Error Code: 0x86000107

I was recently vexed to no end when I discovered that my HTC TYTN II (also known as the HTC Kaiser) refused to sync with either my laptop or home PC for over a week, popping up an error message each time I tried. At first I thought maybe something was wrong with the sync options, like perhaps one of the free applications and games I've been installing caused some hidden problem (check it out: tower-friggin'-defense on the go! What better way to waste precious daylight away?).

Countless hours of uninstalling and re-installing applications proved fruitless, while the multiple times I restarted Windows and resetting the Pocket PC just added to the wasted effort. Then I thought of something I should have done from the very beginning - each time Windows pops up an error alert, it also provides an error code if you click on 'Details' or 'More Info'. I, like countless other people who have pledged their dependence on Microsoft, have gotten used to just clicking 'Close'.

Anyways, long story cut short, I Googled the error code (0x86000107), crawled through forum after forum, and tried every suggested solution (download this, update that, tweaked some settings) to no avail. Finally I came across a completely non-technical suggestion and since I’d run out of options, I thought “Why the friggin’ hell not?”

1. I manually wrote down all the contacts and appointments I made since my last successful sync.

2. I deleted the partnership between the Pocket PC and my laptop’s Sync Center (ActiveSync, if you’re on XP), and disconnected the cable.

3. I reconnected that same cable and re-established the partnership.

It worked.

The most brain dead solution possible and it worked. Best of all, it took less than ten minutes.

It turns out that Windows Mobile 6.1 has issues syncing up with more than one computer, and though a fix has been purportedly sent out by Microsoft to their mobile partners, HTC has nothing available for its customers yet.

** solution credit: windowsmobiletraining dot com **

... of (not so) fast paced lives ...

Streamyx. If anyone out there is considering a subscription with Streamyx for the very first time, I think you should be given a counterpoint to all the marketing hype that they dish out periodically.

I'm not going to delve into the customer service. I'll let you go through that waiting experience yourself. I'm also not going into the helpfulness of their pre-fabricated answers when you tell them of your broadband woes.

What I *will* do is dive straight to the heart of it all: the lack of speed.

Once upon a time I subscribed to Streamyx's 1.0Mbps (download)/384kpbs (upload) package for RM88 per month, but since I've only broken the 600kpbs mark ONCE since I discovered speedtest.net in mid 2007 (I hit 784/382 on 30th September 2008 while testing against a server right here in Kuala Lumpur), I saw no reason to maintain a 1.0Mbps service. I thought maybe their servers couldn't consistently handle speeds beyond 500-600kpbs, so I downgraded to their 512kpbs package. but the moment I switch my service package, my speed dropped to an average of 150-200 kpbs when tested with Malaysian servers. I'm not talking about working hours when offices and businesses are tapping up bandwidth, I do my speed tests between 11pm and 1am. I guess it was never about the capacity of their servers or the quality of the copper wires, Streamyx just DOES NOT DELIVER WHAT THEY'RE SELLING!

Recent speed test results below (bear in mind that I'm subscribing to a 512 / 256 package). Tests were done between 11.40pm to 12.05am local time, Wednesday 25th March 2009 (through Thursday, 26th March if you want to get technical over it).

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - 213 / 71


Singapore - 203 / 101


Rome, Italy - 131 / 59


San Diego, USA - 352 / 217


Florida, USA - 104 / 84


So what other alternatives are there?

I've been thinking of switching over to P1 or DiGi Wimax, though I hesitate as I've not heard much feedback from their subscribers. I also hesitate because of coverage issues. Check it out:

Neighborhoods surrounding me are covered by PacketOne (P1) Wimax. My neighborhood (Sunway Damansara) just barely got left out. I wonder why I keep getting leaflets from them though.

DiGi Wimax covers my neighborhood, but I reside along the outer rim of their coverage. That makes it quite risky for me to switch to DiGi.

I guess I'm stuck with Streamyx for a bit longer, but if you're still looking for a broadband provider, I'd highly recommend that you shop around for options first. I'm planning to make that transition away from Streamyx once my area is fully covered by DiGi or P1.

... HTC TyTN II ...

I've just gotten myself a new toy in the form of HTC's TyTN II Pocket PC phone :D Just got it second hand a couple of days ago through Malaysia's own auction site Lelong for a pretty good bargain. Prices have been dropping in general and I was actually waiting for the HTC U1000 to drop within RM1,000, but I decided that it wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

Instead, I started stalking Lelong for a TyTN II that was in good condition while falling within my budget. A quick piece of advice is to take your time and stalk around for a bit if you're hunting for gadgets on Lelong -- I lost a few bids over a one-month period in order not to break the budget I had in mind, but I finally got what I wanted a few hundred Ringgit lower than what I would have had to pay for if I had chased after the bids that I lost.

Anyway, here's the TyTN II:



In a nutshell, the TyTN II runs on a Samsung Qualcomm 400MHz processor that comes with an integrated GPS chip. It operates out of the box on Windows Mobile 6.0 and offers WiFi, Bluetooth, 3G, and GPRS connectivity options. It comes with 128 MB RAM and 256 MB flash memory, and can support one MicroSD Card for additional storage space. Bundled software includes MapKing and World Card Reader, on top of the usual array of productivity programs that typically come with Pocket PCs.

Upgrading the TyTN II's firmware.

The Pocket PC (PPC) runs a little sluggishly according to XDA Developer's forums so I upgraded its firmware to the latest ROM provided by HTC, which also includes an operating system upgrade to Windows Mobile 6.1 . I faced a bit of problems here as I couldn't get anything from HTC's website, despite registering with them. It seems that the problem is pretty common amongst HTC users, and you can find the ROM update uploaded by users who had managed to download them. You can download the South East Asian release directly from HERE.

Pasted below are the instructions from HTC on how to upgrade the TyTN II's firmware:

Installation Instructions:

Before you proceed, please confirm that this software upgrade is a newer version than what is currently installed on your device. If it is the same version and your device is operating normally, there is no need to reinstall the software.

To check what version is installed on your device, click Start > Settings > Device Information > Version tab, and note the ROM version, CPU, and Radio version.

Warning!

* This is a generic software update. Any additional software or settings provided by your mobile operator or company will be lost. If you require this customization, please contact your supplier first before upgrading.

* Please note that this upgrade will erase any data stored on the device.

Please back up your data first before upgrading your device. Before you run the ROM Upgrade Utility (RUU), make sure you check and do the following:

* The USB sync cable is connected to your device and PC. If your PC is running Windows XPR, ActiveSyncR will run automatically to establish a connection. If your PC is running Windows VistaTM, then Windows Mobile Device Center will establish the connection between your device and PC.

* All running applications on the device have been closed.

* Make sure that the battery level of the device is least 50% (tap Start > Settings > System tab > Power).

* The update will take up to 30 minutes, DO NOT interrupt the update process, make/receive phone calls, disconnect the device from the PC, or press any buttons until the process has been completed.

Once the RUU is downloaded, launch the application on your PC and follow the instructions.

Hope this helps anyone out there having problems with getting the upgrade!

... of Animals and Machines ...

Rat-brained robot to aid Alzheimer's researchers.

In a case of science fiction meets reality, Scientists at the University of Reading have created a simple robot navigated by a blob of rat brain. A blob of some 300,000 rat brain neurons is maintained in a temperature-controlled container as it uses Bluetooth to send and receive signals to and from a simple sonar-navigated robot. Placed within a lab rat's maze, the robot behaves... well, like a rat!

The rat-robot was created as an avenue for researches to attempt to unlock the mysteries of Alzheimer's Disease, enabling them to observe how memories are recorded as the brain learns and what happens when it deteriorates. So far, the brain cells have learnt how to control the robot's movements and will soon be learning how to recognise its surroundings.

Read more about the robot at these links:
technology.newscientist.com
www.bbc.co.uk



Butterflies - can you trust them tomorrow?

In a similar but scarier turn of events, the Pentagon's defence scientists are trying to develop an army of cyber-insects. The idea is to insert Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) into insects such as butterflies during the pupa stage, so that the organs will grow around and integrate with the MEMS chip. The MEMS chip will then be powered by either insect heat or movement, and allow the host insect to be remotely controlled. These insects can then be used to relay information such as sensing for chemicals present in explosives.

Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa), which is tasked with maintaining the technologival superiority of the US military, believes that taking advantage of the evolution of insects at the pupa stage can lead towards an assembly line of MEMS-insect hybrids.

"Through each metamorphic stage, the insect body goes through a renewal process that can heal wounds and reposition internal organs around foreign objects," Darpa's proposal document reads.

Read more about the MEMS hybrid project at:
dvices.com
www.bbc.co.uk


On a related topic, check out Darpa's 'stealth shark spies' - developing sharks with neural implants to track vessels undetected.

I think we should all just leave nature as it is :/

... of a Sci-Fi future today ...

Interesting. Scientists researching the primary motor complex region of the brain have been able to enable a monkey to feed itself using using nothing but its thought and a robotic arm. The researchers hope to create prosthetic devices for people with total paralysis using brain-machine interface technology. Read more about it from BBC here.