All posts by Ben

How to Root and Install Android on the Kindle Fire

My Kindle has been running just fine on Android!

My Kindle is still currently still running stock Kindle os. The last portion (Wiping Kindle, Installing Android) I have not done. If I got something wrong, please tell me.

 

Hello! Today I am working on rooting a Kindle Fire (1st Gen) and flashing Android. It has taken a LONG time, mostly due to the fact that we just don’t have any Micro USB (Data) cables!

(Note: Please read through the FULL SET OF INSTRUCTIONS because I am not responsible for ANY damages that you may inflict upon your Kindle.)

Unbricking tools: If it is not serious, (Ex. you can see the boot logo and it is stuck) the Kindle Unbrick Utility. If it is serious (Ex. the device has a broken bootloader) then the FireKit can solve your probelms. (Link is to instructions.)

There are 2 sets of steps due to the fact that Kindle Fire Utility doesn’t work for me.

1: Downloads: a) An Android ROM (Link to the one I will be using) b) FireKit (If you don’t use this ROM, you may also need the GApps files.)

2: Set up FireKit. Instructions are at the link provided above.

3: Run FireKit. Use the option that installs FireFireFire and TWRP.

4: Reboot your Kindle.

5: Does your Kindle Fire start with the yellow triangle logo? You can continue. If not, then go back.

6: Get your ROM onto the Kindle. However you want to do this is fine. ADB should work, or you can just connect it to your computer then copy it to the kindle.

7: Boot your Kindle into TWRP. Shut it down, then start it back up and when you see the yellow triangle, press the power button. Soon TWRP will appear.

8: BACKUP YOUR KINDLE!!!!!!!! THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!!!!!! OTHERWISE YOU MAY LOOSE YOUR DATA!!!!!!!!

9: Copy the backup onto your computer!!! THIS IS ALSO IMPORTANT!!!!! YOU MIGHT LOOSE THE BACKUP OTHERWISE!!!!!

10: Now, you need to use TWRP to wipe the Kindle. This is supposedly a VERY important step, so DONT SKIP IT! (This is why you needed to backup.)

 

First thing: Find and verify that your Micro USB cable will work with your Kindle. (I know this seems obvious, but it may be frustrating later.

Second Thing: Find and Download a Android ROM and Google apps package for Kindle Fire. (I'm not linking to a specific on because if I do, in a couple of days the download link won't work) Another thing: Most of the download links on Xda-Developers forum don't work. (I haven't found a sing one that does)

Third Thing: Get the Android Development SDK. Install it then make sure you install at least (I forget wich. At least ADB) part of the latest Android package, and then the USB Drivers down in the "Extras" section at the bottom.

Fourth Thing: Get the Kindle Fire Utility. You might want to just get this first. (Exception to the not finding any working download links on the Xda-developers forum.)

Fifth Step: Install the drivers that come with Kindle Fire Utility. Reboot.

Sixth Step: Include the directory that ADB and the other commands. On this computer it was C:\Program Files\Android\android-sdk\platform-tools (it might not be the same for you.) To add this, go to Start>Control Panel>System, Then go to the "Advanced" tab and click on Environment Variables. Scroll down until you see "Path" (NOT "System Path" or anything else.)

Seventh Step: Go to Start>Run then type "cmd" and in the command prompt type "adb" if you get a error, make sure that you followed the steps carefully and you installed drivers. Then restart. Also, make sure that the path you added has a ; (Semicolon) between it and the other paths before it.

Eighth step: Plug in your kindle to verify that A: Your cable works, and B: that ADB can recognize you Kindle. Do this by opening another command prompt (Start>Run then typing cmd) and type adb devices  If you see a device (Make sure that you don't have other Android devices plugged in) then you are good to go. If not, then I have found that echo 0x1949 >> "%USERPROFILE%\.android\adb_usb.ini works. (Thanks to http://forums.androidcentral.com/amazon-kindle-fire/134029-how-enable-adb-kindle-fire-windows.html) Then type adb devices again. Your kindle should show up.

Step Nine: If all is working as it should so far, start up Kindle Fire Utility by double-clicking run.bat.

If ADB-Status is Offline, open a new command prompt and copy and paste the command from above in step 8.

Oops... I just bricked my kindle.. Well, with the help of Kindle Fire Unbrick Utility I was able to fix it.

(Note: These steps will remain ever incomplete, as KFU didn't work for me.)

In a dorm!!
Currently, I am in a dorm at UT. I am here because of the Underwater Robotics camp. We ate really early and we had to come back to the dorms because it might rain, but it is far away and we cant hear thunder. Other people are just running through the halls screaming like girls (Annoying!) and they did that LITERALLY ALL NIGHT!

Just got back from the feild across from our dorms. I ran the track then did some pull ups before the announcer told us over the PA that because of the storm warning we had to leave until further notice..

How Incredibly Easy the Books on our List Are

Long title, I know. But it is true!!!

Dionne, Erin. Notes from an Accidental Band Geek. Dial Books, 2011. ISBN 978-0-8037- 3564-4
Frost, Helen. Hidden. Farrar Strauss Giroux, 2011. ISBN 978-0-374-38221-6 Gibbs, Stuart. Belly Up. Simon & Schuster, 2010. ISBN 978-1-41698-731-4
Gidwitz, Adam. A Tale Dark and Grimm. Dutton’s Children’s Books, 2010. ISBN 978-0-525- 42334-8 Audio: Recorded Books, 2011. ISBN 978-1-44984-124-9
Gier, Kerstin. Ruby Red. Henry Holt, 2011. ISBN 978-0-8050-9252-3 Hobbs, Will. Take Me to the River. Harper, 2011. ISBN 978-0-06-074145-7
Audio: Recorded Books, 2011. ISBN 978-1-44982-667-3
Lane, Andrew. Death Cloud. Farrar Strauss Giroux, 2010. ISBN 978-0-374-38767-9 Audio: Macmillan Audio, 2010. ISBN 978-1-42721-122-4
Maberry, Jonathan. Rot & Ruin. Simon & Schuster, 2010. ISBN 978-1-44240-232-4 Audio: Recorded Books, 2010. ISBN 978-1-44983-355-8
Monninger, Joseph. Wish. Delacorte Press, 2010. ISBN 978-0-385-90788-0 Ness, Patrick. A Monster Calls: A Novel. Candlewick Press, 2011. ISBN 978-0-7636-5559-4
Audio: Brilliance Audio, 2011. ISBN 978-1-45582-249-2
Oppel, Kenneth. This Dark Endeavor. Simon & Schuster, 2011. ISBN 978-1-44240-315-4 Audio: Brilliance Audio, 2011. ISBN 978-1-45580-291-3
Paulsen, Gary. Paintings from the Cave: Three Novellas. Wendy Lamb Books, 2011. ISBN 978-0-385-90921-1 Audio: Brilliance Audio, 2011. ISBN 978-1-45582-490-8
Roth, Veronica. Divergent. Katherine Tegen Books, 2011. ISBN 978-0-06-202402-2 Rylander, Chris. The Fourth Stall. Walden Pond Press, 2011. ISBN 978-0-06-199496-8
Schmidt, Gary D. Okay for Now. Clarion Books, 2011. ISBN 978-0-547-15260-8 Audio: Listening Library, 2011. ISBN 978-0-307-91589-4
Sepetys, Ruta. Between Shades of Gray. Philomel Books, 2011. ISBN 978-0-399-25412-3 Audio: Penguin Audio, 2011. ISBN 978-0-14-242897-9
Stephens, John. The Emerald Atlas. Alfred A. Knopf, 2011. ISBN 978-0-375-96870-9 Audio: Listening Library, 2011. ISBN 978-0-307-87976-9

The highest reading level (As determine by Accelerated Reader) is something like 6.3!! (The way the level works is the first digit is the grade, then the second digit is the month of that grade) And the average is something like 4.8!! And we are going into a MIDDLE SCHOOL!!! I expect BETTER BOOKS!!!! Like the Inheritance series! (That is only the first 3 books in one.) I am on the last book, witch it’s reading level is 7.5 and it is still not hard to read! They give us EASY books and expect them to be challenging:

5. Vocabulary: Identify and define ten (10) words or terms that were puzzling or unfamiliar to you. Give the word, page number, and definition for these words. Be sure the definition properly defines the word as it is used in your book. If you can’t locate ten words that you find puzzling, then find a more difficult book.

 !!!It is ANNOYING!!!

Now I can guess why scores might be so low on TAKS so they had to switch to STAAR (And they don’t even know how to spell, Hmmm..)

If you didn’t get the H1 text up above, here it is again:

 !!!It is ANNOYING!!!

Continue reading How Incredibly Easy the Books on our List Are


#summercontestTime

So this was a image I made for a contest on a picture of what summer is: here (The original contest).

Venus Transit

The Venus Transit was awesome!

Image from NASA.gov

Basically a Venus Transit is where Venus passes in front of the sun. It looked like a little hole in the sun. It was easier to spot later, while earlier it was nearly impossible. The link above has more images.

2004 was the last one, and the first time anyone alive at the time had ever seen a Venus transit in person, since the one before it was in 1882.

Bike Path

We’ve had a bike path in our back lot for a while, and recently my Dad got back to work on it. I have a idea for some photography that might/might not work. Kind of like this instructable. In fact, that is where I got the idea. The trail is kind of fun, it just goes back and forth the lot.

Here is an image of about what it looks like:

I don’t know what happened to the start (The part on the lower left hand corner) but it got messed up somehow.