Memory Downpour

I love rain. For what I know people of Bangladesh no matter of which social class they ate from love rain!

Why shouldn’t we? It brings out so many emotions, these heavy downpours. It has inspired romance and creativity throughout our history. Its presence in literature is immense!

Last night I got stuck in rain at Uttara after a meeting with Mahran bhai which took some time to finish. Also ran into my friend Sauud who was returning to IUT too. As we were stuck we decided to have dinner there and hired a cab to get our asses back in red heaven.

I am always fascinated by rain photos and the splashes it creates on the windows. I couldn’t stop noticing it when we were stuck in the jam. The galaxy s II’s camera came in handy!

Kinda love it!
With the rainy season here I think I will get more shots with my DSLR too!
Some more photos

Untagging Yourself From..

Basically people live in this thing.

And why do they live in it? The one who are living it will most likely say “connecting with friends, checkout what friends are up to, hangout with friends….” everything relayed to friends and family.

But shouldn’t these be done in real life rather than in those LED PC/Mac screens or tiny little smartphone screens? A question that kept nagging me and eventually lead me outta Facebook.
No I am not a Facebook hater. I was one of its earliest user here on the subcontinent. I remember signing up for Facebook back in May 2007 and after 5 years of facebooking and watching it become the world’s biggest thing with 800 million users, I decided to delete my Facebook after a series of events and the realization resulting from those.

Why people keep using Facebook?

I can answer it now better than the ones using it currently. We use it to keep our tabs on family, close friends, friends, coworkers, loose friends , new friends, “boy/girl I would like to hook up with” friends, “people I want to become” friends and the list goes on and on with all those “friends”.

Think carefully, apart from the first 3 friends do we need to give a damn about those other “friends”? Didn’t we have these friends even when we didn’t have Facebook? So why use Facebook?

The answer is simple – Facebook is a legal way of stalking!

Yes you have heard me right. No matter how cleansed you think you are, know this – you are not.
You can totally check out on all the friends with whom you haven’t had a face to face conversation for ages….or ever! And you can do that without getting into any trouble and other people knowing about it!

Don’t frown at me thinking you aren’t a stalker. Think and you will remember at least one instance.
Okay can’t find any? You are a goody two shoes? Fine, then why do you have tennis in your personal interest where people around you can swear on their life that they have never seen you watching, let alone playing tennis?
Simple.

We. Like. To. Create. Our. Identity.

Yes you read it right. We can add up anything we have ever wanted to be in our Facebook profile. Pretend that we have done it where you had just dreams, or at times just thought of it, or even worse – just now figured it out to be cool! And in a swirl of motion you hurriedly add it up in your Facebook and let others know about it!

“No, you are wrong. Only retards like you do this” probably these are the thoughts in your head right now. Believe me or not,you have one such interest too in your profile. If you don’t, you have something mentioned previously! Irony, right?

Lets face it. How many times do you log in to facebook to check news feed and update your status? Both of them won’t be high at the same time. Cause there are people who are a bit shy on showing off and just like to keep themselves updated about what others are doing,basically stalking. And the others are just posting random status updates every few minutes, showing off. And doing both proportionately? Addict.

My friends disagree with me completely. They tell me that I am missing out “so much” in my life! They have also gone to the extent of saying “will you stop eating healthy food because everyone is eating it too? Then why not use something that 800 million people are using?”

I smirk and also feel aghast at the thought of facebook being compared to foods. Is it really of that much importance? Food and facebook? They have a similarity – both start with “f” and then what? Oh, yes excessive of those two will definitely get you fat- another “f” !

I am currently trying to look beyond having a facebook and what I have noticed so far is all good, not a single thing that will make me regret not having a facebook!
Sure I have to catch up with hot gossips/campus news when I hear my friends talking about it. Not much of a hassle for asking them about it. I might be the only one not aware of my batch mate’s latest hawt girlfriend but if they make it till the end I will know her, right? It matters only then.

Yes, I do feel like I am the only child left alone in the school who doesn’t have a TV while his friends roll themselves out with catchy phrases from family guy. But hey! If I hadn’t deleted my facebook account I would have been gawping at the blue-white facebook news feed rather than writing this blog!

It will hit you too when you shake off the boredom of not having a facebook account to tire your eye by looking at screen. You will spend less time using PC, you will watch TV or have conversation, real life conversation with your friends and family and also what you used to do in your leisure time earlier- your hobbies!

Remember the days before 2007? If you remember correctly Hi5, Myspace or all those chat groups had a limit and you had to hangout with your friends to be connected with them or play some cricket/football to really mean it. Facebook changed it all!

I had a profile and a fan page for my photography in facebook. Both are down but the fan page still shows up somehow. I don’t really care. I use flipboard to get all the latest news and cool articles in my android. I use twitter and Google+ if I want to share my blogs or photographs publicly, I have a Path account through which I connect to only few friends who are abroad and I interact with them. Sure the number of applications I have to use has increased but so has my activities.

I don’t want to live a life where anyone can fake anything for you bu just typing few words in your status update without really caring about you, I don’t want happiness from all those “Likes” in my photos which not all of them have viewed. I believe in a more practical life where “connections” are translated as “bond” and where friendship is not measured by the wall post counts.

ICS 4.0.3 For Samsung Galaxy S II

Still haven’t upgraded your Galaxy S2 to latest Android ICS firmware? Needless to say, Ice Cream Sandwich will offer a far more engaging user experience compared to Gingerbread, and I am quite sure that the legions of Galaxy S2 owners out there cannot wait for the Ice Cream Sandwich update to arrive Stateside.

Here is the download link and tutorial to update Galaxy S2 I9100 to Android 4.0.3 DXLP9 (singapore):

Required Downloads
- Download the ODIN file: Link
- Download the Android 4.0.3 DXLP9 firmware. (Note: Extract the file into Pc after download complete.)
Base Firmware: I9100DXLP9 (4.0.3)
Region Singapore
Carrier: Unbranded
Build Date: 20th April 2012
Modem: DXLP9
CSC: OLBLP9
Change List: 431438

Before start
- I am not liable for any damages that could happen to your smartphone. Flash at your own risk. There is a possibility for your phone to get bricked and totally unusable.
- This firmware is only for Galaxy s2 with mode i9100 and NOT compatible to i9100G
- Create a backup of your phone’s important data to external storage.
- Battery power at least 80% full.
- If you do not have Samsung’s KIES 2.0 installed, download and install it. Correct USB drivers must be installed, so that programs can communicate with the device. Reboot computer after KIES installation.

Procedure:
Step 1: Set your phones into USB debugging mode: Settings -> Applications -> Development -> USB debugging.
Step 2: Turn your phones into download mode by  pressing and holding VolumeDown + Home + Power simultaneously.
Step 3: Start ODIN on PC.
Step 4: Connect the device to your computer using USB.
Step 5: Wait a few seconds, the ODIN screen will show that a device is now connected
- Make sure that in ODIN nothing is checked, except the “Auto reboot” and “F. Reset Time” checkboxes.
Step 6: Press the “PDA” button, and select the “*.tar” file.
Step 7: Press “Start”. ODIN will now the firmware, and the device should reboot after flash complete.

Now you have ICS 4.0.3 in your Samsung Galaxy S II!

Change The Boot Screen Of Your Android Device!

If your device is already rooted, then wouldn’t be nice to change your boring bootscreen to something more awesome? What is a bootscreen, you ask? It’s that animation that plays when you turn on your phone. Changing the bootscreen is easy as 1-2-3! But first, you’ll be needing a file explorer that supports root functions like Root Explorer, ES File Manager, and SU File Manager.

DISCLAIMER: I take no responsibility for any conflict, fault, or damage caused by the following procedure.

I’ll be using my Samsung Galaxy S2 i9100 for the purpose of this tutorial,which has the Cyanogen Mod 9 installed in it, so the location of the file maybe different on your device.

You can download the bootanimation.zip through your phone using Opera browser. After downloading your bootanimation.zip, open file manager and navigate to where you saved your bootanimation.zip and copy it — on Opera, downloaded files are usually saved on /sdcard/download. After which, go back to root and mount /system to R/W — If you’re using Root Explorer, it’s located at the top –, then navigate to /system/media — you may want to rename the existing bootanimation.zip to bootanimation.bak for backup and safekeeping — and paste your new bootanimation.zip. And you’re done! Reboot your phone and enjoy watching your new bootscreen!

Don’t know where to download boot animations? Use Google and search for Custom Boot Animations! But before downloading, do READ the description of the boot animation, it could either be intended for a specific device or it could be a flashable zip that can be installed through CWM.

Anyway, here’s my current bootscreen animation, Google Gears:

Credit goes to the creator of this bootscreen. Click the image to download the boot animation. Just follow the procedure above to apply it as your bootscreen. Enjoy!

A new year with old resolutions

2012 is here. I don’t really know what to expect from it. 2011 was a mix. Lots of thing happened- some were memorable and some will keep haunting me for the rest of my life.

What do I want from this year?

Same old thing- a year where I will succeed in everything I attempt to do, be it educational life or photography related or personal life. I don’t want to pick up burdens carelessly ever again. Life till yet has taught me many things and the most important thing I have learnt from the last year is that you need some space. Space to breathe, space for your own thoughts. No one else should have access to it, not even your dearest one!

And as for IUT life…..

I have shifted to a new room. I wasn’t actually expecting to do this, but it became inevitable as the authorities tried to push in freshers in room 401. Now I am in room 513 and I like it here. Just in the second week of the new academic year but I can already predict that it will be boring in its own way! I just have to keep my head down and go through it.

The only thing I keep looking forward to in IUT is the IUTPS! Things are so much fun and homely when I am with the team!

Apart from that it is all classes.

I am now in my third year, and from what I can tell (it is actually very obvious) that I have to get hold of cgpa and stop slacking! I am determined more than ever!

The classes seem ok too! I am specially looking forward to Rafi bhai’s class (he will be taking graph theory) and Tumul bhai’s course Machine learning! These two are the elective courses and determines the path I will have to take in the future.

Now I think I should stop writing and concentrate in the OS class (also interesting!).

After all, it’s a new year today!

IUTPS- সালতামামী ২০১১

নাবিলকে নিজে থেকেই বলেছিলাম যে IUTPS-কে নিয়ে একটা লেখা দিব! মাস খানেক আগের কথা, ভুলেই গিয়েছিলাম,আজকে আবার সে আমার কাছে অফিসিয়াল চিঠি দিয়ে ছবি চাওয়ার পর মনে পরলো। আমি মানুষটা ভাল না কিন্তু কথা দিলে রাখার চেষ্টা করি! আজকে তাই কিছু লিখেই ফেললাম!

?

আইইউটি-তে এসেছি ২-৩ সপ্তাহ হয়েছে হয়তো, কপাল জোড়ে তখনো Rag-ডলা খাওয়া হয়নি (এখন খালি মনে হয় যে এমনি ফাটা কপাল,Rag খাওয়া হইলোনা আর! L ), তাই রুমে লুকায়ে থাকি আমরা তিন রুমমেট। ক্লাস শেষ করে পেটে খাওয়া ঢুকিয়ে সেঁটে ঘুম দেওয়ার জন্য শুয়েছিলাম। দরজায় ধাক্কার শব্দে তাই ভয়ের চেয়ে বিরক্তি হয়েছিল বেশি। দরজা খুলে দেখি গোলগাল চেহারার এক ফ্রেঞ্চকাট দাঁড়ির ভাই দাঁড়িয়ে আছেন। ঘুম তখন উধাউ, ?কি দোষ করলাম যে আমারে দরজা খুলতে হইল!? মাথায় তখন এইসব ঘুরপাক খাচ্ছে।

?তোমাদের কারো ছবি তোলার শখ আছে?? আশ্চর্যরকম মিষ্টি (!) এবং শুদ্ধ বাংলা শুনে আমার চিন্তার সুতো কেটে যায়। উনার বাকি কথা শুনে পরে যা বুঝলাম তা হল যে আইইউটিতে বলে এক এক্সিবিশন (চিত্রপ্রদরশনি এক আজব শব্দ!) হবে তাতে ছবি দিতে বলছে! Rag খাবো না এই খুশিতে যা বলল তা শুনে হু-হা করে চালিয়ে আমি দরজা আটকে শুয়ে পরি। ওটাই ছিল মাহারান ভাইয়ের সাথে আমার প্রথম দেখা! উনাকে যারা চিনেন তারা সবাই উনার আশ্চর্যরকম মিষ্টি (!) এবং শুদ্ধ বাংলা সম্পর্কে অবগত আছেন!

তখন খুব একটা গা করিনি,তাই আমার রুমমেট রাসামকে ছবি দিতে দেখেও আমি দেইনি,আর সেটা আমার সারা জীবনের আক্ষেপ হয়ে থাকবে!

আইইউটি-তে কোন ফটোগ্রাফি ক্লাব প্রতিষ্ঠা হওয়ার আগে আয়োজিত সেই একমাত্র এক্সিবিশনে আমি ছিলাম না। সেই অভিজ্ঞতা আমি তাই জানাতে পারছিনা। শুধু এইটুকু বলি- নাসের স্যার, বাপ্পি ভাই (MCE?06),জুমার ভাই (MCE?06),মাহারান ভাই (EEE?06),রিহান ভাই (MCE?06), মহাসিন ভাই (MCE?06), সাগর ভাই (EEE?06),প্রিওম ভাই (CIT?07)এবং ?06 এর আরো অনেক ভাইয়াদের পরিশ্রমে ২০১০ সালে আইইউটির বার্ষিক ক্রিড়া প্রতিযোগিতায় এই এক্সিবিশন হয় যা পরবর্তীতে IUTPS (তৎকালীন IUT Visual Arts? Society) প্রতিষ্ঠায় সবচেয়ে বড় ভূমিকা রাখে!

IUTPS-এর প্রথম সভায় প্রথম বর্ষ থেকে শুধু আমি এবং রাসাম ছিলাম। ওই দিনেই দেখা হয় অন্য সবার সাথে। ওই দিন গঠিত হয় প্রথম পরিচালনা পর্ষদ। আমার জায়গা হয় অনলাইন কো-রেস্পন্ডেন্ট হিসেবে।

শুরুর দিকে অনেক উৎসাহ নিয়ে শুরু হয় IUTPS এর কার্যাবলী। নাসের ভাই এবং বাইরে থেকে ফটোগ্রাফাররা এসে ক্লাসও নিয়েছিলেন কিছু। সবার মাথায় নিত্য নতুন আইডিয়া ঘুরছিল, কিন্তু আইইউটি-এর টাইট শিডিউলে কোন আইডিয়াকেই বাস্তবে রূপ দেওয়া হয়না। আমি এখনো মনে করি তখন IUTPS এর এক্টিভ সদস্য ছিলেন শুধুমাত্র চতুর্থ বর্ষ। প্রথম, দ্বিতীয় এবং তৃতীয় বর্ষ থেকে মাত্র এক-দুইজন করেছিল। কাজ হচ্ছিলনা কোন একারনেই!

কাজের কাজ বলতে সেই বছরের সমাবর্তন থেকে IUTPS বিদায়ী ছাত্রদের ON SPOT ?ছবি তোলা এবং প্রিন্ট কপি প্রদানের এক রেওয়াজ চালু করে। আমি আর ইস্তিয়াক (eee?09) সারদিন খেটে IUTPS-এর প্রথম ফান্ড তুলি, ২৫০০ টাকা!

পানসে সময়, পানসে উপস্থাপন। কিন্তু ইতিহাসের শুরু সবসময় পানসেই হয়!

আসলো ২০১১, ৩ মাসের বন্ধে আমি ডিএসএলআর ক্যামেরা কিনে মাহারান ভাইয়ের কারনে কামলা (!) খেটে তখন লাখপতি! খবর বের হতে সময় লাগলনা (আমিও ফেসবুকে কম লিখিনাই!) আর সেই সাথে দেখলাম সিনিয়র-জুনিয়ররা ছবি তুলতে শিখা নিয়ে অনেক আগ্রহী!

সমাবর্তনে খেটে যে টাকা তুলেছিলাম তা দিয়ে IUTPS যে রাজকীয় নবীনবরণ করলো তা শুধু নবীনদের না, অন্যান্য ক্লাবদেরও চোখ ট্যাড়া করে দেয়! যারা সেই চকলেট কেক খায় নাই, তারা সারা জীবন পস্তাবে!) প্রথম ক্লাসেই তাই রুমে জায়গা নাই, আর ক্লাস নিতে সবার সামনে খোদার খাসি আমি! (আমার লাইফের সবচেয়ে গর্বের বিব্রতকর সময়! প্রিওম ভাইকে প্রেসিডেন্ট এবং জিকো ভাইকে ভাইস-প্রেসিডেন্ট করে আমাদের ২০১১ এর যাত্রা শুরু হয়।

২০১১ সালে আইইউটিপিএস-এর যা যা অর্জনঃ

• আইইউটিপিএস-এর সদস্য সংখ্যা বর্তমানে আইইউটি এর অন্যান্য ক্লাবের চেয়ে কয়েক গুন বেশি! অথচ এটি ছিল আইইউটিপিএস-এর ২য় বছর মাত্র!
• আগের বছর শিক্ষা হওয়ায় ক্লাস রুমে ক্লাস নেওয়ার বদলে আমরা চেষ্টা করি বাইরে সবাইকে নিয়ে ফটোওয়াকে যেতে। দৃক গ্যালারিতে ভ্রমনের কথা সবার জানা। সেটা ছাড়াও স্বাধীনতা দিবসে টিএসসি, পুরান ঢাকায়, রমজানে চকবাজারে ফটোওয়াক করা হয়। এইসব ফটোওয়াকে আইইউটি-এর বর্তমান ছাত্র ছাড়াও ফাহাদ হাসান রাতুল ভাই (05 ব্যাচের) এবং ফয়সাল অরূপ ভাই? (06 ব্যাচের) ছিলেন আমাদের সাথে। খাওয়া-দাওয়া, আড্ডা, ফেসবুক প্রোপিক তোলা- সবই হত একসাথে!

• দল বেঁধে বিভিন্ন এক্সিবিশনে ঘুরতে যাওয়ায় এবং সেইখানের কমেন্টবুকে পৃষ্ঠা জুড়ে বাংলা,ইংরেজী এবং আরবী (!) ভাষাতে কমেন্ট লিখায় আইইউটিপিএস এবং আইইউটি এর নাম প্রচার!

• প্রথম-আলো, ডেইলি স্টারসহ বিভিন্ন পত্রিকায় IUTPS-কে নিয়ে খবর প্রকাশ!
• আইইউটি-তে দ্বিতীয় Intra Exhibition এবং ICT Festival-এ আরেকটি এক্সিবিশনের সফল আয়োজন!
• ২০১১ সালের সবচেয়ে বড় সাফল্য ধরা হয় BREAK THE CIRCLE 2011 আয়োজন করা! এবং আইইউটি এর চিরচারিত ট্র্যাডিশন বজায় রেখে পূর্বের অন্য ইউনিভার্সিটির সকল আয়োজনকে ছাপিয়ে যায় এআইইউটিপিএস-এর BREAK THE CIRCLE! Airtel ছিল এই এক্সিবিশনের প্রধান স্পন্সর!

• তবে আমার চোখে, এবং আমি মনে করি IUTPS-এর অন্যান্য সদস্যরাও একমত হবে যে আমাদের সবচেয়ে বড় সাফল্য হল IUTPS এর সদস্যদের dedication and hard work! নবীনরা ছিল সবচেয়ে উৎসাহী এবং তাদের কারনেই বাকি সব সাফল্য!

এইগুলো তো গেল বড় বড় অর্জন। আর?

নাসের ভাইয়ের ঝাড়ি (*বিকট চিৎকারসহ* ?তোমাদের দিয়ে কিচ্ছু হবেনা!?), আমাদের প্রেসিডেন্ট প্রিওম ভাইকে কখনই মোবাইলে না পাওয়া (উনাকে রুমে গিয়ে খুঁজে পাইতে হতো!),তৌহিদ ভাই-জিকো ভাই-ফায়াজ ভাইয়ের টাকা খসানো (? বড় ভাইগুলারে মানুষ মনে করলিনারে!?), জুনিয়র- আদীব,রাফি,রাকিন,রাহাত,তন্ময়,শাওন,সিফাত,মতিন,আকিবসহ সবাইকে (বাকিদের নাম মনে পরতেসে না!) উল্টা ঝাড়ি দিয়ে বেড়ানো, আর মিটিং-এর নামে সবার সাথে ঘন্টার পর ঘন্টার আড্ডা দেওয়া,ক্লাস শেষ করে জ্যাম ভেঙ্গে স্পন্সরের জন্য ঢাকায় দৌড়ানো, লাখ টাকার হিসাব মিলাতে গিয়ে ওলটপালট লাগানো?? আর কিছু চাই?

এক কথায় ? 2011 was Legend? wait for it? dary, LEGENDARY!

 

আসছে ২০১২ সাল, আইইউটিপিএস-এর অনেক আশা এবং স্বপ্ন এই বছরকে নিয়ে। কাকে প্রেসিডেন্ট বানাবো এই নিয়ে মাথা চুলকানো বাদ দিয়ে খামচানো শুরু হয়ে গিয়েছে (কারে বাদ দিয়ে কারে করবো? জিকো ভাই, তৌহিদ ভাই, ফায়াজ ভাই- তিনজনেই অসাম!), Airtel এবং Qubee এখনো টাকা দেয়নি! ডিএসএলআর-এর সংখ্যা বেড়ে গিয়েছে ( হায় হায়! এখন আমার কি হবে!!) আর নতুন ব্যাচ তো আসছেই! আসুক, We BREAK THE CIRCLE!

Hail IUT, hail IUTPS!

Long live IUT brotherhood!

 

পাদটীকাঃ

• ২০১০ সালে সিডিএস-এ বসে আমি প্রথম নাসের ভাইকে প্রস্তাব করে বসি ইন্টার ইউনিভার্সিটি এক্সিবিশন আয়োজনের, যাকে BREAK THE CIRCLE নামকরণ করেন সাগর ভাই (eee?06)।
• আইইউটিপিএস-এর লোগো ডিসাইন করেছেন আর্কিটেকচারের ছাত্র সুহাস নাহিয়ান।

 

Ultra Wide Hearts!

Yesterday, after one and half years of yearning and sighing and lots of money saving, I got my hands on a shiny Tokina 11-16 mm f2.8 ATX 116!

I knew this was a lens I had to have in my possession and it cost me a lot. But I am happy that at last I got my dream lens which suits my style of photography! You may wonder why a APS-C sensor only lens, but I have decided that I will never ditch my precious Nikon D90 and neither the Tokina!

I wanted to test the lens today and I had already marked some points weeks ago to test my tokina in those areas. I sought after the low before sunset afternoon light which I knew would suit those places best.
First, I went in to a storage room, where I had seen two children playing few days earlier while passing by. There I met Harun and Niloy. They are cousins and that storage room was Niloy’s fathers. They were told to look after the place while Niloy’s father had gone somewhere.

When I told them I would like to take some photos they wanted both individual and a group shot.

They happily showed me their prized possessions- Niloy had a plastic made Cocacola ball and Harun had a plastic made Goose!

 

I moved on to the next spot, where I had seen some people work on waste papers. It turned out that they collected all the packaging boxes made of hard papers and sent them to Dhaka for recycling. As it was almost 5pm, I found only one person tidying up the place, Shamim.

Shamim, when was asked for permission to take photos, was hesitant. But eventually I mangaed to make him agree with my smiles! He had been working there for now 3 years and is not married yet. He saw me sweating in that damp room, offered me to cool it off and tried to buy me cold drinks. I realized again that we the Bangladeshis may be poor, but we have a heart that makes other respect us.

I request fellow photographers to show the world our hard working side, our stories of endless fight with life while winning it, not some image which will get sympathy from others. You may think you are doing good to them but who said they asked for sympathy? Rather they long for your normal self where you respect each and every human for what they are!

I promised all of them to give printed copy of their photos! That will be in the blog too!

 

PS. Click on the images to see them in larger size!

 

Gears: Nikon D90, Tokina 11-16 mm f2.8 ATX 116
Location: Mymensingh, Bangladesh

Get Android 2.3.5 in your GP Crystal!

The official android 2.2.2 of GP Crystal is buggy, laggy and hungry storage eater!

Want to try some super fast custom ROMs! I got one for you!

Below I described the process of how to unroot your Gp Crystal phone and install a custom ROM in it.

By doing this you void your contract with GrameenPhone! And in the process of installing this ROM if you brick your phone I take no responsibility!

Procedure to update Gingerbread 2.3.5 on GP Crystal

1. Before we proceed to the procedure, you will have to first ensure that you put the ROM (link given below) you are going to install in to the root of your phone’s memory card which you can do by simply transferring file from the computer to the phone via USB cable.
2. Now, next up you will have to root the GP Crystal Phone with the help of the SuperOneClick (link given below). First, you need to download SuperOneClick application and need to enable USB debugging in your phone by pressing Menu, then you need to tap on Settings, then Applications, Development and need to check on option USB debugging.
3. Now, after changing to USB Debugging, connect your phone with your computer using USB cable and launch the SuperOneClick from your computer and just tap on Root button.
4. As soon as you tap on Root, the device will be rooted. If rooting was a success, then you’ll see a new Superuser app in your app drawer/tray and if the rooting is not successful all you will have to do is to just repeat the above procedure. You again have to restart the device so that the device is completely rooted. Once the device is restarted, your phone has been successfully rooted.
5. Now, once the device has been rooted you now will have to proceed and need to downloadthe ROM Manager application from an all new Android Market Place
6. Now, once the ROM Manager is installed successfully in your phone, you now need to open the ROM Manager and need to install the CWM Recovery which can be done by just tapping on the option of “Flash Clock Work Mod Recovery”. After this selection, you will be prompted to select the phone model wherein you need to find and tap on the “Huawei Ascend” phone (You won’t find the model Huawei u8500) after which the CWM will be installed in your phone.
7. Now select “Reboot in CWM” in ROM manager and the phone will reboot in CWM 3.0.0.5.
8. Use your volume buttons to scroll through the menu and the trackball to select options from menu. Select “Backup and restore” then “Backup” to create a backup of your current ROM.
9. After backing up is complete, go back to the main menu using back key, select “Wipe data/Factory reset”.
10. Then select “Install zip from SD” and “Select zip” and select the ROM you are going to install.
11. CWM will then start flashing your ROM so sit back and let it complete. After it finishes flashing, wipe data again for greater stability and then reboot the phone

That’s it! You now have a custom ROM, sporting android 2.3.5 made by slax!

PS. I found this backup of a guy, which one is nicely patched and works perfect. So use this for greater stability!

• Download this! : http://www.multiupload.com/0OUC09M849
• Find a folder named ClockWorkMod in your SD card. In it you will find a folder named backup.
• Unzip the downloaded file into this dir!
• Follow the steps mentioned above from 1 to 9.
• Click on BDS-20111012-1123 then restore
• Now restore your device and you will find yourself running a nice clean sp10 p3!

How to get back to the official GP ROM will be posted tomorrow!

 

REQUIRED DOWNLOADS:

Android 2.3.5 by slax:

http://code.google.com/p/slax-u8500-rom/downloads/detail?name=u8500-Sp10-PackagesEN.7z

Superoneclick-

http://shortfuse.org/?p=126

OR

ftp://shortfuse.org/SuperOneClick/Packages/SuperOneClickv2.2-ShortFuse.zip

Backup File:

http://www.multiupload.com/0OUC09M849

Related articles

• How to Dual Boot Multiple ROMs on Your Android Phone [Android] (lifehacker.com)
• 7 Reasons to Root Your Android (pocketnow.com)
• SuperOneClick – Android rooting tool (ferdianelli.wordpress.com)
• AppExtractor Selectively Restores Apps, SMS Messages, and Data from Backed Up ROMs (lifehacker.com)

With the green robot it is!

Remember, a post I had made almost a year ago, titled ”Blogging on the run”?
Well, last time it was made with an iPod TOUCH 3G. And with change of tastes, priorities and also bank balance, I landed myself in the android land, with a shiny Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 mini Pro!
I am currently using Flame.E v0.3, and added Go Launcher to my taste! Now I am loving every bit of it!

It’s very easy to install apps in android. All I have to do is just go to android market website from my pc, log in using my google a/c and pick apps I like and click install! And if my mobile is connected to the net (I have wifi network at home) it will automatically download and install it!

With the wordpress app now installed in my phone, I thin I will be posting a lot from now on! And heading towards the wedding season here in Bangladesh, I will post my experience here maybe!

The Android Invasion in Bangladesh’s Rural scenario: A closer look at the GrameenPhone Crystal handset

The telecommunication giant of Bangladesh, GrameenPhone yet again introduces a handset for its customer. In fact, this time an Android based smart phone! Is it good? Is it worth the money? Let’s see!

As people around the globe are getting smarter and faster at work, GP takes the initiative to speed up things here in Bangladesh too. GrameenPhone was the first one to exploit the increasing demand of smart phones and socializing in Bangladesh,. And thus we got – GrameenPhone Crystal, a branded set boasting low price tag (12,160 TK) and Android OS!

When I had first heard of this set before the release I discarded this as another profit making strategy of GP but I was curious too. So once I got the chance to test it out first hand, I leapt onto it.

The things I noticed at first glance-

• It looks stylish. Black plastic body with a silver lining for the keys.
• It is very light weight (only 115 gm).
• It takes almost a minute to boot and total one and half minute for it to become functional (takes an extra minute if a memory card is inserted).
•  It has good screen resolution (320 x 480 pixels, 3.2 inches).
• The touch sensitivity is good.
• The set is slow!
• The set has preloaded applications and loads of them.

Shiny and glittery on the outside, but what’s inside?

Yes, it looks all shiny and glittery at first glance and also elegant considering its price. Now let’s take a closr look at the hardware specifications and their performances.

It is a set made by Huwei, first released in mid 2010. For the 2G network it has the usual GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 and for 3G network HSDPA 900 / 2100 signal strength. Nothing new here. But what interests me here is that it has only 256 MB of RAM with 512 MB of ROM. With a tiny processor like Qualcomm MSM7225, 528 MHz, it totally closes up the gaming experience the android market has to offer its users.

 key features of the Handset :

Feature	Specification	Feature	Specification
Network Band	Tri-band GSM; GSM/GPRS/EDGE 900/1800/1900 MHz	E-mail Client	POP3/IMAP/SMTP & Exchange Server Support Based on Android
Additional Network Protocol	3G-WCDMA radio bearer UL/DL: 384 Kbps /384 Kbps HSDPA 7.2Mbps	External Interface	Standard Micro USB, microSD Card slot, 3.5mm headset
Form Factor	Candybar, TouchScreen	Battery Capacity	1150 mAh Standby time: up to 280 hours Talking time: up to 200 mins
HW features	G-sensor Optical trackpad Proximity sensor Light sensor GPS	Business Tools	Calendar,  Alarm, Reminder, Notes, Converter, World Clock, Calculator, e-book, STK, Games,
OS	Android 2.1	Preloaded Applications	Google Maps, Market, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube
Processor	Qualcomm® MSM7225, 528 MHz	Ringtone	72 chords; MIDI, MP3, AMR(NB), WAV, AAC
Internal Memory	ROM:512 MB,RAM:256MB	Expandable Memory	microSD Card (up to 16GB)
Weight	(including the battery): ≤115g	Size	112mm(L)×58mm(W)×12.8mm(T)
Google Apps	Android Mobile Suite: Google mail Google Search Google Talk Google Maps Google Calendar YouTube Android Market	Digital Compass:	Support digital compass based on Android
Display Color	262K TFT	IM & SNS Tools	Preloaded Facebook, Twitter,
Display Size	3.2 -inch TFT-LCD flat capacitive touch-sensitive screen
Camera	3.2 MP FF Camera	Data Support	EDGE Class 10 with Modem Function
Memory Card Slot	microSD Card (up to 16GB)	Messaging	SMS, MMS, Push Email, Web mail
Browsing	HTML; Based on Chrome Lite on Android 2.1 Preloaded Opera Mini & Bookmarks	GSM Features	Basic Telephony, Call Barring, Call Forwarding, Call Waiting
Connectivity	Bluetooth- V2.0+EDR WiFi: 802.11b/g/n USB: USB2.0 High Speed; 480Mbps EDGE Class 10	Phonebook Capacity	Virtually Unlimited
Multi-media	Music:MP3、MIDI、AMR、AAC、eAAC+ Video: MPEG4, H.263 (3GPP), H.264 Image:  PNG,GIF,JPEG	FM Radio	Yes

*Depends on network status and usage

The screen is TFT capacitive, although not scratchproof. You will be seeing a lot of finger marks on it once you really start using it. So a screen protector should be a good option.

The sound quality in one word is- crap. The loud speaker has a mid level volume and can’t be heard in loud places. Even with the headphones on, it sounds awful. Not recommended for music lovers.

The camera is good, with 3.15 MP, but only for day light, but not for night time use. It seems to have a fixed shutter speed and aperture value. Apart from that, the photo resolution is average. Some camera apps may do justice to it.

The GPS is not accurate. Even while using satellite and EDGE, it will show you in somewhat 500 meters away from your actual location. I tried it with wifi and different network providers, still no improvement.

The EDGE speed is okay, so is Bluetooth. But the Wifi has a very short range. And while I used it as a hotspot, it kept turning off.

The most frustrating of all is the battery life. I have used it for 4 days now, but I still can’t figure it out! It charges up pretty fast (100% in two hours) but with every features turned on, it lasted for only 1 hour barely! But again, after next recharge, it lasted for 2.5+ hours of continuous wifi and EDGE using, And the talk time is pretty low with the average result of almost 3 hours only.

The Android mania

The hardware specification is not satisfying. You can afford something better at this price tag, but not the android with it though. 

The set is equipped with android version 2.1- Éclair. Seeing the Éclair is a disappointment as Google has already released version 2.3.4 Gingerbread, which is much faster and bug free. But éclair still remains the most supported OS. And the set can’t really afford any better OS. It, for what I have seen, cannot be updated too. So, practically, for new android users it may be an excitement but for old folks like me is a common scenario. So, the users may get bored soon with it.

But still, it is an exciting feature for the people who have used only symbian and java phones, and not to forget those Chinese sets that have flooded the market. If you wanted to introduce Android to a nation and spread it among the rural, what better option do you have?

The handset has all the basic apps preloaded. Google mail, Google Search, Google Talk, Google Maps, Google Calendar, YouTube, Android Market, Facebook, twitroyd and Opera Mini browser is already loaded. Though the facebook and opera mini app are back dated and starts to update immediately after you enter the android market. Glitchy.

The user can create or sync google accounts and load their mobile with more apps. But I would recommend a task manager to keep the phone from slowing down by deleting unnecessary apps running on the background.

People may need time to get used to this android- especially the new users but once they get the hang of it, they will love the Android. And will also wish for updates and a bit better hardware performance.

In one word- Bangladesh will succumb into android mania soon!

 

While using the handset….

While using the set, you will face these annoying situations-

• The onboard QWERTY keypad is not smooth at all. Even when it is taken horizontally.
• The proximity sensor is slow to response.
• The 4 functional buttons, apart from the square black home button, are always illuminated, but can you will be able to notice this only when its pitch black. When the set is still new to you, you may have to get it close to your nose to read the writings on the buttons to know its functions.
• The internet and MMS settings for GrameenPhone are preloaded, but while using other providers, you have to enter the settings manually.
• While using a memory card, it takes some time to access it.
• You may not hear the ringtone in crowded places and miss some calls.

 

To buy it or not to buy it?

It was pretty hard to write off this set as a pure industrial-profit-making-rejected-crap, cause for some strange reason you will feel attached to it. I have used iTouches, use Sony Ericsson Xperia x10, but still would love to have one. Why?

• Stylish look with nice finishing.
• The feeling of using an Android based cheap smart phone which you can throw around and use without much care.
• The 24 months extended warranty period for GP users.
• Big screen with nice graphics capabilities.

And my reasons to keep you from buying one-

• Remember GP’s last branded set? It was very promising but later got trampled by handsets from Micromax. And Micromax is also about to bring their own Android equipped sets. They were better last time, why not this time?
• The main purpose of using this set is to utilize the apps, which, unfortunate for us, needs internet. And as none of the providers have good EDGE speed or network coverage together, the choice of using GP’s EDGE is some nightmare too. The slow net will totally spoil the party.
• Why Huwei? Samsung is a much better option!

 

If I was to rate the features

Graphics – 4.5/5

The graphics really got me. You will know it once you see it!

User friendliness- 3.5/5

 The function keys are a disaster and also the onscreen keyboard. You may have too press too hard at times to make it function.

Battery life- 3.5/5

I really don’t know what to say about this. It may last 1~2 hours while using all the features and talk time is 3 hours maximum.

EDGE- 4.5/5

I was satisfied with the EDGE performance.

Wifi- 3.5/5

The range of wifi and its response is pretty low compared to other sets available at this price.

Performance- 4/5

If you know to how to handle it, you will surely have the best performance sipped out of its tiny processor.

 Entertainment- 4/5

The apps alone are enough to keep one engaged with this. The exclusion of games is very disappointing.

 Overall 4/5

 

The bottom line

 Why did GP introduce such a set in Bangladesh with no 3G infrastructure or even good EDGE speed? Beats me. But if you think in track of getting people familiar with the Android apps and the limitless possibilities it holds, you will be convinced that GrameenPhone took a great initiative. The students and rural people are the main target of this handset and I don’t see why they won’t leap onto it. Many have heard about android but couldn’t afford one due to the huge prices tagged with them. Even though it is a set with outdated OS and mid range hardware, you may soon see that the one who delivers you newspaper giving you updates of news, or the shopkeeper asking for your facebook/twitter address to let you know of latest bargains!

Revolution begins with a small step!