GeekLad » Gadgets

How to Tether Android for Free

GeekLad — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:00:23 +0000

Most information you’ll find about tethering with Android, shows you how to tether Android using an application called PdaNet. The problem with PdaNet is that the free version restricts you to http sites only, and you have to get the paid version for https connections. If you’re prepared to put a little elbow grease into it and you have a USB cable to connect the phone, you can learn how to tether Android without root for free for http and https sites as well.

Summary of How to Tether Android

Here is a quick rundown of how to tether Android, and what is involved:

Download USB drivers for your computer
Download a special program for your computer called ADB
Configure your computer’s web browser to use the Android tether connection
Download an app to tether Android to your PC
Connect your phone to the computer
Launch apps on your phone and PC
Enjoy your tethered Android connection!

If that sounds a bit too involved for you, then you may wish to go ahead and buy PdaNet in the Android market, so that you can connect to both http and https websites using a tethered Android connection.

What Does Tethering Android Mean?

You may be wondering exactly what it means to tether Android. “Tethering” is a term often used to describe the process of using your phone to connect a PC or laptop to the internet. Tethering is very convenient if you are travelling, and do not have immediate access to a free WiFi or wired internet connection. This particular article will show you how to tether Android with a USB cable that connects your phone to your computer.

What Does Root Mean?

Rooting an Android phone is essentially equivalent to “jailbreaking” an iPhone. root is the superuser of the phone, and has full access to do anything and everything to the phone. Many tethering solutions require root access to the phone, but this one does not. If you do have root, I highly recommend the Android WiFi Tether App.

Prepare Your PC

First, you need to obtain USB drivers for connecting your phone to your computer. The Android developers website has a page with Android USB drivers for different phone manufacturers. Alternatively, you could install the Google USB driver for Windows. However, that requires installing the Android SDK (Software Development Kit), which is quite large and may take some time to download.

After you’ve installed the USB drivers, you’ll need to download ADB (Android Debug Bridge). If you downloaded the Android SDK to get the Google USB drivers, then you already have ADB. It is located in the platform-tools folder wherever you extracted/installed the SDK files.

If you did not download the Android SDK, you can download it from a nice, neat, little package I put together that has all the ADB files in a single zip. Download and unzip it somewhere on your computer, just be sure to remember where the files are.

Finally, you need to configure your browser to use a proxy. This is because the Android app you will use acts as a proxy for your browser. You will configure your browser to use only localhost a socks proxy on port 1080. If you’re using Internet Explorer as your browser:

Go into Internet Settings
Click the Connections tab
Click the LAN Settings button
Under Proxy server click the checkbox that says Use a proxy server for your LAN
Clear the current values for Address and Port (if there’s already something there, write it down in case you need to restore the prior settings)
Click the Advanced button
Clear out everything (again, write down or screenshot your current settings)
Under Socks enter localhost and 1080 for the port
Make sure Use the same proxy for all protocols is not checked
Prepare Your Android Phone
There are a few settings you’ll need to make sure are enabled on your phone before you proceed. First, you’ll need to enable USB debugging for development. To do this, just go to your phone’s Settings > Applications > Development and enable USB debugging:
Next you will need to download Tetherbot for Android to your phone. This is the free Android app that allows you to perform wired tethering on your phone. Launch the Android web browser on your phone, and go to: http://goo.gl/KwgsT on your phone to download it. After you’ve downloaded it, go to your phone’s downloads and press on the Tetherbot.apk to install the App.
Tether Your PC with Your Phone
Now you should be all set to tether your phone. First, connect your phone to your PC with a USB cable. Next, open a command prompt by clicking Start > Run… (or press the Windows Key+R), type cmd and press Enter. Change to the directory where you unzipped the ADB files. For example, if you put them in C:\ADB then type:
```
C:
cd \ADB
```
Next, type the following commands:
```
adb kill-server
adb start-server
adb forward tcp:1080 tcp:1080
```
Alternatively, you can download and run a batch file that sets up the tether proxy for you. Just download, unzip in the same folder where you put ADB, and run the forward.bat file.
The first command, adb kill-server, is optional, but it stops any existing server from running. This is good to do first, if you ever disconnect/reconnect the phone. The second command, adb start-server starts ADB on your PC to connect it to your phone in debug mode. The last command, adb forward tcp:1080 tcp:1080 sets up a port forward to the phone. This is the port we will use as the proxy, and the port that Tetherbot uses on the phone.
Last but not least, launch Tetherbot on your phone, and click Start Socks.
You’ll see a message on the phone that says Socks Service Starting. Launch your web browser on your PC, and you should be tethered to your phone! Please note, that because this is a rootless tether solution, it does not provide 100% TCP/IP tethering through your phone. Any application you want to use the network connection through the phone needs to have the localhost:1080 socks proxy configured.
In my experience, Tetherbot is quite good for web browsing. However, if you’re looking for persistent connections (such as connecting an instant messaging client), Tetherbot tends to drop the connection occasionally, so it isn’t exactly ideal. If you’re looking for persistent connections, it is probably best to do that via an SSH server and the SSH Tunnel client for Android. That’s another post for another day. Happy tethering!

Review on Logitech Revue and Google TV

GeekLad — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 18:22:59 +0000

Earlier this year, Google announced a new product called Google TV. In late October, they also announced a Google TV giveaway to 10,000 lucky developers. I was fortunate to become one of those lucky 10,000 and Google sent me a Logitech Revue just before Christmas. Overall, I think it’s a pretty cool gadget, but it does have some shortcomings.

Logitech Revue Device

The device itself is quite compact and comes with a small, lightweight keyboard (aka the “controller” as Logitech calls it). The physical setup of the device couldn’t be simpler: plug the output from your cable set top box (STB) into the HDMI IN on the Revue, and then the HDMI OUT from the Revue into the TV. If you use a home theatre for your audio, your setup may be slightly more involved, but it is still pretty simple to set up. Just check out the Logitech Revue setup video to see how easy it is.

You should be made aware that Google TV only has HDMI input/outputs on it. You won’t be able to connect a cable box or television via component connections. If you have older equipment, then Google TV may not be for you.

Google TV Configuration

After you plug everything in and turn on the Revue, you’re taken through a wizard-like setup. It’s relatively straight-forward, asking you questions about the model number for your cable box, television, and audio system. It does take some time to go through the configuration, because after you have your network up and running it downloads and installs an update.

You can connect it to the Internet either via the built-in wireless connection or through an ethernet connection. I find it annoying that there is no manual configuration for the network connection. You cannot assign static IPs, gateways, DNS servers, and the like. However, unless you’re a major geek like me, you are probably just fine with the automatic configuration it performs for you.

Google TV Features

Just as Kevin Bacon’s biggest fan demonstrates, Google TV is great for finding video content on whatever your heart desires. It searches your television programming, Netflix, Amazon On Demand, YouTube, and other web videos. My biggest complaint about the television programming results is that if you don’t have a DVR that directly integrates with Google TV, it won’t automatically set up recordings for individual programs or series (aka TiVo season pass). I have a TiVo, so when I see results for TV shows I want to record, I need to:

Remember the date and time for the show.
Tune to the channel (this is all the Revue/Google TV does for you).
Navigate to the proper day of the show.
Hint: If you also have a TiVo, you can use your controller to change the day in the guide by holding down the key while pressing the key to go to the previous day and the key to go to the next day.
Navigate to the proper time of the show.
Hint:: If you also have a TiVo, use the key to move from selecting the day to selecting the time, and then press the and keys to quickly scroll through the time, to find the correct time for the program.
Manually navigate the DVR menu to record the program. On the TiVo, it can be done with the directional pad and button.

It’s a bit of a hassle, and it’s unfortunate that Google TV doesn’t feature better integration with most DVRs.

Google TV also features Netflix and Pandora applications, which brings additional video and audio content to your television. It’s great having a keyboard to search for movie and television titles in the Netflix application, as it is much less cumbersome than doing so on other devices with traditional remote controls. You can also stream video if you have DNLA compliant devices or software on a computer. If you’re looking for a great free DNLA program for your computer, I highly recommend XBMC.

There is also Harmony application for both iPhone and Android. With it, you can turn your iPhone, iPad, or Android phone into a remote control. The Harmony application actually has more features for controlling your equipment than is available directly on the controller by default. For example, for my television the Harmony application has buttons for directly selecting the different inputs on the television, as well as navigating the television’s setup menus. Something which isn’t possible without customizing the Revue controller.

Google TV includes the Chrome web browser, which is very nice to have at your disposal as you’re watching television. What’s that gal’s name on that movie? What other movies has she been in? Just launch the Chrome web browser and look her up on IMDB! You can also browse and watch television at the same time, with the dual view feature.

Logitech Revue Shortcomings

Lack of DVR Integration

One of the Revue’s shortcomings is it’s lack of direct integration with most DVRs. As of right now, you can only get direct integration with a Dish Network DVR. With a Dish DVR, Google TV can directly manage the DVR rather than having to control it via IR blaster (i.e. behave exactly like your remote control). The Dish Network DVR integration also allows Google TV to search recordings on the DVR and directly set up recordings for Google TV search results. I hope that some day Google TV will have similar integration with TiVo. If it did, it would most certainly help to justify the $250 price tag.

Lack of Storage

While on the topic of DVRs, it is also unfortunate that the device itself is not a DVR. At the initial price tag of $300, you would think it might have storage for recording programs, or at least the ability to add external storage. Although the recent price cut to $250 is a bit more palatable, it is still unfortunate the device does not have the capability to record programs. If it had the ability to do so, it would overcome the inability to control a DVR. However, without either feature, it’s a pretty expensive gadget.

Not a Universal Remote

I was also very disappointed that the Logitech Revue can only control an AV unit, television, and cable box. If you have other components (i.e. DVD or Blu Ray player), the Revue has no direct support for controlling those devices. With the built-in IR blaster and external IR blasters, Logitech could have easily allowed the device to behave as a universal remote for all your electronic components. You can use it to control a DVD or Blu Ray player via some customization of the remote, but that’s another article for another time.

Single Input

It would also be nice if the Revue included multiple inputs, rather than just a single one. When you switch to other inputs on your television (say your XBox 360, Wii, or DVD player), you lose Google TV because it’s running on a different input. If the Revue had multiple inputs, you could continue to use dual view with other devices on the television. Including multiple inputs along with more features as a universal remote to control all of those devices would make the Revue more attractive and make it the true centerpiece of your entertainment system.

Sluggish Adobe Flash Performance

YouTube works fine, and videos on most other websites typically play without issues. However, on occasion you may encounter some websites with Adobe Flash that perform very poorly. I wanted to try out the Nick Jr. website, because my daughter wanted to play some games, and the performance was horrendous. I think that if you encounter websites that have more than one or two flash objects, you’ll see the performance of the browser degrade significantly. I even encountered a website at one point that brought the Revue to a grinding halt.

Google TV and Logitech Revue Summary

All-in-all the Logitech Revue is a pretty cool gadget, but I don’t think I would rush out and spend $250 on it. That being said, I do really enjoy the one I have and it has found a permanent home in my entertainment system. It makes navigating my television programming much easier, makes it easy to stream video and music, and brings the web to my television.

If you want an easier way to access your television programming and stream videos to your television, then the Logitech Revue with Google TV may be right for you as long as you’re willing to pay $250. If you have Netflix and you don’t already have a Netflix capable device, the Logitech Revue may be even more appealing to you.

Get the Best Price per Gigabyte with gb4less

GeekLad — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 22:20:17 +0000

Some time ago, I was looking for some new storage on Newegg.com. I became a bit frustrated looking for the best deal. Although Newegg allows you to sort by rating, you cannot filter on rating data (rating and # of reviews). If you sort by price, you have to try to read through everything to figure out which products have the best ratings and have been rated a fair number of times.

Being the analytical person I am, I just simply wanted the most bang for my buck, but I wanted to make sure the product I bought was tried and true. Eventually, I built gb4less to help others seeking to do the same (and of course, make a few bucks in the process). With gb4less, you can sort by price and filter on rating info at the same time and do much more!

Every hour, gb4less crawls Newegg for deals on internal hard drives, external hard drives, USB flash drives, system memory, memory cards, and SSD. It then calculates the price per gigabyte (including shipping) for all the products it finds, and then takes the top product for each category and displays them on the front page. If you don’t like the particular brand of the product you see on the front page, you can view all products n the category and search for the best price per gigabyte for your favorite brand.

The good folks at MakeUseOf placed a feature on gb4less in the MakeUseOf directory. Shortly after, the good folks at LifeHacker and Gizmodo also posted their own feature on gb4less. It wasn’t long after that before HostGator shut down gb4less, because all the traffic had brought down the entire server!

I was planning to eventually build a file cache to help the site to better handle traffic, but the bombardment from LifeHacker and Gizmodo expedited that plan. Fortunately, Yii (an excellent PHP framework I used to build gb4less) had built-in cache support. After a bit of research to implement the cache and a some hacking to re-enable the site, gb4less was back up and running.

So the next time you’re looking for some new storage, be sure to check out gb4less!

10 Dollar 52″ LCD at Best Buy

GeekLad — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:46:09 +0000

I had to screenshot this, because I’m sure Best Buy will fix it soon. They have a 52″ Samsung for a mere $9.99!

Some of the reviews are rather amusing:

“overall sweet deal, it only costed me 9.99 per tv, that’s pretty dope, so I just bought 10 of em, only bad thing is that recycling fees are lame.”

What’s great about it: Costs only $9.99 apparently (no lie.. thats what it says at the time of this writing)
What’s not so great: $60.00 shipping ftl.
“When I first clicked the link going to this tv, I was doubtful that such a great deal existed. However, to my surprise, it was real. I proceeded to order 50 of these !
Great picture quality, great sound…
Then again, I’d be happy with an old CRT at that price!
Buy. It. Now.”

What’s great about it: Costs only $9.99 apparently (no lie.. thats what it says at the time of this writing)

What’s not so great: $60.00 shipping ftl.

“When I first clicked the link going to this tv, I was doubtful that such a great deal existed. However, to my surprise, it was real. I proceeded to order 50 of these !

Great picture quality, great sound…

Then again, I’d be happy with an old CRT at that price!

Buy. It. Now.”

AT&T Linking iPhone to U-verse

GeekLad — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:48:33 +0000

The Mac News Network is reporting that AT&T is working on linking the iPhone to U-verse. I think a really cool feature is the ability to use the iPhone as a remote control for the cable box. Another feature is the ability to control DVR functionality via the phone’s Internet connection, which can be really useful if you forget to set a program to record while you’re at home.

Although U-verse is available in Jacksonville, I don’t expect it will be available in my area for some time. I live way out in the boondocks, and I suspect the majority of availability is much closer to the center of town. I would switch all of my telecommunication services to AT&T (home phone, television, mobile phone, internet) if it wasn’t for all of my wife’s friends being on Sprint. Although the lure of the iPhone is omnipresent, if we were to leave Sprint our bill would skyrocket with out-of-network calls. I’m still considering giving Comcast the finger and switching my home phone, Internet, and television (via their deal with Dish, unfortunately not U-verse) over to AT&T if it will save me some dough.

21st Century Toasters

GeekLad — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 11:46:17 +0000

About two months ago, Engadget ran a story about a BattleStar Galactica branded toaster that burns a Cylon onto the toast. Yesterday CrunchGear ran another story about a toaster that you connect to your computer that will burn anything you want onto the toast. I suppose it was only a matter of time before toasters made it to the 21st century.

USB Video Camera w/ Built-in Mic for Under $10

GeekLad — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:37:17 +0000

Bwana sent me this great deal on a simple color USB camera for a mere $7 shipped free.