Android To Be

Galaxy Nexus : installing ICS 4.0.2 from factory image on the GSM/HSPA+'s model (« yakju » / « maguro »)

2011-12-19T06:30:00.000+01:00

I've just updated my GSM/HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus (« yakju » / « maguro » model) to Android ICS 4.0.2 by flashing the factory image. I've decided to flash the factory image because manual install requires to unlock the bootloader and this single action will erase my data (userdata partition) on the device whether I flash the factory image or the OTA archive.

First of all, prepare everything :

download the yakju / maguro icl53f Android 4.0.2 factory image and verify the checksum (MD5 or SHA-1)
then expand the archive in a folder on your desktop computer
download the fastboot application for Windows or Mac on your desktop computer, unzip it and copy the unzipped contents to the folder where the factory image has been expanded to
install the Android SDK on your computer. I don't know if this is a required step but who knows, it will be ready if things goes wrong ...
open the flash-all.sh script file from the directory where the factory image has been expanded to in a text editor
open a command shell and go to the directory where the factory image has been expanded to

Now everything has been prepared, you're ready to proceed.

Here are the steps :
0) boot in fastboot mode following the instructions from Building for devices (shutdonw your Galaxy Nexus then hold volume-up and volume-down, then press power while maintaining volume-up and volume-down until the phone vibrate)

1) unlock the bootloader following the instructions from Building for devices

$ fastboot oem unlock ... OKAY [ 33.912s] finished. total time: 33.912s

There's now see an unlocked locker on the black screen with the « Google » logo.

2) flash the bootloader following the flash-all.sh script's commands provided in the factory image archive

$ fastboot flash bootloader bootloader-maguro-primekk15.img sending 'bootloader' (2308 KB)... OKAY [ 0.347s] writing 'bootloader'... OKAY [ 0.291s] finished. total time: 0.637s

wait for a few seconds

3) reboot the bootloader following the flash-all.sh script

$ fastboot reboot-bootloader rebooting into bootloader... OKAY [ 0.007s] finished. total time: 0.007s

wait for a few seconds

4) flash the radio image following the flash-all.sh script

$ fastboot flash radio radio-maguro-i9250xxkk6.img sending 'radio' (12288 KB)... OKAY [ 1.749s] writing 'radio'... OKAY [ 1.376s] finished. total time: 3.124s

wait for a few seconds

5) reboot the bootloader following the flash-all.sh script

$ fastboot reboot-bootloader rebooting into bootloader... OKAY [ 0.006s] finished. total time: 0.006s

wait for a few seconds

6) flash the android 4.0.2 (icl53f) image following the flash-all.sh script

$ fastboot -w update image-yakju-icl53f.zip archive does not contain 'boot.sig' archive does not contain 'recovery.sig' archive does not contain 'system.sig' -------------------------------------------- Bootloader Version...: PRIMEKK15 Baseband Version.....: I9250XXKK6 Serial Number........: 0xxxxxxxxxxxxxx -------------------------------------------- checking product... OKAY [ 0.007s] checking version-bootloader... OKAY [ 0.008s] checking version-baseband... OKAY [ 0.008s] sending 'boot' (4074 KB)... OKAY [ 0.591s] writing 'boot'... OKAY [ 0.249s] sending 'recovery' (4406 KB)... OKAY [ 0.648s] writing 'recovery'... OKAY [ 0.295s] sending 'system' (317594 KB)... OKAY [ 34.419s] writing 'system'... OKAY [ 33.115s] erasing 'userdata'... OKAY [ 0.193s] erasing 'cache'... OKAY [ 0.015s] rebooting... finished. total time: 69.582s

Wait for a few seconds and your phone will reboot by itself, then restart.

7) As everything has been erased, and specially your personal information, apps, data and so on, you are asked a few information to configure your Android phone as it is a very first start.

This restoration process takes quite some time.

8) After the phone has been parametered and it has restored your data (contacts, emails, ...), apps, and the likes from Google's servers, it is strongly suggested to lock your phone's bootloader (as recommended by Jean-Baptiste Queru).

At the command prompt, execute the following command :

$ fastboot oem lock ... OKAY [ 0.203s] finished. total time: 0.203s

wait for a few seconds then reboot your phone

$ fastboot reboot rebooting... finished. total time: 0.005s

While the phone reboots you should not see any unlocked locker on the black screen with the « Google » logo.

That's it. Enjoy.

fastboot commands


$ fastboot -?
usage: fastboot [ <option> ] <command>

commands:
  update <filename>                        reflash device from update.zip
  flashall                                 flash boot + recovery + system
  flash <partition> [ <filename> ]         write a file to a flash partition
  erase <partition>                        erase a flash partition
  getvar <variable>                        display a bootloader variable
  boot <kernel> [ <ramdisk> ]              download and boot kernel
  flash:raw boot <kernel> [ <ramdisk> ]    create bootimage and flash it
  devices                                  list all connected devices
  continue                                 continue with autoboot
  reboot                                   reboot device normally
  reboot-bootloader                        reboot device into bootloader
  help                                     show this help message

options:
  -w                                       erase userdata and cache
  -s <serial number>                       specify device serial number
  -p <product>                             specify product name
  -c <cmdline>                             override kernel commandline
  -i <vendor id>                           specify a custom USB vendor id
  -b <base_addr>                           specify a custom kernel base address
  -n <page size>                           specify the nand page size. default: 2048

Galaxy Nexus : how to get the 4.0.2 update on the GSM/HSPA+ "yakju" / "maguro" model, NOT for Verizon's CDMA/LTE "mysid" / "toro" model

2011-12-18T21:32:00.000+01:00

There are different methods out there on how to bring your GSM/HSPA+'s Galaxy Nexus (« yakju » / « maguro » model) to 4.0.2 if you can't wait for the OTA update :

manually flash the factory image following the instructions given here HOWTO Manual update to 4.0.2 using factory imgs, w/o wiping phone. The factory images used in this HowTo can be found on Google's site Google Support for Nexus Phones and Flagship Devices - Factory Images for Nexus Devices
manually flash the OTA update following the instructions given here How-To: Manually flash the OTA to your Galaxy Nexus. As said in the article, the OTA package can be downloaded from Google's site : http://android.clients.google.com/packages/ota/google_maguro/11bbbccb08d5.signed-yakju-ITL41F-from-ITL41D.11bbbccb.zip.
Important : This procedure requires the custom « ClockworkMod Recovery » to be install. See details below.

According to Jean-Baptiste M. "JBQ" Queru, a software engineer working on Android Open-Source Project (AOSP) at Google, the factory image contains a flash-all.sh script. Here is the script that can be found in the yakju-icl53f factory image (just expand the archive to see the contents) :

fastboot flash bootloader bootloader-maguro-primekk15.img fastboot reboot-bootloader sleep 5 fastboot flash radio radio-maguro-i9250xxkk6.img fastboot reboot-bootloader sleep 5 fastboot -w update image-yakju-icl53f.zip

Notice the « -w » in the last script line « fastboot -w update image-yakju-icl53f.zip ». This command line option ask fastboot to "erase userdata and cache" partitions aka wipe out the "userdata and cache" (Android Partitions Explained: boot, system, recovery, data, cache & misc).

In the instructions given in the article HOWTO Manual update to 4.0.2 using factory imgs, w/o wiping phone, the « -w » has been removed from the last script line :

fastboot flash bootloader bootloader-maguro-primekk15.img fastboot reboot-bootloader (wait for bootloader to reboot) fastboot flash radio radio-maguro-i9250xxkk6.img fastboot reboot-bootloader (wait for bootloader to reboot) fastboot update image-yakju-icl53f.zip

As stated by Jean-Baptiste Queru in his post about the Factory images available for Galaxy Nexus,

Don't forget that after flashing back to a factory state, your bootloader is still unlocked. Don't forget to lock it back in order to secure your device ("fastboot oem lock").

Unlock the Galaxy Nexus bootloader
For both procedures, before manually updating to 4.0.2, your bootloader will have to be unlocked first. The procedure can be found here HOW-TO OEM unlock the Galaxy Nexus.

As stated in Building for devices from the « Android Open Source Project » reference site,

The procedure must be confirmed on-screen, and deletes the user data for privacy reasons. It only needs to be run once.

On Nexus One, the operation voids the warranty and is irreversible.

On Nexus S, Nexus S 4G, Xoom, and Galaxy Nexus, the bootloader can be locked back with

The ClockworkMod Recovery
The procedure to manually install the OTA requires to install the latest version of the ClockworkMod Recovery for the GSM/HSPA+ "maguro" Galaxy Nexus.

Here is a rather complete guide on the « ClockworkMod Recovery » : What Is ClockworkMod Recovery And How To Use It On Android [Complete Guide]. Here is the pitch on « ClockworkMod Recovery » :

All Android devices ship with a recovery console that is basically a partition on the device’s internal memory and can be booted into. The stock recovery of almost all Android devices provides a few basic yet handy options that allow you to factory reset your device and also to recover its operating system using an official ROM in zip format, but that’s all you can do with it. That’s where a custom recovery comes handy.

A custom Android recovery basically replaces the stock recovery with one that lets you do all you can do with the stock recovery, plus a plethora of more options to give you a lot more control on your device. With a custom recovery, you can install official and unofficial ROMs as well as other updates including apps, themes, kernels etc. using zip files, wipe not just user data but pretty much every partition on your device, mount the storage card for USB mass storage access without leaving recovery, partition your SD card, wipe Dalvik cache and battery stats, fix permissions, perform, manage and restore backups and so on.

In most cases, the simplest method to install the « ClockworkMod Recovery » on your device is provided in How To Install ClockworkMod Recovery On Your Android Phone. If it does not work, alternative method can be found in What Is ClockworkMod Recovery And How To Use It On Android [Complete Guide]

By the way, here are other useful resources about Android :

Is the Galaxy Nexus still a "Nexus" ?

2011-12-11T19:49:00.001+01:00

XDA Developers has discovered that some Galaxy Nexus - the Google's new flagship - don't have the right « yakju » software configuration. The other software configurations - « yakjusc » and « yakjuxw » - are from Samsung.

As stated in the full story Is the Galaxy Nexus Still a “Nexus?”
«
The true, Google-controlled version is yakju—the rest being Samsung-controlled variants, thereof. All carry the hardware code name maguro, so it is plausible that they can be flashed to yakju. However, according to Android software engineer Jean-Baptise Queru, it is unclear at this time whether this is actually possible.
yakjusc and yakjuxw are indeed the two Samsung-prepared builds I’m aware of at the moment, but I’m discovering them as they get released. I only have some visibility over the builds that are prepared by Google, i.e. yakju. Everything else comes from Samsung and I don’t know what their schedules and release plans are. I can’t guarantee that flashing the yakju files that I posted would work on a device that originally shipped with yakjuxw, as I don’t have access to such devices. The hardware is supposed to be close, but I don’t know for sure that it’s close enough. JBQ
»

The software version is in the /system/build.prop property file in the property ro.product.name which should looks like ro.product.name=yakju . An full copy of a /system/build.prop property file can be found here in post #5.

Here are some ways to check your /system/build.prop property file's software version :

easiest way : use a file manager on the device as stated in post #41
upload the /system/build.prop file on your desktop computer using adb and look for the property value there as stated in post #27

Follow the whole story on XDA Developers forum My Galaxy Nexus came with Samsung ICS build rather then google...

Google Galaxy Nexus : How to unlock bootloader & root GSM Nexus - how to restore official factory image

2011-12-10T21:48:00.000+01:00

Google Galaxy Nexus resources can be found on XDA Developers forum.

There are detailed instructions on [HOW TO] Unlock Bootloader & Root GSM Nexus. Take care that this is for the i9250 model (the european model with the i9250XXKK1 baseband version and the ITL41F build number)

There are also instructions on how to restore the [ROM] Official Factory Image ITL41F.

Google Galaxy Nexus with Ice Cream Sandwich (aka Android 4.0)

2011-12-07T05:40:00.000+01:00

Google is introducing the Galaxy Nexus (Galaxy Nexus) with the new Ice Cream Sandwich (aka Android 4.0)

Carrier IQ : a threat for everyone who uses a mobile phone - how your phone helps to spy on you !

2011-11-25T05:13:00.000+01:00

Privacy concerns : everyone must read this article as it explains in great details how much of our behavior is spied through our phones by Carrier IQ solution (Carrier IQ Tries to Censor Research With Baseless Legal Threat)

Other links to have the full story on this topic :
- Trevor Eckhart researchs : Android Security Test
- XDA-developers analysis : The Rootkit Of All Evil – CIQ
- Geeks.com analysis : How much of your phone is yours?
- XDA-developers analysis of the implications of the threat that is Carrier IQ More on Carrier IQ

And one more in french : Carrier IQ : le rootkit qui sait tout ce que vous faites sur votre téléphone

Steve, thank you for daring to realize your dreams !! Rest in peace.

2011-10-07T09:12:00.000+02:00

I asked my parents to buy me the first Mac 128 the year it was released.
Years later, I've started again to buy Macs with OSX. And other Apple devices too.
So Apple's way of designing devices (should I call it philosophy ?) has been part of my life for many years.

Today I'm sad. I don't know you personally, Steve. I've never met you. So I should not be personally affected by your death.
But in the same time, it seems to me I know you so well, not your personal life but your way of thinking, designing, building things ... above all the extreme demand for your work that can be seen on Apple products and that reflected on your staff.

I'm sad because people like you, Steve, are so rare.
Today the World has lost one of those rare people who think they have so few things to loose that they ~~can~~ have to try the impossible, whatever the price, especially for themselves.

You have been, and will continue to be, an example for a lot of people.

Steve, thank you for daring to realize your dreams !!
Rest in peace.

first post using Blogger application on Motorola Xoom

2011-04-08T22:48:00.001+02:00

Google's Blogger app lets user choose among the accounts that have been recorded the one that will be used, then among all the blogs that have been recorded on the account, the one on which the post will be done. Pretty simple and direct.
By the way, Xoom's virtual keyboard (HoneyComb) is a real pleasure to use...
Blogger app let's you embed a picture from the album or just taken using the camera.
Labels can be added, but have to be entered as text : there's no completion when the first letters have been entered ...

Nexus S : how to update to the Nexus S to Android 2.3.3

2011-03-19T06:31:00.000+01:00

Android Police has published a detailed procedure to manually upgrade the Nexus S to Android 2.3.3 : Google Releases Android 2.3.3 Update .ZIPs For Nexus One And Nexus S

A detailed procedure to manually upgrade the Nexus S to Android 2.3.2 is also available on Android and Me : Update your Nexus S to Android 2.3.2

For those wo have a rooted Nexus S, the reference is on XDA-Developers forum : [REF] Nexus S Guide to Roms, Themes, and Kernels

book : "Start Small, Stay Small: A Developer's Guide to Launching a Startup"

2011-02-14T06:10:00.000+01:00

In these tough economic times, some of you who are developers may think to start their own business. The Start Small, Stay Small: A Developer's Guide to Launching a Startup book is about developers who want to start their startup. David Welton has written a review on his blog : Start Small, Stay Small: A Developer's Guide to Launching a Startup.

I find the « Starting for the Right Reasons » discussion very useful : it's so easy to be wrong on this.

Here is an extract :

«
Most developers want to build software products for the wrong reasons.

Reason #1 : Having a Product Idea
If you have an idea for a product, odds are high that you have a product/project confusion.

A project is a software application you build as a fun side project.
[...]

A product is a project that people will pay money for. In other words, it's a project that has a market (a group of people who want to buy it). Without a market, a software application is just a project.

Most developers who come up with an idea know exactly how they will build it, but no idea how they will reach potential customers. They think a link on TechCrunch will drive hundreds, if not thousands, of sales.

On rare occasions the product-first approach works, but for the most part it's a recipe for failure.
»

Notion Ink's Adam : recovery fix for bricked devices

2011-01-25T05:36:00.001+01:00

Notion Ink has published a detailed procedure to recover an Adam tablet that has been brick during the first firmware update. The procedure is here on Android Police site : Updated: Notion Ink Halts Adam Update, Gives Recovery Fix For Bricked Devices

(Adam picture : Notion Ink blog's Adam unboxing)

Nexus S : how to update to the Nexus S to Android 2.3.2

2011-01-25T05:27:00.000+01:00

The site Android and Me has published a detailed procedure to manually upgrade the Nexus S to Android 2.3.2 : Update your Nexus S to Android 2.3.2

The thread on XDA-Developpers site is Android 2.3.2 update URL !!!

(Nexus S's recovery picture : Android and Me)

Adam tablet - pre-order confirmation

2010-12-11T20:53:00.000+01:00

I've received a « Confirmation from Notion Ink » for my pre-order on their Adam tablet.

Here is the contents

Dear [my first name]

Greetings from Notion Ink Support Team!
We heartily congratulate you for being one among the first owners of ADAM. Kindly take a note of your order details.

Shipping Address:-
[my address here]

Amount Transacted: [the amount]
Order Number: [the order number]
Registered Email Id: [my email]
We have successfully received your order, your adam will be shipped as per the timelines indicated at the time of order. If you ordered for 3G models, we will send the one as per the country specified in your shipping address along with the compatible charger.

Please quote your Order Number & use your registered email address for all communications. For any assistance write to preordersupport@notionink.com

Regards,

Notion Ink Support Team

Android tablet - Notion Ink's Adam pre order have started

2010-12-10T06:15:00.002+01:00

[UPDATE 2010 12 11 06:36] STRONG CONCERNS have been issued about Notion Ink's Adam tablet pre-ordering process. Details are in the comments. You MUST definitely read them BEFORE ordering.

Notion Ink's Adam pre-orders have started a few hours ago.

There are 4 models, and the delivery delay is about 6-8 weeks

[UPDATE 2010 12 11 06:56]

«

Your credit card will be charged at the end of this process. You may cancel your order any time before the device ships, subject to a 5% cancellation charge.

»

Notion Ink's Adam pre-ordering « The detailed Warranty Terms & Policies, Support Details & Procedures will be shipped along with the product. »

«

The detailed Warranty Terms & Policies, Support Details & Procedures will
be shipped along with the product.

Shipping & Payments:
1. Notion Ink holds no responsibility for the shipments delayed or lost due
to unforeseen & unavoidable reasons arising due to Man Made or natural
circumstances.
2. The user indemnifies Notion Ink for Shipments lost or returned due to wrong
address provide to Notion Ink, in such cases any extra charges or penalties
applicable will be borne by buyer. Notion Ink suggests all the buyers to
provide the complete address with ZIP CODE & CONTACT NUMBERS to avoid
such circumstances.
3. Any Customs duty, clearance charges, handling charges or taxes levied by
the customs or the Government of destination Country will be borne by the
buyer & Notion Ink suggests that these charges can vary from 0% to 100% of
invoice value as per Country norms.
4. Any Returns coming to Notion Ink, due to wrong address or refusal due to
charges arising as stated in point 3, will attract a charge of reshipping &
penalty of 10 USD along with any charges paid by Notion Ink not limited to
customs duty, handling charges, taxes & service charges levied by shipping
partner.

Warranty Policy:
1. Every product purchased from Notion Ink Web store is entitled for 1year
International Limited Warranty under following Conditions-
a. Unlimited Email Support (preordersupport@notionink.com)
b. Limited Telephonic Support
c. Limited warranty of 180 days on Battery, entitle for replacement if the
Battery life is less than 50% under normal conditions.
2. To avail the Technical Support, you need to write an email & a Customer Care
Executive will get in touch with you within 24hours for further assistance.
3. In case your products needs a physical inspection or repair, you need to ship
the product with return shipping paid to Notion Ink’s International Service
Centre’s along with an transaction number of 9USD payment made on Notion
Ink Website as International Service Assistance Fees. Notion Ink upon receipt
of the product will communicate with you on the basis of diagnosis & will
assist you further. This entire process can take 3-10 working days or more
depending upon the problem diagnosed.
4. Notion Ink upon diagnosis of the problem can replace the product with new*
product of same model (* New product can be new, refurbished or equivalently
functional compared to the product submitted)
5. If a submitted product is found tampered with or damaged or abused or under
conditions of illegal use as per NI policies, NI reserves the right of refusal to
warranty claims & can apply a fees as per the diagnosis.

Return Policy:
You can initiate a refund process within 7 days of your product receipt under the
following conditions stated in below points.
1. If the product is defective/ Dead on Arrival/ Incorrect, you must contact
Notion Ink at preordersupport@notionink.com & open up a case for
Return, In this case you need to ship the product back with all the original
packaging, accessories etc along with the letter from yourself stating the
reason. After the inspection of the product & evaluation of your case,
Notion Ink will refund the entire amount minus 5% service fees of the
invoice value. You can also opt for the replacement product at no extra
cost except the 5% Service Fees of invoice value.
2. Notion Ink offers a no questions asked return policy. If you wish to return
your product under this policy, you must open a case by emailing
preodersupport@notionink.com & ship the product back & a Letter
with reason for return to Notion Ink & after evaluation of your case & the
product, Notion Ink will refund the amount after deducting the Shipping
fees & service fees of 5%.
3. If in any of the cases the product is found tempered, Notion Ink Reserves
the right to refuse the refund or deduct a fees up to 75% of the cost of the
product as per the evaluation report of product plus a inspection fees of
9USD.
4. If in any case the Product packaging is found damaged, Notion Ink
reserves the rights to deduct a amount of 5% as repackaging Plus 3% as
restocking fees of the final invoice value.

TrackSite : backup

2010-12-08T23:03:00.000+01:00

A new backup activity (screen) has been introduced in Track Site. It allows :

a local backup where the backup file is stored on the SD card
a remote backup where the backup file is sent to an email account as an email attachment. It's not a cloud-based backup, but the idea is to use the mailing box as a secure place to keep the backup and a way to provide ubiquitous access to the backup when needed

The remote backup automatically makes a local backup then sends the backup file as an attachment.

Some instructions are given in the email :

IMPORTANT :
keep the attachment file in a safe place as it may content private information

TO RESTORE :
1) save it on the target phone SD card, at the root (not in a directory),
2) then in Track Site, use restore (Menu -> More -> Restore)

Track Site's rating in the Android Market

2010-11-30T22:54:00.000+01:00

I've rated my Track Site app at the « Teen » level according to the guidelines that have been supplied at Android Market Help Center http://market.android.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=188189.

The specific rules that have made me rate my Track Site app « Teen » instead of « All » is the section

User Generated Content and User to User Communication

Apps rated “All” should not host any user generated content or enable communication between users. Apps that focus on allowing users to find and communicate with each other should be rated “Teen” or above.

and more specifically the first sentence :

Apps rated “All” should not host any user generated content or enable communication between users.

As Track Site allows users to enter a description on each bookmark and send their bookmarks by emails or by texting (SMS), I just can't rate it « All ».

Track Site : permissions that are asked for

2010-11-12T23:46:00.001+01:00

Permissions have been reworked : Track Site doesn't ask anymore for READ_CONTACTS and SEND_SMS permissions.

Nevertheless it's still possible to send a bookmark by email or by text (SMS), as Track Site passes control to the stock communication apps (Gmail, Email, Messaging, ...) to do the job. Those stock communication apps already have been granted the required permissions (to read contacts and to send SMS /texting) by the user when they have been installed.

Permissions that Track Site previously asked of

Permissions that Track Site now asked for

Here is a screenshot of how permissions appears on the Android Market now

obfuscation : how to use the obfuscation in the android app development cycle

2010-11-11T11:33:00.002+01:00

This post deals with how the new obfuscation step modifies the app development cycle.

I use Eclipse to develop my app (Track Site). After some upgrade, when the app is ready to go live, I usually do the following tasks in order to publish it on the Android Market :

adjust the version number
export an unsigned version of the app from Eclipse
sign it using the standard jarsigner tool
align it using the standard zipalign tool

Obfuscation, as explained in Proguard, Android, and the Licensing Server, involves additional steps that replace the former 2) to 4) steps :

adjust the version number the same way you've done it before
obfuscation is performed using ant (not Eclipse) by issuing a command on the terminal
mac:TrackSites $ ant release Buildfile: ~/workspace/TrackSites/build.xml
As indicated in the Proguard, Android, and the Licensing Server post, the local.properties file has been modified to perform the signing step [3)] automatically (it still asks you for the passwords though), as well as the alignment one [4)].

You end up with a signed, aligned and obfuscated app file in the bin/ sub-directory : the app is named SiteListActivity-release.apk. Exporting the unsigned app from Eclipse generates an app file named TrackSite.apk.

It's interesting to note that the obfuscation process is done in another hierarchy (bin/classes) than the one used by Eclipse (bin/).
as the obfuscation may have broken things, there is another quality assurance phase of the obfuscated app (SiteListActivity-release.apk), not of the non-obfuscated app that has already been tested from Eclipse (TrackSite.apk)

This should be done :
a) on the emulator :
- start the emulator in the background with an AVD as a parameter mac:TrackSites $ emulator -avd a8w480 -wipe-data & [1] 536 2010-11-11 10:14:15.172 emulator[491:903] Warning once: This application, or a library it uses, is using NSQuickDrawView, which has been deprecated. Apps should cease use of QuickDraw and move to Quartz.
  
  The -wipe-data option in the command line allows to « Reset the current user-data disk image (that is, the file specified by -datadir and -data, or the default file). The emulator deletes all data from the user data image file, then copies the contents of the file at -inidata data to the image file before starting. ».
  
  Here is the emulator state when it is started without the -wipe-data option
  And it's state with the -wipe-data option
  
  The list of devices + emulators connected to the computer is obtained with mac:~ $ adb devices List of devices attached HTxxxxxxxxxx device <----- the real device emulator-5554 device <----- the emulator
- install the obfuscated app (SiteListActivity-release.apk) on the emulator using adb command line tool mac:TrackSites $ cd bin mac:bin $ ls Site* SiteListActivity-release.apk SiteListActivity-unsigned.apk SiteListActivity-unaligned.apk SiteListActivity.ap_ mac:bin $ adb -e install SiteListActivity-release.apk 1340 KB/s (94595 bytes in 0.068s) pkg: /data/local/tmp/SiteListActivity-release.apk Success mac:bin $
  The -e option in the command line « direct an adb command to the only running emulator instance. ».
  
  The app is now installed in the emulator where it can be tested :
b) on a real device : it's pretty much the same process as above but on a real device instead of an emulator.

When installing the app on the device, you may encounter an error if a previous version of the app has been installed from the market :mac:bin $ adb -d install SiteListActivity-release.apk 821 KB/s (94595 bytes in 0.112s) pkg: /data/local/tmp/SiteListActivity-release.apk Failure [INSTALL_FAILED_ALREADY_EXISTS] mac:bin $
By the way, please take note of the -d option in the command line « direct an adb command to the only attached USB device. ».

The solution here is to remove the app on the device : Menu -> Settings -> Applications -> Manage applications then select the application to uninstall, click on the "Uninstall" button, confim ... it works ! But there's a better solution using adb : mac:bin $ adb -d uninstall fr.androidtobe Success mac:bin $

You can now try to install just like before : mac:bin $ adb -d install SiteListActivity-release.apk 839 KB/s (94595 bytes in 0.110s) pkg: /data/local/tmp/SiteListActivity-release.apk Success mac:bin $
Ensure everything works and that the obfuscation has not broke anything. Then publish the obfuscated app (SiteListActivity-release.apk).

If something has been broken during the obfuscation step, look for clues in the « But Wait, My App is Crashing Now » part of the Proguard, Android, and the Licensing Server post

HTC Desire HD - the permanent root with [DEV] PERMROOT & eMMC write [INSTRUCTIONS]

2010-11-09T22:06:00.000+01:00

A permanent root solution has been found for the HTC Desire HD. Detailled instruction are in the XDA-Developers post [DEV] PERMROOT & eMMC write [INSTRUCTIONS].

Nexus One : how to prepare for Gingerbread

2010-11-09T05:40:00.000+01:00

The next release of Android, Gingerbread, is rumored to be OTA released in the coming days. Android Central, working with XDA-Developers wiki comes with a welcomed [How-to] Prep Nexus One for Gingerbread

« If you're like us, and have your Nexus One hacked nine ways to Sunday, you'll need to get ready if you don't feel like waiting for someone to rip it apart and whip up a version for the rooted and ROM'd crowd. »

Nexus One - installing [ROM] Enomther's TheOfficial Nexus1 - v2.13.2 - 10/11/2010

2010-11-06T00:46:00.000+01:00

I've decided to give a try to [ROM] Enomther's TheOfficial Nexus1 - v2.13.2 - 10/11/2010.

The Nexus state before installing Enomther's TheOfficial ROM :

Here are the detailled steps to install it on a rooted Nexus One.

connect the Nexus to your computer using the USB cable
download the resources and check the md5
- RADIO
  RADIO UPDATE - 4.06.00.12_7 (from Froyo OTA's)
  4.06.00.12_7_Radio_Update
  MD5: e49fb76877688e2c1f0fadcf8048c549
- ROM
  Stock (Not PreThemed) [ROM] TheOfficial_Nexus1_v2.13.2_update.zip
  MD5: 6c0adb947dc82ce4827e3ddcd4f7ec34
- Music Resources v2.12.x/2.13.x-release
  Stock/Original Update.zip addon for 2.12.x/2.13.x-release
- Camera Resources v2.13.x-release
  Original Camera Update.zip - restore for 2.13.x-release
- CMMod Torch w/ DeathRAY! - (just an apk, download and install with 720p kernel)
  CMMod Torch w/ DeathRay
copy the files to the SD card.
You can either mount your phone in USB storage mode (recommended) or use adb tool
The files to be copied to the root of the SD card are :
- RADIO TheOfficial_Nexus1_Radio_Update_4.06.00.12_7.zip
- ROM : TheOfficial_Nexus1_v2.13.2_update.zip
- MUSIC : origmusic_2.12.1.zip
- CAM : origcam_2.12.3_kernel_audiomod.zip
- TORCH : CMMod_Torch_2.11.3.apk.apk
The RADIO TheOfficial_Nexus1_Radio_Update_4.06.00.12_7.zip will be flashed.
make a Nand backup
- Reboot the Nexus One in bootloader mode : hold down the trackball while you press the power button. Ensure to maintain the trackball hold down until the screens turns to a white screen with 3 green android skating at the bottom of the screen. Ensure that the Nexus One stay connected to the computer via the USB cable.
- on the screen, the BOOTLOADER should be highlighted with blue. press power button
  on the new screen, scroll down with the Volume down button to highlight the RECOVERY option. Press the power button.
- the Nexus One reboots and after a few seconds, the screen title with "Android system recovery" appears, with the "Build : RA-nexus-v1.7.0" at the bottom of the screen. The screen should be in cyan instead of green if the Nexus One has already been rooted
- scroll down with the trackball to the "Backup/Restore" menu and press the trackball
- on the new screen "Choose backup/restore item" choose the option "Nand Backup" (the first one) by scrolling down the trackball and press the trackball to select it. The question "Create Nandroid backup?" appears at the bottom of the screen, so press the trackball to confirm as it is stated
- The backup starts, it takes a few seconds to complete. At the end of the backup, the cyan screen is restored. Press Volume down button to return to the previous screen "Android system recovery".
flash the RADIO
- back to the Android system recovery screen, scroll down to the Flash zip from sdcard item using the trackball. Press the trackball to select
- on the new screen Choose update ZIP file, use the trackball to select the right ZIP file to flash. Start with the RADIO TheOfficial_Nexus1_Radio_Update_4.06.00.12_7.zip. then press the trackball to start the flashing. Press the trackball again to confirm flashing on the question "Install : TheOfficial_Nexus1_Radio_Update_4.06.00.12_7.zip ?" that appears at the bottom of the screen. The ROM flashing starts and many messages appears on the screen.
- after some time, the message "Install from sdcard complete" appears and you're asked to reboot the phone to write the image on the phone. Press the trackball to proceed
- after some time, you're back to the Android system recovery screen
WIPE
- from the Android system recovery screen, select the WIPE item using the trackball and press it
- from the new screen "Choose wipe item", highlight the "wipe data/factory reset" item (the first one) and press the trackball once to select it, then press the trackball another time to confirm to proceed as it is asked at the bottom of the screen
- then redo the same steps for the "Wipe cache", "Wipe Dalvik-cache", "Wipe battery stats", "Wipe rotate settings" but don't wipe the "SD:ext partition"
- press VOL-DOWN to return to the Android system recovery screen
flash the ROM
- highlight the "Flash zip from sdcard" item using the trackball and press the trackball to select the item
- from the "Choose update ZIP file" screen, highlight the "TheOfficial_Nexus1_v2.13.2_update.zip" item and press the trackball to select it. Press the trackball another time to confirm as you're asked to at the bottom of the screen. The flashing starts. At the end of the process, you're back to the Android system recovery screen.
- follow the same steps to flash the MUSIC origmusic_2.12.1.zip
  and CAM origcam_2.12.3_kernel_audiomod.zip files. The nexus reboots automatically after fashing each of those files.

After flashing the Enomther's TheOfficial Nexus ROM :

Desire HD - rooting and shutdown, restart and fastboot modes

2010-11-01T19:24:00.000+01:00

The Desire HD has 3 modes when it comes to shutdown and startup :

full shudown : it's the classical way of shutting down Android. All processes are killed and the caches are flushed. After a shutdown, there is a cold start which takes quite a lot of time : about 25s to get the htc logo with the djingle + 40s more to load Android and ask you to enter your PIN code + 25s more to register on the network.

rooting : After a full shutdown, the temporary rooting needs to be done again, and any package that may have been disabled (see [GUIDE] Disabling Stock/System Apps) has to be disabled again.
restart (reboot) : it's also a classical way to restart Android that takes approximately the same time the full shutdown process takes.

rooting : After a reboot, the temporary rooting needs to be done again, and any package that may have been disabled (see [GUIDE] Disabling Stock/System Apps) has to be disabled again, like after a full shutdown.
fastboot shutdown : this is a new shutdown mode introduced by HTC in its latests smartphones. It basicaly freeze everything (processes, cache, ...) in its state and then has just to unfreeze them to startup. The startup process is then very fast : less than 5s for the phone to ask you to enter your PIN code + 25s more to register on the network.

rooting : After a fastboot shutdown, the temporary rooting that may exists before the fastboot still exists and does not need to be done again, and any package that may have been disabled (see [GUIDE] Disabling Stock/System Apps) is still disabled. By the way, any app that have been launched before the fastboot is still awake and available through a long press on the Home button.

The power-down screen look like :

The fastboot shudown mode has to be activated from the "Menu" -> "Settings" -> "Applications" -> "Fast boot" checkbox :

The restart option ask for a confirmation :

"setCPU for Root Users" saves the battery of your Android device

2010-10-31T22:14:00.000+01:00

I've used setCPU for Root Users on my Nexus and now on my Desire HD to save battery : setCPU adjusts CPU speed to what is needed to perform the required tasks.

setCPU lets you adjust the lower and upper speed for your CPU. There's a "device selection" function in the menu that lets setCPU perform all the computing and suggest the appropriate values for your hardware. Here's a screenshot for the Desire HD.

The "Time in State" section from the "info" tab lists the time your phone has spent at different speeds. From the following screenshot, it appears the Desire HD CPU speed scales between 4 speeds from 245 MHz to 1024 MHz, spending most of its time between the upper and lower speed. The same screen on the Nexus One shows many different speeds, the Nexus spending most of its time on the lower speed (it naturally depends on how you use your Nexus).

As said in its name, setCPU for Root Users require root access.Rooting instructions can be found here :

Head to setCPU for Root Users's official page to get more informations on setCPU, specially on how to use setCPU to overclock / underclock your CPU.

Scan the following QR-code to download setCPU from the Android Market.

Desire HD Ace : how to temporary root - [GUIDE] Temp Root [VISIONary by PaulOBrien]

2010-10-30T20:38:00.001+02:00

Right now, there's no permanent rooting solution for the new HTC Desire HD (for UK).

But there's a temporary root solution provided by MoDaCo with the VISIONary app available on the Android Market.

HTC Desire HD (Ace)

2010-10-29T14:18:00.000+02:00

Just receive my new Android phone : the HTC Desire HD (here in english HTC Desire HD).

Very nice phone.

But still not permanently rooted at the time of this writing.

Track Site : how to backup and restore your bookmarks

2010-10-29T11:38:00.020+02:00

Before changing Android phone or making a factory reset, you need to backup your Track Site bookmarks before, in order to restore them on your new Android phone or after the factory reset.

1) Backup the bookmarks

To backup, go to "Menu" --> "More" --> "Backup".

The "track_sites.ini" file is created at the root of the SD card. The backup erase any file with the same name.

2.1) Factory reset

If you just make a factory reset, keeping the same phone, you don't have anything more to do, as long as you don't erase your SD card or format it : proceed with the factory reset, then restore your bookmarks following the instructions of section 3) below.

If you want to change your SD card or format it, you need to keep the backup (the "track_sites.ini" file) in a safe place before changing your SD card or formatting it, and then follow the instructions in the next 2.2) section

2.2) Transfer to a new phone

If you change your Android phone or your SD card or format your SD card, you need to transfer the "track_sites.ini" file from your old phone to the root of the SD card on your new Android phone.

This can be done in 2 ways :

The easiest way (recommended) is by connecting your phone to a desktop computer (PC / Mac / Linux) and mounting it as an USB drive.

This is direct on Mac.
You need a driver on Windows.

You just have to copy the "track_sites.ini" file from your old phone phone to the new one (or to a safe place on your computer if you want to format your SD card or change it).
Then, unmount or disconnect the new phone from USB in order to be able to access the SD card contents.
Developers can use the adb tool (see 2.2 bis) below).

3) Restore the bookmarks

To restore your bookmarks, go to "Menu" --> "More" --> "Restore"
The "track_sites.ini" file is read from the root of the SD card and it's content is loaded in the Track Site app.

Be aware of not loading the file multiple times as file bookmarks are added to the ones that may already exists.

2.2 bis) The adb (hard) way for the developers

The "USB debugging" option should have been activated on both phones ("Settings" --> "Applications" --> "Development" --> "USB debugging").

The full file path is /mnt/sdcard/track_sites.ini

And here is how to get it and transfer it :

a) ensure your phone is available
mac:~ $ adb devices List of devices attached xxxxxxxxxxx6 device
b) ensure the file is where you think it is
mac:~ $ adb shell # ls -l /mnt/sdcard/tra*.ini ----rwxr-x 1 system sdcard_r 30719 Oct 28 12:57 /mnt/sdcard/track_sites.ini # exit mac:~ $
c) then go to the directory where you want to download the file (Downloads in the following example) and pull it
mac:~ $ cd Downloads/ mac:Downloads $ adb pull /mnt/sdcard/track_sites.ini 847 KB/s (30719 bytes in 0.035s) mac:~ $
d) then connect the new phone as in a).

Ensure the old phone is disconnected from your system or you end up with 2 devices (2 lines) with the adb devices command.
mac:Downloads $ adb devices List of devices attached xxxxxxxxxxx6 device yyyyyyyyyyy9 device mac:~ $
e) remove any /mnt/sdcard/track_sites.ini file from the destination.
mac:Downloads $ adb -s yyyyyyyyyyy9 shell $ ls -l /mnt/sdcard/track_sites.ini ----rwxr-x system sdcard_rw 1241 2010-10-29 11:03 track_sites.ini $ rm /mnt/sdcard/track_sites.ini $ ls -l /mnt/sdcard/track_sites.ini /mnt/sdcard/track_sites.ini: No such file or directory $ exit mac:~ $
f) push the track_sites.ini file to its final location /mnt/sdcard/track_sites.ini.
mac:Downloads $ adb -s yyyyyyyyyyy9 push track_sites.ini /mnt/sdcard/track_sites.ini 1505 KB/s (30719 bytes in 0.019s) mac:~ $

Nexus One - how to upgrade to CyanogenMod-6.1 V6.1.0-RC1 (10/27/2010) - instructions

2010-10-28T15:01:00.006+02:00

I have just installed the CyanogenMod-6.1 first release candidate V6.1.0-N1-RC1 - 10/27/2010 (CyanogenMod-6.1 for Nexus One: Holy crap, it's full of AWESOME! V6.1.0-RC1 (10/27/2010)). Just keep in mind it is the 1st Release Candidate and as such, there are still some issues.

As the required radio image is still radio-4.06.00.12_7.img (Radio Firmware: 4.0.6.00.12_7 (FROYO RADIO, 4.06 OR HIGHER REQUIRED!)), I just have to upgrade to the new CyanogenMod-6.1 6.1.0-RC1.

I slightly depart from Cyanogen's instructions to upgrade :

Do a Nandroid Backup !
--->> steps 1) to 11) from Nexus One - how to upgrade to CyanogenMod-5 [stable 5.0.6 version of 04/15/2010] - detailled instructions
Wipe : I add this step as it prevents problems with Google Apps ; just remember to save everything before (don't forget to backup your Track Site's data).
The wipe has to be done while in recovery mode just after the Nandroid backup (the previous step).
Here are the detailled steps :
- from the "Android system recovery" screen you are just after the step 11), scroll down to the "Wipe" item using the trackball, press on the trackball to select the item
- On the "Choose wipe item" screen, choose the "Wipe cache" item (the 2nd one) using the trackball. The "Wipe cache" seems to be enough and does not need to reinstall all applications. Press the trackball a 2nd time to confirm on the question that appears on the back of the screen.
- The wipe starts and takes a few seconds to complete. At the end of the wipe, the cyan screen is restored. Press Volume down button to return to the previous screen "Android system recovery".
- follow on with step 14) of the upgrade procedure
Install the CyanogenMod-6.1 6.1.0-N1-RC1 - 10/27/2010 ROM (your Google apps will be backed up automatically)
--->> steps 14) to 16) from Nexus One - how to upgrade to CyanogenMod-5 [stable 5.0.6 version of 04/15/2010] - detailled instructions. Don't reboot at this time and continue with the step below
There's a 4th step to Cyanogen's instructions to install the most up to date version of Google apps : HDPI-20101025 (UPDATE 11/03 : Google Apps have been made available in a dedicated place : http://goo-inside.me/google-apps/ ; a wiki dedicated to Google Apps have been made available )
--->> steps 15) and 18) from Nexus One - how to upgrade to CyanogenMod-5 [stable 5.0.6 version of 04/15/2010] - detailled instructions. At the end, just reboot (or power-down by selecting the right option with the trackball in step 17)).

The detailed instructions to follow are pretty much the same as for Nexus One - how to upgrade to CyanogenMod-6 V6.0.0-RC1 (07/11/2010) - instructions to get the 6.1.0-N1-RC1 - 10/27/2010 ROM update-cm-6.1.0-RC1-N1-signed.zip installed.

A funny advertisement for the Motorola Defy

2010-10-27T19:51:00.000+02:00

(source : Les Lapins Crétins pour le Motorola DEFY from Le Journal du Geek)

ProGuard obfuscation : error Could not load definitions from resource proguard/ant/task.properties

2010-10-19T22:19:00.000+02:00

I've just tried to obfuscate my TrackSite app with ProGuard following Dan Galpin's instructions from Proguard, Android, and the Licensing Server.

I've encountered the « Could not load definitions from resource proguard/ant/task.properties » error during the ant release build :


compile:
    [javac] /Users/raph/droid/android-sdk-mac/tools/ant/ant_rules_r3.xml:336: warning: 'includeantruntime' was not set, defaulting to build.sysclasspath=last; set to false for repeatable builds
    [javac] Compiling 1 source file to /Users/raph/droid/workspace/TrackSites/bin/classes

-dex-obfuscate:
  [taskdef] Could not load definitions from resource proguard/ant/task.properties. It could not be found.
   [delete] Deleting: /Users/raph/droid/workspace/TrackSites/obf/original.jar
      [jar] Building jar: /Users/raph/droid/workspace/TrackSites/obf/original.jar

BUILD FAILED

The add-proguard-release.xml provided with the Proguard, Android, and the Licensing Server contains the following definitions at lines 19 and 29


<property name="proguard-jar" value="${proguard.dir}/proguard.jar" />
...
<taskdef resource="proguard/ant/task.properties" classpath="${proguard-jar}" />

This refers to a task.properties file. According to the article Obfuscating Your MIDlet Suite from the Sun Developer Network (look for section « Ant Script ») this file is included into the proguard.jar jar file distributed with ProGuard, inside the .jar file.

Then, the solution is to update the property at line 19 to point to the real location of the proguard.jar archive, that is located in the lib/ sub-directory. So the property's value should be « value="${proguard.dir}/lib/proguard.jar" »


<property name="proguard-jar" value="${proguard.dir}/lib/proguard.jar" />

The ant release build then looks like :


compile:
    [javac] /Users/raph/droid/android-sdk-mac/tools/ant/ant_rules_r3.xml:336: warning: 'includeantruntime' was not set, defaulting to build.sysclasspath=last; set to false for repeatable builds
    [javac] Compiling 1 source file to /Users/raph/droid/workspace/TrackSites/bin/classes

-dex-obfuscate:
   [delete] Deleting: /Users/raph/droid/workspace/TrackSites/obf/original.jar
      [jar] Building jar: /Users/raph/droid/workspace/TrackSites/obf/original.jar
 [proguard] ProGuard, version 4.5.1
 [proguard] Reading input...
 [proguard] Reading program jar [/Users/raph/droid/workspace/TrackSites/obf/original.jar]
 [proguard] Reading library jar [/Users/raph/droid/android-sdk-mac/platforms/android-8/android.jar]
 [proguard] Reading library directory [/Users/raph/droid/workspace/TrackSites/libs]
 [proguard] Initializing...
 [proguard] Note: the configuration refers to the unknown class 'com.android.vending.licensing.ILicensingService'
 [proguard] Note: there were 1 references to unknown classes.
 [proguard]       You should check your configuration for typos.
 [proguard] Ignoring unused library classes...
 ...

Android - what an Android tablet just can't be

2010-08-23T13:29:00.003+02:00

There's a lot of Android tablets announced out there. According to their specifications, most of them are unable to bring a somewhat new user experience beyond the one Android phones already bring.

An Android tablet just can't be an Android phone with some interfaces (USB, HDMI, ...) and a wider 7+ inch screen but limited to a 800x480 resolution.

Track Site 1.02.44 - adding support for QVGA (240x320) screen devices (Xperia X10 Mini and the likes)

2010-08-08T07:42:00.000+02:00

Following Shantanu's post on QVGA screen (240x320) devices support (Android Dev Tip: App Not Showing on X10 Mini Marketplace), I just release a new version of Track Site (1.02.44).

Some screenshots from the emulator :

The screen is tiny but it works fine :

Drop me an email or add a comment (better) to let me know how it's behave on a real device.

Nexus One - how to upgrade to CyanogenMod-6 V6.0.0-RC1 (07/11/2010) - instructions

2010-07-14T11:20:00.000+02:00

I have just installed the CyanogenMod-6 first release candidate V6.0.0-RC1 (07/11/2010) ([ROM] CyanogenMod-6 for Nexus One: Holy crap,full of AWESOME! V6.0.0-RC1 (07/11/2010) on XDA-developers) — the one that brings Froyo (Android 2.2) to my Nexus One.

As I had already installed the radio image radio-4.06.00.12_7.img when I had installed the CyanogenMod-5 5.0.8-N1, this time, I just have to upgrade to the new CyanogenMod-6 6.0.0-RC1.

So Cyanogen's instructions to upgrade are :

- Upgrading?
1. Do a Nandroid Backup!
2. Install the CyanogenMod-6 V6.0.0-N1-RC1 - 07/11/2010 ROM (your Google apps will be backed up automatically)

I add a 3rd step to Cyanogen's instructions to install the most up to date version of Google apps :
3. Optionally install the FRF91-HDPI Google Addon as CyanongenMod 5.0.8 installs EPF30+ Google Addon

The detailed instructions to follow are the same as for Nexus One - how to upgrade to CyanogenMod-5 [stable 5.0.6 version of 04/15/2010] - detailled instructions to get the CyanogenMod-6 V6.0.0-N1-RC1 ROM update-cm-6.0.0-N1-RC1-signed.zip installed, skipping the WIPE steps 12) and 13) as it is not a first install and as Cyanogen doesn't require a WIPE in it's instructions.

Then I do again step 15) to install the FRF91-HDPI Google Addon gapps-hdpi-FRF91-signed.zip and I finish by a power down on step 17) instead of a reboot.

On step 18) everything started as usual, but the boot time was longer.

First surprise, the screen looks like my personalized screen instead of the new Froyo screen. Then my Gmail account was unavailable, and it was impossible to register a new one, making any synchronization impossible.

I then have to perform a factory reset to solve the problem. Everything works well now. But it suggests Cyanogen's instructions need another step to perform some kind of wipe.

The new CyanogenMod-6 comes with new wallpapers.

Track Site 1.02.42 - an improved user interface

2010-07-07T06:37:00.000+02:00

Track Site user interface has been improved a lot over the last releases. Here is a review of the improvements.

The main screen

On the upper part of the main screen are, from left to right :

the bookmarks import button, which allows to import bookmarks from the stock Android browser. Just touch it and the bookmarks that have been defined since the last import will be imported into Track Site under the tag « imported »
the multiple tags filter display, which shows the tags on which the bookmarks are filtered on
the multiple tags filter button, which allows to set the multiple tags filter

The filtered bookmarks are displayed bellow.

The multiple tags selector screen

This screen appears when the multiple tags filter button has been touch. Here, you can :

sort the tags alphabetically ; please note that selected tags have a green check on the right and that checked tags are grouped before unchecked tags to allow for better understanding
just touch a tag to check or uncheck it ; please note that the bookmarks will be displayed only if they are tagged by all the bookmarks that are in the filter
the clear button uncheck all the tags in one touch
the cancel button allows to return to the main screen without changing the tag filter
the Ok button activates the new tag filter

The bookmarks editor screen

This screens allows to edit bookmarks information :

edit bookmark's information : the name, the description, the URL, the tags (touching the button displays the tags management screen)
save your changes, making them permanent
delete the bookmark : a confirmation dialog appears to confirm your decision as deleted bookmarks can't be undeleted
just return to the main screen, discarding any change that can have been underway

There are 2 ways to get on this screen :

using the menu button and choose the « create » or « edit » menu items
by long pressing on the bookmark, then touching « create » or « edit » items on the contextual menu that appears above the screen

The multiple tags management screen

This screen allows for bookmark's tag management :

selecting one or more tags
defining new tags ; created tags are automatically checked

Nexus One - how to upgrade to CyanogenMod-5 [stable V5.0.8 (06/19/2010)] - instructions

2010-06-21T00:27:00.020+02:00

The new 5.0.8 CyanogenMod has been released : CyanogenMod-5 for Nexus One: Kang Central Station V5.0.8 (06/19/2010) ([ROM] CyanogenMod-5: Kang Central Station (STABLE) [06/19/2010 / 5.0.8]).

Here are the detailed instructions to install it.

As the Nexus One's radio image has to be flashed to the Froyo's one, the instructions to follow are the ones Cyanogen gives for a first install, starting from step 2 with a wipe on step 4 :
- First time flashing CM to your Nexus (or coming from another ROM)?
1. Unlock your device and install Clockwork Recovery or Amon_RA's recovery image
2. Do a Nandroid backup!
3. Update your radio if necessary
4. WIPE
5. Install the ROM
5. Optionally install the Google Addon

If it's the first time flashing your Nexus, start from step 1 !! Directions can be found in the post Nexus One - CyanogenMod For Nexus One V5.0.5.3 (03/23/2010).

It may be useful to read the full process here How to Root Your Nexus One as well as other resources I have used for the initial root of my Nexus
Nexus One - CyanogenMod For Nexus One V5.0.5.3 (03/23/2010). Detailed instructions on the Cyanogen firmware upgrade process can also be found in my other post
Nexus One - how to upgrade to CyanogenMod-5 [stable 5.0.6 version of 04/15/2010] - detailled instructions.

So let's start :

first, prepare everything that is needed. Download all the images : CyanogenMod 5.0.8-N1 latest version, EPF30+ Google Addon and FRF50 Radio Firmware
check the MD5 checksum of the CyanogenMod 5.0.8-N1 and FRF50 Radio Firmware files with a md5 the file to check on the command line
connect your Nexus to your computer and mount it turning on USB storage mode, then copy the CyanogenMod 5.0.8-N1 and EPF30+ Google Addon files to the root of your SDcard but leave the FRF50 Radio Firmware on your computer as it will be flashed using a “fastboot flash radio the radio .img file” command from your computer's command line
ensure the fastboot utility is in your PATH. The fastboot utility is not in the standard Android SDK on Mac but it can be found in the SuperBoot image which contains a fastboot version for Mac, Linux and Windows. Choose the one that pertains to your platform and put it in the android/tools directory, renaming it simply as fastboot
proceed with step 2 : the Nandroid backup. Follow detailed instructions from step 5 to step 11 of the post Nexus One - how to upgrade to CyanogenMod-5 [stable 5.0.6 version of 04/15/2010] - detailled instructions
at then end of step 11, on screen "android system recovery", use the track ball to choose power off item (the last one), then press the track ball to select the option, and press the track ball a second time on the question to confirm the power off
let's proceed with step 3 : update your radio. The following is based on instructions from How to Root Your Nexus One
Boot the phone while holding down the VOLUMEDOWN-key. The screens turns white with 3 green Androids skating at the bottom of the screen. FASTBOOT is hilighted in blue. Press power button to enter fastboot mode.
on your computer, open a command line shell. Navigate to the directory where the radio-4.06.00.12_7.img radio image has been stored. Then enter the command ./fastboot flash radio radio-4.06.00.12_7.img. The fastboot command starts by sending the radio image and display a status sending 'radio' (26112 KB)... OKAY, then writes the radio image ans display a status writing 'radio'... OKAY.
back on your Nexus, select POWER DOWN item on the FASTBOOT USB screen using VOL DOWN key, then press power button.
time to proceed with step 4 : WIPE. Reboot in RECOVERY mode by pressing power button while holding down the VOLUMEDOWN-key. The screens turns white with 3 green Androids skating at the bottom of the screen. FASTBOOT is hilighted in blue. Press VOL DOWN key to hilight RECOVERY, then press power button. The Nexus boot screen (the 4 colors cross) appears followed by the Cyan "Android system recovery" screen
Use the trackball to hilight the "Wipe" item then press the trackball. On the "Choose wipe item" screen, wipe everything as stated on step 6 Wipe of How to Root Your Nexus One.
- select the first open and press the scrollball
- press the scrollball again to confirm
- then repeat for all items on the Wipe page
In the future, wiping this thoroughly won’t likely be needed, but this time, you’ll want to wipe really well.
Press the Down-volume button to return to the prior menu.
it's time to proceed with step 5 : install the ROM. Back to the "Android system recovery" cyan screen, use the trackball to select item "Flash zip from sdcard", then press the trackball.
the screen "Choose update ZIP file" shows the 2 zip files update-cm-5.0.8-N1-signed.zip and gapps-passion-EPF30-signed.zip that were written on the SDcard at the beginning of the process. Select the "update-cm-5.0.8-N1-signed.zip" then press the trackball to install it, pressing the trackball another time to confirm.
continue with step 5 again : optionally install the Google Addon.perform the same steps another time to install the gapps-passion-EPF30-signed.zip that contains Google's apps.
Back to the "Android system recovery" cyan screen, use the trackball to select item "Power off", then press the trackball to confirm.
That's all Folks !! Reboot your Nexus and enjoy ;-)

Latest version: 5.0.8-N1 - 06/19/2010
Download: http://cyanogen-updater.googlecode.com/files/update-cm-5.0.8-N1-signed.zip
Download: http://android.chemlab.org/android/nexus/update-cm-5.0.8-N1-signed.zip
MD5Sum: 70aa95ee1b22101901cd75e9bc6e92ba

Google Addon: EPF30+
Mirror: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?mjzwozjojkh

Radio Firmware: FRF50 (FROYO RADIO, REQUIRED!)
Download: http://android.chemlab.org/android/nexus/radio-4.06.00.12_7.img
MD5Sum: 3321c196d8ec1cf748fd20c3c4068520

Track Site 1.02.34 - french language localization

2010-06-13T22:28:00.000+02:00

French language support has been introduced in the version 1.02.34 of Track Site.

Track Site 1.02.32 - import bookmarks from stock browser

2010-06-08T06:08:00.000+02:00

This new release of Track Site (v1.02.32) introduces the import of stock browser's bookmarks. Import is accessible through « Menu », then « More » and finally « Import browser's bookmarks ». Bookmarks that have been created since the last import are imported and tagged with « imported». Bookmarks are imported into Track Site whether they already exists or not.

Track Site - 1.01.31 - now build for Eclair (Android 2.1)

2010-06-02T07:19:00.001+02:00

The 1.01.31 version of TrackSite is now build for Android 2.1 (aka Eclair). It may still work on Android 1.6 (Cupcake) devices.
This version introduces a local database to store the bookmarks and the additional infos — the description and the tag list. More to come on this side as the stock browser's bookmarks are also stored in a database.
Introducing a local database make the app working even when the SDcard has been removed.
Existing bookmarks from /sdcard/sites.ini file are automatically loaded into the database at first launch.

Nexus One - upgrade to Cyanogenmod For Nexus One V5.0.7.1 (05/25/2010) - detailed instructions

2010-05-26T05:54:00.001+02:00

Cyanogen release a new V5.0.7.1 firmware a few hours after the V5.0.7 release. The firmware can be downloaded from Cyanogenmod For Nexus One V5.0.7.1 (05/25/2010) ([ROM] CyanogenMod-5: Kang Central Station (STABLE) [05/25/2010 / 5.0.7.1] on xda-developers).

Detailled instructions to install the v5.0.7.1 firmware are the very same that can be found in Nexus One - how to upgrade to CyanogenMod-5 [stable 5.0.6 version of 04/15/2010] - detailled instructions

extract of the CHANGELOG centered on V5.0.7 :


CHANGELOG

---- 5.0.7.1-N1
* N1: Fix blurry images in Gallery3D
* Common: Color picker and reset-to-defaults option for new UI customizations (Wysie)

---- 5.0.7 
* Common: Resync with Google as of 05/20/2010
* Common: New ARM optimizations in Bionic from Jim Huang @ 0xlab
* Common: Superuser 2.1 from ChainsDD
* Common: DeskClock style tweaks from Nathan Zachary
* Common: Email signature support from Jarrett Vance
* Common: Pin-lock and alternate lockscreen framework from _avatar
* Common: Updated Japanese locales from Takuo Kitame
* Common: Added Compcache and rzscontrol to the build
* Common: APN list updated by Paul Weiss, blunden, and PsychoI3oy.
* Common: Downloader allows any file to download - thanks Eddie Ringle
* Common: Kernel updated to 2.6.33.4
* Common: Fix bug with where wrong organization is shown in-call (Boyd Bischke)
* Common: Several kernel patches from Christopher Lais (Zinx) to improve stability and support MT3G Fender/1.2
* Common: Low memory killer was pimped out by San Mehat @ Google.  Big interactivity boost especially on D/S
* Common: Updated Phone patches from Cytown (v29)
* Common: Dim the deskclock screensaver colors
* Common: Fixed race conditions and notification bugs in MMS
* Common: Added quick uninstall "Delete Zone" to Launcher and Launcher2 (Ander Webbs)
* Common: Allow widgets in the Launcher default workspace (ported from Launcher2 by Lox)
* Common: Fix race conditions and bugs in MMS app
* Common: Compact drawer can be toggled for Launcher as well as Launcher2 now
* Common: Added squisher script for release builds
* Common: Another lowmemorykiller tweak from Zinx to take cache into account
* Common: Turned off battery percentage display by default
* Common: Added "omni-tether" from Wertarbyte for BT tether
* Common: System built using Zinx's resource-sorter patch for aapt- may provide perf boost
* Common: Patch from Zinx to have background processes holding wakelocks set to a higher OOM kill adjustment (push notify, mms are good examples)
* Common: Number of recent apps is configurable - Bcrook, Pershoot & Wysie
* Common: Ability to disable icons and paths on the lockscreen - Wysie
* Common: Add pand and hidd to the build
* Common: Fix OpenVPN- manifest was using the wrong mtpd
* Common: DeskClock: Add alarm timeout setting (Michael Webster)
* Common: OpenVPN: Select between TAP and TUN interface (Takuo Kitame)
* Common: Various UI element colors are selectable via Spare Parts (Wysie)
* Common: NEON-optimized libjpeg (CodeAurora/Qualcomm)
* Droid: Fix for 50% signal loss reporting bug on Motorola Droid (Boyd Bischke)
* Droid: Disable V8. It was breaking Epocrates and other applications
* Droid: Tweak the haptic feedback to better match stock (Adrynalyne)
* Droid: Enable Dialpad for OTA Activation (nuclear305)
* D/S: Full support for Dream and Sapphire devices (eclair-ds branch)
* D/S: Updated wallpapers and Launcher for MDPI
* D/S: Build various OMX components from source (via CodeAurora)
* D/S: libcamera originally reverse engineered by NCommander
* D/S: Various driver issues causing battery drain were fixed by Zinx
* D/S: disable menu in lockscreen, fix incall mute, speed up the boot
* D/S: raise min cpufreq to 245MHz (Wes Garner)
* D/S: add Prash's bootanimation
* D/S: Using HTC "Turbo Mode" clock settings
* D/S: Fix issues with notification LED on D/S
* D/S: Don't use msmsdcc_sdioirq, this leaves IRQs on all the time which can cause battery drain
* D/S: Fix RIL settings to improve performance
* D/S: Kill logspam from OMX
* D/S: Fixed 3MP camera preview and memory leaks
* D/S: Ship old Gallery app as Gallery3D has too many issues right now
* D/S: Fixed slidelock layout
* D/S: Fixed issue with picking contact for map directions
* D/S: Change oom-killer behavior to be more "swap friendly" if you want to go against everyones advice and use swap anyway
* D/S: Launcher tray images fixed by Prash
* D/S: CPU clock tweaks from Pershoot 
* N1: CPU clock and memory tweaks from Pershoot (http://github.com/pershoot)
* N1: Trackball notification color blending option (from Ehud Shabtai http://github.com/eshabtai)

HTC Dream & Magic - upgrade to Android 2.1 thanks to CyanogenMod 5.0.7 for Dream and Magic

2010-05-25T22:45:00.000+02:00

Cyanogen just release the new firmware Cyanogenmod-5 For Dream/magic - Mean Lean Pastry Machine - V5.0.7 (05/25/2010) (Cyanogenmod-5 For Dream/Magic - Mean Lean Pastry Machine - V5.0.7 (05/25/2010) on xda-developers forum) that brings Android 2.1 - Eclair to the HTC Dream and HTC Magic

Nexus One - upgrade to Cyanogenmod For Nexus One V5.0.7 (05/25/2010) - detailled instructions

2010-05-25T22:32:00.002+02:00

Cyanogen just release Cyanogenmod For Nexus One V5.0.7 (05/25/2010) (it's also on xda-developers's forum : [ROM] CyanogenMod-5: Kang Central Station (STABLE) [05/25/2010 / 5.0.7]).

To install CM 5.0.7, just follow instructions from Nexus One - how to upgrade to CyanogenMod-5 [stable 5.0.6 version of 04/15/2010] - detailled instructions.

Nexus One - CyanogenMod 5.0.6 and 3G spotty issue - seems a kind of solution is about to be found

2010-05-05T06:08:00.000+02:00

According to the thread 3G Connectivity Issue Fix? I think I found a solution using build.prop on the CyanogenMod forum, it seems a kind of solution to the Spotty 3G part 2 issue is about to appear.

It's not clear yet if it solves completely the 3G issue or only in part or if it is just a workaround, but it seems to improve the situation. And it's better than nothing considering Google had already said « engineering improvements » had been given an end : look for post from Ry Guy (Google employee) by 4/20/10.

By the way, some of the posts head to what seems to be very serious resources about 3G and mobile networks : Vodafone 3G vs Telecom XT on GeekZone forum.

Android - rooting, ROM, firmware, Cyanogen - what it is all about

2010-05-03T06:06:00.000+02:00

For all those who wonder what rooting, ROM, firmware, Cyanogen all stand for, here are some links to help you understand what is is all about, the benefits, the down side :

Custom ROMs For Android Explained And Why You Want Them
Rooting Explained + Top 5 Benefits Of Rooting Your Android Phone
How to: Rooting your Nexus One - a definitive guide to what’s involved : useful as it further explains some terms widely used int rooting

Nexus One - disponible en mai en France - alors, l'acheter ou pas ?

2010-04-30T16:30:00.000+02:00

Compte-tenu des nombreux échos négatifs dont le Nexus One a souffert, on peut se demander à l'occasion de la sortie du Nexus si c'est opportun d'en acheter un, ou s'il vaut mieux plutôt s'orienter vers un des autres modèles de même niveau : HTC Desire, HTC Incredible (lorsqu'il sera disponible), Sony Xperia 10, ...
Faites-vous votre opinion en lisant les commentaires de l'article Le Nexus One en mai chez SFR ! dans le Journal du Geek.

“Android in 2013” - Mark Murphy's six-party blog post series

2010-04-30T05:30:00.000+02:00

Mark Murphy's six-party blog post series, “Android in 2013”, over on NetworkWorld.

Nexus One - is Google starting to put an end to the whole "Nexus One experiment"

2010-04-27T00:29:00.003+02:00

Recent moves on the Nexus One horizon makes one wonder if Google isn't starting to put an end to the whole « Nexus One Experiment » :

1) The 4/21/2010 Ry Guy post on the spotty 3G part 2 thread saying Google will no longer investigate the 3G issue

2) The 4/26/2010 news and updates designating the HTC Incredible as the next step after the Nexus One and announcing the Nexus One availability by april 30th in Europe when the HTC Desire — which doesn't seem to suffer from the same issues the Nexus One has — is already available from different mobile phone providers and resellers in Europe.

3) Is there another superphone Google wants to sell in it's online store after the Nexus One ?

Nexus One - a week after the CyanogenMod 5.0.6 upgrade

2010-04-24T08:26:00.000+02:00

A week after the upgrade to CyanogenMod 5.0.6 just want to add that the result is quite good :

the Nexus works well for me, and by that I just say that the CM 5.0.6 upgrade doesn't seem to broke anything ; the Nexus is still faster than before installing the CM5 ; others have been experiment some issues, so don't forget to have a look at CyanogenMod issues
the « 3G issue » is still not solved, but the CM5 greatly improves the situation as the N1 jumps far more frequently from 3G to HSPDA with faster page downloads ; it's also a kind of solution : when the N1 stay for too long stuck on « 3G » with nothing else happening, it's time to activate Airplane mode just to reset the chip, then go back to connected mode (de-activate Airplane mode) and refresh the page the N1 stay stuck on before
the « screen becoming crazy issue » is still not solved : perhaps it becomes less frequent, but I'm not confident at all in that as I still have the problem after playing with the N1 for some time
I want to activate « tethering » with Mac OSX 10.6.3 but I haven't succeed : I certainly have missed something, as it seem's working for others, so more to come on that topic

Nexus One - how to upgrade to CyanogenMod-5 [stable 5.0.6 version of 04/15/2010] - detailled instructions

2010-04-18T08:47:00.001+02:00

I just upgraded my Nexus One to CyanogenMod-5: Kang Central Station (STABLE) [04/15/2010 / 5.0.6].

As it is just a CyanogenMod-5 upgrade from 5.0.5.3-N1 to 5.0.6-N1, only the following steps are required :

download the Cyanogen 5.0.6-N1 (the latest stable CyanogenMod for the Nexus One) from Cyanogenmod For Nexus One V5.0.6 (04/15/2010) : update-cm-5.0.6-N1-signed.zip
check the MD5 sum :
md5 update-cm-5.0.6-N1-signed.zip
and check the checksum
MD5 (update-cm-5.0.6-N1-signed.zip) = 43835d679958294befa16af78bf7311b
against the one of the forum MD5Sum: 43835d679958294befa16af78bf7311b
connect the Nexus One to the computer and mount the Nexus One in the Mac
copy the Cyanogen 5.0.6-N1 (the update-cm-5.0.6-N1-signed.zip) file to the root of the Nexus One SD-card. Wait a few seconds in order to be sure everything is copied to the SDcard. Unmount the Nexus One on your computer.
Reboot the Nexus One in bootloader mode : hold down the trackball while you press the power button. Ensure to maintain the trackball hold down until the screens turns to a white screen with 3 green android skating at the bottom of the screen. Ensure that the Nexus One stay connected to the computer via the USB cable.
on the screen, the BOOTLOADER should be highlighted with blue. press power button
on the new screen, scroll down with the Volume down button to highlight the RECOVERY option. Press the power button.
the Nexus One reboots and after a few seconds, the screen title with "Android system recovery" appears, with the "Build : RA-nexus-v1.7.0" at the bottom of the screen. The screen should be in cyan instead of green if the Nexus One has already been rooted
scroll down with the trackball to the "Backup/Restore" menu and press the trackball
on the new screen "Choose backup/restore item" choose the option "Nand Backup" (the first one) by scrolling down the trackball and press the trackball to select it. The question "Create Nandroid backup?" appears at the bottom of the screen, so press the trackball to confirm as it is stated
The backup starts, it takes a few seconds to complete. At the end of the backup, the cyan screen is restored. Press Volume down button to return to the previous screen "Android system recovery".
FIRST INSTALL ONLY : scroll down to the "Wipe" item using the trackball and press the trackball to select the option
FIRST INSTALL ONLY : in the new screen "Choose wipe item", using the trackball, select every wipe item one after the other and perform the wipe pressing the trackball. When every wipe has been performed, return the the previous screen using Volume Down button.
back to the Android system recovery screen, scroll down to the Flash zip from sdcard item using the trackball. Press the trackball to select
on the new screen "Choose update ZIP file", use the trackball to select the right ZIP file to flash. Here, there should be only one zip file available to flash : update-cm-5.0.6-N1-signed.zip. then press the trackball to start the flashing. Press the trackball again to confirm flashing on the question "Install : update-cm-5.0.6-N1-signed.zip ?" that appears at the bottom of the screen. The ROM flashing starts and many messages appears on the screen.
after some time, the message "Install from sdcard complete" appears and you're back to the cyan screen "Android system recovery" with the item "Reboot system now" selected by default
just select the default option by pressing the trackball down. The Nexus One reboots.
after the Nexus One has boot the normal way, just to be sure, check the "Mod version" value in the "Setting" then "About Phone" : the value should be "CyanogenMod-5.0.6-N1"

I adapted the instructions from Step by Step Guide on How to Install Cyanogen Mod ROM on your Nexus One! to perform the upgrade.

Nexus One - CyanogenMod For Nexus One V5.0.5.3 (03/23/2010)

2010-04-15T01:24:00.000+02:00

I have just installed CyanogenMod For Nexus One V5.0.5.3 (03/23/2010). It takes me quite some time because I missed some important points, the most important one being to root my Nexus using superboot.

Cyanogen's advise is to download everything that will be necessary and to check the md5 checksum.

Then, the first step is to unlock the bootloader using fastboot. fastboot can't be found in the android sdk but it can be found in the superboot archive contents.

During the whole process, I've found useful instructions in those locations :

How to: Rooting your Nexus One - a definitive guide to what’s involved which contains a useful introduction to many terms and concepts I wasn't familiar with. I advice reading it first
Cyanogen's Full Update Guide - Nexus One Firmware to CyanogenMod should be read in second, but it lacks some details that are needed to be able to complete the process. For example, after unlocking the bootloader, and before flashing the recovery image, the nexus should be rooted.
How to Root Your Nexus One for detailed instructions on the whole process and on specific issues like how to deal with the recovery mode, how to wipe data, how to flash the radio image, ...
detailed instructions on How to unlock the bootloader on your Nexus One
detailed instructions on 22/Mar ERD79 -> EPE76 - Superboot - rooting the Nexus One
detailed instructions on [Recovery] [21-Mar-2010] RA-nexus-v1.7.0
and for french speaking people, passer en mode root son Nexus one

Everything seems to work well. More feedback soon.

Nexus One - review from a Finn developer - there still are some bugs

2010-02-12T23:27:00.000+01:00

In the post A Month of Nexus One, Heikki Toivonen lists some the bugs he has encountered on the Nexus One : "I’ve encountered some annoying bugs as well. During my first week the phone got into a state where tapping the messaging icon always launched the browser. The only way I could recover was to reboot. This hasn’t happened since. Far more common problem is the soft keyboard not registering taps, or thinking I pressed one of the four buttons at the bottom (back, menu, home or search, with accompanied vibration feedback). Switching back and forth between apps fixes this eventually. I also seem to have situations when I don’t seem to get any GPS information. Some people have reported that this might require a reboot, but I haven’t been trying persistently enough to confirm if this is the only cure.".

I also encountered some problems with the four soft key at the bottom, where they don't seem to work at all, or when they seem to trigger the same action, or even when touching the screen in the middle triggers one of the four soft key button ... In those situations, the best thing has been to reboot the Nexus. It seems this happens more often when the phone has been up for some time, or when there has been some weakness in the network (I use the Nexus during my commuting time and there are a lot of places where there is no or poor quality network that make the Nexus to frequently switch between Edge and 3G).

And finally, it's Linus Torvalds - THE father of Linux uses a Nexus One

2010-02-08T07:39:00.000+01:00

The post Linux founder Linus Torvalds is a BIG fan of Google’s Nexus One from EuroDroid reveals the incredible, that Linus Torvalds : "[...] broke down and bought a Nexus One last week". Read the whole story directly from Linus Torvalds's blog on it's blog post Happy camper.

Just to understand how a great news it is : Linus Torvalds is the man who wrotes the first Linux system as a student project, the system which is at the root of so many devices and production systems today, and at the root of Android too.

Nexus One - detailled instructions to install Cyanogen's alternative firmware from Mac OSX

2010-02-06T21:22:00.001+01:00

The post Cyanogen ROM Beta 4 from GeekSage contains detailled instructions on how to install famous Cyanogen's alternative firmware on a Nexus One from Mac OSX.

As it is said : "INSTALLING A NON-GOOGLE ROM WILL VOID YOUR WARRANTY.".

If you wonder why one may want rooting an Android phone, consider the following posts : Why (and How) to Root Your Android Phone, Five Great Reasons to Root Your Android Phone and Why Root along with the following ones for the G1 : Rooting Android and Android – G1 – Root Access Why & How and the "root" tag on FrAndroid (in french).

Nexus One - Google announced the so awaited software update for Nexus One phones

2010-02-03T06:27:00.000+01:00

Google announced on the Nexus One official blog the so awaited New Software Update for Nexus One phones that will solve the reported 3G connectivity problem.

The update will also bring some improvements on Google Maps, introduced the Pinch-to-zoom functionality and the Google Goggles app.

Here are Google's instructions to install the update that will be rolled out until the end of the week : "In order to access the update, you will receive a message on your phone's notification bar. Just download the update, wait for it to install, and you should be all set."

Nexus One - activate ADB connection mode

2010-01-30T14:24:00.000+01:00

By default, the Nexus One is not visible from ADB while executing the adb devices command from the terminal.


$ adb devices
List of devices attached 
emulator-5554 device

Instead, it can be is mounted like a USB key.

To access the Nexus One using ADB commands, the USB debugging mode has to be checked in the Android global setting (Menu button, then Settings item, then Applications item, then Development item, then check USB debugging mode).


$ adb devices
List of devices attached 
emulator-5554 device
xxxxxxxxxxxx device

Nexus One - tweaks and bugfixes in the alternative firmware from the famous XDA's Cyanogen

2010-01-29T16:51:00.000+01:00

XDA's Cyanogen announced an alternative firmware (CyanogenMod 5.0 (beta2) for Nexus One) for the Google's Nexus One.

Follow the link to get more details and instructions to install it. Among the many good enhancements, there is at least one all early Nexus One's owners will welcome "Many other bugfixes and tweaks from AOSP contributors". And I strongly hope Google include those bugfixes and tweaks in the official update that has been announced on the forum's thread Spotty 3G Part 2?.

Nexus One - available in France on MeilleurMobile.com

2010-01-29T08:54:00.001+01:00

Even if the Nexus One is not officialy available in France, it can be bought on MeilleurMobile.com's site.

Nexus One and iPhone connectivity problems - are smartphones revealing the real 3G network quality of mobile operator providers ?

2010-01-26T06:27:00.000+01:00

After the HotHardWire's article AT&T Insiders Report iPhone Exclusivity Going Away On Wednesday that's telling us that some part of the iPhoneconnectivity problems may rely on the AT&T 3G network quality — the other part coming from the iPhone itself —, it seems that the Nexus One's connectivity problems also comes from the T-mobile's 3G networks quality — the other part coming from the Nexus One itself —, according to the post 3G Issues on the Nexus One (sadly, the Google's source isn't cited in the post) "It looks like Google has come up with a two-part explanation for the crappy service on the Nexus One. The first half is a weak 3G network with T-Mobile, the second half is software related. There should be an OTA coming out soon to fix the issue.".

Are smartphones revealing the real 3G network quality of mobile operator providers ?

iPhone too seems to have connectivity problems

2010-01-25T13:25:00.001+01:00

According to the HotHardWire's article AT&T Insiders Report iPhone Exclusivity Going Away On Wednesday, it seems that iPhone also have connectivity problems : "Inside of AT&T, we are hearing that the iPhone is causing more trouble than ever before. On some level, having the iPhone is hurting AT&T's image. Because they are the only company to carry it, and it's such a data hog, it's largely to blame for AT&T's network troubles. We don't remember hearing about AT&T's "horrible network" before the iPhone--do you? The iPhone itself doesn't really handle the switch from 3G to EDGE very well, so calls that are in-progress tend to fail whenever the 3G bands aren't optimal and the phone attempts to step down to EDGE. It seems that AT&T is tired of taking the heat for this, and at this point, they may be smart to just let another carrier take some of those customers who are most inclined to complain."

Nexus One (N1) - after a few days

2010-01-23T21:53:00.000+01:00

After a few days, I still love my Nexus One. It's very fast, nice, slim, ... With this phone, Android is now on par with the iPhone, at least with the 2G and 3G ones - I don't know for the 3GS as I haven't use one so far.

But from times to times, the Nexus One starts to have a very strange behavior, when for example, trying to click (touch) one of the buttons bellow the screen triggers a completely different action than what you ask for. It seems to happen more frequently when a lot of apps have been opened and the phone hasn't been restarted for some times ... It also seems that using the Advanced Task Killer to kill some tasks only makes things worse. The best solution I have found so far is to power down the phone and power it on just after. As everything goes right just after the reboot, I suspect some app to behave the wrong way.

Asus's view of the future : Waveface - the right information anywhere anytime

2010-01-22T16:50:00.000+01:00

Asus's view of the future has a name : Waveface.

As it is said in the video, it's all about information that come to you in mobility, anywhere, anytime :

relevant push info
smart search
intuitive usability via gesture controls
context based info gathering via location based services
smart organizer
flat sharing mode
sync with cloud
and information sharing during family time

It reminds Vernor Vinge's novel Rainbows End.

(source : Journal du Geek)

Other links :

Waveface by Asus
ASUS Waveface concept line shown off during our lifetime, might be available after it
ASUS Waveface concept: photos
Asus Unveils Waveface Ultra Flexible OLED Smartphone Bracelet
Asus Waveface concepts
and finally some more technical material : WaveFace Software

Nexus One and multi touch - not available officially, but hacker make it available

2010-01-22T06:12:00.002+01:00

The Google's Nexus One doesn't have multitouch right out of the box, as Andy Rubin (Andy Rubin on Wikipedia) explains at CES. This is not the only reason, as many suspect a non aggression pact between Google and Apple.

But as Android is an open source system, Cyanogen, a hacker from xda-developers just release a Multi touch browser for the Nexus

For the moment, the multitouch is just for the browser. But it works.

"
Who wants multitouch for their N1 browser?

I just whipped this up, this will be in my upcoming ROM. The pinch-zoom helper code was written by Luke Hutchison.

WARNING: You may lose your bookmarks and browser settings by doing this.

"
Read the full post, get the apk and the instruction to install it on your Nexus One

The key point to understand with the lack of official support for multitouch in Android, it's that it make developers develop applications without multitouch metaphor. So, when the multitouch will be officially supported by Android, the whole ecosystem will have to adapt in a big move to adopt multitouch behavior, gestures, metaphor, ... in the design of the applications. As times passes, the gap between the iPhone and Android system is going wider and wider, as iPhone already has multitouch but Android not. So, there will be a day where Google will have to take the risk to contend Apple on what seems to be an essential feature.

Apple vs Google - on the ongoing battle between previously strategic allies

2010-01-20T12:44:00.065+01:00

BusinessWeek publish Apple vs. Google, an article on Apple Inc. and Google subtitled "How the battle between Silicon Valley's superstars will shape the future of mobile computing". This article gives clues to understand what is going on between the two compagnies that were strategic allies and that now consider each other more likely as a concurrent. It seems to be all a matter of how to make money from ads on mobile devices.

The side bar contains the following table :

Beside the figures, the way they consider business, the mind of the compagny, the Big challenge they have to face to, the decision process and employees who matter are interresting.

Here is another article, The battle for the clouds (Google) from the What matters..... blog to complete the BusinessWeek article.

First days with the Nexus One

2010-01-18T23:18:00.000+01:00

After a few days using the Nexus One, I'm very happy of my purchase. The phone is very fast : sliding on a photo, scrolling a web page, entering a message using the virtual keyboard. Surfing the web is a pleasure, and the Nexus is now on par with the iPhone. There's sometimes some lag time when I click (touch) on a link and the browser starting to load the page, but all in all, there's a huge improvement over my previous Htc Magic. The user interface has been reworked and is nicer. The battery seems to last longer, but I can't say by how much.

Does the new Nexus One Google Android phone have 3G connection problems ?

2010-01-18T22:35:00.000+01:00

According to some reports, it seems the new Nexus One Google Android phone have 3G connection problems. A thread (http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/android/thread?tid=0bd8ccd4799040c2&hl=en) has been opened on this issue on the support forum that has been setup by Google for the Nexus One.

Personally, I don't have witnessed such problems with my Nexus One. I even use it on the underground where I previously stopped using my Htc Magic as I have experienced terrible performances to catch up with the frequent switchings between 2G, 2.5G and 3G networks.

Nexus One - how to get it even if it is not available now in your country

2010-01-16T15:24:00.000+01:00

Today, the Google Nexus One is only available in very few countries. If you want to buy it now, not waiting for it's availability in your country, all you have to do is 3 things :

get a postal address in the United States : on : MyUS.com for example
connect to the Nexus One store using a proxy in the united States : you can find a list of proxy here
and buy it on the Nexus Site using your Google Checkout account. Creating a Google Checkout account is free but you have to have a credit card to pay

The process is detailled (in French) here on sosandroid.fr. A forum for french speaking people has even been setup here.

The total cost is about 532 euros :

393 euros ($563) for the Nexus One on Google Checkout ($529 for the phone + $34 for Florida taxes as the phone will be sent to your US address by FedEx)
9 euros for the bank commission as you pay in dollars
7 euros ($10) for the creation of your local address in the US through MyUS.com
1 euros for the bank commission as you pay in dollars
40 euros ($58) for the shipment from your US address to your local address in your country ; MyUS.com uses the cheaper way (DHL in this case) but you can ask for another way of shipping
1 euros for the bank commission as you pay in dollars
82 euros for the custom in France

It will take about 7 days to get the phone.

Then you can be happy ;-)
Enjoy !!

Nexus One (N1) - not available in your country

2010-01-14T23:39:00.000+01:00

The new Google SuperPhone - the Nexus One (N1) - is available in very few countries today : United States, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Singapore.

This is how most of us feel about the Nexus One.

Adam Hartung on Google and the Nexus One - the disruption by Google

2010-01-09T09:10:00.000+01:00

Adam Hartung thinks Google is right not considering it's homepage a sacred cow, making there a disruption that should be able to help them to grow business.

Read the whole story here Sacred cows - Google and Nexus One.

By the way, Adam Hartung is the author of the very insightful and very good business book Create Marketplace Disruption. It's all about innovation as the only way to stay ahead of competition, and on disruption as a way to manage business.

Track Site - the QR code

2010-01-01T23:39:00.000+01:00

Track Site can be found on the Android Market using it's QR-code directly from the Android phone.

The Barcode scanner app should be installed on the phone, as stated by PointGPhone site.

How to take a screenshot of an Android device / emulator from Eclipse

2010-01-01T23:13:00.000+01:00

It's rather simple to take a screenshot of an android device or of the emulator from the Eclipse IDE. The instructions are here on the AndroLib site.

Happy New Year and Best Wishes to Android for 2010 - should we make the best use of Android for the Good of all of us

2010-01-01T11:03:00.000+01:00

Everything is in the title !! ;-)

For some years now, mobility had started to be more and more important, taking more and more space, and being more and more a reality. There's still a lot of evolutions to advent on the device side before some of the great promises of the Science Fiction — books, movies, ... — can be fulfilled. And those evolutions on the device side will drive deep evolutions not only on the way we use the devices but also on the way we behave, that is to say on our civilisation.

Businesses like Google, Apple, Archos, Facebook, Twitter ... just to cite some of them, have already started to change the way we behave, making businesses more web-oriented and making us more connected for example. They all want to continue to be the businesses of the future, and thus want to continue to shape our future.

As citizens, it's our responsibility to define what we want for our future, to say what we are ready to accept, and what we are not. We can do it as customers, as we have a great impact on existing businesses and on those that may appear. And we can do it as developers, as we can help fulfill existing customers needs, and even makes it possible for new needs/behaviors to emerge.

Android is one of those many technologies that should help us today to shape part of our future. So my Best Wishes to Android, to it's eco-system — apps developers and all the people that make businesses with and around it — and to all the Users for 2010.

Should we make the best use of Android for the Good of all of us.

Track Site - list font size preference

2009-12-31T00:56:00.000+01:00

Just added a list font size preference to let the user adjust the font size to his/her needs and to the device screen size and density.

Track Site - improved portrait layout for small screens

2009-12-30T00:29:00.000+01:00

The UI has been reworked in version 1.01.25 to be more usable on small screens in portrait mode. Here are some screenshots of the new UI in portrait mode.

The edit screen has also be reworked to give more space to the entry fields, both in portrait and landscape mode.

The version 1.01.25 is available on Google's Android Market and Archos's AppsLibs market.

Track Site - description of the goal and functions

2009-12-26T19:42:00.000+01:00

Do you ever want to add a note to an article you just read while crawling the web ?
Or just add a mark on an article to remember to read it later ?
Or wonder what is the best folder to store a new bookmark ?
Or can't remember the login you used to register on a website ?
Or the mail address you used to subscribe to the site's newsletter ?
...

Most browsers does not allow to add meaningful notes on bookmarks !
So here is the "Track Site" app.

This App allows for sites's bookmarking, giving them a name, adding an optional description, and optionally adding some tags.
Those information are stored in a plain text file ("/sdcard/sites.ini").
A html file of all bookmarks can be generated ("/sdcard/track_sites.html").
And bookmarks can be shared with others by email or SMS.

Look for "Track Site" on Google's Android marketplace and on Archos's AppsLib marketplace.

Aldiko - the free ebook reader on Android (epub format)

2009-12-26T09:36:00.000+01:00

Aldiko is a great Android App to read your ebooks right on your mobile phone.

You can import the epub ebooks you already own from the sdcard. Non epub format DRM-free ebooks can be converted to epub format using Calibre software.

As editors like O'Reilly, Manning, Mark Murphy's CommonsWare have started to release their books in DRM-free ebook format, the mobile as an ebook reader is becoming more and more a reality.

The QR-code to access the Aldiko app on the Android Market is here.

The app is also announced to be available on the alternative SlideMe app market on the Aldiko blog post but I can't find it.

BlogAway - how to post on blog from Android devices

2009-12-19T09:23:00.001+01:00

This post is made from BlogAway, a client app that allows posting and viewing posts on blog directly from an Android device.

From the app, you can publish a new post, save a draft online or on the phone, add links, add photos and movies.

My first user experience was rather tough as I lost the post I wanted to make. I think there should be more confirmations when user actions may end by some lost of content.

But overall, this app is a very good idea that goes in the good direction.

Track Site - approved on Archos's AppsLib

2009-12-19T06:31:00.000+01:00

TrackSite, the application I've submitted for the Archos's Developer Contest, has been approved on AppsLib.

I'm happy since it's my first Android application. It a strong encouragement that helps me continue making improvements on Track Site and continue my learning journey on Android.

Track Site - my app for Archos developers contest

2009-12-17T23:59:00.000+01:00

A developer's contest was organized by Archos for the Archos 5 IT's launch, as it's Archos's first Android device.

I have submitted the Track Site app whose goal is to allow more information to be associated to site's bookmarks than just the name. Track Site provides support to add an optional description and any number of tags.

Here are some screenshots :

Archos's solution to ADB connection bug with Mac OSX since 1.4.xx firmwares

2009-12-16T23:27:00.000+01:00

Archos support proposes a solution to the bug on ADB connection mode with Mac OSX 10.6.2 with firmwares updates since 1.4.07 to the latest 1.4.16 :

You actually need to modify or create the adb_usb.ini file

In terminal, you need to type :
echo "0x0e79" >~/.android/adb_usb.ini
Then
./adb kill-server
and
./adb start-server

I just modify the first command in order to preserve the original contents of the ~/.android/adb_usb.ini file by issuing the following command
echo "0x0e79" >> ~/.android/adb_usb.ini

Here is the result :


$ adb devices
List of devices attached 

$ adb devices
List of devices attached 

$ more ~/.android/adb_usb.ini 
# ANDROID 3RD PARTY USB VENDOR ID LIST -- DO NOT EDIT.
# USE 'android update adb' TO GENERATE.
# 1 USB VENDOR ID PER LINE.
$ echo "0x0e79" >> ~/.android/adb_usb.ini 
$ more ~/.android/adb_usb.ini 
# ANDROID 3RD PARTY USB VENDOR ID LIST -- DO NOT EDIT.
# USE 'android update adb' TO GENERATE.
# 1 USB VENDOR ID PER LINE.
0x0e79
$ adb kill-server
$ adb start-server
$ adb devices
List of devices attached 
A5S-xxxx0004-xxxx0000-0403xxxx-1500xxxx device

All works perfectly.

Archos 5 IT - driver ExtFS for Mac OSX

2009-12-14T22:53:00.000+01:00

I just install the Paragon ExtFS for Mac OS X driver.

The driver doesn't work if MacOSX 10.6.2 kernel starts in full 64bit mode : there's nothing in the Finder and Disk Utility shows an Archos device but the filesystem is grayed (not available).

After restarting Mac OSX kernel in 32bits mode, the Archos device becomes visible in the Finder.

First tests copying small files to / from the Archos 5 IT seems to work properly but sometimes it seems to take a long time to prepare to copy ... a little bit strange behavior.

Archos 5 IT - firmware 1.4.16 - bug on ADB with MacOSX still exists - driver ExtFS for Mac OSX

2009-12-14T21:29:00.002+01:00

Le nouveau firmware 1.4.16 ne corrige toujours pas le bug dans la connexion en mode ADB sur Mac OSX 10.6.2

« adb devices » ne trouve pas l’A5IT

Bug déjà signalé sur la 1.4.08 (http://www.jbmm.fr/2009/11/26/2-firmwares-sinon-rien/) et la 1.4.09 (http://www.jbmm.fr/2009/11/28/et-hop-un-firmware-archos-5it/)

Avant de décider si je repasse à nouveau en 1.3.07, je vais tester le driver Paragon ExtFS for Mac OS X signalé par ArchosLounge.net dans son article Archos 5IT et le Mac : LA solution !

---------------------- English version -----------------------

The new firmware 1.4.16 still doesn't solve the bug in the ADB connection mode with Mac OSX 10.6.2

« adb devices » doesn't discover the A5IT device

Bug has been signaled on 1.4.08 (http://www.jbmm.fr/2009/11/26/2-firmwares-sinon-rien/) and 1.4.09 (http://www.jbmm.fr/2009/11/28/et-hop-un-firmware-archos-5it/) firmware versions

Before deciding to reinstall the 1.3.07 firmware, I will make a try with the driver Paragon ExtFS for Mac OS X which has been reported by ArchosLounge.net in Archos 5IT et le Mac : LA solution !

Archos 5 IT and Mac OSX - when it comes to connecting in ADB mode

2009-12-13T07:33:00.001+01:00

The filesystem used by the Archos 5 IT is ext3 as stated in the FAQ

As MacOSX does not support anymore, one way to connect the Archos 5IT to the Mac is by using ADB - Android Debug Bridge. Here are the Archos 5IT support instructions.

As stated, everything works directly with MacOSX, nothing to install.
To make a check :

connect the Archos 5IT to the Mac using the USB cable
open a Terminal (you'll find it in /Application/Utilities)
go to the directory where the Android SDK has been installed, and from here, go to the tools sub-directory (you better add the Android SDK's path to your PATH)
just do an « adb devices » command
the answer should be something like
List of devices attached 0123456789ABCDEF device
where the device is the Archos 5IT

Instructions to use ADB can be found on Android's Developers site and on Android wiki. In short, exec a « push » to put a file on the device and a « pull » to get a file from the device.

Using ADB, you can even access the full Archos 5IT filesystem.

ADB support bug in the Archos 5IT latests firmwares

The 1.4.09 and 1.4.08 Archos 5 IT firmwares both have a bug in the ADB support that makes the device not be found and ADB mode not working at all.
You have to stay back on Archos 5IT 1.3.07 firmware in order to use ADB connection mode on Mac OSX.

Archos 5 Internet Tablet

2009-12-12T21:58:00.000+01:00

I purchase an Archos 5 IT 32 Gb device and it's nice.

The 5 inches display makes web browsing a real pleasure. And the device is really nice for it's multimedia capabilities, one strength of Archos. Internet access based on wifi b/g/n is very fast.

The device comes with Archos versions of Android 1.5 Cupcake. Everything works well, but the integration with the other parts of the system needs to be improved. Which will probably be done with the coming Donut 1.6 upgrade.

books on Android from Mark Murphy (CommonsWare) available in ebook format

2009-12-12T21:35:00.001+01:00

Mark Murphy from CommomsWare makes he's 3 books on Android available in ebook's MOBI format (Kindle).

The books are :

Android Programming Tutorials v1.1, supports SDK 1.6/2.0
The Busy Coder's Guide to Android Development v2.8, supports SDK 2.0
The Busy Coder's Guide to Advanced Android Development v1.2, supports SDK 1.6r1

book : Unlocking Android available in mobi and epub format for eBooks

2009-12-12T21:15:00.000+01:00

Manning has the very good idea to make it's books available not only in PDF format, but also in EPUB and MOBI format, allowing to read them on eBook readers.

Manning publishes a book on Android : Unlocking Android. It covers the SDK 1.x.

Archos and Android - Archos 5 IT - Developer contest

2009-12-12T17:26:00.000+01:00

Archos proposes a new version of it's Archos 5 PMP based on Android : the Archos 5 Internet Tablet.

As the device is based on Archos's version of Android 1.5 Cupcake, Archos has setup it's own version of the market : AppsLib.

And to help developers to adapt their applications to the Archos 5 IT device, a developer contest was organized.

Tutorial and Advanced Android books to complete The Busy Coder's Guide series

2009-04-19T06:33:00.007+02:00

Mark L. Murphy currently writes a tutorial Android Programming Tutorials. It's available in 0.9 version on the CommonsWare website (http://commonsware.com/Android/).

There is also a new Advanced Android Development in 0.8 version in The Busy Coder's Guide series. It's available in 0.8 version on the CommonsWare website (http://commonsware.com/Android/).

And finaly, there's a new 2.0.3 version of the original Android Development available on the CommonsWare website (http://commonsware.com/Android/).

News on CommonsWare are also available on the group cw-android (http://groups.google.com/group/cw-android).

Book : The busy Coder's Guide

2009-01-19T12:26:00.003+01:00

Mark L. Murphy's book The Busy Coder's Guide to Android Development is available on Amazon.com. It is also available in PDF or Kindle format on Mark L. Murphy's CommonsWare web site.

Having it on the CommonsWare's web site, you have access to the more up-to-date version of the book, and you also have access to all the other books available, just for the $35 annual subscription.

Extended life battery for the HTC G1

2009-01-19T12:09:00.004+01:00

The HTC G1 battery life can be extended with Extended Life Batteries availables on Seidio's web site. Choose one of the 2 models :

Innocell 1400mAh Extended Life Battery
Innocell 2600 Extended Life Battery - Black which comes with a replacement door and extends the depth of the G1 by 5mm

Android dev phone 1

2008-12-13T22:36:00.000+01:00

I just order it on Android Market.
The shipping method with UPS is rather expensive : more than $180, nearly half the price of the phone !!!

Android book

2008-12-13T22:27:00.000+01:00

This is one book to learn programming on Android : Unlocking Android (http://www.manning.com/ableson/) from Manning Publications Co.

This publisher has the very good idea to make most of it's books available as PDF e-books. And e-books are even made available chapter by chapter during their writing through an early access program.

first step

2008-12-06T20:16:00.000+01:00