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By Matthieu, 2012-11-21 13:22

For some reason, Android versions greater than 2.3 no longer come with the Google CarHome app. This is an app that gives your phone a simplified interface for easier use in-car.

To install on a rooted device, download CarHomeGoogle.apk

Copy it to /system/app, set permissions to -rw-r–r– (644) and user/group owner to root.

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By Matthieu, 2011-01-19 20:16

Here’s how to “de-blur” a Motorola MB502 (aka Charm) from Telus Mobility. The process assumes a stock Telus Charm, and a Windows XP system, although tools exist that allow flashing from Linux.

1. Download and install the Motorola phone flashing tools. This means the Motorola USB drivers (get them from MOTODEV) and RSDlite.
2. Download the “deblur” sbf from Motorola (see http://and-developers.com/sbf:mb502 , download BASEM_U3_01.12.4_DEBLUR_SIGNED) and ungzip.
3. Connect your Charm. Enable USB debugging under Settings > Applications > Development. From the notifications menu, make sure the phone is connected for “Charge Only”
4. Run RSDlite, select the decompressed sbf file and flash.
5. The phone will reboot once it’s done flashing. Wait for it to finish, then hold the power button and power down the phone. Remove and replace the battery, then power up the phone again.

Now, at this point, if you’re lucky, your Charm may “Just work”. If you see signal bars and can make phone calls, then you’re in the clear. Set up your APN and you’re good to go. This happened with one of my Charms, but oddly enough, the other (seemingly identical) device just wouldn’t pick up the Bell HSPA network. I did eventually get it working, but don’t remember the steps and now have two working Charms.

If your phone doesn’t pick up the cell network, then please wait for my next post. I will be intentionally bricking one of my phones using the T-Mobile ROM in order to figure out how to fix it.

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By Matthieu, 2010-12-16 23:17

After nearly a year of being slightly annoyed at my Nexus One’s stock keyboard having only an AZERTY French keyboard as opposed to a  QWERTY one we use in Canada, I finally took matters into my own hands and modded the recently “leaked” Gingerbread keyboard to make the French keyboard QWERTY. Download below.

Après près d’un an avec mon Nexus One et son clavier soit anglais, soit AZERTY, j’en ai eu assez et ai décidé de modifier le clavier Android pour permettre l’entrée du texte français via un clavier QWERTY. Téléchargement disponible ci-dessous.

gingerbreadkb-multilang-update-signed-fr_CA-qwerty.zip-signed.zip

References/This would not have been possible without:

• Original idea: http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=8494#c18
• How to create a signed apk: http://www.androiddevelopment.org/tag/jarsigner/
• How to create a signed update.zip: http://www.robmcghee.com/android/creating-an-android-update-zip-package/
• Original Gingerbread keyboard with French dictionary: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=9794752&postcount=109