The Hæven of John™

GO Suite: Launcher EX, Contacts EX, SMS Pro, Keyboard, Locker

2012-01-29T23:42:39-08:00

Everytime I buy a new gadget (or install a new OS) is to replace the default applications. For my Android Samsung Galaxy Y GT-S5360 smartphone, I immediately searched for a replacement of the default “SMS", “Contacts", “Dialer", “Launcher", and “Keyboard” apps that comes with it.

I found GO Launcher EX (which comes with GO Store & GO Widget), GO Contacts EX (which comes with GO Dialer EX), GO SMS Pro, GO Keyboard, and GO Locker. I never looked back since.

GO Launcher EX

GO Launcher EX is the replacement for the default launcher that comes with Android. A “launcher” is the software (or application) that serves as your desktop and app drawer (or “program files” if you are a Microsoft® Windows user). It is what you always see and use.

The default is simple and it was left to the manufacturers and Android enthusiasts to develop their custom or better launcher, in effect creating an Android community and ecosystem. You, of course, want to have a better launcher right?

Some of the features are:

3 Dock rows
Screen and App drawer transition effects
App drawer search field
App drawer folders
App locking
App hiding
Better app sorting
Close all running apps
App history

Install GO Launcher EX via the official Android Market;
Get new themes here.

GO Contacts EX (with GO Dialer EX)

GO Contacts EX replaces the default contacts/phonebook app of Android. Although the default is more than enough for the average user, the added features that comes with this will surely convince anyone to download this replacement app.

Themes
Better Contact-Group management
Favorite contacts
SMS all
Email all
Backup contacts to SD
Restore contacts from SD
Transition effects

GO Contacts EX also comes with GO Dialer EX which replaces the default dialer of Android. Not much is different between GO Dialer EX and the default dialer that I noticed, except the ability to change the theme of your dialer.

Install GO Contacts EX via the official Android Market;
Get new themes here.

Continue to page 2…

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Resident Evil 5: Retribution

2012-01-23T04:29:53-08:00

My name is JC and this is my world…

Opens on September 14, 2012, with a 3D version.

My ideas about Biohazard 5 movie I posted in September 2010, you can read here. And my review of Resident Evil 4: Afterlife here.

[Video] Live-Action Slam Dunk Opening Sequence

2012-01-19T21:40:01-08:00

I Don't Want To Miss A Thing by Aerosmith

2012-01-19T20:40:01-08:00

I could stay awake just to hear you breathing
Watch you smile while you are sleeping
While you’re far away and dreaming
I could spend my life in this sweet surrender
I could stay lost in this moment forever
Where ev’ry moment spent with you is a moment I treasure

Don’t want to close my eyes
I don’t want to fall asleep
‘Cause I’d miss you baby
And I don’t want to miss a thing
‘Cause even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream will never do
I’d still miss you baby
And I don’t want to miss a thing

Lying close to you feeling your heart beating
And I’m wondering what you’re dreaming
Wondering if it’s me you’re seeing
Then I kiss your eyes
And thank God we’re together
And I just want to stay with you in this moment forever
Forever and ever

I don’t want to close my eyes
I don’t want to fall asleep
‘Cause I’d miss you baby
And I don’t want to miss a thing
‘Cause even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream will never do
I’d still miss you baby
And I don’t want to miss a thing

I don’t want to miss one smile
I don’t want to miss one kiss
I just want to be with you
Right here with you, just like this
I just want to hold you close
I feel your heart so close to mine
And just stay here in this moment
For all the rest of time
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

Don’t want to close my eyes
I don’t want to fall asleep
I don’t want to miss a thing

ABS-CBN's Asianovelas Line-Up for 2012

2012-01-11T07:00:02-08:00

ABS-CBN officially released their 2012 Asianovela line-up through a YouTube video. Watch it here:

The line-up will start with City Hunter, the biggest and most expensive Korean novela, starring Korean superstar Lee Min-Ho - this Lunar New Year, January 23^rd. Followed by:

Sungkyunkwan Scandal - Romantic Comedy
Dream High - way better than Glee
Protect The Boss
Can’t Lose
Sunny Happiness
Hayate the Combat Butler
Absolute Boyfriend
A Thousand Days’ Promise (ABS-CBN’s title is: Promise of 1,000 Days) - Soo Ae and Kim Rae Won
Glory Jane
Thorn Birds
Skip Beat - Super Junior’s Dong Hae and Siwon
Sunshine Girl - Hana Kimi’s Wu Chun
Love Rain - Asia’s Prince, Jang Geun-Suk and SNSD’s Yoona

I highly recommend City Hunter, Sungkyunkwan Scandal, Dream High, A Thousand Days’ Promise, and Love Rain.

Dream High II Premier and Trailer

2012-01-11T06:40:01-08:00

The much awaited sequel to hit series Dream High will premier on January 30, 2012. Dream High II will be replacing the time slot currently occupied by Brain on KBS2, Mondays and Tuesdays 9:55pm Korean time (UTC+9), which is 8:55pm ACT (Asean Common Time; UTC+8).

Once again, the series is filled with star-studded line-up. If in Dream High we’ve seen the likes of 2PM’s Taecyeon and Wooyoung, T-ara’s Ham Eunjung, IU, miss A’s Suzy, and actor Kim Soo Hyun…

In Dream High II we will see T-ara’s Park Ji-Yeon as Rian, SISTAR’s Hyorin as Nana, 2AM’s Jinwoon as Jin Yoo-Jin, and actress Kang So Ra as Shin Hae-Sung. And two more guys which will be revealed in the premier of the new season.

Watch the first trailer of Dream High II:

Did I mention that the cast of Dream High will have cameo appearances in the new season? I only hope that they will have at least two episodes cameo with their appearances fitting in the storyline of season 2.

I can’t wait. The “Dream High” series still is the best for me as compared to its Western counterpart by the name of Glee. It’s more fun to watch and it isn’t boring.

January 30, mark your calendars!!

How-To Root & Unroot Your Samsung Galaxy Y GT-S5360

2012-01-14T02:58:26-08:00

Rooting your Android smartphone has its benefits, otherwise there’s no point in rooting. Rooting is simply similar to JailBreaking in iPhone and related products. The terminology comes from the fact that Android was based on GNU/Linux where the root “user” is the be-all, end-all powerful user that will allow you access to the whole operating system.

Which means, it is dangerous if you do not know what you are doing. So for this tutorial, if you are not comfortable with doing these simple and short steps, then don’t do it. Let somebody else do it for you.

Lastly, make a decision. Do you really want to root your Android phone? You can read this article for the pros and cons of doing so: Why You Should (Not) Root Your Android Phone.

Before we begin, back up your phone first if you already migrated your phonebook and messages, and whatever other information that is important to you. But if you are using Google Contacts as your phonebook, then there’s no need to do backup in that part. Just check your SMS section if there are any that you want to keep. Cool?

If you did not read Why You Should (Not) Root Your Android Phone, then as a reminder Rooting may void your warranty, are we clear?

Let’s begin…

Download one or both of these files:
- Root: root.zip
- Unroot: unroot.zip
Copy the file(s) to the root folder of your SD card (i.e. don’t put in any folders)
Shutdown your phone and wait for 30 to 60 seconds to make sure it is turned-off
Press Volume Up+Home button+Power On buttons simultaneously until it turns-on
By using your volume keys, choose: Apply Update from SD card. Choose the file you downloaded earlier: root.zip if you want to root your phone; unroot.zip if you want to unroot it
After it finishes, choose reboot
Go to your app drawer (i.e. “Program Files” if you are a Windows user) and check if you have the app Superuser
If you have it, go to Android Market and search for: Busybox. Download and install it.

Congratulations! You did it! Your phone is now rooted (if you chose root.zip) or unrooted (if you chose unroot.zip). Simple? I hope that your heart did not pound, eh?

If you unrooted your phone, then you should be aware that apps that requires root access will no longer work correctly. Unrooting is useful if you want to do a factory reset, so you can pass it on, sell it, or use your warranty for whatever reason.

If you rooted your phone instead, welcome to a whole new world! You will now be able to use applications that needs root access, which are plenty and which are dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing. So be sure to read guides and tutorials like this one if you want to use a particular app with root access required. The last thing you want to do is mess up your phone to the point of you have to take it back to the store, which they’ll probably tell you that your warranty is void because you rooted your phone.

The most important reminder of all: If you want to do a factory reset of your phone, be sure to: [1] Re-install/Unfroze the system apps you uninstalled/frozen; and [2] unroot your phone. If you fail to do so, it may mess up your factory reset, especially if you uninstalled/frozen system apps.

All good? Great!

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Why You Should (Not) Root Your Android Phone

2012-01-14T02:57:56-08:00

You bought your new Android smartphone. You played with it. Explored the features. Read forum posts that you can find online. And your friends kept on telling you to root your Android.

So what does it mean to root your Android smartphone? Should you even do it? What are the advantages and disadvantages of rooting your new phone?

In this short (hopefully) post, I’m going to list down the advantages and disadvantages of rooting your Android, to help you decide if you should even bother with it.

So what is rooting anyway? It simply means to gain access to the be-all, end-all user account on your Android which is ‘root’. Android is based on GNU/Linux which have a ‘root’ user that has all the access to the operating system. If you are familiar jailbraking, then that’s very similar if not exactly the same.

When you buy a new Android phone, you do not have any root access. Thus there are limited things you can do with your new smartphone. Which is fine and intentional. It is by-design, and has been the case with Linux. The reason is simple: security.

Security from unauthorize applications accessing your OS. Security from accidental changes. Security from viruses, trojans, malwares, that changes files and settings on your machine without you knowing it. This is the OS that Android grew out of. That’s your smartphone now.

So when you root your Android phone, you are opening yourself to a whole new world. You will gain access to the operating system. Make changes. Do things the manufacturer, and Android itself, did not design for you - ordinary user - to do.

The Disadvantages of Not Rooting Your Android

Here are the disadvantages of not rooting your android:

Limited to what you can do
You can not install apps that you probably want or need
You’ll more likely reach the point of having not enough memory
No way to optimize your phone
You can not install custom mods which usually are better than the default/stock rom that your phone comes with

The Advantages of Not Rooting Your Android

If there is a disadvantage, there is an advantage right?

You are safe from doing changes that you should not do
You are safe from installing apps that are questionable or does more than advertised
Your warranty stays intact (depending on where you are and where you bought your unit, most of time your warranty is void once you root your phone)

The Disadvantages of Rooting Your Android

Now let’s see the disadvantages of rooting your android.

Your warranty is void in most countries and stores
You need to be careful of what you download, and make sure you only provide root/superuser access to trusted applications
You may change something that on your next boot will make your phone buggy or unusable

And I hope I did not scare you.

The Advantages of Rooting Your Android

Plenty! I’ll only mention a few, most important, and convincing reasons.

You can do whatever you want! Yeah!
You can install apps that can help you optimize your phone - which mostly requires root/superuser access
You can download apps that will help you manage your phone’s RAM
You can use applications that will allow you to move apps, cache files, and libraries from your phone’s internal memory to your SD card - avoiding seeing that dreaded “not enough memory” warning
You can install aftermarket firmware like CyanogenMod and MIUI (pronunced as Me-You-I), which usually provides a better Android experience
Backup your downloaded apps, so you don’t have to search and redownload again
Use themes
Change boot images. You know, that manufacturer logo that comes up everytime you (re)start your phone.
Uninstall/Freeze useless stock applications that the manufacturer as well as your mobile operator adds.
Restore your phone! Since you can backup your whole phone, you can also restore it. Saving you from starting all over again.

That’s just the beginning. Of course, “with great power comes great responsibility". Giving yourself root/superuser access is again dangerous if you are not careful and you have no idea what you are doing or installing. You are basically on your own. If you bricked it, don’t expect much of returning it to its working condition. More likely than not, it’s a goner.

Have you decided? It is up to you if you want to root or not. Don’t let anyone, not even your closest and most trusted of friends and relatives to decide for you. It is your phone. It was your hard earned money that bought that phone. You should be the one deciding if you will jump the bandwagon and join us, or stay and be left behind.

Think about it. Read. Ask around. Decide for yourself.

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