A quick look at Android 2.1's Exchange support

With the release of Android 2.1 SDK it is possible to play with Google's support for Exchange ActiveSync which is included with the SDK emulator package.
It is important to note that just because the build of Android supports it, it is down to individual device manufacturers as to whether they choose to implement Exchange support - presumably due to licensing costs - and they may develop their own client software.
This post is for general geek interest only.

HTC Android-based devices already feature their own Exchange client developed by HTC independently.

For instructions on how to configure the SDK read this article - http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/google-release-version-20-android-sdk

Setting up the Exchange Account

Launching the Email application for the first time will prompt you what type of email account you want to configure:

Selecting Exchange will prompt you to enter all of the settings that an Exchange ActiveSync client will do, ie Username, Password and Server Address:

If you are using a self-signed SSL certificate (ie not root-trusted) on the Exchange server, you will need to select the option to Accept all SSL certificates. I did try manually installing the root cert for an Exchange server that uses a self-signed certificate and unticking this option, and received this error:

So at the time of writing it looks like you have to accept all certificates to use a self-signed cert.

Once you have entered all of the connection settings you can then specify how you want mail delivered, and how much:

On this screen you can also specify which other PIM folders you want to synchronise. You will notice a lack of the ability to sync Calendar information in this emulator release.
On the next screen you can enter a name for the account as well your sending name:

Providing all went according to plan, your mail now will now be delivered to the device:

Mailbox subfolders are also supported:

The device will appear to Exchange as simply 'Android':

Editing the account settings allows you to adjust your initial choices should you desire:

For an overview of the Exchange ActiveSync client available on the HTC Desire, read this article - http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/introducing-htc-desire

For information on accessing your GMail via Exchange ActiveSync rather than IMAP read this article - http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/access-google-premier-apps-email-android...

Adding VPN connections to Android 1.6 (Donut)

Release 1.6 of the Android platform, aka Donut, included support for PPTP, L2TP and IPSec-based VPN connections.
This article will give an overview of where to find the settings governing VPN connections, what connection settings are required, and how to install and select certificates.

VPN settings are located in the Settings menu under Settings --> Wireless Controls --> VPN Settings:

The following types of VPN connection are supported:

• Point to Point Tunnelling Protocol (PPTP)
• Layer 2 Tunnelling Protocol (L2TP)
• Layer 2 Tunnelling Protocol with IPSec Pre-Shared Key
• Certificate based IPSec VPN with optional L2TP shared secret

PPTP

Adding a PPTP-based VPN connection requires only that an identifying name be entered for the connection, and the name or IP address of the VPN server:

DNS Search domains can be entered, to identify 'domain.com' as sitting 'behind' the VPN and to use the remote DNS servers on that network when searching for entries within the specified domain.

Once saved, the VPN connection will be listed:

Tapping and holding on the entry for the connection will display a context menu allowing you to initiate the connection, edit it or remove it:

Initiating the connection will prompt you to enter your username and password:

L2TP

Adding an L2TP-based connection is almost identical, except that you can select to use a shared secret and configure the details of that secret:

L2TP / IPSec PSK

The IPSec Pre-Shared Key L2TP-based VPN requires the same settings, but also allows for an IPSec key to be configured:

L2TP / IPSec CRT

Certificate-based VPN connections require that server and user certificates be installed on the device. These need to be exported from the VPN server in .DER format and copied onto the device. These can be loaded from the SD memory card, or can be downloaded via the browser.

ADDENDUM - whilst I found on the unit used to create this article originally that DER certificate files were required, if you find that opening your certificate in the web browser simply downloads the text content of the file, try using CRT format files instead.

When installing the certificate, you will be prompted to enter a name to identify it:

If you are prompted to enter a password before you can import the certificate:

this implies that the 'Secure Storage' feature has been enabled on the device. This is configured within Settings --> Security:

Once the certificate has been installed, when creating the VPN connection, the certificate will appear in the list of available certificates:

with the name you entered to identify it.

Your VPN connection has now been configured. For details on troubleshooting mobile VPN connections, read this article: http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/troubleshooting-mobile-vpn-connections

For details on how to tunnel VNC via SSH on Android, read this article - http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/connect-ssh-vpn-vnc-android-device

Android 2.2 ("Froyo")

Google have officially announced the next version of the Android operating system, version 2.2, codenamed "Froyo".

The SDK has also been updated to enable developers to test their applications on the new platform (http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html)

Although no date has been confirmed as to when we can expect to start seeing devices running the new version of the operating systems, the list of new features is impressive, including:

• The ability to use your PDA as a portable WiFi hotspot
• Improved Exchange ActiveSync support, including support for security policies and remote device wipe as well as the ability to synchronise Calendar data (note HTC Android devices already offer this functionality via their own EAS client)

  

• Modem tethering (again, HTC devices already offer this functionality)
• Remote music streaming, including support for iTunes
• The ability to install applications on SD card storage
• Adobe Flash 10.1
• Improved voice recognition
• Web browser enhancements and speed increases
• Application data backup API, allowing developers to store application data on the SD card
• Cloud to app communication, enabling you to send whatever you're reading on your desktop PC to your PDA so you can continue reading on the move
• The ability to install all available application updates in the Market in a single action

Google have posted an official introductory video to YouTube:

AppBrain - install applications onto your Android device from your web browser

AppBrain is a free-to-use utility that allows you to search for Android App Market programs within your web browser on your desktop PC and install them onto your PDA remotely.
The solution requires a client utility be installed on the Android device, the Fast Web Installer, available from the Android Market. Once installed, you will need to enter your Google account details to log into the Android Market and will also need to grant the application permission to install apps onto the device, which you will be prompted to do the first time you launch the Fast Web Installer:

2 icons will be added to the Programs folder, one for the Fast Web Installer, and one for the AppBrain Market:

The AppBrain Market is effectively a clone of the Android Market:

The AppBrain client utility synchronises details of the installed applications on your device with the web site.

You can now browse to www.appbrain.com within your PC web browser (again logging in using your Google account details) and search for available applications:

and install apps directly from the web interface:

Installation is silent on the device:

Applications can also be uninstalled remotely:

Astrid Task Manager for Android

Astrid is a free utility for Android available for download from the Market that provides quick and easy task recording, deadline scheduling and reminder alarms. Events can also be automatically added to the device Calendar (and from there synced to whatever synchronisation services you have configured on your device, be it Exchange ActiveSync or Google Apps).

Beer Goggles for Android

Not being one who takes much encouragement to partake in the Bacchanalian arts, this application has already made it onto the homescreen. It does pretty much what it says on the tin - it finds the closest pub based on your GPS location:

Connect to an SSH VPN via VNC from an Android device

I have blogged previously about how to deploy an SSH-based VPN solution to offer remote control of corporate resources from 'untrusted' PCs safely (http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/deploying-ssh-based-vpn-solution). Should you need to, it is possible to access remote hosts from an Android device via VNC using a free SSH client and VNC viewer such as ConnectBot and AndroidVNC, both available from the Android Market.

To initiate the connection to the SSH server, download and install ConnectBot. When launched, you can enter in the details of the SSH server to be connected to:

Tapping on the Menu and selecting Edit allows you to edit port and username information:

When connecting to the SSH server for the first time, you will be prompted to acknowledge and save the server's public key and then enter in the password:

To configure port forwarding for the VNC connection, tap on the Menu button and select the option to Add Port Forward:

Set the source port to local, and enter in the IP address of the target machine to be controlled followed by the port used by the VNC application (5900 by default)

Now launch the VNC client and connect to the local IP address of the device (127.0.0.1) on the port number specified above as well as the password for the VNC connection:

After a few moments you will be connected to the remote machine:

Remote control-tastic!

Dataviz Documents To Go for Android

Dataviz's Documents To Go application is free to download from the Android Market to use in its viewing capacity, providing view-only access to Word and Excel documents. Document rendering is 'truer' to the original in my opinion than the bundled QuickOffice viewers provided with HTC Android devices, but access to PowerPoint documents and editing functionality is only available in the commercial version, which must be purchased.

Dropbox for Android

Dropbox is a free to use online storage service that allows you to synchronise your documents, photos and media between multiple PCs, both Windows and Mac, as well as a wide range of client devices. Files can also be accessed from any web browser.

The following video gives an overview of the solution:

Installation on a desktop PC is quick and simple. If you don't have an account with Dropbox, you can register within the installer wizard itself simply by entering a valid email address and your desired password.

The free service will allocate you up to 2GB of storage, additional storage can be purchased:

Once installed, a new virtual directory is created on your PC:

And an icon will be added to the menu bar / system tray:

Any files added to the virtual directory will be synchronised to your online storage automatically, where they can be accessed via your web browser or from any other device that has the Dropbox client installed:

A "public" storage area is available that is accessible to anyone, even those without a Dropbox account, by distributing a link to the file:

A client is available for Android in the Android Market that provides download access to files:

GDocs for Android

GDocs is a free utility that enables you to synchronise the contents of your Google Docs account with your Android device, edit documents locally on your device and then sync those changes online.

The utility is available for download here - http://sites.google.com/site/gdocsforandroid/

Once installed, you will be prompted to enter the details of your Google account

When logged in, you will see the contents of your Google Docs account:

Subfolders can also be viewed:

Documents can be viewed locally, and also edited and the changes saved online:

Synchronisation options can be defined enabling automatic synchronisation in the background as well as how many documents should be listed on the local device:

Google App Inventor for Android

Google have released a new tool which aims to enable enthusiasts and 'normal' users to create Android applications without the need for any development skills or experience. Applications are built visually rather than by writing code manually - read more on the Google Labs web site: http://appinventor.googlelabs.com/about/

Google release version 1.6 of the Android SDK

If you can't wait to get your hands on the HTC Tattoo (http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/sneak-peak-htc-tattoo) to see the new features that will be available in Android 1.6, aka "Donut", then Google have released an update to the Android SDK, including an updated emulator.

The Android SDK can be downloaded free of charge from http://developer.android.com/

The SDK will download as a ZIP archive file. Extract the contents of the ZIP file to a location on your hard drive.
On the Mac platform, open the Terminal and browse to the Tools folder within the extracted ZIP file contents.

The first thing you need to do is to create a virtual Android device. Do this at the command prompt by entering:

./android create avd -n (NAME) -t 2

where (NAME) is the desired name you wish to assign to the virtual device.

Once the virtual machine has been created, you can invoke it with the following command:

./emulator -avd NAME

The virtual device will then be displayed:

Google release version 2.0 of the Android SDK

Google have released version 2.0 of Android (codenamed "Eclair") to the public developer SDK. Rather than a separate download, if you are running version 1.6 of the SDK already, the 2.0 AVD image can be downloaded within the AVD Manager.

To run the AVD Manager on Mac OS Snow Leopard, you may have to edit the 'android' script file in the Tools directory to force the system to use the 32-bit Java VM rather than the default 64-bit one. Locate the section starting:

# Mac OS X needs an additional arg, or you get an "illegal thread" complaint.
if [ `uname` = "Darwin" ]; then
    os_opts="-XstartOnFirstThread"

And add -d32 so the section reads as follows:

# Mac OS X needs an additional arg, or you get an "illegal thread" complaint.
if [ `uname` = "Darwin" ]; then
    os_opts="-XstartOnFirstThread -d32"

Now open a Terminal window and run './android' in the Tools directory of the SDK (wherever you have saved it). The following window will be displayed:

Click on the Available Packages option, the following window will be dsiplayed:

Select the Android 2.0 API and click Install Selected:

Click Install Accepted.

Once downloaded and installed, return to the Virtual Devices view and select New:

Select 'Android 2.0' as the Target. Create the Virtual Device, then click Start to launch it:

Google release version 2.1 of the Android SDK

Google have made version 2.1 of the Android SDK available on their developer web site. If you have a previous version installed already, you can update it by running the Android SDK Manager.

On Windows, do this by running the android.bat file in the tools folder of the extracted SDK. On Mac open Terminal and navigate to the Tools folder, then run

./android

Check for available updates and select the option to install the 2.1 SDK.

Once installed, you will have the option of creating a new emulator image on the 2.1 platform:

For more information on how to configure the SDK on MacOS, read this article - http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/google-release-version-20-android-sdk

Grooveshark for Android

Grooveshark is a music streaming service that enables you to search for bands you love and listen to them instantly, from individual songs to entire albums. Playlists can be created and saved on your device and can also be synced to your online account allowing you to access them from any compatible web browser whether at home or at a friend's house.
If you can't decide what you'd like to listen to specifically, let Grooveshark create a radio station of songs you might like based on the songs you have listened to previously - ideal for long road trips or gym sessions, for example.
Songs can be stored offline on your device ensuring that you still have access to your music even if you have no connection to the Internet.

Grooveshark requires Android 2.1 or later, is free to trial for 14 days (and up to 50 songs), after which point the service costs $3 per month.

Grooveshark is also available for Nokia Symbian Series 60 v3 and v5 phones as well as Palm and BlackBerry.

Visit http://mobile.grooveshark.com for more information.

Is Android ready for the Enterprise?

With the release of Google's Nexus One handset, the Android platform has had a lot of publicity recently. Offering high levels of user-customisation, social networking integration and a 'desktop-like' mobile browsing experience, the device is very attractive to consumers...but is the operating system ready for the Enterprise?

What is meant by an 'Enterprise-ready' operating system? Ideally the platform should offer the features required by a mobile user as well as conform to the security policy defined by the IT department.

Features

• Wireless access to corporate (Microsoft Exchange or Lotus Domino) email, contacts and calendar information, ideally updated via 'push' with no user-interaction required. All information exchanges between the device and the server should be secure. Access should preferably be available via both cellular and WiFi connections.
• Support for Virtual Private Networking (VPN) infrastructure enabling access to internal corporate applications and network resources
• Optionally, the device may need to be integrated with the corporate IP PBX providing free calls over WiFi when in the office between internal extensions, and landline-to-landline call charges for landline numbers.

Security

Providing remote access to sensitive corporate applications and information inherently comes with security risks: should the device be lost or stolen how do you prevent unauthorised access?

• An enterprise-ready platform should at the very least offer the administrator the ability to remotely wipe a device that has been reported lost or stolen by the user: or even the ability for the user to initiate a wipe themselves via a web browser as soon as they realise the device has been lost.
• It should also be possible to remotely apply a password usage policy to the device, so that users must enter a password on the device to unlock it, and the device should lock itself automatically after a period of inactivity. In the event that a password is incorrectly entered on the device x number of times in succession, the device should be able to wipe itself automatically.
• For ease of setup, enterprise-ready devices can have the necessary configuration settings for Internet access (both cellular and WiFi access points), email and VPN deployed remotely over the air, with little to no user interaction.
• Optionally, the platform should also support the ability to remotely enforce a corporate usage policy, enabling the administrator to remotely disable user access to certain hardware and software elements such as the camera, MMS, Bluetooth, etc. The ability for the user to install applications on the device, other than those expressly approved by the administrator, should also be configurable remotely.

Although it is fashionable to knock Microsoft products, and whilst it is true that the platform does look 'clunky' now compared to Android and the iPhone, it can't be denied that Windows Mobile 6.1 does address most of the above security concerns and device management functionality is included as part of the Exchange 2007 product, enabling the administrator to remotely wipe devices, enforce a password usage policy, enable and disable hardware and software elements as well as create application white- and blacklists.
Nokia's E and N Symbian S60 platform also natively supports the OMA-CP and OMA-DM protocols when used in conjunction with a suitable DM server product.
For more information on the DM functionality of Windows Mobile and Exchange as well as more powerful third-party DM solutions, read this article - http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/choosing-device-management-solution-q4-2009

So how does Android stack up?

Features

• Exchange Email - Android 2.1 features native Exchange support, but at the time of writing only the Nexus One features this version of the OS.
  HTC-branded Android devices (the Hero and the Tattoo at the time of writing) both already feature HTC's own fully-featured Exchange client which supports full mailbox synchronisation including subfolders as well as contact-lookup and out of office support - http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/setting-microsoft-exchange-synchronisati...

  

  For non HTC-branded devices, third-party solutions are available such as Dataviz's RoadSync application, purchasable via the Android Market.

• VPN support - Android 1.6 (Donut) brought with it support for Virtual Private Networks, including PPTP, L2TP and IPSec protocols as well as certificate authentication - http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/adding-vpn-connections-android-16-donut

  

• VoIP - SIPdroid is a free-to-use VoIP client for the Android platform that can be used to interface with any IP PBX that supports the SIP standard - http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/sipdroid

  

Security

• Open Source - Android is an open source platform based on the Linux kernel. As such it can be argued that whilst the open source project does mean a wealth of third party applications, it does also provide access to discover and exploit security vulnerabilities in the platform.

  One approach Google has taken when developing the Android platform is known as "application-sandboxing": all applications must state what hardware resources and file locations they require access to, and only those areas will be permitted by the operating system. It is not possible to alter these once installed without at least requiring approval by the user. This approval is requested during the initial installation and can be viewed at any point within the Applications setting menu:

  

  Android does also require that applications be signed before they can be installed, however the platform does not require that the certificate used to sign the application be 'root-trusted', therefore any old certificate can be used, rendering the feature fairly pointless, and the feature can be disabled altogether by the user:

  

• Remote Device Wipe - Although part of the Exchange ActiveSync protocol, it is not currently supported on the HTC Exchange client. This is on the roadmap for HTC Exchange 2.0. A third party solution such as Dataviz RoadSync would be required to enable this functionality. Any device marked for wipe from the Exchange server will not be able to synchronise any new information, but any information held on that device will not be erased.
• Password Usage - It is not possible to enforce use of a password on the Android platform using the Exchange ActiveSync policy without a third party application such as Dataviz RoadSync. Again, this is on the roadmap for HTC Exchange 2.0
  However it is worth noting that Android does support the use of hand gestures as a form of unlocking a device, rather than an alphanumeric password:

  

• Corporate Usage Policy - It is not possible to remotely enable or disable hardware or software elements on the Android platform at the time of writing, neither does the OS support on-device encryption.
  Some Device Management vendors have Android clients on their roadmap, such as Excitor DME (http://www.excitor.com)

Conclusion

Whilst a great consumer device, for enterprises that require granular control over the devices used by their staff as well as the ability to remotely wipe devices that are reported lost or stolen, Android is perhaps still too 'young' to satisfy all requirements.
That is bound to change in the future based on the break-neck pace of development witnessed on the platform to date...so watch this space for more information as it arrives.

Live Android

If using the free emulator (http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/emulate) isn't providing you with the Android experience you are looking for, the operating system is now available as a LiveCD ISO image. This means that you can download the ISO image and use it to burn a bootable CD, then boot your laptop or desktop from it and run Android on your own PC.
NOTE, at this stage only X86 platforms are supported rather than 64-bit machines.

Alternatively, you can use the ISO file to run a virtual machine using VMware or Sun VirtualBox.

The ISO image can be downloaded from the Google Code web site - http://code.google.com/p/live-android/downloads/list

The ISO image will come down as 2 'split' files. Windows should be able to re-join these files automatically. On a Mac, you will need to use a free utility such as the excellent 'Split & Concat' tool:

You can then use your virtualisation application to create a new virtual machine, selecting the option to use the ISO file as the machine's CD drive:

Enjoy!

LogMeIn Ignition Beta for Android

LogMeIn have released a free beta version of their Ignition remote control software for Android, available for download from the Android Market.

Registering for a personal account on the LogMeIn web site is free and allows you to remotely connect to your Windows or Mac-based computer from your PDA, or from another PC. A client application will need to be installed onto the PC that is to be controlled.

Once the client is installed and running, provided that the computer is connected to the Internet you will be able to access it from your Android device:

You will need to log into your LogMeIn account using the username and password for that account to see your list of computers, then log into the target PC using the local user account on that machine.

Screen resolution and colour depth settings can be adjusted for low-bandwidth connections:

You can read more on the LogMeIn web site - http://pages.logmein-inc.com/page.aspx?QS=472529ec60bdf32a6b96e3a82c9e49...

Norton Smartphone Security for Android

Symantec have released a suite of tools for the Android platform (version 2.0 or later) to help protect your personal data against theft as well as protecting you from unwanted phone calls and text messages.

Available to try free for 90 days, the application is available to download already from the Android Market.

The suite contains tools to:

• Protect against malware and viruses
• Remotely lock and wipe your device
• Define rules for the handling of unwanted calls and text messages
• Instantly lock the device if the SIM card is replaced

The remote lock and wipe feature works by defining a code on the device itself. Should you then want to either lock or wipe the device remotely, you can send an SMS to the number of the SIM in the device, followed by either the word "lock" or "wipe" followed by the code you defined.

The Anti-Malware feature runs in the background and periodically scans for unwanted files and malicious applications in the same way as the Norton desktop package operates:

The Call and Text Blocking feature allows you to define rules for handling calls and messages from unknown, or specific numbers, as well as configuring automatic SMS replies to specific numbers should you wish:

The solution is free to try for 90 days.

PdaNet - use your Android device as a USB modem with MacOS

PdaNet is a free utility that once installed both on your Mac and your Android PDA enables you to use your device as a USB modem (to "tether" it as it is commonly referred to). In this example I used the HTC Legend with a MacBook Pro running MacOS 10.6.2

On the Mac, download the PdaNet Desktop application from JuneFabrics - http://www.junefabrics.com/android/mac.php

Ensure that the Android device is not connected to the Mac via USB at this point.

Launch the installer:

Click Continue:

Click Install, you will be warned that the installation will require a reboot of the Mac:

Click Continue Installation. The required drivers will be copied to the Mac. When complete, click Restart

Once rebooted, a new icon will be added to the Menu bar for the PdaNet application:

On the Android PDA, browse for PdaNet in the Android Market and download the client application. A new icon will be added to the Menu:

Connect the PDA to the Mac. A new network interface will be detected:

(NOTE - on most Macs the network adapter ID will be en2 or en3, mine is only en10 as I have tested a number of mobile devices and my mac is a bit of a mess as a result!)

Select the option to open Network Preferences, the new adapter will be displayed:

Click Apply, there is no need to make any changes to the adapter settings.

On the Android PDA launch the PdaNet application:

Select the option to Enable USB Tether.

On the Mac, click on the Menu bar icon and select the option to Connect:

After a few moments the Internet connection will be established, and the Menu bar icon will adjust to include an icon of a globe:

You are now connected to the Internet.

Piwik web analytics client for Android

I have blogged previously about the open source Piwik web analytics software (http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/piwik) which enables you to track visits to your web sites and generate reports based on time, region, referrer, client, search engine, keywords and more.

A client application is available for Android that enables you to access these reports from your mobile device to keep tabs on how your web sites are faring:

Running the Android SDK on Mac OS 10.6 Snow Leopard

I have blogged previously about how the tools included within the Android SDK provide a very useful means of capturing screenshots from a connected Android device and also transferring files to and from devices, but the DDMS tool does not launch successfully on the new Snow Leopard operating system.

The fix is relatively simple, but not immediately obvious. I worked out the first bit myself, but thanks to Buffawhat for the second bit (http://buffawhat.com/2783/android-sdk-ddms-broken-in-snow-leopard-lets-f...)

Within the Java Preferences panel you will need to set the default Java virtual machine from 64-bit to 32-bit.
Open the Applications folder, and then browse to Utilities --> Java Preferences, the following window will be displayed:

Set the 32-bit VM to be the default simply by dragging it above the entry for the 64-bit VM.
Close the window to apply changes.

You will then need to make a small edit of the DDMS script file itself. Browse to where you have extracted the SDK file and open the DDMS file in the Tools folder in a suitable text editor.
Locate the section beginning:

# Mac OS X needs an additional arg, or you get an "illegal thread"
complaint.
if [ `uname` = "Darwin" ]; then
    os_opts="-XstartOnFirstThread"

And add the text -d32 as shown below:

Now DDMS will launch successfully.

Running the Google Android Emulator on MacOS

The Google Android Emulator is part of the Android SDK which can be downloaded free of charge from http://developer.android.com/

The SDK will download as a ZIP archive file. Extract the contents of the ZIP file to a location on your hard drive.
On the Mac platform, open the Terminal and browse to the Tools folder within the extracted ZIP file contents.

The first thing you need to do is to create a virtual Android device. Do this at the command prompt by entering:

./android create avd -n (NAME) -t 1

where (NAME) is the desired name you wish to assign to the virtual device.

Once the virtual machine has been created, you can invoke it with the following command:

./emulator -avd NAME

The virtual device will then be displayed:

Setting up a POP / IMAP email account on Android 1.x

NOTE - this article was written using the Android SDK emulator (http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/emulate), the precise screen layout may differ on individual devices.

From the Home screen tap on the Menu and select the Email application. If no email accounts have been defined previously, the following screen will be displayed:

Tap Next:

Enter your full email address and password and tap Next. The wizard will attempt to verify the correct settings to use automatically based on the email address entered. If the wizard is able to determine the settings, the following screen will be displayed:

Enter a name for the account as well as your display name (as you want it to appear to recipients of any mail you send). Tap Done, the account will now be listed and you will be taken to the Inbox. Any available messages will be downloaded automatically:

If the wizard is not able to determine the correct settings to use automatically, you will be prompted to define what type of email account you are trying to access:

You will then be prompted to enter the required settings manually:

Your email account is now configured. Settings can be adjusted by accessing the Settings menu within the email application.

Shazam for Android

Not a new application by any means, but if you were looking for yet another reason to switch to one of HTC's latest crop of Android devices, then Shazam is an excellent little application. For the uninitiated, Shazam (http://www.shazam.com) allows you to use the microphone on your device to listen to any piece of music that is playing, and have the details of that track / song / remix / concert / medley / other musical terms displayed directly on the device after a few seconds. It's unbelievably clever and extremely eclectic in its ability.

Simply launch the application and select the option to Tag Now. The application will then use the device's hardware to listen to the music that is being played:

The software will then work its magic (presumably matching beat rates, frequency harmonics and other secret stuff), upload its data and download a match from Shazam's 'magical music recognition servers':

I tried something relatively obscure for this article, but apparently the Ozric Tentacles are well know to Shazam!

Sipdroid - connect to a SIP-based IP PBX from your Android device

Sipdroid is a free application for Android that provides SIP client functionality, enabling you to connect to a SIP-based IP PBX, such as Asterisk, over both WiFi and 3G networks (provided that your operator supports it).

Before the Android device can be used as a remote extension, there are a number of pre-requisites that need to be satisfied on the server:

The Asterisk server must have a ‘real world’, ‘routable’, ‘public’, or ‘Internet-facing’ IP address that is available from the Internet. Without this, no remote connectivity will be possible.
If the server is behind a firewall, then UDP port 5060 should be allowed through to the server from the Internet, for SIP signalling traffic. The UDP port range 10000 to 20000 must also be allowed through for RTP traffic (the ‘media’ of the telephone conversation).

The Asterisk server must also be ‘made aware’ of its own external IP address as well as the local network on which it sits:
Log into the admin interface for the server via the web interface and browse to Tools → Config Edit. Locate the ‘sip_nat.conf’ file and add the following lines:

nat=yes
externip=81.138.13.178
localnet=10.0.0.0/255.255.255.0

(you will need to substitute the above IP details for the configuration of your own external and internal network addressing scheme).

Once these pre-requisites have been satisfied, you must now create an extension on the system for the phone to register as.

Within the admin interface, add an extension in the correct number range (1xx would be suitable for remote extensions to identify them as such and separate them from the 2xx internal extensions, for example).
Set the Outbound CID number to match that of the person’s desk extension.
Set the secret to password or something suitable.
Set the NAT field to ‘yes’
Disable voicemail.

(Optional)
Create a ring group and add the person’s desk extension and the Android handset as members. Set the Inbound route for the person’s DDI to point to the ring group.
Set the ring strategy to ring all.

Submit and Apply the changes.

Now we are ready to configure the Sipdroid client on the Android device.

Enter in the extension number in the Username field, and the password as defined in the properties of the extension ('sippassword' in this case).
Enter in the external IP address or DNS name of the Asterisk server.
That should be all you need to enter. Should you need to enter additional settings including dial prefixes, advanced options are available:

Provided that the device is able to contact the server, you will be logged in automatically and any calls made from the Sipdroid client will be routed via the Asterisk server:

SugarSync for Android

SugarSync is another in a long line of remote access and online storage services, similar to Nokia's OVI Files offering, except that it works on a wide variety of platforms including both Windows and Mac on the desktop...and is now also available for Android.

The solution enables you to upload files to your secure online storage area and grant other users access to those files. Files can be uploaded either from your desktop PC or from your mobile device. It is also possible to access your Internet-connected PC directly from your mobile device when away from home or out of the office.

You will need to register online for an account on the SugarSync web site (www.sugarsync.com), but registration is free and takes a few moments. Once registered, you will be sent an email containing the details of your web login, which is normally in the form http://(username).sugarsync.com

You will then need to download and install the SugarSync Desktop Manager, available for both Windows and Mac:

Once installed, you can then log in and select which content should be available remotely, and which files you wish to upload to your 'magic briefcase':

The SugarSync client for Android can be downloaded free of charge via the Android Market:

Once installed, you can log in using your account details:

And select which folders to access:

Transferring files to and from an Android device from a Mac

Using the Google Android SDK, if your Android device does not support USB storage mode, you can transfer files to and from the Android device as well as any inserted memory card. In this post I shall only be dealing with MacOS, but similar instructions apply to both Linux and Windows.

The SDK can be downloaded from the Google Developer web site - http://developer.android.com

Once you have downloaded the SDK ZIP file, extract the contents. In the Tools folder, double click the "ddms" file:

The following window will be displayed:

On the Android handset, press the Menu button and browse to Settings --> Applications --> Development and enable USB Debugging.

Connect the device to the Mac using the supplied USB cable, the device will then be listed in the ddms window:

You can now select the File Explorer option from the Device menu:

The following window will be displayed:

You can now drag and drop files to and from this window as you would any other connected drive:

Use your Android device as a WiFi Remote with VLC Media Player on MacOS

I admit this is extremely lazy, especially seeing as I already have a Bluetooth mouse, but that doesn't mean it didn't bring a smile to my face when it worked!

Android devices can be used as remote control devices for the free VLC Media Player application on both Windows and MacOS. In this post I am using a Mac Mini running Snow Leopard and VLC Media Player 1.0.5 ....and an HTC Legend.

Configure the Firewall

If your Mac's firewall is enabled, you will need to allow the VLC application to accept incoming requests - this is configured within the Security System Preferences:

Configure VLC Media Player

Within VLC Media Player on the Mac, select the option to add a Web Interface:

Now launch the VLC Preferences pane and select the option to view All Preferences. Scroll to Interface -> HTTP and enter in the IP address of the Mac's wireless adapter:

Configure the Wireless Router

If your wireless access point is configured to only allow specific MAC addresses, you will need to locate the MAC address of your Android device and add it to your access point. The MAC address, on the HTC Legend at any rate, is located under Settings --> About Phone --> Hardware Information:

Add this address to your wireless router:

Configure the Android device

The VLC Remote application is free to download from the Android Market.

Ensure that the Android device is connected to the same wireless network as the Mac and is assigned an IP address on the same local network (or on a network that can route to the destination network). NOTE - the destination machine to be controlled does not itself necessarily need to be connected to the network wirelessly, provided that it is on the same network as the wireless access point.

Launch the VLC Remote application on the Android device and select Settings. Add a new VLC Server and enter in the IP address of the Mac to be controlled:

You will now be connected to your Mac's VLC Media Player and be able to stop, pause and play media files as well as access any Playlists configured:

NOTE - to locate the IP address of the target machine, on that machine open the Network System Preferences and open the Advanced properties of the network adapter: