Mike Southby

I have been asked to write a guide for people new to Android explaining how to install TweetDeck.  For those who aren’t familiar with TweetDeck, it’s a cross platform Twitter client that only recently become available for Android.  A lot of people may well have used the desktop version previously; out of all the desktop Twitter clients, TweetDeck is regularly voted one of the top applications and for good reason.  TweetDeck isn’t just all about Twitter however; it allows you to also configure your Facebook, MySpace, Foursquare, LinkedIn and Google Buzz accounts.

The Android client shares many of the features of its desktop sibling; however it will only allow you to integrate Twitter, Facebook, Google Buzz and Foursquare accounts.  This really isn’t an issue though as MySpace is not as popular these days anyhow and the majority of mobile users will be consumers who probably don’t use LinkedIn (of course there are other LinkedIn applications available from the market if you do require this).  Another great feature is that you are able to enter your TweetDeck account details and it will automatically sync the accounts that you use in your desktop client meaning you don’t have to worry about remembering all of your account details individually.  Right from the word go the developers over at TweetDeck have given a lot of thought towards the end user experience to ensure it doesn’t become another run of the mill Twitter app (have you looked at Seesmic or Twidroyd recently; both good apps but take away the exterior shell and you are left with very similar and traditional Twitter clients) instead choosing to produce a new, innovative design that’s fresh and exciting.

Installing TweetDeck is simple, although as it is still in beta stage, it is not available to download from the market as yet.  To download and install TweetDeck you’ll need to do the following:

• On your device, navigate through Menu>Settings>Applications
• Ensure that the Unknown sources option is checked; if it was previously unchecked you’ll be shown a security dialogue box, acknowledge this to continue
• Open the browser on your device
• Navigate to http://www.tweetdeck.com/go/android/ and your device will download the required .apk file to your download folder on your microSD card
• Next you’ll need an app that is capable of initiating an installation directly from a native .apk file, for novices perhaps the simplest solution is to go to the market and download Linda File Manager
• Once you have downloaded this, open Linda File Manager from the app drawer
• Click the SD Card option
• You should see a folder called download, this is where the browser will have downloaded the TweetDeck installer, click download
• Click TweetDeck-0.9.5.apk ⁽¹⁾
• Once the installer has finished installing, click Open to proceed directly to the app to setup your accounts

Notes: ⁽¹⁾ I have given you the direct download link from TweetDeck so as new updates are released, clicking this link will download the newer files.  You may therefore find that your actual file will differ in version number, this is not an issue; simply install the version that was downloaded.

If you use the desktop version of TweetDeck, you’ll be able to sign in using your TweetDeck account here, this means that you will not have to separately configure Twitter, Facebook, Google Buzz or Foursquare as the app will “pull down” your settings and sync your accounts automatically.  If you don’t have a TweetDeck account, then you’ll need to add each account separately by clicking on the appropriate option.

That’s about all there is to it.  One of the great things about TweetDeck for Android is that there are not many options to configure, making the experience a simple one; it just works!  That’s not to say it is short on features.  You’ll notice that your timeline has all of your accounts in one continuous list; each colour coded for easy identification.  You’ll even notice that as you scroll up and down through the list, the time at that particular place in the timeline is displayed at the top which I think is a nice touch.  You can flick right through 2 more screens to see your mentions (which apply not only to Twitter, but anything that is deemed a “notification” in Facebook also) and your DMs; everything is laid out in a simple yet graphically pleasing way.

One thing worthy of mention at this stage is that unlike any other Twitter app I have ever used on Android, the timeline always remembers where you left it.  Not just some of the time, but all of time; no more waking up in the morning and having to manually find where you were the night before because the timeline had somehow managed to “jump” to the top all on its own.

There are four buttons at the bottom of the main screen, the first of which will probably be one of the most used; the button to compose a new update (allowing you to choose which of the accounts you want to update).  Next you have a favourite’s button, once you press this you are presented with a user customisable screen whereby you can store your favourite contacts for one touch access to all of their profile and update information.  Finally there is the Twitter search and location buttons; the Twitter search button allows you to search trends on Twitter, the location button interfaces with Google Maps to show you your current location.

Once you start using the app, you’ll find more too; like the image preview and location map (but only if the posters update was location aware) below any updates you click on, saving you having to click through 2 or 3 pages to get the same amount of information on other clients.  There is the simple slider button to change the display font size and a well laid out configuration screen where you can change your notification options and set the duration between updates; last but not least my favourite feature, whereby the TweetDeck notification icon flips upside down and “dies” if it encounters a problem whilst posting an update.  I can just imagine the response of the other members of the development team whilst sat around a table brainstorming when that idea came up, pure genius.

Remember also that this is still a beta product (although in fairness, it is the most stable beta I have ever used, not a single FC or issue to date), which means that it is going to more than likely be updated again before the final release, adding more features based on user feedback.  The downside of this is that as the app was not downloaded from the market, you will not receive an automatic notification when an update is available; not a huge issue though.  The best way around this is to follow TweetDeck (@TweetDeck) on Twitter as they tweet when an update is available for download (then all you need to do once you click on the link and download any update is to follow the last 5 steps of the guide again to update).

TweetDeck for Android is great app; it’s in a different league to HTC Peep.

OpenDesire v4 comes bundled with Brut Maps, a change from previous versions which instead came with the genuine Google Maps app.

For those who are not sure exactly what the difference is, it’s actually quite simple; the official Google Maps app is only fully featured if you live in certain countries such as the UK or US.  Elsewhere certain features will not be available the most notable being navigation.  Aside from this, there are other more subtle difference too including alleged performance increases but personally having tried both, I haven’t seen any real difference in day to day use.  The full feature set of Brut Maps is as follows:

• Worldwide navigation using Google Maps directions
• Map tiles caching on microSD card
• Force-enabled multi-touch
• Force enabled Google Buzz feature
• Fix for map shift issue in China
• Option to hide zoom buttons
• Installation on non-rooted devices supported
• Can be run alongside genuine Google Maps

I do understand why this was included in the OpenDesire ROM but as I live in the UK and all the features of the genuine Google Maps app work, it’s not necessary and I’d rather have the genuine app instead; even more so as Brut Maps use the existing Google icon set but overlay a rather unsightly “Brut” logo on top, it’s really not a very well thought out icon.  I also think that unless you have a good reason not to (i.e. you need Brut Maps as you live in a country where Google Maps doesn’t fully work), it’s good to try and use as much of the original code as possible to ensure minimising FCs and other issues.

Thankfully removing Brut Maps and restoring the original Google Maps is a simple process (assuming you have adb correctly installed on your pc including the correct adb driver for your Desire, which if you have followed my previous guides you will have):

• Connect your Desire to your pc
• Open a command prompt and navigate to the /tools folder within the sdk by typing:
  cd\ [then press Enter]
  cd AndroidSDK\tools\ [then press Enter]
• Check your device is correctly connected by next typing:
  adb devices [then press Enter]
  if you device shows up correctly, then you’re good to go on to the next step
• Type the following:
  adb reboot recovery [then press Enter]
  once your desire and rebooted and is in recovery type the following:
  adb shell mount /system [then press Enter]
  adb shell rm /system/app/Maps.apk [then press Enter]
  adb shell unmount /system [then press Enter]
  adb reboot [then press Enter]
• Your Desire will now reboot and you can disconnect it from your pc
• Once your Desire is back up, simply go to the market and you will now be able to download the genuine Google Maps

Needless to say you can also use this method to remove other apps too, just substitute the .apk you want to remove in the steps above.

For anyone wanting to download the official OTA Android 2.2 FroYo ROM for their HTC Desire directly from the HTC live server, you’ll find that they have removed the file.  Fear not, I have uploaded a mirror here.

If you need some guidance on installing the update, including installing on network branded and locked handsets, I have a guide here.

Last update: 28/08/2010 18:15

Earlier today, HTC released via an OTA update FroYo, Google’s latest release of the Android operating system.  The release however was only targeted at those who purchased their handsets unlocked and devoid of any network operators branding.  Also, owing to possible concerns over bandwidth and server overloading the OTA update is being rolled out slowly so not everyone will have the notification to download just yet. So, that leaves those without an unlocked and unbranded handset left with Éclair (or Android 2.1) missing out on all of the FroYo fun.  However, there is of course a way around this; just follow this guide.

Caveat:  As is usual with such things, messing around with the ROM will void your manufacturers warranty so please be aware of this before proceeding, also whilst I have had absolutely not issues to date (and I have flashed the ROM many times now), should you encounter an issue part way through it is possible to brick your phone; so please ensure you understand these instructions before proceeding.  I will not be held liable for any damage you cause to your own handsets. For the purposes of this guide I am assuming like me, that you want to do a fresh install of FroYo and not an upgrade keeping all your current settings and apps in place, I choose to reinstall apps from the market afterwards.  Of course if you want to upgrade instead this should work also, although I have not tested it. This guide assumes that you have HBOOT 0.82 or below, if you have HBOOT 0.83 this method will not work and you will get an Error 140 during the RUU process.

Also worth noting that some of the newest Desires do not have the AMOLED screen anymore, but are shipping with SLCD which also have the 0.83 HBOOT, the update contains the screen driver for the AMOLED screens and not the SLCD screens, so if you follow this guide and perform the update, you’ll be left with a blank screen as the new driver is not compatible (if you have done this by mistake, there is a way back, but the fix is not for novices)

To find out which version of HBOOT you have you’ll need to reboot into FASTBOOT mode, turn your device off and restart with the volume down button pressed.  Also, please DO NOT flash this update if you are currently on Orange UK as the new radio contained within the update will cause you problems, instead you’ll have to wait for the official Orange update or delve into the world of custom ROMS (I recommend heading over to XDA Developers for further information). One final word of warning, by installing the official 2.2 update as in this guide, you will also upgrade your HBOOT version to 0.92 which means that you cannot ‘root’ your phone afterwards; of course this is not an issue if you have no intention of running custom software or messing around further with your device  Root will no doubt follow soon I would imagine.  In the mean time there is now also a way of downgrading your HBOOT, details can be found here.

Essentially, if you want the latest official Desire software as you would get ‘out of the box’ from a shop, this update is for you.  If you want a custom phone with the ability to access root, stop and ensure you fully understand that HBOOT will be upgraded before proceeding.

First of all, you need to complete the following important step:

• Read the above warning again and make sure you understand it; ensuring that you have the correct HBOOT version as reading some of the comments, some people have followed the guide with an HBOOT of 0.83

Next you need to set up ADB on your PC and ensure that you have the correct version of the USB driver (which if you have already installed HTC Sync, you should have) installed, to do this do the following:

• Download the latest Android SDK directly from Google by clicking here
• Extract the SDK .zip file to c:\AndroidSDK on your PC
• On your phone, click Settings>Applications>Development and ensure that USB Debugging is enabled
• Plug your phone into your PC via a USB cable (ensuring that your phone is on, obviously).  You should now get a popup telling you that new hardware device drivers are being installed; this might take a few moments to complete
• Open a command prompt and type the following:
  cd\ [then press Enter]
  cd AndroidSDK\tools\ [then press Enter]
  adb devices [then press Enter]
  you should see a serial number pop up, it’s the serial number of your phone.  If this is the case you can proceed to the next step

Next we need to create a goldcard by doing the following:

• Copy all of the data on your microSD card to a backup location on your PC
• Format the microSD to FAT32 format
• Open a command prompt one again and type the following:
  cd\ [then press Enter]
  cd AndroidSDK\tools\ [then press Enter]
  adb shell cat /sys/class/mmc_host/mmc1/mmc1:*/cid [then press Enter]
• You should get a long number something along the lines of 532600bd227d9c0347329407514d5420
• Goto this page and copy the number in the above step into the box and hit Submit, you’ll then be given another long number
• Go to this page and enter this new number into the SD Card Serial (CID) field
• Enter the other details and hit Generate Goldcard
• Check your email and save the attached goldcard image file to your pc, I usually save it to the desktop as you’ll be needing it shortly
• Download HxD Hex Editor from here and install
• Open HxD Hex Editor. If you are using Windows Vista or Windows 7, you must run the application as administrator
• Go to the Extra menu and select Open Disk.  Under physical disk, select Removable Disk (your microSD card), uncheck Open as Read-only and click OK.  Note that you should select physical disk NOT the logical disk
• Go to the Extra menu again and select Open Disk Image.  Open the goldcard image that you received by email and saved above
• You should now have two tabs; one is your removable disk and the other is your goldcard image.  Press OK when prompted for Sector Size (selecting 512 (Hard disks/Floppy disks)) and click OK
• Click on the goldcard image tab.  Go to the Edit menu, choose Select All then select the Edit menu again and select Copy
• Click on the Removable Disk tab.  Highlight offset (line) 00000000 to offset (line) 00000170 (including the 00000170 line), then click on the Edit menu and select Paste Write
• Click on the File menu and select Save, accepting the warning
• You now have a goldcard

Now that you have your goldcard, you need to download a generic HTC RUU update in order to flash your phone with a generic, unbranded version of Android 2.1

You can download the file from here (1.15.405.3 European), here (1.15.405.4 WWE) or here (1.21.405.2 WWE) – NOTE: Some people are finding that they can flash the 1.21 ROM and then FroYo directly, whilst others are finding that they need to flash the relevant 1.15 ROM first, if you try the 1.21 first and it doesn’t work you’ll get an error so simply re-try with the 1.15 and go from there.

To flash the update, simply run the file you have just downloaded (note: once this file is running it’ll restart your phone in bootloader mode and your PC will attempt to install another driver, it’ll work but the software will time out waiting to recognise your phone as your PC will need to restart to apply the new file.  Simply leave your phone connected and in the bootloader and restart your PC, then run the file again and it’ll work!) – You will now have an unbranded, generic Desire (although in my case I still had the Virgin boot screen curiously).  To double check, go to Menu>Settings>About Phone>Software Information and check that Software Number is 1.15.405.3, 1.15.405.4 or 1.21.405.2 before continuing. Next you need to download the FroYo update file which you can find here [Mirror - the file has already been renamed to update.zip], once you have done this rename the file update.zip and copy it to the root of your microSD.  Turn your phone off then do the following:

• Turn your phone on whilst holding down the volume down button to enter the HBoot menu
• Choose the Recovery option by using the volume down button and the power button to select, your phone should then restart in recovery mode where you’ll be greeted with a red triangle and exclamation mark
• Press and hold the volume up button and press the power button once, then choose to apply update.zip at the next menu
• The FroYo update will now take place during which time your phone will reboot several times, the whole process takes about 10 minutes
• Once you have booted up into FroYo and configured your settings, copy your files back onto your microSD card and you are good to go!.

** Looking ahead, I will create a similar walkthrough when Gingerbread is released, if you want to be notified when this is published, please signup to my blog feed via Feedburner to receive email notifications **

** A big thanks to Timi for all of his help answering the comments below.  It’s great to see when readers get involved and share their knowledge and expertise **

Operator Specific Instructions:

Please read down through the comments below to help with specifics relating to your network, also for specifics relating to your HBOOT.  For example, Virgin have handsets with both 0.75 and 0.80 HBOOTs and the procedure will vary slightly for both in so much as you need a different RUU to debrand the handset before being able to apply Froyo.  Orange, Vodafone, 3 and o2 again have different combinations.  The comments below are based on your experiences in combination with using the above guide.

I appreciate that there are a lot of comments to read through, but hopefully you’ll be able to pick out what you need; if I can, when I have some spare time I will try and pick out all the various bits of information and update the post or create a new one so you can quickly find the specifics you need for your handset/operator.

Downgrading HBOOT and installing custom Froyo ROM

If you have come across this post looking for a way of downgrading your HBOOT and installing a custom Froyo ROM instead of the official OTA ROM as detailed above, I have a post detailing how to do that here.

I hope you find this useful.  Enjoy!