Database Info

AT&T address book

I'm trying to short through all my contacts. Put them in groups and all that good stuff.
I have all my gmail contacts in my phone, all ungrouped.I read that setting up the att address book helps with this problem. Only for the life of me I can't seem to set it up. I even found the user guide online. It says that when you first click on contacts that it should ask you for this n that. I don' recall doing any of that. Doesn't say anything on how to get back to it if you didn't do it the first time.
So, would someone help this no0b out please.
If there is a better way that I don't have to go through AT&T to get my contacts in groups please let me know.
Thank you.

Go into your contact list and click the Menu button, More, Settings, AT&T address book, click OK.
then go to att.com/addressbook. Register for a MEdia account if you don't have one. Then you can sign in and see them. The phone should automatically throw your contacts up on there, then you just have to organize them.

Or you can get on your computer, log into your Gmail account, select "Contacts," and use that interface to place them into groups.
It is very easy to do. You just need to look around the screen for the control buttons as they aren't always where you expect them. The benefit to doing this is that the interface is on your computer and easy to use.
Don't have any experience with the ATT contacts app.... I deleted EVERYTHING I could that was proprietary ATT as most of that stuff costs more money and much of it doesn't work as well as the stock apps anyway!

shaneaus said:
Or you can get on your computer, log into your Gmail account, select "Contacts," and use that interface to place them into groups.
It is very easy to do. You just need to look around the screen for the control buttons as they aren't always where you expect them. The benefit to doing this is that the interface is on your computer and easy to use.
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Click to collapse
That doesn't seem to work.
This is what I have for my brother.
Groups: Starred in Android, Family (taken from my gmail contact)
I have zero contacts in my Family group.

[Q] How to backup contacts, apps and settings?

Can someone tell me, or point me to a tutorial that explains how to:
1. Backup contacts to PC
2. Backup paid apps to PC(don't want to have to buy it twice...)
3. Backup app data/settings to PC.

Using appbrain will sync your apps with your account on appbrain.com
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

So, there is no way to backup to your SD card, or PC? For windows mobile, I use Sprite, which works great. I was looking for something like that.
Thanks

Never used WinMo, but Titanium Backup might be what you're looking for. You need root to use it though.

I don't mind rooting if that is what it takes, but I can't belive that there is not an easy way to at least backup your contacts.

Backing up Contacts, several ways:
Samsung Kies -- follow the sticky at the top of this forum, it will back them up to your PC.
Export to SD Card, then copy to your PC -- Enter the Contacts app, hit Menu, More, Import/Export, Export to SD Card.
Copy them to your SIM -- Enter the Contacts app, hit Menu, More, SIM Management.
Sync them to AT&T's servers, which will do it in real-time when you add/delete them, similar to if you synced to your Gmail contacts .. the other benefit here is that you can log on to your AT&T account via the web to manage your phone contacts and it will sync your changes. Useful if you're mass-adding and want to use a full keyboard for speed. -- Enter the Contacts app, hit Menu, More, Settings, AT&T Address Book, click Auto Sync contact with online Address Book.
Backing up paid apps: I have not used it, myself, but Titanium Backup might do what you need, as the previous poster said. You can find it in the Market and read up on it.
Backing up app/data settings to a PC. I'm guessing this would be more app-specific than anything, no? I don't think Google imposes or enforces any standards on data/setting storage for apps, so any single backup tool would have to support individual apps one-by-one. Please update this thread if you find anything, because it would be pretty convenient ....

UserNamer said:
Backing up Contacts, several ways:
Samsung Kies -- follow the sticky at the top of this forum, it will back them up to your PC.
Export to SD Card, then copy to your PC -- Enter the Contacts app, hit Menu, More, Import/Export, Export to SD Card.
Copy them to your SIM -- Enter the Contacts app, hit Menu, More, SIM Management.
Sync them to AT&T's servers, which will do it in real-time when you add/delete them, similar to if you synced to your Gmail contacts .. the other benefit here is that you can log on to your AT&T account via the web to manage your phone contacts and it will sync your changes. Useful if you're mass-adding and want to use a full keyboard for speed. -- Enter the Contacts app, hit Menu, More, Settings, AT&T Address Book, click Auto Sync contact with online Address Book.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome. Sounds like backing up the contacts won't be a problem.
Backing up paid apps: I have not used it, myself, but Titanium Backup might do what you need, as the previous poster said. You can find it in the Market and read up on it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will look into it. What would really be nice would be if google would do this for us. Seems like it would be pretty easy for google to remember which apps I have purchased, and not charge me next time I try to download it. Perhaps the marketplace already does this? I just don't want to buy an app and then remove it to find out....actually I will not pay for any apps until I can figure out how to back them up. I don't mind spending $5 on an app, but I do mind spending $5 for each app every time the phone gets reset...
Backing up app/data settings to a PC. I'm guessing this would be more app-specific than anything, no? I don't think Google imposes or enforces any standards on data/setting storage for apps, so any single backup tool would have to support individual apps one-by-one. Please update this thread if you find anything, because it would be pretty convenient ....
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Click to collapse
Again, I don't know, this is my first android phone. But with Ubuntu Linux, pretty much all apps store their settings in a hidden folder in /home/{your-username}/ (i.e. firefox would store it's data in /home/{your-username}/.firefox/ ) All you have to do to backup all of your settings is to backup the /home/{your-username}/ folder. It is common for people to place /home/ on a different disk/partition, so that you can reinstall the OS and not loose any of your data/settings...
Android is also linux so I would think it would be similar...

cypho said:
Seems like it would be pretty easy for google to remember which apps I have purchased, and not charge me next time I try to download it. Perhaps the marketplace already does this?
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Click to collapse
I am not sure how most app developers currently handle this, but I think Google made it easier a few weeks ago with the announcement of their new "licensing service for android applications". Plug that into your favorite search site (minus the quotation marks) and a post from Eric Chu explaining it on the Android Developers Blog should be up top.
But with Ubuntu Linux, pretty much all apps store their settings in a hidden folder in /home/{your-username}/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Home directories are great. =) I haven't used Ubuntu in a long time, so I'm not sure if you're saying that the system enforces it or if it's still just up to the individual developers to follow convention and store their settings in /home/ ... but I'm looking through my internal SD card and it seems like most of the apps I have installed (including the Google ones) each created their own data directory at the root level. :\

Titanium also backs up your contacts, paid apps, and free apps. The pros of rooting outway the cons. You can always un root if you need to send your phone in. I am also a newb and I've been wondering if I had to return my phone and get a new one will my paid apps carry over to a new device. I have the my license key for Titanium so I am thinking that I will be good in the event of such emergency. All of my paid apps are backed up there and I wiped my phone to factory settings the other night, I didn't un root, I was trouble shooting an issue caused by AT&. I did a reinstall of Titanium and it recognized my device because it installed donated version and I restored everything with ease.

UserNamer said:
I haven't used Ubuntu in a long time, so I'm not sure if you're saying that the system enforces it or if it's still just up to the individual developers to follow convention and store their settings in /home/ ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know, as I'm not a developer. But I would think that it would cause problems if a program tried to save data outside of /home/ The user would probably be prompted for their password every time the app tried to write a file...since sudo is required to gain write access to anything outside of home.

[APP][2.2+/3.0+/4.0+] Simple Notes and Tasks, Outlook direct Local Sync

It synchronizes notes, tasks, contacts, and calendar with Microsoft Outlook 2007 or greater (for Android 2.2 or greater) and also files and directories via WiFi.
Android market link
Android application consists of:
Notes application
Tasks application
Application for managing categories
Task widget 4x1
Task widget 2x2
Sync facilities and configuration screens
This software development is now forked in 2 versions - 2.x and 3.x. 3.x version (tablets) has modified UI - holographic theme. It is multi apk, so correct version is automatically downloaded from Android Market.
This application is real freeware - i.e. is free of charge and without advertising.
Send me please as private message what device and what ROM are you using and if it works or not, I will update list here, thanks.

Some screens

Would somebody be willing to test gingerbread calendar synchronizaton, I looked at source code and it looks the same but I would like to test that it is working correctly.

Is Outlook required?

Yes, Outlook 2007 or 2010.

Moved it to market.

OndrejP said:
Moved it to market.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, where?

cz.psencik.simple

Q: is there a Due Today fildter (overdue + due today)?
A: Will do
Q: Can I filter by category?
A: No, maybe will do.
Q: Can I sync calendar in a specific date frame only (now it syncs all calendar items) ?
A: No
Q: Can I not sync completed tasks?
A: No, similar features were present millions years ago when devices had limited memory, I want to have everything in phone. You can move those tasks to different folder/archive in Outlook now.
Q: Contacts don't show after sync.
A: What phone, you must enable Local Sync account in Contacts application (open Contacts, Menu, Display options, check Local Sync All Contacts) - btw it is described in "manual"
Could this thread be moved to different forum where new users can post?

OndrejP said:
Q: is there a Due Today fildter (overdue + due today)?
A: Will do
Q: Can I filter by category?
A: No, maybe will do.
Q: Can I sync calendar in a specific date frame only (now it syncs all calendar items) ?
A: No
Q: Can I not sync completed tasks?
A: No, similar features were present millions years ago when devices had limited memory, I want to have everything in phone. You can move those tasks to different folder/archive in Outlook now.
Q: Contacts don't show after sync.
A: What phone, you must enable Local Sync account in Contacts application (open Contacts, Menu, Display options, check Local Sync All Contacts) - btw it is described in "manual"
Could this thread be moved to different forum where new users can post?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Ondřej,
Thanks a lot for your answers. This really helped. Also do you think it may be a good enhancement if the app can sort tasks by two fields? (for example by Due Date and then by Priority)
Thanks,
Sergey

Demeurg said:
Also do you think it may be a good enhancement if the app can sort tasks by two fields? (for example by Due Date and then by Priority)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Sergey, I think it may be a good enhancement. Will do it likely.

great,i love it ! does it have italian language ?

i also loved it! =)

thanks,
unfortunatelly I do not speak Italian, so there is no Italian language. I can post language files somewhere and you can translate it for yourself.
I relased update with some of Sergey's requirements.

Wow!!
I regret I haven't found it before - testing it right now and it looks really very impressive.
I also have installed AutoSync Account Activator.
I'll be syncing Calendar and Contacts via corporate push through Email.apk (with fixed 60mA drain in no-data/flight mode) - but was missing Notes.
And it's convenient to have your Simple Note and Task apps - both are cool!
In short, your solution deserves much more publicity!! Everything seems to work OK, but some questions for explanation:
* the PC Local Sync app - does it have to be running? or is it just to provide info. Pressing X seems to kill it, but the process seem to remain active.
* BTW, I see more than 1 LocalSync.exe process, is this correct? or is it due to running again PC Local Sync after closing it with X?
* the pairing is defined by IP number. what happens if my notebook is automatically assigned another IP number on next boot - do I have to adjust the address manually? will the app know it is actually the same pairing, or will it try to define a new one (all settings again)? could it be searched by name in the local pool 192.168.x.x?
cheers,

1. PC Local Sync app - if you shuthdown in via X it should shutddown (after while), if not it is bug - you can kill it with task manager.
2. You should not see more local sync processes, it means that something is hung (kill with task manager). Note - if you minimize app it is in tray, still running.
I will take a look at desktop application to improve this :/ It is masively multithreaded so some thread is probably hanging (however I did not have experience this much, is it WiFi or Usb sync?)
3. If computer changes IP address (you can use hostname too), you can change it by pressing button with link icon in that pair configuration - so settings will be kept.
If you delete pairing all sync data are removed indeed and you do not want that because it would have to resynchronize (can take hours if you have tens of thousands items in Outlook).

Thanks for clarifications.
re: PC LocalSync
Seems like all is good, X closes the app and also process. Minimizing puts it in tray. Just running it twice produces 2 processes ...
It seems the app does not need to run for syncing - is it just for info and monitoring? or does it have to run in order to sync items?
(If it is needed it'd be better if X just minimized it, to avoid closing by accident ...)
1 minor issue is that I have 2 Outlook profiles set up for manual selection at start-up - if I start Localsync before starting Outlook, it tries to start Outlook but your initial LocalSync logo hangs on top of the profile selection blocking it (can't be moved)
re: changing IP (this is a nuisance)
I guess you mean running Localsync on my HD2, then pressing adress/machine name at the top, then second icon at the bottom, next to Save, then edit address and re-pair? still not too convenient.
Trying to use hostname I get Error: UnknownHostException: <hostname>. What am I missing? Hope we can resolve this, I'd be very happy ...
BTW, tested USB sync and all is well, but I would prefer to keep it as option for syncing outside my home network only, I'm constantly on Wifi at home.
cheers,

PC application is important, it is server which exposes Outlook to android. Do not start it multiple times, it does not matter because it starts on other port, but it is not useful.
I did not test app with mutliple profiles, I will have to improve it in this area to avoid data loss (if you sync one profile, switch profile, sync then you will probably loose data).
In order to use host name, you must configure DHCP/DNS in your routers, I tried it now and it works with name then. I am using also fixed ip addresses for particular devices (where possible).

many thanks, forgot about my router config . I assigned a fixed IP to my notebook and all should be well - I should have automatic synchronization of my notes, tasks and files whenever I'm at home.
Outlook profiles is not a big issue for me, as the only difference between them are additional private mail accounts (which cause some problems while at work), data is the same. Still, you may make preparations for more sophisticated users...
So the only minor issues you can think of improving are:
* allow changing Outlook profiles if PC LocalSync starts before Outloook,
* make it more difficult to close PC LocalSync inadvertently (X minimizing not closing; separate Exit)
As mentioned, I'm push syncing Calendar and Contacts via Email.apk, and not using Tasks much - so can't help testing them.
But once again congratulations on very good apps - I'll be recommending them!!
One problem is the thread title is not mentioning local Outlook synchronization at all, so people might be missing it - I would say Note and Task apps (both very nice) are rather in addition ... unless you depend on Market exposure ...
thanks,

Thanks, I updated title. The app original name was Simple Sync but I discovered that this name is trademarked so I renamed it to Local Sync. And originally it did not have so many functions as it has now.
I am syncing exchange with this (calendar) because I do not like policy pushed by Exchange.
There can be only issue with Contacts, because manufacturers are doing proprietary changes in contacts app. But it should work on base Android, Htc and Samsung.

S3: Need two apps recommendations 1) import contacts to phone 2)custom app brightness

hey guys I need two apps
1. An app that imports contacts that are on my google account or in a go contact vcf files and puts it in my S3 phone storage. Purpose, I want a hard secure back up of my contacts on my phone. Let's say for security reasons (theoretical) I don't want to sync with google servers at all
.I tried an import app or two from android market but I don't see it in any of the various phone apps as reading under my phone (ie dw contacts, go contacts). I have the contracts backed into google csv and a vcf file. How can I import and export it easily to my external sd card?
I would typically use go contacts on my bravo, but it bring up a reoccuring (and annoying) error message on S3s, but there doesn't seem to be a dialer out there that imports/exports contacts in a vcf/csv (i'm open format) and doesn't force you to sync to google servers?
So for instance under DW dialer If I check show phone...my contact list is empty, but if I check my gmail account it populated EVEN if I import the vcf from go contacts or the newly created google csv into my phone using an app like import contacts
Any recommendations appreciated
2. I don't use touchwiz and I'm not sure this is a feature for it, but what if I want to easily control the brightness on different apps on my phone. For instance I do most of my kindle reading in the dark, but it requires a good amount of backlight for it...moreso than say browsing or gaming. I know on my cousin's Nexus 7 he can do a 'two finger' up and down to control brightness. Is there a way I could get these apps to control brightness through an easy swipe and or have another app remember the brightness of individual apps?

zetsui said:
hey guys I need two apps
1. An app that imports contacts that are on my google account or in a go contact vcf files and puts it in my S3 phone storage. Purpose, I want a hard secure back up of my contacts on my phone. Let's say for security reasons (theoretical) I don't want to sync with google servers at all
.I tried an import app or two from android market but I don't see it in any of the various phone apps as reading under my phone (ie dw contacts, go contacts). I have the contracts backed into google csv and a vcf file. How can I import and export it easily to my external sd card?
I would typically use go contacts on my bravo, but it bring up a reoccuring (and annoying) error message on S3s, but there doesn't seem to be a dialer out there that imports/exports contacts in a vcf/csv (i'm open format) and doesn't force you to sync to google servers?
So for instance under DW dialer If I check show phone...my contact list is empty, but if I check my gmail account it populated EVEN if I import the vcf from go contacts or the newly created google csv into my phone using an app like import contacts
Any recommendations appreciated
2. I don't use touchwiz and I'm not sure this is a feature for it, but what if I want to easily control the brightness on different apps on my phone. For instance I do most of my kindle reading in the dark, but it requires a good amount of backlight for it...moreso than say browsing or gaming. I know on my cousin's Nexus 7 he can do a 'two finger' up and down to control brightness. Is there a way I could get these apps to control brightness through an easy swipe and or have another app remember the brightness of individual apps?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
BUMP

zetsui said:
How can I import and export it easily to my external sd card?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doesn't the stock contacts app (at least in CM9) already import/export vcf? It looks like it exports in version 2.1 whereas gmail exports in v3.0,

why don't you export your google contacts on your computer and transfer it to your sd card? or upload it and download it on your phone.
as for the brightness, if you want to root and mod/install custom roms you can have brightness controls through the status bar.
sent from my I747

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1944921
custom auto brightness

TecQuality said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1944921
custom auto brightness
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
tech I played around with app all of last night, but I don't get it. It say it sets the lums by 'environment' That's a very general term. It doesn't seem to do it by app. I'm wondering if this is possible. I put on automation and then turned it off and set custom lums by app, but it just stuck to the last lum selected.
Any quick idea on what I'm missing here. I feel like its something simple. I read through the tutorial and setup multiple times
I tried to import my google contacts as csv but they don't show up in the phone.
I can't believe this isn't more in demand. To have a hard secure copy vcf/csv of your google contacts. I don't want to sync my personal info with google servers.

Disable standard Android 11 Contacts Provider and replace with alternate Contacts Provider?

With Android 11, Google seems to have taken yet another step in the "making Android increasingly painful to use" direction by disabling the ability for device-only contacts to be available via the standard Contacts Provider. Because of this, I have to use Google-stored contacts on my Android 11 device in order for these contacts to be available to my apps. Otherwise, my apps don't see any contacts.
I have a rooted Android 11 device, and I'm hoping that there is some way that I could disable the standard Contacts Provider service and that I could then install an alternate, custom Contacts Provider service which knows how to access device-only contacts, and which knows how to make these contacts available to all apps that need contacts ... and which never will try to store my contacts on any of Google's servers nor anywhere else in the cloud.
Is it possible to disable Android's standard Contacts Provider service? And does such a 3rd-party Contacts Provider service exist?
Thank you in advance for any thoughts and suggestions.

Well, I think I found a solution to the issue that I'm trying to solve. And it doesn't require any new Contacts Provider service to be installed, after all.
First of all, I made sure that contacts syncing is turned off.
Next, I installed the "True Phone" contacts and phone manager app from the play store and made it my default phone app.
Then, I used that program to make a local backup of my contacts, which is one of its capabilities.
Following that, I froze the Contacts app, but I kept the Contacts Storage app active. I checked the permissions for the Contacts Storage app, and I see now that it has no network-related permssions. So apparently, it just looks at the local contacts database, and some other piece of software is what actually syncs Google's cloud-based contacts data with the local database. And by turning off contacts sync-ing, it seems like I have indeed disabled that process.
Then, I went from my desktop computer to http://contacts.google.com with the same login credentials that are associated with my Android device. I then permanently deleted all of the contacts there.
(I rebooted my Android device between each of these steps and also after the final step.)
Now, my SMS and phone apps still see the contacts info in my local database. And I can manage the local contacts backup and restore via that True Phone app.
There are probably other phone/contacts apps which also could be used for this. But True Phone works well enough for me.
So ... it turns out that no OS surgery is needed to mess with the contacts nor to install an alternate Contacts Provider service.

PS: And I now have learned something. I was asking about a "Contacts Provider service", but I now realize that the standard Contacts Storage app itself seems to be the "Contacts Provider".
And because I found out that this app does not even have network permissions, it seems clear that this app simply gets contacts from the locally stored sqlite contacts database, and therefore, I don't need to replace this app with anything else.
And so all I needed to do was disable contacts sync-ing, because that is what would sync contacts between Google's cloud and the local contacts database.

How long were you playing with it to get to this point? Fun times...
Cloud apps can be little terrors, the only one I use is Gmail. It's never been breached by malware in over 15 years. Lol, Outlook not so much so.

blackhawk said:
How long were you playing with it to get to this point? Fun times...
Cloud apps can be little terrors, the only one I use is Gmail. It's never been breached by malware in over 15 years. Lol, Outlook not so much so.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It took me around a day of on-and-off playing around sessions to figure this all out ... with some input from a few other helpful souls.
I agree about cloud-based services. I don't even use gmail. I run my own email server, so I use that to manage all my email accounts. I manage my own web servers and my own DNS servers, as well.
It's more work for me to manage those things, but I don't mind, and I actually enjoy that work, most of the time.