Tag Archives: Android

Zello – Push to Talk for Android, BlackBerry & Windows Mobile

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zelloWell I’ve tried many Push to Talk apps for Android both over WiFi and 3G networks and tested them all with poor reception. I must have tried about 20 apps, and only one of them really held up to be any good.

LoudTalks Lite was released for Android on July 25th 2011 so its very new software. Just a few days ago they changed their name to Zello.

What makes it so good is its use of keep-alive and allowing the user to alter this preference. Keep-alive directly affects battery drain while Zello is operating and if the connection is retained when travelling through an area with total loss of 3G signal.

Further to this, Zello allows the user to tinker with buffering settings. Zello uses the open source Speex codecs. Zello also supports channels which can optionally be privatized with a password or moderated.

My testing by talking with my partner showed that Zello was most likely to get a message out in all scenarios with the least amount of delay.

All we need now is an iPhone version.

Sync’ing with Microsoft Office Outlook and Android

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I use Microsoft Office Outlook for my e-mail because it has other tools like a calendar, task list and address book. I do not use Microsoft Exchange but I do use Outlook on a number of computers which all run the same version of Windows 7 Ultimate x64 and Microsoft Office 2010 Premium.

I also have a Samsung Galaxy Gio running Android which is currently the Cyanogenmod firmware. The best method to use contacts by far on this device is “in the cloud” on Google Contacts. The calendar is the same with Google Calendar. And so are notes with Notes in Google Docs.

I previously have had lots of problems sync’ing to Android. I first used Samsung Kies which seemed alright except it had a tendency to duplicate contacts and calendar events continually so that my phone’s memory eventually filled up. Cyanogenmod won’t actually support Samsung Kies, mainly because the USB device function seems to be broken on the Samsung Galaxy Gio port and Cyanogenmod also lacks the Samsung Apps framework.

I found GO Contact Sync Mod after trying several other methods of sync’ing. When run on a PC which uses Outlook, it essentially sync’s your Outlook Calendar & Notes with Google.

Google also have put out Google Calendar Sync which will sync your Outlook to Google Calendar.

So with those two apps, you have a total sync solution that doesn’t fuck out if you run it on two PCs – and it uses the Internet connection so no direct connection between the phone and PC is needed, just the Internet on both devices.

Cyanogenmod for Samsung Galaxy Gio

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cyanogenmodYesterday I began trying Cyanogenmod 7 for Samsung Galaxy Gio RC 3.0.

I was finding that SimpliGio+ had some weirdness where sometimes the mobile network, GPS or WiFi wouldn’t work. The only way to fix it was to restart the device. I also had some troubles with predictive text not working at all. I probably could have fixed these issues but it was a lot of fucking around and I really can’t be bothered.

So far Cyanogenmod seems to be working great and has a good set of features. For a start it is the most used unofficial firmware, and like the DD-WRT unofficial firmware for wireless routers, it supports hundreds of devices and provides a common feature set and user interface between all those devices. Cyanogenmod has even received praise for being better than factory supplied Android firmware. At present the Samsung Galaxy Gio port is not officially supported by Cyanogenmod, but I’m guessing the low price point of the Samsung Galaxy product lines will probably change that.

I didn’t have to install sipdroid as it has native VoIP. I also setup s2e with a 300MB EXT4 partition on the MicroSD card – and now magically my phone has statics of internal memory so I can install really big apps like Angry Birds. It also has OpenVPN bundled so I’ll have to play with that later.

I’ll have to blog more about Cyanogenmod after I tinker with it. I’m still yet to reflash my partners handset with it.

Alternative firmware for the Noontec A9

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After posting on xda-forums the other day I was pointed to this page. Umax is Noontec’s distributor in the Czech Republic and have published a couple firmwares that Noontec haven’t. They are:

I’m yet to try the 1.2.04 myself, but I will soon and naturally I’ll blog about it.

I have made some small steps in rooting the Noontec… in that realizing root is available by default through the adb shell when connected via USB to a PC.

I also realized that the /system partition on the Noontec firmware is cramfs, and therefore read only, and therefore I cannot modify it even with Super User installed. This seems like an absolutely stupid move by Noontec considering the device’s tech specs mention it has 2GB of NAND memory (so its capable of being in a writeable format) and the advantages of root on Android include things like playback of videos over CIFS network shares (which would be a target market for a “Smart TV Box”).

It seems like I’ll have to work on my own firmware image. I’m just a little fearful of this considering the Noontec also lacks a /recovery partition which makes the recovery menus non-existent.

Noontec A9 Smart TV Box

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Noontec A9 Out Of The BoxI’m writing up a review for my Noontec A9 Smart TV Box since none seem to exist. The trouble is I’ve never owned a Smart TV Box other than a modded XBox running XBox Media Center or a PC running Windows XP connected to the TV, so I have no real comparison.

Out of the box the Noontec doesn’t have a lot. It has a tiny 11 button remote and a power supply.

The Noontec A9 is really easy to plug in and get up and running, especially with a HDMI connection (obviously you’ll need to buy the HDMI cable as extra). Simply plug in an Ethernet cable (optional, WiFi could also be used), your TV, the power supply, and you’re up and running.

At very first you need to confirm your Internet is connected. If you didn’t connect an Ethernet cable you should set up WiFi under Settings. Load up the Browser on the home screen to ensure your Internet is up.

A USB keyboard and mouse goes really well with the A9. I plugged in some generic PC versions and they work great. However on Android there are some minor differences to the keymap that you’ll need to know. The very first one is right click won’t bring up a menu, it has the same action as the “Back” button.

USB Keyboard Keymap

Keyboard Key Android
Home Home
Esc Back
F1 Menu
F4 Volume Down
F5 Volume Up
Power Power

Another thing I needed to do before I did anything at all… Out of the box the default firmware wasn’t so crash hot, and at the time of writing v1.1.06 OC03 11-11-29 is the latest firmware available from the Noontec download page. Installing the firmware is fairly easy but you’ll need an SD memory card. I tried using a USB flash drive but it would not install correctly. As Noontec instruct, you simply download their ZIP file and extract the recovery.img file to the root folder of your SD card. Then when inserted into your A9 which is already powered on, it pops up with a dialog to install the new firmware.

With the pre-installed firmware I couldn’t install ES File Explorer, the Android Market said it wasn’t compatible with my device. After performing the firmware update I could. This app is really useful to install as it allows you to play videos from Samba/CIFS/Windows File shares. So for a downloader like me, I just setup ES File Explorer to read some shares on my PC and I download videos on my PC and when they’re available I can play it on the TV with the Noontec remote.

One slight disadvantage for video playback with the A9 is there is no information on rooting, or installing the SuperUser application and the /system/xbin/su binary it requires. This means you cannot use CifsManager which would be the desired operation for playing media from Samba shares – since it would allow any application to play the media, and not limit you to media players that support Samba shares. It’d also allow you to run ClockSync which seems wise considering that “Automatic Network Time” is a feature of GSM networks that the A9 cannot support since it has no support for GSM networks or any mobile phone networks at all.

YouTube and any website which uses Adobe Flash Video (FLV) also works very well on the A9. YouTube obviously works best with the app pre-installed with Android, while some FLV streaming sites for pirated content don’t work so great as the overload of Flash based advertising can overload the browser making it quite slow. ABC iView doesn’t work so great since the screen layout of the A9 increases the size of the page, and essentially blows it up so its too big to be useable. I’d love it if either ABC or Noontec did something to fix this.

For an overall rating on the device, with ES File Explorer it does do the tasks I purchased it for – play video from the downloads folder on my PC and from websites which use Adobe Flash. The interface is a little clunky on the A9 and could be improved, however it is useable & functional. Compared to Apple TV, the A9 is cheaper and doesn’t have limitations of iTunes software or DRM. Given the clunky UI and the comparison to Apple TV, the price is probably very reasonable.

Christmas was winnah

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I got really spoilt this year by my family. My parents paid a few bills for me, that helped out greatly. My partner got me a 32” Vivo Full HD TV, that made a dramatic change to my bedroom and freed up space even though the screen is much larger than my old CRT style TV. My partners parents got me a Noontec A9 Android Smart TV Box, that replaced a very noisy Soltek QBic PC which is now for sale on eBay.

Christmas day was actually quite frustrating though, as I made a mess of my bedroom and frustrated as to why the TV antenna wasn’t working. Sorted all that out though.

I’m still yet to program up the Logitech Harmony 600 remote I have for the new gear so that remote is essentially useless for now. The Noontec didn’t come with any remote at all, except a tiny thing thats very useless with web browsing. Noontec apparently have a remote sold as an optional extra that has a touchpad. So I’m wondering if having the Harmony is even a good idea.

Another issue is that Android out of the box won’t mount SMB shares, which would be a very handy way to play videos on the A9 off my PC. If I root the A9 I can mount SMB shares, but there doesn’t seem to be any documentation about this. So thats something I’ll also have to look at. For now I can play videos I download on a USB flash drive, and I can still hit YouTube.

I was also pleasantly surprised to find the Vivo TV has USB recording built in. While it doesn’t really have timeshifting capability, recording is still very nice to have since Dick Smith never let on it had this feature and instead tried to upsell to different more expensive models. I’ve now plugged in a USB extension cable into the USB port to make it more accessible (its on the rear of the TV?), and I can see that some regular programs like Deal or No Deal will get recorded daily just in case we miss it.

Spoilt little brat

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noontec-a9I feel like one sometimes. Especially after the Christmas shopping adventures of my partner and her family.

This year my partner got me not only a 32” LCD TV, but her and her parents got me a Noontec A9 Smart TV Box. Knowing I have a wholesale account with their Australian distributor, they submitted the order to me today – ha! I’ll also be fixing up the TV antenna over the Christmas break so it better supports digital TV. Quite a dramatic improvement to my current CRT style TV with a very noisy PC attached via S-Video. The new system should be better for playing Internet or computer based video with the fan-less remote controlled operation. Only today did I realise the A9 ships with a wireless keyboard and mouse, WiFi capability in the box. I’m uncertain though about the camera and if thats in the box or an accessory. I just hope my partner enjoys the presents I have for her as much as I will enjoy hers.

Further to that my partner has also let me borrow her 22” widescreen LCD for my PC. So now I have dual screen with the 17” 4:3 LCD I already have, something I lost when a 17” 4:3 LCD blew its backlight and the replacement part was worth more than a screen replacement.

My parents also wanted a new TV for their bedroom. I ultimately ended up selecting a TV not once but 4 times as an exercise to decide which was the right product – and it seemed I came up with the same TV 3 times. My parents ended up getting the same TV as my partner got me which was ironic considering my last TV they had an identical unit as they purchased the same TV at the same time.

My partner and I also spoilt my partners brother too… got him a new couch. We managed to find a place that was clearing damaged goods at below cost prices as a tax dodge for another business. The couch we picked up was worth $800 but with some acceptable damage they only wanted $225?

SimpliGio+ for Galaxy GT-5660S

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I’ve finally decided on a firmware for my Samsung Galaxy Gio GT-5660S. It is SimpliGio+ which sadly was the very first firmware I tried so I now have to revert back to my first firmware loading attempt.

I didn’t like GioPro because I found the ADW desktop would frequently crash.

I didn’t like Particle because WiFi didn’t work. I mean really, whats the point of buying a phone with WiFi just to disable it in software?

And I didn’t like the so called “Official Firmware” from XDA-Developers because it isn’t actually an official firmware because Samsung Kies cannot update it and the desktop frequently crashes causing application services (like sipdroid) to exit. Really annoying if you actually use VoIP like me.

SimpliGio+ is very easy to load. The best features of SimpliGio+ are the replaced boot screen animation & sound, Titanium Backup Pro included, SuperUser included, and normal components of Android (that aren’t always used) are installed optionally to save memory (you need to get this file and use Root Explorer to copy them across).

  • Get ODIN 4.42
  • Get this file
  • Extract the rar file
  • Turn on your phone by holding the volume down, home and power buttons. You should get the “Downloading…” screen. If not, you did something wrong
  • Connect your phone to your PC with the USB cable
  • Load ODIN 4.42
  • Click the OPS button and browse to GIO_v1.0.ops
  • Click the BOOT button and from the files you extracted from the rar file, select the one that begins with APBOOT
  • Click the PHONE button and select the file that begins with MODEM
  • Click the PDA button and select the file that begins with CODE
  • Click the CSC button and select the file that begins with CSC
  • Click the Start button
  • After 5 min you should have SimpliGio+ loaded onto your phone. If it doesn’t boot correctly, turn off your phone, then turn it back on by holding the home and power buttons – and perform a factory reset

Cheap TVs for Christmas (again)

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I stole this video today from NineMSN and posted it to YouTube. Jerry Harvey was on A Current Affair last night stating that like last year once again high definition TVs will be sold at or near cost this Christmas.

Originally my partner was going to get me a Noontech A9 and a high definition set top box for my old cathode ray tube TV.

But as of last night we’ve ditched this plan and are instead looking at getting an LCD TV and will add something like the Noontech A9 later. This media player seems quite interesting as it runs Android and has the capability to play virtually any computer video format over its Ethernet port. Given that Android is an operating system, this seems far better than any other embedded set top box solution, as in the future you know you’ll be able to get software updates that can potentially enable support for further codecs.

The real issue is space for me – I don’t think I could fit anything larger than a 32”. So Dick Smith are selling a Sanyo 32” for $298 and JB Hi-Fi are selling a Soniq 32” for $299.

Comparing the two, the Soniq looks quite interesting as it has USB recording, time-shift capability, 7 day EPG, and a built-in DVD player. The Sanyo doesn’t have these features, but it does come with one extra HDMI port. Also the Soniq has a worse contrast ratio of 1200:1 compared to 3000:1 on the Sanyo.

Given that Soniq are a Chinese brand that exclusively sell to JB Hi-Fi, I have my doubts. However Soniq apparently use Samsung or LG LCD panels and assemble their own casings and electronics to go with it.

Also as a Christmas project I’ll have to install a MATV amplifier to replace the mask head amplifier on our TV antenna. This way I’ll be able to improve the signal strength on the several TV antenna outlets we’ve added over the years (from the original 1 outlet at installation 15 years ago).

Telstra PrePaid iPhone 3GS

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I noticed this ad today, strangely as a Google Ad on my Samsung Galaxy Gio.

telstra-prepaid-iphone-3gs

Telstra are offering the iPhone 3GS for $429. Seems strange you’d even consider this offer when Apple sell them directly for just $20 more and theirs isn’t locked to the Telstra network.

Or, why you’d consider an iPhone 3GS over the $134.10 Samsung Galaxy Gio which is easily unlocked from the Optus network – is beyond me.