Wow – it’s been a while, hasn’t it? I may have completely forgotten about all this if not for a note I received along with a most excellent Reddit Gifts comic exchange package. I’m doing well – Avery and Raina are both incredible and the absolute light of my life. Mostly I’ve been busy enjoying them and the misses, doing what we do best at Core Business, fiddling with my Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 7, and updating AtoZwire.com with Amazon.com deals on the daily. So that’s where you’ll find me while this place is neglected – check it out: AtoZwire.com. See you around.
Flashing Peter Alfonso’s Stock Gingerbread Rom on stock OG Motorola Droid
Filed under Uncategorized
I am creating this because I couldn’t find a simple How To that takes a completely stock unrooted FRG83D Droid 1 to running Peter Alfonso’s (simply amazing) stock Gingerbread ROM with his custom low voltage kernels. Here are the steps I took.
I hope it helps someone else finally take the plunge to rooting and custom ROMs. Being a ‘day-zero’ Droid adopter, I can’t believe I didn’t do this sooner.
I cannot stress this enough – HUGE thanks to Peter Alfonso, AndroidCentral Forum contributors, XDA Developers and everyone else in our great Android community. Make a legitimate effort to donate a little cash to any one or all of these fine folks.
IMPORTANT: You are doing all of this at your own risk. As with any rooting / romming / kernel modification, you are voiding your warranty and you run the risk, however slight it may be, of turning your phone into a glorified paperweight. I am not responsible for any ill effects you encounter. If you are concerned at all, stop here. Rooting and custom ROMs are not for you.
1.) Root your FRG83D (may work on other stock OS versions) phone using SuperOneClick: Follow the instructions and get SuperOneClick here.
2.) Install Rom Manager from the Android Market.
3.) Open Rom manager and choose to Flash ClockworkMod Recovery.
4.) Download Peter’s latest Droid Gingerbread ROM here.
5.) Download a version of Peter’s custom kernel that you are happy with. I chose the 1.0 GHz Low Voltage as a nice middle ground and it works fantastically. remember to Flash his AutoOverclocker.zip to enable the new clockspeed.
6.) Copy those two zip files to your Droid’s SD card via USB cable with USB Storage turned on.
7.) Disconnect your phone from your computer and open Rom Manager.
8.) Choose Reboot into Recovery. If your phone hangs at the exclamation screen on reboot, pop out your battery, put it back in and boot the phone as normal. Open Rom Manager and choose to flash a different version of ClockworkMod Recovery. Repeat booting into recovery until it actually does (you will see a text-based menu.)
9.) From the recovery options wipe your Data and Cache partitions.
10.) Choose to install a ROM zip from SD. Pick Peter’s Gingerbread rom and flash it.
11.) Choose to install a ROM zip from SD. Pick Peter’s kernel and flash it.
12.) Go back to the main menu and reboot the phone.
13.) Welcome to stock Gingerbread. Go through the standard paces of linking the phone to your Google account. While it is syncing, go to your Wireless settings and connect to WiFi (will make this all go much faster.)
14.) When you finally see the message that all your apps have downloaded / updated, make sure you have You Tube, Gmail, Maps, etc. If you do not, open up the Market and go get what you need.
15.) Set Gmail to auto sync by going to your phone: Settings > Accounts & sync > example@gmail.com > Sync Gmail
16.) Shut the phone down and then boot it up to tie up any loose ends.
Enjoy. Donate to Peter here. Donate to XDA by creating an account and becoming a contributor.
iPhone4: The beginning of the end.
Filed under Blogging
Tagged as apple, google, htc evo, iphone, iphone4, linkedin, mobile phone, smartphone
Tagged as apple, google, htc evo, iphone, iphone4, linkedin, mobile phone, smartphone
Jerry recently passed this article along to me: It’s Apple vs. Google in the battle over the future of computing.
You know – this is one of those times where Apple is truly at a loss. I know I’m not exactly an Apple sympathizer or anything, but think about it. They release one mobile device a year (now two, with the iPad) and those new releases are really just updates to the existing platform. Google gave their operating system to every manufacturer that wanted it… and they all wanted it. Motorola alone will release two more Android handsets on Verizon wireless in the next three months. LG has committed to 20 (yeah, twenty) new Android handsets released worldwide by 2011. HTC isn’t slowing down either. And their EVO 4G simply outclasses the new iPhone4.
The iPhone4 was equaled or surpassed on all counts before it was even released by the Evo 4G. This has never happened to Apple before. It’s going to hurt.
Hopefully Apple has built their army of fanboys (and girls) strong enough to weather the next year of mediocrity. I hope so – the world needs competition from innovators like Apple.
More Kingston Springs (Nashville Area) flooding photos.
Filed under Blogging
Here’s a few more photos I snapped while checking in on the office this morning.
Kingston Springs Elementary. The water was another four feet over this at its highest point.
The other side of Burns Park (see photos from yesterday for the ball-field side.)
Burns Park again.
The active (well, not any more) railroad bridge near Burns Park…. note the bottom has been washed away.
Asphalt destroyed on the bridge leading up Pinnacle Hill in Kingston Springs.
The old bridge (and the area around it) near Burns Park is just wrecked.
Harpeth River Flooding Kingston Springs, TN – Flood 2010
Here are a few photos I just took downtown Kingston Springs, TN when I went to check on the office (and move all the development boxes off the floor.) This is the highest I’ve ever seen the Harpeth River get. A little water had already made it into the front of the office from the cars driving on the flooded streets. It seems we got hit much lighter than Bellevue, Antioch and much of Nashville. I’m thankful that we still have power, water, etc.
This is the railroad bridge across from Burns Park in Kingston Springs. Word is that by now (2 hours after taking this photo) the water is nearly over this bridge.
This is one side of Burns Park in Kingston Springs, TN. The dog park and skate park are both completely submerged… you can barely see the old jungle-gym and swingset on the right.
The bridge leading out of downtown Kingston Springs, going toward White Bluff is totally flooded. When the news says not to try to cross standing water, this is the shit they are talking about. Looks crossable, but beyond the bridge is much deeper and the water is moving more swiftly than it looks.
Android 2.1 update pushing to the Droid starting 3.18.10
Filed under Blogging
The fine folks over at AndroidCentral have leaked a Verizon Wireless document pinpointing Thursday March, 18, 2010 as the start date of the over-the-air Droid update to Android OS 2.1. The rollout is expected to take several days and occur in batches of 250,000.
LEGO Universe Closed Beta Invite!
Filed under Blogging
Wooohooo – I just got an email from Lego with my closed beta invitation key for Lego Universe. Sadly, if I understand correctly, the confidentiality agreement prevents me from sharing screenshots and other gems of excitement… so I won’t be posting anything up here of that sort.
Madd thanks to my brother, Jason, for sending me the sign-up link.
I’ve been crazy excited about Lego Universe since I heard it was slated for production. Lana was warned many months ago that Lego Universe (and Starcraft II) will occupy enough of my time to put a strain on our marriage. I just thought I’d have more time to prepare her, though.
I’m scared.
Maybe she’ll be cool if I reactivate her World of Warcraft account… or pay for a few months of Ancestry.com?
[UPDATE: Jason got an invite, too!]
That’s it! – I’m swearing off McDonalds completely.
Filed under Blogging
I am terribly sick of biting into a McDonalds hamburger and hurting my teeth on the random piece of hard bone or cartilage that seems to be in ever burger I buy from them. And it’s not singular to my most convenient location. It seems that any McDonalds I eat at, I have a (roughly estimated) 70% chance of getting a burger with this random cow-shrapnel in it. It ruins my meal and often my day. Just the fear of getting one of these all-too-common “bone” burgers has made me pass up McDonalds on countless locations even though I don’t like the taste of most other fast-food burgers. And when I do occasionally give in to the desire of a McDee’s burger, I am reminded why I usually drive on by.
So this last tooth-reverberating episode was the end of McDonalds for me. Wendys, Sonic, Hardees, Burger King, Steak and Shake– all these share the ranks of fast-food joints that I have not bitten into a hard piece of whatever it is that McDonalds allows into their all beef pattys. With so many options, I can’t believe I haven’t made this decision sooner.
Subaru makes good (without issuing a recall) on leaky / smelly WRX fuel line by extending warranty!
Filed under Blogging
If you are a 2002 or 2003 Subaru Impreza WRX driver like myself, you are often greeted by the smell of gasoline whenever the weather gets cold. I complained to Subaru about the problem a couple years ago and was directed to Subaru Technical Service Bulletin #09-36-03 which acknowledges the issue, but offers no assistance in fixing the problem. Forums like NASIOC and i-Club offer excellent DIY guides, but the process is far from fun and quite time-consuming…. so I (as many others like me) have just put up with the fuel smell and simply hoped that it’s not bad enough to explode my beloved car… or my family.
Then, today, a surprise arrived in the mail. It was an extended warranty notice for a Subaru fuel line. Before we read it more carefully, we assumed it had to do with Lana’s 2008 Forester which has a dissimilar fuel line recall that we haven’t reacted to yet… then I actually read the letter. It regards my WRX and the smelly fuel line!!! I have never been more proud to be a Subaru fan. It may have something to do with all the Toyota recalls that are taking place, but for whatever the reason, I am elated that Subaru is fixing the problem at no charge.
The letter reads:
Dear Subaru Owner:
We would like to thank you for selecting a 2002 or 2003 Model Year Subaru Impreza WRX. At Subaru we, take pride in our products and are committed to your continued satisfaction. We have discovered that in extremely cold outside temperatures, a certain fuel delivery lin/hose located under the engine intake manifold may temporarily seep some fuel during initial cold engine start up. If this condition occurs, vehicle occupants may notice the smell of fuel.
As a result of this finding and in the interest of your satisfaction, we are extending the warranty coverage period on this engine fuel delivery line/hose to 12 years / unlimited mileage. [letter continues]
If you need additional assistance, please contact us directly: 1-800-782-2782. [letter continues]
It even goes on to explain that if you already replaced the hose at the dealer, they will reimburse you for the cost. Thanks for being a stand-up car company, Subaru. While I wish it didn’t take eight years for the replacement assistance, I’ll take anything I can get. You can expect me at a Nashville area Subaru dealer within the week.
My 22 month old’s laptop… and an argument for ghosting your netbook.
Filed under Blogging
I’ve probably mentioned it before, but in case not, I have a Dell Mini. I’m actually using it to type this post (Lana is on the ‘real’ laptop.) It was purchased as the car’s computer, as in a device to leave in the WRX so I would always have a computer… you know, just in case.
My original purpose for the laptop has shifted, mostly because of the Droid, but also because of Avery. I just don’t need another internet appliance, especially one that requires the often elusive WiFi when I’m surrounded by Verizon 3G waves. So I started using the netbook as a play thing… which also meant that so did Avery.
And this is great. I really want her to have experience with computers and not be afraid of ‘hurting’ the stinking things. So let her sticky-finger the $300 laptop is a much better plan than giving her the $1000 one. Long story short, it was only natural to start using it as a media player for her in the car.
… and so begins my conundrum.
Running Ubuntu is fun and having a laptop that I ‘don’t care about’ means that I can install homebrew software, change the OS on a whim, and do whatever. Now that the Mini 9 has a purpose… one that is now essential to long car rides, I have a fear of breaking the damned thing. This really only hit me today when I decided running a build of Google’s Chrome OS would be cool.
Any of this sound familiar? I have to believe I’m not the only geek-dad out there.
Sigh – At least there is a solution… just one that keeps me (and you) from doing things on a whim. Now I need to ghost the drive of this thing. I can play all I want so long as I restore ‘Avery’s OS’ before we take trips.
It was probably a good idea before now, but today it has become an essential one. Stand by for my suggestions for performing this sort of drive image… I promise much thought and at least a few fails will go into my final solution.
