Adventures with the Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt

Since this is the "catalyst" for me to go back to this blog, I'd better make a post about it. =)

I actually didn't have any plans to buy a new tablet; I have a ZTE Light v9 Phablet (Phone+tablet) running on Android Froyo (2.2) which I actually don't use much because I am better off using my phone, which is a Lenovo P700i running on Android ICS (4.0). However I wanted to buy a tablet case with an external keyboard for my tablet so I can use it for e-mail, documents, etc. without having to bring my laptop.

For a few months already, I've been shopping around for that tablet case+keyboard combination for my tablet, and I found one in CDR-King. Three weeks ago, when I had the money, I finally bought it, excited that I would finally be able to use my tablet again with an external keyboard. I really find it hard to type on the touch screen, and since I'm a touch typist, I really feel working fast when I'm typing on my keyboard (I'm averaging 100 words per minute in typing tests.)

But being a natural... er, impulse buyer (hehe), I suddenly went to a mall and looked for an available stock of that case+keyboard, and I forgot to bring the tablet (well, not that I actually forgot--I never planned to buy the case during that time so I didn't bring it). I rushed through a CDR-King outlet in Victory Mall in Libertad Pasay and for P280.00, I went home so excited...

... only to find out that the keyboard doesn't work on the tablet! I thought it's just a defective keyboard (common with CDR-King merchandise) but when I found out that it worked on my housemate's phone, I did a research and the keyboard I bought can only be used on an Android device which has a USB On-The-Go (OTG) interface. The ZTE Light v9 does not have a USB OTG interface, thus external mini-USB keyboards will never work on that device. All the excitement I had flushed down and were replaced with disappointment like a pail of cold water (with ice) being poured down on my head (ouch!):

And I know I couldn't return that casing with keyboard because it was never defective. I couldn't sleep well because of that disappointment that I've decided--to buy a new tablet that will fit the keyboard and case!

And so, as soon as I get some money and some free time, I went to stores in Trinoma (it could have been any mall, it just so happened that I'm meeting someone there so I just made use of my free time). I looked for different tablets that has that USB OTG feature, but either they're too expensive, or they don't sell it on credit cards.

While looking for tablets during that time, I found out that newer tablets have HDMI cables, which gave me an idea--I could buy a tablet which I can use for presentations. And so I narrowed my search for cheap tablets with USB OTG and an HDMI port. That's when I found the Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt.

Again, I forgot to bring the case+keyboard I bought from CDR-King, but I was kinda confident that any USB OTG device will work on my keyboard, so I swiped in my card for P4,100.00, and when I went home.... my moment of success has arrived!

Since then, I became obsessed with my new "toy", looking for ways to boost up the performance, which I didn't fail--I came across a blog where it posted latest firmwares for the Fusion Bolt (at http://calcunico.blogspot.com/2013/04/latest-firmwares-for-cherry-mobile.html) and started downloading and flashing my tablet.

Of course, before I flashed my tablet, I made sure that I made a backup of the existing firmware. I've got to have insurance that my warranty won't be void when I return this tablet for repairs during the warranty period, by ensuring that I can return back to my original firmware and ROM if I had to. For those who would like to see my Stock ROM for Fusion Bolt, check it out at:

http://www.4shared.com/archive/KQAe-DuN/Fusion_Bolt_Stock_ROM.html

I was able to locate the latest firmware, but I didn't like the logo of the latest firmware. The Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt was actually a re-branding of the Ainol Novo 7 Venus Lite tablet, and the firmware from Ainol contained a lot of Chinese apps which I never understood. So, I spent almost a week tweaking and studying how Android ROMs work, and patience, perseverance and coffee (hehe), I was able to copy the Cherry Mobile logo, wallpapers, ring tones and even some vendor-supplied apps from my Stock ROM to the new Ainol firmware. I even changed the tablet info so you would see Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt instead of Ainol Novo 7 Venus on the device info.... with that, it looked like an upgraded Stock ROM! ;-)

Maybe you're using Fusion Bolt too, and you want to try out the ROM I experimented on--here's the Fusion Bolt ROM based on Ainol's Venus 523 firmware:

http://www.4shared.com/archive/1quG_xRh/Fusion_Bolt__based_from_523_.html

Of course, I won't be putting the instructions on how to flash them--there are already lots of information about that elsewhere on the net. Check out Nico's blog (see first link above) for more information.

Some screenshots for your viewing pleasure:

See the screenshots of the modified Ainol 523 ROM (can you still tell if it's the Ainol ROM? hehe)

Ok, so shall I revive my blog now?

Ok, so it's been 6... six long years, since my last post here. During that time I wasn't really that busy and I've been hooked up to asian dramas back then (not that I'm no longer hooked up with those, it's just that I've gotten myself too busy now).

And oh my, I just found out that I am still getting comments through all these years! I guess I should get back to writing to this blog.

Six years ago I was starting up my own software development business, and when I did, I suddenly became so busy. A lot of things have happened. That business did not last long; two years ago we've decided to close it down due to burnout. Right now I'm doing freelance work doing part-time teaching and part-time consultancy, which I really enjoy right now. Back then it was a pain getting out of bed and working because everything is so stressful. Now there's lesser stress and I can now enjoy doing things I truly want.

There have been a lot of adventures and mis-adventures in my life throughout those past 6 years... sadly I couldn't recount them all anymore (well, actually I could, but I don't have that luxury of time anymore), so I guess I'll just pinch in some things from those past 6 years in my future posts whenever I could relate them. Or when I'm in the mood.

Another reason why I suddenly got back to this blogging stuff is because of my new Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt tablet, which I've played around (er, not the ordinary "play around" you might be thinking--I mean, Flashing ROMs and modding) and I've found myself commenting on other blogs using my original Blogger account. It was only then that I remembered that I actually have a blog, and when I revisited this, I found out that there were actually people reading my posts, and even commenting. It kinda got be inspired to write interesting stuff here.

So, if you have read my blog before, you'd be happy to know that I'm back on the scene, writing about my adventures and mis-adventures. I guess I'd like to inspire and be inspired through blogging. :-)

Currently subtitling... Ang Tanging Ina

For my second subtitling attempt, I've decided to work on a Filipino comedy movie... "Ang Tanging Ina". A friend from cyberspace, weimel, suggested me to watch and do subtitles for this movie. I haven't watched this yet, so I borrowed this from Video City (a local video rental store) and started working on it.

I was really laughing out loud while watching this movie. But what's good with this is, while it's outright funny, it does portray the life of a mother of one dozen kids. It sure is hard to raise 12 children alone... thus the title "Ang Tanging Ina" (I might translate it literally to "The Only Mother" or "The Special Mother" due to different possible translation of "Tanging", but I've seen on the Internet translating it as "The True Mother").

For the English-speaking fanatics out there, though, be very careful in pronouncing "Tanging". It should be spoken slowly, as in "taaah-nging". If you speak it fast, as in "ta-nging", the meaning becomes different--and you'll insult your mother for sure. Hahaha!

But then, sometimes, a mother's love could be considered crazy by many of the young lads out there... but there nothing will be better than that. I consider myself blessed for having both my parents with me. Many people out there have single parents, though I believe many of them are still happy... but imagine how a single parent would take care of his/her children.

Right now, I'm 50% complete with the English translations... I'm still working out on the other 50% and having weimel do the spot translations and QC. I'll post it at Chinky's Movie Spoiler when it's done... meanwhile, try the other movie that I translated--Mano Po 5: Gua Ai Di. Check it out on Chinky's blog here.

Lost a cellphone... YET again!

Geez... I lost a cellphone again... for the 7th time! Waaaah.... I don't know how I became cursed with cellphones... ever since I graduated from College I'd always lose a phone by any means, whether it slipped my pockets, forgotten it in a restroom, got it pickpocketed by someone, or even got into a "modus operandi"... I seem to be very prone at losing my phones. Why, a phone won't even last 1 year with me!


This time, I lost my precious Nokia 7650 that my mother gave to me. It was pickpocketed from me while I was riding a train. It looked like there were lots of them, because I felt being cornered by a lot of me inside the train so I couldn't move, and I felt my phone moving from my pockets.

The stupid thing about me is that I didn't even realize that my phone was being stolen during that time. When the train stopped and the people started leaving (and suddenly there wasn't so much people anymore), I just tried to reach for the phone in my pocket, and voila... it's gone.

The funny thing here is, I actually have two phones in my pocket--I have a Nokia 3315 beside the 7650. The culprit sure knows which phone to get... if the 3315 was the one stolen I wouldn't feel so bad (I'm already used at losing my phone that it didn't hurt so much anymore), but the 7650... it's quite expensive, although my mom and dad had it for more than 2 years already. Plus all my latest contacts are in there... I got some new clients on that phone.

And me? I got that phone from my mom barely two months ago. So this is one of the fastest phones I lost. The longest was 11 months.

Oh well. I'm done lamenting on that phone. I don't know why I'm cursed with losing phones every now and then... but then I'm not really a mobile phone fanatic. I'd rather buy the cheapest low-end phone. I'm even afraid to hold a high-end one (for fear of losing it one day). Maybe I have some sort of Midas' touch, except it doesn't turn things to gold... it turns a cellphone into a stolen one. Hahaha!

I just hope not to lose my remaining phone right away... the phone I'm currently holding is already about 3 months with me. I'd be happy if it would stay with me for more than a year! ^_^

Fansubbing

At last... my second post, and on a day when I should be working... hahaha!

Anyway, fansubbing means to make subtitles for your favorite movies or dramas. Lately, I've been so fond of watching Asian dramas and movies (Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese) with English subtitles.

While I'm enjoying watching these K-, J- or TW-dramas and movies, I've been wondering... are there any Filipino dramas and movies being subtitled like these popular Asian dramas? Well after a long search I found out there are people doing it too, although I think it's more of individual work unlike the popular asian dramas that are being subbed by organized fansubbing groups.


Then I've been thinking... what if there -is- a Pinoy fansubber group just like those people out there doing subtitle projects for popular Asian dramas and movies? I've been curious at how they do things... I've been reading terms like timers, spot translators, and so on... makes me kinda excited because subtitling actually is a project done with different people with different roles.

Plus, they do it on their free time, and they do it for free. And I thought there's no free lunch in this world... ;-)

I've tried subbing a Filipino movie, with much success. But I learned that it's quite tedious to do these stuff. I am quite fluent in English but translating Filipino words to English require quite some work. Why, there are some Filipino phrases that just couldn't be translated to English--if you try translating them literally, they lose the original meaning. This is true especially for sayings and idioms. Plus, some unique Filipino culture cannot be easily be shown in English words... maybe if you're a Filipino watching or you know about the Philippines, then that would be easy.

Anyway, the first Filipino movie I translated is "Mano Po 5: Gua Ai Di". If you want to check it out, visit http://chinkymovies.blogspot.com/2007/08/filipino-movie-mano-po-5-gua-ai-di-i.html and se for yourself. I got the help of another Filipino living in a foreign country for editing them, so I believe the subtitles should be pretty good enough.

Hey, if you're Filipino (or knows Filipino) and you have the same thought as I have... why not drop me a line? Maybe we could come up with our own fansubbing group together?

Welcome!

I'd like to welcome you all to my personal blog site.

I've put up this blog site primarily for studying Blogger so I could develop add-ons or customize templates. But then, while I'm at it, why not maintain my own personal blog site?

I'm usually very busy, so I only read and update this blog when I have free time (or when I don't have free time but I'm so stressed up that I want to leave my work for a while.)

I work as a technopreneur (I have my own software development business being run with my partners) so I have so little free time. You know, customers must be served well, and we're running a really small business so things could easily get out of hand if you don't put your heart on it.

During my free (or not-so-free) time, I love hanging out with my friends, and watching asian drama and movies. When I hang out with my friends, I usually end up doing some "mis-adventures" or "bloopers" along the way... in a way that they find funny or annoying. If I get into some interesting ones, I'd be happy to share them with you.

I also do some volunteer work for friends during my free time, like subtitling Pinoy movies or posting Asian dramas that I like to watch. I wanted to share them with everybody through this blog as well. If there is something else that I fancy (probably other works or ideas) that I want to share, I'd probably post them here too.

Oh well, so much for the introduction. This site doesn't have anything yet (and I haven't even perked up the blog's design) so stay tuned for updates.

Before I end this post, let me tell you what "Wang Bu" means. Actually, it's "Buwang" in Filipino--I just reversed the syllables to make it look like a Chinese name. "Buwang" is a slang term for "crazy". And I think I'm getting crazier and crazier every day. Hahahahaha!