Amazon AWS as a good help for start-ups

I was quite happy and satisfied for being able to attend a talk about a demo/intro about Amazon's cloud-as-a-service solution, the Amazon Web Services. Apart from acquire more technical knowledge, it sort of gave some options to prevent too much cost on set-up of a server for public-viewable production use.

I don't want to bother talking and putting more details on what's the technical differences and the pros and cons of AWS from traditional in-house or other cloud-hosting providers since there is really no absolute truth or "standard" that can explain this in concrete sense. But one thing that I'm actually keen is on their "free tier usage" for new AWS account holders.

Well, on a marketing standpoint, the "free tier usage" is their proof-of-concept or demo-to-purchase to reel in customers and use their offered service... which is all true perhaps. But for tech-enterpreneurs who are looking for ways to deploy their apps or products over the net and be accessible to their target customers, I could really say that AWS should be there on the potential list for achieving it.

The "free tier usage" from what I understand is good for 12 months upon sign-up of a new AWS account... which for the record requires you to provide a credit card. But despite of that uneasiness for people that are not entirely comfortable of letting someone save your credit card credentials... it is a gamble worthwhile. The main agenda at the end of the day is to try out if the 1-year free trial service that AWS offer can meet the requirements of your start-up tech project. In turn, it will make you actually move forward to realization of launching your start-up project into production.

Everyone would like to spend (too much) money on a start-up that has to prove its value, and releasing it to the public market is the driver or decision-block on determining a winning formula or just another rubbish in the bin. Of course, when it does become a huge hit upon release to the public, you would likely need to think of scaling the capacity and performance. In AWS, you can scale your set-up as convenient as you can, and as their saying goes "pay for what you only use".

For more info on this matter, I suggest you to read their program details at Amazon's own website at this link.

[Bug] adding gateway route but with different subnet from network

I encountered a weird behavior from my recent projects that were related to some setup of gateway servers, for both Linux-based (Debian) and BSD-based (FreeBSD) systems... wherein there is an issue when adding static gateway routes that does not match or fall within the defined subnet network configured on a network interface.

To give a better detail or explanation of this predicament of mine, below is a sample network configuration scenario...

• Network IP address subnet is 10.10.1.0/24, so that's basically 10.10.1.X correct?
• Gateway IP address is... let's say 10.50.1.27...

Clearly on the scenario given, the IP address of the gateway is outside of the network subnet defined for a network interface. Here in the Philippines, this is a common case for leased-line internet connections coming from telco providers. 

From previous engagements, I don't have a problem hard-coding this on either the interfaces config file or in the rc.conf... but in the recent turn of events and experience, it seems that the latest linux kernels and BSD builds have incorporated a sort-of mechanism that prohibits this kind of configuration to be enabled and up upon start-up of the operating system. I've experienced this issue with a Debian Squeeze server and a FreeBSD version 8 I think (am not really a BSD proficient guy, just the basic UNIX made me survive).

The setup still works with this kind of interface configuration, but upon boot-up, you have to manual place the static routes (using "route" command) for it to recognize and see the gateway IP you want it to use.

My initial solutions involved adding static routes on the interfaces config or on the rc.conf files.

For Linux-based:

post-up route add -net 10.50.1.27 netmask 255.255.255.255 dev eth0

post-up route add default gw 10.50.1.27

post-down route add 10.50.1.27 netmask 255.255.255.255 dev eth0

post-down route add default gw 10.50.1.27

For BSD:

defaultrouter="10.50.1.27"

static_routes="net1"

route_net1="-net 10.50.1.27/32"

Sadly though, my attempts in fixing the BSD-based system ended up in failure. As for the Linux machine, well I have yet to fully test it out since the project suddenly reached the end without further testing.

Hope this rather weird post of mine helped to shed some light to their problem and looking for an answer.

Finally part of the "exclusive club"

This is just a short brag-out post...

Finally, I was able to convince and treat myself into getting a Macbook Pro. Since I was still eyeing much on the budget, I just got the entry mode 13" with i5 processor. The unit came with a pre-installed Snow Leopard but I was able to register and get the Lion OS upgrade for free.

All I can say is... no wonder a lot of people like to have and own a Mac. The feel, look, the power and convenience...

Simply bliss!

At least I could now say that I know how to use a Windows, a Linux, and now a Mac.

Toshiba Folio AS100 mod-ding

To those who were able to purchase and get their hands on a quite rare Toshiba Folio AS100 and are suffering greatly on the poor performance of the stock Android OS, there is someone who just saved us from almost throwing our tablets off the window.

A guy by the name (or screen name, not sure) Dexter Picard was very kind enough to develop and release a good and working "FolioMod" image for our tablet PC. There's an active thread running in the XDA Developers forum which discusses further about the actual ROM created and how to install it to your Folio device. Refer to Post #1 on this thread and follow the instructions.

Some key features that you get when using the FolioMod are:

• fully working and somewhat latest Google Apps (Gmail, Maps)
  
• a working Android Marketplace App (Yes, the same market app we have come to love and familiar to any Android device)
• better tweaked response and performance
• root privileges of course (very useful for uninstalling the crap-ware pre-bundled by Toshiba, but still it's up to you to remove them)
  

I'm currently using the FolioMod v1.3c and frankly, I'm quite happy with it. Hope that you will also do and feel the same.

A great deal of thanks and cheers to Dexter and the rest of the people who have contributed heavily on developing and improving the FolioMod image.

Rooting my HTC Desire

Disclaimer: This is not a fool-proof guide on rooting your HTC Desire phone, so using my guide is at your own risk. I won't be held responsible should something goes wrong and bricked your phone throughout the process. I personally did all these preparation and setup and it worked just fine on me.

Just want to share my experience as to how I rooted my HTC Desire (A8181 GSM).

Before I continue further, some key factors and reasons for rooting the phone:

• A better or functional "recovery" menu compared to the stock
• With the recovery, I could create/restore a backup image via Nandroid.
• Using a different OS image available around the net (i.e. CyanogenMod, Oxygen, etc.), but you can stick with your stock rom like I did (HTC sense lol!)
  
• replacing my stock Baseband version (for signal and battery performance)
  
• Root permissions of course

Some stuff needed to perform/download/install before rooting your phone:

• USB cable
• phone must be at least 30% charged (but don't push your luck on this, just charge it to the most you can)
• "unrevoked" application (you can search it via Google or get it here)
• RA-desire-v2.0.0 recovery image (highly suggested; Google it)
• HBoot Drivers (only for Windows users; can be downloaded on the unrevoked website)
• extreme levels of caution and patience

One main reason why I used the RA-desire-v2.0.0 image compared to the stock ClockworkMod (v3.0 at my time) recovery image that came together with the unrevoked application was that it did not support some mod images available in the web, most especially the Oxygen Gingerbread mod (for those itching to try Android 2.3).

Once you have all these stuff prepared, you have to perform the following changes in your phone...

• enable USB debugging inside "Settings" -> "Applications" -> "Development"
• enable Unknown sources inside "Settings" -> "Applications"
• set default connection type to "charge only" and uncheck "ask me" in "Settings" -> "Connect to PC"
• backup your sms messages and other stuff (your data in the SD card is safe)
• no need to remove your SIM card and SD card
  

These are the steps I performed for the actual rooting...

1. Run the unrevoked3 application (for Linux users, it should be in "sudo")
2. [For Windows only] install the HBOOT drivers, so that your PC can correctly detect your device
   
3. On the menu, select "Custom recovery" (similar to this wording) and select the RA-desire-v2.0.0 image from the directory you saved it. There will be a "custom" indicated in the bottom center of the unrevoked application if you did this part correctly.
   
4. with your Desire turned on, connect the phone with your data cable and onto the PC
5. upon connecting the phone, the unrevoked application should detect it and prompt a message in which it will be a go or no-go confirmation. Hit the ok button or yes (or whatever)
6. the unrevoked application will now commence the rooting, just watch your phone and application, and NOT touching your phone or anything
7. wait for it to finish
8. yes... wait a bit more... it will restart on its own and do some stuff by itself even more...
9. it will probably be already at a portion testing or doing a "root"... wait for it...
10. it should be then loading and replacing your recovery menu
11. wait for the unrevoked application to be "Done" (literally)... just wait until there's a "Done" shown on your PC screen.

If all is good, it should have landed on your new recovery menu. Congratulations!

To resume to your normal usage, just let it "reboot" and you're good to go again.

Asus K42Jk and K52Jk laptops

I was able to get my hands on two very similar and current models of Asus that has the latest Intel Core i3 series processors. The Asus K42Jk-VX027R and K52Jk-SX055 have replaced the previous K40I series that put Asus back into the value-level market in laptops during the 2nd half of 2009.

Just to start off, let's list down the specs that are packed inside these models. Both of these units have identical specifications and differ only on the size and keyboard layout.

• Intel Core i3 - 350M Processor, 2.26 GHz
• Intel Mobile HM55 Chipset
• ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5145, 1G DDR3 VRAM
• 4 GB DDR3 RAM
• 500 GB HDD, 5400 rpm
• Maximum Screen Resolution of 1366 x 768, LED Backlit Screen
• Wi-Fi b/g/n. Bluetooth, LAN
• 6-cell battery
• DVD-burner, 3-in-1 Card reader, multi-touch pad
• the other usual stuff in a laptop

From my first hands-on experience, it feels solid and more robust compared to the plastic-hollow feel from its predecessor. With the rough carbon-lookalike chassis on the palm rest and solid-chiclet keyboard similar on what Sony Vaio has, it really isn't bad.

These models support Linux-distros and Windows 7 (as it only has drivers for this OS) from my experience, so don't bother trying to install an XP in this machine as I think it will be a waste on this. The latest Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid and Mint 9 Isadora works out of the box, but of course with very minor bugs. Some of which that I've encountered is the proprietary ATI drivers not working well (in fact, the default modules work better and boots faster with it), and the suspend session when the lid is closed hangs-up. Overall though, it is still good and with some reading from forum sites, you'll find some fixes and workarounds.

I do think Asus has once again created another laptop that is again reasonably priced and I think was bit ahead against other manufacturer brands. The 14" K42Jk is priced at around PHP 42,000 that already includes a Windows 7 Basic 64-bit installed, while the 15" K52Jk is at PHP 39,000 doesn't have any OS included but has numpad keys. The 15" variant I believe will have another version that comes with a Nvidia graphics chipset, which might be a good news for those who are more comfortable and loyalist on Nvidia.

If you're looking for decent laptops at this point in time, I would recommend these... but of course, other manufacturers will definitely show up with something of similar calibers as these two.

Samsung Spica i5700 Galaxy in the flesh

As a somewhat avid fan and user of anything by Google, be it the simple Gmail to the complex power of Google Apps, of course I wanted an Android-powered phone which will fit my budget. This constraint of budget-issues was then answered when Samsung released the Spica i5700 Galaxy during this Q2.

Samsung did a brilliant job of immediately tapping this consumer market of tech-savvy but budget-restricted people with their introduction of the Spica i5700 Galaxy. At first it was a far-cry from my old conventional phone (I came from a SE K810i) which is somewhat weird at first. The Spica ain't that all good looking but rather kept a practical and simple look. Indeed it is all made of plastics and all compared to an iPhone, but hey, you get what you paid for, which is around Php 15,000 or even lower (I got mine on a deferred payment scheme of 12-months 0%-interest, with a total of Php 16,290... yeah it costed me a bit more).

The unit initially entered the market with an Android 1.5 (cupcake) OS, but of course this was a very slow and restricted version until they introduced an official update to the 2.1 (eclair) series. I bought my unit which was already updated into 2.1 (a good call if you ask me) and with an extra red back case. Packed with Samsung's own 800 mHz processor an a pseudo-AMOLED (yep, it is only a TFT screen), it actually looks good and feels good. I installed a Tag-Home app which replaced the defaulted Home-theme developed by Samsung, which I think was a bit sluggish in terms of response, and didn't have a landscape view when tilted on the "Desktop" area.

The Spica only has a 200 MB internal storage memory that covers all your caching (mail, browsing, text messages, etc.) and your available space for installing other apps. Of course the hoped-for Android 2.2 (froyo) that supports installing apps into your SD card is in the window, its only the matter of whether Samsung will create an official update to it. Leaving the internal storage space aside, it is actually a jam-packed unit which covers everything that you might and will possibly look for; bluetooth v2.1, wi-fi capable (BG range), in-built GPS, micro-SD slot that supports up to 32 GB, accelerometer for sensing orientation and for other apps, 3.2 mpixel camera, and of course 3G capable since this is targeted as an internet-reliant phone because of all the Google services built-in.


Now onto the Google services I mentioned. The Android OS requires you to have a Google account, which is no biggie. This is initially troublesome for other people, I myself wasn't spared, because of the initial task of migrating from your old phone. It did however proved me wrong of being hard to migrate because all you need is a way to export your contacts to a file that will be accepted by Google Contacts for "import contacts" option, and the power of the Internet. Having my own Google Apps account made things a lot easier because of the immediate integration of my mail, contacts and calendars... if you think of it, it is actually the same for a regular Google account.

The functionality of the Google Latitude, which is already tied with the Maps app in the phone, is something that I suggests to be tried-out and played in this phone, although I admit Philippine support in terms of roadway and traffic are still in need of updating. But just a reminder, if you are hiding from people, better turn this service off or make sure you know whom you granted access to see you on Latitude.

The phone, after a few settings tweaked, will automatically sync all of these when it has an Internet connection, be it a wi-fi connection or 3G. This ain't exactly a user-friendly phone at first glance, and will probably require some patience (for total newbies in anything Google) but of course everyone will get used to it. As for the size and weight, it is relatively light but not exactly a slim phone as people initially think of when comparing with an iTouch or iPhone.


Overall, I think this phone is worth it in terms of the functionality and definitely on its cost. Of course if you want to make sure you get the most-responsive unit around the market, the Spica ain't exactly that one and will definitely costs you a bit more (like it's brother, the i9000 Galaxy). But of course, in a practical perspective, this is a must-buy and it will surely be of good use, giving you a new look on how you use a mobile phone (more like a PDA of sorts) that won't hurt your wallet too much.