Android App List Backup

Here is a very good app to use to install/re-install applications from phone to phone. It’s called appropriately enough, App List Backup.
It saves a list of your installed applications (Market/Play only. It does not list ‘Non-Market’ applications!) so you can re-download them from the Playstore/Market later (on the same or another device). This way apps will show up in Downloads(PlayStore) and receive updates.

The idea is NOT to physically back up your applications and their settings or to save you from re-downloading apps. For that I use Titanium Backup Pro (root required for Titanium; read my articles on rooting for more information).

This application creates a list that just let's you VERY easily re-download one or all of your applications.
Great for sharing links of your applications with others. Or duplicating your installed applications on a new phone or one that is 'reset'; either by wiping or installing new or different ROM version.

Simply download and install the application from the Playstore. Then run it to create a back up list.
OR
Once installed navigate to a list you’ve created and copied over or that someone has given/sent you, and then restore. You can choose which to 'reload/restore' individually if you wish too. Now your applications will  show up in the Playstore on your phone and you can then install/update them.
Bam dead simple.

Have fun and be safe. Peace

Backing up Android phones

I've said this before many times before and I'll keep on saying it, - back your sh$t up! If you do not have a backup solution for your digital information and devices, it is just a matter of time before you lose it/them and are screwed (or at least severely compromised).
I have written numerous posts on how to back up your Mac or Windows machines - just search my blog for those. Here I wanted to get into backing up your Smartphone.

These days most people have a wealth of information on their cell phones. Particularly the latest smart phones. These are now full featured computers that contain so much information it is truly incredible. Once one has upgraded or purchased a phone, gone through the process of getting it configured to their liking, adjusting all the system settings/functions and installed and configured applications it really sucks to have to do it all over again if you ever lose your phone and have to replace it, have to 'wipe' your phone (whether it's done remotely for security reasons or by a store technician) or have an application issues that causes system crashes. And sometimes you can never seem to get all of your applications and settings back to where they were.

Enter Titanium Backup. This is the must have application for every Android phone. AND the number one reason (in my opinion) to ‘root’ your phone. With the simple ‘One-Click’ root available for most Android phones that I described here it is very simple to gain root access. Once you’ve rooted your phone head over to Android Market and install it. The basic application is free and can do most things you will need. But I would still recommend buying the Pro Key to add a few other VERY powerful features.

The users guide can be found here. And a pretty decent video is here (pay particular attention to the point of ‘freezing apps’ around the 1:43 mark).

Here is another very good (and long/detailed) review and tutorial on the many benefits and functions of the Pro Version. I’d suggest you watch it for some fantastic tips and maybe some other uses for your situation(s).

Take your time and figure out this application and please USE IT. I have mine set up to back up every night locally and to DropBox (only available on the Pro Version). But I’m a back up fiend, you may be OK with weekly backups.

I also have used this to ‘Freeze’ applications and actually uninstall carrier ‘bloatware’ and crap hogging up data and space. SOME CARRIER APPS ARE ROBBING YOU OF YOUR CARRIER DATA LIMITS AND YOU MAY NOT KNOW IT! (more on that in my next post!)

Manage Applications – Freezing and uninstalling with Titanium

List of apps

Tapping the “Backup/Restore” button brings you to the application list – or rather the list of available “items”. Here you can see which applications and settings are available on your phone, and what has already been backed up (the symbols to the right tell you the latter – hit your phones menu button and select “Legend” for details on what they mean).

Tapping an application brings up a popup from which you can select actions to be taken with the selected item: You can e.g. run an application, back it up, and restore it (or its settings). You also may also decide to un-install the application – even if it is a system app! But with the latter, you should be very careful: Remove the wrong thing, and your phone may start malfunctioning; which is why you should first try whether it's safe to remove that system application. This can be done by “freezing” it.

Properties of a backup

Freezing is only available with the PRO/Donate version. It makes the application unavailable to the system without deleting it. If your phone starts with some strange behavior, you can simply “defrost” the frozen application, and everything should be fine again.
Tapping-and-Holding brings up a different set of choices, but again just concerning the tapped (and held) application: You can search for all files belonging to it, view the app in the market, re-create the market link, if it does no longer appear in your market downloads (or do the opposite, detach it from the market), or move it between internal and SD storage – even if the app does not officially support this.

I hope this helps some of you who have asked.

Epic 4g Touch EL26 Modem/Kernel/ROM - Full Restore - Rooted

Sprint has been trying to 'push' a system update to my phone for a couple of weeks - one that is supposed to fix many 'bugs' such as LOS (loss of signal) some where having and improve overall performance by updating the phone to Android version 2.6.3.

I have already 'rooted' my phone as I described in a previous article using this method with this file.

Even though the 'root' I did was the Stock ROM with just the addition of enabling full root access with recovery options, I was leery of running any 'stock' updates. Most cell providers have done a piss poor job of pushing out updates and my research showed this update was indeed causing more problems than it was supposed to fix!

So I waited and researched for further updates and ‘custom/patched’ fixes from the great folks at XDADevelopers Forum and the ACS team. My patience and research paid off.

Because my phone is already rooted I am able to use Titanium Backup Pro http://bit.ly/pLtba8 to back up all my application AND settings. I do this nightly to the local SD card AND to Dropbox (pretty much the only reason I use Dropbox actually).

If you want ANY reason why I believe you must root your Android phone, it is for the ability to use this application! If you install nothing else that requires root access or make any customizations you still win if you use Titanium. [OK so major plugging done.]

The guys at XDA now have a full ‘One-Click’ root available here.

I backed my data using Titanium (just in case!) then set about updating my phone following the easy to use (and very precise) directions. I chose the 'NoData' package - to preserve all my applications and settings! [but remember I still have my backup just in case!]

Following the instructions it worked flawlessly!!

Then to install even more recovery options (the Clockworkmod – a full system imaging tool!) I followed the directions here. They are simple and precise too. After the update and all the reboots system is up and running WITHOUT ANY ISSUES.

My download speed for both 3G and 4G have increased. My 3G data speed doubled – modem really made a difference!
The responsiveness of the phone is now even faster. Switching between applications and screens is faster and smoother too!

Super video on the ‘Rooting’ using the one-click root little faster than what I originally did!

Once the update to EL26 was complete I installed the Clockwork Mod exactly as described above and laid out in this awesome video below.

The guys at ACS and XDA are GREAT! I can’t thank them enough. To download and access some files you might be required to register for each forum. Both are free and the process is painless – do it!

Well there it is. I hope someone else finds this useful. Peace

Text to Phone

Want to send a short email to a friend and get it delivered to his/her cell phone as SMS? If you know your friends’ phone numbers and the carrier they are on then you can easily send emails to their cell phones directly from your email program.

Here is how it works:

Most of mobile carriers offer free Email To SMS gateways which can be used to forward simple text emails to a mobile phones. And the good news, majority of those gateways are free and available to the general public.

You just need to know the number and the carrier of the recipient to start emailing them to mobile phone. Below we put together a table listing free email to SMS gateways for different carriers. You can use as quick reference both for US and international mobile numbers.

Virtually all of the major US cellular carriers use the 10_digit_number@cell.carrier_domain.com format for SMS to text capable cell phones, with a limit of 160 characters in the subject and message body (total).

Example: T-Mobile: 2125551212@tmomail.net

Carrier	Send Email to phonenumber@.... [where phonenumber = your 10 digit phone number]
Alltel	@message.alltel.com
AT&T	@txt.att.net
Nextel	@messaging.nextel.com
Sprint	@messaging.sprintpcs.com
SunCom	@tms.suncom.com
T-mobile	@tmomail.net
VoiceStream	@voicestream.net
Verizon	@vtext.com (text only) @vzwpix.com (pictures and videos)

Dead simple and when people reply to the text it goes right to your email instantly!

I love simple tech tips and hope this helps some of you too.

Legal spying via the cell phone system

I don't think many people know about this or can even really technically understand it.
But this article should serve as another warning to people - you have very little REAL privacy. Just about everything you send or receive via the internet, cell phone or even publicly switched telephone system is very open to 'evesdroping'.

The NSA has been doing this for years. But now some 'regular' guys are showing how it's done very easily with publicly available tools and techniques.
So for the truly paranoid time to put on the tin foil hats.
:)