SGS SlimJB Reflash

After connecting the Philips SBA16000 portable speaker to my SGS, I noticed that the home button doesn't work anymore. Short press doesn't bring up the launcher, and long press doesn't bring up the recently-used apps list. Quite a pain to be pressing the back button multiple times just to access the launcher. What's more, most of my ASS and launcher settings have reset to default. Maybe the home button functionality got turned off? Really hoping it's not a hardware fault.

Rebooting didn't help, so I tried a quick flash to the latest SlimJB 2.4, as some forum posts suggested. Didn't help. Time for a full wipe, which finally fixed the issue. I blame it all on that $10 Philips speaker. Nifty little gadget though. Runs on 3xAAA batteries, class 'D' digital amplifier, compatible with any audio source with 3.5mm headphone jack.

Audiobook 2012.09.20 - Sophie's World

Took me a few weeks of commuting time before I finished the audiobook version of Sophie's World. If I haven't been using Audio Speed Changer, it would've taken me longer. The book is basically a summary of western philosophy from the earliest Greek philosophers till the present day. That's going to be super-boring, so Jostein Gaarder put his lessons within a storytelling framework, where two characters eventually discovered they're part of the story, and works against the author.

A pretty good effort; better (and faster) than attending a full-blown philosophy course.

Book 2012.09.13 - Plugged

I've been a fan of Eoin Colfer and his Artemis Fowl series of books back when a friend introduced them to me many years ago. When Plugged came out, his first adult crime novel, I just had to read it. My verdict? Not as good as I expected. The wit and humour is still present, but there's too many coincidences that the story doesn't ring true.

Daniel McEvoy is an Irish ex-UN peacekeeper from Lebanon. Burned out, he relocates to New Jersey, working as a bouncer at a seedy strip club. His friend/doctor Zeb is kidnapped, his girl Connie is murdered, he's being harassed by corrupt cops, drug-dealing lawyers, and Irish mobsters. What's more, he needs to get his hair plugs sorted out.

CyanogenMod on ZTE V9

Must've been months or years since I last rooted/flashed the Optus MyTab (a.k.a. ZTE V9). Checked the forums, and was pleasantly surprised to find out that the V9 is now officially supported by Cyanogenmod. Yay, no need to use kallt_kaffe's hacked ROMs.

Downloaded the latest CM7.2 nightly and gapps for ZTE V9, and whacked them in. Upgrade guide here: http://wiki.cyanogenmod.com/wiki/ZTE_V9:_Full_Update_Guide Basically, copy both files to the sdcard. Boot into CWM recovery, wipe data/factory reset, wipe cache partition. Flash CM, then flash gapps. Reboot system now.

Only difference I noticed is that the UI is sporting a light blue color, instead of green. Device feels a bit faster, but that's probably due to the new flash. Wifi performance is definitely much better and more stable. Overclocked to 825MHz (from stock 600MHz), and everything's all good.

SlimJB 2.1 to 2.2

What a difference a minor revision makes. Same zippy performance, awesome battery life, no more softboots. More configuration options. By far the best ROM I've used so far.

People have complained about FC's, random reboots, some stuff not working. I'll let you in on a secret. Always do a clean install, and DON'T restore. I know it's a pain downloading all those apps again, and reconfiguring everything from scratch, but that's the price you pay for a clean working ROM.

As before, copy the device and common zips to the sdcard. Boot into CWM recovery, then wipe data and format system (under mounts and storage). Flash device.zip. If this step completes too fast (less then 5 seconds), reflash. Then flash common.zip. Reboot to system.

Movie 2012.09.01 - The Three Stooges

Movie feels kinda drawn out, considering I've seen a lot of the old TV series, and used to that format. Still, it's good to see the boys back with their old tricks. Story is about Moe, Larry, and Curly trying to save the Sisters of Mercy Orphanage from closure by raising $830,000. They tried a few ventures, which obviously didn't work so well. My favourite part is when Moe joins the cast of Jersey Shore (as Dyna-Moe) and gives 'em what they deserve. He was so good, the producers of the reality-TV show paid off the debt and built a brand-new orphanage, as an advance for a new show called Nuns vs. Nitwits, featuring the three of them.