Database Users

[Q] some newbie questions

Hey everyone,
first off, I've tried searching (this forum and google) for a lot of stuff, but I still have some questions ( I started out with a ton haha).
I just bought a droid x, and I switched from the original storm (blackberry's first touchscreen phone)
1. gmail- I have my school account (which is a business gmail account) as my primary google/email account, and I don't like that when I check my email on my phone, it automatically marks my actual inbox (that I would check on my computer) as read messages. On my blackberry I would get all my email, but the messages would still be new when I went on my computer. That was very helpful for keeping organized. Can I still do this?
2. computer syncing- blackberry had a nice program that automatically synced everything on the phone with the computer. I realize that google does this over the air, but I'd like to have my contacts/calendar/life in sync with outlook. The blackberry program synced: contacts, calendar, photos, (videos and music if I wanted too, but I didn't bother with that), notes, and tasks (and more?). I found a google calendar sync that I am using to keep my outlook up to date with the android/google calendar, and I found a media manager from motorola that I can use for getting pictures off the phone in an orderly manner. I'm worried about other media. What about contacts and notes and stuff? Google doesn't have a sync option like for the calendar. Is there a program I can use to do all of this? or at least the contact stuff? I'd rather not have to export a .csv every time i get a new contact.
3. Rooting/roms--When I bought this phone, all the reviews basically said that the X was possibly the best hardware available and the worst software. I've gotten confused when I looked around at roms. Is there a standard pure google Froyo build that I can put on this phone? Is there a version of HTC sense that will port over? Has gingerbread been ported yet? Is there a sense or motoblur version of gingerbread yet?
4. speaking of gingerbread- how good is moto about updating there phones with new android builds? Any chance of us getting this in my lifetime?
5. apps. I remember reading a review a long time ago about a really really cool program that would let you do basically anything in your imagination with your phone- it was basically a if-then app that had access to every part of your phone and you could get your phone to do whatever you want when something happened (even as stupid/ crazy as opening the camera app if you received an email and stuff like that).
6. how do you determine which apps are best? is there a trust worthy site that rates them?
7. speaking of apps, are there any ones that I really need? I have Ti backup (im still trying to root this thing, no luck so far), google goggles, and a flashlight app. Any other essentials?
8. Media. I've heard that android has a really bad media player compared to zune/wp7 or ios. Is there an app that mimics either of these media players? or what is a really good media player?
9. what is the difference between a rom and a theme?
10. I've heard that this phone starts out laggy and gets faster over time (according to engadget)- my phone is really laggy only a day in (im not running bunches of apps (yet), I haven't even downloaded that many. Is this par for the course?
I'll have more questions, but that's a bunch to start off. Thanks a bunch everyone, I'm really excited to tear this phone apart and see what it can do!
Edit- I got it rooted, I used z4root instead of the PC based one I was trying earlier

1.?
2.?
3.z4Root is the way to go as you did I see
4.like anyone else when Hell freezes over your local Developer's are the best IMHO.
5. Titanium back up,kouch's Droid recovery. for your specific phone style. Root Explorer, and Astro. too name a few.
6. & 7 ratings and what people have to offer. its still a chance now the Google has a 15 minute window the refund .Marketplace and Appbrain
8.I use PowerAmp But that my choice there a few good one to choose its all your taste most have a demo version.
9.Rom's is the engine...Theme is the paint... froyo is the chassis
10. get rid of the Crapware by reading up, then stepping up, to a deblured Rom KEEP READING....
best to yeah ...
1 & 2 don't effect me so I just use whats available I really don't need a calender.

Ok
5: That was tasker. I found it. Any opinions on it? I think im going to pick it up to help with my next question.
11: Coming from a blackberry, one of the biggest things I miss is bedside mode. Basically, whenever the phone was plugged into A/C (so every night) the phone would switch sound profiles and some other stuff. This let me:
turn off the notification LED, mute email notifications, change the ringtone for texts, lowered the volume of my call ringtone, turned off vibration, and displayed a clock on the screen.
I don't really care about the clock on the screen, but otherwise I'd like to replicate this. Is there an app that can do that? Or should I pay for tasker? If anyone has experience with it, is one of the "if" contexts going on A/C power?
(12, kinda) :I haven't found any way to turn off the notification LED at all; am I missing something?
Thanks again guys

Dictator Bob said:
Ok
5: That was tasker. I found it. Any opinions on it? I think im going to pick it up to help with my next question.
11: Coming from a blackberry, one of the biggest things I miss is bedside mode. Basically, whenever the phone was plugged into A/C (so every night) the phone would switch sound profiles and some other stuff. This let me:
turn off the notification LED, mute email notifications, change the ringtone for texts, lowered the volume of my call ringtone, turned off vibration, and displayed a clock on the screen.
I don't really care about the clock on the screen, but otherwise I'd like to replicate this. Is there an app that can do that? Or should I pay for tasker? If anyone has experience with it, is one of the "if" contexts going on A/C power?
(12, kinda) :I haven't found any way to turn off the notification LED at all; am I missing something?
Thanks again guys
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For 12) look into batt mon x in the market. I believe you can modify the led indicator for stuff. I haven't tested this app yet, but will as soon as I finish this msg!
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App

[Q] Android apps suddenly not compatible with my NC?

I've been collecting free apps from Amazon on my rooted NC for awhile now. At the time I got each of these apps, they were listed as "compatible" with my device.
Now suddenly a lot of them are not, and I am unable to go back and re-install the ones that I had removed.
Even worse, pretty much everything I've tried so far today to grab has come up as incompatible. Even really simple stuff that should have no problem running.
Oddly, at some point early on, Amazon listed my device as simply "Nook Color". Most of the apps are still showing as compatible with that device. Unfortunately, that's not what Amazon thinks my NC is anymore! I now have a second device on my list called "BarnesAndNoble NOOKcolor", which almost nothing is compatible with.
So then I wanted to check to see if Amazon was behind this, maybe to screw B&N fans. But nope! The Android Marketplace lists every game I've checked so far today as incompatible with my NC!!!
That's certainly news to me, considering some of the games I checked are currently installed on my NC and work perfectly.
I'm not sure what's going on here, but it's sort of scaring me. Who's locking down my rooted NC? If the official android marketplace says everything is incompatible... there aren't a lot of options for getting apps.

Do search with "Market" keyword, you will see about 10 threads with many responses and instructions how to fix this.

votinh said:
Do search with "Market" keyword, you will see about 10 threads with many responses and instructions how to fix this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are quite a few threads found that way, but none of the ones I read helped. I did the "stop/restart Framework/Google and reload" and nothing changed. Most of the others seem to be related to problems with the new market, which was working perfectly for me up until today, or problems run into right after rooting. I've been rooted for about 5 months with no market problems of any kind, and I haven't changed anything on my NC for over a month.
I also tried clearing the settings for the Amazon market and also deregistered the device from my amazon account, forcing it to re-register. Still no luck.
Anyone else seeing this, or have another suggestion?

My old market and new market were working fine too, just like yours, until a few days ago. If you try the 160 dpi/reboot/clear-data-from-market procedure below and that doesn't work, then you may have a totally unique problem that just happens to have the same variety of symptoms everyone else is having. (I'm doubtful.) This procedure seems to be fixing the problem for almost everyone else. Did you try it? It fixed mine.
1) set dpi to 160 in build.prop
2) reboot
3) clear market app data (force close first may help?)
4) restart market, accept terms, let it rebuild data at 160 dpi
5) profit
the above we all seem to agree on now. Next steps are more speculative
6) set dpi back to 161 (or whatever you had)
7) reboot
8) profit indefinitely (unknown how long this lasts; I rebooted >5 times including flashing a nightly w/o issue)
9) do NOT clear data again as this rebuilds data at the wrong dpi again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Thanks, I had tried the first half, but not the second. I used manual nooter, so my dpi entries originally looked like:
ro.sf.lcd_density.xdpi=169.3333
ro.sf.lcd_density.ydpi=169.3333
I don't know if that makes a difference.
Anyway, I just tried the second half of the above process but I'm still showing as incompatible. I wonder if I need to re-noot.

Everyone trying to be helpful here seems to miss the poster's dilemma. He is talking about the Amazon Market, not the Android Market. Hopefully someone familiar with the workings of the Amazon Market will chime in with some suggestions.

My original problem was with Amazon's market, but it looks like that's just a symptom of the bigger problem that I noticed first because I use it every day, as opposed to much less frequent use of the android market.
But the Android market suffers the same problem and from what I've read online it sounds like the problem was started with changes by Google that Amazon also adopted.

Interestingly I noticed this for the first time last night on the Android market and this morning with the Amazon market. Ebook downloads presently are unaffected to my rooted NC. Amazon recognizes my device as an Android but when I tried to make an app purchase this morning it suddenly tried to download it to a BN Nook. Amazon emailed me this morning saying that unless I have their market preloaded by the manufacturer they do not support it. Collusion?

I got the "not compatible" message after installing the most recent update from the Amazon App Store. Fortunately, I have the very first app store apk. I uninstalled the updated app store, then installed the old apk, logged in and then updated it and for some reason that worked for me. You might try not updating also to see if that works. I am not using CM7 though and I'm not manualnootered. I'm minirooted meaning I can side load apps and have superuser access, but no Android Market access and some other things.
I have attached the apk I used. I hope it works for you.

unibroker said:
Interestingly I noticed this for the first time last night on the Android market and this morning with the Amazon market. Ebook downloads presently are unaffected to my rooted NC. Amazon recognizes my device as an Android but when I tried to make an app purchase this morning it suddenly tried to download it to a BN Nook. Amazon emailed me this morning saying that unless I have their market preloaded by the manufacturer they do not support it. Collusion?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A better question would be is Amazon trying to bork the Nook Color with their app?

Anyone else have a suggestion for getting the Android Market working again for me?
thanks for the APK, I'll try it when I have a chance... But since the Android market from Google doesn't work either I'm hoping for a fix to that.

If you make the change in your build.prop “ro.product.manufacturer=BarnesAndNoble” to “ro.product.manufacturer=samsung” then reboot the device. This seems to fix most of the device compatibility problems in the Amazon appstore. I went down the top 100 paid and free app list, and the only apps that came up with the compatibility problems after doing this are,
Soundhound
Peggle
Thumb keyboard
Trainz simulator THD
Chuzzle
Talking Tom Cat
flexT9
GrooVe IP
Ultra Voice Changer
TV.com
Compass
Also attached is the amazon appstore v.1.14, it has the double click buying fix, but does not give all the compatibility issues. With installing this version does fix the compatibility problem, but you will be constantly hounded with the update reminder.

I don't use Facebook, but I was able to find, install and open the Facebook app with the new market. Do the density change using 240. Its more stable than 160 for whatever reason.

GMPOWER said:
If you make the change in your build.prop “ro.product.manufacturer=BarnesAndNoble” to “ro.product.manufacturer=samsung” then reboot the device. This seems to fix most of the device compatibility problems in the Amazon appstore.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately it had no effect. The first four apps i tried not on your list all came up incompatible, as did stuff on the google market.
I'll try your attachment to see if it helps. Thx!

kayak and tripit does not install
Running MN4.5 on NC. Kayak and Tripit are visible in Market and downloads - but I get a window that just says "error".
Any suggestions?

GMPOWER said:
Also attached is the amazon appstore v.1.14, it has the double click buying fix, but does not give all the compatibility issues. With installing this version does fix the compatibility problem, but you will be constantly hounded with the update reminder.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The old version of the market is working! I was able to install a number of apps that didn't previously work.
Now if I could just get the Google market to work!

Thanks for that link!
I was having the same problem with the AMAZON appstore (but not the android marketplace, for some reason) but I couldn't find the old amazon appstore apk. Going back to it totally fixed the problem. But you're right, the constant reminders to update the apk are a pain in the whatsus.

Also try going into application management and goto market and tap uninstall updates. Also use titanium backup or similar program to freeze market updater.
By what I read, I bet amazon is trying to block the competition because they are fixing to come out with their own tablets and by horning something like the nook you might be enticed to buy their tablet.
I voided my warranty and your mum.

My markets all seem to do whatever the f*ck they want the moment i need an application that was perfectly available minutes before. What i've done to get around the issue if neither the market or the amazon store have what i'm looking for is: (i know its tedious but hey it works)
1) install astro
2) using your android phone assuming you have one, download the applications you want regardless of them being compatible with the nook color according to the android market.
3) once your files are installed on your phone use astro to create a backup of the .apk files you want (open astro > menu > tools > application manager/backup)
4) i then take my sd card out of my phone and pop it into my nook color and install my apps through w.e file manager it is i have on the nook color
all the games that i cant normally download onto my nook through the official methods i've been able to install and play through the method i've been using. not ALL apps will allow you to back them up though =/

[Q] Anyone know what ADCP does?

I notice there's always a system process called ADCP running, I think it stood for Amazon Device Control Program. Anyone investigated what it does and what happens if you disable it? I'm wondering if it's involved in any way with the OTA updates, and also what ramification disabling it has, like will the various Amazon programs not work right? I've not been adventurous enough to experiment with, in fact I've got my wifi off for now until it's clear whether the OTA update can be blocked by the methods discussed here.

jb0ne said:
I notice there's always a system process called ADCP running, I think it stood for Amazon Device Control Program. Anyone investigated what it does and what happens if you disable it? I'm wondering if it's involved in any way with the OTA updates, and also what ramification disabling it has, like will the various Amazon programs not work right? I've not been adventurous enough to experiment with, in fact I've got my wifi off for now until it's clear whether the OTA update can be blocked by the methods discussed here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
check this out
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=20166149&postcount=1
essentially it connects the amazon apps to the kindle registration

I'm suspicious, I suspect it does more, and is the thing responsible for the OTA updates everyone is getting no matter what they do....

I really want to try and freeze it, but too afraid that it might actually be necessary...

Well I installed Droidwall and didn't give permissions to ADCP and so far my device is still registered and I can watch videos and use my books, can use the Amazon App Store (I gave it permissions, I don't think it's the program responsible). I've effectively disabled ADCP by not allowing it to connect to the internet, but it's still running in case it does, say, DRM services or something. All good and still on 6.2 (and I did do the other suggestions previously).

jb0ne said:
Well I installed Droidwall and didn't give permissions to ADCP and so far my device is still registered and I can watch videos and use my books, can use the Amazon App Store (I gave it permissions, I don't think it's the program responsible). I've effectively disabled ADCP by not allowing it to connect to the internet, but it's still running in case it does, say, DRM services or something. All good and still on 6.2 (and I did do the other suggestions previously).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad it worked for someone else too. I am not sure which process is actually responsible for downloading and installing the update though.
EDIT: Oh, I didn't post about DroidWall in this forum. I figured out DroidWall last night and we posted on Gizmodo about it.

An important element I overlooked, even after adding apps to the whitelist, you have to go back to Menu and enable firewall. It's NOT enabled by default even if you change whitelist apps. Even though I had it not running firewall until 10 minutes ago, I hadn't received update. Maybe moving otacerts.zip stopped it....

jb0ne said:
I'm suspicious, I suspect it does more, and is the thing responsible for the OTA updates everyone is getting no matter what they do....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I installed ADCP on CM7 when I was trying to find a way to get amazon video working. It brings up the page to register your kindle, but it never seemed to work right on CM7. There's a different apk for the OTA update, if I remember correctly.

You could put /system/etc/security/otacerts.zip back in and see if ADCP then lets your register your kindle.

Coaxing GrooVe IP to work?

Yeah, I know it's kind of "out there", but consider the problem a proof-of-concept exercise
I've found an old version of the app that will install and "run" on Eclair--but not so old that it still tries to log into GoogleVoice. I can get past the intro screen but for the "sign in" screen I get a white-out condition except for the little bar that says "Sign in". The menu options (help and exit) can still be brought up.
I use GrooVe IP Lite on my Nook Tablet and a cheap little unactivated Kit-Kat smartphone I bought as a dedicated mp3 player (after my beloved Insignia Pilot died :crying. It works great for an emergency call if you can scare up wi-fi----and it's free (to any land-line in the US or Canada--cell phones too, I guess). In this respect it seems better than Skype to me unless you have a lot of overseas contacts (I don't).
So....I uninstalled the current app from my little Kit-Kat device and side-loaded the old app. It ran just fine, allowed me to sign in, etc. Once signed in and exited, the next time the app starts you are already signed in. Hmm. I started digging in the /data/data folder for the app and came across two xml files of preferences, one of which clearly contained log-in information (my assigned telephone number, my email, etc.). So I tried copying that file to the same folder on the NST, hoping to get past the indomitable white-out. No joy. Same behavior AND when I checked the xml file I had overwritten it had been returned to a generic state, minus my personal data
I tried two other things. I reactivated the old phone.apk system app. That made no difference. I didn't try the telephony or whatever that other one is. I also started up USB audio before going to the app, thinking it might check for audio capabilities (and it still might) but that made no difference.
I'd probably never use the app on the NST but I am curious about what is keeping it from working. Perhaps the voip server just rejects log-in attempts from really old Android systems.
Any ideas?

Sorry for necroposting but this topic is in line of mine reasoning to use device as much as possible as it is. So if it does not have camera why would you need a Skype or Whatsapp? As a VoIP phone that is OK. Did you made any progress on that one? I am asking because I have a feeling that it might be possible to write an application that would work like VoIP/SIP/web phone to completely remove Phone.apk that reside in NST.

SJT75 said:
Sorry for necroposting but this topic is in line of mine reasoning to use device as much as possible as it is. So if it does not have camera why would you need a Skype or Whatsapp? As a VoIP phone that is OK. Did you made any progress on that one? I am asking because I have a feeling that it might be possible to write an application that would work like VoIP/SIP/web phone to completely remove Phone.apk that reside in NST.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, I eventually gave up on the idea. It was only a lark from the start, just to see if it would be possible, but the demands of the task exceeded my knowledge. GrooveIP has changed the way connections are made as well as encryption schemes several times over since I first looked at the issue. All that aside, I doubt that the device could now login to the new servers even if all the code were properly in place.
Re: Phone.apk, on the NST this is where the control of the Android volume resides, so if you remove that you lose the ability to control the media volume (or any volume, for that matter). I eventually discovered this after a lot of flailing around with kludges to prevent the media volume from blasting out when using USB Audio. Many people had deactivated or deleted Phone.apk (me too). When I re-enabled the app I suddenly had access to the volume controls.

nmyshkin said:
No, I eventually gave up on the idea.
Re: Phone.apk, on the NST this is where the control of the Android volume resides, so if you remove that you lose the ability to control the media volume (or any volume, for that matter). I eventually discovered this after a lot of flailing around with kludges to prevent the media volume from blasting out when using USB Audio. Many people had deactivated or deleted Phone.apk (me too). When I re-enabled the app I suddenly had access to the volume controls.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First thanks for reply. Second does that mean you won't have anything against me trying to do something like that... it might not be GrooVeIP since I haven't decided what service would be optimal to begin with. Third I have read your experiments with Phone.apk and that part of volume control resides there that is why I suggest not to remove it but rewrite it in a more usable form. Even if I fail doing that at least I might have satisfaction in knowing that I tried.

SJT75 said:
First thanks for reply. Second does that mean you won't have anything against me trying to do something like that... it might not be GrooVeIP since I haven't decided what service would be optimal to begin with. Third I have read your experiments with Phone.apk and that part of volume control resides there that is why I suggest not to remove it but rewrite it in a more usable form. Even if I fail doing that at least I might have satisfaction in knowing that I tried.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
By all means, give it a try! Supposedly some versions of WhatsApp would run on the NST. Again, whether you could log in to a server is another matter.

nmyshkin said:
By all means, give it a try! Supposedly some versions of WhatsApp would run on the NST. Again, whether you could log in to a server is another matter.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also think that WhatsApp would fail since company promised support for devices with Android older then 2.3 would be maintained until February of this year. Still some other existing software might go through installation process and be registered using code sent to mobile phone that have same software or maybe I find something new who knows.

Fire HD 8 7th Gen ver. 5.4.0

I'm new to XDAdevelopers, so hello to everyone! I've read the majority of the posts concerning rooting the older Fire HD devices. While I have no expectations that anyone out there will have any new information concerning rooting this generation of Fire HD I'm going to solicit suggestions with respect to rooting the newest model of the Amazon device. I have an Samsung S10 that I use for my primary tablet at the moment, so short of turning this HD in to a "brick" I'm open to experimenting with it.
It's a nice little tablet, but the OS is less then desirable for anyone that does not want the Amazon-centric software. This device was purchased via Amazon's pre-order list and arrived on 7 June. Almost immediately the OS auto updated to the newest version i.e. 5.4.0, which as you might guess is not one that can be rolled back. The sole intention of purchasing this device was to root it eventually so I could go to a full Android OS. Yes, I was aware of the drawbacks of the Amazon OS beforehand and the close integration with their site and product lines.
That being said, I've been able to install Google Play and download some of my more useful apps. Of course any app that is already installed, such as Audible, will not download via Play Store, as one might expect. The purpose of this thread is to open dialog concerning rooting the 7th Generation Fire HD and sundry issues. Any comments and/or suggestions, experiences, etc, will be great appreciated.
Thank you all and it's great to be on board!
L...

Mine arrived this afternoon, and I went straight to instructions for the Playstore, etc. (For background, my Fire 7" works fine using a 3rd party launcher, and a full collection of gApps) I thought that I'd try the Fire 8 7th gen 5.4.0 for the extra memory. I have been pleasantly surprised how useful the 7" is, even without root, etc.
I'm slowly setting up my essentials, passwords, etc. The only very annoying bug that I've come across so far is GMAIL... It downloaded and synced properly, but now just shuts down after a brief second. (I've tried the usual fixes, but it's still not working). I'm curious... Have you managed to get GMAIL to work on yours?

I'm having the same issue with Gmail - hoping to root it in the near future - any advice anyone?

Gmail Alternative
I'm not using Gmail at all. After I installed Play Store I downloaded the same email client that I use on all of my Android devices i.e. K-9 Mail. This app works extremely well and will do what you need with a host of email sources. I have quite a few email accounts for business and personal use, so K-9 allows me to bring them all together in one app, and segregate the individual accounts. I've had this app for years and would recommend it to anyone. You might want to take a look at it and see if it meets your needs.
L...
mba123 said:
I'm having the same issue with Gmail - hoping to root it in the near future - any advice anyone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

BlackOPSSpook said:
I'm not using Gmail at all. After I installed Play Store I downloaded the same email client that I use on all of my Android devices i.e. K-9 Mail. This app works extremely well and will do what you need with a host of email sources. I have quite a few email accounts for business and personal use, so K-9 allows me to bring them all together in one app, and segregate the individual accounts. I've had this app for years and would recommend it to anyone. You might want to take a look at it and see if it meets your needs.
L...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the suggestion... I'll check it out.

I have had same issues with gmail, but i restarted the device, i opened gmail, it crashed within seconds, i left the device idle for 10 minutes and afterwards gmail works fine (i am using 5 gmail accounts without issues). Hope it may help you to sort this issue out.