Sunday, November 30, 2008

iPhone 2.2 Jailbroken firmware installed

It was not easy, and I cannot say I have installed everything I wanted but it's pretty much done. The new 2.2 firmware has some nice features, the one making more noise is certainly google street view, but the most interesting to me is the ability to calculate bus and walk routes. You can read about this here.

One of the issues I had was not being able to use Cydia after the firmware was installed. Cydia is the most important jailbrake application as it acts as an App Store to install apps not allowed in the actual App Store. Without Cydia is like not having a Jailbroken iPhone at all. Apparently the problem was that I chose several packages while building the firmware, the correct procedure should have been: "When using pwnage, do not select any package in the cydia settings. Just select Cydia (and Installer) in the custom packages setting." (source: modmyi.com/forums). As I didn't wan to repeat the lengthy step of building the firmware again, I used Quickpwn over my jailbroken iPhone and it worked! So if this happens to you is always something you may consider doing. Because you've used the jailbroken firmware you've created you don't nead to fear updating the baseband, as it remains the same.

Second issue, the mail app kept on crashing instantly after starting it, this would only happen if I had my gmail account set. After googling for a while I've find out this on a forum: "All is well. It turns out that it was a jailbreaking problem. To those with this problem it has to do with intelliscreen. Since the update for Intelliscreen is out Cydia will tell and for those who patch Intelliscreen you will have the problem with your mail app. To end this problem just update intelliscreen open it up so it tell you that your ten day trial is expired then patch it with the 2.29 patch. Cydia will think that you are running 2.30 but you are not. This will fix your mail app crashing problem" (source: forums.macrumors.com).
After the jailbreak I only had the option of installing Intelliscreen 2.32, and it keeps on interfering with mail, so I deactivate it for the time being.

After this update I've discovered a great Cydia app: Installous!. It allows you to install cracked apps straight from your iPhone, like the App Store. You'll need to add the repo to your Cydia: cydia.hackulo.us. You can also install the patch to run cracked .IPAs on your iPhone straight from that repo.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Body of Lies (Corpo da Mentira)

I could make some positive comments about Body of Lies if I haven't seen Spy Game before. The movie, generally speaking, is almost a remake. The relation between field agent and senior agent/boss is pretty similar in both movies with the difference Brad Pitt and Robert Redford do a better job.

Save some money and rent Spy Game.

Mais um fim-de-semana tuga

Mais um belo fim-de-semana passado em Setúbal! Como sempre estava Sol e passei-o na companhia das pessoas mais importantes :-)

Resumindo, muito convívio, muitas refeições comidas fora de casa (leia-se todas) e bastante vinho português para matar as saudades:-) A caminho de cá fiz umas continhas de cabeça e acho que gasto mais dinheiro num fim-de-semana em Portugal que em 3 passados em Londres! :-S

...mas valem cada cêntimo!

Friend's Internship Completion Celebration

Last Thursday we went out to celebrate a special occasion, the internship completion of a friend. Not only he completed his internship but he was also accepted in the Graduate Scheme :-)

Unfortunately for me I wasn't able to leave as early as I've planed nor I was able to refuse the drinks my friend and his team mates offered me and that wasn't a good combination... Next day instead of arriving work 2 hours early (as I would leave early to catch a plane) I ended up arriving 40 min late :-(

Fortunately my manager didn't care much about the fact I've only worked only 5 hours that day, because during the week I had made more than that in extra hours.

Great night, horrible hung hover.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Careers In Africa 2009...

...mais um ano em que não vou lá :-(

Para quem não conhece, clique aqui.

O calendário do próximo ano já saíu e o fim de semana em que vão fazer o fórum do Careers In África em Londres (o maior desta série de eventos) coincide com o aniversário da minha avó. Parece que a minha participação neste evento terá de ficar adiada para 2010... :-(

Sunday, November 16, 2008

De volta de Bruxelas

Após um curto vôo e uma mais longa viagem de metro, já estou por casa após aquilo que foi um fim-de-semana muito bom e, inesperadamente, muito "tuga" pela companhia :-)

6a começou com umas pitas comidas num restaurante que já não me lembro o nome e depois fomos para o Delirium, um bar muito popular pela sua variedade de cerveja. Aparentemente vendem mais de 2000 cervejas incluindo, alegadamente, Super Bock, Sagres e Cintra! Pude experimentar maravilhosas cervejas belgas recomendadas pelo Barman (amigo do meu amigo), de todas só me consigo lembrar da melhor: Gouden Carolus. Também tive oportunidade de ver absinto ser servido da maneira apropriada, com uma espátula furada e um cubo de açúcar. A atmosfera era muito agradável e ficamos na degustação e na conversa até às 4h/5h.

Bruxelas fez-me ver como Portugal até é um país bem avançado, tanto pelo que vi e ouvi. Primeiro, lá é permitido fumar nos bares e restaurantes mesmo que não tenham ventilação. No primeiro restaurante que entrámos podia-se ver uma enorme nuvem de fumo a pairar no ar. Segundo, a higiene é do pior. Não têm cuidado com as mãos, são capazes de manipular comida após mexerem em dinheiro e o melhor de tudo, a lavagem dos copos. Pega-se num copo sujo, passa-se por um lavatório com água e sabão, agita-se, passa-se por um lavatório com água e o resultado é um copo (pseudo) limpo:-S A ASAE entreter-se-ia bastante na Bélgica... Depois, pelo que ouvi, há imensa burocracia dificultando a vida às pessoas. Outra coisa estranha são os correios Se o carteiro for entregar uma carta registada e a pessoa não estiver em casa não deixa aviso para a pessoa saber que tem uma carta à sua espera no posto dos correios :-S

Sábado começou tarde, almoçámos lá pelas 15h/16h e fomos passear de carro para ver os pontos chave da cidade. Enquanto passeávamos numa rua cheia de lojas aproveitei para comprar um sobretudo (o primeiro da minha vida) e depois fomos comer um bolinho a um café português. O resto da noite seria passada rodeado de portugueses. Comemos um entrecosto muito bom no Amadeus e como sobremesa, vindos directamente do Algarve, Dom Rodrigos:) Depois mais degustação de cervejas, primeiro num bar muito castiço e escondido que também é uma casa de marionetas e por fim mais Delirium até às 5h.

Hoje tivémos um dia calmo, onde pude comer à sobremesa uma mousse de chocolate muito boa (ou não seria a Bélgica a capital do chocolate) e a típica Waffle muito boa também.

Conclusão: recomenda-se!

Friday, November 14, 2008

iPhone, Fring e WiFi no aeroporto

Agora armado com o iPhone, o Fring e acesso à rede wireless Cloud (incluido em todos os planos iPhone da O2), já posso fazer chamadas telefónicas baratas via VoIP/SIP à malta toda enquanto espero pelo vôo:) Maravilha...

1 British pound = 1.16017214 Euros

Estou a ficar mais pobre a cada dia que passa...

Só de pensar que a Libra valia 1,35€ quando assinei o meu contracto...

Podem verificar aqui:
Yahoo Finance

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Griffin SmartTalk for iPhone Review

Before I bought the Griffin SmartTalk I read several reviews about similar products and most of them placed the SmartTalk in the best position for price/quality. I agree with most of what I read, but after one month of use I discovered a major flaw. Remembering the pros:

- Good sound quality, either for music or talking;
- People hear me well from the other side so the mic quality is good;
- Big button, easy to use and works well;
- The cable is very flexible.

The big con, the cable is very flexible but its connection to the plug is not. When you walk with the iPhone in your pocket the cable as flexible as it is bends and the walking motion makes it rub against the plug. After only one month of use one of the wires broke and I stop hearing from the right phone. There should be a silicon housing protecting the cable in that sensible connection, like the CX-300 and many others have.

My CX-300 lasted 2 years before the wire broke and they were pulled and yanked countless times, some very agressively. Even the original iPhone phones seem to have better union between the plug and the cable.

Sent my SmartTalk to the store, hope they send me a new one...

Thursday, November 06, 2008

Guy Fawkes e um aniversário

A noite de 5 de Novembro prometia muito mas quase se tornou um fiasco completo. Começámos por ir ver um fogo-de-artifício a Clapham Common, mas conseguimos lá chegar atrasados e não vimos nada. Mega decepção... Lembrámos-nos de ir afogar as nossas mágoas num pub, mas até isso correu mal. O pub estava apinhado e com uma fila enorme para o bar... Depois de lá passarmos algum tempo desistimos de encontrar mesa, e regressámos para mais perto das nossas zonas de residência. Começámos por ir a um bar perto de Angel, mas a comida não era de agrado de todos. Decidimos então comer na casa de alguém, mas pelo caminho o desespero encaminhou-nos a uma Pizza Hut take away e fomos comendo pelo caminho...

Mas as coisas melhorariam... A caminho de casa, e apesar do nosso grupo já estar reduzido em número, um de nós comprou foguetes numa loja ainda aberta àquela hora (no Reino Unido é legal e habitual comprar-se fogo-de-artifício) e lançou-os perto de casa. Algo que certamente animou a nossa noite.

Esperámos pela meia-noite, cantámos "Happy Birthday to you" à aniversariante e debandámos. Mas a minha noite ainda teria um evento curioso. Quando caminhava para casa, vejo foguetes a serem disparados à frente, no meu caminho. "Que giro...", quando subitamente vejo esses foguetes serem disparados para o lado e miúdos a correr, em fuga. Resolvi ficar onde estava, paradinho. Passado um bocado vejo um puto a correr com algo que apenas posso chamar de lança-foguetes portátil (devido à sua função) a disparar foguetes continuamente na direcção dos que fugiam. Esperei até ficar sem munições e lá me fiz ao meu caminho em passo acelerado...

Sunday, November 02, 2008

Mariza at the Barbican, London

I could summarise this show in only three words:
Amazing, Fantastic, Superb!

But I'll use some more. Mariza was very interactive, talking a lot with the audience, mostly in English but also in Portuguese. A funny moment was when she asked if there where any Portuguese people there and about half of the audience started shouting and clapping. Sometimes she would explain what some key Portuguese words mean before started singing so the audience could understand what she would be singing about. On the beginning of the show, she apologised to the 1st and 2nd balcony for not being close to them. She also talked a little bit of her her origins, she was born in Mozambique, raise in Mouraria (Lisboa), and started singing at 5 in her parents' Tasco da Mouraria.

At a certain point she convinced the British part of the audience to say "Guitarrada" so the guitar players would play some instrumental fado.

Her performance itself was staggering, every time she paused we could hear the flies. Everyone was just so immerse in the music that wouldn't dare to make a sound. Her voice sounded like magic.

Before her first encore, she put the audience singing Happy Birthday to one of the guitar players. After the audience singed it in English the Portuguese, unexpectedly, singed it in Portuguese. After that, she singed her supposedly last song, As they left everyone got up and made a huge ovation. When they returned, they gave us what Mariza called a "gift", and a gift it was. She, and two of the guitarists played without any mikes or amplification for the whole hall. I guess everyone wasn't expecting to hear much, but I was in the 2nd balcony and could hear her clearly. It was a great display of the power of her voice. After that, another good display of her singing abilities, she sang Smile from Charlie Chaplin (sang by Nat King Cole), she sang while walking through one aisle between people.

She finished singing a happy fado song with everyone standing and clapping.

Amazing show, espero voltar a vê-la "lá pelas nossas bandas" (como ela disse).

Though not all songs are exclusively fado, as some have drums and/or piano, the mixture works quite well, making it easier to hear but still carrying the same feeling.

Saturday, November 01, 2008

Bruxelas... Parte 3

O meu anfitrião arranjou um novo emprego e vai estar em Bruxelas para me acolher :)

Microwave scrambled eggs

Today I discovered you can make scrambled eggs in a microwave. Why would you do that? Because our cooker stopped working on Wednesday and somehow I forgot that and only remembered after scrambling the eggs. So I had no option but to use the microwave. All I can say it that it works, they weren't as good as the traditional, but definitely eatable :)