Agave Mountain

This happened to me today. 

I bricked my BlackBerry by applying a recommended firmware update, when I followed the installation instructions.  The blackberry update utility failed with an error, and the Curve wouldn't show any signs of life except for a periodic red LED flashing.  Further, the BlackBerry software will not recognize the BlackBerry.

Obviously, I'm not the only one who has suffered at the hands of bad software.  The NVRAM boot code is still there, but you will have to re-flash the device over USB.  The problem is, the BlackBerry manager doesn't have a way for you to do this easily. 

To recover:

• Unplug your BlackBerry.  Pull the battery for good measure.
• Download and install the latest BlackBerry Manager software
• Download and install the latest firmware from your phone provider.   T-Mobile is HERE.
• Install the battery and plug in your BlackBerry with the USB cable. 

At this point you will be tempted to follow the instructions again.  Go ahead and try.  When you get tired, run a console (cmd.exe) and type the following to bring up the loader manually.

cd "\Program Files\Common Files\Research In Motion\AppLoader"
loader.exe /nojvm

Now you should run the wizard.  Check off the software you want to install no the device and you shouldn't have anymore problems.  Of course, I did.  I received the following error:

Unable to complete the loading operation: Unable to reconnect to the device during a multi-stage load operation.

Awesome. 

A search of the Internet showed that there is a utility that will allow you to wipe the BlackBerry, namely,  JL_Cmdr.  Use this utility to wipe the device.   Unplug, take out and reinstall the battery, and plug the device back in.  At this point, the USB driver should install/detect.  Next, manually run the loader (see above) and the device will be erased, flashed, and the updated software will be installed.

NOTE: Do not select any additional packages when running the application loader the first time.  I had to go through this process several times before I was successful.  The first the device kept spinning for over two hours on one of the files.  I interrupted it and restarted without checking any extra packages and the installation went fine. 

Labels: Gadgets, Nerdy, Tech

Posted by Joe Turner at 6:53 PM | Permalink | Comments

Last week I said good-bye to the confederated system of time management tools that I have cobbled together over the years.  The "system" was composed of post-it notes, scribbles in a spiral notebook, two day planners, a Google calendar, outlook on various computers, and data that I left back in a yahoo calendar years ago.    

So when I forgot about a major deadline two weeks ago (Doh!), I decided it was time to get serious about time management again.  My wife donated her Palm Tungsten E2 (no wireless) to the cause, while I started searching for something better.

I found "better" in the form of the iPAQ rx5915; the rx5915 is a Pocket PC with an integrated GPS receiver and 2 GB of flash memory aimed at squarely at frequent travelers.  It also has Bluetooth, wireless, and a cheesy World traveler application. 

Also, the price has reduced to almost half of what the introductory price was a year ago, so now it is price competitive with entry level touch screen stand alone GPS units (the Garmin nuvi 350 is running around $350; the rx5915 is around $385).   I think you can see where I am going with this...

Although I severely dislike the Microsoft Pocket outlook/calendar/task combo, I decided to take a risk.  I rationalized that worst case I could just use it as a GPS receiver.  I'm glad I did.

Integrated GPS Receiver

The GPS module in the rx5915 is a SiRFstar III.  I won't bore you with the gory details, but the SiRFstar III it is a high sensitivity GPS microcontroller that supports Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) and EGNOS; it can also track up to 20 satellite channels at a time. GPS receivers based on this chipset have routinely outperformed receivers based on other chipsets. 

The device comes preloaded with a base map covering the United States and most of Canada; the preloaded software and maps are TomTom Navigator 6. 

Locking in the satellite didn't take very long.  I plotted a route from Minnesota to Houston Texas in a few minutes.  It took a few more when I told it to avoid toll roads.  Around the neighborhood the device functioned flawlessly, although the voice prompts are somewhat muted due to the rear facing speaker and mounting bracket that covers it.

Also, pilots can purchase additional software (such as AnywhareMap), slap it on the device and presto, you have a VFR aviation GPS without any additional hardware.  In fact, AnywhereMap is offering a bundled package with a XM satellite, if your pockets are deep enough.  In addition, there are digital approach plates, and AFDs available from a number of publishers.  Considering the high price tag of an handheld aviation GPS, it makes the device a much easier purchase decision.

Media Player

HP is also positioning this device as a portable media device.  There is even a button on the side which is mapped to the media player.  Press it an the media player pops up.  I was able to rip several CDs (in mp3 format) onto an SD card.  I was able to play several hours worth of music without much impact on the battery. 

Docking and Charging

Thankfully, HP dropped the classic proprietary connector in favor  mini-USB port for both power and data.  Additionally, rather than the standard AC bricks and transformers, the AC and auto power adapters simply provide powered USB ports.  You plug your USB to mini-USB cable to charge your iPAQ.  You can take the cable with you and use it to transfer data or charge (albeit slowly) from your PC.

Hardware

Here are the high points:

• The processor is a 400Mhz Samsung CPU
• OS is Windows Mobile 5.1 (Pocket PC) with AKU 2.6
• Memory: 64MB RAM; 2 GB internal flash memory (which is mostly occupied by the TomTom GPS base maps).  About 300 MB is available to the user.
• A single SDIO slot provides for memory expansion up to 4GB.
• 80211b/g + Bluetooth 2.0+EDR support
• Audio: internal speaker and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
• Display: 3.5 Inch QVGA (320x240) TFT/LCD
• Input: 5 re-mappable buttons; touchscreen; 5-way directional pad

Pros:

• Built-in GPS with software and complete US map.
• Relatively long battery life.

Cons:

• Microsoft Mobile 5 has horrible productivity software, I will have to write my own calendar or purchase a third party version.
• The processor seems a little underpowered at times.  Sometimes there is a definite pause between screen taps and actions.
• The 5-way direction pad is marginal.  I had trouble hitting the center select without also triggering a random side button.
• The device has a few quarks.

Labels: Gadgets, Time Management, Windows Mobile

Posted by Joe Turner at 10:34 PM | Permalink | Comments