App Developed

Well, well.

This accomplishment, so new, so strong.

Ever had many events and wish to remember them?
Ever wanted to jot down what happened on this date?
Ever wish to know how long had happened since that event?

Yep - Eventful is the app!

More Programming

Quick summary of what I've learnt for Android development:

• NotificationManager: Basically how to create notifications which appear in the notification window, by using NotificationBuilder or NotificationCompat.Builder. There's more to it though, like running an action after clicking on the notification and many others.

• Alarm: Setting off an action after a certain time. Requires a BroadcastReceiver, and overriding the method onReceive().

• DateTime Picker/Dialog: This one is interesting. There's other requirements for it to work, like Dialog where there are listeners to implement. Calendar class is required too in order to fully utilise the Date and Time.

• ListView with Search

• Custom Adapter + ListView with custom Filter (Search): This is one tough shit! Feels like I am doing my schoolwork all over again. Lots of implementations. The Filter class is the unknown to me, but I guess the longer I use it I could understand better.

Right, so those above are the list so far. The reason for me learning and understanding the last set 'Custom Adapter + ListView with custom Filter' is due to my intent to replicate an app called Time Flies. This app allows the user to jot down an event that happened with a time alongside. Basically like a diary of what-have-I-did or any type of events for that mattered.

Problem with this app is it's old, last updated 2010 (wow). So I am basically trying to update so it uses the > Android 4 interface plus addition of new functionality such as search and more. Of course the app itself is great and does what it has to but once the database increases to more than 200 plus, one's not gonna scroll through the list to find out that event so a search is really required.

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On other side of my life, I've put myself into the disconnect mode. I have deactivated my Facebook with the option "This is temporary. I'll be back.". I know, the reaction from people I would get is obviously 'lol'. LOL all you want, but this is just me. I have been trying to reach out with people but it's a no avail type of quest. Although there are successes but these successes are short lived as I don't seem to be the kind to chat with people all day long. So, a disconnect could possible give me a good reason to find myself back on path, which so far it seems good.

As far as connection is concerned, I still use Twitter for feed purposes. Not many interact with me on Twitter so all's good, I use it like Blogger and it's simply a microblogging platform (well that's what Twitter is in the first place). Rant, daily thoughts, yep all posted.

Social media are really just filled with senseless opinions. They want this, they want that and one gets easily influenced and for that purpose, I became a victim. I began to accept some of my addictions, accept that I don't socialize, accept that I am just passive. I can try to change but it always fallback to what I actually am. So just accept... it. Not gonna venture further.

Just me..

Programming and Movies

Have been learning a lot of Android development lately.
Many of it are simply basic implementations, getting to know the SDK.

But well learning it, writing it and then it results in a working input/output really provides a sense of achievement and satisfaction in return.

But here's what I learnt so far:

• Setting Holo Dark theme and Holo Light theme on the fly with an option using just 'this.recreate()', together with 'setTheme(style)'.
• QR Code Scanner - wow this is one is really hard as I couldn't understand how to implement most of the libraries. Most of it are having incomplete documentations... Especially the ZXing's version. But well a friend managed to provide me with a working library and working example where I could implement it with ease.
• Understanding of 'Context' in Android and how passing it to another Class is important to work with the UI.
• Oh with QR Code Scanner I managed to understand slightly on how AsyncTask works with HTTP GET/POST and also onPostExecute method is important to update main thread. Need to dive in more into this to get to know fully.
• Some basic layout properties.
• Facebook SDK! Simple Login to Facebook and getting the username from the Session and Request Me.

On the other hand, I've been watching some movies which I've missed on the big screen:
• Her 2013
• Jack Ryan Shadow Recruit 2013

Other movies are:
• Broken Hill 2009
• Gattaca 1997

Her is best in the list above. And I especially love one of the what-feels-like-poem to me script:

It’s like I’m reading a book
And it’s a book I deeply love
But I’m reading it slowly now
So the words are really far apart
And the spaces between the words are almost infinite
I can still feel you, and the words of our story
But it’s in this endless space between the words that I’m finding myself now.
It’s a place that’s not of the physical world
It’s where everything else is that I didn’t even knew existed.

I love you so much
But this is where I am now
And this is who I am now
And I need you to let me go.

Meanwhile I also loved the story of Broken Hill. Without Alexa Vega, I probably wouldn't know of this beautiful spiritual movie.

Sims 3

I must say I've been quite addicted in Sims 3 after knowing that I could download the Store contents plus many mods which makes the game easier/faster.

I have also made some tuning mods on my own.

I tried to build a futuristic house using the theme of Into The Future and I think I created one which seems fabulous I should say.

Some screens should speak about it:

Exterior Mini Kitchen + Dining Hallway from entrance

Weakness

I compared, I feared, I backed off.

Yes, I was very used to comparing with people, from appearance to intelligence to beliefs and opinions. I loved to challenge and proving I am right.

Till now, I still am but just not so much. It's just appearance, intelligence and beliefs.

Yes, however I see this as a weakness of mine, a very profound one. As I age I know such behaviour is intolerant, therefore I started backing out and pushing people away. I am good at that.

I figured both ways leads me to hell. I couldn't stand comparing with people because I fear I may lose the person close to me. Backing off lay waste to my own benefit where I won't get to know anyone as period goes.

Then again, if I do not compare I feel I may lose out silently and if I don't back out I may end up in a heated argument.

I am still torn in between. Those changes I am dealing with are difficult, really difficult. At the same time I am trying to tear down this damn wall of 'somestrongelement'-ium. At the same time, I want to get in the battle.

So what should I choose? The peace path or the killing path? For which I know I was on the killing path but it did not work out and now I have been trying to walk into the peace path.

Having such characteristic, I tend to think that everyone else is the same. I fear asking for assistance because I 'know' people have their own battles to fight. Such battles to fight using their own skills and knowledge where they aren't eager to impart.

I don't know.

Health

This is my third time falling sick this semester.
And worse of all it all comes from the same cause - stomach.

First was due to a bowl of laksa from campus. Second was due to some food from campus and third was literally due to no-food day. Yup, it is indeed all stomach alright.

Because of this, I have to, really have to find out the root of this issue as I know a healthy stomach would not have pertain to such resort. This time I probably got it right (hopefully), without the aid of a doctor once again.

Honestly I can never trust a doctor anymore because of the country I live in. Well this reason itself is enough actually but there are others. Like, most medications given doesn't really 'cure' the root of the problem. Of course they do solve the current outbreak, just quicker.

I've realised for the very past years since my Polytechnic days, my first episode of a stomach.. ulcer? flu? problem didn't get me thinking. I just thought oh it came just because I ate some wrong food. However, I must say that was probably the start of all problems.

I love researching, and I did. At first I was told to take Antacid as a solution but hey wait, those are for acid reflux and heartburn mainly which I don't exhibit. The symptoms I exhibited are:

• Bloating stomach (most of the time), even small meals
• Constant burping, even hours after meal
• Gas which smells (talk about embarrassment...)
• Bad breath - this is forever, around since ... ugh

Checked thoroughly with information, and it seems to be LOW STOMACH ACID. With this problem, it leads to protein deficiency. Researched for protein deficiency and I found that the symptoms which I AM EXHIBITING are:

• Excessive Dry Skin
• Ridges in finger and toe nails (in my case only fingernails)
• Constant craving for snacks

It seems to add up alright,
low stomach acid -> protein deficiency -> problems with external areas .

Excessive Dry Skin, yes literally to the fact that holding to a metal pole has NO FRICTION AT ALL.

Well I went out to local pharmaceutical stores to check out for Betaine HCL which is the supplement for low stomach acid but to no avail. Everywhere they are selling Antacid... Resorted to online store iHerb and purchased one, hopefully it will be delivered within 3 days and I could start restoring my health. If all goes right.

Updates

Many had happened since my last post- mostly good I must say.

The awesome thing is, I feel that I am back on track. Negative thoughts are slowly disappearing (and it MUST stay this way).
Ever since a friend asked me to get started on Android development, it felt like my hobby and life has been reinvigorated.

I learnt many parts of the Android SDK, namely:
•JSONParser
•XMLParser
•ListView
•SQLiteHelper
and many more...
plus running Root shell commands on Android.

With it, I've managed to create 2 apps so far (well, of course it's an achievement for me), and they are PSI retriever and Reboot Tool.

Reboot Tool

PSI Retriever

These two apps are available on my site:
How about my social life?
I've always, in my mind, say that my social life is crap. My 'classic' clique are all in their own world - money, relationship and progression.

Meanwhile, I am still down the stairs. So naturally, the topics to talk about becomes few and really all I wanted to is to have less contact with them.

For that I have to find someone else with common topics, and I am glad there is (well of course there will be lol).

Also, on 25/3 Tuesday, after my first class and which then I have 3 hours break. I went around trying to find a good spot to stay idle or use my phone after lunch. I sat down at the corridor linking from CLB to Comp and a few moments later, 2 lovely ladies approached me.

The starter question they asked included the word 'faith'. My mind seems to process that word differently apparently. Thing is, many approached me before on this but I always rejected them as I think their starter was quite straight asking which religion am I.

The word 'faith' is everywhere, not just pertaining to religion. So, I accepted them readily and it was a great sharing session. I don't normally share my views with strangers but somehow it might be that I have been longing to share my views regarding beliefs, faith and religion. And I literally opened up, woah that was really new for me.

Without that session, I probably wouldn't know that I could do this so I must thank the 2 ladies for approaching me.

That's about it thus far.