Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Fitbit Versa sync issues with Pixel 2 XL (after Android Pie 9.0 update)

If you are like me and thousands of others, you bought a brand new Fitbit Versa and Android flagship phone (Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL) only to find out that your Fitbit randomly stops syncing with your phone every day or two. There are so many solutions out there, from restarting your watch to factory reseting your phone + watch, which works for a while, but again only for a day or two.

After struggling with this issue for few months, I finally figured out a solution that reliably works. Without going into the details, this would (probably?) work for you if you keep your phone's bluetooth on for the whole day (which you would if you want to do all day sync and get notifications on your phone).

What you want to do is turn off your phone's bluetooth for a long-ish time (it doesn't work if you turn off bluetooth and turn it on again after few seconds). So, every night after I sleep, I turn off my bluetooth on phone and turn it on again when I wake up. You can automate the whole thing by following these steps:

  1. Install IFTTT on your phone. Open the App and sign in/create account.
  2. You want to setup a rule to turn off bluetooth at 12:30am or whatever time you are asleep and turn on bluetooth at 6:00am or whatever time you wake up.
  3. Go to "My applets" on the app (lower right), click on "+" (upper right) to setup a new applet. For "this" part of applet, pick up "Date & time" service and choose "Every day at" trigger with your sleep time (12:30am). For "That" part of applet, pick up "Android Device" service and select "Turn off Bluetooth" action.
  4. Create another applet for If "Everyday at 6:00am" then "Turn off Bluetooth" by following the instructions above.
  5. You are done! Hopefully now your sync service should work for the whole day without hiccups. 

Please let me know in comments if this solution worked for you.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Opening Sony Ericsson w580i Cell Phone's Battery Cover

I recently bought a new Sony Ericsson w580i Cell phone. The first impressions of the phone were good until I tried to put in the Sim card and close the battery door. I had a little difficulty trying to close the battery door (It took me almost 5 mins trying not to damage the phone). Well, the scary part was over, right?

Well, no. After a day, I needed to open the battery cover to take out the Sim card. Well, how tough can it be? VERY VERY tough. I spent 1 hour trying to open it "gently". My patience ran out after 1 hr and I started using all my force, but still nothing after two hours. So, then I sat down and searched online for an answer -- There were couple of questions where people commented on how hard is it to open the battery door of w580i but no solutions. Finally, I came across a review which suggested using a knife (ouch!) to open the door. So, after I found out a better way to open it without the risk of damaging it, I decided to post it here so others can (hopefully) find this solution when searching.

You will need a rubber/latex glove (I used the cheap ones you get at Walmart for house cleaning). Put the phone face down on a soft surface (so as not to damage the screen while applying pressure). Now, put on the glove on your hand and apply a little bit of pressure on the battery cover (your thumb should be resting on the "Sony Ericsson" text and pointing towards the green Sony Ericsson logo). Now push the battery cover downwards and it should open up without the need of excessive pressure.

Although this is highly unlikely, I do not take any responsibility of any damage that might occur to your phone by following my advise

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

What's My Pirate Name



My pirate name is:


Iron Davy Kidd



A pirate's life isn't easy; it takes a tough person. That's okay with you, though, since you a tough person. Even though you're not always the traditional swaggering gallant, your steadiness and planning make you a fine, reliable pirate. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

How to make Kadhai Chicken

I recently found a funny picture about how to make "Kadhai Chicken" on my friend Kinshuk's Homepage. Here is the recipe:



Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us


Enjoy!

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Free online storage space

I was looking for some website that offers completely free online storage space. I use to store some of the most important files I needed in Yahoo briefcase. Although, its convenient, they don't offer much free space. I wanted to backup some important files on my computer so that I don't loose them if my hard disk crashes. I saw this ad on either edealinfo or deals2buy (which BTW are great sites for deals) for streamload.com -- which is offering 10 GB for free!!!

Well, I did some more research on streamload.com and I have to say that their offer is not bad. They do offer 10 GB for free accounts, BUT you cannot download more than 100 MB / month and not more than 10 MB per file. We can get over the second limit by things like hjsplit, but.... I don't see many of my important files with size > 10 MB. The paid account (the minimum paid account) is something like $5, which, I think is not a huge amount if you do need to download more than 100 MB sometime. So, for now I keep my files on their free acount and will upgrade to paid one if and when I need to. They have two programs for downloading and uploading whole directory structures, and there are some other third party programs on their site which provides nice interface for streamload. (link) But I found some bugs in streamload uploader.

In general, I don't like to put too much trust on the new players in the market. They all start with offers like streamload but subsequently reduce the disk space or make it paid. This website gives a good comparison of all the sites that provide you with free space for your files.

Well, it would be interesting if someone made a "wrapper" around gmail which will make your gmail account a place to store your files (atleast you will get 1 GB of guarranteed free space, and you can always make more accounts ;-) ). I don't think its very difficult, maybe something similar already exists.

Tuesday, July 05, 2005

Statistical Information based on Star Signs

Statistics taken from : 15003 Software professionals
From Countries US, China, India, Japan, Pakistan, Mexico, Canada, Australia, UK
Total Software Companies : 980

The following is based only on statistical information and nothing to do about astrology. Though the following proves that the theory of Star Sign true to some extent.

March 21 - Aries - April 19
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The software professionals belonging to this star are hard working and sincere. Though they second the Taureans in the hard work they are intelligent in their approach. They tend to display strong leadership, and their extroverted and assertive natures let them lead off the new cycle eagerly. They have humour in their programming style and deepest concern for finishing a project. They are dynamic and active, as befits the beginning of any project cycle. As long as the boss gives them work and good salary they are happy. If the organization is not doing good, they are the first to know about it and they exit immediately.


April 20 - Taurus -May 20
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The most hard working people of all the signs. They are among the strongest Signs when it comes to getting things done because of their reliable persistence in moving toward completion of projects. On the other hand, they can be very stubborn and argumentative. Though they are clumpsy at their work they get it dome. They show the deepest respect to their bosses but hate them when they are ordered. They can work just on any platform and language given small amount of learning time. They can withstand failure on any projects but they undergo a little depression. They do not bother how the organization is doing as long as they get good work and good salary. the accomodate to changes very easily.


May 21 - Gemini -June 21
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These also flirt here.They talk more than what they know and form very bad programmers. They are fascinated with gathering as much information as possible, and their facility as communicators-both written and verbal-arises from this need. They see the problem earlier than any sign can. They are adaptable and able to tackle multiple tasks simultaneously, and they know how to reason with people, but they may lack follow-through or seem ungrateful. They tend to give management jargons to the young software people around them. They feel jealosy when somebody in their group know more and achieve more then these people. They get their job done by hook or crook. They dont mind getting the work done through somebody and once they get it done they claim the title. They show deep respect for people who help them. They change jobs easily and they fair very well in interviews. The geminis cannot be trusted for more than a year. They are very impractical and cannot get along well with practcal signs like Aries Taurus.


June 22 - Cancer -July 22
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The emotional of all signs do posses the management skill more than of a programmer. They can manage projects and they have appreciation for good software professionals. Though they by themselves do not form a good software professional they motivate/demotivate the fellow people along with them. They can argue on any matter easily and win over it either through a
practical approach or emotionally. They play intelligently when given a task. They also like Gemini get the work done through colleagues once they know they are not capable. They are very honest and if they cant do a job they tell you straight in the face. They feel embarassed when they feel they are unable to do, when a colleague can do it easily. They are also jelous when they seen people growing around them. They give a huge try to be on par with everybody. They stay for a long time in a company only if they get more respect than what they


July 23 - Leo -August 23
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The creative software profesionals. They know how what works and how to get it done in the shortest time. They show their flamboyance in what ever work they do. Though most of the leos dont prefer Software field at all the ones that are in would not like to be in it. They would prefer to be outside where they can show other talents which they posses. Leos may be arrogant or egotistical, but they are good organizers and tend to be popular and even inspiring. Leo tends to be about self and personal popularity rather than group goals and sharing of ideas. Despite their tendency to patronizingly interfere in others' plans, they are leaders, confident and dignified. Despite their tendency toward bossiness and pretention, the natural leadership of people born under Leo and their administrative prowess helps ensure that their projects are successful. As leaders, Leos are decisive and direct, optimistic that they will succeed. Sometimes they exaggerate problems and overreact to stumbling blocks, but generally they are positive and their natural pride and stubborn streak keep them from giving up. They can be demanding leaders, but they are also generous. The leos could not be generalized as far as their personal behaviour goes. Its upto you to know them whether they can be trusted.


August 24 - Virgo -September 22
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Virgo, the sharing mind. They let out whatever they know to others. They grow in a organization easily. Virgo brings their skills and talents together for the good of others.Virgo are industrious and efficient when working for a good cause. They are shy and nervous when they want to say something of importance though. They are unable to demonstrate whatever they know. But they are practical and logical, and they're skilled at seeing all sides of a situation. Virgos tend to be about smaller-scale projects and individuals. They are very good at understanding what people are saying beneath the surface words their communication. Detailed and precise, people born under Virgo tend too be neat and exacting, but sometimes petty and overly fussy. At the other end of the scale, some Virgos can be sloppy. They are reliable, practical, and diligent, but they can sometimes seem picky or over-critical to people who aren't as discriminating as they are. The dont tend to do well in projects that requires many interactions and people involvement. Though there are lot of contradictions, the summary is that they can be good at things that are small given a lot of time for implementation. They may worry too much about small details, and they can seem demanding and critical. Their analytical nature and attention to duty can seem like nitpicking or pettiness if the people around them don't understand Virgo's desire for perfection.



September 23 - Libra -October 22
------------- --------------------------------------------

Best people to work with in large scale project activity. They form the best middle level co-ordinators in projects and bring harmony amoungst all. They try to bring justice but can be persuaded by anybody to belong to anyside. They dont have a clear balance in what they do. But when they set a schedule you can be sure that a Libran will succeed in that. They are very demanding as far as the money goes. Its important that a Libran never gets bored, because if he is so he is out of everything. He will not do a single task when his mood is off. Libra's intellectual orientation to the world around them makes them skilled at communication and abstract reasoning, and their intelligence combines with their interest in other people to become an intellectual exploration of the people around them. Because their efforts are mentally rather than emotionally motivated, Librans tend to be very judicial; they are good at diplomacy and compromise. Because they are generally reluctant to face confrontation, people born under Libra learn to be persuasive, courteous, and adaptable. But this may also make them seem cold nd unemotional or manipulative. They are team workers, skilled at cooperative action, but they can also be self-doubting. They are trustable for long times as long as they have good working atmosphere.


October 23 - Scorpio -November 21
----------------------------------------------------

The most intutive software professionals. They do not like to be controlled by others and often tend to be the bosses even if they arent one. If things go wrong they just quit. If a project doesnt seem to go well and they are in a tight spot they just abscond and never come back. But if they make their mind ( 8% of the scorpions) they tend to be stubborn, refusing to give up when others have long since gotten bored and abandoned a project, and getting things done when no one else thought it possible. They have their own schedule and they work on it. They are not adaptable to group situations and tend to be what they are. They are very secretive in what ever they do. They are highly vengenful and will strike when somebody stamps their way. But most scorpios are misunderstood on their behaviour. They try to know things around them and are the first to be aware of the technology adaptable. They enjoy competiotion and they never settle for something less then best. They are trustable as long as they have work and happy and they have somebody in the management to care of. But when things go bad the Scorpios can never be trusted , better to lay him off right away if you think he is playing bad.


November 22 - Sagittarius -December 21

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

The learned Software professional. They learn more than that is required in this field and are the most adaptable folks. They really care little for any project plans and know how to get it changed. Their main desire is freedom in whatever thery do. Given a free hand they do best. They are less co-operative in group and tend to be very pushy. They talk too much before they think and always fail at critical times. They are eager in getting things started and they jump so quickly and if they fail they fail quickely too. They like one-to-one challenges and are driven away by group when they try a blunt talk. The come back to the group after a fight sulking but needing. The great love for knowledge makes them more learned They are trustable as long as they think that they are learning in the current organization. They would go away in a flash if they feel that they can learn more elsewhere.


December 22 - Capricorn - January 19
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Capricorns are practical and overambitious. The are down to earth when they want to get things completed. They are practical realistic and cautious when they schedule something. They have the highest determination for success, they view each project as a block for their success and less bothered about the project itself. They can also be rigid and unforgiving when others stand in their way. Their organizational ability combines with their diligence to help them achieve, but they can be narrow-minded and over-critical of people not as ambitious as they are. Capricorn would work hard and hard just for his personal success and not for his satisfaction, which is just the oppsite in case of a taurus. They are dependable and serious, never giving up on their goals. Other people may see their ambition as domineering or a reflection of egotism,but they are patient and purposeful when working toward what they want. Sometimes they may be overly critical, even bossy, but this is due to their strong desire to achieve their goals and not to a esire to be rude.



January 20 - Aquarius -February 18
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Hard working, and get things done just for the organization. They are very good at group projects and form a good co-ordinators. They can be opinionated, and they work hard to bring their ideas to fruition, stubbornly refusing to give up their causes. They get to know the technology around them and would discuss with the people around. But since they stick to what evr they think is right sometimes this makes them go away from the group and they keep aloof. The are trustable and would stick on for a long time given the right kind of people around them .



February 19 - Pisces -March 20
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The people who are just meant to work only in group. Ther are selfless and do it as you require. They most important thing to be put in them is the "focus" since they get out doing something when they loose interst. All signs take adavantage of Pisces for their work because would like all other to make use of his abilities. Though they are not intellectuals they are very broad minded and good thinkers. Very trustable as long as they are not abused too often by their colleagues.

Wednesday, June 29, 2005

Random Quote for your website

Finally, after procrastinating this for years (I am great at procrastinating small things) - I finally coded it up. To cut the long story short, whereever you want a random quote to appear on your webpage, just cut and paste these lines there:

<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript" src="http://sarvjeet.com/cgi/quote.pl"></script>

To see how it looks, go to my homepage. If you use it, please send me an email (or leave a comment to this post) with your website link.

FAQ:
Q: I want a feature X
A: Email me and I will try to help

Q: Your quote base is great. I have some nice quotes and I want to add them to yours
A: Great! Thanks. Send them to me, I will be happy to include them

Q: Your quotes are junk. I want to put random quotes on my website using my own quotes collection
A: Ok, contact me and I will send you the source code and (maybe) help you set it up on your website and stuff.

Fitbit Versa sync issues with Pixel 2 XL (after Android Pie 9.0 update)

If you are like me and thousands of others , you bought a brand new Fitbit Versa and Android flagship phone (Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, Pixel 3, ...