Outdated Penang Uncle

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Freeware: Spb Mobile Shell - Microsoft Today - HTC Sense\TouchFLO\TouchFLO3D Switcher

Source: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=6245113#post6245113

Easily switch between Microsoft Today, HTC Sense\TouchFLO3D\TouchFLO, Spb Mobile Shell!!

I also wanted to be able to put links on the Spb Mobile Shell and HTC Sense Screens for easy running so I made seperate programs with icons for Microsoft Today, HTC Sense\TouchFLO3D\TouchFLO and Spb Mobile Shell so you can switch at the click of a button.

It should work regardless of which language Rom you use.

After install it will be in the Start Menu, Programs, Shell Sense Switcher Folder. The Htc Sense link should work for HTC Sense (newer Roms) or TouchFlo3D.

I hope a few people find it useful.

EDIT: v2 now has better icons and smaller file size.

Keep emails and attachments on Storage Card for PPC

Free up your PPC device/internal memory by storing emails and attachments on storage card. The default setting on PPC is to store emails and attachment on internal memory, this create problem when you have a lot of emails and big attachments, it will eventually used up all the internal memory on your PPC.
As we know for PPC, the internal memory is limited to 64M(older PPC)/128M/256M(newer PPC), even you have 512M internal memory, it is still limited (sharing with other programs/files as well).
Okay, for PPC with build-in extended memory like Omnia, you should be fine, but I am not sure the default setting on Omnia is to store emails/attachments on device memory or extended memory (Too bad my brother sold his Omnia few month back, else I can check, if you know, please share with me :) )

Here are the steps:
1. Using the file manager in activesync or PPC (like Total Commander), create the following folders on your Storage Card.
\MAPI
\MAPI\ATTACHMENTS
Or you can name them whatever you want, "Inbox" or "Emails" for example.

2. Now browse to \Windows\Messaging (SmartPhone) or \Windows\MAPI (PocketPC)
Do this step only if you want to save all of your existing mail, move everything in this directory to the new ones on your Storage Card. I sync my emails from PC to PPC, so I don't need to keep them (I skip this step).

3. Now use your registry editor (again, Total Commander can do this job) and navigate to the following registry:
For WM5 Phones: [ HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\MAPI ]
For WM6 Phones: [ HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\Inbox\Settings ]
Then create the following STRING VALUES. Remember to use the paths you created in Step1, if you named them other than MAPI.
Name: AttachPath
String: \Storage Card\MAPI\Attachments

Name: PropertyPath
String: \Storage Card\MAPI

4. Reboot/soft reset your PPC. For WM5, do wait for a while before you soft reset because the system need some time to save the registry. WM6 don't have this problem, you can soft reset immediately.
You should able to see your emails and attachments. If not, double check the string and path your added in registry are match the dir you created in Step1.

Enjoy!

p/s: I just perform these steps few days back after I hard reset my HTC Touch Elfin on Apr25, 2010. So I proved this is working for WM6.1!

also visit all the post related to HTC Touch on this blog:
http://outdatedpenanguncle.blogspot.com/search/label/HTC%20touch
also visit all the post related to tips on this blog:
http://outdatedpenanguncle.blogspot.com/search/label/tips
also visit all the post related to WinMo on this blog:
http://outdatedpenanguncle.blogspot.com/search/label/WinMo


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Monday, April 26, 2010

Freeware: SpoonCharge - Fullscreen Battery Monitor

Source: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=669862

Introduction
This is a small application which displays the current battery information in large text.

I wrote it so I could see from a distance what the charge level was, and how fast the battery was charging.

The current version assumes:

<100ma 200ma =" Slow" 500ma =" Medium">500ma = Fast charge (dedicated AC adapter)

The colour of the text also changes depending on levels, and temperature.

This has only been tested on a Diamond2, but should work on most Windows Mobile 5+ phones.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

MS Fix It Center Online

MS launched new stuff called MS Fix It Center Online.

Here is what MS claimed:
Microsoft Fix it Center Client contains troubleshooters that help detect issues on target PCs and solve them on demand or proactively before you even know they exist!

Automated Troubleshooters

Upon installation of the Fix it Center client, it automatically downloads the latest troubleshooters in our library to your PC. The troubleshooters can “find and fix” issues immediately or “find and notify” you of the issues it detected. The “find and notify” puts you in control – you decide which issues you want the troubleshooters to resolve. No matter what you choose, we show you a report of what was performed on your PC and offer you options to learn or further investigate the issue or submit a support request at Fix it Center Online.


Personalized Experience

When you create an account during the setup of Fix it Center client on your PC, a profile is automatically created for you at Fix it Center Online. During the setup of the client, Fix it Center detects your hardware and software information and securely stores it to your online profile. This information enables Fix it Center to offer and display solutions that are specific to your PC configuration – in an easier to understand manner and without search or information overload.

You can install Fix it Center client on as many PCs you like, and when you use the same sign-in account during the client setup on each PC, the information about all your PCs will be registered in the same account. This makes it easier for owners of small business or heads of families with multiple PCs to manage all computers from a single location yet can view solutions specific for each PC.


Save time when working with customer support

Should you want to request additional support via Fix it Center Online, all the relevant information about your PC as well as the reports from the troubleshooters can be seamlessly included in the support incident request, thus helping you get faster resolutions to your problems and helping reduce the time you spend on the phone with customer support. With Fix it Center, you don’t need to know what Service Pack of Windows XP or what video card your PC has.


Go to: http://fixitcenter.support.microsoft.com to find out more detail.

p/s: see also all Windows related posts:
http://outdatedpenanguncle.blogspot.com/search/label/Windows

Monday, April 12, 2010

iPhone OS 4 vs Windows Phone 7

As soon as Steve announce the iPhone OS 4, people around the world start to compare it with Windows Phone 7. Here is a quite comprehensive comparison by engadget.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/08/iphone-os-4-versus-windows-phone-7-the-tale-of-the-tape/

If you ask me, lets hope MS can do better job making WP7 a better OS. But I wouldn't buy any new phone soon, coz I am frugal!

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Free trojan in your game!

This game "3D Anti-terrorist" was posted at many PPC forum recently. It claimed to be the best 3D shooting game on PPC because of the etc etc etc. Luckily I didn't dl and try it on my PPC, because it actually contains ghost dialer Trojan! At specific time, it will get your phone to dial some international numbers. Your phone bill will sky rocket!

Folks at XDA forum start to notice that not too long after this game was posted. Among some numbers the Trojan dialed was:
+88213213214
+1(767)503-3611
+25240221601


What if you have installed it?

1. Uninstall it and delete it.
2. Install antivirus to remove the Trojan:
  • AirScanner
  • LookOut ( Free )
  • Kaspersky Mobile Security
  • Symantec Mobile AntiVirus
  • F-Secure Mobile Security
Some of them provide free trial for a limited period, use them to remove the Trojan!

Good luck!

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Assembling HTC Touch pro2

Okay, you have take it apart, now to put it back again :)



p/s: Here is how to disassembling HTC Touch Pro2
http://outdatedpenanguncle.blogspot.com/2010/04/disassembling-htc-touch-pro2.html

Disassembling HTC Touch Pro2

I like to disassemble stuffs when I was young. But that was on broken electrical appliances. To know what is inside a computer/laptop/phone, we don't need to use our own money, there is always got people in this world that like to take thing apart. So internet help us to save time and money. :)

I believe this video is release by HTC. Enjoy the disassembling of HTC Touch Pro2.



p/s: don't worry, here is how to put it back again :)
http://outdatedpenanguncle.blogspot.com/2010/04/assembling-htc-touch-pro2.html

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

PC/laptop life saver series: File recovery 3

Here is the part 3 of File recovery for PC/laptop life saver series:
You deleted a file and you are not sending it to recycle bin, but suddenly you realize you still need to file, ouch! What shall you do? Luckily there are nice people out there that write some awesome and free software for us to use. We can use them to recover the lost file and you are safe!

There is not preference which one is better than other, it all depend on your need. So here is third one I want to introduce to you:

Photorec:
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/PhotoRec
Here what the author claim:
Photorec ignores the file system, this way it works even if the file system is severely damaged. It can recover lost files at least from FAT, NTFS, EXT2/EXT3 filesystem and HFS+. PhotoRec works with hard disks, CD-ROMs, memory cards (Compact Flash, Memory Stick, SecureDigital/SD, SmartMedia, Microdrive, MMC, etc.), USB memory drives, DD raw image, EnCase E01 image, etc.

Best of all, it is FREE!

One drawback of Photorec compare to the rest is the interface is in DOS, which is not so user friendly. But this is the piece of recovery software that I use the most. :)

Note from Photorec (but I am sure this is for all recovery file program): Important: As soon as a pic or file is accidentally deleted, or you discover any missing, do NOT save any more pics or files to that memory device or hard disk drive; otherwise you may overwrite your lost data. This means that while using PhotoRec, you must not choose to write the recovered files to the same partition they were stored on.


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Monday, April 5, 2010

WinMo still strong, I hope

WinMo not going away so soon. It is still 3rd most smartphone OS people use in EU and US. Some dump phones with Symbian shouldn't be consider a smartphone anyway, because you cannot customize it, hahaha. Lets hope WinMo still alive for many years to come.

Source:
http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/news/item/11342_comScore_data_shows_smartphone.php

Apple iPad teardown

Open sesame! Go see what is inside iPad!
http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/iPad-Teardown/2183/1

PC/laptop life saver series: File recovery 2

Here is the part 2 of File recovery for PC/laptop life saver series:
You deleted a file and you are not sending it to recycle bin, but suddenly you realize you still need to file, ouch! What shall you do? Luckily there are nice people out there that write some awesome and free software for us to use. We can use them to recover the lost file and you are safe!

There is not preference which one is better than other, it all depend on your need. So here is second one I want to introduce to you:

Restoration: File Recovery Freeware by Brian Kato
http://www.aumha.org/a/recover.php
The advantages of this software is:
"it works not only on Windows 9x versions, but also on Windows NT, 2000, and XP — even in NTFS!"

Best of all, it is FREE!


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Sunday, April 4, 2010

PC/laptop life saver series: File recovery 1

You deleted a file and you are not sending it to recycle bin, but suddenly you realize you still need to file, ouch! What shall you do? Luckily there are nice people out there that write some awesome and free software for us to use. We can use them to recover the lost file and you are safe!

There is not preference which one is better than other, it all depend on your need. So here is first one I want to introduce to you:

PC Inspector
http://www.pcinspector.de/
The author of this software claim that:
  • Finds partitions automatically, even if the boot sector or FAT has been erased or damaged
  • Recovers files with the original time and date stamp
  • Supports the saving of recovered files on network drives
  • Recovers files, even when a header entry is no longer available. Competition products cannot recover such files. The "Special Recovery Function" supports the following disk formats:
    ARJ | AVI | BMP | CDR | DOC | DXF | DBF | XLS | EXE
    GIF | HLP | HTML | HTM | JPG | LZH | MID | MOV | MP3
    PDF | PNG | RTF | TAR | TIF | WAV | ZIP
Best of all, it is FREE!



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Saturday, April 3, 2010

PC/laptop clean up series: Free up disk space 3

After we reorganized/clean up the personal folders in Outlook, the pst file still using showing up as huge file, although you checked the folder size in Outlook and it said a few hundred megs only of Total size (right click on the top of the personal folder -> "Properties for ...." -> "Folder Size").

You can reduce the physical file size of pst file by doing this:
right click on the top of the personal folder -> "Properties for ...." -> "Advanced..." -> "Compact Now"
.

This is depend on how big the the pst physical size versus the folder size reported by Outlook, sometime it will take more than 10 minutes or more. Make sure you do this during after office hour or during lunch hour, else the Outlook will hang and waiting until it is done.

Only works with pst files that stores mail locally in your PC/laptop.

I did that few days back and I get back like around 2G of disk space, it is not a lot compare to the disk space available nowaday, but it could be life safer if you running out of disk space.


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Friday, April 2, 2010

PC/laptop clean up series: Free up disk space 2

Use CCleaner to remove hidden files like on your PC/laptop:
1. stubborn IE/FireFox/Opera/Chrome/Safari cache files and cookies (which sometime cannot be remove by the program itself)
2. temporary files that hiding inside Windows directories

This software also clean up the registry.

Warning: use with care, backup first if you not sure.

http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner


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Thursday, April 1, 2010

PC/laptop clean up series: Free up disk space 1

Your PC/laptop full of installation files that is hogging your disk space? Try this Windows Installer CleanUp Utility to free the disk space. It also help to remove corrupted installation files that left by the setup program because installation process failed.

Warning: It might damage the uninstall or re-setup/re-configuration of your installed program, especially if you remove any of the Office 2000/XP/2003 installation files.


Download from MS:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290301


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