Jotter Notes

Samsung Galaxy Gio (S5660): Unlocking phone

2011-12-22T08:04:00.000-08:00

When travelling abroad, I wish to be able to buy a local SIM card of the country and use it in my Samsung Galaxy Gio (S5660) phone. Turns out my phone is locked down so it only works with SIM cards of my Swedish provider. They're offering to unlock it for a fee after 12 months. I can't wait, so I decided to try it myself. After some searching, I found some instructions online that I followed (using Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit machine):

Verify that the phone is really network locked by "calling" *#7465625#.
Root the phone (so that you can become a superuser below)
Download and install Android SDK Manager (rev. 16).
Enable USB debugging on the phone by enabling Menu > Settings > Applications > 'USB Debugging'.
Connect the phone to the computer via USB cable.
Start the Windows Command prompt (e.g. Start Menu -> cmd) and go to the ' platform-tools' directory where the Android SDK is installed, e.g. cd "c:\Program Files (x86)\Android\android-sdk\platform-tools\".
Run ADB by executing 'adb shell'.
In the ADB shell, become a superuser by executing 'su' (prompt will change from a dollar sign to a hash symbol confirming you are a superuser).
Copy /dev/block/bml5 to the SD card by executing 'cat /dev/block/bml5 > /sdcard/bml5.img'.
Exit superuser mode by executing 'exit' (prompt will go back to a dollar sign).
Exit ADB by executing 'exit'.
Copy the bml5.img file on the SD card to the computer by executing 'adb pull /sdcard/bml5.img'.
Open the bml5.img in a hex-editor, e.g. TotalCommander.
Search for the hexadecimal string "FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30". There was several matches, where some were preceeded by '00000000' (non informative) and some with, say, '15351874' (the 8-digit unlock code; different for each unique phone). Done!

Then I disconnecting and turned off the phone, replaced the SIM card with a SIM card from another provider, and started up the phone. Then the phone detected the new SIM card and that the phone was locked to another provider and asks you to 'Enter Network Lock Control Key'. Entering the above 8-digit phone and voila, the phone was unlocked. Now my phone works also with this other SIM card. Also, calling '*#7465625#' now reports (it used to be that the first one was [ON]):

Network Lock [OFF]
Network Subset Lock [OFF]
SP Lock [OFF]
CP Lock [OFF]

Samsung Galaxy Gio (S5660): Root

2011-12-22T07:17:00.000-08:00

There are many reason for acquiring root access ("run as adminstrator") to your Android phone, e.g. remove all ads (AdFree), backup all apps and their settings (Titanium Backup) and unlock the phone so it works with any network provider.

To root my Samsung Galaxy Gio (S5660) with Android 2.3.3 (Gingerbread; firmware KPS), I did the following:

A. "Installed" SuperOneClick on Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit:

Downloaded SuperOneClick (v2.3.2) and extracted to a directory, e.g. SuperOneClick/.

B. Rooted the phone following instructions by AddictiveTips:

Enable USB debugging on the phone by enabling Menu > Settings > Applications > Development > 'USB Debugging'.
Connected the phone to the computer via USB cable.
Started the Android SDK Manager.
Run SuperOneClick.exe.
In SuperOneClick, click 'Root' (in the 'General' tab).
Wait a couple of minutes. You'll see lots of log entries being printed. Mine ended with the three lines: '[+] Rush did it ! It's a GG, man !', '[+] Killing ADB and restarting as root... enjoy!' and '+++ LOG: write failed (errno=14)'.
Your phone is rooted. It will probably reboot by itself.

C. Verified that the phone was truly rooted:

Start the phone.
Find the 'Superuser' app. If it exists, it is rooted, but you can also start it to make sure; at first you should see an empty list of apps with superuser rights under 'Allow'. Later this list will be populated with apps you allow to run as "superuser", e.g. AdFree and Titanium Backup.

Samsung Galaxy Gio (S5660): Update Android firmware

2011-12-22T06:21:00.000-08:00

Current firmware version:

The quickest way to check the current firmware on any Samsung Android phone, dial *#1234#. On my phone I get:

PDA: S5660XXKPE

PHONE: S5660XXKPA

CSC: S5660HTSKP2

This firmware corresponds to Android 2.3.3 (Gingerbread) with build date June 24, 2011. Note that 'PDA' value is the same as one see in Under Menu > Settings > About Phone > Build number (I have 'GINGERBREAD.XXKPE').

Update firmware:

Install and run Samsung Kies [2] (Windows and OSX). Next, after rebooting the computer, connect the phone to the computer via a USB cable. Make sure to be connected to the internet. The Samsung Kies software will automatically detect and connect to the phone. If there is new firmware available, Kies will report this and offer to update the phone. Make sure to follow the instructions given. After a few minutes, the firmware is updated, and the phone will reboot.

New firmware version:

After updating via Samsung Kies, I get:

PDA: S5660XXKPS

PHONE: S5660XXKPA

CSC: S5660HTSKP2

which corresponds to Android 2.3.3 (Gingerbread) with build date August 25, 2011.

PS. The reason why I updated in the first place was that my phone completely froze multiple times a day. The only thing to do when it happened was to restart the phone (reboot by holding Home and Power buttons for several seconds, or simply take out the battery). This is apparently a rather common problem. Update: After updating to XPS the phone has worked flawlessly for more than 10 days now.

PDFCreator v1.0.0 - careful when installing!

2010-06-11T01:27:00.001-07:00

I just updated from PDFCreator v0.9.7 to PDFCreator v1.0.0. What a pain! They now install the malware/spyware 'pdfforge Toolbar' (Spigot Inc.) if you are not careful. The installation widget is deliberately designed so that you will install it. The result is that you in Firefox will get a Yahoo search bar, the malware will force the browsers search to be at Yahoo, and you will have two annoying extension 'pdfforge Toolbar Plugin' and 'Search Settings Plugin' that cannot be uninstalled (see below for a solution).

What a pitty that the developers of PDFCreator takes these actions.

To avoid this hassle, make sure to follow these two steps when installing PDFCreator v1.1.0:

1. In dialog 'PDFCreator Browser Add On', uncheck 'Set Yahoo! as my default search engine and notify me of changes.'
2. In dialog 'Select Components', uncheck 'PDFCreator Browser Add On for Internet Explorer and Firefox'. Note that most people miss to uncheck this second options!

That's all! If you do the above, you are fine.

What to do if the mistake is already done?

If you did not uncheck in Step 2 - no worries, many people do - then

Close Firefox and close Internet Explorer.
Go to Start -> Control Panel and open 'Programs and Features'.
Uninstall 'pdfforge Toolbar' (Spigot, Inc.)

This will also uninstall Firefox extensions 'pdfforge Toolbar Plugin' and 'Search Settings Plugin'. I don't use Internet Explorer, but I assume any problems there will also be solved.

Booting Ubuntu 9.10 from a USB stick

2009-10-31T02:23:00.000-07:00

It is rather straightforward to install Ubuntu 9.10.on a USB stick so that you can boot directly from the USB drive. I did this from Windows Vista following the 'Create a Ubuntu 9.10 Live USB from Windows' instructions at PendriveLinux.com. If you're on Windows Vista, make sure you don't miss that instruction at the end on running 'makeboot.bat' manually.

Thinkpad Access Connections Freezes [SOLVED]

2009-01-16T10:45:00.000-08:00

Problem:
Every since I've got my new Thinkpad X61 with Windows Vista (Business 32-bit), the ThinkVantage Access Connections (AC) application has been freezing frequently. The Access Connections is used supposed to be a utility to make it easier to connect to different wireless and LAN networks, but all this freezing has been rather frustrating.

I finally decided to track down the problem and found out that the problem with AC has been reported by many (Thinkpads.com, FlyerTalk, m3rLinEz, ...). It seems that it occurred on both XP and Vista and various types of Thinkpads.

Solution: Download and install the new AC 5.12 for Windows Vista (released 2009-01-13) from Lenovo website. Make sure to read the installation notes, saying that the Lenovo System Interface Driver, ThinkPad Power Management Driver, and the Hotkey Driver must be up to date before updating the AC (I had to install two of these). Note also that the files downloaded will only extract the setup files - you then have to launch these manually.

Results:
I used to have AC 4.42 for Windows Vista (Build 7RCN38WW). After installing AC 5.12 (on January 15, 2009) for Windows Vista (Build 7VCV85WW), I haven't experienced any problem.

Converting any media format to any other

2008-12-25T07:04:00.000-08:00

The MediaCoder for Windows (Vista, XP, 2000, 2003, Linux w/ Wine) is a standalone, open source (MPL 1.1), and free application that convert between various video and/or audio formats, e.g. MOV (Quicktime), AVI, XviD, MPEG, H.264, Flash, WMV, RealVideo, DVD, and many more formats including most audio formats.

Turn off auto-restart in Windows (XP Pro and Vista Business only)

2008-11-14T14:01:00.000-08:00

To avoid having Windows restart itself after automatic updates, do:

1. In the Start Menu click 'Run...', type 'gpedit.msc' and ENTER to open the 'Group Policy Editor'.
2. Go to 'Local Computer Policy' -> 'Computer Configuration' -> 'Administrative Templates' -> 'Windows Components' -> 'Windows Update'.
3. Double click on Entry to open up a list of settings.
4. Double click on Item 'No auto-restart logged on users for scheduled automatic updates' to open up a property dialog and change the setting to 'Enabled' (sic!).

Note, this only works with Windows XP Pro or Windows Vista Business or higher. It will not work with home editions. In that case, see the below source for more details.

Source: Comments at http://lifehacker.com/5087042/shutdownguard-stops-automatic-windows-shutdown-restart

Got a DVD/CD *.iso image file but no drive?

2008-09-06T11:34:00.000-07:00

Have you got an *.iso image file with media/software that you wish to access without having to burn it to a DVD/CD? This entry explains how to do it on Windows XP/Vista.

ISO images are binary files that contains an exact copy of a DVD or a CD. Typically it is burned to a DVD/CD, which is then put in the DVD/CD drive. However, if you like me got a notebook that does neither have a CD/DVD reader nor a burner, you probably find this a bit annoying, especially as it should be possible to live without the now 25-year old CompactDisc (CD) technology (the DVD technology is ~10 years old). The solution is to mount the ISO file as a virtual drive such that it can be accessed as if it was real DVD/CD.

This is how I did it on Windows XP Pro English edition:

1. Install MagicDisc:
The easiest way to mount an ISO is to install the MagicISO Virtual CD/DVD-ROM software (MagicDisc; download the first item unless you have a Windows 64-bit operating system which most people don't). The MagicDisc is freeware (and free from adware). The installation is easy and straightforward and without hard-to-understand technical options, and there is no need to reboot after the installation. The program will install itself in the traybar (lower-right corner) and there you will also see a Windows notification bubble reporting "Found new hardware...". The program is also available from the Start menu.

2. Mount the ISO file:
To mount an ISO file, just right-click on the MagicDisc icon in the system traybar to get its menu and select 'Virtual CD/DVD/ROM' -> 'D: No Media' -> 'Mount ...'. This will open a file dialog 'Mount CD/DVD image'. Locate and select the ISO file (and click 'Open'). That's it - the CD/DVD will now show up with its own drive letter (here D:) under 'My Computer'.

If the default drive letter overrides another drive you already have mounted, say an external HDD, then use 'Virtual CD/DVD/ROM' -> 'D: No Media' -> 'Change Drive Letter...' to set it to say 'Z:'.

3. Unmount the ISO file:
When done, right-click and do 'Virtual CD/DVD/ROM' -> 'D: somename.iso' -> 'Unmount ...'. If you have mounted a file on an external USB harddrive, you might also have to exit MagicDisc (right-click), before you can remove the USB drive.

Final comments: I actually started to Daemon Tools Lite, but since the installation was lengthy and required a restart of the computer, and after reading others (Mount ISO Files in Windows Vista, Sept 2008) warnings that they add (optional) adware, I decided to go with MagicDisc (v2.7 build 105), which seems to work very well.

How to delay startup of application when login on to Windows

2008-03-24T15:21:00.000-07:00

In the 'All Programs' menu of Windows XP, there is the 'Startup' submenu/folder where you can put (drag'n'drop) programs that you wish to start automatically when you log on to Windows. However, if you have a lot of programs there, it will substantially slow down your computer when you log on forcing you to wait for several minutes before you can do anything useful. To avoid this, you can set the different programs to start after a certain number of seconds so that the least frequently used programs can be started last, say, after 5 minutes.

How to do it

There are a few applications out there that allows you to control the startup process (including the startup of applications not in the Startup folder).

The one I've been using for a few weeks now is freeware 'Startup Delayer' by Australian r2 Studios (screenshot to the right). It allows you to set the delay for each of the applications started with Windows. It also has a panel displaying the time line of the startup process.

Other "no-cost" solutions I bumped into but haven't tried are: Startup Delayer by Jockersoft.com, R4U Soft Start.UP Organizer by R4U Soft, Ss Startup Manager by Ss-Tools, and Startup Optimizer by Cyberlion Solutions.

Portable external USB hard drive with lots of disk space

2008-02-17T12:34:00.000-08:00

If you're looking for a good quality external USB hard drive, I can recommend the following combination of drive and enclosure:

160GB 2.5" ATA-6 hard drive: SAMSUNG Spinpoint M Series HM160HC 160GB 5400 RPM 8MB Cache ATA-6 Notebook Hard Drive. ~85 USD + tax (Feb 2008)
External enclosure: BYTECC HD-201U2 (SILVER) Aluminum 2.5" USB2.0 mini External Enclosure. Comes with a USB cable that has an extra USB connector in case your computer does not provide enough power. It also comes with a black fake plastic folder that I never use. ~19 USD + tax (Feb 2008)

I use the above for my IBM/Lenovo Thinkpad X60 (Windows XP Professional), but I know it also works perfectly with Thinkpad X41 and a HP notebook I don't remember the details of. For all these notebooks there was enough power to connect to just one USB port; I think that will be the case everywhere, because the drive got quite low power requirements.

Over the last year (Jun & Oct 2007, Jan 2008, Feb 2008), I've bought five pairs of the above products, and never had any problems. You can probably find an enclosure that is a few bucks cheaper, but I find the above reliable so I stick with it. I get my things from NewEgg.com, because they are fast, convenient, and get good reviews. I'm very happy with them and had no problems. Note, you need to have a US credit card or US PayPal account to shop there.

Update (Sept 2008): I've just got myself a 320HB drive that works great on my Thinkpad X60 using only one USB port (on some notebooks you might need to connect the drive to two USB ports to get enough power):

320GB 2.5" SATA hard drive: SAMSUNG M6 Series HM320JI 320GB 5400 RPM SATA 1.5Gb/s Notebook Hard Drive OEM. ~99 USD + tax (Sept 2008)
External enclosure: BYTECC HD1-SU-BLACK 2.5" USB2.0 External Enclosure. Comes with a USB cable that has an extra USB connector in case your computer does not provide enough power. It also comes with a black fake plastic folder that I never use. ~14 USD + tax (Sept 2008)

Important: If you order something different, make sure you get an ATA enclosure with an ATA drive, or a SATA enclosure (serial-ATA) with a SATA drive. ATA and SATA are two different (physical) interfaces/connectors.

Anyone can assemble these. It is easy. You get the hard drive in a sealed package protecting for static electricity. Before you open that package, just make sure you don't run around in socks on a fury carpet, because that could build up static electricity. Just in case, I always put my hands on my kitchen sink to discharge. The external enclosure comes in two pieces plus USB cable, the main case and the rear panel where you connect the drive and the USB cable. Gently connect the drive to the enclosure panel and make sure it is pressed all the way in. Then insert the drive in the enclosure and use the two screws to fix the rear panel to the main enclosure. If you don't have the tiny Phillips screw driver needed, just use a sharp kitchen knife or similar (I do that). Next, connect the USB cable and hook it up to your computer. The LED on the enclosure should lit up immediately.

Before you can start use the drive you first have to partition the drive and then format it. This is only needed to be done once for the drive. When done once, the drive can be used anywhere. I will explain in detail how to do this on Windows XP, but it should be similar on all systems (and probably also easier).

Partition the drive:

In Windows XP, go to Start -> Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Computer Management
Go to Storage -> Disk Management
In the Wizard, initialize the disk. This takes one second and the disk gets state "Online".
In the panel showing available disks, click on the disk that is "Unallocated".
In the part showing the size of the disk with the word "Unallocated", right click to select "New partition...".
In the wizard, click next.
a) Choose Primary partition (or Extended partition).
b) Select the size of the partition (if only one partition, select maximum size).
c) Assign a drive letter, e.g. "H:".
d) Select "Do not Format this partition" and click "Next".
e) Click "Finish".
You should now see that "Unallocated" has been replaced by "Healthy".

Format the drive: Regardless of your operating system, I recommend that you format your drive in the FAT32 file format, because FAT32 is the most widely recognized file format (both for reading and writing), including all of Windows, Mac OSX and Linux systems. Now, the format command/application that comes with Windows cannot format drives as large as 160GB (max partition size is 32GB). Instead, download 'fat32formatter' from http://www.ridgecrop.demon.co.uk/fat32format.htm, and run it as 'fat32formatter H:' to format the drive at H. This takes only a few seconds. (Note for Windows Vista: fat32formatter must be run as Administrator).

That's all!

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Stream music/radio to incoming Skype calls

2007-11-17T11:10:00.000-08:00

Aj aj aj... Sweden plays Spain in a EURO2008 qualification game in a few hours, I am in the California, and I was going to listen to the game live on Internet Radio (broadcasted by www.sr.se). But now I realized I might not have access to Internet where I am at the time. What to do?

Ok, I've a cell phone plan with 5000 free weekend minutes a month and I've got a Skype In number. There must be a way to call my Skype number, have the Skype client automatically answer my call and play back whatever is playing on my computer. Here is how to do it in Windows XP (you'll need a Skype In number which is not free).

Go to the "Master Volume" control (double click on the speaker icon in the tray bar).
a) Open menu 'Options | Properties...' and select 'Recording'. Make sure "Stereo Mix" is selected. Click OK.
b) You should now see the "Recording Control" (instead of the Master Volume) dialog. Select 'Stereo Mix' as your input (typically it is set to 'Microphone').
Go to http://www.sr.se/ and play the radio station (or some other audio player).
(The radio station should now be play in your speakers).
Open Skype. Go to menu 'Tools | Options...' and:
a) Go to 'Call Settings' and expand with 'Show Advanced Options'. Select 'Automatically answer incoming calls'.
b) Go to 'Audio Settings' and turn down the 'Speakers' volume to zero. The select 'Windows default device' for 'Microphone' and select 'Let Skype adjust my audio settings'.
(The microphone indicator bar should now correlate with the playing sound).
c) Click 'Save'.
Mute or turn down the volume of your computer. Call your Skype In number. You should now hear the radio in your phone.

That's it! Don't forget to reset the above when you're done!

Firefox add-on: AT&T Minutes Minder

2007-10-03T19:13:00.000-07:00

The AT&T Minutes Minder is a nifty little Firefox add-on that connects to your AT&T account and reports the number of remaining minutes (or text message) in the status bar. When you hover the mouse cursor over the message you'll see more details.

How to completely turn off AT&T/Cingular's voice mail and save money

2007-10-01T22:15:00.000-07:00

I often miss calls because the voice mail picks up the call (after 4 rings/20 sec), and how often don't you call back and forth several times until you really get a hold of each other, ehe? ...and while doing this, the phone companies makes tons of money on connection fees and minutes used. For people calling you from abroad this is even worse, especially if they have large connection fees. Today, I decided to turn of my voice mail forever.

In order to complete turn off (inactivate) your voice mail, you have to call customer service. Dial 611 from your cell phone or 800-331-0500 and just press 0 at each prompt until you get to a real person and ask them to turn it off for you. They are "happy to do this".

Pros: 1) Your voice mail wont pick up already after four signals (approx 20 seconds). 2) No one will not get charged unless you really answer the call (see below). Note, AT&T customers calling will get charged airtime ("minutes") when ringing for more than 30 seconds (see below).

Cons: 1) People cannot leave you voice messages (but they can still send text messages and you will see their numbers in the list of missed calls).

Results:

Case 1) Phone is off or without a network connection: When called, the callee will immediately hear "The wireless customer you are call is not available. Please try again later. Message 1: OK D7."

Case 2) Phone is on, but you don't answer the call: After about 8 (eight) rings, or approximately 40 seconds, the callee will hear "The wireless customer you are call is not available. Please try again later. [Repeated in Spanish]. Message 1: CA 10GN." followed by an error tone.

Case 3) The phone is on and you actively choose not to answer the call (by pressing "Busy"): It rings, but when you actively select not to answer the call, the callee will get a busy tone (or a message explaining the number is busy).

Note, no connection or minute fee is charged for either party. The above messages are in the phone system, meaning there is no call being connected but the message are still played. This was confirmed by calling from both Skype and Gizmo and both plays the message while reporting "Connecting/Calling...". No fees were charged from either accounts.

Update: If an AT&T customer calls for more than 30 seconds without the call being answered, AT&T is playing a dirty trick and starts charging airtime ("minutes"), cf. "Unanswered outgoing calls of 30 seconds or longer incur airtime" from AT&T's Explanation of Rates and Charges.

See also:
My 'Turn off voicemail forever!' thread in the AT&T forum on 2007-10-01.