Topics

16

Off Topic / [STREAMING] MackTheHunter and BSG: DayZ Standalone Adventures

« on: January 01, 2014, 06:42:37 PM »

http://www.twitch.tv/mackthehunter

Mark, Azrukhal and I play DayZ standalone and try to find eachother. I'm completely lost.

Also radio effects!

EDIT: making stream look better. One moment.

17

Games / Watch me and my friendy clan BrokenSinkGaming play some dumb Minecraft

« on: November 26, 2013, 08:36:33 PM »

http://www.twitch.tv/yellowsnoflake

We usually end up having really dumb and hilarious conversations if you're interested.

It's a jolly time. There are 12 of us here.

18

Off Topic / [MEGATHREAD] Android - Moto G $179 today, and N7/N10 gets KitKat!

« on: November 12, 2013, 01:15:29 PM »

W W W . A N D R O I D . C O M

Android is a Linux based operating system for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers. It is developed by the Open Handset Alliance led by Google.

Google purchased the initial developer of the software, Android Inc., in 2005. The unveiling of the Android distribution in 2007 was announced with the founding of the Open Handset Alliance, a consortium of 84 hardware, software, and telecommunication companies devoted to advancing open standards for mobile devices. Google releases the Android code as open-source, under the Apache License. The Android Open Source Project (AOSP) is tasked with the maintenance and further development of Android.

Android has a large community of developers writing applications ("apps") that extend the functionality of the devices. Developers write primarily in a customized version of Java. As of October 2011 there were more than 300,000 apps available for Android, and the estimated number of applications downloaded from the Android Market as of December 2011 exceeded 10 billion. Apps can be downloaded from third-party sites or through online stores such as Android Market, the app store run by Google.

Android was listed as the best-selling smartphone platform worldwide in Q4 2010 by Cbrown townys with over 200 million Android devices in use by November 2011. As of December 2011 there are over 700,000 Android devices activated every day.




Here are the leading devices for popularity as of today. These are the best Android phones you can get on the market.

Google Nexus 5 - Samsung Galaxy Note - HTC One

Samsung Galaxy S4 - Sony Xperia Z Ultra - Motorola Moto X

View the top phones from PhoneArena: http://www.phonearena.com/phones/best/Android

Complete list of devices: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Android_devices




Cyanogenmod

http://www.cyanogenmod.com/

CyanogenMod is an after-market replacement for the firmware of over 60 smart phones and tablet computers. Based on the Android mobile computer operating system, it offers features and options not found in the official firmware distributed by vendors of these devices.

Features supported by CyanogenMod include native theming support (also called the "T-Mobile Theme Engine"), a codec for the Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC), a large Access Point Name list, an OpenVPN client, a reboot menu, support for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and USB tethering, CPU overclocking, soft buttons and other "tablet tweaks", toggles in the notification pull-down (such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS), as well as other interface enhancements. CyanogenMod is also stated to increase performance and reliability compared with official firmware releases. Over time, new releases of Android from Google have come to include features first included in CyanogenMod, such as USB Tethering.

CyanogenMod is developed as free and open source software based on the official releases of Android by Google, with added original and third-party code.

Although only a subset of total CyanogenMod users elect to report their use of the firmware, as of 7 December 2011, CyanogenMod has recorded over 900,000 active installs on a multitude of devices.

------------------------------------

Installing a custom ROM to Android

Whether you’ve had your Android phone for a long time, or you’ve just bought a new one, there is no moment quite as sweet as when you finally get around to “rooting” that phone. It’s like a “coming of age” for Android users. Not only can you install a whole family of apps that you couldn’t run on an unrooted phone, but you can also install a whole new ROM to your phone.

What’s a ROM you ask? It stands for Read Only Memory, but what it means within the context of an Android phone is that it is essentially the style, theme and organization of the operating system. Thanks to the Android OS being open source, this is possible. There are a huge number of programmers out there working diligently on creating some of the most impressive custom Android ROMs – far better than the stock ROM that comes with your phone.

If you’re just starting out with an unrooted Android, you’ve got some work to do before you can install a new ROM. First you're going to need to root your phone.

Rooting your phone: http://www.addictivetips.com/mobile/how-to-root-your-android-phone-device/

Installing a custom ROM: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/install-custom-rom-android/

Other Useful Links

xda Developers - http://www.xda-developers.com/

Android Forums - http://androidforums.com/

CyanogenMod Forums - http://forum.cyanogenmod.com/




MackTheHunter - Google Nexus 5 (Bell Canada) - Running Stock, 4.4 KitKat
TomTheGeek - Samsung Galaxy S III (AT&T) - Running CM11 Alpha, 4.4 KitKat

Add your name to the list! Add your specs, too!




        Android 2.2 on the Nexus One.                       Android 2.3 on the Nexus S.



       Android 3.0. Designed for Tablets, this was taken from a Motorola Xoom Tablet.



        Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich" and 4.1 "Jelly Bean" on the Galaxy Nexus.                



                    Android 4.2.2 "Jelly Bean" on the Google Nexus 10 Tablet.



  Android 4.3.1 "Jelly Bean" on the LG Nexus 4 and Android 4.4 "KitKat" on the LG Nexus 5.



                          HTC's Android skin, Sense 5, seen on the HTC One.



         Samsung's TouchWiz on the Galaxy S3, and LG's Optimus UI on the LG G2.



[/list]

19

Games / MackTheHunter and TomTheGeek's Test Drive Unlimited Stream - Join in the game!

« on: November 02, 2013, 07:07:55 PM »

Mack and Tom's TDU2 Cruising

http://www.twitch.tv/tomthegeek

About

So TDU2 is $20 on steam. It's a two year old game, but it's a really awesome open-world exploring/racing game. You can drive anywhere in an accurately sized Ibiza or O'ahu. Join in if you feel like it too, we'll all be on a Skype call so just message one of us in the twitch if you want to hop in.

List of Drivers

MackTheHunter (MackTheHunter)
TomTheGeek (TomTheGeek)
RingsOfSaturn/Comatose (RingsOfSatTRON)

20

Off Topic / The Google Nexus 5 has been released

« on: October 31, 2013, 02:34:33 PM »

https://play.google.com/store/devices/details?id=nexus_5_black_16gb

Go get it, children. If it's sold out keep refreshing - stock is constantly being updated.

$349 USD - 16GB White/Black
$399 USD - 32GB White/Black

Also has 2 day shipping, should ship by around Nov 8 or two weeks (depending on location)

I ordered a 32GB Black.

21

Creativity / MackTheHunter's Photography (ok fine potatoes now)

« on: October 30, 2013, 09:43:33 PM »

MackTheHunter's Butt Photography (Also doesn't include butts)

Hi.

I've always been into a little bit of Photography and I love the creativity of the art. I took a lot of classes and did exceptionally well in them. However, I despise the fact that IN ORDER to be a "Photographer" you need to own a Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera with a number of extremely expensive lenses to get the perfect shots.

I'm going to try to bring back a little bit of the soul of what creative photography is with my Flickr account and my trusty new camera: a Canon Powershot G15.



 It's not a DSLR. It's a prosumer digital. It was not K. It was  It does not have lenses. It has conversions and filters, that's it. So, forget you and your DSLR.


Gallery (From My Flickr)

These shots are taken in Manual mode on the camera with whatever settings I feel are necessary. I do not use custom lenses, just the built in non-removable lens that it includes. I also edit my photos with Adobe Photoshop Creative Suite 2 (Which, by the way, is 7 year old software).

01



"Found awesome lighting in the local conservation area. With the colder weather approaching the trees looked pretty spooky."

All Sizes
EXIF Data

02



"This shot is really funny actually. When I was shooting I was hoping for a decent low light, low colour beat red sunset. It wasn't until I got home and started editing the photo when I noticed something awesome: A napping Great Blue Heron perched atop the power line. I'm glad I accidentally got lots of angles of the cheeky little bastard."

All Sizes
EXIF Data


03



"Did a fun little macro of a Ladybird I found while walking in the woods. Because of the limited versatility of the standard digital camera, focusing on him while he was moving was next to impossible. Managed to snap this when he stopped to take flight."

All Sizes
EXIF Data

02 (Alternate)



"Alternate angle of 02. Enjoyed the better colours, the nicer DOF of the foliage and the pose of Mr. Sleepy Heron."

All Sizes
EXIF Data

04



"Although my local conservation area has been sold to the city, they've kept it well taken care of. These birdhouses were added throughout the 50 acres of walking trails two years ago."

All Sizes
EXIF Data



Want to check out all the photos on my Flickr photostream? Hop on!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/107153825@N07/
Remember to view them on black backdrop because they look so HOT N' loveY

22

Games / [OFFLINE] MackTheHunter's FlightSim Bush Flying Adventures

« on: October 26, 2013, 11:20:17 PM »

MackTheHunter's Bush Flying Adventures

Want to join me as I do crazy flying runs throughout Alaska, Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Africa, Malaysia, and many other scary places?

Want to get mauled by a lion WHILE IN A PLANE?

Hop in and watch! I'll be streaming most of the night.

http://twitch.tv/mackthehunter

23

General Discussion / Does Anyone Want My Old Clan Stuff?

« on: October 23, 2013, 04:50:01 AM »

I've got a bunch of highres images, headers, fonts, logos, etc. of previous projects I used to work on here on the ol' Blorkland forums and I have no use for them any more. These include:

"Blockintosh" PNG logos, headers, images, some fonts
"Avialliance" PNG logos, headers, images
"Blockland World Racing" Prototype Logo

Now I'm not just going to hand out all this stuff for any old goof to throw together a clan with them. If someone wants them, I'll send them to them so long as they can actually DO something with them.

Seeing someone bring back Avialliance would make me sincerely happy. Blockintosh is pretty much useless so I don't care much about that. Blockland World Racing never happened, but if someone wants to make it happen, by all means.

Tally ho gents.

24

Off Topic / I got a new camera

« on: October 18, 2013, 01:34:53 PM »

It's not a DSLR, but:



It still takes very impressive stills. (I also have a new Gecko too, named Tango.)

It's a Canon Powershot G15. It also films video at 240FPS so I can do really cool high speed footage.

25

Off Topic / Potentially getting my PPL (Private Pilot License)

« on: September 08, 2013, 03:30:46 AM »

I've been doing a lot of research and with the income I have right now I've decided I'm going to pursue getting my Private Pilot License, or PPL. I live walking distance from CYOO (Oshawa Airport) and can take lessons there.

This means I'll be taught how to fly a standard private aircraft (IE Cessna 172, Piper Cherokee, Etc) and hopefully be able to rent a plane and fly on my own.

It's really just coming down to a matter of qualifications and health requirements (ADD and Arthritis, but both are in remission and I'm safe to fly) but I believe if I push myself enough I'll be able to basically pull off my lifelong dream.

Discuss. I'm excited as hell.

26

Off Topic / My generally grumpy review on Saitek products and a general PSA against them

« on: September 05, 2013, 01:55:41 AM »

Ok. Flash back to 2006.



Along with Flight Simulator 2004 I got this Logitech Attack 3 for $19.99. It was the cheapest stick I could find.  This stick INTRODUCED me to flight simming. It's spring tension was ideal, it felt solid, came with a little throttle wheel and plenty of buttons.

Up until 2012 I have been using this stick as my primary. Here's where it gets stuffty.

Fast foward to 2008. I ask my parents for the Saitek Pro Flight Yoke System (I wanted to fly Cessnas and stuff, and the yoke looked realistic). My parents couldn't afford the pricy $250 so they bought me this abomination:



The Saitek Aviator, stylized by Saitek as the "AVI8OR". It looked promising from the box I opened seeing as it had a starter switch, a twist system for the rudder, a bigger trigger and two semi-large throttle levers.

Upon plugging it in and flying around I was immediately dissapointed. The stick was sloppy, it was hard to fly with and felt plasticky and cheap. The feet it stood on had such a short base to them so when I banked hard the stick would lift off my desk.

The only reason I kept it was because of the rudder control. My Logi Attack 3 didn't have that, so I had both plugged in but disabled everything on the Aviator except it's twist function. I needed some way to control the rudder.

Ok. More bad incoming. Fast forward to 2012.

My Attack 3 decides to quit. My PC no longer recognizes it and I'm heartbroken and joystick-less (Oh trust me, the Aviator died far before this. It basically snapped in half.). I'm once again in the market for a joystick, so I look to the appeal of this:



The Saitek X52 HOTAS system. It looked interesting as it had a separate one-handed throttle (like an F-16 or what have you), a twist throttle you could lock, and plenty of buttons on the top of the stick.

I had a little money from birthdays and inheritance, and this thing costed almost $150 so I said forget it and jumped on. Little did I know I would be so utterly disappointed again.

The whole entire thing was made of the cheapest possible plastic Saitek could find. It didn't clamp to the desk and because the tension on the throttle was so strong, trying to throttle up would result in me throwing my fist, and the throttle, into my computer monitor.

The stick was literally identical to the oh-so-horrid Aviator. It had the same spring, it felt terrible to fly, there was an unfathomable deadzone in the aileron/elevator axis, and this time even the rudder twist sucked.

However this time I was smarter and decided to return it from where I bought it. However, the place I bought it from didn't accept refunds.

I resorted to selling it for $120 on eBay, losing an extra $20 as punishment for my mistake.

Once again though, I needed a joystick. Badly. So I thought forget Saitek, I'm getting another Attack 3 (or something logitech made). I go to the nearest Best Buy and find this little guy:



It's the Logitech Extreme 3D Pro, and would you look at that - It has a twist rudder! AND IT'S $22.99!! How could you go wrong?!

No, this is not the part where I say it's stuff and horrible. This is the part where I say it's everything I've ever dreamed of.

It felt BETTER than the Attack 3. It feels amazingly smooth and solid, I can throw my aircraft around, be it a Boeing 747 or an F/A-18 hornet. The twist function is fantastic and even the throttle has a big thumb lever on it! I couldn't have been happier and I still love this stick to this day.

Now one last mistake.

Fast forward to today. September 4th, 2013.

I'm employed, have been for months. I'm almost 20 years old working $11.50 an hour. I've got a nice income, so I've gone a little haywire with my PC setup when it comes to flight simulator X.



I'm still loving my little Extreme 3D pro. But, I have $1840 in my bank account and want to try one more thing.

I'm gonna buy that Saitek Pro Flight system. What could possibly go wrong?



As it turns out, everything. Again.

The stick is made purely of cheap, rattly plastic - EXCEPT for the yoke shaft, which is stainless steel. This is bad, very bad, because the plastic bushings that hold it in place are, well, plastic. Which means no lubrication allowed or you'll corrode the plastic to bits.

The throttle is advertised to be pretty big in that photo but I warn you it really isn't. It's loving tiny and the throttle handles feel like stuff. The clamp system on the whole configuration feels like it's going to snap at any moment too.

My biggest problem is the yoke's pitch axis (in and out). I cannot use the yoke at all without it getting stuck at some spots and then suddenly jerking forward. It's almost like the yoke gets stuck in place. This means if I try to pull up or push the plane down, the yoke gets stuck in some areas and I end up either stalling or nose-diving and spiralling out of control. It's horrable, it's noisy as forget and squeaks like crazy.

This was the biggest disappointment of all because I look back 7 years and remember how badly I wanted it and how I've wanted it ever since. This yoke turned out to be total garbage like the rest of Saitek's joysticks and I feel I have seriously learned my lesson about them. Luckly I can refund this yoke for full price from Best Buy and never look back.


Here's the scary thing though - if you look online people eat this stuff up. People ADORE the X52, the Pro Flight Yoke System, and the Aviator like crazy. Further googling reveals that so many people complain about the same issues I just listed but the reviews on websites say that these products fell from heaven itself. My only conclusion here is that Saitek's representatives have personally gone out and written the best reviews about the products when they really are all kinds of bad.


SO, TL;DR, Stay the forget away from Saitek products, mainly their flight joysticks. Go for Logitech, save your money, time and anger. Even CH products are presumably better. Thrustmaster is also fantastic, if you have the money their Warthog HOTAS system is loving amazing.In the world of budget, however, the Attack 3 is still being sold for $15 on Amazon and in many stores.

So if you feel like going and getting a copy of X-Plane or Flight Simulator, or maybe you want to fly better in Battlefield 3 or War Thunder, anything that involves flying - grab an Attack 3, or spend an extra $5 and grab the Extreme 3D Pro. Hell, if you want force feedback too, the Logitech Force 3D Pro is the same as the Extreme 3D but with Force Feedback. Mind you it's $99, but still cheaper than the X52 and the PFYS.


One more thing before I go pack up this yoke for refunding: The Attack 3 I bought years back isn't dead. Turns out I just had a faulty USB port. This thing still works wonders.

27

Off Topic / Brother and his girlfriend did this awesome acoustic cover of "Billy Jean"

« on: July 13, 2013, 02:41:27 AM »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqYrfpuRg6o

It's pretty awesome, you should check it out and stuffs. Pretty neat cover, although I'm not a huge fan of Jackson stuff

28

Off Topic / [MEGATHREAD] Android - Nexus 4 Price Drop on Play Store! $249 for 16GB!

« on: June 16, 2013, 08:56:46 PM »

W W W . A N D R O I D . C O M

   

W H A T  I T  I S

Android is a Linux based operating system for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers. It is developed by the Open Handset Alliance led by Google.

Google purchased the initial developer of the software, Android Inc., in 2005. The unveiling of the Android distribution in 2007 was announced with the founding of the Open Handset Alliance, a consortium of 84 hardware, software, and telecommunication companies devoted to advancing open standards for mobile devices. Google releases the Android code as open-source, under the Apache License. The Android Open Source Project (AOSP) is tasked with the maintenance and further development of Android.

Android has a large community of developers writing applications ("apps") that extend the functionality of the devices. Developers write primarily in a customized version of Java. As of October 2011 there were more than 300,000 apps available for Android, and the estimated number of applications downloaded from the Android Market as of December 2011 exceeded 10 billion. Apps can be downloaded from third-party sites or through online stores such as Android Market, the app store run by Google.

Android was listed as the best-selling smartphone platform worldwide in Q4 2010 by Cbrown townys with over 200 million Android devices in use by November 2011. As of December 2011 there are over 700,000 Android devices activated every day.


W H A T  I T  D O E S

Here are the current features and specifications. There is alot more, but we'll get to the fun part later on.

Handset layouts
The platform is adaptable to larger, VGA, 2D graphics library, 3D graphics library based on OpenGL ES 2.0 specifications, and traditional smartphone layouts.

Storage
SQLite, a lightweight relational database, is used for data storage purposes.

Connectivity
Android supports connectivity technologies including GSM/EDGE, IDEN, CDMA, EV-DO, UMTS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, LTE, NFC and WiMAX.

Messaging
SMS and MMS are available forms of messaging, including threaded text messaging and now Android Butt To Device Messaging (C2DM) is also a part of Android Push Messaging service.

Multiple language support
Android supports multiple languages.

Web browser
The web browser available in Android is based on the open-source WebKit layout engine, coupled with Chrome's V8 JavaScript engine. The browser scores 100/100 on the Acid3 test on Android 4.0, however it does have some rendering issues.

Java support
While most Android applications are written in Java, there is no Java Virtual Machine in the platform and Java byte code is not executed. Java classes are compiled into Dalvik executables and run on Dalvik, a specialized virtual machine designed specifically for Android and optimized for battery-powered mobile devices with limited memory and CPU. J2ME support can be provided via third-party applications.

Media support
Android supports the following audio/video/still media formats: WebM, H.263, H.264 (in 3GP or MP4 container), MPEG-4 SP, AMR, AMR-WB (in 3GP container), AAC, HE-AAC (in MP4 or 3GP container), MP3, MIDI, Ogg Vorbis, FLAC, WAV, JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP.

Streaming media support
RTP/RTSP streaming (3GPP PSS, ISMA), HTML progressive download (HTML5 <video> tag). Adobe Flash Streaming (RTMP) and HTTP Dynamic Streaming are supported by the Flash plugin. Apple HTTP Live Streaming is supported by RealPlayer for Android, and by the operating system in Android 3.0 (Honeycomb).

Additional hardware support
Android can use video/still cameras, touchscreens, GPS, accelerometers, gyroscopes, barometers, magnetometers, dedicated gaming controls, proximity and pressure sensors, thermometers, accelerated 2D bit blits (with hardware orientation, scaling, pixel format conversion) and accelerated 3D graphics.

Multi-touch
Android has native support for multi-touch which was initially made available in handsets such as the HTC Hero. The feature was originally disabled at the kernel level (possibly to avoid infringing Apple's patents on touch-screen technology at the time). Google has since released an update for the Nexus One and the Motorola Droid which enables multi-touch natively.

Bluetooth
Supports A2DP, AVRCP, sending files (OPP), accessing the phone book (PBAP), voice dialing and sending contacts between phones. Keyboard, mouse and joystick (HID) support is available in Android 3.1+, and in earlier versions through manufacturer customizations and third-party applications.

Video calling
Android does not support native video calling, but some handsets have a customized version of the operating system that supports it, either via the UMTS network (like the Samsung Galaxy S) or over IP. Video calling through Google Talk is available in Android 2.3.4 and later. Gingerbread allows Nexus S to place Internet calls with a SIP account. This allows for enhanced VoIP dialing to other SIP accounts and even phone numbers. Skype 2.1 offers video calling in Android 2.3, including front camera support.

Multitasking
Multitasking of applications is available.

Voice based features
Google search through voice has been available since initial release. Voice actions for calling, texting, navigation, etc. are supported on Android 2.2 onwards.

Tethering
Android supports tethering, which allows a phone to be used as a wireless/wired Wi-Fi hotspot. Before Android 2.2 this was supported by third-party applications or manufacturer customizations.

Screen capture
Android natively supports the ability to capture a screenshot by method of pressing both the power and volume-down buttons at the same time on an Android device. This native support was first included within the Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) update, which is first seen on the Galaxy Nexus smartphone. Previously, Android did not feature native support for screen capturing which would have likely been due to security concerns. Furthermore, prior manufacturer and third-party customizations as well as using a PC connection (DDMS developer's tool) were the only known methods of capturing a screenshot on Android.


W H O  M A K E S  T H E  P H O N E S ?

Currently, these companies manufacture and sell Android phones:

• Acer
  
• HTC
  
• LG
  
• Motorola Mobility
  
• Samsung
  
• Sony Ericsson
  
• Google Nexus (Usually with HTC and Samsung)
  
  Other manufacturers (from tablets) include:
  
  
• Dell
  
• Lenovo
  
• Archos
  
• Gateway
  
• ZTE
  

Complete list of devices - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Android_devices


T H E  F U N  P A R T  -  C U S T O M I Z A T I O N

Cyanogenmod

http://www.cyanogenmod.com/

CyanogenMod is an after-market replacement for the firmware of over 60 smart phones and tablet computers. Based on the Android mobile computer operating system, it offers features and options not found in the official firmware distributed by vendors of these devices.

Features supported by CyanogenMod include native theming support (also called the "T-Mobile Theme Engine"), a codec for the Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC), a large Access Point Name list, an OpenVPN client, a reboot menu, support for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and USB tethering, CPU overclocking, soft buttons and other "tablet tweaks", toggles in the notification pull-down (such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS), as well as other interface enhancements. CyanogenMod is also stated to increase performance and reliability compared with official firmware releases. Over time, new releases of Android from Google have come to include features first included in CyanogenMod, such as USB Tethering.

CyanogenMod is developed as free and open source software based on the official releases of Android by Google, with added original and third-party code.

Although only a subset of total CyanogenMod users elect to report their use of the firmware, as of 7 December 2011, CyanogenMod has recorded over 900,000 active installs on a multitude of devices.

------------------------------------

Installing a custom ROM to Android

Whether you’ve had your Android phone for a long time, or you’ve just bought a new one, there is no moment quite as sweet as when you finally get around to “rooting” that phone. It’s like a “coming of age” for Android users. Not only can you install a whole family of apps that you couldn’t run on an unrooted phone, but you can also install a whole new ROM to your phone.

What’s a ROM you ask? It stands for Read Only Memory, but what it means within the context of an Android phone is that it is essentially the style, theme and organization of the operating system. Thanks to the Android OS being open source, this is possible. There are a huge number of programmers out there working diligently on creating some of the most impressive custom Android ROMs – far better than the stock ROM that comes with your phone.

If you’re just starting out with an unrooted Android, you’ve got some work to do before you can install a new ROM. First you're going to need to root your phone.

Rooting your phone: http://www.addictivetips.com/mobile/how-to-root-your-android-phone-device/

Installing a custom ROM: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/install-custom-rom-android/


U S E F U L  R E S O U R C E S  A N D  L I N K S

xda Developers - http://www.xda-developers.com/

Android Forums - http://androidforums.com/

CyanogenMod Forums - http://forum.cyanogenmod.com/


D R O I D S  O N  T H E  B L O C K L A N D  F O R U M S

MackTheHunter - Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Cyanogenmod 10.1 RC5 + Franco.Kernel Nightly, No Overclock (Min 700MHz) + HotPlug Governor and Noop I/O Scheduler
TomTheGeek - HTC Inspire 4G, Cyanogenmod 10.1 RC5 + OnDemand Governor and SIO I/O Scheduler

Add your name to the list! Add your specs, too!


A N D R O I D  G A L L E R Y

        Android 2.2 on the Nexus One.                       Android 2.3 on the Nexus S.



       Android 3.0. Designed for Tablets, this was taken from a Motorola Xoom Tablet.



        Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich" and 4.1 "Jelly Bean" on the Galaxy Nexus.                



        The latest version of Android, Jelly Bean 4.2.2, as displayed on my Nexus 10.



The thread needs work but I have 4 AM - 12 PM shifts all week and I simply don't have time tonight, I'll try to get some updates going soon. In the mean time, enjoy the thread's heroic return.

29

Off Topic / Bell Canada forgot I don't have a data plan

« on: June 09, 2013, 01:09:43 PM »

Story time, I'm gonna post this while I wait at Tim Horton's for my friend to get off work.

When I first bought my first ever smartphone, bell gave me a NON DATA contract. They told me if I used data they would charge me out the butt. This was very true, I got a $500 phone bill once for watching a few YouTube videos.

Anyway, fast forward to last summer. I bought an unlocked Galaxy Nexus and swapped my SIM card. Great phone, great new experience, until i realized i had been using 4G for a week straight. When the phone bill arrived I cowered in fear - only to find it costing $40.

... Fast forward to now. Ive torrented movies, watched HD stuff all the time, and they never charge me. I tether my new Nexus 7 all the time. They either don't know or just don't care.

tl;dr I'm not paying for 4G/3G usage on my phone and I use it all the time with no consequences.

Discuss.

30

Off Topic / The Bicycle Megathread 2.0 - Spring's near, get your wheels out.

« on: April 11, 2013, 10:00:04 PM »

The Bicycle Megathread

An everyday thread and guide to the modern bicycle

About the Bicycle

A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist or a bicyclist.



Bicycles were introduced in the 19th century and now number about one billion worldwide, twice as many as automobiles. They are the principal means of transportation in many regions. They also provide a popular form of recreation, and have been adapted for such uses as children's toys, adult fitness, military and police applications, courier services and bicycle racing.

The basic shape and configuration of a typical upright bicycle has changed little since the first chain-driven model was developed around 1885. However, many details have been improved, especially since the advent of modern materials and computer-aided design. These have allowed for a proliferation of specialized designs for particular types of cycling.

The invention of the bicycle has had an enormous impact on society, both in terms of culture and of advancing modern industrial methods. Several components that eventually played a key role in the development of the automobile were originally invented for the bicycle, including ball bearings, pneumatic tires, chain-driven sprockets, and spoke-tensioned wheels.


Types of Bicycles

Road Bicycle


The term road bicycle is used to describe bicycles built for traveling at speed on paved roads. Some sources use the term to mean racing bicycle. Other sources specifically exclude racing bicycles from the definition, using the term to mean a bicycle of a similar style but built more for endurance and less the fast bursts of speed desired in a racing bicycle; as such, they usually have more gear combinations and fewer hi-tech racing features. Certain of these bicycles have been referred to as 'sportive' bicycles to distinguish them from racing bicycles.

Mountain Bicycle


A mountain bike or mountain bicycle (abbreviated MTB) is a bicycle created for off-road cycling.

Mountain bikes are typically ridden on single track trails, fire roads, logging roads, and other unpaved environments. These types of terrain commonly include rocks, washouts, ruts, loose sand, loose gravel, roots, and steep grades (both inclines and declines). Mountain bikes are built to handle this terrain and the obstacles that are found in it like logs, vertical drop offs, and smaller boulders.

Mountain bike construction differs from a typical bicycle in many ways. The most noticeable differences are the inclusion of suspension on the frame and fork, larger knobby tires, more durable heavy duty wheels, more powerful brakes, and lower gear ratios needed for steep grades with poor traction.

Hybrid Bicycle


Hybrid bicycles blend characteristics from more specialized road bikes, touring bikes and mountain bikes to create a general-purpose, user-friendly bicycle. Their stability, comfort and ease of use makes them popular with beginning bicyclists, casual riders and urban commuters.

Hybrids may integrate the flat handlebars, upright posture and brake system of a mountain bike. They may also have numerous accommodations for accessories (front and rear racks, water bottles, and fenders) typically found on a touring bike. Many also have the larger wheel diameter (e.g. 700c) and lighter componentry of a road bike — and a rim/tire configuration that falls between the road/touring bikes and mountain bikes.

Hybrid bikes have spawned numerous sub-categories satisfying diverse ridership. They are classified by their design priorities, such as those optimized for comfort or fitness — and those offered as city, cross or commuter bikes.

Track or "Fixed Gear/Fixie" Bicycle


A track bicycle or track bike is a bicycle optimized for racing at a velodrome or outdoor track. Unlike road bicycles, the track bike is a fixed-gear bicycle; thus, it has only a single gear and has neither a freewheel nor brakes. Tires are narrow and inflated to high pressure to reduce rolling resistance. Tubular tires are most often used in track racing and training though advances in clincher tire design has seen them being used somewhat more often.

A fixed-gear bicycle (or fixed-wheel bicycle, commonly known as a fixie) is a bicycle that has a drivetrain with no freewheel mechanism. The freewheel was developed early in the history of bicycle design but the fixed-gear bicycle remained the standard track racing design. More recently the 'fixie' has become a popular alternative among mainly urban cyclists, offering the advantages of simplicity compared with the standard multi-geared bicycle.

Most bicycles incorporate a freewheel to allow the pedals to remain stationary while the bicycle is in motion, so that the rider can coast, i.e., ride without pedalling using the forward or downhill momentum of bike and rider. A fixed-gear drivetrain has the drive sprocket (or cog) threaded or bolted directly to the hub of the back wheel, so that the rider cannot stop pedalling. When the rear wheel turns, the pedals turn in the same direction. This allows a cyclist to apply a weak braking force without using a brake, by resisting the rotation of the cranks. It also makes it possible to ride backwards although learning to do so is much more difficult than riding forwards.

As a rule, fixed-gear bicycles are single-speed. A derailleur cannot be fitted because the chain cannot have any slack, but hub gearing can, for example a Sturmey-Archer 3-speed fixed hub. Most fixed-gear bicycles only have a front brake, and some have no brakes at all.

BMX Bicycle


A BMX bike or BMX is the name of a popular bicycle used for both casual use and sport, and designed mainly for dirt and motocross cycling. "BMX" is the usual abbreviation for bicycle motocross.

What bike do you have?

Post what kind of bike you have, what you like to ride and where.

Here's my ToTo Tomcat Elegante:





My older Empire Professional 5 Speed from 1975: