Monday, August 27, 2012

Problem Steps Recorder


Problem Steps Recorder
Is someone trying to explain to you what is happening but you don't get is? Or would you like to make a little movie of how to do something on the computer instead of taking for ever explaining it to people who just don't understand?
Simply open the start menu and type PSR and press Enter, then click Start Record. Problem Steps Recorder will record every click and keypress, take screen grabs, and package everything up into a single zipped MHTML file ready for emailing.

This and other tips are found here.

Sunday, August 26, 2012

SPH-L710 Galaxy S3 My Favorite So Far & Rooted


Galaxy S3 is my favorite phone so far. I finally decided to root Android for the first time. I followed this guide and it worked fine. Rooting instructions has several instruction steps but this method is not difficult. I put this off because it looked like too much work, it was not. I am currently on 10/23 and  beyond now. Tips are at the end of this post.

This video tutorial is better. The Odin version is newer and the auto reboot is checked and battery removal is not mentioned. I believe this older tutorial needs to be modified to the method of the first tutorial. I included it because it is such a good video and has basically the same info except for the modified instructions.

I installed the Wifi Tether for Root from the play store and it also worked fine on the Sprint network using the original factory ROM.

I have no clue what BusyBox does but I installed it. Here is a reasonable explanation. Sounds like it is not totally necessary for simple root.

Here is the XDA Sprint Galaxy S3 page

I am holding off on custom ROM ....

I am not quite sure what is going to happen when a new update is pushed out. Of course I did not back up the original so if an update breaks things it will be a session. The factory ROM appears easily available. I was going to wait for the Jelly Bean update before rooting but oh well ... I believe that the phone will not auto update over the air if rooted. If update is desired follow the link below or find the update modified for rooted device.

This covers updating if rooted.

How to Install the CyanogenMod 10 JB
here is the xda site
change log
possible camera improvement
Pandora 1.7 will not stream on 3G so need 1.6

I'm not touching this yet ..... when the bugs settle down I plan to try it.

Update: I installed the 8-15-12 Build: http://d-h.st/KOL and it works great. I am free at last!
The chat room says new builds should work by simply installing over old with no wipe necessary. Wouldn't that be nice?
http://webchat.freenode.net/?channels=gs3-sprint
channel= #gs3-sprint

What are the benefits of CyanogenMod? All the Sprint bloatware is gone. The interface is fast and crisp and the Samsung stuff is gone. I much prefer the Google voice commands over Samsung anyway. I did have one crash in two days and had to pull the battery. This CyanogenMod is still a preview but everything I tried so far has worked. Wifi hotspot works but root allowed that. Galaxy 3S stock is great but Cyanogen is faster and cleaner.

I just updated to nightly build 902. I downloaded on the phone, no PC required and booted into Clockwork. No wipe needed, just backup and install new mod over old then reboot. It has the new CyanogenMod boot screen, very nice.

I do love CyanogenMod 10.

There is a 5 second call answer delay before caller can hear you. This is supposed to be fixed with the 905 build, a welcomed fix.

905 installed. 3g didn't work so pulled battery and cleared the 2 caches. Now it works. I will use 905 until the forum reports some major release improvement.

I think each flash works better after giving it a day or two to settle in. At least it seems so.

Test from my basement. Forget it, I forgot to turn wifi off. If it's looks to good to be true ....

But I did get this, once, sometimes I can't even get 3G. I don't think it is a CM10 issue. There are too many variables to make judgements other than if it works, I am happy.

I just got this with build 910 from basement. Just moving the phone a couple feet will change the speed drastically in my basement.
Benchmark
Quadrant benchmark


910 is a good build for me. Pandora over 3G shows visually but I get no sound. 

Here is some information on corporate PRL (preferred roaming list). I have not tried it yet. Some say it helps speed and some say it helps roaming.
No. 25006 is the normal consumer PRL (currently). The corporate PRL is what goes out to phones on corporate accounts - accounts owned by corporations for company-owned phones. PRLs starting with 240xx are corporate. PRLs starting with 250xx go to everyone else.
get file here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=31313444&postcount=5264
To install:
1. Download and extract prl file from zip
2. Place file on INTERNAL sd card
3. Make a copy of the file and name it "TEST" (TEST.prl)
4.. Make nandroid backup
5.. Flash TW rom
6.. From dialer hit ##DATA#
7. select view>>PRL Write
8. Hit write PRL and let phone reboot
9. Go back to CM10
Here is an interesting list of apps for the Galaxy S3.

For what it's worth, the external SD is not seamlessly used. If you must direct programs to us the external SD, a directory bind could work.

Tips:
1. LTE handoff try "home only" under "mobile networks"
2. Clockwork Mod is fine but I use GooManager and TWRP. Cyanogen 10 also has an auto update in "about phone" that will download nightly and use TWRP to reboot recovery.
3. Samsung USB driver
4. If you get an "open with this program" selection and make the wrong "always" choice do this to fix: Settings>Apps>All>Media Storage and "Clear Defaults"
5. If you want the stock Jelly Bean leak
6. Set up lan server in ES File Explorer
Find the IP of the computer on the network to which you wish to connect.
Enter that IP into "Server"
Enter user name and password for that computer
Display name is anything
Now when you tap the server, the shares on that computer will be listed.
You can now download files from the network shares.
7. AirDroid will allow you to access the phone files from a wireless computer.
8. If you want stock Jelly Bean go here and here.
9. Jelly Bean 4.2 stuff here all in one zip here
10. Change log
11. Flash for Jelly Bean 2011.1_11.1.115.11
12. On TW to fix data reception problems try dialing ##72786#
13. Interesting file manager to try.
14. Force roaming Roam Control
15. Things to rename for battery save found here.

I've jumped ship on CM10.0 because CM10.1 is the new nightly and has too many problems. FreeGS3 is a Touch Wiz mod and works great. I'm going to stick with it until CM10.1 is ready and then reconsider. The 3G radio works better in a TW rom.

Saturday, August 18, 2012

TV Used AS PC Monitor Keeps Turning Off

Edit: As usual I will tell the solution first: change Windows desktop resolution. Video players and games will have their own resolutions.

My current frustration (I need to bury this piece of crap Vizio VA370M in the back yard) is my TV if used as a PC monitor keep turning off. I can't keep it on long enough to even experiment with settings. All the standard settings to keep the PC from sleep on the monitor/machine side are correct so it needs to be a setting on the TV which I assume does not exist.

I have found no help on line, and will record any solution I find here.

Let's try Vizio chat. I will print the results to these questions:


Do any firmware updates exist for VA370M?

TV keeps turning off when hooked to PC even though PC sleep settings are off.

ROKU sound distortion over HDMI


 Christopher: Thank you for contacting VIZIO Live Chat, the home of Entertainment Freedom for All.  This is Christopher in South Dakota. Have you ever contacted us before?
 Me: no
 Me: I assume you have my questions?
 Christopher: no firmware is available for this model. try re adjusting the resolution settings.
 Me: adjusting on the TV?
 Christopher: no on  the pc, start at the lowest setting and work upward.
 Me: I will try. Do you have any idea about the Roku/WDTV sound distortion over HDMI? I have two other Vizio models that work fine.
 Christopher: do you have other cables to try?
 Me: I have tried different cables, swapped end for end, tried composite and all the standard ideas.
 Christopher: does this happen with the other tv's?
 Me: No the others work fine. I have tried different HDMI ports also.
 Christopher: How old is this model tv?
 Me: I don't know, maybe 3 years.
 Christopher: the hdmi ports may be going bad.
 Me: I have tried HDMI combined with composite for sound but that does not do it. Limited setting on both TV and ROKU side so don't know if they are smart enough to determine where the sound is originating.
 Christopher: Here is the number to our repair technicians they will give you a diagnosis.
 Me: I don't see a number?
 Christopher: VIZIO does have two partner companies who are certified to perform repairs on VIZIO TV's.  You can reach them at ITI- (888)248-2708 and HD Repair- (800) 713-2671.
 Me: Thanks. Have a great day.
 Christopher: Thank you for contacting VIZIO Chat Support!  If you need our assistance again in the future you can contact us by Chat, Email, and Phone service.  That information is found on www.vizio.com.  Have a great day!

So .... I will try lower resolution for the monitor shut down problem.
OK, setting the PC resolution lower "fixed" the monitor shut down. This vizio has some problems with 1920 res. I got to 1280x768 and it still worked. At least I can keep the monitor on to troubleshoot.

Still no help on the Roku ... maybe the HDMI ports on the Vizio are truly broken.

Monday, August 13, 2012

DuckDuckGo is a secure search


We all love Google search results but may not want all the tracking. The tracking is probably harmless market research but if you have a Libertarian streak ...

DuckDuckGo is the answer plus check out the Bang search!
Why not default your search to DuckDuckGoog and get it all.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Does Fannie Mae Have You Mortgage?

http://www.fanniemae.com/loanlookup/

If you are under water on your loan Fannie may come to the rescue. Look up you property here. This search needs to have specific info so it may be better to simply call your lender and ask them. If it is on letter or number off in how Fannie has it labeled, of course, it will not show up.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Reset Your Modem or Router?

My internet is slow, what can I do.

Charter or other Internet Provider (IP)
  connects to
Cable Modem (the IP's cable connects to the modem for internet signal, the modem is often rented from the IP and is their responsibility to keep working or replace. The modem has one in and one out connection to provide signal to one single computer or a router to distribute (route) signals to multiple devices. You can connect a computer directly to the modem with an Ethernet cable and run speedtest.net. This would eliminate the router and accesspoints and show if the modem works properly. In reality, if the wired internet speed is slow it is usually a modem or IP problem and not the router or access points. Modems, like all things electrical, may need to be unplugged from electrical current from time to time and be reset. If speed is slow try this first before calling IP. Disconnect power from both the modem and the router and wait 15 seconds. Now connect power to the modem. Then connect power to the router. This is all very simple.

Modem (disconnect power for a time to reset)
Router and access points (disconnect power for a time to reset)

Check your speed with some online speed test. Search for it by name "charter speed test" etc. Or use speedtest.net.

You should now know which piece of equipment is causing the problem and either call the provider or buy a new piece of equipment.

Why would I post this? So I don't need to write it again.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Check Amazon For A Sprint Phone Upgrade

I recently moved my Galaxy S2 down the food chain and upgraded to Galaxy S3 on Sprint. I did it at the local Sprint store for $250. Checking Amazon's price never occurred to me. Amazon has a Galaxy S3 Sprint upgrade for $99. But we do need to support our local store owners. Amazon pays no tax in my town and the guy is renting his store space from me. You may not have such loyalty feelings and who could blame you.

The Galaxy S3 is the best phone I have had. When Jelly Bean comes out it will be even better, so I'm told. The Sprint network is challenged in my two home areas but the data package and pricing is too good to pass up. Our local store says Sprint is adding 100 new packages a day in our small town area of 11,000 population and the network can't keep up at the moment. Maybe things will get better because Sprint is trying to upgrade its service.

Samsung is simply the Android phone king of the hill right now.

Sunday, August 5, 2012

WDTV Forum Is World's Worst


Edit: The sound problems I experienced was indeed the HDMI incompatibility with the particular Vizio TV model I was using. I don't know why the WDTV worked with the bad TV until I updated the firmware but once things went south, I could never retrieve it. I grabbed another Vizio we had and both Roku and WDTV work fine. Now we have another thing to worry about when selecting a new TV, will it work with streaming boxes. I suspect the newer and better models may have improved HDMI. Below are my struggles.

I have a WDTV Gen 3 and installed the new (1.10) firmware update. Henceforth the sound had echoes and was generally quite terrible. So I went to the WD community forum and registered to ask for suggestions. While the guys on the forum were helpful and friendly, the forum itself holds a world's record for crappiness. I had to register three times to make three posts. Finally it remembered my log in with the third name/password combination but, being a craptastic record holder, they have an equally terrible Captcha security that is unreadable most of the time. I guess this is one way to hold down posting volume. But even if you miraculously discern the cryptic alpha numeric code, chances are great that you will be thwarted by an "unexpected error". I have yet to find a decently accessible forum community for the WDTV device. Probably the captcha requirement vanishes after a certain number of posts if you can tolerate the procedure long enough.

As to my sound problem, I rolled back to the previous firmware (1.09) and still had sound issues. I love the device which had been flawless up until the point of upgrade. I think it may have something to do with the WD being able to sync with the TV's HDMI. My Vizio model has such HDMI incompatibility with ROKU as to make ROKU unusable with this TV. Things finally straightened out after I tried the composite video (which was intolerable) and then went back to HDMI. Maybe it forced both the TV and WD to freshly negotiate a sync. This is only a wild guess but it seems to be working fine now.

This said, we do live in a world of digital coincidence. The router may have been doing something improperly, Netflix could have been wonky, or what ever else might have been causing the problems. The moral of the story is to not give up trying different options and combinations. This may have worked with the new firmware update but I'm not going to risk it. Version 1.09 works for me and I will avoid 1.10 unless something goes bad again.

These little boxes are nice but if you can use a computer for streaming don't bother with these boxes. But WDTV and ROKU, when they work, are great. When they don't, you are in for abounding frustration.

My Netflix stream is once again very high def. and the audio is crisp and clear.

There, I got that out of my system.

Oh, oh ... I'm hearing a little clicking/tapping sound. I may not be out of the woods yet.

Well, things deteriorated fast so I might as well do the v1.10 again, reset, unplug and fire up. Streaming just fine now. I'm wondering if I didn't have a grandson gaming and sucking up all the bandwidth? Time for extreme measures so I put the WDTV on highest priority QoS on my DSL router. Let's see if that helps. My MTU is 1462 which should be acceptable for DSL. My gosh, the picture is fantastic on this thing.

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Windows 8 "I don't think so."

I just installed Virtual Box and the leaked RTM Windows 8. Yep, I hate it. At least that's done and I don't need to think about it again. Odds are slim that I will touch it again.

Then again it may be the Metro start page that I find useless and couldn't get over. Start8 from Stardock will dump that foolishness and help a return to sanity. There are certain to be a plethora of Metro killers down the road. Do I care? Not really.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Windows 7 As Virtual Router

Free and open source Windows 7 virtual hot spot. Why use it? If one notebook can get connection but another device can not, this could work for the second device. Two people in a hotel room, one with a notebook and one with an iPad. Now you can both be on line because chances are the iPad is going nowhere with the hotel connection. The virtual hotspot program wants to enter an auto start which I disallowed.

Or you can set the hot spot up yourself by following this.

Pin Not Available

Crazy Error I had not seen before. Pin not available blah blah. I restarted a few times and it finally worked. If it doesn't some say to...