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Ist there some Team/Developer working on an OpenSource alternative to the official Samsung Galaxy Gear Manager? I am the programmer behind OpenFetch (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sindaccos.openfetch) which was just a test to get the HTC Fetch working with any BLE/Android 4.3 enabled Smartphone.
This gave me so much experience with BLE profiles, characteristics and co. so I am searching for some more devs helping me coding an OpenGearManager.
So who is with me?
Regards,
Gamer
Sounds like a great idea hope you get more devs on board
Nope, no work on a OpenSource replacement is going on atm, not in the public anyway.
I´we done some custom Gear apps for the null_ rom but if I´m capable of helping out with this, I don´t know.
I´m sure @fOmey (author of null_) can help out with lot´s of info for the project.
I love the idea !
Pushing notifications to the gear using a open program would be awesome for end users.
Have you checked out M2D ? It would be a great start if you could get the source.
How about an iPhone (Cydia) app that would push notifications to the Gear?
This is the best idea yet. Because of the fact that I'm an idiot I would love to be able to push apps and make other changes via the gear manager. I would think this would open the door for other idiots like myself to get this watch. I am running null 16 but had someone else load it for me. would love to go 22 but don't know how plus I heard you lose settings in touchwiz...a reinvented gear manager would fix this right?
I would like to help, but do not have the time right now. Could it be possible to reverse engineer the proprietary protocols so we can use the apps created for the gear with the open version of gear manager?
I have been looking into this. But there is alot thats way over my head. But i would say its not possible. Not for now anyhow. But anything is possible i guess.
smokestack76 said:
I have been looking into this. But there is alot thats way over my head. But i would say its not possible. Not for now anyhow. But anything is possible i guess.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't go as far as saying its impossible...
If you have experience in bluetooth communication between devices & JSON requests it may not be as hard as you may think.
It would be a bit of a difficult project tho !
Lets forget about JSON requests for a minute and listen to my theory:
Half of it is done with M2D manager by pacosal, the bluetooth connectivity part anyway... if someone was to code a notification listener for the host phone, we could push the M2D intents to the gear.. simple enough right ?
We then code a listener for the gear to listen for M2D intents, when one of the "notification intents" is received we fire the following intent to show a custom notification.
For a example put this command in adb shell:
Code:
am start -a android.intent.action.VIEW -n com.samsung.notifications/com.samsung.notifications.NotificationAlertActivity -e title Test
This would give basic notification functionality, its not that difficult to code and it would work across all android devices.
If I was confident enough to code in JAVA, I would take on the project myself although with a lack of time to learn and other ongoing projects it makes it hard... in saying that tho I am more than happy to help anyone who is game to make a start !
One of the gear users created a third party app to send notifications to the gear: ATN
If only he released the source, it would be excellent to get an idea how things work.
I'm all up for that iPhone cydia app! I really want a gear but don't like samsung phones. I'd pay for the app too, if you list it for a price, I'd pay up to $15-$20 for it
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
It would be great to have this working, i am currently using ATN Manager and was a pain to get working as you have to find and use a specific version of the app to get the functionality, i posted about it here as well as getting the WatchStyler working on a non-Samsung device (Nexus 5) here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=50550974&postcount=129
However you only get a message that you got a notification for some and not a full message to read, while that works while your phone may be on silent it would be great to have the full functionality like with a Samsung device.
Very excited about this! Hope someone can get it going! I'd be more than happy to test as I am sure is with other!
First of all - Hi everyone! I'm a frequent reader, first time poster.
Now to the point. As soon as I'm done with my masters defense (around next two weeks), I'm starting a project that might help with this idea.
I'm basically going to implement an android service that will provide an abstract interface for communication between any android phone with bluetooth capability (if possible, still some research ahead of me) and Galaxy Gear. I haven't decided yet if interaction will be done by intents or if it would be in form of a library or even raw classes. Still if the project will succeed I'm going to try to build the same abstract interface for Windows Phone devices (no intents here, so propabbly as a library). If it proves possible then same thing will be done with iOS, by a friend of mine.
Assuming this would work, someone would have to reverse engineer the Gear Manager, so if there is anyone that is able to do that I will be happy to cooperate in any way I can.
I'm not promissing anything for now, but let's see how will things go.
Gohanks said:
First of all - Hi everyone! I'm a frequent reader, first time poster.
Now to the point. As soon as I'm done with my masters defense (around next two weeks), I'm starting a project that might help with this idea.
I'm basically going to implement an android service that will provide an abstract interface for communication between any android phone with bluetooth capability (if possible, still some research ahead of me) and Galaxy Gear. I haven't decided yet if interaction will be done by intents or if it would be in form of a library or even raw classes. Still if the project will succeed I'm going to try to build the same abstract interface for Windows Phone devices (no intents here, so propabbly as a library). If it proves possible then same thing will be done with iOS, by a friend of mine.
Assuming this would work, someone would have to reverse engineer the Gear Manager, so if there is anyone that is able to do that I will be happy to cooperate in any way I can.
I'm not promissing anything for now, but let's see how will things go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome, looking forward to where this goes!
Chromecast Installer Service
Hi all,
I'm starting this thread because well i'm a fan of community work
I've been doing this awhile for Free Mcboot on the playstation 2 platform, were basically you cannot 'hack' your console without a hacked console. they've setup a thread were all installers are listed within every region and what system they support.
all you then needed to do is pick the nearest installer - send them a pm for there location details and requirements. send a bubble envelope containing the memory card and another bubble envelope with return adress and either transfer money for the postage or include it in the envelope.
this has actually worked quite well, therefore it would propose the same here.
If users don't seem to want to root the chromecast themselves or do not have the means todo it , they could send it to an installer - they root it and send it back.
since i already have a chromecast , i'm in no interest to keep your chromecast... altho if no money is provided for postage it will be kept until it's transferred - not going to do this with loss... that's just insane.
Anyway just wanted to provide a way for users to enjoy there chromecast to the fullest.
let me just put a list here :
Xtremegamer™ - Belgium - [email protected]
Thanks,
Xtremegamer™
This sounds sketchy as I didn't think there was a root method available after hubcap was fixed
Donteventrii said:
This sounds sketchy as I didn't think there was a root method available after hubcap was fixed
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hubcap still works on new out of the box Chromecasts that haven't touched the internet.
Sketchy or not
Hi,
Thanks for the reply , it does indeed seem odd that someone would take the time todo this for free...
but by this i could give something back to the community instead of leeching whatever other user brings out.
and since i've done this for awhile now in the PS2 scene, there are people who trust people todo this just because they have either not a way todo it or don't know how to do , and rather leave it to someone who has atleast done it once or could recover if they do it wrong.
And since you only need to pay the postage, it's a fair deal. unlike a webstore charging +$10 because it's rooted
and yes there are bad people in the world , never has been otherwise.
That's why there's a list so you could atleast see who you could trust.
i admit , i don't seem trustworthy with 0 posts and bad english :laugh:
just google "fmcb installer xtremegamer" first hit brings you straight to the FMCB installer service , ask the OP starter there if i'm trustworthy.
In the end it's your decision, always open to anwser any questions.
Thanks - sorry for the long read
Xtremegamer™
Maybe some things are a lil bit old but everytime gold,lol.
Work in progress.......
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What is a kernel?
If you spend any time reading Android forums, blogs, how-to posts or online discussion you'll soon hear people talking about the kernel. A kernel isn't something unique to Android -- iOS and MacOS have one, Windows has one, BlackBerry's QNX has one, in fact all high level operating systems have one. The one we're interested in is Linux, as it's the one Android uses. Let's try to break down what it is and what it does.
Android devices use the Linux kernel, but it's not the exact same kernel other Linux-based operating systems use. There's a lot of Android specific code built in, and Google's Android kernel maintainers have their work cut out for them. OEMs have to contribute as well, because they need to develop hardware drivers for the parts they're using for the kernel version they're using. This is why it takes a while for independent Android developers and hackers to port new versions to older devices and get everything working. Drivers written to work with the Gingerbread kernel on a phone won't necessarily work with the Ice Cream Sandwich kernel. And that's important, because one of the kernel's main functions is to control the hardware. It's a whole lot of source code, with more options while building it than you can imagine, but in the end it's just the intermediary between the hardware and the software.
When software needs the hardware to do anything, it sends a request to the kernel. And when we say anything, we mean anything. From the brightness of the screen, to the volume level, to initiating a call through the radio, even what's drawn on the display is ultimately controlled by the kernel. For example -- when you tap the search button on your phone, you tell the software to open the search application. What happens is that you touched a certain point on the digitizer, which tells the software that you've touched the screen at those coordinates. The software knows that when that particular spot is touched, the search dialog is supposed to open. The kernel is what tells the digitizer to look (or listen, events are "listened" for) for touches, helps figure out where you touched, and tells the system you touched it. In turn, when the system receives a touch event at a specific point from the kernel (through the driver) it knows what to draw on your screen. Both the hardware and the software communicate both ways with the kernel, and that's how your phone knows when to do something. Input from one side is sent as output to the other, whether it's you playing Angry Birds, or connecting to your car's Bluetooth.
It sounds complicated, and it is. But it's also pretty standard computer logic -- there's an action of some sort generated for every event. Without the kernel to accept and send information, developers would have to write code for every single event for every single piece of hardware in your device. With the kernel, all they have to do is communicate with it through the Android system API's, and hardware developers only have to make the device hardware communicate with the kernel. The good thing is that you don't need to know exactly how or why the kernel does what it does, just understanding that it's the go-between from software to hardware gives you a pretty good grasp of what's happening under the glass. Sort of gives a whole new outlook towards those fellows who stay up all night to work on kernels for your phone, doesn't it?
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What is a Nandroid backup?
If you've read about hacking or rooting your Android phone (or tablet, or media player) you've seen the word Nandroid used. When tinkering with your device, there's always a very good chance you'll be left with firmware that won't boot, leaving you in a bit of a lurch. A Nandroid backup can mean the all the difference here.
What it is, is a full backup of partitions on your device's NAND flash (NAND stands for NOT AND, a type of electronic logic gate -- it's like the hard drive of your Android device) storage. Think of it as a snapshot of the current running system, and it can be used to restore that that point at any time. Both user data and system files are backed up, and it's a far cry from what we think of when talking about a traditional backup from other software. In fact, it's something that many folks wish was part of the stock Android recovery. Yes, to preform a Nandroid backup you'll need a custom recovery on your device so that the executable files and scripts are there. These have been left out of the stock recovery, likely over issues that would arise if users can backup proprietary files.
Getting the custom recovery on your device is the hardest part, thankfully. Once installed backing up and restoring with Nandroid is simple, involving nothing more than choosing the option and verifying -- no wires needed. Even if you never plan to hack your phone, flashing a custom recovery and running a Nandroid backup is always a good idea. You can find more information about custom recoveries, as well as methods to install and use them, in the device-specific section for your device in the Android Central forums. Give it a look, and decide if it's something you're interested in doing.
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What is an IMEI?
The IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number is a unique set of 15 digits used on GSM phones to identify them. Because the SIM card is associated with the user and can be swapped from phone to phone, a method is needed to keep track of the hardware itself, and that's why the IMEI was developed. Math nerds will enjoy the way they are calculated -- the first 14 digits are decided by the GSM association, and the final check digit is computed using what's called the Luhn Formula -- crazy base-8 math that mere mortals like most of us don't understand, nor want to understand. You can see the IMEI of your Android phone by looking in settings > About phone if you're curious. (Or on the box if you still have it. Or under the battery or on the phone itself.
What is this number used for? That's the real question, isn't it. Like the MEID number on CDMA phones (think Sprint and Verizon), the IMEI is used for network control. It's not very common, but your mobile operator can block a phone based on it's IMEI in cases where it's been reported stolen or someone didn't pay the bill. Because it's not easy to change the IMEI of your phone (and maybe even illegal -- check your local laws) it's also used to keep track of phones that were involved in criminal activity, and the UK in particular has a handy database of phones used for these purposes. The IMEI number is also used to specify a phone for wiretapping by federal governments worldwide.
On a lighter note, Android apps can also use your IMEI number. The app will declare that it has access to your personal information, and the IMEI can be used to keep track of the device in a remote database. This sounds pretty scary, but it's an easy way (though not necessarily the best way) for app developers to keep a settings database online for your phone, in their app. Let's say you mark a bunch of favorites in a wallpaper app. Those favorites are kept in a small database file online, and when you reconnect to the app it reads your IMEI number to find your preferences. Not an ideal method, but it's easy.
One last thing -- now that we know a little more about IMEI numbers, they will soon be changing to IMEISV numbers. The use-case scenarios are the same, but the data structure and method of calculation is different. An IMEISV gets rid of the check digit (and its complicated Luhn formulated calculation) in favor of two digits used for software version numbering. Like everything else in the mobile space, network identification changes rapidly.
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What is a bootloader?
What is a bootloader? At its most basic level, your Android smartphone is like a hard drive, made of up several partitions. One of those partitions holds the Android system files, another holds all the app data you accumulate (which is how you're usually able to update without losing all your stuff), and others to do more behind-the scenes stuff.
Think of the bootloader as a security checkpoint for all those partitions. Because if you're able to swap out what's on those partitions, you're able to break things if you don't know what you're doing. Or, with a little hackery, you're able to run custom ROMs.
There's a lot of squawking about bootloaders being "locked." Actually, most phones shipped with a "locked" bootloader, including the developer-friendly Nexus devices. (Nexus devices and a couple tablets are easily unlocked with a single command.) No, more accurately, most bootloaders are locked and encrypted, meaning the traditional "fastboot oem unlock" command won't do a thing.
And that's a bone of contention for those who love a manufacturer's hardware and want to tinker with their devices. HTC and Samsung and Motorola -- just about everyone, really -- ships devices with locked and/or encrypted bootloaders. Tinkerers (we really don't like calling 'em "hackers") have to find a way around the encryption, usually with some sort of an engineering bootloader that wasn't supposed to be available to the general public. But in recent months, we've seen HTC provide a free tool that will unlock the bootloaders on a number of its devices, and ASUS just got on board, too. Sony Ericsson recently has provided unlocking tools. Motorola's promised to do so as well, but there's been little movement. LG and Samsung ship with unencrypted bootloaders.
Why keep a bootloader out of reach? Probably the biggest reasons are that the carriers and manufacturers don't want to have to support hacked phones. The other is that a lot of time and money is spent developing these things. HTC Sense ain't cheap. Neither is TouchWiz. But Samsung and HTC both have managed to find a middle ground with the modding community, and pressure is on other companies to do so as well.
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What is Dalvik?
What is Dalvik? We hear that word getting thrown around a lot on the Internet when talking about Android and its inner workings. While there's no easy explanation we can give in just a few paragraphs, we can cover the basics and point you in the right direction if you need to feed your nerdly side. In its simplest terms, Dalvik is a virtual machine that runs applications and code written in Java. A standard Java compiler turns source code (written as text files) into Bytecode, then compiled into a .dex file that the Dalvik VM can read and use. In essence, class files are converted into .dex files (much like a jar file if one were using the standard Java VM) and then read and executed by the Dalvik Virtual Machine. Duplicate data used in class files is included only once in the .dex output, which saves space and uses less overhead. The executable files can be modified again when you install an application to make things even more optimized for mobile. Things like byte order swapping and linking data structure and function libraries inline make the files smaller and run better on our devices. The Dalvik VM was written from square one with Android in mind.
Confused yet? Don't feel bad, geeky programming talk usually has that effect. Think of it this way -- when you build a Java application for your computer, a Java Virtual Machine runs the compiled output of the source code. This is why Java runs on just about any operating system. Dalvik is a mobile-optimized version of a Java Virtual Machine, built with code from the Apache Harmony project, which is open-source and runs better than a standard Java VM would on our limited hardware, designed so that you can run more than one instance of the VM at a time -- ie multitasking. Because Dalvik is open-source, it's also been ported to other operating systems, like the one on the BlackBerry PlayBook. It's pretty damn complicated, pretty damn cool, and Oracle (the company that bought Java from Sun) hates it.
Android uses Dalvik because while the license for the standard Java Virtual Machine is GPL2 (free and open-source), when placed in a mobile device and using the Java Micro Edition, it is not. The big dispute between Google and Oracle is all based around Dalvik. Google claims it was written in a "clean-room" environment without using any of Oracle's code, and Oracle disagrees. We claim to have no idea, we're just glad it works as well as it does.
For more on Dalvik, see the Google I/O website.
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LG's L-series
They made a big splash earlier this year at Mobile World Congress, and a few carriers in Canada jumped at the chance to sell them, but then they seem to have fallen off the map. I'll admit, even I have to look and see what we're talking about when we have potential news about the L3, L5, or L7. Let's have a refresh.
Imagine LG's Prada phone, but remade for folks who don't buy Prada. The L-series phones are all stylish (and really resemble LG's iconic Prada phones -- check out our look at them in Barcelona) and have an emphasis on good looks. The entry-level L3 competes with phones like HTC's One V and Samsung's entry-level Galaxy phones. It's running Gingerbread on a 3.2-inch display, but it looks nice doing it. Compared to something like the Motorola Defy Mini, you get good looks along with your dirt-cheap pricing. The L5 takes things up a notch to Ice Cream Sandwich and a 4-inch screen, placing it in the middle of the road where most people look first when buying a new smartphone. They'll see the L5, and notice the build materials and design. Finally, the L7 looks to compete with the big dogs of the Android world, with all the bells and whistles you would expect from a high-end smartphone, in a damn fine looking external shell. All three are eye-grabbing, and getting people to notice is the first hurdle. We're really not sure why we don't hear more and see more about them, but we're guessing a saturated market has something to do with it.
Maybe we'll see the L-series phones make their way into the spotlight, maybe we won't. But at least now we all know what we're talking about when we see them mentioned.
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Multitasking
Multitasking is a word you'll hear a lot around here and at other places on the Internet that talk about smartphones or other tech. It doesn't mean what it used to, back when dinosaurs with long beards first dreamed up computers, but it still makes a very big difference for some folks and can be the deciding factor when picking a smartphone operating system. Let's have a look and see what the fuss is all about, and how it relates to Android.
A long time ago, in a laboratory far, far away, some Jedi masters decided that computers should do more than one thing at a time. They really already were doing plenty of things behind the scenes, but to the user it was a case of entering a command, and waiting for it to finish. Using threads and schedulers, and probably a little magic and a lot of luck, engineers were able to work up an operating system that could run more than one user command at a time, and multitasking was born. When you switch to a new VT (virtual terminal) on a Unix box with no GUI, you're multitasking. When you have more than one window open on your Windows or Mac or other computer that does have a GUI, you're multitasking. You're doing more than one thing at a time, and the computer is running more than one user task at a time. You can now read Android Central while your completely legal torrents are downloading in the background.
On a smartphone, multitasking is a bit different. We don't have the luxury of a 20-inch monitor, so showing more than one "thing" running at a time isn't a big deal. Samsung is testing the waters and trying it with the Galaxy S III with the Pop-Up Play feature, but for the most part whatever we're doing takes the whole screen to do it. We also don't have tons of RAM and video memory available and have to watch the power usage. This means smartphone multitasking has to be a bit, well, smarter.
Smartphones have been multitasking for a long time. All the mobile operating systems do it a bit differently -- some suspending all other apps in the background, some saving the state and closing the app itself, and others just letting everything run. The way Android does it is to let threads and processes run depending on their priority. If you're using Google Play Music, the processes that make the sound come out of the speaker have a high enough priority to stay running when you switch away from the app. Not all of it is running in the background, but enough of it is to keep the tunes playing. Other apps can be killed if they aren't being used, and some apps get "frozen" (for lack of a better word) and restore themselves when brought back to the foreground. What's important, and prioritized, is decided when the application is written and compiled so the end user doesn't have to worry about it. It's not perfect, but it follows the very strong multitasking model from Linux and tweaks it for Android. It's all open-source, so manufacturers and ROM builders can (and have) tweaked things to allocate memory the way they want it allocated. Sometimes the tweaks are great, sometimes not so much.
In the end, remember the next time you open an app and start up where you left off that you're seeing multitasking at work.
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Haptic feedback
It's one of those little things that can make a big difference, and something we never really think about. Simply put, haptic feedback (commonly referred to as haptics) is the use of touch feedback to the end user. You know how your Android phone vibrates a tiny bit when you tap one of the navigation buttons? That's haptics at work.
Since the screen on your Android phone or tablet is pretty much just a smooth sheet of glass of some sort or another, it's difficult to register any sort of tactile feedback to our fingers. When we type on a computer keyboard, we know when our fingers have pressed a key down. Our mouse (and some trackpads) do the same thing with a healthy click when we press the button. On a smartphone, we just have to trust we've done something, and wait for it to happen. Haptics helps here. The short and light vibration when typing out a message with an on-screen keyboard can make a big difference for many of us, and I can see myself being pretty frustrated if an on-screen button didn't let me know I had pressed it.
Haptics go beyond navigation and the keyboard though. They can be a very important part of mobile gaming. Gunning your way through an enemy horde is much more satisfying when you feel every shot from your rifle, and nothing lets you know you've hit the wall in your favorite racing game like a harsh vibration from your phone or tablet.
Probably the best thing about haptic feedback on Android devices is the way it can be customized. The OS itself is open, meaning OEM and developers can adjust things to get them just the way they like, including leaving the settings wide open to the user like we see in CyanogenMod ROMs. More importantly, application developers have access to the hardware controller to customize haptic feedback for their products. It goes one step further with the addition of things like the Immersion haptic SDK to the mix, where developers have an almost unlimited way to make their applications register with your fingers as well as your eyes and ears. Sometimes, the little things mean a lot.
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F is for Factory Reset
A factory reset is the ultimate cleansing of your Android device. It's usually either a last resort to fix a problem, done before you sell it, or because you like to flash ROMs. When you perform a factory reset you're essentially wiping out everything you've ever done to the phone and restoring it back to the basic manufacturer software. As we've mentioned before, it doesn't uninstall any software updates you've received from the folks who made your phone, but it does wipe out any core application updates you've grabbed from the Google Play store. The technical details are as follows:
/system is untouched, because it's normally read-only
/data is erased
/cache is erased
/sdcard is untouched
When your phone or tablet reboots, it's like it was when you opened the box as far as apps and user data goes, except for your data on the SD card partition (either a real, physical microSD card or a partition named sdcard).
Doing a factory reset is easy -- open the settings, do a little digging (different manufacturers put it in different places, but start with privacy or storage), select it and confirm. Your device will reboot into the recovery partition, erase everything, they reboot into the setup again. One thing to note though -- if you've rooted and ROM'd in any way, you should never do a factory reset from settings. Often times it works just fine, but some devices and some ROMs are so different once hacked that you'll end up with a bricked phone. We hate bricked phones around these parts. Follow the instructions from the folks who developed the software you're running instead, and use the reset method they recommend.
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End of life
End of life is a term none of us ever want to hear. We envision it means the death of our phone, and we should just throw it away and get a newer model. After all, it's at the end of its life, right? Not really. End of life means something different to carriers and manufacturers than it does to enthusiasts like us. The easy way to look at it is that when the folks in suits get together and decide that a phone isn't going to make enough money so it's worthwhile to keep producing it, it has reached the end of its life. That may mean a refreshed, newer model (like the Droid RAZR MAXX), or a shift to a newer model with new, and arguably better, features like the EVO 3D. We have to remember that the folks who make these phones do it so they can make money, and like any good business they want to maximize their profits.
But what does end of life mean in the real world? First off, it means that once the current stock sitting on the shelves is sold there won't be any more new ones to replace them with. There may be refurbished units floating around, but no more new phones of that model are being made. It doesn't mean that the phone is done getting updates, but don't expect too many new features to come along -- things are in maintenance mode and bug fixes and security patches are the only things that will be addressed. It also doesn't mean your warranty is affected in any way. Even if you were to buy a brand new phone that has already reached the end of life status, you'll still get the full manufacturers warranty.
Most importantly, it doesn't mean that the phone is going to stop doing anything it already does today. The HTC EVO 4G is a great example. It was a huge hit for HTC and Sprint, and actually stayed in production longer than any of us would have thought. Some places are still selling them new (although they're getting harder to find), and those EVO 4G's sold new today are every bit as good, and have the same warranty from HTC, as the ones sold in 2010. Sprint still offers customer service, and it's still one heck of a phone.
Don't be put off by the words end of life. While we wouldn't recommend you search out a new phone that's already been discontinued, they still perform as they should and you'll find lots of folks who still love them.
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DLNA
DLNA, or the Digital Living Network Alliance is an organization set up by Sony in 2003 that determines a universal set of rules and guidelines so devices can share digital media. The devices covered include computers, cameras, televisions, network storage devices, and of course cell phones. The guidelines are built from existing standards, but manufacturers have to pay to use them and have their device join the DLNA.
With DLNA devices, you can share video, music and pictures from a Digital Media Server (DMS) to your Android phone or tablet. A DMS could be your computer, a NAS (Network Attached Storage) device, a television or Blu-ray player, or even another Android device. Anything that has a DLNA server, or can have one installed will act as a DMS. Fun factoid: when a DLNA server is installed on a cell phone, tablet, or portable music player it's called a M-DMS -- the M stands for Mobile.
Once a DLNA server is in place, our Android phones usually have two functions -- to act as a Digital Media Player (M-DMP) or a Digital Media Controller (M-DMC). The player is easy enough to figure out, it finds content on a DLNA server and plays it back. A DMC will find content on a DLNA server, and push it to another connected player. For example, my television has a DLNA player, and my laptop has a server. With the right software, I could use my Android phone to find the content on my laptop and play it on my television. DLNA can really be fun if you have all the right equipment.
But chances are Android (and eventually other mobile devices) will be moving away from DLNA. With Ice Cream Sandwich, Wifi Direct is part of the operating system and has the potential to do everything DLNA can do, and more. We already have seen it replace DLNA streaming in the HTC One series with the Media Link HD receiver, which streams content from a Sense 4 device to a monitor with HDMI input. It uses native Wifi Direct, and by all accounts works really nicely. Or Samsung, who is using NFC to kick off a Wifi Direct session for fast data transfer on the Galaxy S III. We'll have to wait and see what manufacturers do with Wifi Direct, because having it built into the OS is a big plus -- even for a company like Samsung who makes millions of DLNA devices each year.
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Bloatware
When you think of Android phones, you think of bloatware. We wish it weren't so, and not every phone comes with, but the majority of Android phones out there come from carriers and are chock full of bloatware. We've complained about it, and found ways to remove it, but what exactly is it?
Most folks consider any applications that your carrier (or the folks who built your phone) pre-installed to the system as bloatware. Usually, these applications are a front end to some service or content that you'll have to pay for, and usually it's something you would never download and use on your own. All the carriers, and all the manufacturers, are guilty of including it, and we tend to hate it all equally. When you open the app drawer on your new phone, and see City ID staring back at you, just waiting for you to click it, you can't help but hate it.
But why is it there? It's one down side of Android's open nature. Google gives Android away to anyone and everyone, but realistically only a very few companies can afford to make cell phones. And they don't make them with you and me in mind as their customer. HTC, or Samsung, or LG (you get the picture) makes Android phones for the carriers. They work out deals to decide hardware and software they want to include, and part of those deals are these "value-added applications" we lovingly call bloatware. Verizon and HTC love you, but they still want you to click the app and send in the money. Because Google isn't involved and doesn't make any rules about it, they can include any app they like in your new phone. Nobody likes it, but it is the side effect of being open.
Thankfully, Ice Cream Sandwich brings along the ability to disable (most of) these apps without rooting or tinkering with the system files on your Android device, and that provides the best solution we can think of. Certainly there are some people who found a use for City ID or VZ Navigator, and they should have the opportunity to use those apps if they like. And we can disable and hide them, and forget they exist.
What is the AOSP?
AOSP is a term you'll see used a lot -- here, as well as at other Android-centric sites on the Internet. I'll admit I'm guilty of using it and just expecting everyone to know what I'm talking about, and I shouldn't. To rectify that, at least a little bit, I'll try to explain what the AOSP is now so we're all on the same page.
For some of us -- the nerdly types who build software -- the full name tells us what we need to know. AOSP stands for Android Open Source Project. The AOSP was designed and written by folks who had a vision that the world needed an open-source platform that exists for developers to easily build mobile applications. It wasn't designed to beat any other platform in market share, or to fight for user freedom from tyrannical CEOs -- it exists as a delivery mechanism for mobile apps -- like Google's mobile apps, or any of the 400,000+ in the Google Play store. Luckily, Google realized that using open-source software would ensure that this operating system/mobile application content delivery system is available for all, for free. And by choosing the licensing they did, it's also attractive to device manufacturers who can use it as a base to build their own mobile OS.
The premise plays out rather nicely. Google writes and maintains a tree of all the Android source code -- the AOSP. It's made available for everyone (you, me, manufacturers you've never heard of and not just big players like Samsung or HTC) to download, modify, and take ownership of. This means the folks at CyanogenMod can add cool stuff like audio profiles. It also means folks like HTC can change multitasking in ways that many of us don't like. You can't have one without having the other. The big players then use their modified version of this source to build their own operating system. Some, like Amazon, radically changed everything without a care to use Google's official applications and keep their device in compliance with Android guidelines. Some, like HTC radically changed everything yet followed the Android Compatibility Program (ACP) so they could include Google's core application suite -- including the Google Play store. Some, like the folks at CyanogenMod, enhance the pure AOSP code with additions but don't change the overall look and feel. Again -- that's how this open-source thing works. You can't have it without allowing folks to change it as they see fit, for better or worse.
Any of us can download and build the AOSP. We can even stay compliant with the ACP and contact Google about including their applications. Yes, any of us could build our own device using the AOSP code in our garage or basement with Google's full blessing. That's the beauty of the AOSP, and we wouldn't want it any other way.
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What is a widget?
What is a widget? In Android, the word widget is a generic term for a bit of self-contained code that displays a program, or a piece of a program, that is also (usually) a shortcut to a larger application. We see them every day on web pages, on our computer desktop and on our smartphones, but we never give too much thought into how great they are. Widgets first appeared in Android in version 1.5, and really gained traction thanks to HTC's Sense-flavored version of the operating system. Prior to the release of the HTC Hero and our first taste of Sense, widgets were functional, but pretty bland in appearance. Since then, OEMs and independent developers alike have done some marvelous things with widgets, and it's hard to imagine using Android without them.
Android widgets come in all shapes and sizes and range from the utilitarian 1-by-1 shortcut style to full-page widgets that blow us away with the eye-candy. Both types are very useful, and it's pretty common to see a widget or two on the home screen of any Android phone. A full-page widget, like HTC's weather widget for late-model Android phones, tells you everything you need to know about the current conditions, and is also a quick gateway to the weather application where you can see things like forecasts and weather data for other cities. At the other end of the spectrum, the Google Reader 1x1 widget watches a folder in your Google Reader account and tells you how many unread items there are, and opens the full application when pressed. Both are very handy, and add a lot to the Android experience.
Most Android phones come with a handful of built-in widgets. Some manufacturer versions of Android offer more than others, but the basics like a clock, calendar, or bookmarks widget are usually well represented. This is just the tip of the iceberg though. A quick trip into the Android Market will dazzle you with the huge catalog of third-party widgets available, with something that suits almost every taste. With Ice Cream Sandwich supporting things like higher resolution screens and re-sizable widgets, it's going to be an exciting year seeing what developers can come up with.
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What is tethering?
What is tethering? Besides the grounds for a giant debate about ethics (the kind that you can only find on the Internet) tethering, in this case, means to share the Internet connection from your phone with other devices. There are several ways to accomplish this -- connecting your phone to your computer via USB, setting up your phone as a wireless hotspot and router, and sharing a data stream over Bluetooth. All these connection types are built into Android, with native Bluetooth tethering new in Ice Cream Sandwich. Of course, different manufacturers can, and have, modified things so that these options are excluded -- at the behest of the carrier, of course. We'll talk more about why in a few minutes.
Tethering itself is pretty easily done. USB tethering involves installing device drivers (Windows only) and plugging in your phone to a high-speed USB port on your computer, then using your computer's built-in connection manager to use the phone or tablet as a USB modem. Bluetooth tethering will need the phone paired with the computer, and the connection type set up correctly in your computer's Bluetooth settings. Wifi is the easiest way -- you just turn it on and connect as you would any other wireless hotspot.
Except that many carriers, especially in the United States, have blocked tethering this way.
You see, your carrier wants to charge you a premium to use your data plan from any device besides your phone. Nobody likes it, but it's in the terms you agreed to when you signed up. They have all sorts of ways to block tethering on their end, and they are pretty diligent about it. Android hackers and developers also have found ways to work around these blocks, and it's a big cat and mouse game. An inside source with one the the biggest cellular carriers in the world has specifically told me that if your usage pattern draws suspicion, there is no current method that can't be detected by you carrier, including the newer VPN methods. If you do it a lot, without paying the extra fees associated with it, you'll get caught.
We're not going to judge anyone, and a few of us here at Android Central think charging extra for tethering is silly -- especially with data caps. Just know what may happen before you start so you don't get caught unaware.
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What is sideloading?
What is sideloading? It's a term you see a lot thrown around while talking about Android applications, and it's simple to explain. It means installing applications without using the official Android Market. What's less simple is how it's done and why you would do it. That's where this post comes in. Let's explain it, shall we?
How to do it is easy enough, so let's start there. In the Application settings on your Android phone, you'll find a check box to "Allow installation of non-Market applications." When it's checked, you can sideload. You'll also see a pop-up warning when you check this box letting you know that your phone is now more vulnerable to attacks from applications, and that you accept all the responsibility that comes with doing this. It makes sense -- you can't hold Google responsible for applications you didn't download through their service using their security methods.
Sideloading apps is easy to do as well. You download them to your phone, then use a file manager application to find them and "click" their entry. You'll invoke the app installer program, and it will install your app just as if it had came from the trusted Android Market. It won't be associated with your Android Market account, but it shows in your app drawer just like all the rest. It didn't used to be this easy for everyone. Under the guise of security, AT&T used to block users from sideloading by removing the Unknown sources field in the device settings. Whenever you tried to manually install an app, it would be blocked because it wasn't allowed. This could be circumvented by using adb from the SDK or by using a program like the Sideload Wonder Machine. Luckily, those days are past us and AT&T has re-evaluated their position, and now allows the installation of non-Market apps.
Why would you want to sideload. There are several reasons, one being that Google has allowed carriers to block certain applications based on the model and network your device is running on. We've seen carriers block apps that permit tethering without paying the extra associated fees, and some carriers have exclusives for certain apps and they aren't available for the others. That's a whole other mess that we'll tackle in another post -- just know that it happens. There are other reasons to need to sideload apps, too. Want to use a different appstore like the one from Amazon? You'll need to enable sideloading. The same goes for beta testing apps for developers, or even coding your own apps and testing them on your phone. There are a lot of legitimate reasons for sideloading. Of course, there's always the piracy aspect. If you want to steal from hard working developers you'll need to enable sideloading. You also suck. Sideload, but don't steal from developers.
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What is open source?
What is open source? Open-source software is software that makes the source code freely available, for anyone to see and use. There are different open-source licenses that have different use conditions, from the GPL (GNU General Public License) -- which allows "free distribution under the condition that further developments and applications are put under the same license" -- to more liberal licenses like the Apache License, which doesn't require modifications to be open and have the source code available. Android uses both of these licenses, and we'll have a look at them in turn.
The Linux kernel that is used in the OS is covered under the GPL. This means that any changes made to the source code must be made available when a binary (geek-speak for a compiled, executable piece of software) is released to the public. This means manufacturers like HTC, Samsung, Motorola and the rest must release the kernel source-code for any devices they sell at the same time they begin selling them. For the most part, hardware manufacturers are pretty good about doing so, but they often miss the time frame and release the source code a little later than we would like. These are the code releases you see us mention -- the kernel and other open-source "bits" that are covered under the GPL.
The Android OS source code is released mostly under the Apache License. Anybody is allowed to download the source code and change it however they like, but they are not required to make their changes available in source code form to the public. This is why we can't change and recompile things like HTC Sense or MotoBlur -- the changes to the base Android source code aren't available to us. While many folks (myself included) don't like this situation very much, it does make sense from a business standpoint. If manufacturers had to share all of their secrets, there wouldn't be as much monetary incentive to innovate, so the source was offered with a far more liberal license. It certainly worked, as we see devices from many major players in the electronics world.
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too,too
aaaaaand too
Good one buddy!
It's good for noobs!
And pro's!!
updated 2+3 post.
Awesome guide bro very informational
Can you emphatize in any way the questions ? Like bold it.
I try to read but i get lost easly x'D
Yeah i know what u mean,i do it with colors.
NERDIFIED TILL DEATH!!!
I like this so far. Please keep up the good work.
Hi, this is probably in the wrong section.
Does anyone manufacture a head unit running Linux, something for which I can just download a debian ARM iso and install from a usb stick/sd card? From what I can find it seems not to be the case. Why not? Why is android so prevalent?
I also have a question. I just bought an E46 with an eonon GA5150 which is MTCB-KLD-v2.30. I updated from 4.2.2 to 4.4.4 with Malaysk's ROM, but not the MCU, and now audio doesn't work at all. How should I begin to troubleshoot this issue?
Thanks, to a community I should have joined many years ago.
Answer to the first question is...um...well Android is running a Linux kernal...so...you can make the case it's running Linux (or a forky version at least).
As far as running Debian ARM on the typical SoC in these head units, I think it's very likely possible...if you are willing to write the drivers or chase them down (if they exist). And configure the system...it's not a super mountain to climb, but I doubt it's something that already exist. At least in binary format that you could put on an a USB key and install.
In fact, you would have to create a custom Debian build, most likely, and use a bootloader that is normally setup for Android (guessing on that one) to install it. There is no technical reason it should not work, just no one has bothered to do it. We already have Android, what does Debian Linux buy us?
Why run Android? Well, it's because that's where the focus of the development effort is for the kinds of apps you would most likely want to use in a car. My opinion is that's why these head units exist in the first place. The vast number of really good (and admittedly incredible number of poor) apps already exist...let's tap into them!
If you really want to run Linux in the car for some reason or another, there are other options out there...might look for "carputers" or "car PCs". I think a lot of folks who are determined to run Open Source car computers are now running Raspberry Pi (or similar) SBCs..seems to be a lot of that type of projects on Google, when you do a search.
On the second question...about your head unit's ROM issues, I defer to the experts on here.
fortune80211 said:
Hi, this is probably in the wrong section.
Does anyone manufacture a head unit running Linux, something for which I can just download a debian ARM iso and install from a usb stick/sd card? From what I can find it seems not to be the case. Why not? Why is android so prevalent?
I also have a question. I just bought an E46 with an eonon GA5150 which is MTCB-KLD-v2.30. I updated from 4.2.2 to 4.4.4 with Malaysk's ROM, but not the MCU, and now audio doesn't work at all. How should I begin to troubleshoot this issue?
Thanks, to a community I should have joined many years ago.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, @tbd2k2 is right - Android IS Linux, albeit one that uses a very old Linux kernel (google is trying to rectify this but its gonna take years).
There are versions of Ubuntu (Debian based) that run on RK3188 devices, so I m sure someone who is experienced enough could make an Ubuntu ROM for MTCB/C units, but it would involve making all the MTC apps work with it too.
Thank you
What exactly are the mtc apps? What are they needed for? (Do you have a link I can read?) What kind of drivers would I need to write and how would I find what they are if I were to attempt something like this myself?
The reason I ask is that it seems to me that it's very difficult to update software on these head units. It takes a very specialised piece of software and it's impossible to keep up to date.
If these head units were just generic arm PCs then people could install whatever they wanted. I agree that most people would want to install android, but even then the situation would be simpler. Aren't these head units just 12V DC in, audio and video out with additional drivers for GPS, WiFi etc?.
fortune80211 said:
Thank you
What exactly are the mtc apps? What are they needed for? (Do you have a link I can read?) What kind of drivers would I need to write and how would I find what they are if I were to attempt something like this myself?
The reason I ask is that it seems to me that it's very difficult to update software on these head units. It takes a very specialised piece of software and it's impossible to keep up to date.
If these head units were just generic arm PCs then people could install whatever they wanted. I agree that most people would want to install android, but even then the situation would be simpler. Aren't these head units just 12V DC in, audio and video out with additional drivers for GPS, WiFi etc?.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Read the wiki in my signature, it will answer all your questions.
"Very difficult to update" ? - what makes you think that ? - its as easy as you like - put update on sd card go to settings/updates hit "update", or hold down power and reset, release reset, release power to get into recovery and install update by clicking on it, very easy.
Sorry, I didn't mean in that sense.
I mean that if you want to run something obscure, it's not possible. If you want to run an app that only runs on later versions of android, it's not possible. The actual installation is as easy as can be, but you are limited to a small selection of android ROMs.
I realise that it's the way it is for a reason and I'm very grateful to the community of developers here who have contributed so much. I'm just looking for something different and wouldn't mind a project for myself.
Thanks
EDIT: Also, recently Linux operating systems (Ubuntu), and even windows are moving toward touchscreens. There's a huge amount of present and future development effort we could tap into if our hardware was compatible.
I have been a Unix/Linux IT professional for more than 25 years, and it also happens that electronics is my hobby, and I have build many things in recent years powered by Linux using the great new small boards such as Rasbperry Pi's, Beaglebone, Orange, etc.. including weather stations, wall clocks/electronic displays, radio receivers, etc.
BUT, Even I would not use a generic Linux system in place of these purpose built android devices. Using android which has a wealth of high quality apps dedicated to mobile device use for GPS, Maps, media, etc is infinitely more practical.
fortune80211 said:
Sorry, I didn't mean in that sense.
I mean that if you want to run something obscure, it's not possible. If you want to run an app that only runs on later versions of android, it's not possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you talking about apps not showing up in the Playstore or not installing when sideloaded ?
fortune80211 said:
The actual installation is as easy as can be, but you are limited to a small selection of android ROMs.
I realise that it's the way it is for a reason and I'm very grateful to the community of developers here who have contributed so much. I'm just looking for something different and wouldn't mind a project for myself.
EDIT: Also, recently Linux operating systems (Ubuntu), and even windows are moving toward touchscreens. There's a huge amount of present and future development effort we could tap into if our hardware was compatible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nixfu said:
I have been a Unix/Linux IT professional for more than 25 years, and it also happens that electronics is my hobby, and I have build many things in recent years powered by Linux using the great new small boards such as Rasbperry Pi's, Beaglebone, Orange, etc.. including weather stations, wall clocks/electronic displays, radio receivers, etc.
BUT, Even I would not use a generic Linux system in place of these purpose built android devices. Using android which has a wealth of high quality apps dedicated to mobile device use for GPS, Maps, media, etc is infinitely more practical.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I ve been using Ubuntu since 2009 and I ve been following the development of Ubuntu Touch for phones/tablets for a while as well - I d love it but until someone gets ART running on Ubuntu Touch so you can use Touch apps (which can also run on Ubuntu desktops) AND Android apps, I wont be using it (and I dont think many others will either) for precisely the reason that @nixfu says - I dont wanna loose access to all the apps available for android.
nixfu said:
I have been a Unix/Linux IT professional for more than 25 years, and it also happens that electronics is my hobby, and I have build many things in recent years powered by Linux using the great new small boards such as Rasbperry Pi's, Beaglebone, Orange, etc.. including weather stations, wall clocks/electronic displays, radio receivers, etc.
BUT, Even I would not use a generic Linux system in place of these purpose built android devices. Using android which has a wealth of high quality apps dedicated to mobile device use for GPS, Maps, media, etc is infinitely more practical.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look at this one: https://www.stepstone.de/stellenang...d-Unit-f-m-Ulm-BMW-Group--4333376-inline.html
BMW is obviously trying to work on exactly that; trying to professionally use Linux for Car Entertainment
I've pulled apart the system image for the 2016 and 2017 Kenwood units and it's just a QT app on top of the Linux kernel.
Sony's XAV-AX100 is the same and i'm pretty sure the new Pioneers are the same now they've dumped Android.
Once you stop them booting into the GUI app and get a console, you've got a Linux system with good enough hardware to play with.
All three also have sites where you can get the code for things like the kernel that they have to make available.
leonkernan said:
I've pulled apart the system image for the 2016 and 2017 Kenwood units and it's just a QT app on top of the Linux kernel.
Sony's XAV-AX100 is the same and i'm pretty sure the new Pioneers are the same now they've dumped Android.
Once you stop them booting into the GUI app and get a console, you've got a Linux system with good enough hardware to play with.
All three also have sites where you can get the code for things like the kernel that they have to make available.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds great, I guess you could even run Android apps on them as you can do that on a Linux desktop.
Google search i-carus (raspberry pi based)
Give that a go
treat me like an idiot if these are obvious..
I want to put Samsung stock nougat on my rooted SM-T810, and I have some general questions. if all this info is gathered somewhere else, please point me there. maybe I used bad search terms?
1) for US, I use the XNZ country code, correct?
if there's an update thread already, consider this an apology for wasting your time. please stop reading now and point me to it. otherwise:
2) Use Odin 3.12, correct?
3) Can I just use twrp to update?
4) will I lose root?
5) if yes to above, could you please point me to a rooting guide (SM T810)
6) other than the ROM itself, what do I need?
yeah - so i'm an idiot. I see the 'no questions' posting now. guess I jumped the gun
Is your current s2 Tab working smoothly? If so, why risking an update?
why not? I like to play around and keep current. Besides, IMHO, Android s**** as an OS, still unable to do things Windows was doing in the early 90s. I keep hoping someday it will grow up... I know Android and Windows have different purposes, but until I can network at the OS rather than app level (built in), and until it is fully 'self-contained' and doesn't require a PC for changing OS versions (w/o 3rd party apps), etc., I'm going to consider it 'not ready for prime time'. Just my opinion.
"Keep it current" what does this mean?
You do realize that the lastest software versions often come with the most current bugs and issues at hand.
If you need to network, install Kali Linux, I'd suggest.
'keep it current' = keep all apps and the os to the most recent version possible
bugs: yeah, but it also comes with the latest features
Linux: on the tablet? there's a version? but that's sort of beside the point - Android lacks a functionality that's been in every other OS on the planet since at least the early 90s. it may be by intent, but it still ain't there, and it would sure make my life easier if I could map a drive from my nas and have it's contents available to all apps: music player, movie player, ebook reader. for work, I've used it to process data in the field using Octave. Getting the data on and off is always a pain - better if I could map a share and go from there.
not trying to argue - you asked, i'm elaborating. too much, maybe.
Keep all apps and the os to the most recent version possible. But what for?
Why trying desperately to fix a working car?
Updates eat storage and in most cases performance. Worse, introduce new bugs and so on.
I do not get this: update mania. Sure, it certainly assures that the Superclass can easily spy on every single user but besides that.. it makes no sense IMO.
Certainly, Android is Linux based after all. So yes, you could root your Tab and install Linux.
Drive access. That's already possible. You can connect an external SSD drive or HD drive via USB. Or NAS,
http://www.techrepublic.com/google-...o-help-you-connect-to-network-storage/?espv=1
I feel you. No arguing here either, just trying to understand your viewpoint.
just want a fully functional 'computer' where I can access files without having to use one app to copy the files over from the nas and another to use them. step one is the OS's responsibility, IMO. want access to network drives and otg drives to be identical to access I get on the internal memory.
and if you really want to get me going, start up on selinux, the "god i'm so afraid to go outside" solution. yeah - let's punish everyone because that guy over there is being bad. and lack of automatic root access? these are children's toys? unfortunately, my favorite ebook reader is only on android. as is the best music player I've found.
fun discussion, but I gotta get some work done
Msamp said:
just want a fully functional 'computer' where I can access files without having to use one app to copy the files over from the nas and another to use them. step one is the OS's responsibility, IMO. want access to network drives and otg drives to be identical to access I get on the internal memory.
and if you really want to get me going, start up on selinux, the "god i'm so afraid to go outside" solution. yeah - let's punish everyone because that guy over there is being bad. and lack of automatic root access? these are children's toys? unfortunately, my favorite ebook reader is only on android. as is the best music player I've found.
fun discussion, but I gotta get some work done
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess you are not really understanding the role smartphones and tablets play in the computing world. They are more communications terminals designed to be usable without mice and keyboards rather than stand alone computers. Your recurring references to what computers could do in 1990 is a little off. All you had (at most) was windows 3.0. That did not include networking out of the box, but relied on device-specific drivers and utilities (i.e. Novell) to access a thin-net ethernet coax cable or IBM token ring network. If you want to get online, be prepared to use a serial terminal and a But I digress...
Android is not Windows. It is a cut down and specialized version Linux. Linux/Android is not a single monolithic OS like Windows. It does not do SMB out of the box, but needs a Samba client to do SMB to your windows-ish NAS. It does not try to be all things to all people, but rather gives you the basics and lets you, Joe User, add on the things to make it do what you want. In short they don't bloat it down with stuff only 10% of users will want to use.
To access your NAS, there are Samba (SMB) and ftp clients that let you do it. In fact I have a couple Android streamer boxes on my TVs around the house. They connect directly to my NAS video libraries and pull movies and other videos directly from there using a variety of protocols. Do I need to do that on my phone? No, but hey, I can install KODI on that phone and do just that. I can also put KODI on my windows box and do the same thing. But if I want to disconnect, I can copy these movies to my Tablet/Phone and play them any time I want off line. This is all things I would challenge you to do using Windows 3.0 in 1990 (don't even think of doing full touch screen support with Windows 3.x).
But well, if you really want your phone or tablet to work like Windows, you should run Windows on it
not '1990' - 'early nineties'. big difference. Win 3.1 (or WFW?) had an add-on, but still OS level tcp/ip stack
paragraph 2: I don't count real networking as an option. I should be able to access my ebooks on my nas usung ebookdroid, not have to move trhem to the tab using ESfilemanager THEN read them. I have a HUGE library of pdfs, movies, music, more than will fit on my 128 gig sd card (or a 256 g card for that matter), and i'd like access to the WHOLE THING from any appropriate app I choose. all the smb apps suck green worms, by the way.
I don't want to have to install a freakin client - it should be part of the os. imho, of course
btw: this discussion has become pointless. I have my preferences, you have yours. that's the way it should be. and as far as their 'role' goes: give them a bigger one - they're capable.
'bye
I totally understand your gripe. And I do wholeheartedly agree there should be a *root* toggle in the **Developer Option**.
But here is the thing, how are greedy conglomerates, and the gov puppets, supposed to spy on each and every single citizen if they just uninstall all spyware?
Moreover, most consumers are just too *untechy* and they would probably lose all their bank account, credit card and online shopping data to third parties and eventually blame the OEM. I smell lawsuits of the retard.
Auto updates are there for a reason. Control.
For instance, Samsung's new high-tech TVs record audio 24/7. Same for all these assistant devices.. Amazon Echo, Google Home etc. Seriously, 1984 isn't that far away anymore.
Msamp said:
treat me like an idiot if these are obvious..
I want to put Samsung stock nougat on my rooted SM-T810, and I have some general questions. if all this info is gathered somewhere else, please point me there. maybe I used bad search terms?
1) for US, I use the XNZ country code, correct?
if there's an update thread already, consider this an apology for wasting your time. please stop reading now and point me to it. otherwise:
2) Use Odin 3.12, correct?
3) Can I just use twrp to update?
4) will I lose root?
5) if yes to above, could you please point me to a rooting guide (SM T810)
6) other than the ROM itself, what do I need?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use Odin AND the rom... i think you will lose root but you can always go back in twrp to install supersu.
I did something similar, i used Samsung Smart Switch to do an emergency reset on mine and it installed the latest firmware (nougat).
That will unroot and remove twrp.
I wouldn't (and didn't) reflash TWRP and root because you lose OTA updates, and right now there's some bugs in Nougat that , for me, were fixed in an OTA update. But once you flash with Smart Switch, you could always re-install TWRP and root again if you want.
Don't mind Niii4, he ranted about the same things in my thread and to others too...