A good ROM and Kernel combination for your Galaxy S

It's been a while since I last looked at my Samsung Galaxy S as I was pretty tied up with the ASUS Transformer TF101 tweaks and such. Recently I had a bit of a glitch over the last ROM/Kernel on my Galaxy S which forces me to explore and seek for another ROM/Kernel combination. Apart from that, I had also found a game which also helps in benchmarking parts of the ROM itself.

Disclaimer: This combination is what I had found best suited on my device for my personal usage. It may or may not be the best for you. Kernels and ROMs are always being updated so as usual, it is only correct as per the time of my publishing.

The combination which works for me (and having my O2Jam Analog works flawlessly is as below...

ROM: Juwe Smart Edition v5.2 (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=964672) - Install the WIPE version, backup using Titanium first ok
Kernel: Semaphore v1.5.0 (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1112908) - Overwrite the Kernel.
Tweaks (Use the app called TWEAKS once installed Juwe)
i) Enable RAM: Min-Free
ii) Disable VM: Swappiness
iii) Disable VM: Dirty Read
iv) Enable Touchscreen: Sensitivity

For launcher, I would recommend to get Go Launcher EX. Simply because all the required widgets are all running behing Go Launcher itself - the system need not allocate additional memory for different apps from different vendors.

My test of sensitivity, microlags and memory is all from the game O2Jam Analog. This music-sync game requires certain levels of precision and any lag would render the music goes out of sync and throws your game off altogether. It's in Korean though - go google over it if you're interested.

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Screen and windscreen protector

Recently I read a post in the xda forum about reducing fingerprint smudges using some form of windscreen solution which is specifically meant too prevent accumulation of water droplets during rain. Some members mentioned about applying a few drops over a naked screen (with no screen protector), apply all over using microfiber cloth, wait to dry and then buff off using another microfiber cloth. I did tried over my TF101 and well, yeah - it works !

Because the solution is not corrosive to plastic (at least what am I seeing now), I had also applied it over my Samsung Galaxy S over the screen protector itself ! The results are still remarkable. There is certainly less fingerprint smudges as well as a smoother screen to the touch. The only part in which you need to be aware of is the chemical that had been laced on the screen itself. Although there is no chemical reactions on my finger but as you apply over the phone's screen - be aware that you will also stick the phone onto your face when you receive calls. I certainly would not be responsible on any skin reactions on different individuals towards chemicals like alcohol or methanol. Oh, and over the same point - try not to burn your device, it's more flammable after application.

Because one application is never permanent, you may need to reapply the same solution again after that - perhaps in a few weeks or so. Finally if you had purchased the same solution and it is not working or not as desirable results for you, chill out ! You can still use it on your car right ?

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Me and my Transformer...

So it's almost a week of usage with my ASUS Transformer TF101, many people had been asking what's my finding based on my heavy work load being thrown upon it (aka review). So here it goes, from a person who owns a Samsung Galaxy S and iPad

The Transformer TF101 is certainly not a light device to carry all around. Weighing more than 1kg with the dock, it's not a lightweight device where you would expect it to drop, chip, broken or fail. With the dock as a protection of the screen, once you pick it up feel the "snake-skin" surface of the device, you know it's build for sturdy and meant to last. To pick it up and carry it around in a sling bag as compared to my clumsy notebook, I was quite relieved and filled with thankfulness that I am using this instead of the regular laptop.

The system is not perfect, it's not as smooth like a hot knife across butter when scrolling the main homescreen. I gathered that it was due to the fact that the Android Honeycomb OS is still not harnessing the graphics processor capability of the Tegra chip devices (Which is also understood because the OS can be made for different processors and CPU right ?). So if anyone would want to compare scrolling a whole bunch of app icons (like OS of the fruit company *cough* *cough*) against a screen with a whole bunch of widgets, I'll put my hats down for the app icons instead.

Being in an android platform does have it's own advantages as well. You basically change whatever you do not like by replacing it with a newer or better one. For example, I had changed my homescreen launcher, soft keyboard and even the base OS to something more effective within 2 days of usage. Then there is of course this market problem which is hitting many tablet users in Malaysia due to Google's fault on the application filtering but you can actually overcome it by tweaking the market application a little with instructions on my earlier posts. So in a nutshell, you're not in a scenario where you need to wait for the manufacturer company for updates and such - if there's a will, a problem, someone from somewhere would have a way to overcome it. Hell it's an Open OS, someone must had (or going to) create something to solve similar problem like yours !

Many would had asked me about the battery life of this device but I ensure you, it's not really easy to finish all the juice within the device in a day's run. Take it that you start your day at 9am and your device and dock is fully charged. If you're not playing games all the time during your working hours, you would have been turning the device on and off as you move from meetings to lunch and such. So by the end of the day, you may be switching on the device for 5 hours tops when drive back home. At home I'm sure you have around 3 to 4 hours of playing with the device before you go to sleep... so in total, let's call it 9 hours. Because the device is not like the standard android phone where it polls the mobile network for notifications, the battery drain is pretty linear as opposed to usage. Although the marketed specification of the dock and device combination is 16 hours of battery usage, but I'm sure by the 10th hour of usage you should be able to connect it to a plug and continue working.

So what applications did I used the most in my device ? Firstly I had tried the Polaris Office. It's not perfect but it certainly had did the job in a few occassions. I had yet to do my presentations using the device but I had managed to edit my PowerPoint slide using it. If you're ranting that it's not easy to learn, try picking up another tool called "Symphony" for Windows platform... For mails, I am merging my Yahoo and Google in to a universal mailbox for ease of management and as for remote desktop, I am using an app from market called "Remote Desktop" (what a surprise !). Basically it works with my Win7 desktop at home or in office. While in Remote Desktop you may not find it easy to handle doubleclicks and click-drag actions but well, I guess there is no other means of providing those because we are talking about 2 different operating systems.

For video playback, it's not as exciting as allowing you to cache up to 6GB of your HD videos in MKV to be played natively without problems. It shutters because the application cannot handle caching effectively due to lack of on board memory. Playing a medium size file around 600mb is still acceptable but wait ! I would also suggest you to use other players instead of the built in one instead. Try the free app called "MoboPlayer" which can handle hardware decoding - it works flawlessly for me. Another advantage is the USB ports which can read most storage device you thrown onto it. Videos stored in harddisk can be read seemlessly with auto-mounting as soon as you plug it in.

For games, all the "Birds" you install can be run seemlessly together with all the other HD games available in the market. There is no video lag in any of the HD or non HD games I had tried. I had also installed a Capcom CPS2 emulator to test the device but all seem to run well without complain. Perhaps it's the way this guy is telling me "Is that all you got ? Bring it on ! Roll out !"

Finally it's the user experience that draws me into a different dimension is what I really hope that every single notebook would give me that. Pinch zoom, scroll, taps on the screen while forgetting about having a mouse at all is something really really different experience. Yeah, although the iPad can do that but imagine having it with a keyboard whilst working on it like a netbook ? I know it's possible with a 3rd party (and expensive) BT keyboard or even some more innovative keyboards which can stand your iPad and dock through the port but think about it - the ipad can only be dock vertically and not horizontally, the stability of the device at the dock as you touch the screen to interact with objects within is not "more than meets the eye"...

So in conclusion, the ASUS TF101 is not a perfect device but also not a device to be looked down upon when comparing with other tablet offerings in the market. It's a workhorse as well as a leisure device. As usual, I wont be against anyone who wish to buy tablets for other means - like just plain e-book reading, surfing or playing games. But if you're serious about using it like me - like blogging this whole thing in half an hour at my bed. Consider this device for something more practical and don't kid yourself over some keyboard that you can't feel the buttons. I'm off to transform this Netbook back to a tablet now - I wanna play Angry Birds Rio.

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Fix your ASUS Transformer market : part 2

By now you should have realised that having a US proxy is not really a fun thing to do in your device. We are trying to solve a basic problem with the market but ending up that we need to have the same proxy across all out internet connections - which is kinda gives the unsecured feeling.

As alternative, I would like to recommend you to download and use a free tool called "Proxy Droid". By using this tool you can setup your proxy address and port and link up with applications only requires the proxy access - while the other apps can still run on a "proxy-less" network. Refer to my screenshots for ideas how this works...

Setting up your hostname and port

Setting up which application should access the proxy

Selecting the Market application

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TF101: Integration to the max

I just finished testing the last round of my ASUS TRANSFORMER TF101 for the weekend. It never fails to surprise me with all the features and function which I perceived will work - and it did !

1) I have a USB Harddisk connected to one of the USB port
2) One mini HDMI to HDMI to my HDTV
3) One PS3 controller connected to the other USB

... and to run all of it together, I downloaded a game called "Cordy" from market and start to play it. The result is magnificent ! (Well the HDD is not necessary anyway, I was basically testing emulator games with ROMs stored in the HDD) . I must admit that not all games currently supports the PS3 controller as it supposed to. The second picture shows that the game still requires native on screen controller which is very inconvenient for a 10.1 inch table to handle.

As my test is finally done for tonight, I'm off to bed after this final blog with the keyboard attached. My Samsung Galaxy is not neglected as it's also attached to the keyboard dock to be charged together with the main tablet. Hey, this battery pack can also charge through the USB port so why not just maximize it right ?

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Connecting ASUS Transformer to HDTV

With RM25, I am able to get this little guy on the big tv screen to enjoy movies. The trick is a cable called Mini-HDMI to HDMI which I had obtained from SRI Computers in Low Yat plaza. But I am not contended, what about to projectors ? Another adapter called HDMI to DVI converter completes the whole setup. The damage ? Another RM12 from the same shop ! Good luck !

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Edit: I can't seem to get the DVI converter up and running. I guess the monitor output needs to wait...

Installing CUSTOM ROMs on your ASUS TF101 Transformer

Here's a good guide. Make sure you follow it closely and don't skip any steps. Good luck !

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1106587

Fix your ASUS Transformer market

There are problems with Malaysian users who purchased their ASUS Transformer but having a problem as the screen shown when wish clicking on the INSTALL button on the market application.

In order to resolve the problem, follow the steps below:-

1) Go to market, download and install an application called ANY CUT
2) Run ANY CUT and create a NEW shortcut
3) Select ACTIVITY -> PROXY Settings
4) Click OK and you will see the shortcut being created on your homescreen
5) Back to HOME screen, click on the created shortcut (It's should be named as "Proxy Settings")
6) Key in the following
i) Hostname: 67.107.187.162
ii) Port: 80
7) Now you can access and download applications you can see in the market

Why ? Because Google had screwed up their server by not recognizing Malaysian users as those who can download Tablet based applications. The filter had caused us to see but can't download the applications. What you're doing now is to bypass that and being recognized as a US resident - which now have access to EVERYTHING. While this sounds like a good and permanent solution, it also depends on the availability of the server in step 6. If they refuse your access, you may need to see another server again.

* Blogged using my ASUS TF101

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How to control your DROID remotely using your PC

I recalled the days when I was playing with Windows Mobile and had this little application in which I can interact with my WinMo device through a screen in a PC. Out of curiosity, I went ahead and try to search for a similar software for Android but there it is - Droid VNC Server.

The idea is to have your DROID acts as a VNC server and another client from your PC to connect to it via an IP Address. To add to the gist, I would also be interested to connect to it via USB and it would then sum up the whole "remote desktop" or "local desktop" experience. Refer below for simplified instructions:-

1) Download and install VNC client
2) Put your device on development mode
3) Search, Download and install Droid VNC Server from here
4) Connect your device to the WIFI network
5) Run the app from your device and connect to the IP Address and port given using the VNC client installed in step 2

If you wish to connect via USB...

1) Install ADB (From Android SDK)
2) Make sure it's working (
a) Connect your device (make sure it's on Development mode)
b) Open a CMD prompt (Go Start -> Run -> CMD)
c) Type adb devices and confirm device is listed
3) On the same CMD prompt type adb forward tcp:5801 tcp:5801
4) On the same CMD prompt type adb forward tcp:5901 tcp:5901
5) Connect from your machine via http://localhost:5901 or use VNC client to connect via localhost:5901 (Can be the same for 5801)

Sources:
https://github.com/oNaiPs/droid-VNC-server
http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/1371/how-to-remote-control-using-droid-vnc-server-via-usb

Another messy attempt at Gingerbread

1. Flash XWJVB as base
2. Boot up
3. Flash Criskelo ROM for themes
4. Flash Supercurio GB ROM for ext4
5. Reboot to recovery and enable ext4 lagfix
6. Flash DamianGTO GG ROM for OC/UV

SOURCES: HTTP://forum.xda-developers.com HTTP://forum.damiangto.org Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.8

A tablet that makes sense...

I duly remembered when my dear friend dropped off her Samsung Galaxy S for an iPhone 4 and claiming that it was due to that the iPhone device is "More of a working device" compared to Android. Well, I may not be the best person to judge her but heck, I guess I also have to agree about half of that as well. Yes, Samsung Galaxy S is not a phone for work - and neither does the iPhone 4, by all means that what we need is a larger screen device - a Tablet.

While there are many tablets in the market and each with different size and operating systems, I can't help but to put ASUS EEE TRANSFORMER TF101 as the point of my blog this time. If you're a iPurist or hardcore fan of some other brands, STOP NOW. This blog is totally based on my personal experience and have no way affiliated with ASUS (Although I wish they give me one though)

Imagine of the following scenarios when you're holding a tablet:-
1) Someone pass you a thumb drive and ask you to copy some files to/from to your tablet
2) You sit in a meeting, flashing out your stylish tablet and trying to take notes
3) You're like me now, trying to blog your thoughts anywhere else besides wanting to sit next to your PC/Notebook

In all of the above scenarios, we are actually being LIMITED with what the tablet can offers in terms of functionality - the Keyboard and USB port; both which is being offered by the new ASUS Transformer TF101 as an extension. Trust me, I am using an iPad and a Samsung Galaxy S currently, I had also owned some micro sized keyboard before. No matter how hard I tried, I always find myself looking stupid when someone offers me a thumbdrive to transfer files from my iPad or 'trying' to seriously take notes during meetings...

So if this keyboard function really makes sense, why had I never considered a netbook for myself instead ? It's also related to the question in which I was asked upon why not wait for a 3G version of the TRANSFORMER as well ? It is simply because there are times when all you need is an ebook reader, single handed use for presentation or to surf the web with minimal keyboard interaction - that's when you do not need the whole piece of the puzzle. A good use case is when you're a presenter, you hold your tablet on hand, you can choose to flash the slides by connecting your tablet via a cable to the projector (risking yourself look stupid again) or remote desktop to your notebook nearby to run and control PowerPoint slides but also letting yourself take simple notes with multitasking in Android.

Then again, I'm sure you had also witnessed many people who looked silly when they held up their tablets onto their ears upon receiving a phone call right ? Now that's when too much function yields an overkill device. Imagine if you can pull off that "phone" function and replace it with a separate device that can bring you online, you would not even put that piece of function to be your consideration when buying a tablet at all. So what if they have 4G ? I'll buy a 4G MIFI device or a 4G USB Modem and plug into the TRANSFORMER. More importantly, you wont end up like a dork with your expensive device when you receive a call. You basically get the same functionality but each can be used and upgraded individually. I'm also sure you do not wish to subscribe to multiple telco providers for your mobile phone and tablets right ?

There are also many arguments about getting a BT keyboard to connect and use the tablet for heavy data entry wirelessly. Though the basic functions suffice but there are minor problems in which this approach is flawed.

1) You need to charge your BT Keyboard and your device frequently because BT sucks batteries.
2) You need to find a place to dock your device when using a BT Keyboard (Just put yourself at Starbucks with a small table just enough for your drink and plate of snack)
3) Alas, most (or maybe none ?) 3rd party keyboards doesn't offer USB extension

Finally, how many times have we go onto a Starbucks joint and look for a power plug ? I'm not saying that the TRANSFORMER (tablet only) battery life is the best available out there but well, I guess it also gives you the bang on your buck to pay the extra to get that keyboard because it's also a power source ! Trust me, I had paid a few hundred ringgits for a few battery packs for my Samsung Galaxy and lugging various sizes and lengths of cables around in a pouch - if this one fits the bill for me and just snap in nicely for me, I'm happy ! No cables, just bring the dock/keyboard/USB extension together !

So what are the negative points that worries me ?
1) Update frequencies from ASUS (Which I worry less now because XDA supports it)
2) Android 3.0 HoneyComb (Still new OS)
3) Glitches and bugs (Which falls back to item 1)
4) Size and weight (Just gotta live with it)
5) Charging cable (I think it's propriety)
6) Lack of accessories (i.e. Screen protector but it's ok, get the keyboard to protect it first)

So there you go, I have yet to get my device but I guess I am quite contended that this device will be my first WORKING tablet/netbook. The iPad would always be a family device for gaming, my kids learning tool and such (but we also now have another one to play games as well ... *ahem), my Samsung Galaxy S would be use for phone, facebook updates, foursquare check-ins, taking pictures, tethering and functions that does not require heavy typing while the TRANSFORMER would be for documentation, mindmapping, surfing, remote desktop, watch movies and anything that requires a larger screen real estate. Makes sense ?

To view what the ASUS TRANSFORMER TF101 can do, check out these links below

ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Official Commercial
eee pad transformer home review Asus
Asus Eee Pad Transformer My Desktop Software (Remote Control Windows)
Asus Eee Pad Transformer External USB Mouse + Trackpad Usage

Oh by the way, you can also claim Income Tax with this device, it's not a mobile device, it's a "notebook" ! :)

Upgrading to Gingerbread

I'm sure many of us would had been quite eager to have a taste of GingerBread (Android v2.3.3) on their Samsung Galaxy S. Fred not because the new version of GingerBread ROM is out together with the source code. It means that the ROM will stable out and we will soon enjoy better and meaner ROMs.

Before you start, here are some steps to move to GingerBread (At least for the base)

1) Download the official GingerBread ROM from here
2) Power down your device
3) Go into download mode of your device (Press DOWN+ACTION+PWR and release PWR when screen comes alive)
4) Run ODIN v1.7 and place the PHONE, CSC and MODEM files into the appropriate locations
5) Flash and Reboot

Remember, base ROM means that the ROM is official. No rooting, plain RFS filesystems, no theming and all stock apps. Further flashing can be done using step by step from these 2 renowned ROM creators

1) Chainfire Root - To root your phone
2) ROM Kitchen (beta) - To create your own customized ROM, apps, themes and apply onto your phone (use zip method)
3) DamianGTO ROM - To change your ROM's kernel onto something more robust, stable and efficient (use odin method)

More detail guide on how to flash a base ROM can be obtain here

Cooking your own ROM

I have a few friends who recently bought a Samsung Galaxy S and are now threatening to change to iPhone 4 due to "slowness" or "laggy-ness" on the device as they install apps over time. Some of these friends had came to me and asked me to help them flash the device - in which I am very happy to assist. But the problem arised when they soon discovered that the new ROM that had been flashed-in does not have the original applications in which they wish to use. (One man's poison is another man's food right ?)

This blog entry is to teach you how to create your own ROM and flash into your device. As there are many options within, I may be biased on some of the choice in which I recommend to you. That is based on my experience in flashing my device and may not be necessary be your cup of tea. So are you ready ? Here goes...

Pre-requisites (Sanity check - anything is not met, STOP IMMEDIATELY):-

1. You must have a SAMSUNG GALAXY S (i9000 model)
2. Your phone must have "3 button combo" enabled.
3. Your phone needs to have ClockWorkMod Recovery installed
4. You need to have guts !

STEPS:-

1. Visit ROMKITCHEN

2. Click on GALAXY S (Obviously !)

3. On the top right hand side, click on "GENERATOR"

4. Refer below for options:-

BASE ROM:

• XWJS3 v9.1.3 WIPE (Yes, I recommend you to wipe your phone's data !!!)

CSC:

• XEN-JS3 (I used other CSC and resulted forced close on my phone)

KERNEL:

• HARDCORE'S KERNEL (Reason at the end of this post)

MODEM:

• JPE MODEM (Best so far)

APPS (Ensure the following is chosen, rest is optional):

• BROWSER: ANDROID 2.2.1 BROWSER
• KEYBOARD: Choose at least one please

BASE APPLICATIONS

• Choose FACEBOOK SUPPORT, SNS PROVIDER, ACCOUNT, UNIFIED INBOX if you wanna sync your contacts to facebook and use the email features within
• LIVE WALLPAPER PICKER - If you use them
• MMS - Samsung Standard (Please)
• Samsung APP and Widgets you can choose NOT TO INSTALL if you're using another launcher besides the default launcher
• MEMO - Useful if you wish to take notes during phonecall
• Maps 5.0 - If you do not use Brut (hacked) Map application. This does not provide Navigation features besides using in US

UTILITIES:

• CHOOSE ALL

TWEAKS:

• Leave it (unless you have different thoughts about the default selections)

THEMES:

• I like R64Theme. You may try another

5. Click on the GENERATE BUTTON at the bottom and wait for the generated zip file

6. Download the zip file and put it into your INTERNAL SDCARD of your device

7. Boot into clockworkmod recovery and apply the zip

WHAT NEXT ?

1. Be sure to enable all the TWEAKS in ClockWorkMod recovery
2. Enable ext4 LAGFIX in ClockWorkMod recovery
3. Flashing Hardcore Kernel allows you to update the Kernel without affecting the base ROM (XWJS3). You can get Hardcore's latest work at the following URL http://touristinparadise.blogspot.com/2010/11/samsung-galaxy-s-download-speedmod.html. My suggestion is for you to check his work from time to time, download latest kernel zip file, put into your device and flash again.

Caveat: These selection is correct as at 22-January-2010. If you're reading this at more than 2 weeks away. Ask me what's the latest changes in selection.