Ghetto Android phone.

Ok. So I bought the T-mobile Rapport/huawei u8180/u80160/8150/Orange Stockholm/etc etc etc….It cost me £40 from here.

This is the cheapest way to get a modern, functional, android phone.


It has GPS, 3G, Wifi, Tethering, so on and so on. It's good, but a bit slow once loaded with apps. But I can make it faster!

It did everything I wanted it to....Play Doodle Jump.
-It came with a 2gb micro SD card too.
-Unfortunately I couldn't get the T-mobile 6months free internet without topping up, so I passed on that.
-Also the so called £20 of free apps is not available anymore.
- I use GiffGaff simcard.

This is how you make it lighter, and faster:

I rooted the phone using 'SuperOneClick'
-first: plug the phone via usb, and let windows install the drivers
-set the phone to 'debugging' mode - how to
- turn off the phone, remove the battery, count to five, replace the battery.
- press and hold the silver button at the bottom of the screen, and also the 'volume down' button on the right side of the phone. While holding these press and also hold the 'power on' button.
-the phone should appear to get 'stuck' on the t-mobile startup screen. if the phone loads into android - retry.
-once 'stuck', again plug in the phone via usb cable.
- let windows install more drivers
- run superoneclick, and press 'root' button.
- a popup message should/will appear asking you if you want to force install adm drivers. click yes.
- for me, another similar popup came next for another pci-based device. I clicked 'no' for this because I don't need android drivers on my soundcard lol.
- wait, wait, wait...And eventually, a popup message appears saying it has been successful.
- To check success - restart your phone - look in the app menu and there should be an app called 'superuser'
- Win! You have just rooted your phone.

Then you need to do this:
Installing ROM Manager & ClockworkMod
Find ROM Manager from the App Market and install it.
Open the ROM Manager application. Choose the option Flash ClockworkMod Recovery, and confirm the phone model as Huawei U8160.
After downloading the recovery image, a Superuser prompt will ask you for permission for the application to have root access. You should Allow this action.
ClockworkMod should now be flashed to your phone and ROM Manager should be fully functional. Enjoy!

Then you need to do this to install a fantastic new version of Android on your phone:
-Installation:
-Open the ROM Manager application.
-Ensure that you have the latest ClockworkMod build by checking the version information in the Flash ClockworkMod Recovery section, and updating if necessary.
-Select Download ROM -> psyke83.
-Select the ROM version that you wish to download, and press the Download button.
-You will see a popup: ROM Addons. Place a checkmark beside the entry for the latest Hotfix (if one exists) and for the Google Apps (even if you already installed the package on your current ROM). If there are other ROM Addons available, choose them at your own discretion.
-When the download completes, you'll see a ROM Pre-Installation dialogue. Here are the options with an explanation of what to select:
-Backup Existing ROM - this will make a full backup of your current ROM and user settings before proceeding to install the ROM. This is entirely optional.
-Wipe Data and Cache - this will wipe all user data. If you're upgrading from Froyo or any other custom ROM, you must select this option (and a backup is also recommended, since your apps and data will be wiped). Otherwise, don't select this.
-Wipe Dalvik Cache - this will ensure that the ROM upgrade works smoothly by forcing all applications to rewrite their dalvik cache (.dex files). This is a non-destructive option that should be used by everyone.
-Press OK to allow ROM Manager to reboot into ClockworkMod Recovery and perform the installation.
-When installation finishes, the phone will automatically reboot.
-Note: if you chose any of the "wipe" options, the first boot of the new ROM will take 5 minutes or longer (depending on how many applications you have installed) in order to regenerate the dalvik cache.

You now have A faster phone, with:
-more free RAM,
-Android version 2.3,
-an app to overclock your processor to 600mhz+ (I use 633mhz safely),
-an opportunity to install an app called 'ad free' which will remove all adverts in browser and apps
-no FBI monitoring app called 'carrier IQ'
-other stuff that's better.

I recommend these apps:
-ad free
-barcode scanner
-compass
-xe currency
-dropbox (you can use this to send downloaded apps from your pc to your phone)
-doodle jump
-endomondo
-gps status
-guardian lite
-mm tracker (to use downloaded os maps)
-natural alarm
-pixlr-o-matic
-opera mini
-wireless tether
-tunein radio
-voipstunt

Wish I could have an iplayer app, as the official one won't work because the phone doesn't support Adobe Flash (like a lot of android phones and iphones don't) - beebplayer does not work for me. I only really want to listen to bbc 6 music. fml. *update: I found an app called Tune in pro that plays 6 music.

Now you can also 'unlock' your phone to any network:
-the cheapest way is ebay (about £7 average price)
-using 'dc unlocker' requires '10 credits' for the phone code which costs 10euro. However, if you wait until 2013, after the big financial meltdown, this should not be a problem as we should all be using the honour system by then.
-I am working on unlock codes for £2. Bear with me.

Ghetto quality Field Recorder.

Hey so, one of my hobbies is field recording. I'm the geek who you will see sat at train stations with a microphone, or on the sea front trying to capture the sound of the sizzle that the sea makes, as the sun's rays hit it. I'm a geek. A power geek. I haven't been laid in years.

So, being poor, I haven't been able to afford the current line of digital audio recorders like the Zoom H2 (£160), the Edirol R-09hr (£300), or the M-Audio Microtrack II (£190). These cool things are handheld small devices that record onto digital media cards, and they do it at high quality...At least 16bit/44.1khz frequency, which is considered CD audio quality. Some do 24bit/96khz which is often broadcast quality.

My setup, being Ghetto, has been a Sony MZ-r909 minidisc recorder, which I got on ebay for £6.



It records using sony's 292kbps ATRAC format, which is similar in quality to 320kbps Mp3 format. The minidisc devices are a hidden bargain in many ways for field recordists. They have a powered (1.5v) stereo mic input, and adjustable pre-amp to set your levels, sound level meter with clipping display, and you can monitor your sound while you record. It can also take simple AA size alkaline batteries. Perfect for being out and about trying to record anything you wish, without fear of dropping it and losing £300 in the process.

The problem with this minidisc setup, is that unlike the new digital recorders, it doesn't record 'CD quality' uncompressed .wav files at 16bit/44.1khz. The minidisc also has an anoying flaw in that, if you wish to transfer your recordings to your computer, you have to do a real-time recording using your sound card input, and the play button on your minidisc. This can take a while in most cases, and also you may mess up the sound volume levels during transfer. I wasn't bothered at first, but it started to annoy me after a while, being a lazy ghetto bum.

So, I had a dream one night that lit up an idea. I thought:

"what if I use my old ipod, and the microphone dictation adapter that I used to record my university lectures with as a recording device and use the minidisc as a preamp to power my microphone?"


This way, I could record directly to my ipod in 16bit/44.1khz .wav files, as opposed to ATRAC, and then just plug in the ipod and drag & drop the file to my computer. So, what did I do....

I learned that my ipod can be loaded with a new operating system called Rockbox, which can record in .wav, .aiff and .mp3, and has adjustable gain controls and pre-record features just to name a few. So, I gave it a try.

It does work very well, but the problem I had was with the right audio channel producing a 'pulsing hiss' when recording, which wasn't what I needed. A sample of the Hiss is here. I want clean pure recordings!!! The setup I am using is:

-Sony MZ-r909 Minidisc (As a microphone preamp)
-XtremeMac Micromemo adaptor (As an audio line-in for the ipod)
-5g ipod (As a recording device)
-Rockbox (As recording software)

After some beard scratching, I figured out a way to eliminate the 'pulsing hiss'. I went through it procedurally: It wasn't my microphone, it wasn't my minidisc, neither was it the micromemo adaptor. It was either the rockbox software, or my ipod.

So, My compromise now was, trading in the rockbox software which has multi-format recording options, and adjustable gain levels, and using the ipod's standard recording program that comes on when you plug in the micromemo adaptor. This alone records in the desired .wav 16bit/44.1khz format, but it doesn't have adjustable gain control. However, as my minidisc does, I can use that and just line-feed the sound to the ipod. Also, you can't use the ipod headphone jack to monitor your audio as you record using the standard ipod recording software, which is unfortunate. You have to plug into the minidisc and watch the level meter there.

But you know what? After all this experimentation...I've got a solution, and it works.
I have my 16bit/44.1khz .wav field recorder, which can just drag & drop. And, i've done it with things that I already had, so my cost is £zero.

You can pay up to £180 for an Alesis Protrack adapter for your ipod, to do the same thing as this Ghetto recorder.

In Conclusion....

If Rockbox develop the recording facility on the 5g ipod so that it doesn't hiss, records in 16bit .Flac format. It will be perfect for my needs.

What I have learned during this process is that:

-It's all one big tradeoff: live monitoring -or- 16bit .wav, drag & drop -for- real-time transfer, Atrac -or- .wav, stereo ipod -or- clear-left/hissy-right channel rockbox. No system, not even the digital recorders are perfect 'killer' devices.
-Rockbox is going to be a great recording system eventually. Maybe it just didn't work for me? If anyone has similar problems please let me know, and likewise any bug fix ideas.
-The 5g ipod can't record in 24bit/96khz audio due to either it's hardware or software.
-the digital age is a great experimentation opportunity.
-Sony & Apple are mosters when it comes to restricting your ability to transfer audio, or record. Solely to protect their music industy monopoly.

So, what is my killer device?
-live monitoring
-powered inputs
-replaceable battery
-multi format recording (.wav, .Flac, .aiff)
-up to 24bit/96khz
-digital media card
-cheap

If you would like to hear a field recording sample that I made using this setup, see here.

Ghetto Psion 5 email & web

So here we have my walkthrough guide to help you to get email & web browsing set up on an old Psion 5 series using a cell phone with an infra-red (irda) connection. It's ghetto.

I bought a Psion 5 on ebay to enable me to write travel Blogs when I go bike touring. It uses simple AA size batteries, which last forever, yet you can touch type using the great keyboard and word application on it. It has a B&W screen which will put many off. But, the battery life using this type of screen is better for my needs, as I can't just recharge the device anywhere when out on the road. Six weeks of battery power on a standard Laptop? Forget it!

I was just going to type all my thoughts on the Psion and then take it home to edit & publish.
However, I have learned that it has greater possibilities than that. I can take out the compact flash card put it in a mini USB flash reader and upload the documents to my blog from any internet cafe wherever I end up.

I thought that was that until I learned that the Psion 5 can in fact send email and browse the web using a cell phone. This is a great thing for me, as it enables me to publish directly to my travel blog when I am pretty much anywhere. Of course, the call costs will differ depending on what country I am in, but I gather I can purchase a SIM card for each country I'm currently at, for very little.

Perhaps someone can create a list of dial-up ISPs for around the world, and the connection information for each one? That would be great! Also a list of SIM providers around the world would be great too. Roaming on your home SIM network costs quite a lot no matter what phone you use generally.

First of all, the hardware you will need:
1 x Psion series 5 pda (Bought from ebay for £20/$40)


1 x cell phone with Irda (bought from ebay for £10/$20)


1 x Pay-as-you-go sim card (O2 p.a.y.g sim = £2 from the ghetto market man)


The phone I chose to use was an old second hand Nokia 8210, as it has an irda transmitter, and internal modem. Other, old phones you can use include: Nokia 7210, 8810, Siemens S25, Ericsson T28 and probably all others if you mess around a bit. There is a list of other compatible phones here.

I installed an O2 pay-as-you-go sim card because I tried an Orange sim which didn't work, and heard that the O2 sim allows data transfer without having to spend all day on the phone to some Indian dude trying to get him to send you the update settings for you phone. Boring!

software & sevices you need to be aware of:
Message suite for Psion 5 series - It puts a web browser & pop3 email utility on the PDA.

Mega Dial - It is an ISP which allows you to dial up to the internet using your cell phone.
In the UK, which is where I am writing this Blog from, there are several no-contract dial-up ISPs. Other services include: Adial, Free-Dialup, WebandMail and many many others. They're pretty much all the same.
They generally only charge a 'penny a minute' using landline modems. However, using a cell phone generally costs £1 to download your daily news information & emails. But, if you're going to be in a non-Wifi area in the middle of nowhere then you're going to have to dial-up anyway.

Next, you need an Email account like Gmail - you're going to enable mail forwarding to another mail service called bluebottle which you can then connect to using the Psion to read your email. A word of note, Gmail uses Java. If you try to use the series 5 browser to read messages, it won't work. You also need to enable POP3 email in gmail's settings tab. It's a bit of a pain in the ass, but this is the way to do it.

Bluebottle Email registration - It's free, and doesn't use SSL or TLS security which your Psion 5 will have problems with.


On with the show...
You need to learn about POP3 mail, and setting up an email client like Outlook or Thunderbird to download your mesages. It makes setting up any mail client on your Psion 5 easier to understand in future.

Firstly, I installed the message suite software update on my Psion, and added the following Nokia 8210 configuration settings:









Then I added the Internet settings for the 'Mega dial ISP' as follows:










To view the Internet, all you need to do now is:

Enable irda on your cell phone.

Then open the 'Web' icon under 'extras' on your psion, and connect by typing in your preferred web page. In this example, I typed www.google.co.uk and the connection screen opened on the Psion. Just click 'OK'.

Then, wait for approximately 45 seconds for the phone to connect to the ISP, and your page should download...


For my first test, I searched for 'Calzaghe' on Google.


As you can see, you can download images and news articles for Google pages. A result!!!

In reality, I have learned that for faster & cheaper downloads, I should use 'mobile optimised' web pages like this BBC news page to keep costs down, and speed up transfer times.

Also, you can't open media rich web pages like myspace using a Psion 5, as it doesn't have Java or Flash player. I guess the Psion 5 is limited to sending/receiving email, reading news webpages, and basic information services. So poops to you...

But, that is adequate for my travel writing needs. I don't want a hefty Laptop, even the cool Asus eee PC isn't usable for my needs as the battery life isn't anything near the Psion.

The only near options I have considered are:

The Apple iPhone - Which has Wifi, Modem, and longer battery life than most UMPC laptops. Only, it doesn't have as typeable usability as the Psion 5's keyboard, or still as long a battery life. The iPhone is also currently only available on phone contract... And it currently costs...Um...£329...without phone contract charges included. Compare that to the Psion 5 I bought for just over £20 on ebay.

The Sharp Zaurus - Oh man. One day i'll leave the Ghetto, and own one of these Linux bad-boys. It cost's just a little too much for my pocket. But, ebay are doing nice deals if you can afford it.

Blackberry - Available on pay-as-you use contract. but still too costly for me. Yikes! I'm poor! haha. Also, the keyboard isn't as useable as the Psion.

The Psion really is king when it comes to pocket sized typing.

Now, on to email...

Ghetto Interactive Whiteboard

Ok this is something which I made, that I thought would be useful to me. So, I thought I would share my ideas.

I have been teaching for a short while now, and it occured to me that I could make my own Interactive Whiteboard as a practice tool at home. I feel my end product is much more than that. If you used a laptop with a digital projector, you pretty much have a good sized standard Interactive Whiteboard to use anywhere. The only difference is that the commercial models cost several thousands, and our ghetto whiteboard costs umm... about £20/$40.

So this is what we need:

-1 Nintendo Wii remote/Wiimote . Which I bought on ebay for around £15/$30.
-1 Bluetooth Dongle. Again, from ebay for £3/$6

and
-1 homemade/DIY IR pen

For the pen you need:

-1 empty plastic biro pen tube
-1 AAA battery
-1 AAA battery holder - around 40 pence
-1 push-to-make microswitch - around 80 pence
-1 100ma Infra Red (IR) LED - around 70 pence
-Some thin plastic coated wire
-Some tape
You can get all the electrical components you need from Maplin.

If you have a soldering iron too, then whoop-dee-doo.

When putting the pen together, I like to listen to Raffi songs.

For the software:
-SMART Notepad software
-Bluetooth application (Like Bluesoleil)
-This Wii whiteboard Calibration Application
-Microsoft .Net Framework
-Direct X SDK

Position your Wiimote facing your screen like this:


Then connect the Wiimote by pressing a button on the Wiimote, and clicking 'attach device' on your Bluesoleil software:


Once connected, install Directx SDK & .net Framework. Then, run the Wiimote Whiteboard calibration app. And, using your IR pen, click once on each of the four crosshairs on the screen. This enables the Wiimote to recognise the boundary of your computer screen.


Then, Launch the SMART notebook application:


And scribble away.

The pen is engaged with the click of the microswitch. Click once on the pen tools, and hold down to write on the page. You can select the various writing tools, and board rubbers. Even play interactive educational activities like those found on the BBC Bitesize website!! If you have any questions then just ask me. :)