Vicky

So you want to know about Bootloaders?

2011-05-28T12:29:00.000+05:30

Firstly, let's get some cryptic terms out of the way.

Symmetric encryption: this is the typical, familiar, scramble-your-data algorithm. You use one secret key, together with your data [called plaintext], and input them to the function. It spits out random-looking output [ciphertext]. You put your ciphertext back into it with the same key, and you get your original data back again. With this, either exactly the same function does encryption and decryption, or one function does encryption and a similar, but different one does decryption. The most popular algorithm is called AES.

Asymmetric/public key encryption: this is slightly different from the above. This time, you have two keys. One is called the public one, and it is figured out from the private one. The private key cannot be figured out from the public key. They only work in a pair as well: If you do encryption with one, you can only decrypt with the other. This is why it is special. If you encrypt with the private key, you cannot decrypt with the private key, only with the public (and visa-versa). The most popular is RSA.

Cryptographic hash: This is a one-way function. You can input as much data as you want into it, and it will come out with a fixed number of fairly random digits. These digits come out in a fairly random, and mostly normalised way. A good property of a hash function is that changing 1 bit in your input, should have a 50% chance of changing every bit in the hash's output. This means hashes are fairly unique to any particular data, and can detect even the slightest changes in it by comparing two hash ouputs together. The most popular is SHA, the most well known is MD5.

Digital signature: This uses the last two above terms. You have a message, and you want to sign it. When theyverify the signature, a receiving party can tell two things: A) That the message came from you, and B) That the message has come exactly as you intended it. How? First, you make a private/public key pair, and publish your public key everywhere a while beforehand. People remember the public key and know that you made it. When you want to send a message, first you hash that message. The hash will let anyone know if someone has tampered with the message during sending. Then you encrypt the hash with your private key (you have now signed your message). You send off the encrypted hash with your message. To verify your message, the receiving party remembers the public key you sent out earlier. They use this to decrypt the hash, and then check this hash with one generated from hashing the message themselves. If they get a match, then they now know the two facts stated previously.

So why lock a bootloader?

A bootloader lets you change all the software on your phone. By locking it, you are prevented from doing so. Why do companies do this? Well, they try to never say directly, but you can guess the reasons:

They don't want customers accidentally uploading faulty software to their phone, bricking it, and coming crying back
They want to give as little surface as possible to hackers looking to meddle with the phone, for whatever security reasons
At the request of various third parties, such as carriers
They don't want custom software being put on that gives the device extra functionality or lifetime

Disclaimer: I never said these reasons were going to make sense in your, the customer's, mind.

What does a bootloader do with digital signatures?

It uses them to check any update that passes through it. The phone keeps a read-only copy of the manufacturer's public key internally. The manufacturer then signs an update they want to give the phone. When the phone receives the update, it verifies the signature to check that the update came from the manufacturer, and only then lets it change the phone.

This means that the the manufacturer gets the best of both worlds: It stops customers from uploading unsigned changes to the phone, while allowing through only changes that the manufacturer has approved and signed. From a QA perspective, this is great! It also means that you, the customer, know that you are only getting official updates. No-one can hack an update onto your phone, or tamper with the manufacturer's before it gets to you. This meanssigning is not necessarily a bad thing! If you just want to make sure you get official updates, signing is for you.

So... what do 'we' want?

We, being the community of Android users who love to modify their phone, basically want bootloaders to follow the model that Google employs in its phones.

You can choose, by typing a command in an adb shell, whether you want your phones bootloader to be locked or unlocked. In its locked state, it will check signatures and make sure everything is official. Great for your average customer, who just wants peace of mind. In its unlocked state, it allows any custom modification, like CyanogenMod, to pass through.

When we refer to a locked bootloader, we mean one that is in its locked state, and usually also that the manufacturer didn't give us any option to unlock it. So when people say they've loaded an engineering version of a bootloader, it usually means they've found a way to load a bootloader made in the development of the phone, which didn't check for signatures (unlocked by default).

So we don't want unlocked bootloaders, or non-signing ones; that might be bad for the average customer. [TL;DR:] We want unlockable bootloaders. Note, the unlocking process shouldn't be something a normal person would be able to get to, or automatable. It should be a choice that a technical user can make.

Edit: What I think the ideal bootloader's functionality should be:

It should not be replaceable, or only replaceable by a signed manufacturer update. The rest of the phone should be.
It should have a locked state, where any updates to the phone are checked first (through signatures) to see that they're by the manufacturer
It should have an unlocked state, which allows any update to the software of the phone
These states should be switchable by a technical method
The bootloader should be able to tell what software is on the phone. It outputs a string, say, which includes a nonce and a signed answer to this question. The manufacturer can ask the customer to give them this answer from their phone. If the answer matches up with the signature of an official version of their software, then they can give support and/or warranty to the customer, because they know the software is in a certain state. If it does not match, they know custom software is on and they don't have to provide warranty and support.

Android 2.2 aka Froyo Coming Soon....

2010-04-27T04:21:00.000+05:30

Android handsets have been coming out from the various mobile manufacturers stable at a brisk pace. The development of Android OS has also been pretty good.The OS has been gaining market share by leaps and bounds. Currently, the latest version of the Android OS is 2.1.

Reports suggest that Android 2.2 will soon be announced. The Android v2.2 is named “Froyo”. The new version of the Google OS will come with some major changes under the hood.

The reported features include:

*JIT compiler
*Free additional RAM
*OpenGL ES 2.0 enhancements
*Flash 10.1 support
*Fixed problem with “crazy screen” / Resolution of cross multitouch
*Activation of Color Trackball (Done On Several CM Rom's )
*Enable FM radio

The most important change in Android 2.2 is the JIT compiler. The JIT compiler translates the application written in JAVA to native code. This leads to significantly better performance, richer graphics and better battery life. There is also Flash 10.1 support in the latest version of the OS. The new version of Android OS is also expected to enable Wi-Fi n support in devices which have the required hardware. The Linux kernel of Android will also get an update from 2.6.29 to 2.6.32. This will lead to additional free RAM on the various Android devices.

It is expected that that the latest version of the Android OS will be announced on May 19th, during the Google’s I/O event.

Comaprision Chart

2010-01-06T09:00:00.000+05:30

The Dust for Nexus One has now settled. Yesterday Google announced their New Super phone category phone "Nexus One". Thought there was nothing new in the Android press meeting apart from New Google Earth App and Voice commands in Mailboxes. As every one already saw the Unboxing video of Nexus One Weeks ago but google just officially launched it.
Its not yet there to beat Apple Iphone (this is what people say), but i personally feel that the craze for Iphone is slowly going down.
If it is not yet beating Apple Iphone, no worries its always getting closer to it.

Thanking Billshrink.com for this amazing comparison between some amazing Phones.
Apart from Market place I dont find Android lacking anywhere, and event like this small of yesterday will definitely encourage more Developers.
Hope Android is the world we live in. Cheers...

Google Tablet: Google and HTC’s Next Project vs iSlate?

2010-01-03T10:27:00.001+05:30

It appears Apple is not the only company who is mauling their tablet for the people, there’s a rumor that Google and HTC – the tandem that will bring forth the Nexus Strike this Jan, is about to unleash their own tablet as well. The name is not yet disclosed, but whatever it’ll be called (G-tablet, Schmidt’s Pad etc – oups can’t help to give that premonition) alot of speculations are starting to develop with this purported tablet.

iSlate carryout two freshly baked patents that was said to surprise the users; Google Tablet on the other hand will have all the sauce of Chrome OS, Qualcomm processors and a dash of a new software from Adobe. (Mmm, what could that be? Am i sensing a new Air Product?)

According to Smarthouse “HTC, who have been working closely with Google for the past 18 months have several working models of a touch tablet including one model, is based on the new Google Chrome Operating System say sources.”

While everything is still on a stream of uncertainty, there’s a lot of criticism with this rumored release. One is, will BIG G became the Big Jerk for its neighboring companies? – Remember Mototola Droid With just a short span of three months, the nexus one phone will reach its debut and it's ZOMG features is far better than that droid phone with the keyboard. Without a doubt this release will kill the competition with the moto-droid not to mention the ‘pissed-off’ buyers who happens to be stucked on a 2 year contract with Veriz only to find out that there’s a better phone – Nexus One.
So much for the happy ending, indeed.

Apple iSlate

2010-01-03T10:23:00.001+05:30

A new decade is fast-approaching – Six days from now and the world that we know will have its yet another phase in the course of history, hopefully towards the ‘brighter side’, ideally speaking that’s all what we want, don’t we? Thus, tech enthusiasts are already getting too delirious with what the industry has stored for them (same for the non techsavvy citizens too) Off the record, you can shout the company that you think will start the year with a new gizmo – Did I hear you say the big A as in Apple ? Well if that’s the case then your tech oriented intuitions are correct for Steve Jobs favorite ‘fruit’ will release a gadget on January 26, 2010.

This is not another Jesus Phone (as TC calls it), i mean iphone. Not a new iPod twin type (disappointingly) also this not about contacting an extra terrestrial being from. … bahh, this about a Tablet! Yep, A T-A-B-L-E-T guys. Could somebody call the clowns now, please? I can feel our readers are starting to get bored.

The size of this ‘very soon’ tablet will be 7-inch (100% sure) Although there will be a 10incher follow-up rumored to be release on spring.
The concept of this tablet sounds mediocre: Try to think about the iPhone make it 7-inch and voila we got the new apple tablet.

A tablet with a multi-touch feature: It may sound new to the tablet industry, but for the users? Of course this is expected. It wouldn’t be the image and likeness of the iPhone without a multitouch feat, wouldn’t it? The funny thing though is how appleinsider manage to salvage this comment:

One current senior employee at Apple would only say that Jobs is “extremely happy with the new tablet.” Someone else who recently left Apple reportedly said that users will be “surprised how you interact with the new tablet.”
In my opinion, I think users will be extremely happy if they saw the new tablet with ‘minority report like interface’ infused with it.

And that’s why there’s a buzz that Apple had recently filed for two patents namely, Keystroke Tactility Arrangement on a Smooth Touch Surface: Ability of the system to detect the type of interaction you are playing with it. and Multipoint Touch Surface Controller: A more advance system for detecting multi points on a touch screen.

Did I say it will be unveiled on the 26th of January, 2010?

Now TC is cooking some theories again about the nameless Tablet, they have a strong belief that this one will be named as iSlate. Snap! okay first and foremost, if you’ll say that it sounds turd then worry not, there’s a lot of people who are with the same boat as you are. But for what it’s worth, the term 'slate' has been used in the Tablet industry. Which simply refers to as a tablet pc sans the keyboard and utilizes stylus/fingertips for the interaction.

Apple has acquired the domain name islate.com back in 2007.

Mr Robin of TC manages to play some tech-detective game of who’s the owner, tracing some link of the islate domain to the impending release of the new tablet today. Is it a coincidence? Well, iSay we just wait for 3 weeks to find out, it isn’t that long, is it?

Nexus One Price: $530 Unlocked, $180 With T-Mobile Contract

2009-12-30T09:13:00.004+05:30

Hi ppl after a long time.....Sorry was bit busy with some other stuff, but what i have now is very Rocking news for All nexus one fans.

Gizmodo was tipped with several screen shots of what appears to be the official Nexus One landing page and pricing for the phone. You're given two options to get the Nexus One upon release: Sold directly from Google. Unlocked and unsubsidized for $530. Or $180 if you're eligible and sign a 2-year contract with T-Mobile. In addition, here are some new details copied from Gizmodo:

• If you want it subsidized, you'll have to sign up for a 2 year mandatory contract
• There's only one rate plan: $39.99 Even More + Text + Web for $79.99 total
• Existing customers cannot keep their plan if they want a subsidized phone; they have to change to the one plan, and this only applies to accounts with one single line
• If that doesn't fly with you, you have to buy the $530 unlocked version—this actually might save you money over two years if you already have a cheap plan
• Family plans, Flexpay, SmartAccess and KidConnect subscribers must buy the phone unlocked and unsubsidized for $530
• You can only buy five Nexus One phones per Google account
• There is language in the agreement of shipping outside the US
• Google will sell it at google.com/phone, which explains what they were doing with that page a few weeks ago
• Google will still call it the Nexus One apparently, and not the Google Phone

And here is a big one:
• If you cancel your plan before 120 days, you have to pay the subsidy difference between what you paid and the unsubsidized price, so $350 in this case. Or you can return the phone to Google. You also authorize them to charge this directly to your credit card.

More to come on Jan 5th....Google has booked an 'Android Press Gather/Event" on the 5th of January.

"With the launch of the first Android-powered device just over a year ago, we've seen how a powerful, open platform can spur mobile product innovation. And this is just the beginning of what's possible."

Basics For Wave

2009-10-17T02:30:00.000+05:30

Google Wave actually has its own lingo – yes, you have to learn a few definitions if you’re going to really understand this new communication platform. Having knowledge of these terms will help you understand more about Google’s newest project.

- Wave: A wave, specifically, refers to a specific threaded conversation. It can include just one person, or it can include a group of users or even robots (explained below). The best comparison I can make is that it’s like your entire instant messaging (IM) history with someone. Anything you’ve ever discussed in a single chat or conversation is a wave.
- Wavelet: A wavelet is also a threaded conversation, but only a subset of a larger conversation (or a wave). It’s like a single IM conversation – a small part of a larger conversation and a larger history. Wavelets, though, can be created and managed separately from a wave.
- Blip: Even smaller than a Wavelet, a Blip is a single, individual message. It’s like a single line of an IM conversation. Blips can have other blips attached to them, called children. In addition, blips can either be published or unpublished (once again, it’s sort of like typing out an IM message but not yet sending it).
- Document: A document actually refers to the content within a blip. This seems to refer to the actual characters, words, and files associated with a blip.
- Extension: An extension is a mini-application that works within a wave. So these are the apps you can play with while using Wave. There are two main types of extenisons: Gadgets and Robots
- Gadgets: A gadget is an application users can participate with, many of which are built on Google’s OpenSocial platform. A good comparison would be iGoogle gadgets or Facebook applications.
- Robots: Robots are an automated participant within a wave. They can talk with users and interact with waves. They can provide information from outside sources (i.e.Twitter) or they can check content within a wave and perform actions based on them (i.e. provide you a stock quote if a stock name is mentioned).
- Embeded Wave: An embeded wave is a way to take a Google Wave and the conversation within it and place it on your website. Users could use this as a chatroom, as a way to contact you, or for something more.

Info About GOOGLE WAVE !!!

2009-09-30T23:14:00.001+05:30

Google Wave is built around HTML 5, so you'll need to use what Google calls a "modern browser" — Chrome, Safari or Firefox (or IE with Google's new Chrome Frame plug-in). Once you're using Wave, you'll see a list of currently accessible waves, along with your current contacts. It's just like using a cross between IM and a wiki.

Wave looks, at first, like an in-browser instant messaging tool. It's a multi-user tool, too, so you can quickly have a conversation with an entire team. Unlike other IM tools, Wave lets you see each letter as it's typed, and replies can start before you've finished typing. That makes it much more like a real-world conversation, but it can also be disconcerting — especially if you're accustomed to editing your text while you collect your thoughts. Fortunately there's an option to use a draft mode to hide your edits until you're ready to send them to the rest of the wave's participants.
There are plenty of formatting tools, so you can use a wave to build a document collaboratively. More than one participant can edit the same wavelet — with no locks, just an indicator to show where everyone is typing. You probably wouldn't share a Wave-created document outside the flow of conversation without reformatting and editing it, but it's a good way to get started, or to get feedback from a geographically distributed team. Waves are managed by a server that operates in two parts: the server, which handles communication with end users and other Wave servers; and the store, which manages the content of both local and remote waves.
Google is touting Wave as one of the first HTML 5 applications and it needs support for new tags that only come with what Google calls 'modern browsers'. That means Apple's Safari, Mozilla's Firefox and Google's own Chrome (which also takes advantage of the built-in Gears tools to boost Wave's performance by handling local data storage and multi-threaded JavaScript operations). You can use Wave with Internet Explorer if you install Google's new Chrome Frame plugin, which adds HTML5 and other open web technologies to Microsoft's browser.

Google to Kill Internet Explorer

2009-09-30T23:09:00.002+05:30

Google Wave is Up and now about to take over all........

Earlier today, Google said about Google Chrome Frame, a Google plug-in for Internet Explorer that “seamlessly brings Google Chrome’s open web technologies and speedy JavaScript engine to Internet Explorer.”

To use google wae on explorer either install the plugin else use Google wave or firefox or mozilla

Donut : Sneak Preview

2009-09-23T07:18:00.002+05:30

What’s new in Donut? Well, look for yourself. New features that you’ll find once the Android team and carriers deliver Android 1.6 (Donut) in an over-the-air update.The new Android Market, which includes screenshots and a revamped interface; a tweaked camera/camcorder interface; and the new Quick Search box, a near-universal search bar that searches both the web and content stored on your phone.

I’m able to access these features because they are built into the Cynanogen modded version of Android available to root users. It remains to be seen when standard phones will receive the update. However new Android SDK 1.6 r2 is already available for download

Chrome V-3.0.195.21 Out Now!!

2009-09-16T21:49:00.005+05:30

I just heard it's very stable....and more powerful than earlier....

nice improvements in store for them in Chrome 3, including:

Speed Improvements: Chrome 3 is faster than any previous stable release on both the V8 and SunSpider benchmarks. (Google's calling it a 150% increase in Javascript performance since their first beta.) In the current Chrome 4 dev release, Chrome continues to oushine other browsers on most speed benchmarks.
The New Tab Page: Again, this is only new to those of you who've been sticking to stable releases, but thenew tab page is more customizable, allowing you to rearrange thumbnails via drag and drop and pin thumbnails you want to keep around permanently.
Better Omnibox: Firefox has its awesome bar, Chrome has its omnibox. As of the stable Chrome 3 release, the omnibox adds contextual icons to help you see whether autocomplete results are suggest sites, searches, bookmarks, or sites from your history.
HTML5: Google has been pushing the envelope withwhat dev can do with HTML5, the new standard set of tools in the next evolution of HTML (the backbone of web pages). In Chrome 3 stable, HTML5 is standard—meaning support for video, audio, and canvas tags that bring a rich web experience to your browser without the need for third-party plug-ins like Flash.
Themes: they've highlighted a handful of themalready, but now they're available to the stable channel users, as well.

Try These Shortcuts Might help you....

Ctrl+Shift+N

Opens a new window in incognito mode.

Ctrl+Shift+T

Reopens the last tab you've closed. Google Chrome remembers the last 10 tabs you've closed.

Google Chrome – Where it Stands on its First Birthday?

2009-09-16T21:12:00.002+05:30

On September 2nd 2008 Google Proudly launched its first ever Web Browser.

Lets take a sneak peak over the year of Google Chrome.Some Interesting facts about the browser

Since September 2, 2008, there have been:

– 51 developer releases, 21 beta releases or updates, and 15 stable releases or updates – Over 20,600 bugs filed (4367 of them were duplicates, 3505 have been fixed, which leaves a whole lot left to go!) – 11 external committers and bug editors, 46 external code contributors – 50 Chrome Experiments – 26 posts on the Google Chrome (Google Chrome) blog – 12 Chrome Shorts, a collection of short films about Google Chrome – A sequel to the comic in Japanese

More importantly, we’ve improved by over 150% on Javascript performance since our initial beta.

Nice stats, aren’t they? Damn, who cares about the developmental Stats?? What matters is the industry/market share. So in 12 months, how much ground has Google made? Well, not much! According to stats from Market Share/Net Applications,Chrome only has 2.84% of the market, far behind Internet Explorer’s 66.87% or Firefox’s 22.98%.

Google is organising content again: this time it's magazines

2009-09-15T18:40:00.002+05:30

Another week, another Google initiative, another reason to wonder whether the giant's vaunting ambition is going to be its undoing, wonders Ian Scales. This time it's all about aggregating magazines - or rather, magazine articles.

Google this week announced 'Fast Flip'. Don't be fooled by the cutesy name, it all looks deadly serious to me. Fast Flip is another way to atomise then organise the world's content and present it in a compelling way (and sell ads around it). This time it's a magazine-style visual offering - like a news stand. Instead of presenting flat globs of textual search results (like the vanilla Google search) Fast Flip offers magazine-style page images gathered by a keyword search. One click gives you a visual close-up, a second takes you straight to the primary source where you can read the article just as God (or Murdoch) intended. Here lies the nub.

Google has been copping it big time from publishers who say the search giant is eating their lunch by assembling and aggregating their news.Oops. More enemies. So the commercial shape of Fast Flip is designed to ease big (powerful) publishers into the online world and offer some soothing revenue share at the same time. Google has kicked it off (it's still in beta within Google Labs, naturally) with a collection of magazine 'partners' with which it shares the ad revenue... presumably many more will follow. It will be fascinating to see how this one does and, if it does well, how online publishing will change because of it. One thing is for sure, individual article layout just got slightly more important and website design and navigation slightly less.

India Loves Google !!!

2009-09-15T17:23:00.002+05:30

Google dominates Internet in India, Brazil...

It's official. India is a Google lover.

This as a recent report by digital world research firm comScore shows that Google usage is more prevalent in the emerging Internet markets of India and Brazil as compared to the rest of the world.

In July, 29.8 percent of total time spent online in Brazil was spent on Google Sites, with India only slightly lower at 28.9 percent. The next highest global market was Ireland at 15.9 percent. Here, we are not talking just about Google search but the other diverse websites falling under Google's umbrella. These include Orkut, YouTube and Google Maps.

In India, Google Sites accounted for 88.4 percent of all searches conducted, and had a commanding share of time spent in social networking with Orkut (68.2 percent), maps with Google Maps (63.9 percent) with YouTube (82.8 percent). It also commanded slightly less than half of all time spent in the blogs category with blogger (47.6 percent) and email with Gmail (46.8 percent).

Try This Out !!!!

2009-09-01T09:36:00.002+05:30

So I started running into some performance problems ROM's. I found out that the dalvik-cache gets carried over between ROM installs and that it can cause problems and that I should delete it, wipe my phone and start again.I have this little guide to follow:

Ok ... so reboot into cyanogen's recovery

note:--i am assuming you know about cyanogen's recovery if not then http://tinyurl.com/lxwgyl

Press (Alt+x) to enter the console

Enter the following commands ...

mount system
mount system/sd
rm -rf system/sd/dalvik-cache
umount system/sd
umount system
recovery

This will bring you back to recovery, from there perform the "Data Wipe" option in the menu.

When it's done reboot and you should be all good. Of course you'll have to redo your settings, but your apps will reinstall properly.

Well the results have been amazing. I performed the wipe this morning and I can say that this is the “FASTEST ROM I HAVE EVER RUN”. I thought it was fast when I first made the change, but ever since my fix this morning, it’s gone into turbo mode.

OBEX in Android

2009-08-25T19:02:00.000+05:30

First of all, they are all for Android Dev Phone. You need to have root permission in Android devices. My working machine is Ubuntu 9.04 and I use Android tool chain to compile these applications.

1. Prepare working environment:
Check Android official website and they provide a user guide. It tells me how to download Android source code and how to compile it.

It took me few hours to set up environment, download code, and make the whole building system. Like my friend said, all

OTAKU in Taiwan have android source code in their machine.

If you can run Android emulator from your compiled result, it should mean DONE. :)

2. Build it for DREAM:
The Android emulator in item one doesn't support bluetooth and I cannot play OBEX in it. I choose to play it with my Android Dev Phone. Then I modified my build system and changed some configuration files. Check another document from Android, it tells me how to change my building environment. Also, if you'd like to use the official system images, you can download them from HTC.

3. Download OBEX source codes from android-obex:

a. build openobex

> cd $MYDROID (change folder to mydroid folder)
> cd external (change folder to external directory, it's for native code)
> git clone git://gitorious.org/android-obex/openobex.git (it would download code to openobex folder)
> cd openobex
> . ../../build/envsetup.sh (run android env setup script)
> mm (it would run Android makefile to compile sources)

After running above commands, it would generate related libraries and binary files in android 'out' directory.

one static library: libopenobex (out/target/product/dream/obj/STATIC_LIBRARIES/libopenobex_intermediates/libopenobex.a)
one binary file: obex_test (out/target/product/dream/system/bin/obex_test)

use USB cable to upload binary file to Android Dev Phone.

> adb shell
> mount -o remount,rw -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock3 /system (add WRITE permission in system dir)
> adb push $MYDROID/out/target/product/dream/system/bin/obex_test /system/bin

b. build obexpushd

> cd $MYDROID (change folder to mydroid folder)
> cd external (change folder to external directory, it's for native code)
> git clone git clone git://gitorious.org/android-obex/obexpushd.git (it would download code to obexpushd folder)
> cd obexpushd/src
> . ../../build/envsetup.sh (run android env setup script)
> mm (it would run Android makefile to compile sources)

After running above commands, it would generate one binary files in android 'out' directory. The same as openobex, you can use adb push to upload binary file to Android Dev Phone. BTW, you should compile openobex before obexpushd, coz obexpushd need to use openobex libraries.

one binary file: obexpushd (out/target/product/dream/system/xbin/obexpushd)

4. Verify OBEX functions between Ubuntu machine and Android Dev Phone.

Bluetooth On Android

2009-08-25T18:40:00.002+05:30

Hurray !!! Wait on we still don't have a proper Bluetooth file transfer app, but yeah there are some apps which can make somewhat somethings possible.....

We have an app called BlueX but this is a paid version, but why not try to google it you might get it through...

Also we have an app Androbex but this also has its own drawbacks......some features are still not up to mark

So the point of writing this blog is that.....you can have a temp app as of now but ya in recent times we can expect a better app thanks to everyone @ xda developers specially garok89 and others who have taken an initiative towards developing an amazing app.......so just wait on and hold on for Android to get perfect....

Thanks to openOBEX this is Possible......

OBEX=OBject EXchange=how protocol used when sending via bluetooth ot infrared
Open=open source=anyone can use the code with no copyright issues

Sit Back n Njoy......!!!!

Steps to Root Airtel HTC Magic and Mytouch 3G( for US users)

2009-08-17T18:51:00.010+05:30

As Promised I said i would come up with steps for Rooting....

For Airtel Customers i would assure that this is working 100% because i tried it successfully myself.......

If you have tried to use our How To Root Your Magic procedure on your MyTouch, you probably noticed a huge brick wall that you ran into during the procedure. Well, finally, the good devs over at XDA, have graced us with a solution (albiet a slightly complicated one).

PLEASE PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK, THIS IS A COMPLICATED PROCEDURE AND COULD HARM YOUR PHONE!

So with the disclaimer out of the way, let’s begin shall we?

*Thanks to Erlern for the GoldCard procedure!
*Thanks to Amon Ra for the Rooting procedure!

Before Beginning:

Have a SPARE memory card (2GB is perfect and relatively cheap) to use for the Goldcard procedure, do NOT use your normal everyday card as it will ONLY be a goldcard after we are done.

I. Download and Install the Android SDK, Fastboot, and drivers (If you already have this done, skip this section).

1. Download these 2 files:
Android SDK
Fastboot (scroll to Fastboot tool and download the appropriate one for you computer’s OS)

2. Once you download the SDK, extract the SDK files to “C:\AndroidSDK”. Then extract the fastboot program to the C:\AndroidSDK\tools\ folder.

3. Turn off the phone, then turn it back on by holding down the Power and Back button (to enter bootloader mode).

4. Plug the phone into the computer via USB. Make sure that it says FASTBOOT USB instead of FASTBOOT now.

5. Your computer should say installing drivers right now (if this is the first time you have connected the phone in fastboot mode). Hopefully your computer will automatically install them, but if it doesn’t then use this guide from Google to install the drivers.

6. Goto the Start menu type cmd into the run section of the start menu and hit enter to bring up the Command Prompt.

7. Type the following into the command dos prompt on the computer (the black screen with white letters that just opened) while the phone is connected through USB, hitting enter at the end of the line:
cd\
cd androidsdk\tools\
fastboot devices

8. You should see a serial number pop up and the word fastboot to the right of it. This means that your USB drviers are all set up correctly and you can continue. If you do NOT see this, then you need to start over or Google for how to set up the USB drivers correctly (this will help).

9. If it worked, unplug your phone and turn it off and then back on to get to the regular home screen.

*Tip: If your computer says the drivers are installed but it is installing the wrong drivers, I recommend Uninstalling the drivers using this program, USBDeview, then plug the phone in again and choose the correct drivers in the SDK USB Drivers folder

II. Create a “Goldcard”

(USE A SPARE MEMORY CARD FOR THIS, YOU WILL NOT BE USING THIS CARD FOR YOUR NORMAL MEMORY CARD AGAIN, SO HAVE THIS GOLDCARD AS ONE MEMORY CARD AND ANOTHER CARD AS YOUR REAL MEMORY CARD FOR SAVING MUSIC, FILES, ETC. TO)

1. Put the Spare memory card into your phone.

2. With the Spare Memory card in your phone, click on Settings, SD and Phone storage, then click Unmount SD card. Once it unmounts, click Format SD card. (Please keep in mind that some memory cards don’t work)

3. On the Phone, goto Settings, Applications, Development and then make sure USB Debugging is checked.

4. *Make sure you have installed the SDK and Fastboot correctly from Section I!!!
Plug the phone into the computer and then open the Command Prompt (goto the start menu and type in cmd in the search box). Then type the following with hitting enter at the end of each line.

cd\
cd\AndroidSDK\tools\
adb devices

(wait for the it to show a serial number underneath, if it doesn’t then reinstall the drivers from section I). Then type:

adb shell
cat /sys/class/mmc_host/mmc1/mmc1:*/cid

5. A code will display, write the code down (MAKE SURE TO WRITE IT DOWN EXACTLY!)

6. Now, on your computer, goto http://revskills.de/pages/download.html and download QMAT 4.36. Extract the file to your computer somewhere and double click on the qmat.exe to open the program (THIS IS A DEMO VERSION SO IT WILL ONLY STAY OPEN FOR 10 MINUTES, SO TRY AND NOT LINGER WHILE DOING THE NEXT STEPS).

7. Click on Cryptoanalysis Tools then Crypto Toolbox

8. Scroll down till you see a text box with a button titled, “Reverse String”, next to it. Put the CID you wrote down earlier into the text box (DOUBLE CHECK IT!) and then click the Reverse String button. It should reverse the CID you put in, write this down now (AND AGAIN DOUBLE CHECK IT!).

9. Now, on your computer, goto http://revskills.de/pages/goldcard.html and enter your email in the appropriate field and for CID enter the reversed CID you just copied down BUT REPLACE THE FIRST 2 DIGITS WITH 2 ZEROS! (i.e. 12345678910 becomes 00345678910). *Thanks to Viper for providing these Goldcards for FREE!

10. Click continue and then you will receive your goldcard.img via email. Once it arrives save it to your computer.

11. Now, goto http://download.cnet.com/HxD-Hex-Editor/3000-2352-10891068.html?part=dl-HxDHexEdi&subj=uo&tag=button to download the HxD Hex Editor. Save it and install it to your computer.

12. Take your SD card out of your phone and put it into the SD adapter it came with. Then put that into your computer so it shows up on your computer as Removable Disk.

13. Open the Hex Editor and click on the Extra tab, then click on Open Disk. Under Physical Disk select Removable Disk (your SD card you just put into the computer). Make sure to UNcheck “Open as ReadOnly”. Click OK.

14. Goto the Extra tab again and click Open Disk Image. Open up the goldcard.img that you saved from your email. You should now have two tabs, one is the SD card (Removable Disk) and the other is the goldcard.img
Press OK when prompted for Sector Size 512 (Hard Disks/Floppy Disks).

15. Click on the Goldcard.img tab and click on the Edit tab and click Select All. Then click on the Edit tab again and click Copy.

16. Click on the Removable Disk tab (Your SD Card) and select offset 00000000 to 00000170 then click on the Edit tab and click Paste Write.

17. Click on File then click Save.

18. Close the Hex Editor.

19. Test what we’ve done:

Take out the memory card from the computer, then put it back in.
Try to open the memory card on the computer (Removable Disk), if it lets you, you are all set. If it asks/tells you to reformat the card, then try steps 13 – 19 again. If it gives you the same error again, then try a different memory card (Erlern said it didn’t work for him until he finally went and bought a Kingston 2GB card, then it worked on that card only).

III. Root the MyTouch using the Goldcard

1. Save the required file (SappIMG.img) to your computer, then save it to your goldcard (Do NOT rename it to anything, leave it as SappIMG.zip). Then take out your Goldcard from the computer.

ROM v2.53.707.2 (Engineerings SPL v1.33.2010) - MD5 : F9674D19BE5F949D0D9DC99714D210E3

ROM v2.16.707.3 (NON-Perfected stock SPL v1.33.0009) - MD5 : DC391E4A3FC57861D7197C151176ED96

ROM v2.16.151.1 (NON-Perfected stock SPL v1.33.0009) - MD5 : ADA4924293EFF619B05BB397446F862D

———————————————————————————————————————————————–

2.. Take your original memory card (NOT YOUR GOLDCARD) and save whatever is on it to your computer as a backup before beginning.

3. Put the memory card into your phone (AGAIN NOT THE GOLDCARD).

4. With the memory card in your phone, click on Settings, SD and Phone storage, then click Unmount SD card. Once it unmounts, click Format SD card.

5. Plug the phone into the computer and mount the SD card so we can save a file to it.

6. Download the 1.33.2005 HBoot and save it to your newly formatted memory card, and then rename it to update.zip (windows sometimes just needs you to rename it update and if you still see the zip folder symbol next to the file that means that it is still update.zip even though it only shows update).

7. Turn off your phone once the update.zip file is on the memory card.

8. Take out the memory card from the phone and put in the Goldcard (all while the phone is still off).

9. Turn on the phone by hold down the Power and Volume Down button. When the screen comes to the rainbow (or skating android screen), it should automatically pick up the SappIMG.zip file and ask you to update. Go ahead and update (DO NOT INTERRUPT THIS PROCESS).

10. Once the flashing is COMPLETE. Then turn off the phone.

11. While the phone is off, take out the Goldcard and put in the regular SD card (the one with the update.zip file on it).

12. Turn on the phone while holding Back and Power until the Fastboot screen comes up (when the fastboot screen comes up it should read, 1.33.2005 for SPL).

13. Download Amon Ra’s Recovery Image and save it to the AndroidSDK\Tools folder on your computer.

14. Plug the phone into the computer (while still in fastboot mode).

15. Goto the Start menu type cmd into the run section of the start menu and hit enter to bring up the Command Prompt.

16. Type the following into the command dos prompt on the computer (the black screen with white letters that just opened) while the phone is connected through USB, hitting enter at the end of the line:
cd\
cd androidsdk\tools\
fastboot devices

17. You should see a serial number pop up and the word fastboot to the right of it. This means that your USB drviers are all set up correctly and you can continue. If you do NOT see this, then you need to start over or Google for how to set up the USB drivers correctly (this will help).

18. If it worked, type the following into the command prompt (with hitting enter at the end of the line):

fastboot boot recovery-RAv1.2.0H.img *the 0 in 1.2.0H is a Zero not an Oh

19. Once the phone boots into the recovery mode, then click on Apply Update.zip

20. Once it is finished applying the update, hit home and back to reboot the phone. It should boot up into recovery mode, if not hold down the power button until it does. Once it loads the recovery screen, then take out the battery and put it back in.

21. Turn on the phone by holding Back and Power to get into Fastboot mode again. At the top it should read 1.33.2005. If so, turn off the phone. If not retry this section.

22. Take out the SD card (while the phone is off) and put it into your computer via the cardreader it came with.

23. Open the memory card on the computer and delete the update.zip file from the memory card.

24. Download Amon Ra’s 32A based image and save it to the memory card, rename it to update.zip

25. Put the SD card back into your phone and turn the phone on by holding down Back and Power. Once it boots up into fastboot mode, plug the phone into the computer via Usb (the command prompt should still be open on your computer).

26. Type the following into the command prompt (with hitting enter at the end of the line):

fastboot boot recovery-RAv1.2.0H.img *the 0 in 1.2.0H is a Zero not an Oh

27. Once the phone boots up into recovery mode, click the Apply Update.zip

28. Once the update is complete click home and back to reboot.

29. ALL DONE YOU NOW HAVE ROOT! You can use the phone as is now with Root access. If you want to load a new ROM (like a Hero ROM for instance)......

Any Questions welcome.....happy Rooting...njoy.....

NOTE:- Works for MyTouch

Root Your HTC Magic (Airtel) and MyTouch3g

2009-08-16T13:08:00.002+05:30

Amon_RA on the XDA-Developers forum has just blessed the Android community with a comprehensive step-by-step process for gaining root access to the MyTouch 3g. While the necessary items to root the device are mainly software-based, users will need two SD cards. One is used to create a “Goldcard”, while the other will be used to run the edited update file on the device.

The instructions, along with the necessary files, can be found here

Enjoy People......Will post the step by step guide after i successfully Root it.....

Bharti Airtel HTC Magic Rooting

2009-08-09T07:51:00.003+05:30

Hi,

People in India were so excited about the launch of HTC Magic, some of them even started saving their pockets so that they could afford this Magic @29,900 INR. But to the contrary now people are saddened, because Airtel and HTC let them down.

All Hype about the Android platform was in vain, what's the use of having a phone with GPS and no Maps installed in it, having Wifi and no Gmail on it. Other than these no "MARKET"...from where people can download apps and games...but people call it open source platform.....Can someone Explain HOW...????

Paying amount nearly 30k just to have a touch screen i don't think its worth that.....

Well all i can say as of now is please don't try new methods because people on XDA are working on this Perfect SPL (Secondary Program Loader )

Perfect SPL = SPL that gives "fastboot remote: not allow" when trying to fastboot flash or boot.

So far the following Perfect SPL's were spotted :
- 1.33.0006 (Tmobile Mytouch 3G - cid: T-MOB010)
- 1.33.0010 (cid : HTC__038 , cid : HTC__037)****
- 1.33.0004 (HTC Magic JAPAN)

****----> This is what Airtel Magic is loaded with....

Findings so far :
If you have a perfect SPL with S=OFF, you CAN flash your SPL using the following method :

$fastboot oem rebootRUU
$fastboot flash zip

You can find out whether your Security is ON or OFF by powering off and then powering on while holding the back button......

Hope we soon get to root our phones......cheers njoy.....

What Is BING..???

2009-08-01T09:56:00.004+05:30

Did you ever wonder what Bing stands for......

An aside: 'Bing' was the name chosen as it is 'onomotopoeic' -- that it sounds like what it means -- a word that conveys the response by the engine to a surfer who keys in a Search term.

But what I feel is.....

Bing Is Not Google......this is what Bing stands for.....

Njoy...cheers...

Over 150 Web URLs per person on Earth

2009-08-01T09:52:00.001+05:30

Bing has put the number of web pages at over 1 trillion, while Google has indexed more than one trillion discreet web addresses

The Internet is growing so fast that there are more addresses than people on Earth, claims the team behind Microsoft’s search engine Bing.

Bing has put the number of web pages at over 1 trillion, while Google has indexed more than one trillion discreet web addresses. This means that there are about 150 web addresses per person in the world.

This means that if a person spent just one minute reading every website in existence, he or she would be kept busy for 31,000 years, without any sleep.

“An average person would need six hundred thousand decades of nonstop reading to read through the information,” News.com.au quoted Bing as saying.

The largest Internet population belongs to China, with 338 million users online. However, InternetWorldStats.com (IWS), a Web site that combines multiple data sources, has claimed that China’s online population is more like 298 million.
According to IWS, the top 5 countries with the most internet users are: China, US, Japan, India, and Brazil.

Wow, isn't it Interesting......

Taste Of Android Donut

2009-07-28T10:59:00.004+05:30

Want a quick glimpse of what’s to come in the Donut build of Android?
Thank your friends over at the XDA Community for showing a few images and notes of the latest version of code released by Google."Donut" is the next major branch of Android - not Android 2.0 as Google employees like to remind people - that is expected to upgrade Android. From the looks of the latest Donut code released to developers, we know there will be:

- Gestures
- Multitouch

UPDATE: Android team member Romain Guy says multitouch is not supported in Donut, despite what users claim to see. Cyanogen clarified with the following tweet: “Regarding multitouch in Donut.. Nothing in the Android code itself, but there ARE new kernel commits to support it.”
- Speech synthesizer
- CDMA support
- Universal search
- WPA enterprise
- VPN support
- Automatic backups
- Increased performance
- Built-in toggle widgets

We already knew that Donut would include universal search, and it doesn’t surprise anyone that CDMA (required for Android to come to Sprint and Verizon) or that multitouch (seen in the Hero) appears in Donut. However, it’s nice to know that gestures are coming, too. We’ll also see speech synthesizer (computer voice Text-To-Speech library) judging from the Google I/O conference video and Donut screenshots below. I hope it will improve on the current TTS library available for Android.

Cyanogen has built a ROM to run on the G1/HTC Dream to see how well Donut - in its current stage - performs on the Dream. It’s far from a final product, but we should see certain elements of the build in the G1 eventually. Let’s just hope it’s not another adventure in cupcakery

Android + Google Voice + GUAVA = SIM-Free calling options?

2009-07-24T22:34:00.002+05:30

Google Android device owners who have accounts from both Google Voice and Gizmo5.com may be able to make and receive phone calls even if they don’t have a SIM card in their device. An experimental app named GUAVA, which stands for GoogleVoice Unauthorized Android Voice Application, links Google Voice and Gizmo5 accounts, allowing consumers to make calls without using their network minutes or even a SIM card.

I’ve heard of Android users adding their GV number to T-Mobile myFaves for more free calls, but this is one of the first solutions I’ve found for non-myFaves subscribers. In fact, GUAVA bypasses carriers altogether by connecting to Wi-Fi networks and delivering contract-free communication to:

* Cell phones and landlines
* SMS messages
* Skype users
* GoogleTalk users

NOTE: I've heard people were able to receive several free calls and SMS messages while testing the app; however, outgoing calls require purchasing call-out credits from Gizmo5.

The GUAVA/Google Voice link may prove useful to travelers or people who cannot find access to their network. People have visited friends and family members in areas where T-Mobile connections were not present whatsoever. This may come in handy if I find myself in a similar situation and have an Internet connection available.

Don't know where the technology is taking us.......cheers njoy.....

Rooting Your HTC Magic

2009-07-05T07:40:00.005+05:30

Well since India got its first Android Powered Phone HTC Magic...lets learn How to Root...????? You might wonder What is Root and Why...????

What Does Root Give Me?

1. Full control over your system
2. Ability to alter system files. You can replace many parts of the "Android Core" with this including:
* Themes
* Core apps (maps, calendar, clock etc)
* Recovery image
* Bootloader
* Toolbox (linux binary that lets you execute simple linux commands like "ls") can be replaced with Busybox (slightly better option)
* Boot images
* Add linux binaries
3. Run special apps that need more control over the system
* SuperUser (lets you approve or deny the use of root access to any program)
* Task Manager For Root (Lets you kill apps that you otherwise could not kill)
* Tether apps (like the one found at [android-wifi-tether.googlecode.com])
*
4. Backup your system
* You can make a folder on your sdcard and backup all of your .apk files to your sdcard (helps if an author decides to "upgrade" you to a version that requires you to pay to use the version you just had)
5. Relocate your (browser/maps/market) cache to your /sdcard
6. Relocate your installed applications to your /sdcard
7. Reboot your phone from the terminal app easily (su reboot )

Remember Rooting Your Phone Can Cause Your Phone to Be Bricked so Do It On Your Own Risk.....No Body Is Responsible For Your Act.....

I Found A New Mail Box

2009-07-03T07:49:00.003+05:30

This new mail client based on Thunderbird that is currently in its Beta stages.

All week I have been using PostBox and love it. It has so many great features that you never knew you wanted, yet don’t know how you lived without once you have them.

From their site:

A new kind of messaging application, the Postbox™ email client helps you spend less time managing email and more time using email to get things done. Postbox automatically analyzes your e-mail messages, documents, photos, and links to web pages; then it catalogs all this information making it faster to search for and retrieve.
Easy-to-use tagging features let you organize messages the way you want and then focus on one project at a time without missing out on important new messages. You can also view messages by conversation, edit messages, and create to-do items that appear in mailbox windows.
Definitely check it out!!! Click my new MailBox

The evolution of Gmail labels

2009-07-02T06:02:00.003+05:30

I love labels in Gmail. Most email programs use folders, which only let me put mail in one place at a time. With labels, I can organize mail in multiple ways. Combined with filters to automatically label incoming messages, Gmail offers powerful ways to organize email.

When I joined the Gmail , I was surprised to learn from web that only 29% of Gmail users had created any labels. At first, I thought perhaps conversation threading and search made the need to organize our mail less important. But when google talked to people who use Gmail, we got a different story. People often asked us to add folders to Gmail, assuming no system of organization existed. As one person said in a usability study, "What are labels... and where are my folders?"

I realized that if you didn't know about labels, it would be easy to assume Gmail had no way to organize your mail. Not only were "labels" unfamiliar, they were kind of hidden. So, i set out to make labels more accessible, as well as more powerful. Most of the changes have been in Gmail for a while, but they're adding some new features today. I thought you'd enjoy a peek at the method to their madness.

The first thing i did was make labels look more like the sticky notes you use in real life. Making the interface mimic things you interact with outside the computer can sometimes improve ease of use.

Then they worked on the actions you take to apply and remove labels. Before, to put a label on a message, you had to look under "More actions> Apply label." Not only was this option hidden in a generic menu, but the language wasn't what people are familiar with when it comes to organizing mail.They explored several alternatives:

Google also learned that if they made labels sound too much like folders, people got confused. For instance, while "Copy to" and "Add to" were easy to use, these terms made people think they were creating multiple copies of a message. "Move to" was familiar but didn't lead people to think they were creating copies. And people seem to have picked it up fast! Since the launch of the new menu buttons in March, they're seeing a 50% increase in new Gmail users trying labels in their first 2 weeks. And overall usage of the "Move to" menu surpassed that of the "Labels" menu within 7 weeks of launching:

For their latest set of changes, i looked at how you access labels on the left side. In other email applications, folders get the royal treatment and are given a seat at the top near your inbox. But in Gmail, labels were stuck in a box below Chat — almost like they were telling people, "you don't want to use these." In testing, google discovered that it worked best to remove the terminology altogether and just place custom labels right under the system labels (e.g. "Inbox"):

The last step was to add drag-and-drop. Now, you can drag mail into a label, or even drag a label directly onto a message:

Making it easier to process and organize your mail requires more than just labels,

But I hope these changes start to improve the process. I have much more in store, so stay tuned and keep the feedback coming.

Thanks, cheers,

Have a Look at this Masterpiece "HTC Hero"

2009-06-26T11:27:00.001+05:30

Click on this link to view it on Youtube

Here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKTDSfbcbBU

Apple 3GS Cost $179 To Build, Sells For $199

2009-06-26T11:06:00.004+05:30

In building the iPhone 3G S, Apple managed to punch up the product line without spending much more on components, a teardown analysis showed.

Researcher iSuppli found that the cost of components and other other materials for Apple's latest smartphone was $172.46. Add the manufacturing expense of $6.50, and the total is $178.96, or a mere $4.63 more than the older generation iPhone 3G.

ISuppli's cost estimate does not include other costs associated with a product, such as marketing, distribution and the accessories bundled with the device. Nevertheless, the teardown indicates that Apple was able to boost the iPhone's performance without dramatically increasing expenses.

The new, low-end iPhone offers double the memory of last year's low-end model, without costing Apple much more to make. ISuppli conducted its teardown on the entry-level 16 GB version of the Iphone 3GS, comparing it to the low-end 8 GB iPhone 3G based on pricing in July 2008. AT&T, the exclusive iPhone carrier in the United States, is offering the latest iPhone for as low as $199 with a two-year data contract, the same deal as with the older product when it first launched. AT&T today is offering the older phone with a contract for $99.

Without a service contract, the iPhone 3G S costs $599, which was also the original price for the iPhone 3G. But despite the price similarities, there are differences in the technology.

Features unique to the iPhone 3G S include video capture, an autofocus 3 megapixel camera, versus a 2 megapixel camera in the older iPhone, and a built-in digital compass. Aside from these extras, the hardware is not much different, iSuppli said.

"From a component and design perspective, there's also a great deal of similarity between the 3G and the 3G S," iSuppli teardown analyst Andrew Rassweiler said in a statement released Wednesday. "By leveraging this commonality to optimize materials costs, and taking advantage of price erosion in the electronic component marketplace, Apple can provide a higher-performing product with more memory and features at only a slightly higher materials and manufacturing cost."

One of the most noteworthy hardware changes is the use of a Broadcomm single-chip Bluetooth/FM/WLAN device. This component represents the industry trend of integrating more functionality into one chip. The iPhone 3G used two chips to implement the same functions.

Making its debut in the iPhone is Dialog Semiconductor's power management integrated circuit. To implement the digital compass, Apple added AKM Semiconductor's electronic compass and STMicroelectronics' accelerometer.

Toshiba scored the biggest single design win in the iPhone 3G S with its 16 GB multi-level cell NAND flash memory device, which at $24 is the third most expensive component, after the display module and the touch-screen assembly, iSuppli said. However, Apple is likely to shop around and get the same memory part from other suppliers, most notably Samsung Electronics.

Samsung maintained its position as the supplier of the iPhone's applications processor, the fourth most expensive component. The processor plays a key role in the iPhone 3G S's faster performance over its predecessor. Where the 3G used an ARM RISC (Reduced Instruction Set) microprocessor with 400 MHz clock speed, the 3G S uses a 600 Mhz version.

Google Voice invites going out right now

2009-06-26T08:04:00.003+05:30

After being profiled this morning in a Today Show segment, it was announced that Google Voice would be opening nationwide in the United States, sad not India...huh!! Approximately two hours ago, Google Voice confirmed that starting today, invites are going out to those who have requested accounts. It will take some time for everyone to receive an invitation, so don’t fret if you haven’t gotten yours yet. There is a massive invite list of people waiting to receive notification. (If you haven’t already, request an invitation at www.google.com/voice).

As a reminder, Google Voice is a communication System that allows members to use one phone number to control various lines, have one central voicemail box, listen to or read voicemail transcriptions online, archive and search SMS messages, make cheap international calls, and perform many other features and functions.

Android users who sign-up for Google Voice accounts can then be sure to use the GV app that makes some of those services easier to use on Android.

Cheers, Hope this brings revolution in the Department of Telecommunication(DoT) as it did in search industry....

HTC Hero has Flash pre-loaded; other Android phones getting Flash later this year

2009-06-25T18:09:00.000+05:30

Since this is the time in India when Android is catching up fever , all thanks to Airtel and HTC joint venture to Bring you India's First ever Android Phone---->>>HTC Magic.

The HTC Hero recently announced to be launched in London,will come with Flash pre-installed to go along with its eye-catching “Scene” user interface. Heavily-hyped among Android fans and officially announced today,the HTC Hero is not only the first Android device to feature a heavily customized interface, but also the first to ship with Adobe Flash support.

Adobe participated in the development of the HTC Hero and confirmed that Flash will be integrated into the device platform, ensuring that it gains as much of the desktop experience as possible.

“Adobe and our partners in the Open Screen Project believe in bringing the full web to all screens,” said Mark Doherty, an Adobe platform evangelist.

“Android users will experience a rich and more complete web experience.”

Let's make the web faster

2009-06-24T08:40:00.000+05:30

From building data centers in different parts of the world to designing highly efficient user interfaces, people at Google always strive to make our services faster. They focus on speed as a key requirement in product and infrastructure development, because their research indicates that people prefer faster, more responsive apps. Over the years, through continuous experimentation, they've identified some performance best practices that they'd like to share with the web community on code.google.com/speed, a new site for web developers, with tutorials, tips and performance tools.

Google is excited to discuss what they've learned about web performance with the Internet community. However, to optimize the speed of web applications and make browsing the web as fast as turning the pages of a magazine, they need to work together as a community, to tackle some larger challenges that keep the web slow and prevent it from delivering its full potential

Go ahead and make a lightining change for the World....Go Google.....!!!!

All for Good: Bringing search, scale and openness to community service

2009-06-23T07:32:00.000+05:30

While many organizations are doing great work to enable community service locally, it's not simple to search across opportunities from a variety of places to find what's right for you. Google have some experience finding relevant information from among many scattered sources, and when we learned that President Obama and the First Lady were making community service a top priority even before taking office.Google thought they could help make a difference.

With mission in mind, a group of 20% engineers, designers, and program managers from Google and other tech companies began work on All for Good, a new service to help you find volunteer events in your community, and share those events with your friends.

All for Good provides a single search interface for volunteer activities across many major volunteering sites and organizations like United Way, VolunteerMatch, HandsOn Network and Reach Out and Read. By building on top of the amazing efforts of existing volunteer organizations like these, we hope to amplify their efforts.

All for Good is a new kind of collaboration between the private, public, and nonprofits sectors to build free and open technology to empower citizens. Similar to the Open Social Foundation, Google helped create a new organization called Good Works to make sure that the API, the platform, and social innovation that they inspire are supported for the long term. The leadership includes Reid Hoffman, Chris DiBona, Arianna Huffington and Craig Newmark on the board, and the organization aims to build support volunteerism services like All for Good.

GrandCentral is now Google Voice

2009-06-22T17:01:00.000+05:30

Google is determined to control every aspect of communication. It’s not enough to be a leading force in email, web search, and news — Google wants complete domination of telecommunications, too!

GrandCentral, an innovative communication service Google acquired in 2007, has been rebranded “Google Voice."With a few last minute hurdles cleared, the company has promised that GrandCentral/Voice’s incredible features will soon allow the general public to:

Use one phone number for all phones or route calls based on groups/contacts
Have one central voicemail box
Listen to voicemail messages or transcripts of messages online
Read and search all SMS text messages sent/received
Make international phone calls (paid VoIP service)
Automatically block calls from numbers marked as spam
Record audio clips of phone conversations
Customize voicemail greetings based on group contacts
Many more features that would overload this document if I tried to document them all

Android to get Kyte, Google Books, and Rummble support

2009-06-21T07:59:00.000+05:30

Android apps relating to Kyte, Google Books, and Rummble may come to Android in late summer/early fall, according to a video posted by Mobile Crunch. A third-party development group named Droiders is working on apps that support the three internet tools, and they may arrive as early as September 2009.

Kyte, a video service that can broadcast live video, is personally the most appealing of the group of apps in development. An Android device’s camera would be able to stream live video to the web for live chats and other interactive sessions. Best of all, the Droiders rep says video can be streamed from mobile-to-mobile phone.

Bookdroid would be a Google Books companion that can search a title or barcode/ISBN and bring up that work’s information in Google Books. Users could then read the book and navigate through pages if it appears in the GB database

Rummble would tie into the UK-based social search tool of the same name. Using an Android device’s GPS, Rummble would find nearby friends, restaurants, businesses, shopping centers, and more based on recommendations from people with similar tastes.

Just Wait and relax. let the platform get more exposed........enjoy cheers !!!

iPhone 3G S expectations: 500,000 units sold over the weekend

2009-06-19T10:11:00.000+05:30

With Apple’s iPhone 3G S hitting stores today analysts are starting to guess how many units will be sold over the weekend. Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster is guessing Apple will sell 500,000 iPhone 3G S units over the weekend, that’s half of what the iPhone 3G did over three days last year.

In a research note ,

Apple will begin selling the new iPhone 3G S in 8 countries. We expect Apple to sell 500k iPhone 3G S units over the weekend. This would compare to 1m iPhone 3G units in the launch weekend last year, and 270k units in the original iPhone launch weekend. Several factors lead us to believe Apple will sell less iPhone 3G S’s at launch than it did for the iPhone 3G including a less dramatic change in value proposition and fewer available countries at launch.

Gold Master (OS 3.0) goes live.....!!!!

2009-06-17T07:40:00.000+05:30

Apple is working hard this week as it prepares for the general release of iPhone OS 3.0 on June 17 and the iPhone 3G S on June 19. The Gold Master iPhone OS 3.0 software release for the iPhone 3G S has gone live on Apple's Web site

Well you can always download from here if you just feel lazy

click here to start Download (file size 297.8 MB)

Based the availability of the firmware, there's a good chance that iPhone 3G S users should expect a firmware update for their new iPhones after connecting it to iTunes for its initial sync. If you are not automatically asked to check for or install an update, press the Check Update button in iTunes on the device summary screen just in case. If an update is available, iTunes will tell you.

Last time Apple released such a massive software and hardware package, its servers were overwhelmed, so it might be wise to predownload the firmware linked above if you have ordered an iPhone 3G S. Before using the firmware, launch Settings on your iPhone 3G S, select General, and then About. Look for version with a value of 3.0 (7A341) and if it is present, you don't need to use the firmware linked above.

New Iphone OS 3.0

2009-06-15T07:52:00.000+05:30

The new iPhone OS 3.0 adds over 100 new features including-at last-cut and paste.

• Copy & Paste text. When you double-tap over text, you will get a "cut, copy, and paste" bubble dialog. Double-tap again and a "paste" bubble will appear if there's anything stored in your clipboard.

This works across applications. You can expand your selection points using your thumbs and, if you accidentally paste something you didn't want to paste, just shake your iPhone to undo it.

• Copy & Paste photos. You can also copy and paste photos. Now you will be able to select multiple photos by tapping the action button, copy some of them, and paste them in an email, ready to send.

• New Spotlight. iPhone OS 3.0 will allow you to search across the entire information contained in your device, no matter where, as soon as the information is supported it. If an application is written to support the new Spotlight, its data will also be available in the search.

• Search in Mail, Calendar, and iPod. These Apple applications have specific search interfaces. The search in Mail doesn't support the message content yet, but it supports searching in IMAP servers—that will save a lot of time logging into Gmail.

• 3G Tethering. This feature will allow you to connect your iPhone 3G to a laptop, to use it as a modem to access the internet. Carriers still have to sign-off on it, and probably charge more for it. None have announced it yet.

• Landscape keyboard. Apple has added the landscape keyboard mode to other applications, like Mail, SMS, and Notes.

• Multimedia messaging. A big one to send rich content to people without mail-enabled telephones: The new MMS function will allow you to include everything, from images to sound to vcards (no word on video, however.) Personally, I find these usesless having email, but some people seem to want it.

• Support for new calendar types. In iPhone OS 3.0 you will be able to subscribe to calendars on the web using two protocols: CalDAV—supported by Google and Yahoo—and subscriptions via the .ics format—which is what Apple uses in iCal.

• Improved stocks application. The stocks application now allows you to read related news, so you can enjoy yourself learning about the latest market scandals, stock crashes, and executives getting bonus packages from government aid while their companies sink into hell. Thank you, Apple.

• Stereo Bluetooth A2DP audio. You will be able to pair your iPhone 3.0 with a stereo Bluetooth A2DP device, like headphones or speakers.

• Note syncing with iTunes.

• Automatic login in Safari. The new version of Safari will remember login credentials, so you won't need to introduce your username and password again while accessing Scoreland your work intranet.

• Shake to shuffle music. If you are in your iPod application, you just need to shake it to start the shuffling mode. Hopefully this will be optional for sports people out there.

• Wi-Fi auto-login. In case you have a subscription to a paid hotspot, your iPhone or iPod touch will autolog into it.

• Anti-phishing. Mobile Safari now can warn you against malicious sites trying to scam you.

• Extended parental controls. Adult content filters can now be applied to movies, TV shows, and applications, in addition to web sites and music (porn apps, here we come).

Android Scripting

2009-06-14T12:37:00.000+05:30

The Android Scripting Environment (ASE) brings scripting languages to Android by allowing you to edit and execute scripts and interactive interpreters directly on the Android device. These scripts have access to many of the APIs available to full-fledged Android applications, but with a greatly simplified interface that makes it easy to:

Handle intents
Start activities
Make phone calls
Send text messages
Scan bar codes
Poll location and sensor data
Use text-to-speech
And more

Scripts can be run interactively in a terminal, started as a long running service, or started via Locale. Python, Lua and BeanShell are currently supported, and we're planning to add Ruby and JavaScript support, as well.

You may ask, why write scripts instead of real Android applications? Admittedly, Android's development environment makes life pretty easy, but you're tied to a computer to do your work. ASE lets you develop on the device itself using high-level scripting languages to try out your idea now, in the situation where you need it, quickly

Some Android Apps

2009-06-13T18:21:00.000+05:30

Please Do the following before installing

Check "Unknown Sources" from Settings -> Applications
Head over to Android Market of your ANDROID phone and download AppsInstaller.
Create a directory named "downloads" on your SD card
Drag and drop the files you want to install on your ANDROID
Properly disconnect your ANDROID from your computer
Launch AppsInstaller and select the applications you want to install

Download Here

Enjoy, Cheers

Some OpenGL Programs

2009-06-11T17:04:00.000+05:30

Program no. 1 Sierpinski Gasket

Program no. 2 Liang Barsky

Program no. 3 Cohen Sutherland

Program no. 4 Spin a Color Cube

Program no. 5 House

Program no. 6 Cylinder and Parellelepiped

Program no. 7 Tea Pot

Program no. 8 Camera Cube

Program no.9 Scanline

Program no. 10 Rectangular Mesh

Also below is a text file which contain all these programs in one document

ALL IN ONE

If Your Server Blocks RAPIDSHARE then please click this Alternative link

Cheers

Installing freeglut on Visual Studio 2008

2009-06-10T16:43:00.000+05:30

There are 3 things you need:
*Visual Studio 2008
*OpenGL
*freeglut

download the following files

1. freeglut 2.4.0

donload link:

http://www.mediafire.com/?ij1m9em7xdy

2. GLUT win32 binaries

download link:

http://www.xmission.com/~nate/glut.html

download the bin.zip file in some kb's i guess

Files must be placed in the correct directories. For Visual Studio .NET 2003 and above (or Windows XP/Vista) those are the following below. Note: according to a comment post below, for Windows Vista 64-bit, you have to put the libraries (*.dll) into Windows\SysWOW64 directory.

Put freeglut.h in: ‘C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\GL\’ (note: you'll have to create the GL folder)
Put freeglut_ext.h in: ‘C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\GL\’
Put freeglut_std.h in: ‘C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\GL\’
Put freeglut.lib in: ‘C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\lib\’
Put freeglut.dll in: ‘C:\WINDOWS\system32\’
Put glut32.dll in: ‘C:\WINDOWS\system32\’
Put glut32.lib in: ‘C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\lib\’
Put glut.h in: ‘C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\GL\’

Ok, now that you've "installed" freeglut, you need to make the C++ project aware of freeglut.

ok now change in application

1. Create a new C++ Console project in VS.
1a. In the Create Application Wizard, select Empty Project.

2a. On the menu bar, go to Project -> Properties.
2b. Go to Linker -> Input and copy and paste this line in the Additional Dependencies field.

opengl32.lib glu32.lib glut32.lib

3a. If you try to compile now, errors may still show up. You'll probably need to add directories for your header and lib files in Project/Solutions directories.
3b. Go to Tools -> Options. Expand the Project and Solutions section and select VC++ Directories. Make sure the dropdown box for 'Show directories for:' has 'Include files' selected.
4a. Add a new entry with C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\GL (or where your directory is)

The program should now compile

This should have helped you..njoy cheers

Welcome to Microsoft "BING"

2009-06-05T07:30:00.000+05:30

Decision Engine goes beyond search to help customer deal with information overload.

Microsoft Corp. unveiled Bing, a new Decision Engine and consumer brand, providing customers with a first step in moving beyond search to help make faster, more informed decisions. Bing is specifically designed to build on the benefits of today’s search engines but begins to move beyond this experience with a new approach to user experience and intuitive tools to help customers make better decisions, focusing initially on four key vertical areas: making a purchase decision, planning a trip, researching a health condition or finding a local business.
The result of this new approach is an important beginning for a new and more powerful kind of search service, which Microsoft is calling a Decision Engine, designed to empower people to gain insight and knowledge from the Web, moving more quickly to important decisions. The new service, located at http://www.Bing.com, will begin to roll out over the coming days and will be fully deployed worldwide on Wednesday, June 3.

Go check it out Beta version released.....

Google "Wave" already making Waves

2009-06-02T07:42:00.000+05:30

This morning at Google I/O, Google unveiled a developer preview of Google wave, a new collaboration and communication product. Google Wave introduces a new platform built around hosted conversations called waves--this model enables people to communicate and work together in new and more effective ways. On top of that, with the Google Wave APIs, developers can take advantage of this collaborative system by building on the Google Wave platform. We want to expand upon that platform, which is why we've put together the initial draft of the Google Wave Federation Protocol, the underlying network protocol for sharing waves between wave providers.

What exactly Google wave is...???

Google Wave is a product that helps users communicate and collaborate on the web. A "wave" is equal parts conversation and document, where users can almost instantly communicate and work together with richly formatted text, photos, videos, maps, and more. Google Wave is also a platform with a rich set of open APIs that allow developers to embed waves in other web services and to build extensions that work inside waves.

GOOGLE WAVE API's

The Google Wave API allows developers to use and enhance Google Wave through two primary types of development:

Extensions: Build robot extensions to automate common tasks or build gadget extensions to provide a new way for users to interact
Embed: Make your site more collaborative by dropping in a Wave

Google Wave is currently available in a developer preview as the APIs and product continue to evolve. Accounts on the developer sandbox will be given out to people intending to build with the Google Wave APIs prior to the public release

For more details watch google I/O video from youtube.

New Android "Hero"

2009-05-30T17:32:00.000+05:30

The latest rumor in mobile world is that, along with the HTC Magic, there will be 2 more Android smartphones from HTC released very soon. Here, I have for you, your very first of the supposed HTC Hero Android smartphone. The new HTC Hero does not seem to have a trackball, there are 5 hardware buttons below the touch screen and a 3.5 mm headphone jack on top.

I do not have more details on the HTC Hero hardware specs yet, but i promise to get you the news as and when it happens. So do make sure to visit this space regularly.

Stay Tuned !!

2009-05-28T08:17:00.001+05:30

Ever Wondered how "Google" Works ??

2009-05-28T08:15:00.000+05:30

PageRank is a link analysis algorithm used by the Google Internet search engine that assigns a numerical weighting to each element of a hyperlinked set of documents, such as the World Wide Web, with the purpose of "measuring" its relative importance within the set. The algorithm may be applied to any collection of entities with reciprocal quotations and references. The numerical weight that it assigns to any given element E is also called the PageRank of E and denoted by PR(E).
PageRank was developed at Stanford University by Larry Page (hence the name Page-Rank) and later Sergey Brin as part of a research project about a new kind of search engine. The project started in 1995 and led to a functional prototype, named Google, in 1998. Shortly after, Page and Brin founded Google Inc., the company behind the Google search engine. While just one of many factors which determine the ranking of Google search results, PageRank continues to provide the basis for all of Google's web search tools

What is ANDROID all about...???

2009-05-28T07:54:00.000+05:30

Android™ delivers a complete set of software for mobile devices: an operating system, middleware and key mobile applications.

Open Source
Android was built from the ground-up to enable developers to create compelling mobile applications that take full advantage of all a handset has to offer. It was built to be truly open. For example, an application can call upon any of the phone's core functionality such as making calls, sending text messages, or using the camera, allowing developers to create richer and more cohesive experiences for users. Android is built on the open Linux Kernel. Furthermore, it utilizes a custom virtual machine that was designed to optimize memory and hardware resources in a mobile environment. Android is open source; it can be liberally extended to incorporate new cutting edge technologies as they emerge. The platform will continue to evolve as the developer community works together to build innovative mobile applications.

All applications are created equal

Android does not differentiate between the phone's core applications and third-party applications. They can all be built to have equal access to a phone's capabilities providing users with a broad spectrum of applications and services. With devices built on the Android Platform, users are able to fully tailor the phone to their interests. They can swap out the phone's homescreen, the style of the dialer, or any of the applications. They can even instruct their phones to use their favorite photo viewing application to handle the viewing of all photos.

IBM Grand Slam Widget

2009-05-28T07:42:00.001+05:30