New 4G android phone on @MetroPCS
Jul 17th
MetroPCS has a new 4G android phone heading their way. This time the 4G phone is made by LG and is called the LG Bryce (MS910). This phone is almost a copy of Verizons LG Revolution, with the main differance being the phone will have 4GB of internal storage where the Revolution has 16GB.
The phone has a 5 megapixel back facing camera and also has a front facing camera for video chatting. The phone is equipped with a camera flash and also should have much better battery life than the Samsung Indulge and runs android 2.3.4
The phone should be released some time this August.
[Samsung Indulge] How Samsung is continuing to violate the GPL!
Jul 10th
aka
How Samsung Is Continuing to Violate the GPL
As you are all aware, there are still no custom kernels or any functioning custom recoveries for this fine (despite its flaws) device – the Samsung Galaxy Indulge (specifically, the SCH-R910). We’d love to be able to say that’s not the case, but it is – and will continue to be, for as long as the issues outlined below continue. Samsung has left us not just in the lurch, but completely screwed – whether it is simple incompetence, disregard for the prepaid device community, interference by MetroPCS, or flat-out malice, the outcome is the same.
The problem here is not that Samsung has not published some sort of source package. They have done at least that – enough to keep most observers happy. However, this package was broken from the start. The first package that Samsung published for the R910 included a badly-broken netfilter, which stumped our kernel experts for a good while before the decision was made to simply substitute the three pieces of netfilter from another device.
Doing this allowed our kernel developers (and myself) to compile a kernel, linked with a clean initramfs extracted from the stock kernel. In a properly-released source package, this should be enough – but it wasn’t. These kernel attempts would appear to boot, but about 10-15s after completion of the boot animation, would die completely. The LTE and CDMA baseband versions, in About Phone, would display as Unknown, if one could get there quickly enough.
Three of the top Epic kernel developers, myself, and a long-time Android veteran analyzed kmsg logs (see below) and other factors, and determined that it was impossible to generate what is in the stock binary blob from the source package published by Samsung.
Warning: technical details! The following IRC log summarizes the issue:
| [10:29] <@k0nane> The kernel now builds successfully – no more errors in netfilter, out of the box – but with the stock initramfs, it will exhibit the same behavior as previous builds. After boot, it will shut down within 10-15s. If there is time to get to About Phone, it will show the baseband versions as CDMA: unknown and LTE: unknown. [10:30] <@k0nane> The modules that are built, which is not the complete set as in the stock initramfs, are /significantly/ larger than the stock copies and cannot be put in a kernel build as even with LZMA compression it will be far too large to fit in bml8. [10:31] <@k0nane> So as before, if the solution is to use the (again, incomplete) newly-compiled modules, it’s no solution at all. Thus there is still no way to build a kernel identical to the stock build. [see logs below] [10:36] <@k0nane> Expert analysis caught one of the anomalies: [10:36] <@k0nane> <@Decad3nce> DRockstar: <4>[ 6.042947] [MULTIPDP][poll_thread] dpram_open failed!! [10:36] <@k0nane> <@Decad3nce> probe never goes through [10:36] <@k0nane> <@Decad3nce> and you fails [10:36] <@k0nane> <@Decad3nce>  [10:36] <@k0nane> <@Decad3nce> what should happen (from start) [10:36] <@k0nane> <@Decad3nce> <4>[ 6.275749] [MULTIPDP] dpram_open successd !!!! [10:36] <@k0nane> <@Decad3nce> <3>[ 6.275770] [IDPRAM] <dpram_tty_ioctl:1718> IOCTL cmd = 0×5405 [10:36] <@k0nane> <@Decad3nce> <3>[ 6.280198] [IDPRAM] <dpram_tty_ioctl:1718> IOCTL cmd = 0×540 [10:36] <@k0nane> <@Decad3nce> which triggers phone active [10:36] <@k0nane> <@Decad3nce> <3>[ 6.757528] [IDPRAM] <phone_active_irq_handler:2195> PHONE_ACTIVE level: LOW , phone_sync: 0 [10:36] <@k0nane> <@Decad3nce> then you have your power on, etc [10:36] <@k0nane> <@Decad3nce> 3>[ 9.870551] [IDPRAM] dpram_phone_power_on() … [10:36] <@k0nane> <@Decad3nce> <3>[ 10.450069] [IDPRAM] <phone_active_irq_handler:2195> PHONE_ACTIVE level: LOW , phone_sync: 0 [10:36] <@k0nane> <@Decad3nce> <3>[ 10.457065] [IDPRAM] <phone_active_irq_handler:2195> PHONE_ACTIVE level: HIGH, phone_sync: 0 [10:36] <@k0nane> <@Decad3nce> also, not sure what this is [10:36] <@k0nane> <@Decad3nce> <4>[ 6.042931] [MULTIPDP]filp_open() failed~!: -6 [10:36] <@k0nane> <@Decad3nce> doesn’t occur in your goodlog [10:36] <@k0nane> <@DRockstar> hmm, what could prevent the probe? [10:36] <@k0nane> <@Decad3nce> the dpram_open failing [10:37] <@k0nane> And to summarize that, “so from boot, goes through kernel init, then device init, then when it gets to the radio interface layer.. it dies a horrible death because of no access to dpram0″ [10:37] <@k0nane> The details should be unimportant, however, if what’s provided is identical to/can produce stock (which, as we see, it cannot). [10:39] <@k0nane> http://k0nane.info/size.png <== a comparison of stock (left) vs. compiled (right) module sizes |
Logs: Bad Boot #1 Bad Boot #2 Clean Boot
Source and initramfs as of these logs: Github
I have been in contact with SamsungJohn (John Imah), Samsung’s official developer representative on Twitter. On first notification of the issue, no action had been taken, and it took an RT campaign to catch Mr. Imah’s eye. Approximately one week later, Mr. Imah joined me in IRC, and took note of the information above. Shortly after that, Samsung released a new source package on opensource.samsung.com. That was great – except that the only difference was an end to the out-of-the-box compile errors. Everything else about this source package was identical. The results were the same.
Within the next business day, Mr. Imah requested that I send the information to his corporate email address, as he had an “HQ team” there with him. Unfortunately, that was June 22. Mr. Imah has not responded to tweets or DMs since then, and we have been given absolutely no indication that any work has been done on this issue. The source package has not been updated again.
I have given Samsung ample notification and time to work with myself and my fellow developers to resolve this issue without a public expose. They have failed to so much as maintain the appearance of progress, let alone make any. It was, is, time for the saga to end. Samsung is hereby on notice. They, by failing to provide the source necessary to generate what is included in the stock kernel binary, are violating the General Public License.
|
Originally Posted by http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html
You may convey a covered work in object code form under the terms of sections 4 and 5, provided that you also convey the machine-readable Corresponding Source under the terms of this License, in one of these ways:
- a) Convey the object code in, or embodied in, a physical product (including a physical distribution medium), accompanied by the Corresponding Source fixed on a durable physical medium customarily used for software interchange. - b) Convey the object code in, or embodied in, a physical product (including a physical distribution medium), accompanied by a written offer, valid for at least three years and valid for as long as you offer spare parts or customer support for that product model, to give anyone who possesses the object code either (1) a copy of the Corresponding Source for all the software in the product that is covered by this License, on a durable physical medium customarily used for software interchange, for a price no more than your reasonable cost of physically performing this conveying of source, or (2) access to copy the Corresponding Source from a network server at no charge. - c) Convey individual copies of the object code with a copy of the written offer to provide the Corresponding Source. This alternative is allowed only occasionally and noncommercially, and only if you received the object code with such an offer, in accord with subsection 6b. - d) Convey the object code by offering access from a designated place (gratis or for a charge), and offer equivalent access to the Corresponding Source in the same way through the same place at no further charge. You need not require recipients to copy the Corresponding Source along with the object code. If the place to copy the object code is a network server, the Corresponding Source may be on a different server (operated by you or a third party) that supports equivalent copying facilities, provided you maintain clear directions next to the object code saying where to find the Corresponding Source. Regardless of what server hosts the Corresponding Source, you remain obligated to ensure that it is available for as long as needed to satisfy these requirements. - e) Convey the object code using peer-to-peer transmission, provided you inform other peers where the object code and Corresponding Source of the work are being offered to the general public at no charge under subsection 6d. |
Tweet, email, and otherwise contact every public-facing Samsung representative.
Tell your friends. Have them do the same.
Send a copy of this report to license-violation@gnu.org – the source in question is the Linux kernel, which is owned by the Free Software Foundation.
Just spread the word – until Samsung feels the heat from this (feel free to contact their legal department!) we will not see results. Development for the Indulge will continue to be held back. Only the users will suffer.
–
Follow me on Twitter @k0nane/@publik0.
Original article: http://forum.androidcentral.com/android-news/101979-samsung-indulge-how-samsung-continuing-violate-gpl.html
Feeling The Need For Speed?
Jun 30th
Are you one of those people who try to get the best speed and performance from your phone? If that sounds like you then you are going to want to download the Zeam launcher app for your android phone. Zeam launcher is sleek simple and built for speed. Don’t expect the tons of feachers that the other bloated launchers have.
While having all of the dozens of extra unused features are nice to have on the phones launcher. I personally will pick speed over features.
I just put up a new site for movie fans…
Jun 22nd
If your a movie fan or just like going out to the movies, you’re going to like this site. The new site is http://www.ScreeningAlerts.org . What this site does is monitor all the major websites who give out passes to movie screenings and send out email alerts when ever there are any new screenings. Just enter your email address, select what sites you want to receive alerts for and then click update. I have been able to see a ton of movies for free and before they were out in theaters by doing this and figure I would open it up for everyone else to use.
Let me know what you think about it.
Not many posts lately.
Jun 3rd
I haven’t made any posts in a while so I figure I should at least post something. I’ve been busy doing a bunch of non android related stuff. I spent last weekend on the beach at Marco Island, here is a time lapse video I made while there. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpiTC9HJPSE
I’ve started growing pumpkins for halloween!!!
We are now in Hurricane Season!!! My Hurricane Supply list is no longer in the Apple App Store, I’m not sure if I will be making an android version but I surely will be doing an app roundup for android apps for Hurricane Season.
Yesterday I saw a screening of the new X-Men movie and it was pretty good.
To add something that’s sort of android related into the post I did spot a Samsung car today:
Samsung Car
And lastly, I just found out this morning that I will have a Job next year.
@MetroPCS Visual VoiceMail App
May 25th
I just loaded up the new @MetroPCS Visual Voicemail App on my android phone. This app is long overdue and I’m glad to see that its finally available. The app does however seem to be very basic only allowing you the listen,forward,delete, or lock your voicemail messages. For now I will continue to pay monthly to use my YouMail.com visual voicemail on the phone. The added features and functionality of YouMail Visual voicemail service makes the added monthly costs worth it (for me at least). I think that for the average user @MetroPCS ‘s visual voicemail app will be a welcomed addition and be much more convenient than dialing to check voicemails.
MetroPCS posted battery saving tips for Samsung Galaxy Indulge
May 11th
MetroPCS now has a link posted with the Samsung Galaxy Indulge on ways to try and make the battery in your Galaxy Indulge last longer. But should we really need to go in and try and turn off as many featured in the phone as we can? Whats the point an buying a phone that can do all these things only to turn them all off?
Hey MetroPCS you left out one thing that will save you the most battery life. Turn your phone completely off unless making a phone call. This would be the only way to guarantee the phone to work any time of the day that you need it without fear of having a dead battery.
Android App – DailyRoads Voyager
May 8th
I just came accross this great app the other day called DailyRoads Voyager. The app is for when are in your car you can mount the phone to the windshield and record while you drive. The cool thing is that only what you want to keep will be saved. You can tell it to save the last X amount of video’s or also use a feature that auto saves the last X minutes of video if a certain G-Force is detected by the phone (crash or slamming on your breaks).
Got a new Indulge yesterday!
May 3rd
I got a new Samsung Galaxy Indulge yesterday due to my last one having overheating issues. Whats taking so long to get an update from Samsung? If they can’t handle making quick update releases maybe they should stop all their customizations and just stick with regular vanilla android along with only needed modifications to make the phone functional.
I would much rather update my phone and not have to go out and purchase a new phone just for an Android OS update.
MetroPCS – MetroGuard has just changed!
Apr 30th
I received a letter today saying that MetroGuard has changed from $4 per month to $5 starting May first. The letter also says that if you have a Samsung Galaxy Indulge, Your deductable will go up to $129 on May first.
The letter also says there will be a new app available called MetroRECOVERY that will allow you to Locate your lost phone, remotely lock the phone, remotely wipe phone contactes, remotely make the phone play an alert sound.
Here are scans of the front/back of the letter.
http://androidinvasion.us/MetroPCS/images/front.jpg
http://androidinvasion.us/MetroPCS/images/back.jpg
