android on pc

"Reader is dead," says Mihai Parparita, one of the former Google Reader engineers. You still have 2-3 days to use Google Reader, but the best thing you can do is to export your data.

Google Takeout lets you export some of your Reader data, but not everything: your subscriptions, your notes, starred items, shared items, liked items, the list of followers and the people you were following, the items shared by the people you were following. Mihai Parparita wrote some Python scripts that download everything from your Google Reader accounts, including the entire content of the posts from your subscriptions. You need Python 2.7, some basic command-line skills and a lot of free storage: my backup has more than 5 GB for about 250 feeds (vs 125 MB for the uncompressed Takeout backup).


Here are some tips for running the script in Windows 7/8:

- install Python from here (Python 2.7.5 Windows Installer)
- download Mihai's zip file and extract the files
- open the folder in Windows Explorer and you should see a list of subfolders like "base", "bin", "feed_archive".


- Shift + right-click below the folders and select "open command-line window here".
- copy this code, paste it in the command-line window and press Enter (I assumed that Python's folder is c:\python27):

set PYTHONPATH=%cd%
c:\python27\python reader_archive\reader_archive.py --output=download

- a web page will open in your favorite browser and you'll need to click "Accept", copy the authorization code and paste it in the command-line window.
- wait until the script downloads all the files.

Mihai also started to write a script that lets you browse your archive. It's a work in progress, probably because the script for downloading your data is more important right now.

There's also a script for downloading a feed's archive. "Google Reader has (for the most part) a copy of all blog posts and other feed items published since its launch in late 2005 (assuming that at least one Reader user subscribed to the feed). This makes it an invaluable resource for sites that disappear, can serve as a backup mechanism and enables tools to be created." My post from 2007 provides another way to download the history of a feed. You can also upload your OPML file to this site, which preserves hitorical feed data.

"I don't fault Google for providing only partial data via Takeout. Exporting all 612,599 read items in my account (and a few hundred thousand more from subscriptions, recommendations, etc.) results in almost 4 GB of data. Even if I'm in the 99th percentile for Reader users (I've got the badge to prove it), providing hundreds of megabytes of data per user would not be feasible. I'm actually happy that Takeout support happened at all, since my understanding is that it was all during 20% time," says Mihai Parparita, who spent 5 years working on Google Reader.

If you're curious to know which Reader alternative gets a thumb up from Mihai, his answer is "a toss-up between NewsBlur and Digg Reader."

"In publishing and graphic design, lorem ipsum is a placeholder text (filler text) commonly used to demonstrate the graphic elements of a document or visual presentation, such as font, typography, and layout, by removing the distraction of meaningful content. The lorem ipsum text is typically a section of a Latin text by Cicero with words altered, added, and removed that make it nonsensical and not proper Latin". (Wikipedia)

What happens when you use Google Translate to find the English translation of one of the many lorem ipsum texts? You get this:


"We will be sure to post a comment. Add tomato sauce, no tank or a traditional or online. Until outdoor environment, and not just any competition, reduce overall pain. Cisco Security, they set up in the throat develop the market beds of Cura; Employment silently churn-class by our union, very beginner himenaeos. Monday gate information. How long before any meaningful development. Until mandatory functional requirements to developers. But across the country in the spotlight in the notebook. The show was shot. Funny lion always feasible, innovative policies hatred assured. Information that is no corporate Japan."

Well, Google Translate for Latin is still in alpha and the text is nonsensical. There are many actual mistakes in Google Translate. Statistical machine translation sometimes produces humorous results.

{ via waxy.org }

Google+ was launched 2 years ago to fix online sharing. "We'd like to bring the nuance and richness of real-life sharing to software. We want to make Google better by including you, your relationships, and your interests. And so begins the Google+ project," announced Google.

2 years later, Google+ grows faster than anticipated, brings cool new features, enables vibrant discussions, makes your photos look better and redefines the word "hangout".

There's a special Google +2 logo:


... and the jingle is now festive:


Here's the animated version:


Is Google+ an upgraded Google? Google+ brought a new consistent design for Google's services, made sharing more straightforward and search more social and personal. Google+ was a necessary tectonic shift for Google. It's now a different Google Labs, where the experiments turn into features that are used by hundreds of millions of people. From auto-enhanced photos to auto-tagged content, from video conferencing to event management, from social games to surfacing useful content, from object recognition to photo editing, Google+ is the place where you can use some of the most advanced features released by Google in the past 2 years.

Don't forget to follow this page if you use Google+ and you want to find even more news and tips about Google.

If you watch a few videos from a channel, YouTube's homepage shows a message that recommends you to subscribe to that channel.

"Subscribe to see more videos from this channel. You've recently watched videos from [channel's name]. Subscribe to see their next videos right here on your YouTube homepage."


You can subscribe to the channel or hide the message by clicking the small "x" icon.

Now that you've subscribed to the channel, you can change your subscription preferences when you watch a video from that channel. There's a wheel icon next to the "subscribed" button that lets you enable email notifications and restrict the subscription to new uploads.


If you need more suggestions, check the "recommended channels" sidebar from YouTube's homepage or visit this page. Remove the channels you don't like to improve YouTube's future recommendations. Mouse over the channel's thumbnail and click "preview" to check some of the recently uploaded videos. Use the arrows to navigate between YouTube's recommended channels.

Google works on creating a Native Client app for Quickoffice, a software acquired last year. There's an Office Viewer extension for Chrome, which is bundled with Chrome OS.

Now Google experiments with adding editing features to the Office Viewer. If you have a Chromebook, you've switched to the Dev Channel and have the latest Chrome OS version (29.0.1547.2), you can enable these features:

1. open a new tab

2. type this in the address bar: chrome://flags/ and then press Enter

3. use Ctrl+F to search for "document editing"

4. click "Enable" next to "Enable document editing"


5. click the "Restart Now" button to restart your computer and use the new flag.

The editor is pretty basic and it only works for Microsoft Word documents and Excel spreadsheets. For some reason, the document editor only saves documents in the Office 2007 format.




It's likely that editing will be a standard feature and it will also be available in the Chrome extension. Google will have to change its name to shows that it's more than a file viewer. It will be interesting to see how Quickoffice for Chrome integrates with Google Drive.

Chrome OS supports a lot of file formats without relying on Google Drive. You can open and edit photos (BMP, PNG, GIF, JPEG, WEBP), you can play videos (3GP, AVI, MOV, MP4, WEBM, OGV), play music (MP3, M4A, OGG, WAV), create ZIP archives, extract files from archives (ZIP, RAR, TAR), open PDF files, text files and Microsoft Office documents (DOC, DOCX, XLS, XLSX, PPT, PPTX). Offline and natively.

{ via François Beaufort }

2010..... Final exit Dangote

Samsung has delivered a new software update for the AT&T subscribers of Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 with model number SGH-I497. This firmware update is a major release based on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean with build number I497UCUAMF2.

According to Samsung, the new official firmware reportedly brings a lot of new features and enhancements over its previous build.

Features Included:
- Customizable widgets
- Improved text input and spell-checking
- New dictionaries for better error correction and word suggestion
- Enhanced web browsing and personalization capability
- Improved email management
- New technology for better security options
- Google Now with enhanced voice activation

This update is currently available through Windows and Mac computers using the Samsung Kies software application.

How Do I Update My Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 (AT&T) SGH-I497?
Step-1: Start Samsung Kies, or if you have downloaded Samsung Kies, launch the installer and allow Kies to install on your system. If you are prompted to reboot the system, do so before proceeding.
Step-2: Connect your device to your PC or laptop using the supplied USB cable. Ensure that Kies recognizes your device by looking in the upper section of the left-bar navigation menu. Your device should be listed.
Step-3: Once Kies recognizes the device you will see the following pop-up. Follow the on-screen instructions to continue.

Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean Update

Firmware Upgrade Completed

Click here to know How to Root Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 (AT&T) SGH-I497 running on Android 4.1.2 UCUAMF2 Jelly Bean firmware.

The AT&T subscribers of Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 bearing model number SGH-I497 recently received its latest Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean firmware update with base firmware UCUAMF2. This update is currently available through Windows and Mac computers using the Samsung Kies software application.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 (AT&T) SGH-I497 users who have already updated their devices with Android 4.1.2 UCUAMF2 Jelly Bean, may root their devices using the tutorial below.

This tutorial uses CF-Auto-Root file released by recognised XDA Developers, Chainfire. The CF-Auto-Root file allowing Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 users to root their devices easily without depending on the firmware. It completely supports Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean and future firmware as well. Head over to the CF-Auto-Root main thread to learn more about the root method.

Note: Using this root increases your flash counter. The flash counter keeps track of how many custom firmwares you have flashed, as this voids warranty. Triangle Away can be used to reset the flash counter after installing CF-Auto-Root.

Disclaimer: Rooting voids the warranty of your device. We and the developer of this rooting procedures shall not be held responsible if any undesirable outcomes may happen to your device. use of this root guide is solely at your own risk!

Pre-requisites
1. Install USB Driver for Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 on the computer.
2. Enable USB Debugging Mode on the phone by navigating to Settings >> Developer Options.
3. Make a backup of all your important data before following the guide.
4. Ensure the battery of the phone is charged more than 80 per cent.
5. The CF-Auto-Root file works only on Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 (AT&T) SGH-I497. Applying this to any incorrect variant might brick the device. Verify the model number of the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 by navigating to Settings >> About Phone.

File Required
1. CF-Auto-Root (Mirror Link) for Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 (AT&T) SGH-I497 (CF-Auto-Root-espresso10att-espresso10uc-samsungsghi497.zip)
2. Odin 3.07 (Mirror Link)

Steps to Root Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 (AT&T) SGH-I497 Running on Android 4.1.2 UCUAMF2 Jelly Bean Firmware
Step 1: Extract CF-Auto-Root and Odin 3.07 files using WinRAR/7-Zip/WinZip or any other extracting tool.
Step 2: Switch off the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1. Then boot the device into Download Mode by pressing and holding Volume Down and Power button together until the device turns on. Now press the Volume Up button to enter Download Mode.
Step 3: Launch Odin on the computer.
Step 4: Connect the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 to the computer using USB cable while it is in the Download Mode. Wait until Odin detects the device. When the device is connected successfully, the ID: COM box will turn yellow with the COM port number. Additionally, the successful connected will be indicated by a message saying Added. If Odin fails to detect the device then re-install USB driver
Step 5: In Odin, click the PDA button and select the CF-Auto-Root-espresso10att-espresso10uc-samsungsghi497.tar.md5 file.
Step 6: Verify that Auto Reboot and F.Reset Time checkboxes are selected in Odin. Also, ensure the Re-Partition option in Odin is not selected.
Step 7: Double-check and click Start in Odin. The installation process will now begin.
Step 8: Once the installation process is completed, your phone will restart and soon you will see a PASS message with green background in the left-most box at the very top of the Odin. You can now unplug the USB cable to disconnect your device from computer.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 (AT&T) SGH-I497 running on Android 4.1.2 UCUAMF2 Jelly Bean firmware is now rooted successfully. You can now install any app that requires root permission. Verify the root status of the device by downloading Root Checker app from Google Play Store.

Thank's to all fellas at XDA who first tried out this rooting technique. This method was originally posted via XDA-Developers original thread.

Samsung Galaxy S4 (U.S. Cellular) SCH-R970 users who have already installed their devices with Android 4.2.2 VXUAMDL Jelly Bean, may root their devices using the tutorial below.

This tutorial uses CF-Auto-Root file released by recognised XDA Developers, Chainfire. The CF-Auto-Root file allowing Galaxy S4 (U.S. Cellular) users to root their devices easily without depending on the firmware. It completely supports Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean and future firmware as well. Head over to the CF-Auto-Root main thread to learn more about the root method.

Note: Using this root increases your flash counter. The flash counter keeps track of how many custom firmwares you have flashed, as this voids warranty. Triangle Away can be used to reset the flash counter after installing CF-Auto-Root.

Disclaimer: Rooting voids the warranty of your device. We and the developer of this rooting procedures shall not be held responsible if any undesirable outcomes may happen to your device. use of this root guide is solely at your own risk!

Pre-requisites
1. Install USB Driver for Samsung Galaxy S4 the computer.
2. Enable USB Debugging Mode on the phone by navigating to Settings >> Developer Options.
3. Make a backup of all your important data before following the guide.
4. Ensure the battery of the phone is charged more than 80 per cent.
5. The CF-Auto-Root file works only on Samsung Galaxy S4 (U.S. Cellular) SCH-R970. Applying this to any incorrect variant might brick the device. Verify the model number of the Galaxy S4 by navigating to Settings >> About Phone.

Files Required
1. CF-Auto-Root (Mirror Link) for Galaxy S4 (U.S. Cellular) SCH-R970 (CF-Auto-Root-jflteusc-jflteusc-schr970.zip)
2. Odin 3.07 (Mirror Link)

Steps to Root Galaxy S4 (U.S. Cellular) SCH-R970 Running on Android 4.2.2 VXUAMDL Jelly Bean Firmware
Step 1: Extract CF-Auto-Root and Odin 3.07 files using WinRAR/7-Zip/WinZip or any other extracting tool.
Step 2: Switch off the Galaxy S4. Then boot the device into Download Mode by pressing and holding Volume Down + Home buttons together and then press the Power button until the device turns on. Now press the Volume Up button to enter Download Mode.
Step 3: Launch Odin on the computer.
Step 4: Connect the Galaxy S4 to the computer using USB cable while it is in the Download Mode. Wait until Odin detects the device. When the device is connected successfully, the ID: COM box will turn yellow with the COM port number. Additionally, the successful connected will be indicated by a message saying Added.
Step 5: In Odin, click the PDA button and select the CF-Auto-Root-jflteusc-jflteusc-schr970.tar.md5 file.
Step 6: Verify that Auto Reboot and F.Reset Time checkboxes are selected in Odin. Also, ensure the Re-Partition option in Odin is not selected.
Step 7: Double-check and click Start in Odin. The installation process will now begin.
Step 8: Once the installation process is completed, your phone will restart and soon you will see a PASS message with green background in the left-most box at the very top of the Odin. You can now unplug the USB cable to disconnect your device from computer.

Samsung Galaxy S4 (U.S. Cellular) SCH-R970 running on Android 4.2.2 VXUAMDL Jelly Bean firmware is now rooted successfully. You can now install any app that requires root permission. Verify the root status of the device by downloading Root Checker app from Google Play Store.

Did you know that Google+ Photos has a trash section? You can find it by clicking "More" and then "Trash" or you can use this link. Google says that the "items will be permanently deleted after 60 days" and shows a link for manually emptying the trash.



But there's more:

"Photos and videos you move to trash in Google+ are stored for a short period of time before they are permanently deleted. If you move an item to trash, and later want to retrieve it, you can do so by following these instructions: select Photos from the Google+ navigation menu, click More and select Trash from the dropdown, click one or many checkboxes to select photos and choose Restore to return these photos back to Google+. These photos will be restored to the same album(s) they were located prior to being moved to trash. To permanently delete photos, select the items you'd like to delete, and click Delete permanently."


Picasa Web Albums doesn't have a trash section. If you delete a photo from the Picasa Web interface, you can find it in the Google+ Photos trash. When you delete a photo from Google+ Photos, there's a message that says "your photo has been moved to trash" and links to the trash section.

For some reason, Google+ photos from the trash are automatically deleted after 60 days, Gmail's messages are deleted after 30 days, while Google Docs files are never deleted automatically. I wonder why.

{ Thanks, Fernando. }

Gmail doesn't show the real number of search results. A few years ago, tweaking the URL helped you find the number of results, but this doesn't work anymore. Gmail only shows the real number if there are very few search results. Otherwise, you'll see "1-20 of many" and you'll have to keep clicking "next" or use the URL trick to skip many pages of results.


If you really need to find the number, there's a trick that still works. Gmail shows the number of messages for each label, so you can create a new label and then label all the search results.

Here are the steps:

1. enter your search query

2. click the "select" checkbox next to "Refresh" to select all the messages from the page

3. click the new link that shows up: "Select all conversations that match this search"


4. click the "Labels" dropdown, select "Create new" at the bottom of the list and enter the name of a new label. Try something like "Temp", "Temporary", "Search results". Click "Create" and then "OK". You should see a message similar to this one: "All conversations have been added to 'Search results.'"


5. find the label you've created in the left sidebar (you may need to click "More" to find it). Go to that label and you should find the number of search results.


Now you can delete the label from the Gmail sidebar. Click the arrow next to the label and select "Remove label". Obviously, this doesn't delete your messages.

And here are the steps for keyboard shortcut fans:

Shortcut for focusing the search box: /
Enter the query
Shortcut for selecting all messages: * then a
Click "Select all conversations that match this search" (no keyboard shortcut)
Shortcut for the "labels" dropdown: l
Enter the name of the new label
Press the down arrow
Press Enter 3 times
Shortcut for opening a label: g then l
Type the first characters from the label's name
Press Enter

{ Thanks, Eliezer. }

As promised, the Google editions of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One are available in the US Google Play store (links only work in the US, more screenshots here). Galaxy S4 costs $649, while HTC One is less expensive: $599. They're running stock Android, are unlocked and they're not subsidised by Google or carriers.

"The Google Play edition phones automatically receive updates of the latest Android software. Optimized for the latest apps, more storage for your content and a fast, clean user experience all come standard. With an unlocked smartphone from Google Play, you can find the service plan that suits your needs. Upgrade your handset with no carrier commitment or contract. Unlocked means world travel is easy. Pick up prepaid plans as needed, or get a month-to-month contract with the carrier of your choice," explains Google.



The Verge tested both phones:

HTC's camera in particular managed to get slightly sharper shots in extremely low-light settings with Sense than the stock version. On both the GS4 and the One I found that video was slightly better on the skinned versions as well, with richer colors. (...)

The stock versions of both the Galaxy S4 and the HTC One well outperformed the skinned versions. In the Verge Battery Test (our standard test that cycles through a series of popular websites and high-res images with brightness set to 65 percent) each phone came in at about six hours. In HTC's case, that's a full hour longer than the Sense version managed to pull off. (...)

Technically, the "stock" Android on these phones doesn't come directly from Google (as with the Nexus line), but instead is built and maintained by Samsung and HTC. Google says that both phones will receive timely updates, but there could be an added wait from Samsung or HTC when the next version comes out.

An interesting tidbit: Google Play has over 975,000 apps and games.

Samsung has just started to roll out Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean update for the North American versions of Samsung Galaxy S3 with model number SGH-I747M.

Samsung Galaxy S3 SGH-I747M users who have already updated their devices with Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, may root their devices using the tutorial below.

This tutorial uses CF-Auto-Root file released by recognised XDA Developers, Chainfire. The CF-Auto-Root file allowing Galaxy S3 users to root their devices easily without depending on the firmware. It completely supports Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean and future firmware as well. Head over to the CF-Auto-Root main thread to learn more about the root method.

Disclaimer: Rooting voids the warranty of your device. We and the developer of this rooting procedures shall not be held responsible if any undesirable outcomes may happen to your device. use of this root guide is solely at your own risk!

Pre-requisites
1) Install USB Driver for Samsung Galaxy S3 on the computer.
2) Enable USB Debugging Mode on the phone by navigating to Settings >> Developer Options.
3) Make a backup of all your important data before following the guide.
4) Ensure the battery of the phone is charged more than 80 percent.
5) The CF-Auto-Root file works only on Samsung Galaxy S3 SGH-I747M. Applying this to any incorrect variant might brick the device. Verify the model number of the Galaxy S3 by navigating to Settings >> About Phone.

Files Required
1. CF-Auto-Root (Mirror Link) for Galaxy S3 SGH-I747M (CF-Auto-Root-d2can-d2vl-sghi747m.zip)
2. Odin 3.07 (Mirror Link)

Steps to Root Galaxy S3 SGH-I747M Running on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean Firmware
Step 1: Extract CF-Auto-Root and Odin 3.07 files using WinRAR/7-Zip/WinZip or any other extracting tool.
Step 2: Switch off the Galaxy S3. Then boot the device into Download Mode by pressing and holding Volume Down, Home and Power buttons together until a construction Android robot icon with a warning triangle appears on screen. Now press the Volume Up button to enter Download Mode.
Step 3: Launch Odin on the computer as an Administrator.
Step 4: Connect the Galaxy S3 to the computer using USB cable while it is in the Download Mode. Wait until Odin detects the device. When the device is connected successfully, the ID: COM box will turn blue with the COM port number. Additionally, the successful connected will be indicated by a message saying Added.
Note: If the Added message does not appear, then try re-install USB drivers or changing the port on the computer.
Step 5: In Odin, click the PDA button and select the CF-Auto-Root-d2can-d2vl-sghi747m.tar.md5 file.
Step 6: Verify that Auto Reboot and F.Reset Time checkboxes are selected in Odin. Also, ensure the Re-Partition option is not selected.
Step 7: Double-check and click Start button in Odin. The installation process will now begin.
Step 8: Once the installation process is completed, your phone will restart and soon you will see a PASS message with green background in the left-most box at the very top of the Odin. You can now unplug the USB cable to disconnect your device from computer.

Samsung Galaxy S3 SGH-I747M running on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean firmware is now rooted successfully. You can now install any app that requires root permission. Verify the root status of the device by downloading Root Checker app from Google Play Store.

Thank's to all fellas at XDA who first tried out this rooting technique. This method was originally posted via XDA-Developers original thread.

Click here to know How to Update Galaxy S3 (Canadian) SGH-I747M with Android 4.1.2 VLDMF1 Jelly Bean official firmware.

Samsung has delivered a new software update based on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean with build number I747MVLDMF1 for the North American owners of Samsung Galaxy S3 bearing model number SGH-I747M - Rogers, Bell, Telus, and SaskTel.

Firmware details
PDA: I747MVLDMF1
CSC: I747MOYBDMF1
MODEM: I747MVLDMF1
Version: Android 4.1.2
Built date: Jun 3, 2013
Regions: Canada

The new official firmware is currently available as an Over-The-Air (OTA) update as well as through Samsung KIES. However, those who missed the OTA update notification or unable to access the update over Samsung KIES can download and install the same manually, using our step-by-step guide.

Pre-requisites
1. Install USB Driver for Samsung Galaxy S3 on the computer.
2. Enable USB Debugging Mode on the phone by navigating to Settings >> Developer Options.
3. Make a backup of all your important data before following the guide.
4. Ensure the battery of the phone is charged more than 80 per cent.
5. The Android 4.1.2 VLDMF1 Jelly Bean firmware is compatible only with Galaxy S3 (Canadian) SGH-I747M. Applying this to any incorrect variant might brick the device. Verify the model number of the Galaxy S3 by navigating to Settings >> About Phone.

Files Required
1. Android 4.1.2 VLDMF1 Jelly Bean Firmware for Galaxy S3 SGH-I747M
2. Odin 3.07 (Mirror Link)

Steps to Update Galaxy S3 SGH-I747M with Android 4.1.2 VLDMF1 Jelly Bean Firmware
Step 1: Extract Firmware zip file that you downloaded already from above link using WinRAR/7-Zip/WinZip or any other extracting tool, you will get a .tar.md5 file and some other files.
Step 2: Extract Odin zip file and you will get Odin3 v3.07.exe along with few other files.
Step 3: Power off your phone. Wait 5-6 seconds for vibration to confirm complete switch off.
Step 4: Boot the device into Download Mode by pressing and holding Volume Down + Home buttons together and then press the Power button until the device turns on. Now press the Volume Up button to enter Download Mode.
Step 5: Run Odin on the computer as an Administrator.
Step 6: Connect the Galaxy S3 to the computer using USB cable while it is in the Download Mode. Wait until Odin detects the device. When the device is connected successfully, the ID: COM box will turn yellow with the COM port number. Additionally, the successful connected will be indicated by a message saying Added.
Step 7: Choose the following files in Odin from extracted I747MVLDMF1 firmware folder by using respective checkboxes:

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (Canadian) SGH-I317M users who have already updated their devices with Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, may root their devices using the tutorial below.

This tutorial uses CF-Auto-Root file released by recognised XDA Developers, Chainfire. The CF-Auto-Root file allowing Galaxy Note 2 users to root their devices easily without depending on the firmware. It completely supports Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean and future firmware as well. Head over to the CF-Auto-Root main thread to learn more about the root method.

Note: Using this root increases your flash counter. The flash counter keeps track of how many custom firmwares you have flashed, as this voids warranty. Triangle Away can be used to reset the flash counter after installing CF-Auto-Root.

Disclaimer: Rooting voids the warranty of your device. We and the developer of this rooting procedures shall not be held responsible if any undesirable outcomes may happen to your device. use of this root guide is solely at your own risk!

Pre-requisites
1. Install USB Driver for Samsung Galaxy Note 2 on the computer.
2. Enable USB Debugging Mode on the phone by navigating to Settings >> Developer Options.
3. Make a backup of all your important data before following the guide.
4. Ensure the battery of the phone is charged more than 80 per cent.
5. The CF-Auto-Root file works only on Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (Canadian) SGH-I317M. Applying this to any incorrect variant might brick the device. Verify the model number of the Galaxy Note 2 by navigating to Settings >> About Phone.

Files Required
1. CF-Auto-Root (Mirror Link) for Galaxy Note 2 (Canadian) SGH-I317M (CF-Auto-Root-t0ltecan-t0ltevl-sghi317m.zip)
2. Odin 3.07 (Mirror Link)

Steps to Galaxy Note 2 (Canadian) SGH-I317M Running on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean Firmware
Step 1: Extract CF-Auto-Root and Odin 3.07 files using WinRAR/7-Zip/WinZip or any other extracting tool.
Step 2: Switch off the Galaxy Note 2. Then boot the device into Download Mode by pressing and holding Volume Down + Home buttons together and then press the Power button until the device turns on. Now press the Volume Up button to enter Download Mode.
Step 3: Launch Odin on the computer.
Step 4: Connect the Galaxy Note 2 to the computer using USB cable while it is in the Download Mode. Wait until Odin detects the device. When the device is connected successfully, the ID: COM box will turn yellow with the COM port number. Additionally, the successful connected will be indicated by a message saying Added.
Step 5: In Odin, click the PDA button and select the CF-Auto-Root-t0ltecan-t0ltevl-sghi317m.tar.md5 file.
Step 6: Verify that Auto Reboot and F.Reset Time checkboxes are selected in Odin. Also, ensure the Re-Partition option in Odin is not selected.
Step 7: Double-check and click Start in Odin. The installation process will now begin.
Step 8: Once the installation process is completed, your phone will restart and soon you will see a PASS message with green background in the left-most box at the very top of the Odin. You can now unplug the USB cable to disconnect your device from computer.

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (Canadian) SGH-I317M running on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean firmware is now rooted successfully. You can now install any app that requires root permission. Verify the root status of the device by downloading Root Checker app from Google Play Store.

A few months ago, François Beaufort posted some screenshots of a Native Client Chrome app for Google+ Photos. The app is now available, but Google says it's only for the Chromebook Pixel, which is not exactly true.


"When you plug an SD card into your Pixel, the app will back up your new photos to Google+ automatically. (For your eyes only, of course.) And when you're offline, you can still view your most recent photos. The Pixel's high resolution display makes your photos look their best, and browsing via touchscreen is a lot of fun. You can share individual photos, set of photos, or an entire album in just a few seconds. Simply select the images you want, then click 'Share.'"


It's a pretty useful app for Chromebooks and it's not limited to the Pixel. In fact, I don't see why it couldn't work on any desktop computer that runs Chrome. It could even replace Picasa at some point.


You can download the app from the Chrome Web Store. Google engineers "are working to bring the app to other Chromebooks as well", even though the app works on other Chromebooks. The Office Viewer powered by the Google-acquired Quickoffice used to be limited to the Chromebook Pixel and it's now available as a Chrome extension.

Update: I've tried to install the app in Chrome for Windows and it worked:


... but then I got this message:


Then I switched to my Samsung Chromebook Series 5, installed the app and it worked well.




Even the SD card import worked:



So the app should work on any Chromebook. Maybe it's only optimized for the Pixel, maybe there are some bugs that need to be fixed. All I know is that the app worked well on my Chromebook and I don't have a Chromebook Pixel.

I found something that I can't resist sharing.Trust me it's good material. I never really knew about info graphics till I found Irfan's blog http://www.digitalinformationworld.com. When you have a minute, please have a look at the info graphic about the mind of an entrepreneur. Here's the link below;

http://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2013/06/inside-mind-of-startup-entrepreneur.html

Notice all the things founders should be able to do, ideally? Hahaha!! It's funny, but that is the truth. I think I am in the bootstrap stage. What stage are you at?

"Safe Browsing is a service provided by Google that enables applications to check URLs against Google's constantly updated lists of suspected phishing and malware pages." It's used by a lot of popular desktop browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, so it must be the most popular malware detection service.

According to Google, "approximately one billion people use Google Safe Browsing. We help tens of millions of people every week protect themselves from harm by showing warnings to users of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari when they attempt to navigate to websites that would steal their personal information or install software designed to take over their computers." Google currently flags up to 10,000 sites a day.

The 1 billion number is interesting because it's an approximation of the number of desktop users for 3 important browsers: Chrome, Firefox and Safari. Google has recently reported that Chrome has 750 million active users, but this number includes mobile Chrome (and the mobile Chrome doesn't use Safe Browsing yet without enabling the data compression proxy). Firefox has about 450 million users. Last year, Google reported 600 million Safe Browsing users and in 2011 the number was 400 million. It's likely that these stats don't include the Mobile Safari, which probably switched to a different provider.

Here's a graph that shows the number of users who see warnings per week:


A few weeks ago, "a campaign targeting vulnerabilities in Java and Acrobat Reader infected more than 7,500 sites. As a result, more than 75 million Safe Browsing API users received malware warnings."

Safe Browsing is also used by Google Search. Here's a graph that shows the number of Google search results per week that contain a warning about threats to users:


There's a map that shows information about the percentage of sites hosting malware for each country. Some examples: US - 2%, Canada, China and UK - 5%, Brazil and Australia - 7%, Russia - 8%, Spain - 9%, Germany - 10%, Turkey - 11%, Mexico -12%, Thailand - 13%, India - 14%.


Google also shows the malware distribution by autonomous system. "An autonomous system is one or more networks controlled by a single entity, often a large company, a university, or an ISP. (...) Autonomous systems are part of the network layer of the Internet's architecture, and they play a role in determining how traffic is routed across the web." Google offers an alert system for network admins. "The goal is to provide network administrators with information of malicious content that is being hosted on their networks."

{ via Google Blog }

2010...... Dangote+Trezorlandia+Family

The year 2010 was a busy year, I was juggling a full time job, a business and family. I tried as much as I could to keep a balance and not have any drama. Lucky enough the valentine's day in this year (one of Trezorlandia's busiest days) fell on a weekend. There's a small story for the first one which was in 2009 and for every single valentine's day actually. I will share those of the other years in separate posts.

Valentine's Day 2009, never was. Here's why. A cousin of mine told me I could get items from the states delivered in Nigeria in three weeks, so I gathered my savings and ordered teddy bears (red ones), some keep sake items and other things I thought would be nice. A week to valentine's day, I started to panic because there was no sign of the goods nor could my cousin give me a specific date for when the goods would arrive. She said the shipping company had some hitches. A day to the d-day, she calls to say she's sorry that the goods would not be in till the next week! Omo!! See crying (told you already that I like to cry, we just start o). I was stuck with goods that had valentine written all over them. Gbese!

About my talk in the the first paragraph concerning juggling three areas of my life with no drama, I lied, of course there was drama! Are you kidding me? One time I had to package a surprise for a client's anniversary. I booked a table for the pair at southern sun, got fresh roses and had them placed on the lady's seat, bought and signed the cards and arranged them on the table, got the cake and arranged with the waiters to bring it in at an agreed time, you know now all the works to create an ambiance. I was running back and forth between my office and southern sun, just to make sure everything was set. Of all days, this one was a really busy one at Dangote, I had a few reports to turn in. Still, I managed to set it all up and then rubbed my hands together and waited for feedback from the client. They were booked for about 7, so I was surprised when around 7:30 my phone rings and its my client. Here's the conversation that ensued,   "Sade, what is my name?" Oh oh, where's this going? I answer him and he goes "then where should my name be on the card?"!! Shucks! I had signed the card wrong, with his name at the top and her name under *Opens crying tap*, I stuttered a little, confused and completely ashamed of myself. How could I have? I apologized profusely and offered a discount, but he was too angry to even answer and just went like whatever. Chai! I called the next day after crying at my cousin Bimbola's desk, while she consoled and tried to calm me down, she was like haba egin (ondo for addressing an older relative) it is not that bad now. He wasn't as mad as he was the day before, whew! The thing about such mistakes is, you never, ever make them again! Unless you have screws lose in your head. At least not the same mistakes.

During this period, my brother Kehinde and partner Emy were so helpful, I will forever be grateful for the roles they played in building trezorlandia. With her crazy busy schedule, Emy would take time to have phone meetings, take care of offshore orders and was just there to listen to me whine and lament about this supplier and that supplier. She invested her time and money. Kehinde was there for me at every call, attending meetings on my behalf, reviewing documents and looking for new clients to convert. We hopped on okadas (motor bikes) to do out first interview with Lara George on gifts because I had to be back at work on time.

Interview with Lara George

I borrowed my friend Ayo's video cam for this and stayed up all night to learn how to use the video cam software to do the edit. When there is no money, you have to work extra hard. Use your brain, nothing is rocket science. In my uncle's office back in the day, he had this message on his wall that went something like " Lord somebody (I forget the name now) tried to replace a bulb in his house and got electrocuted, serves him right, you should learn to let professionals do their job". This may be true for electrical engineering or maybe medical sciences but to work a software, especially when resources are scarce? Naah!

I cannot but mention Happiness Enweremadu, who is my full time staff till date. She was more than a blessing, very smart and never complaining. I would send her from one end of Lagos to another and she would not miss a thing. When I was leaving Dangote, with no office, no guaranteed source of income, no nothing! I asked her if she would like to work with me and without much thought, she agreed.

At the pace at which it was all going, I reached a point where I had to ask myself, Sade are you doing this or are you doing this? I had to make a choice, a choice to leave my guaranteed income in the comfort of Dangote and pursue my dream of building a business that I know will outlive me. I  use "know" now because I can't be hoping at this stage, #hope is not a strategy.

Of course making this decision is never an easy process and it wasn't for me. I will tell you about how I made the final move in the next post.


2013........25th June

I have been a bit lazy, aside from the fact that I was down with malaria. I am in that place where I just don't feel like doing anything. Imagine that. Somebody that is looking for money o. One major challenge with this journey is the ability to stay motivated, in the face of all the challenges and struggles. Motivation is so important. Like the artists you need to find your muse and hold on to it.

I haven't been to the hub in almost a week. So much for my strategic positioning near the Budgit guys. It must not go to waste! I started the Abraham Lincoln book finally, but the first few pages have been a bit of a drag, efiko style writing, booooring! I am under pressure to finish it though, as I have opened my big mouth, more like used my big fingers to type it for the whole world to read that I am going to read it (I hope this makes sense? lol!). So boring or not, I will do my best to finish it, so help me God.

It's gone quiet again. No birthdays, no anniversaries, no weddings? People! Where are you at? Oluwa, connect me by fire!

Samsung recently released another Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean firmware update with base firmware XXAMF5 for the owners of Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos bearing model number GT-I9082 in Southeast Asia countries. This official firmware is currently available as an Over-The-Air (OTA) update as well as through Samsung KIES.

Firmware details
PDA: I9082XXAMF5
CSC: I9082OLBAMF1
MODEM: I9082XXAME2
Version: Android 4.1.2
Built date: Jun 11, 2013
Regions: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand

Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos I9082 users who missed the OTA update notification or unable to access the update over Samsung KIES, may follow our step-by-step guide to install the update manually.

Pre-requisites
1. Install USB Driver for Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos on the computer.
2. Enable USB Debugging Mode on the phone by navigating to Settings >> Developer Options.
3. Make a backup of all your important data before following the guide.
4. The Galaxy Grand Duos should be factory unlocked and not locked to any particular carrier.
5. Ensure the battery of the phone is charged more than 80 per cent.
6. The Android 4.1.2 XXAMF5 Jelly Bean firmware is compatible only with Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos I9082. Applying this to any incorrect variant might brick the device. Verify the model number of the Galaxy Grand Duos by navigating to Settings >> About Phone.

Files Required
1. Android 4.1.2 XXAMF5 Jelly Bean Firmware for Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos I9082
2. Odin 3.07 (Mirror Link)

Steps to Update Galaxy Grand Duos I9082 with Android 4.1.2 XXAMF5 Jelly Bean Firmware
Step 1: Extract Firmware zip file that you downloaded already from above link using WinRAR/7-Zip/WinZip or any other extracting tool, you will get a .tar.md5 file and some other files.
Step 2: Extract Odin zip file and you will get Odin3 v3.07.exe along with few other files.
Step 3: Power off your phone. Wait 5-6 seconds for vibration to confirm complete switch off.
Step 4: Boot the device into Download Mode by pressing and holding Volume Down + Home buttons together and then press the Power button until the device turns on. Now press the Volume Up button to enter Download Mode.
Step 5: Run Odin on the computer as an Administrator.
Step 6: Connect the Galaxy Grand Duos to the computer using USB cable while it is in the Download Mode. Wait until Odin detects the device. When the device is connected successfully, the ID: COM box will turn yellow with the COM port number. Additionally, the successful connected will be indicated by a message saying Added. If Odin fails to detect the device then re-install USB driver.
Step 7: Choose the following files in Odin from extracted I9082XXAMF5 firmware folder by using respective checkboxes:

While some sit and wait for the government to transform the nation, others are getting involved in creating this change that we all seek. Which group do you fall into?

I got in contact with a group called the generation for societal change last week through my friend Ikenna (my chemical engineering family!). He was booked to speak to some of the engineering students of the university of Lagos but was held up, so he called me and asked if I could fill in for him. Why not, I love getting involved in things like that, its my own little way of being a change agent. Besides, I didn't have anything booked for that time, so I checked it into my schedule.

It was nice to be there again, surrounded by students with hopes and dreams. Nothing much has changed, I could spot the efikos, the cool guys and all the groups we also had back in our day. I was called up first, to speak on the benefits of hard work. I didn't have anything planned per say, but I tried to make it as interactive as possible and here's a summary of the points from the session;

• Start with identifying your purpose, only then can hard work truly be beneficial and it wouldn't even feel like work. 
• The benefits of hard work go beyond money, you also want fulfillment at the end of the day.
• You can work hard and have all the money in the world but not be truly wealthy. A wealthy man has "Access", he has touched so many lives and as such has access to benefits that money cannot buy. There are some places you cannot get into even if you had all the money in the world.
• In the end, it pays to work hard.

Next up was Tayo Bamiduro, he spoke about building your reputation and career and here are a few of the points he made;

• Your integrity is your most valuable asset.
• Building a good reputation requires consistency, you are only as good as your last performance.
• Be passionate about one thing at least and follow it through.
• Be interested in things that are happening around you and not just your vocation.  
• Learn the art of reverse engineering. You do not need to re-invent, rather think next level.

There was a lot more that was said at the program, but these are the few points I can remember. I am positive that we managed to get through to at least one person that day, if not more.

Here's an interesting excerpt from a Google I/O presentation about YouTube's adaptive streaming:

Another surprising thing we learned from this process is that software has bugs. Some bugs are more surprising than others. For instance, if a popular mobile handset manufacturer releases a software update that opens TCP connections and doesn't close them, you get something that looks like this. [The graph shows the number of connections.]

A globally distributed denial of service attack on your servers that lasts for months. And there's basically nothing you can do to avoid this situation except sit and wait and hope they release an update. That means that we have to make the choice between degrading service for all users, or cutting off a large fraction of users. And we never want to make that choice. With application level streaming, we can deliver a fix or a work around in hours, instead of months.

"A popular mobile handset manufacturer"? What are the most popular mobile handset manufacturers? Samsung, Nokia, Apple and a few other companies. It must be a popular smartphones manufacturers which releases software updates and most users install them. Apple?

I think I have been struck by malaria, I have had this headache for two days that is persistent. Since even the panadol adverts say, "if symptoms persist, consult your doctor", I am going to do just that. Before I head out though, I wanted to leave a quick note.