Lion update

I see it's been a while since my last post. Now that I've been using Lion for some time now, I can speak more about it.

Of course there are the common rants about Lion. Rosetta is a big one, but that's not really Apple's fault, they gave developers plenty of time to update their software. This causes people to grumble about having to spend more money to buy newer versions of their applications. But did you have to update to Lion in the first place? It was a well known fact that Lion didn't support Rosetta anymore, so if you upgraded and don't want to spend the cash, time to roll back that install to good ol Snow Leopard. SL is still a great OS, nothing wrong with sticking with what works. If it aint broke...

I really hated the resume feature of Lion personally. When I restarted my computer or application, I did it to clear the work space, not so I can continue with the mess I had before. If that was the case, I wouldn't have restarted. Of course there are plenty of applications that can solve the resume problem and even some command line tweaks if you are a do it yourself kind of person. TinkerTool (http://bresink.de/osx/TinkerTool.html) for example is one of many applications that can help you rid your self of a few "features" of Lion and tweak a few other settings. For just a resume fix, try Resuminator (found on OSXDaily.com - http://bit.ly/v0xRev).

Speaking of OSXDaily.com, if you are a Mac or iOS (iPod/iPhone/iPad) user, then you should visit this site often for a ton of great tips, tricks, and news.

I have recently acquired an iPhone 4S, so my trusty Captivate went to the Mrs. Which leads me down another rabbit trail. Got to remember to send my old Captivate to a trusted kernel dev for that platform. But back to the 4S for a sec. Now I get to learn how to use Siri, which is supposed to make my life so much easier. Hoping to wire my home into my network so I can use Siri to adjust my lights and temperature from the couch and the road by just asking about it. Thanks Siri Proxy Devs (http://bit.ly/u8wFCC). I'll post more on that in the future.

Guess it back to work time, so in case I don't get back to you all, have a merry Christmas everyone!

[Review] OS X: Lion

I installed Lion last Friday morning and so far everything is doing great. As with all OS upgrades, there are a few patches and fixes to get rolling to get all the software working as it did before. PowerPC software is out for sure (no Rosetta for Lion) A quick trip over to OSXDaily.com and it will show you how to check to see if you're running any PowerPC software that for sure won't be supported. Fortunatly for me and most of you, this shouldn't be an issue. If you find that you do have an app or two, try the vendor's website or MacUpdate.com

Here are some issues that I ran into:

Java isn't included and is now a separate download. It can be found on Apple's website: Java for OS X Lion

Right off the bat, I noticed that "Library" directory was missing from my users folder. No worries, it's just hidden. A quick terminal command easily corrects that:

chflags nohidden ~/Library/

Another issue I ran into was the my Truecrypt wasn't working. A simple install of the latest MacFuse took care of that issue. It can be found at here: MacFuse 2.1.9.

More to come..

Samsung Captivate: Updating to Gingerbread

I have been running Gingerbread (Android v2.3.3) on my Cappy for several weeks now, and I love it! There are two methods of going about this that I am discussing today.

DISCLAIMER: It is possible to ruin your phone by not reading and following directions. That is all. I will not assume responsibility.

AT&T ROM:
First the unofficial Official AT&T ROM installer (Odin 1-Click) can be found at http://bit.ly/kj5Xt3. They have created an installer package built on top of Odin. For those of you that do not know what i'm talking about, this is the software that lets you flash you Samsung Captivate with all sorts of goodies.

The downside to this official type ROM is that you are also getting all the AT&T bloatware to go along with it. However this ROM is most likely to run correctly because it was designed with the source code that isn't available to make a Gingerbread ROM for the Captivate yet.

Continuum:
I've been running this ROM for a while now and I find it to be very stable and is easily my favorite ROM out there. I look forward to the Continuum Team to put together a ROM based off the previously mentioned AT&T ROM, but for now, this is the one I would, err have chosen for my phone. This link will provide you with all the information and links to download one of the most complete and stable ROMs that I have came across for the Captivate. I hope you enjoy! http://bit.ly/mvx2k8

[Tech Support] Android Tip: Laggy Dialer?

Cleaning out your call logs will do wonders for a laggy dialer app.  I started using Call Log Trimmer and no more problems trying to get a call out due to lag.

Remove AT&T from the Samsung Captivate

Note: Most of this content was taken from the article found at BriefMobile: http://briefmobile.com/how-to-remove-att-from-captivate

Root the Samsung Captivate

The easiest method I have found to root my Cappy is the SuperOneClick Root package. This is ran from you Windows or Mac PC. It can be found on the good ol’ XDA dev site (registration may be required, but you will most likely be here again and again). SuperOneClick v1.8beta

Enable App Sideloading

AT&T has some weird reservations against app sideloading. That means, AT&T Android users can not use any apps not downloaded on the Android Market. Have no fear! You can remove this restriction easily. Check below for the basic instructions, or click to go to our “Enable Captivate App Sideloading” guide.
• BusyBox Installed
• Samsung Captivate with root
• SQL Database Manager
o We suggest trying the SQLite plugin for Firefox, you can find it here.
1. Turn on USB debugging: Settings >> Applications >> Development
2. Plug in your Samsung Captivateyo
3. Open up Command Prompt on your computer (Windows: start, search, type “cmd”, right click cmd, Run as Administrator)
4. Type in: cd _____PATH TO ANDROID SDK FOLDER______\tools
Example: cd C:\Users\USERNAME\Desktop\android-sdk-windows\tools
5. Type in: adb shell (Note: on a Mac, you have to enter ".\adb shell")
6. Type in: su
7. Type in: cp /dbdata/databases/com.android.providers.settings/settings.db /sdcard/settings.db
8. Type in: cp /dbdata/databases/com.android.providers.settings/settings.db /sdcard/settings.db.backup
9. Type in: exit
10. Type in: exit
11. Type in: adb pull /sdcard/settings.db %userprofile%\desktop
Leave Command Prompt open
12. Open SQLite Manager in Firefox by pressing Tools >> SQLite Manager
13. Click “Database”
14. Then click “Connect Database”
15. Navigate to “settings.db” on your Desktop
16. Expand the tables
17. Click “Secure” on the panel
18. Scroll down to ID 6, “install_non_market_apps”
19. Double click it and change “value” from 0 to 1.
20. Close SQLite Manager
21. Go back to the command prompt window, type in: adb push %userprofile%\desktop\settings.db /sdcard
22. Type in: adb shell
23. Type in: su
24. Type in: cp /sdcard/settings.db /dbdata/databases/com.android.providers.settings
25. Type in: chmod 777 /dbdata/databases/com.android.providers.settings/settings.db
26. Type in: reboot
27. Disconnect your Captivate from your computer while your phone reboots.

Remove AT&T Bloatware Apps

Must have root and BusyBox installed before performing this process!
1. Open up Android Market and search/download “Titanium Backup”
2. Make sure your phone is not “Mounted” with USB
3. Press the Backup/Restore button
4. Click on each app and press un-install if you’d like to get rid of it. Do not delete apps off of this list, unless you know it is safe! This deletes these potentially forever… so be sure about things!
Delete-able:
o AT&T Navigator
o AT&T Radio
o AT&T Maps
o AT&T Music
o AT&T Mobile Hotspots
o Mobile Banking
o Mobile Video
o Where
o YPmobile
o AT&T FamilyMap
o Mini Diary
o MobiTV
o Write and Go

Remove AT&T Market Restrictions


Market restrictions? What? You mean AT&T really censors what apps I can and cannot see on my Samsung Captivate? Yes they do. But, no problem. Android developer Andrea Baccega has developed an app called "Market Enabler" to remove the censorship by emulating the T-Mobile market on the Samsung Captivate as well as other devices. Instructions below if you've already got root access:
1. Download “Market Access” and install the latest version of the APK file on your Captivate.
o Don't know how to install .apk files? Copy the file to your phone and then install "Apps Installer" or "Astro File Manager" from the market. It's easy! Just double click the .apk when you find it!
2. Close the Market down fully. If you were running the Market previously, reset the phone so it is not a running task. Or use a task killer and end the Market app.
3. Open up the Market Access application and go to "Backup value" in case you need to get back to the AT&T market
4. Then click "Providers" and find: "T-Mobile [US]"
5. Click and hold that option until it says "Emulate "T-Mobile" SIM?" -- click "Yes" there
1. You may have to Allow Market Access in Superuser Permissions
6. Click back to "Settings" click the checkbox next to "Emulate on boot"
7. All done. Now your Market is uncensored.

iOS 4.3.1 untethered Jailbreak (finally)

Thanks to the guys at OSXDaily.com, here are some instructions on how to Jailbreak your iPhone or other iDevice that you made the boneheaded move to update it to 4.3.1!

How to Jailbreak iOS 4.3.1 using Redsn0w 0.9.6rc9

1. Download iOS 4.3.1 IPSW and install it on your iOS device if you haven’t done so already


2. Download Redsn0w 0.9.6rc9 (Windows & Mac OS X versions available)


3. Launch Redsn0w and click on “Browse”


4. Locate the iOS 4.3.1 IPSW file you downloaded in the first step and click “Open”


5. Select “Next”


6. Select the checkbox next to “Install Cydia” and click “Next”


7. Make sure your iOS device is turned off and plugged into your computer and then click on “Next”


8. Follow the on screen instructions to put your iOS device into DFU Mode: Hold down the Power button for 1 second, then continue to hold power while holding the Home button for 10 seconds, then release the power button but continue to hold the Home button for another 15 seconds.


9. Once you are successfully in DFU mode, redsn0w will perform the jailbreak for you so let it do the work. Your iOS device will then restart automatically and you will be jailbroken

[Review] Serviio Media Server - DLNA

I am absolutely hooked! I have tried many different media server solutions for quite some time now and I believe I have finally found what I have been looking for.

First off some background.  I have been searching for the best solution to get my video library from my PC to my TV.  Since I already had a Playstation 3, that would be how I got video to my TV.  When I started this search, I had an older 50 inch projection TV with no DVI or HDMI inputs.  So PC to TV wasn't really a good option.  That is mostly because I did not have a computer powerful enough to devout to Boxee (or other alternative).  The PS3 can stream video from any DLNA complaint server, so that was what I began with.  Onward..

Previously I have been using Java PS3 Media Server and over all was quite happy with it. I had a few problems with it crashing on me when trying to view some movie files and it would crash on those specific files every time, regardless of the format, while it would play others in the same format with no problems, so I always assumed it was just a "bad encode" of those files. I have a pretty puny computer being used as my media server with only 512MB of RAM (its Rambus memory and its too expensive to add or replace) and PS3 Media Server used most of the resources while it was being used, especially while transcoding. Enough on that.

I installed Serviio, which was a pretty standard and simple process. I then pointed the "share" to my external 1 TB, NTFS formatted; drive that is my video collection. Next, I fired up the PS3 and it picked up the server by the time the PS3 booted up. I did have to wait quite some time for all my media to show up. The reason it took so long was Serviio (optionally) extracts the metadata for each file and goes to the Net to find information used to sort the media. It find directors, actors, and other useful info so that you can simply select "Angelina Jolie" and watch all the movies you have with her beautiful presence or hunt for all the bad@$% movies directed by Michael Bay. It also gets the cover art, so that you scroll through images rather than simply text. Having the DVD/Blu-ray covers is a must for me. It makes it look like your media collection is on your TV naturally rather than some kind of cheap hack, which really impresses my less techy friends. PS3 Media Server would display previously downloaded covers, but who has time to search for all of those things.

Serviio is DLNA compliant which basically the same thing as uPNP. I'm not sure what else is required to go from the standard uPNP to DLNA cert, but the PS3's requirements of DLNA are satisfied.

So far it has played every format I have tried without hesitation and I didn't have to do anything other than select it on screen through the PS3, unlike PS3 Media Server where you would sometimes have to select "Transcode". So far I have run .MP4/M4V, .AVI (xvid), and a couple of .MKV's all, which played flawlessly.

Now for the bad... which isn't much. It would be nice to have a little more options in the control console, although I can't really think off the top of my head what I would want, however there is very little tuning that can be done to the server, at least not through the console.

I have tried Nero Media Home, in which I quit using pretty quickly, in what I can only recall must have been a lack of format support (probably .mkv). Windows Media Player 11 worked great after I added the K-Lite codec pack, however I got tired of disabling sharing every time I wanted to rename, move, edit, or delete a file because Windows gives you the "file is in use" error. I did update to the PS3 Media Server for Windows v1.20.412 BETA at the same time I was installing Serviio and that seemed to fix the "Corrupt Data" problem I had gotten previously with some of my files.

I am very pleased at this piece of software and it has taken its place as my "main" media server. I intended to maintain both Nullriver's MediaLink and PS3 Media Server on my MacBook Pro for the ease of use while traveling, since I don't always have time to let it compile a media listing.

I almost didn't give this software a "10" because of lack of options, however after thinking about it, I don't feel I am missing anything as of yet. It works, it works great, and it is so easy my wife and son can use it! Wahoo, finally!

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Developers website: http://www.serviio.org/

For more information on anything related to Video files, then the folks over at VideoHelp.com should have the info you should need. If you can't find what you are looking for there, then it is a great place to begin you search for knowledge!