Android Developer

I found this in goodies section at android.com. It's pretty cool. It's almost one year now since I started writing applications for Android.

Losari Beach

After going back from work, it's always nice to know that Losari beach is just couple minutes away from home, place to go to refresh my mind.

Lot of couples go there to enjoy sunset, wish my wife is here with me

Losari Beach

Activating Android Developer Phone ADP1 with SimCard without Data Plan

I have finally got my hand with Android Developer Phone, also known as HTC Dream. I though the phone is going to be extra thick and heavy, but no, it's not. It's a pretty well design phone. I can't hardly wait now to start writing code on Android for my home automation system.


First problem I encounter is how to activate the phone without having data plan with my provider. I have plenty of dummy simcard (simcard that without any phone or data plan). I found nice instruction on android developer google group site:

• download the SDK, you basically need adb in order to send command to the phone.
• run adb and type
  

am start -a android.intent.action.MAIN -n com.android.settings/.Settings

• this will bring you to wifi setting on your phone, and from there, you can activate the wifi, and finally, register your phone using any simcard without data plan

Following are some pics:






I tried to compare the size with iPhone 3G, the width and height is about the same. However, HTC Dream is thicker compare to iPhone.



That's it for now, need to go back to work.

update: while reading through some forums, it's actually possible to activate Android without using simcard at all. Just go here to get full instruction.

New Tripod - Manfrotto 190CXPRO4

During our last trip to Comox, I lost my tripod. I think I left it at the museum. That tripod has accompanied me on every single trip since mid 2004. The tripod itself was almost due for replacement, because it didn't provide enough support anymore for my current gear.

So, I decided to buy another tripod. This time, I want to buy a pro tripod within my price range, because I will bring it for sure in most of my trip. Speaking of pro tripod, there are only two brands in my mind: Gitzo and Manfrotto. I browse online trying to make a decision. It's hard to decide when you don't touch the actual item. Hence, I visited my camera store and spent sometimes playing with various tripods from these two manufacturers.

There is one Gitzo tripod that I really like; however, due to price constraint, I had to go with Manfrotto carbon fiber tripod, 190CXPRO4. This model was released this year on March 2008.



One cool feature for this tripod is the "Manfrotto’s innovative and award-winning Q90° (Quick Center Column System)". It allows the center column to be rotated to horizontal position with a simple motion.


The tripod is 100% carbon fiber and it utilizes magnesium alloy for the top plate.


Most pro tripod doesn't come with tripod head, so I have to purchase the head as well. As for the tripod head, I am open to any brands. My requirement is fairly simple: it can handle the load of my camera and one of my heaviest lens, plus a quick release. After playing around with several brands, I decided to go with Giotto MH1301.


It is a ball-head type. I prefer ball head compare to three way head when it comes to photography. There are two rotating dial for controlling the friction of the ball. There is one rotating dial for adjusting the rotation angle that will come useful when taking panoramic.


That's it. I haven't used the tripod intensively. I can't hardly wait for my next trip :)

New Gadget - Sandisk Ultra II Compact Flash

I got this card from Best Buy, it cost me $70 + tax. It was pretty good deal compare to the other stores. At its maximum speed (15 MB/S), this card could only support 4.5 fps; my D200 could go at 5 fps. At this moment, it is ok because 8GB Extreme III card is still way more expensive.

8GB Sandisk CF Ultra II

We went to Comox last long weekend, which was one of the reason why I bought this card. I could shoot the whole day and I only only need to change card once. I will post our Comox trip picture later. Currently, I am still busy with work related stuffs, so I don't have time to select thousand of photos we took. Following is the preview.

Goose Spit Beach

Seal Bay Natural Park

Garage Sale

Our town house complex are having garage sale event yesterday. We have a lot of stuffs that we don't need anymore or we want to sell them. So, we join the event by setting up table in front of our house.


I put humongous 20" Sony G500 Monitor (it used to be expensive monitor in its time), cheap MS Keyboard, and bunch of my old digital memory in various forms (i.e. Memory Stick, Compact Flash, and MMC). Their capacities are relatively small, 128MB - 512MB. Oliv and Yuli put kids toys and books. Most of our customers are kids, so Yuli's stuffs are highly in demand :)

However, waiting for customers is boring ... so the girls start playing with soap bubbles.



I get bored as well and start to shoot random things ...

Bees

House Template

Sewer

Entrance

Leaf

It is a very hot day, and we start packing after sitting there for ~ 2 hours :)

The Missing Iron Ring

Last week, accidentally, I looked at space underneath my car's windshield. And ..., I found my engineering iron ring. Waow ... I thought I already lost it somewhere 8 months ago; in fact, it's always with me whenever I drive.

The Iron Ring

Canada is the only country that offers iron ring to engineers who graduate from accredited university. We, engineers, are all bind to oath we declared during the iron ring ceremony, pretty cool he ... :) The ceremony itself is private and not opened to public. Wanna know more about the ritual of iron ring? Just visit http://www.ironring.ca/.