Extract Locally Stored MP3s From Google Music On Android

I needed a way to copy the music that is stored locally on my Android device. I couldn't just copy the files over since they have nondescript names like 153.mp3, 214.mp3, etc. Well, I could have just copied them, but I didn't want to have to listen to all of them and then rename them appropriately. I could have downloaded them with Google Music Manager but there is a limit to the number of times you can download them (two, I think). But more importantly to me, I have a data cap and I have already downloaded them by selecting "Keep on device" and didn't want to download them again. What I did was use the music database to gather information and use that to copy and rename the files.

What is needed:
-a rooted device in order to access the music files
-adb installed on the PC (see here for info on adb)
-Python installed on the PC (although I imagine this could be done in a Bash script too)
-the Android device connected to the PC so adb can access it

A few notes:
-The music is copied to the current folder as Artist/Album/Tracks.
-Copying the MP3 files from the device can take a while. Patience is a virtue.
-The paths created are *nix style, i.e. uses forward slashes. Windows users might need to change to back slashes
-There isn't any error checking, so if adb fails or sqlite3 isn't installed, who knows what will happen?

Finally, here is the python script.

#!/usr/bin/python
# Extract locally stored music from Google Music and rename the files properly
# 12-08-2014  Created by Bill Blankenship

import subprocess
import sqlite3
import os

# Get a copy of the music database
subprocess.check_call(["adb", "pull", "/data/data/com.google.android.music/databases/music.db"])
subprocess.check_call(["adb", "pull", "/data/data/com.google.android.music/databases/music.db-journal"])

# Get the mp3 files
raw_input("Getting ready to copy mp3 files from the device. This can take a while.\nPress Ctl-C to abort or Enter to continue...")
subprocess.check_call(["adb", "pull", "/data/data/com.google.android.music/files/music/"])

# Get needed info from the database
db = sqlite3.connect("music.db")
cursor = db.cursor()
cursor.execute('''select Id, LocalCopyPath, Title, Album, Artist, TrackNumber from MUSIC where LocalCopyPath is not NULL''')
all_rows = cursor.fetchall()

# Iterate through each song 
for row in all_rows:
  # Replace "/" with "-" in track names 'cause they're trouble
  # Apparently tuples are immutable, so create more variables 
  LocalPath = row[1].replace("/","-")
  Title = row[2].replace("/","-")
  Album = row[3].replace("/","-")
  Artist = row[4].replace("/","-")
  TrackNumber = row[5]

  # Make TrackNumber two digits (and a string)
  if TrackNumber < 10:
    TrackNumber = "0"+str(TrackNumber)
  else:
    TrackNumber = str(TrackNumber)

  # Create Artist folder if needed
  if not os.path.isdir(Artist):
    os.makedirs(Artist)
  # Create Album folder if needed
  if not os.path.isdir(Artist+"/"+Album):
    os.makedirs(Artist+"/"+Album)
  # Move and rename tracks
  print("Copying "+LocalPath+" to "+Artist+"/"+Album+"/"+TrackNumber+"-"+Title+".mp3")
  os.rename(LocalPath, Artist+"/"+Album+"/"+TrackNumber+"-"+Title+".mp3")
db.close()

# Remove the music database files
os.remove("music.db")
os.remove("music.db-journal")

FIX: Android device doesn't show up in Google Play Store device list

Somewhere along the way while flashing updates to the AOKP ROM to my Nexus 7 (2012), the Nexus stopped showing up in the device list on the web version of the Google Play store. But the Play store functioned properly on the Nexus: I could install new apps, got updates for existing apps, etc.

Since I saw the problem on the Play website and Play worked great on the Nexus itself, I thought the problem was "Google-wide". I cleared cache and data for Google Play services on the Nexus. No luck. I went to the Google dashboard and deleted the duplicate entries for my N7 (duplicates are a result of flashing ROMs to my device). Didn't work.

It turns out my assumption that the problem was Google-wide was wrong. The fix turned out to be easy.

This fixed the problem for me:

• Clear Play Store data. Go to Settings->Apps and scroll down until you see Google Play Store and tap it. Tap Clear Cache and then Clear Data. 
• Reboot device
• Wait a few minutes
• Check the Play store website
• Do a happy dance

After doing this, my Nexus 7 shows up again.

Python Script to Remove Unbreakable Blocks in Robominer

Robominer is an Android game where you use a robot to drill around searching for a diamond. There are blocks that can't be drilled, so you have to either go around them or use dynamite to blow them up. After a while, I got really annoyed dealing with these blocks. So I poked around and found a way to replace them with other blocks.

Basically, when you save a game, it saves the entire map too. This includes the types and locations of all of the blocks. The save file can be modified to remove the unbreakable blocks.

I have SL4A and Python installed on my Android device, so I wrote a Python script I can run on my device to make the changes for me. If needed, you can also copy the file to a PC, run the script, and then copy it back. Note, however, that the script has to be run on every new level. Being able to run the script on the device is a lot more convenient.

Here is the script. It assumes your saved game file is on the SD card. I don't think you can modify the save file in the "Phone" slot unless your device is rooted.

#!/usr/bin/python
# Replace gray blocks with regular blocks on Android app Robominer
#
# 01-15-2013: Created by BitJunkie
# 01-16-2013: For gray blocks, generate random mineral type
# 01-22-2013: Block info starts 3 bytes before 0x3f80, adjust file pointer info
import random 

count=0
random.seed()
# Open the file in binary mode for reading and writing
fh=open("/sdcard/Android/data/com.rnet.robominer/files/last_1.sav","rb+")

# Go to the beginning of the block info +3 bytes, from the beginning of the file
fh.seek(0x30, 0)
header = fh.read(2)

while header == b"\x3f\x80": 
  fh.seek(-4,1)  # Move file pointer to start of block info
  blk = fh.read(1)
  if blk == b"\x01": # if block is gray
    fh.seek(-1,1)
    fh.write(b"\x02")  # Make it regular 
    r = random.sample(["\x01","\x02","\x03","\x04","\x05","\x06","\x07","\x08","\x09","\x0a","\x0b","\x0c","\x0d","\x0e","\x0f","\x10","\x11","\x12"],1)
    fh.write(r[0])  # Add random mineral/element
    fh.seek(13,1)  # Go to next block
    count+=1  # Count how many blocks are changed
  else:
  # Go to next block header
    fh.seek(14,1)
  header = fh.read(2)

print "Blocks changed: %d" % count

I have only used this for games on the "Easy" level. I'm sure the script would have to be modified for the higher difficulties.

Have fun!

Gift Codes for Despicable Me: Minion Rush

Updated 5/14/2015. See below.
Updated 3/28/2015. See below.
Updated 2/11/2015. See below.
Updated 12/10/2014. See below.
Etc., etc.

NOTE: Comments are moderated, so it might take a while for posted comments to show up.

Despicable Me: Minion Rush is a running game for Android (maybe other OSes too). If you select Options from the main screen and press the gift icon, you can enter codes here to get some goodies. Here are the codes I've found so far.

Use the up and down arrows to select different minion types. The different types are: classic, baby, maid, golfer, dancer, firefighter, and dad.

classic, firefighter, baby: Unlock Baby minion
baby, dancer, golfer: Unlock x5 score perks
baby, firefighter, maid: Unlock x5 banana points
maid, classic, golfer: Unlock loser taunt
dancer, firefighter, dad: Unlock x3 minion launcher
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
May 14, 2015 Update: Version 2.8.0k; Content Version 421 (also Version 2.8.1d) 
Looks like gift codes have been removed in this update.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 28, 2015 Update: Version 2.7.1c; Content Version 412
This update adds an April Fools Day special mission. But I didn't find any new gift codes in this update. If you find any, please leave a comment to let me know.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
February 11, 2015 Update: Version 2.6.2c; Content Version 398
This update adds a Valentine's Day special mission. But I didn't find any new gift codes in this update. If you find any, please leave a comment to let me know.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
December 10, 2014 Update: Version 2.5.0p; Content Version 383
This update adds special missions, in particular the Arctic Base mission. But I didn't find any new gift codes in this update. If you find any, please leave a comment to let me know.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
November 10, 2014 Update: Version 2.3.1a; Content Version 370
I didn't find any new codes in this update. If you find any, please leave a comment to let me know.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
November 8, 2014 Update: Version 2.3.0f; Content Version 370
No surprise, I didn't find any new codes in this update. If you find any, please leave a comment to let me know.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
October 21, 2014 Update: Version 2.2.1f; Content Version 367
I didn't find any new codes in this update. If you find any, please leave a comment to let me know.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
September 18, 2014 Update: Version 2.1.0m; Content Version 343
I didn't find any new codes in this update. I'm starting to think this feature isn't used anymore. If you find any, please leave a comment to let me know.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
August 20, 2014 Update: Version 2.0.3b; Content Version 326
I didn't find any new codes in this update. If you find any, please leave a comment to let me know.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
July 30, 2014 Update: Version 2.0.2e; Content Version 325
Big update. The game mechanics have changed, but gameplay is about the same. But I didn't find any new codes in this update. If you find any, please leave a comment to let me know.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
May 26, 2014 Update: Version 1.8.1g; Content Version 294
I didn't find any new codes in this update. If you find any, please leave a comment to let me know.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
May 14, 2014 Update: Version 1.8.0u; Content Version 289
I didn't find any new codes in this update. If you find any, please leave a comment to let me know.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 22, 2014 Update: Version 1.7.2; Content Version 227
I didn't find any new codes in this update. If you find any, please leave a comment to let me know.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
February 10, 2014 Update: Version 1.6.1b; Content Version 202
I didn't find any new codes in this update. :( If you find any, please leave a comment to let me know.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
January 2014 Update: Version 1.6.0u; Content Version 200
Golfer, golfer, baby: x3 Score Perks

Golfer, dancer, dad: 20 Tokens

Dancer, maid, baby: x3 Banana Perks

Dad, baby, dancer: 1500 Bananas

Enjoy!

Android Google Services Data Usage is Huge

If you have a Nexus device running a custom ROM, you better check your data usage. A lot of people have noticed a huge spike in data usage on these platforms. The problem might not be limited to Nexus devices, but it is a problem with custom ROMs based on Android 4.2.2 and earlier. It seems to have started around the end of August. Some speculate that Google Services is downloading the Android 4.3 update, which fails since the ROM is custom, and then downloads the update again, etc.

I ran into this problem on my Nexus 7 (2012) running AOKP. This is how I fixed mine (hopefully, so far so good). Note that your device must be rooted, but if you're running a custom ROM, I assume it is.

• Download FOTAKill.apk from CyanogenMod or from XDA
• Move the APK to the /system/app folder (remember to remount /system read-write)
• Change owner/group to root/root and change permissions to 0644 (not sure if this is needed, but I did it to match existing apps)
• Reboot to recovery and wipe the cache
• Reboot and done

Hope this helps someone out there.

Boot Multiple OSes Using Your Android Device and DriveDroid

DriveDroid is a neat app that allows you to boot ISO and IMG files that are stored on your Android device, just like you are booting from a USB drive. You can download a lot of images from within the app. You can also create blank images, but I haven't used this feature.

Your device must be rooted to use this app, so if it's not then this app isn't for you.

The process is quite simple. Start DriveDroid and press the "+" button and select "Download image" to get a list of available images. Select a distribution and then select the file you want. For the first time, I suggest trying Slitaz, since it is only about 35MB. Once it is downloaded, it will show up on DriveDroid's main screen.

To boot from an image, select it in DriveDroid, and select the host mode (e.g. Writable USB, etc). Then, connect the Android device to a PC using a USB cable and boot the PC. The PC will boot the selected image. If the image doesn't boot, check the PC's BIOS settings and make sure "Boot from USB" is set as the first boot device.

To stop hosting, just tap the DriveDroid icon in the Android notification area.

One requirement for the ISO images is that they must be in hybrid format. To check an ISO, type

fdisk -l file.iso

If no partition table is found, the ISO is not in hybrid format. One of my favorite tools, SystemRescueCd, isn't in this format. To make it work, all I had to do was download the ISO and run

isohybrid file.iso

This changes the file to the correct format and then it works with DriveDroid just fine.

DriveDroid makes it easy to try out new distributions. And with the right tools, your Android device can be an invaluable recovery tool.

ADB Shows Device Offline after Android 4.2.2 Update

If you have upgraded to Android 4.2.2 and you can no longer connect to your device with ADB, the problem may be an outdated ADB executable on your PC. If ADB shows your device as "Offline", update your Android SDK to get the latest ADB and see if it helps. I ran into this problem with my Nexus 7. I know version 1.0.31 works. You can check the version with "adb version".

Android 4.2.2 introduces a "whitelist" for ADB connections. When you plug the device in to a PC, a screen opens on the device that gives you the option to allow or deny the ADB connection. If you have an old version of ADB, this screen doesn't appear and the device shows as "Offline" on the PC.

If ADB isn't the issue, then you can try the following:

• Unplug the device and run "adb kill-server" on the PC and plug it back in. Or,
• Reboot the Android device. Or,
• Plug the device into a different USB port

Hope this helps.

Some Interesting Android build.prop Parameters

The /system/build.prop file on Android devices contains parameters that control various functions and information on the device. Here are some that are of interest. Note: to make changes to this file, your phone must be rooted.

Increase the VM heap size, probably not a good idea on low end phones with limited memory:
dalvik.vm.heapsize=48m

Draw the UI using the GPU instead of the CPU
debug.sf.hw=1

Decrease dial out delay
ro.telephony.call_ring.delay=0

Increase scrolling responsiveness
windowsmgr.max_events_per_sec=180

Increase scan time for wifi APs (saves battery)
wifi.supplicant_scan_interval=120

Save battery
pm.sleep_mode=1
ro.ril.disable.power.collapse=0

Disable debugging icon on statusbar
persist.adb.notify=0

Disable boot animation for faster boot
debug.sf.nobootanimation=1

Force launcher into memory
ro.HOME_APP_ADJ=1

Prefix "3g" on lock screen
ro.ril.enable.3g.prefix=1

Some of these didn't work on my LG Vortex or had no noticeable effect. Specifically,
dalvik.vm.heapsize=48m (I have limited RAM so I didn't try it)
ro.telephony.call_ring.delay=0 (I had no need to try this one either)
ro.ril.enable.3g.prefix=1


If the parameters are not in the build.prop file, just add them. You must reboot the device for the changes to take effect. 

My Top 10 Android Utilities

I thought I would share some of my favorite Android utilities. All are available in the Market and all are free or have a free version. Here goes.

1. Zeam Launcher - Free: A lightweight launcher replacement with scrolling application bar. Double tapping the screen provides a quick way to select a screen.

2. ES File Explorer - Free: A fantastic file explorer. It can work with SMB shares, FTP servers, and Dropbox.

3. Dropbox - Free: Sync your files with Dropbox and use this app to access them wherever you are. Sign up using this link and get yourself (and me) an extra 250MB for free: http://db.tt/kH58cVw

4. Advanced Task Killer - Free w/ ads: Use this to end battery draining programs that run in the background. Also has an ignore list that won't kill apps you select.

5. Sparse RSS Reader - Free: Simple and lightweight RSS reader without all of the bloat.

6. OS Monitor - Free: Check CPU usage, memory usage, network connections, log files, etc.

7. KeePassDroid - Free: Access your passwords on the go. Keep it synced with Dropbox and your passwords will always be up to date. Unfortunately, it is read only for .kdbx (2.x) databases.

8. ZDBox - Free: Monitor battery usage, data usage, task killer, app lock, uninstaller, and cache cleaner.

 

9. Miren Browser - Free: Fast web browser to replace the default browser. Includes tabbed browsing, flash support and bookmark management.

10. Speedtest - Free w/ ads: Who doesn't like to check their connection speed occasionally?

Rooting my LG Vortex Android 2.2.2

[Boring Disclaimer] - Rooting your phone voids your warranty and can potentially kill it. I take no responsibility for anything that happens to your phone by following the steps below. Use at your own risk.

I've debated rooting my LG Vortex for a while. I don't really need root access, but I don't like being locked out of something that I own. I finally decided to do it and the following are the steps I took.

-Download Gingerbreak 1.2 and put it on your phone
-On your phone, go to Settings->Applications and enable "Unknown Sources"

-Go to Settings->Applications->Development and enable "USB Debugging"

-Using a file manager (I use ES File Explorer from the Market), browse to the Gingerbreak file and click it to install it
-From your Application list, run Gingerbreak and select "Root device"

-When Gingerbreak succeeds, the phone will reboot
-Check your application list for Superuser. If it's installed, then you have root access.

Gingerbreak takes a while to run, but, according to it's site, not longer than 10 minutes. The first time I tried, I let it run for about 13 minutes before I aborted. I rebooted my phone and tried again. This time Gingerbreak ran about 8 minutes before it succeeded and then restarted my phone.

That's it! Now maybe I'll try some custom ROMs. If anyone knows of some good ROMs to try, please let me know! I would love to try CyanogenMod but it isn't currently available for the Vortex. :(