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Tuesday, October 18, 2011

The state of Verizon HTC Thunderbolt Android ROMs - my very biased perspective

If you like HTC's Sense skin for Android, which I do, and you don't want to be months behind current phones, which I don't, you really only have a few options:


  • Run one of the leaked RUUs for the Thunderbolt that includes Gingerbread
    • This will unfortunately still leave you running Sense 2.1, back in the "dark ages" technology timeline speaking
  • Run one of the Sense 3.0 or Sense 3.5 GB-based ROMs ported to the Thunderbolt
    • Thanks to the unique nature of the 4G RIL, TeamBAMF is really the only team to have working GB Sense 3+ ROMs. If you're running a Sense 3+ ROM on your TBolt, even if it's not an official TeamBAMF release, you likely have @adrynalyne and/or @erishasnobatter to thank for it...
Now, for the goods:
  1. Grab and flash a GB radio (I prefer the actual latest from the last leak/almost-but-pulled-official release: MR3 GB radio from 2.11.605.3, 1.48.00.906w_1, 0.01.78.0906w_2) from this TeamBAMF.net thread: http://teambamf.net/showthread.php/242-Radios! you can also find separated CDMA and LTE radios at this RootzWiki thread: http://rootzwiki.com/showthread.php?2937-RADIO-HTC-Thunderbolt-Radios-PG05IMG.zip-(Updated-24-Sep-2011)
  2. Try one of these three great and stable ROMs:
    1. BAMF Forever (Currently 1.0.8) - Sense 3.0, been around the longest of the 3
    2. BAMF SoaB (Currently v1.02) - Sense 3.5, ported from a Bliss RUU, been around fairly long, lots of activity
    3. Touch my BAMF (Currently 1.0.4) - Sense 3.0, Ported from the Touch 4G Slide, claim to fame is that it is the only (that I know of) GB Sense ROM with working landscape mode!
    4. Update: TeamBAMF just doesn't stop - Touch my BAMF Remix (currently 1.0.4) was just released, I guess I know what I'm doing this evening:
If you've had a good experience with a different Thunderbolt GB ROM, please leave a comment. I haven't yet been adventurous enough to try @LayherDaddy's CyanogenMod not-quite-official releases (e.g. http://rootzwiki.com/showthread.php?392-ROM-Not-fully-Official-CM7-for-Thunderbolt.-7.1.1-Updated-10-2-1-25AM-EST )

Happy ROM-ing!

Monday, June 20, 2011

Billerica state rep. hopes to bring bike plan back - Update: Looks like it won't happen =(

Billerica state rep. hopes to bring bike plan back - Billerica, MA - Billerica Minuteman: "State Rep. Marc Lombardo, R-Billerica, is hoping to take a plan for a town-wide bike path connecting to Bedford’s off the shelf.

Lombardo, who served as a liaison to the town’s Bike Path Committee when he was on the Board of Selectmen, said he was riding the path in Bedford when the idea came to bring Billerica’s plan back to life.

“It’s been tried before a decade ago,” said Lombardo. “A committee worked on it. They made some progress and at some point it fell off the table.”"

State Rep. Marc Lombardo: PLEASE make this happen - You'll win over a lot of Billerica bikers!


Update - 10/18/2011 - Noooo!:
http://billericatownienews.com/gagliardi-and-lombardo-clash-over-bike-path-plan-p3065-107.htm
The second session of Billerica Town Meeting descended into series contentious debates over spending after members voted down a proposal made by state Rep. Marc Lombardo to appropriate $125,000 to begin the design and construction of a bike path.


Update 2 - 10/19/2011 - Maybe?:
http://www.wickedlocal.com/billerica/news/x597438160/New-committee-to-secure-land-for-Billerica-bike-path

Following the defeat at Town Meeting of an article to secure design funding for the Yankee Doodle Bike Path, selectmen approved the formation of a new Bike Path Committee.

Proposed by Selectman Dave Gagliardi, at the board’s meeting on Monday, Oct. 17, the new committee would consist of five members-one selectman and four residents. State Rep. Marc Lombardo, who put forth the article for the funding, would be invited to join as an ex-oficio member. Lombardo was the selectman liaison to the original committee, which has been dissolved. Lombardo could not be reached for comment.


The committee would be tasked with securing the land for the path, and would report to selectmen on April 30, 2012. Members would serve a three-year term. Gagliardi said the small size was due to the fact that many other committees were vacant, and he wanted this one to move forward as soon as possible.