sync. The Active sync settings are:

Server: m.google.com
Use SSL
Username and password are the same as other Google services (username@gmail.com-format)
Contacts must be selected in the data selection

And then on your Android phone, you should have automatic contact sync enabled by default.
Did this with my HTC Touch HD and Motorola Milestone/Droid, took a couple of minutes, and everything on the Android side went completely automagically.

Looks like this does not work anymore - https://support.google.com/a/users/answer/138636 ("Starting Jan. 30, 2013, only Google Apps for Work, Education, and Government customers can set up new devices with Google Sync")

I just transferred my contacts from my HTC Touch Pro2 to my Samsung Galaxy S II X.
You need to install the Bluetooth File Transfer app for Android, pair your two phones, and then send your contacts to your Android phone using the Windows Mobile Bluetooth Explorer program.

You could also try vCardIO which uses the Funambol code and runs on an Android phone off the SD card. Export from Outlook and copy the file to the SD card.

Disclaimer: I do not work for Sprite Software
I did a search for the following phrase on Google: "moving windows mobile contacts to android". One of the hits was Sprite Software who makes the following application: SpriteMigrate. It's free and purports to backup your stuff to a backup file and then you use a second program on your PC to convert that backup file to Android-ready format.
Sprite Migrate apparently saves the following information (from their website):

What do we migrate?

Contacts
Call Logs
SMS
Bookmarks

much more coming soon...

I've performed step 1 already and am in the process of performing step 2, once I pick up my phone tomorrow (Evo), I'll try step 3 and report back on how successful I was.

I tried LocalSync and it worked fine.
Pros:

It doesn't simply "migrate" WinMo to Android: it actually establishes a sync relationship with your Windows PC/Outlook
Doesn't share contacts with Google or other clouds (privacy safe)

Cons:

You must have Outlook installed on Windows

Use the following simple steps (no need for Microsoft/Google account)

Search/install contacts+message backup on your Windows Phone

Go to Settings -> contacts+message backup -> Backup from the list that is displayed, select Contacts, and then press Backup. A folder named "backup + restore" will be created in your SD card/phone memory containing the vCard file.

Copy this file to your Android device and import contacts from this file

Go to the account settings.
Choose Microsoft exchange.
Log in to sync.
Note that Microsoft Outlook online calendar, mail, contacts are synced. No need to create a Google account.

Don't know if it matters but this was on Android7.

You can use Qontact (I'm the developer of this app). It can export in many formats like vCard, readable by iOS or Android app. Just send the contacts by email and open the attachment (Gmail or Hotmail account).
The free version can export about 200 contacts (including photo, the solutions that use CVS exports doesn't). In case you have more contacts, you can use the pro version.


text:
Memory Expansion For Asus Eeepad Transformer
Hello I am planning on getting the 16GB version of the Eeepad Transformer, however I would want to upgrade the memory via the expansion slot.Does anyone have an idea up to how many gigs the expansion slot supports ?

Just FYI, when you say memory, most people assume you mean RAM - not storage.

When you say memory do you mean storage capacity? As far as im aware there is no way to increase the 1GB memory it is supplied with.
EDIT :
This site states 32GB expansion limit for SD card, which seems like its porbably correct :
http://www.techwench.com/asus-eee-pad-transformer-review/

Yes sorry I meant storage capacity

meaning i can put in an extra 32gb sd card, sweet

Limit of the internal reader is that of SDHC format: 32Gb.
But AFAIK, card slots on the Transformer dock is SDXC compliant, so, limit is 2Tb (theoretical)

SDHC goes well beyond 2GB, up to 32GB. Asus's specs for the TF also don't note SDXC support anywhere.

Oops... the "3" lost in the keyboard buffer!

The SDHC (high-capacity) card family have a capacity of 4 GB to 32 GB
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secure_Digital
https://www.sdcard.org/developers/tech/sdhc/


text:
What does "obtaining IP address" mean?
When I try to connect to a free WiFi, my Xperia Android smartphone displays:

obtaining ip address

Why does it happen?
Which IP address is that?
Is it static or dynamic?
Does this IP address identify my smartphone?

Or does it identify the WiFi router and is its IP address common for different smartphones/laptops?

If you're concerned about privacy, keep in mind that most free wifi is unsecured & unencrypted.

Bad migration ... this is not Android-specific.

Why does it happen: When you connect to a DHCP enabled router, your device (notebook, smartphone etc) obtains an IP address in order to access internet via that router/server.
Which IP is that, static or dynamic: It's a dynamic internal IP address and is valid only within that network.
Does this IP address identify my smartphone: Yes, but only in that network and it's actually the MAC address of your network adapter that identifies your device, not your IP.
The same is true for the router. It may have a static or dynamic IP which is given by the ISP. If it's static then yes it identifies it, otherwise no. Your external IP (router's IP) is different from your internal IP. All of the devices connected to that router have the same external IP address.

All of the devices connected to that router have the same external IP address. This is not necessarily the case, but if you're in a network where this isn't true, then you probably already know about it.

When it says that, while connecting over wifi, it means that the machine is asking the local network for connection information. On a basic level it's already connected. But when it says that, it doesn't yet have an IP address and thus can't yet transfer TCP nor UDP traffic (probably some other types too, like ICMP).
So it's really trying to get assigned an IP address for use on the local network, which is something handled by a DHCP service (usually in the router).
This is not special to the device type, it's just something that's a part of networking.

so, is this ip address private?? (10.x.x.x; 192.168.x.x; 172.16.0.0 - 172.31.255.255)

The second one for sure. The first one, probably is. The range at the end, I don't know wtf that is. But if it's over wifi, then it's local to that network. I really doubt it's public to the internet from there-- Though there are ways of knowing the private IP, but you can't open connections to it without special provisions.

See RFC 1918, section 3 (on page 4) for the official list of private IP address blocks (all the blocks mentioned in the first comment above are definitely reserved for private use):  http://rfc1918.openrfc.org/

Being part of an RFC 1918 range ("private IP") does not mean that your data is secure.   It just means that the IP address can't be directly routed from the Internet without some form of address translation and/or proxy server.

If your smartphone says "obtaining ip-address" it means it is searching for an IP address or connecting to an IP address. If you are trying to connect via Wi-Fi using the smartphone, it may be a static IP address or dynamic ip address. Your IP address won't identify the device, but the device has to obtain an IP address if you connect to the internet and the service provider will know about your device. Every device connected to the internet has its own IP address. Visit this site to check the internet IP address for your smartphone, iPad, PC or laptop.

"Obtaining" always refers to a dynamic (DHCP) address. A static address you would need to configure manually, and then the device would not need to "obtain" it. "Connecting to an IP address" is something completely different again, as for "connecting to" the address must already be known. Plus, the "provider" has nothing to do with your WiFi :)


text:
How to install an APK on an Android Tablet PC?
I had one normal Android apk. It is working fine on my Android mobile. Now I want to install the same .apk on an Android tablet PC; is it possible? If possible, how can I install it?

There are a few ways to install an app:

Post it online (with something like Dropbox) and navigate to the
URL in your tablet's browser
Use the marketplace if it's listed there
Use adb install to do it

Make sure on the device that you have checked the checkbox listed at Settings > Applications > Unknown Sources if it is not in the Market. This will allow you to install non-Market apps.

You can download apkinstaller from android market and install it. after that just put your application apk in your tablet sdcard, and click on apkinstaller you will get your apk here.   just click on your apk it will b installed .


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Buy Android phone, install Android from source, have Nexus S -like experience?
I'm new to Android. I understand that although the Nexus S is built by Samsung that it has a stock standard Android image (whatever that means) and so it considered a "pure" Google phone. If I were to buy any Android phone and install a clean Android image from source (I assume this is possible... I heard it is fully open sourced) then do I effectively get a "pure" Google experience a la the Nexus S? Compared to the Nexus S, would I be lacking anything (software-wise)?

you'd be missing the drivers.

In short, you can't just install a stock image from the Google source on any phone because to produce an image, you need all the drivers for the individual phone's hardware. If you can get hold of these, then it is possible to build a stock image but a lot of manufacturers don't release them.
For simpler solution (if you don't want a Nexus S or Nexus One) get a phone that can run Cyanogen and flash the Cyanogen image to the phone. This is pretty close to the pure Google experience, in that it doesn't have carrier or manufacturer modifications on it, but does have some Cyanogen extras included.

+1 CyanogenMod brings Stock Android to many phones, plus a few extra beneficial bells and whistles.