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15
Aug
2010
Vodacom Linkbook Hacks (with 3G fix)
So I recently got the Linkbook that Vodacom is offering. They have just dropped the price to R99 per month including 300MB data so figured I would give it a try.
According to the site, the features are as follows:
Internet
• 3G Connection Manager
• Firefox based web browser
• Email
• Social Networking
• Best of the Web
• MSN
• Network Neighbourhood
Entertainment
The Linkbook comes with
• 7 free games
• 10 Educational Games
• Image Viewer for viewing photos
• Microphone for recording sounds
• A Music Player
• A Movie Player
• Wallpapers to customise the background of your desktop
• Free Music and Videos
• Camera
• Voice Notes
The linkbook has fairly modest specs running on PowerPC architecture. It’s running at about 400MHz, and with 256 Megs ram, you are not going to be replacing your desktop with this anytime soon, but it is suitable for some basic web browsing, email and word processing.
The system is running Ubuntu Linux, with XFCE and a custom interface. While it looks good, it’s pretty much locked down. Great if you don’t want your kids breaking the system, but it really sucks if you want to make the system more productive.
Personally I want to use the Linkbook to remote admin linux servers, as well for basic browsing, email and word processing. OK, maybe some music as well.
So first things first. To open a terminal open the file manager and right click on an open space. You will be prompted with a menu. Go ahead and click “Open a terminal here”.
Next you will want to enable the repositories. Open Settings, the open the update manager (Called Software Update on the Linkbook). Now click the Settings button on the lower left hand side. From here you can enable the extra repositories (main,universe,restricted and multiverse). Don’t forget to enable the third party software as well. You can go ahead and do an update and upgrade on the software.***
*** Please dont do a distribution upgrade or things may break.
On the up side, should things go horribly wrong you can always restore from the hidden partition.
To access the hidden partition shutdown the Linkbook. When turn the Linkbook back on, repeatedly press the “u” key . This should give you a menu. Select option “2″ to start the restore process. It takes about 40 minutes or so.
OK, so if you are like me, the default interface is probably bugging you to no end.
To enable the default XFCE or Gnome interfaces, try the following:
cp /usr/share/xsessions/limeos.desktop /usr/share/xsessions/gnome.desktop
cp /usr/share/xsessions/limeos.desktop /usr/share/xsessions/xfce.desktop
You will then need to modify the two files as follows:
[Desktop Entry]
Encoding=UTF-8
# The names/descriptions should really be better
Name=Gnome
Comment=Use this session to run Gnome as your desktop environment
Exec=Exec=gnome-session
Icon=
Type=Application
X-Ubuntu-Gettext-Domain=xfce-utils
And for the XFCE file:
[Desktop Entry]
Encoding=UTF-8
# The names/descriptions should really be better
Name=XFCE4
Comment=Use this session to run XFCE as your desktop environment
Exec=xfce4-session
Icon=
Type=Application
X-Ubuntu-Gettext-Domain=xfce-utils
This will enable the options for Gnome and XFCE as desktops. You can select these desktops using the session selector at the login screen (The Green Icon).
If using XFCE, install xfce-goodies. then run “xfce-panel -a” to select applications (such as the battery monitor) to add to the panel at the bottom.
One last thing… The 3G application that Linkbook provides is actually quite useful. Create a shortcut to run the command “sudo lime3g”.
Good luck, and don’t forget to drop me some feedback if you have any success.
EDIT:
Some people have been having issues with the 3G connection in weak signal areas, and find they are unable to connect:
The modem actually does swap automatically between 3G and Edge/GPRS but sometimes the network connection on 3G is not sufficiently bad to drop back to Edge, but not good enough to use properly. This happens with a lot of smartphones too. The solution is to force the modem to use Edge/GPRS instead of 3G. The connection manager will be updated in the next software update, but there is an interim solution to run a file (it doesn’t have any extension) and select 2G.
this is how to force the modem to 2G instead of 3G. Please note that it’s beta software.
Please see the attached temporary solution to set the Linkbook modem to use 2G instead of 3G. This functionality will be included into a software update in future, but for now this is an easy way to change the setting.
1. Save the file “linkbook-modem-manager-v1_0″ to a USB memory stick.
2. Insert the memory stick into the Linkbook
3. Copy the file to the “user” folder using File Manager (the top left icon in the upper menu bar)
4. Open 3G connection manager, make note of how many bars are shown, whether Vodacom is displayed, and try to connect.
5. Disconnect and close 3G connection manager
6. Double-click the ”linkbook-modem-manager-v1_0″ in “user” folder to run - see attached picture
7. You should see that “3G Preferred” is the default option.
8. Change the option to “2G Only” and press the “Update’ button.
9. Wait a few seconds and then press “Refresh” button.
10. Press the “Close” button.
11. Restart the Connection manager and make note of how many bars are shown, and try to connect again.
Once the setting is changed, the modem stays like that even if the computer is rebooted. The above process only needs to be repeated if you want to change to a different setting.
PLEASE NOTE: This is a very Beta version and is not as clean as it can be. Will update soon but in the meantime this is functional.
The software can be downloaded here. Click to download.
Note that you may need to make the file “executable” by changing the permissions. Right click the file, click properties, then click the permissions tab. There should be a tickbox that says something along the lines of “Allow executing file as a program”.
Alternatively, open up a terminal, and type “sudo chmod +x linkbook-modem-manager-v1_0″ from the same location as where you saved the file.
See comments for further tips, tricks and clarifications.
Thanks to Bryan for his assistance.
3
Sep
2009
Google streetview comes to South Africa
Google Street View Car
Google Street View Car
It seems that thanks to the FIFA 2010 world cup, Google has fast-tracked it’s plans to roll out Google Street View in South Africa. I spotted the Toyota Prius in the Overport / Morningside area in Durban today, so it seems Google has not wasted any time in getting the ball rolling.
There is no doubt that this technology will be a boon. It has it’s place, and it will do more good than harm, but Google street view is not without controversy. There have been reports the world over of privacy concerns. The cameras in some cases being mounted high enough to see over residential boundaries.In other cases people have been caught in embarrassing situations: Men leaving sex shops, being publicly drunk and the like. Sometimes more bizzare / coincidental things get caught on camera.
It makes me wonder what fascinating issues South Africans will have to deal with. Taxi Drivers being caught “bending” the law. “Gangsta’s” and prostitutes getting caught in the act. Cops sleeping on duty, or getting bribed. The possibilities are endless.
How long before the ANCYL (and others) starts labelling Google racist. It’s only a matter of time.
12
Aug
2009
Be a good little sheep
Your child refuses to be brainwashed
So this is one letter? So what?. Unfortunately the above letter is only a taste.
The world is changing…Slowly our freedoms are being eroded.
It’s not only the RIAA, MPAA, and Disney are not the only ones putting greed above freedom. Names like Microsoft, Apple should also ring bells. But what about Amazon?
Book publishers have had it tough lately, so you can’t really blame them for grabbing any opportunity. It took them a long time to accept e-books, but slowly they are making inroads. Who wouldn’t want e-books? Granted they are not easy on the eyes, but with the advent of e-paper, e-book readers such as the kindle have made reading and managing e-booksa breeze. OK so the current generation of readers are a tad pricey, but at least the ebeooks are cheaper than traditional books? They must be cheaper: Printing costs are zero, and distribution costs are minimal. After origination costs, it’s all profit. Well, you would think so, but try pricing e-books, and compare the pricing to regular books. Scary stuff.
Well at least you get the same rights with an e-book as a regular book, right? Wrong. Besides the usually draconian restrictions, howe about sales not being final. Seriously.
Last month Amazon made headlines by remotely deleting a book from customers Kindle e-book readers. There were nice enough about it, and refunded the money for the purchase, but is this the future you want? A future where corporations can do what they want, eroding your rights, one licence agreement at a time. Do you really want to give them the right to effectively sneak into your house late at night and take back items that you legitimately purchased?
Big brother is not necessarily the government anymore. The new big brother was invited in by unwitting consumers by clicking the “next” button without reading the fine print. Take back your freedom. Join the EFF. Fight for your rights, or one day you may discover you don’t have them anymore.
As somebody once told me :
We are living through historic times, you just don’t realise it because you are too busy living through it.
Oh, one last thing: For those wondering about the book that Amazon deleted, how is this for irony… The title was (Drum roll please): George Orwell’s “Nineteen Eighty-Four”.
23
Apr
2009
Ubuntu Jaunty Jackalope is here!
The wait is over!
The new Ubuntu Linux, named Jaunty Jackalope is here.
If you are not already using Linux, here are a few reasons to give it a try:
- It’s free
- It’s stable
- It’s NOT a Microsoft product
- You have virtually no chance of getting a virus
- Thousands of high quality programs such as Blender and The Gimp
If you are worried about the learning curve, Don’t stress. There is a lot of help available on the net, and if you are already using Thunderbird, Firefox, and OpenOffice.org, then you are already well on your way.
Really, it’s not that hard.
Get it now from http://www.ubuntu.com as a free download, or fill in a form and they will send it to you on CD for free.
22
Apr
2009
Earth Day
Earth Day Flag
Now that everyone has finished voting (YOU did vote didn’t you?) it is time to think about Earth day. Yes, I know it has been completely overshadowed by elections, but it is still important.
Of course there will be the loons like PETA (No, not People Eating Tasty Animals) and Greenpeace who cloud peoples judgement by making everything an issue. This is inevitable. There are real issues though. First thing that comes to mind is power, and as South Africans, we know first hand about not having sufficient power. (So much for “Power to the people”).
Between Eskom, and our wonderful government (who are STILL blaming apartheid after all these years) managed to mismanage our electrical supply, despite knowing that they were heading towards a disaster.
Essentially the reason for the failure comes down to mismanagement: In 2000, When Thulani Gcabashe took over as CEO of Eskom, he decided to save money by selling of large amounts of our coal reserves.Selling the reserves made money, and the storage cost savings made him look like he was doing his job properly. Eskom then initiated BEE (Black Enrichment and Exploitation) policies that said BEE providers should supply coal as and when Eskom needed it, as opposed to using the long term contract providers they had been using successfully.
The use of lower quality coal led to problems with equipment, and delays as the coal would often become wet from the rain, and be unusable until it dried.
The result: Unplanned power cuts, more expensive electricity, and damage to the economy.
So what does this have to do with Earth Day? Well, remember the mismanagement we were talking about? Yes, the coal. Burning coal in power stations is a major source of CO2, the most well know greenhouse gas.
Instead of swiftly moving towards alternative power sources such as nuclear power, mismanagement now led us to become more dependant on coal for the next five years at least.
The Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (hopefully our saving grace) has been beset with major cost overruns, and delays, but it is definitely a step in the right direction. We need the extra power perhaps a little more than some other nations, so hopefully the government does not screw it up more than it already has.
Why nuclear power? It is safe, clean, and proven. Even Patrick Moore, the co-founder of Greenpeace has changed his mind, and advocates nuclear power.
In the early 1970s when I helped found Greenpeace, I believed that nuclear energy was synonymous with nuclear holocaust, as did most of my compatriots. That’s the conviction that inspired Greenpeace’s first voyage up the spectacular rocky northwest coast to protest the testing of U.S. hydrogen bombs in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands. Thirty years on, my views have changed, and the rest of the environmental movement needs to update its views, too, because nuclear energy may just be the energy source that can save our planet from another possible disaster: catastrophic climate change.
Look at it this way: More than 600 coal-fired electric plants in the United States produce 36 percent of U.S. emissions — or nearly 10 percent of global emissions — of CO2, the primary greenhouse gas responsible for climate change. Nuclear energy is the only large-scale, cost-effective energy source that can reduce these emissions while continuing to satisfy a growing demand for power. And these days it can do so safely.
- Patrick Moore ( Co-Founder of Greenpeace)
All you tree huggers out there, get some focus, and maybe you really can make a difference. Times are changing. The evils of the past are not looking so bad as things get tough. It is not too late to make a difference.
17
Apr
2009
Google Knows!
I'm telling you: Google Knows!
So I was checking my site a little earlier, and I noticed the advert that Google chose to display on my page for the Zumatello story.
Yes, Google knows everything.
17
Apr
2009
Breaking news: The Pirate Bay Trial: Verdict – Guilty
Breaking news:
Just minutes ago the verdict in the case of The Pirate Bay Four was announced. All four defendants were accused of ‘assisting in making copyright content available’. Peter Sunde: Guilty. Fredrik Neij: Guilty. Gottfrid Svartholm: Guilty. Carl Lundström: Guilty. All receive 1 year in jail and fines for the four total $3,620,000.
Read more at Torrentfreak.com
7
Apr
2009
Communications minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri has died
Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri - Born 18 September 1937, died 6 April 2009
Communications minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri has died last night after being admited to Pretoria’s Kloof Medi-Clinic Hospital.
This is sad news for her friends and family, but good news for the country. It is no secret that many people in the IT community have wanted Matsepe-Casaburri removed from office for a very long time. Anybody who has any sort of internet access know the very sad state of affairs when it comes to the handling of this countries communications infrastructure. We have some of the most expensive internet access in the world, with profiteering reaching record heights. It is cheaper to fly to Hong Kong, download what you want to an external hard drive, and fly back then to download the equivalent here.
To quote Toby Shapshak:
Telecommunications is absolutely vital for any country, more so for developing countries. Developing countries need the telecommunications infrastructure at a good price to be able to help educate the masses, and be competitive in the ever shrinking on-line business world. If India can do it, whycan’t we?… Oh, yes, greed!
Granted things have been incrimentally improving, however we have a long way to go.
Heres hoping Ivy’s replacement puts the country ahead of parastatal profiteering.
Edit: It seems that there are a lot of people out there who share this view, even mainstream media. Case in point see this article in “The Times”.
5
Apr
2009
Obsessions
Don't be afraid to follow your passions
So we all have that little voice in the back of our head that we should be doing something else… Something that really drives our passions.
It’s that nagging voice that has finally gotten to me, and now I have decided to listen properly.
I have been obsessed with mainly two things for as long as I can remember : Exploring technology, and writing.
While I have dabbled with both before, the time has come to start taking them much more seriously.
So far I have given the most attention to technology… Most easily seen with my attempt at starting The OpenProject ( A failure, but I intend reviving it), and most recently my participation in Ductape, the first Hackerspace in the Southern Hemisphere. Ductape has a number of really passionate people. I see big things happening here… Making things is our combined passion, driving us forward. Watch this space 
I have not really done much to explore my writing, and this is going to change.
My first step has been to set up this blog. I need the practice, so what better place to begin.
I have also recently penned a “twisted tune” (See my previous post), and am preparing to write my first novel. I am not expecting miracles. It will be hard work and will probably take longer than necessary, but I am convinced I can do it. I will no longer be afraid.
To quote Dan Moore :
“If you want to be good at something, you have to to be obsessive. You have to do the thing all the time, and when you’re not doing it, you have to be thinking about doing it.
…
if you want to be good at writing, you need to be obsessive about it.”
