Other people's blogs really are invaluable - got my CuBox Pro up and running!

It has happened so many times other people have saved me and my time! Let me tell what happened this afternoon.

I had received two old CuBoxes (first introduced 2011). There were several ready-made images available on the Internet. I downloaded some of them and burned them on SD cards. None of them worked. Were both CuBoxes broken?

Off I went and found Michael's web page at: https://jeltsch.org/CuBox . Suddenly, all my problems went away. Solved! By others! Certainly not by me!

Michael had written how to get CuBox up and running! In addition there was an image available at his site! Perfect! I had downloaded wrong images which were meant for another model of CuBox. The manufacturers web site was not that informative anymore. I guess that's because of the old model of CuBox I had.

This goes to show not all contents of the net is crap. Without the instructions from Michael... I'd really had been, eh, pissed off!

XFCE4 Desktop on Ubuntu 14.04 LTS

4 years uptime ahead with Ubuntu 14.04 LTS!

CuBoxes and 1 euro coin side by side

Nokia will start phone business the first of January 2016

Microsoft purchased Nokia Lumia phones some time ago. Thank God Nokia got rid of those not-so-well-working Lumias. The deal between Microsoft and Nokia is coming to end. Nokia is allowed to start phone business of their own again January 1st 2016. It's time for Nokia look forward and take their share of the global phone business.

It won't ever be the same as it used to be. No phone factories in Finland, no new jobs. Nokia will be manufacturing their new phones in far east i.e. China, South Korea. That is disappointing. However, there are others making it big for example in Europe. Take a look at Raspberry Pi. Those tiny well-selling computers are made in Wales (I guess?). Raspies are inexpensive and popular. They are selling very well. This goes to show it's possible to succeed even though manufacturing is European. Adafruit Industries is another example. An enterprise situated in Manhattan, New York, USA is selling electronics which the experts said was not possible because of the Chinese domination.

Nokia will probably choose Android as their platform for mobile phones. Android is free (of charge), widely supported and very popular around the world. But will Nokia succeed with their new phones? There are, as we all know, so many other brands out there. I guess Nokia will face some hard times when trying to access the global phone market again. It won't be easy. My hint is: Nokia, why not introduce 360 camera embedded in your Android phone? That way you'll beat others in no time.

KingRoot lets you root Nexus 4 (and many other phones) in no time

There are situations when you need to root* your phone in order to install for example MultiROM Manager etc. These are the steps I took with my Nexus 4:

• In Settings/About tap Build Number seven times to enable Developer mode.
• Allow Debugging in Developer settings.
• Allow External Sources in Security settings.
• Download KingRoot root tool apk-package from http://www.kingroot.net/ .
• Install KingRoot apk, fire up KingRoot, follow on-screen instructions to root your phone.
• Your phone is rooted!

*rooting according to Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rooting_(Android_OS)

WARNING! YOU ARE ROOTING YOUR PHONE/TABLET AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Microsoft opens an app store called "Microsoft Apps" inside Google Play store

Microsoft has opened an app store called "Microsoft Apps" inside Google Play store. This way - Microsoft seems to think - it's easier for Android users to find apps made for Android by Microsoft. All apps are in one place, not here and there in Play store.

Android users might not be that interested in Microsoft apps since there are many alternative apps to choose from. However derived Android ROMs with no access to Play store would benefit from Microsoft apps if that option was available. It remains to be seen if Microsoft will launch a store outside Google Play store.

How to test OwnCloud in your wifi network

Want to test cloud of your own in your wifi network? It's easier than ever! Take the following steps:

• Download Collabora CODE OwnCloud which is unsupported, Development version of Collabora CloudSuite‘s commercial on-line component:
• https://collaboraoffice.com/CODE-VM/codevm.x86_64-0.9.1.vmdk.bz2
• Unzip the ready made VirtualBox image (VMware might work as well? Not sure though)
• Start Virtualbox and import vmdk-file
• Make sure you choose Bridged Adapter in VirtualBox to make OwnCloud visible in your wifi network
• Run the imported vmdk in Virtualbox
• Login: root Password: skew25.kiwis
• When logging in, the address of your OwnCloud server is echoed on screen - Try the address in your mobile/web browser!
• Mine is http://192.168.0.38/owncloud/
• OwnCloud asks you to login
• Login: admin, Password: admin

Choose Bridged Adapter

Browse files with your phone

Raspberry Pi Zero likes OTG USB and miniHDMI to HDMI cables

A new raspberry Pi is out! The latest Raspi is tiny yet powerful enough to run Desktop Linux (= Raspbian). 1 GHz ARM processor and 512 MB RAM memory for only 5 American dollars!

If you happen to own an older Raspi then you know which cables are needed. Zero has different interfaces so you'd better start to dig your shelves! Those old ones won't fit! Find at least these two cables:

1. If you are going to connect Zero with a monitor you need a miniHDMI to HDMI cable. They are not expensive. You can find them easily on the Internet. However Nokia once used miniHDMI to HDMI in their smart phone era (hoping Nokia will strike back soon!). Visit your local flea market!
2. OTG (On The Go) USB cable (microUSB to female USB-A) let's you to use USB hub. I'd suggest USB 2.0 hub with own power (to keep Zero alive!). OTGs are also very common and found everywhere. You might even have one at home? I got one when I bought Windows laptop which also works as a tablet.

Networking is not an issue. If you own a wifi dongle which works in an older Raspi then off you go and attach dongle to your USB hub.

Sorry, still no photo as I don't own a Raspberry Pi Zero just yet!

Raspbian Jessie Lite - the official headless Linux for Raspberry Pi

If you need a quick, tiny and headless Linux for Raspberry Pi try Raspbian Jessie Lite. No graphical user interface, command line only. In addition Lite in an official distribution supported by Raspberry Pi foundation.

Links:

• https://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads/raspbian/
• https://downloads.raspberrypi.org/raspbian_lite_latest

An older Raspberry Pi and Lite - perfect match!

Downgrading Nexus 7 Wifi (2012) tablet from Android 5.x to 4.4

Downgrading Nexus tablet from Android 5.x to 4.4 couldn't be easier.

• Download pre-made image from Google; https://developers.google.com/android/nexus/images
• Extract the image
• Keep down Power+VolDown to enter recovery mode
• Attach tablet to your PC via USB
• Make sure you have adb-tools -package installed in Linux
• Become a superuser; sudo su and cd to Android 4.4 directory
• type in the following command, ./flash-all.sh

That's it!

I hope from now on my "old" Nexus 7 Wifi (2012) is quicker and more responsive. Android 5.x was a bit too much.

Android 5 was too heavy

Replace K-plussa bonus card with an app (beta for Android)

If you live in Finland you must have seen those K-plussa bonus cards. You have to carry card in your wallet and show it (via NFC technology) when buying something.

Yesterday I decided to download beta version of K-plussa card app for Android. Take a look. It's in the Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.plussa.plussacard

Off I went and tried newly installed app. I placed my phone side by side with NFC-based device in the nearest K-market. And indeed I got my bonus. If your phone doesn't do anything move phone a little bit so that NFC circuit (of your phone) is in the right position.

I guess the only downside is K-plussa card app is always there in the background of the memory of your phone. And NFC is also always on draining your battery (?).

I'm happy with K-plussa card app. One plastic card less in my wallet!

Raspberry Pi Zero is out!

A new Raspberry Pi Zero has been introduced. It's three times smaller than Raspi 2. When looking at the performance Zero has 1 GHz one core ARM processor and 512 MB RAM memory.

At the moment I have no idea how much Zero is going to cost. They are saying it's very inexpensive costing only 5 $ (excluding taxes?). However when Zero is shipped to Finland where I live the price will be... wild guess is 20-30 €?

No photo available, sorry!

Retro! vol 2

IBM XT booted! Two floppies (?) with IBM DOS 3.3 inside. Still have to find out if my PC has a hard disk inside. I've found floppy drives A: and B: . Forgot to try C: . Keyboard has those åäö-hats which are important for people like me living in Finland.

In the next issue: applications, floppies, which DOS runs on PC with 512 KB RAM?

Retro! vol 1

IBM XT. No idea if it works or boots. But it's there sitting on my table. So it needs to be tested. Nothing more to say at the moment.

In the next issue: keyboard, floppies, DOS operating system

Lue Raspberry Pi -juttuni eOppimiskeskuksen syksyn numerosta

eOppimiskeskus julkaisi syksyn numeronsa. Kirjoitin lyhyen jutun koskien Raspberry Pi  -tietokonetta. Lue se täältä: http://image.slidesharecdn.com/seoppi-2015-2-151124081843-lva1-app6891/95/seoppi-22015-26-638.jpg?cb=1448353247

Vinkki: paina Control ja plus (+) niin saat suurennettua juttu (joka on kuva) www-selaimessa.

Koko lehti, joka kertoo koodauksesta kouluissa, on luettavissa täältä: http://www.slideshare.net/eOppimiskeskus/seoppi-22015

Debian 8 (Jessie) on an old Asus EeePC 4G

Debian rules!

Debian Linux 8 (Jessie) came available this autumn. It still runs on an old PC, in my case Asus EeePC laptop, with only 4 GB SSD hard disk.

Get ISO

In order to install Debian you need to download the ISO-file and burn it on a USB-stick. I chose Debian Netinstall which is available here: http://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/current/i386/iso-cd/ . There are number of burning sofware out there. Use Win32DiskImager, UNetbootin on Windows or command dd on Linux to prepare your bootable Debian USB-stick.

Setup

Make sure you tap down Esc while powering your EeePC in order to boot from USB. Then, off you go and install Debian. There is nothing much to tell about this phase. If you are setting up Linux for the first time pay attention to every screen you see.

Aftermath

Since there is not that much space available, only 4 GB hard disk, you have to compromise. I decided to wipe out GIMP and LibreOffice. They both are too heavy for my old EeePC. This is how you do it what comes to LibreOffice:

sudo apt-get remove --purge libreoffice*
sudo apt-get clean
sudo apt-get autoremove

After the uninstall of GIMP and LibreOffice there is more than 1 GB free space available for the forthcoming updates. I'm very satisfied with this result. My EeePC is still going strong!

Links

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asus_Eee_PC

EeePC 4G meets Debian 8 (Jessie)

Building a Lego EV3 robot is time consuming but rewarding

It's been a long time since I've played with Legos. Robots are something everyone is talking about nowadays. With my colleague it took approx 4 hours to build a Lego robot. In the end of the day there was a remote controlled robot standing on the table. In addition, test code was driven. I'm very pleased Lego EV3 robot is now there up and running. Next, we need to figure out how to program our robot. There is a coding environment available for Mac and Windows for free. So why not listen to Kraftwerk's The robots ;P.

We are the robots!

The product of the year 2015 IMHO - Google's cardboard glasses

Three years in row I've been choosing hardware or software which have been useful for me during the year; Raspberry Pi (2012), Pebble Smart Watch (2013) and Android 5 (2014).

Year 2015 sort of "opened my eyes" when Google's cardboard glasses came available here in Finland. There are many 360 services available at the moment:

• It's possible to see Google's 360 channel on YouTube
• Music Television is going to broadcast live and 360 their annual gala later this autumn
• You can create 360 pics of your own with Google Camera app and send them to Google Street View

3D glasses have been around for a long time. This time is different. Now it's possible to create something own, not just enjoy 360 games and movies. What's best, you can look at your 360 pics with cardboard glasses immediately after shooting. That's why it's easy to announce Google cardboard glasses the product of the year 2015!

Cardboard glasses are inexpensive costing only ~ 6 €

Neverware's version of Chromium OS runs smoothly on my Acer ZG5 mini laptop

If you have a spare laptop/PC you can easily turn it into a Chromebook. Neverware's version of Chromium OS called CloudReady has a super easy built-in installer. Installing CloudReady on hard disk is a task with no pain.

First you'll need a USB memory stick with CloudReady (i.e. Chromium OS) inside. Follow the steps I took in an earlier blog post. Boot your laptop from the memory stick.

Once you get CloudReady up and running log in with your Gmail account. Click in the down-right corner and choose to setup CloudReady on hard disk. You'll be asked if you are 100 % sure. Yes, you'll want to install CloudReady.

The installation will take ~ 20 minutes. After that your laptop will boot and you can start using CloudReady.

I guess multiboot is not possible?

Turn your old Windows laptop into a Chromebook with Neverware's version of Chromium OS

If you own a spare laptop with Windows XP inside why not turn it into a Chromebook.

• First off, download Neverware's version of Chromium OS called CloudReady. It's free of charge for individuals.
• Unzip the file and write .bin to to your at least 8 GB  USB memory stick. Use dd command in Linux 
  • # dd if=cloudready-free-44.1.34.bin of=/dev/sdb bs=4096
  • Or Chrome Recovery Utility
• Boot your laptop from the stick. This way you'll get CloudReady up and running in live mode.

Now you can log in with your Gmail account and start to use CloudReady. But that's not all! You can install CloudReady on hard disk! I'll be telling how to that in my later post. So stay tuned for more information!

Arnold the Bat's Chromium OS

running on my Acer mini laptop

(CloudRaedy not there just yet!)

FullPageOS - a Raspberry Pi distribution to display a full page browser on boot

It's a distribution for Raspberry Pi aimed at info displays

In case you need a display which shows full web pages without any address fields then FullPageOS is for you. In addition, you can contact your display (and raspberry Pi) via ssh and change the contect remotely.

Ok, where can I get it?

The latest image based on Raspbian Linux can be found here: http://docstech.net/FullPageOS/ . Make sure the whole image is downloaded. I had to use wget since my browser didn't finish the job. If in doubt there is MD5 available to make sure the image is ok.

Image downloaded, then what?

Write the image on your SD-card. Use your favourite writer; for example Win32DiskImager in Windows, UNetbootin, etc. Make sure your card is big enough.

Boot your Pi and start configuring

To make wifi work edit the file fullpageos-network.txt which you can find in the directory /boot. In case you are using LAN-cable there is no need to edit fullpageos-network.txt.

Place the SD-card in your Pi and boot FullPageOS. Login via SSH using the following user and password; pi and raspberry. Now, configure FullPageOS like you do in Raspbian using sudo raspi-config.

Finally, edit the file /boot/fullpageos.txt which tells the OS which web address opens when Raspberry Pi and FullPageOS boot. Bear in mind FullPageOS let's user to browse any web page! Ok, there is no address field... which is not stopping anyone!

Tip: If you need to know your current IP boot process echoes IP on screen for a second. That's an easy way to find out whether you have an IP or not.

That's it!

Wait, does it work? Did you try it?

It does! I did! Look at the picture below!

Edit: Translation bar showed up. I chose "Never translate Finnish". Not showing anymore. I heard it's a bug. They are working on it!

FullPageOS up and running!

Connected via ssh 

My Raspberry Pi B (1st gen)

Android and Chrome OS are merging - a new Desktop OS will soon be here!

It's official! Android and Chrome OS, two operating systems made by Google, are merging.

What I have understood Chrome OS won't be there anymore but will be replaced with Android. Not 100 % sure though...

The new Desktop OS will be called Android and will be running on PC hardware. I guess Google wants to challenge Microsoft and it's operating systems Windows 7/8.1 and 10.

You have to wait until 2017. However, it's not that far away, is it!

Me and my Chromebook really look forward to see the new Android!

Edit: Android and Chrome OS might NOT merge? Not sure who to believe anymore.

 

Android 5 on Nexus 7 (2012) wifi

 

Chrome OS desktop