Adding an extra hard disk to a Dell Inspiron 1720

I've bought a new hard disk for my computer some time ago. This disk was bought with the intention to replace the 120gb drive that came with the laptop. The disk to be replaced was not broken it just became small. I knew that I needed a caddy to use the extra space to add another disk. So I just replace the old 120gb drive with a new 500gb drive  using its caddy. I had the 120gb drive on my desk and I thought that may be I could connect it to the laptop using a standard s-ata plug. And so I did.

Once you open your laptop you have to find this section and remove it.

This is the conector that I removed. I tried to remove it by applying heat with an soldering iron but I couldn't, But with a flat screwdriver I managed to separate the connector enough from the pcb to reach the contacts with a wire cutter and cut them.

I cutted a S-ATA cable and expose the inner cables to solder them into the pcb. I used the info on wikipedia to recognize the pins. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_ATA

I forgot to take a pic before of drilling the hole for the cables... so I used this pic to show how it was before I did drill the case.

I took a Molex to S-ATA cable and cutted the Molex connector. Then I pulled out the cables from the S-ATA end. Then, I cutted one side of the connector with the help of a little saw and placed the cables again.

I used some glue to avoid the cables to move freely and most important, to avoid short circuits.

I soldered the S-ATA cable to the pcb...

Then soldered the power cables... This was a great fail! Because I soldered the cables on the same side the adaptor was!! So When I tried to put the pcb in place I realized that it didn't fit...

The previous fail made me realize that the hole I had drilled was not enough to the cables to fit in. So I took a needle-nose pliers and made a hole big enough to allow the cables and plugs to fit.

I soldered the cables to the other side of the pcb.

This is how the hard disk fits in the second hard drive bay of the Inspiron 1720

Shorcut to development menu

When I upgraded my phone to android 2.3.3, I lost a shorcut to the development menu that appeared in the notification bar. So I made an app that mimics that shorchut. Here you can have it.

You can also download it using  QR Droid Private or another QR reading app on the QR below wirh your android camera

Acceso directo al menu de de desarrollo

Cuando actualizace a android 2.3.3 perdi un acceso directo que aparecia en la barra de notificaciones a las configuraciones de desarrollo que tenia en mi celular. Asi que bueno hice una app que imita este acceso. Aca la tienen

Sino la pueden bajar usando QR Droid Private  en el  QR de la derecha con la camara de tu android

Nueva app!

Ayer subi una nueva app, se llama "Usar como Ringtone", como su nombre lo dice... podés elegir cualquier archivo mp3 y usarlo como Ringtone para llamadas o para mensajes SMS (notificaciones).

Puedes bajarlo de aqui  o usando QR Droid Private en la imagen QR en la derecha.

New app in the market!

Yesterday I've uploaded a new app. This one its called "Set as Ringtone". As the name says its for set a mp3 file as your android Ringtone or Notification. You can choose any mp3 that you have in your SD card and set it as Ringtone or Notification. Enjoy!

You can download it from the market from
here  or using QR Droid Private  on the QR on the right with your android phone camera.

How to use Wi5

This is the home screen of Wi5 when you start the program

When you press the menu button a menu is displayed

Press the connect button to be available to receive and make calls

In the upper left corner you can see the Wi5 service running

Now if you press the menu button, you can see a new menu with the refresh and disconnect options.

If there is any contact available to speak, it will appear in this screen. Press the name to call this contact

You have to press the green phone to call the contact that you previously selected. Then your contact phone will ring, as it would do in a normal call, but this is made through your wifi!

Ayuda Para Usar Wi5

Pantalla inical del programa

Al pulsar menu, elija conectar para iniciar el programa y poder detectar a otros telefonos que esten corriendo el programa.

Una vez conectado por favor pulsa actualizar para encontrar los dispositivos conectados en la red en que estas conectado

Una vez encontrado algun dispositivo, para poder comunicarse con el, pulsar sobre el nombre.

Aparecera esta pantalla para lograr comunicarse con su contacto. Para comenzar la charla pulse el boton con el telefono verde.

En el otro telefono aparecera esta pantalla, cuando pulse el boton verde atendera la llamada

Para concluir la llamada pulsar el boton rojo desde cualquiera de los telefonos.

Nueva app en el Market!

Se llama Wi5 (WiFive seria). Sirve para comunicarse entre teléfonos Android que esten en la misma Wlan. Asi se puede utilizar el teléfono como Walkie Talkie y hacer llamadas ilimitadas entre telefonos que tengan la app y que esten en la misma red.
La puedes descargar desde aqui o  usando QR Droid Private en la imagen QR debajo.


New App in Android  Market

It's called Wi5. It lets you communicate to another android phones with the same app  and make unlimited calls while you are in the same WLAN. This can be used as a Walkie Talkie where you have a WLAN infraestucture.

You can download it from here or by using QR Droid Private on the QR below