How To Unstick The Samsung Galaxy S3 Boot Screen Issue

The Problem

A couple of days ago, I noticed that my phone had randomly powered off. At first, I thought maybe I had accidentally turned it off while it rested in my pocket. So, I turned it back on and went about my day.

Unfortunately, the phone continued to randomly shut down without notice. I knew this was going to be a problem, but when it started affecting my morning alarm clock, it was time to take immediate action.

Unlike the numerous times before, I was able to press the power button and continue forward. However, this morning my phone wouldn't go past the Samsung logo screen. Even after removing the battery, the phone would consistently load the Sprint splash screen, followed by the Samsung Galaxy S III logo, and then resting on the word "Samsung." 

Resolution 1: Reset the Phone

After numerous attempts to restart the phone, I had no other course of action. It was time to do a factory reset. 

Step 1: Take out the battery for about 5-10 seconds and then replace.

Step 2: Hold the Home + Power + Volume Up buttons until you see the Samsung Galaxy S III screen.

Step 3: Once you see the Samsung Galaxy S III screen release the power button, but continue to hold Home + Volume Up until the green Android appears.

Step 4: Using the Volume Up or Down buttons, select "wipe data/factory reset" from the options and press Power to select.

Note: You may also try using the "wipe cache partition."

Step 5: Using the Volume Up or Down buttons, select "Yes -- delete all user data" from the options and then press the Power button to select.

Note: Please be aware that saying "Yes" to this step will permanently erase your pictures, phone numbers, videos, applications, and anything else you hold dear. 

Step 6: Once the factory reset has finished, select "reboot system now."

Resolution 2: Restoring the Phone's Firmware Using Odin   

After attempting the aforementioned resolution, I was still frozen at the "Samsung" logo. What else can I do?

Well, it was time to bring out the big guns and restore the phone's firmware using an application called Odin.

Step 1: Download and install the Samsung USB Drivers on to your computer. Please be aware that this file is the same for all Galaxy S III's and it will require a computer reboot.

Step 2: Download Odin to your computer and unzip the folder to your computer's desktop.

Step 3: Put your phone into Download Mode by pressing Home + Power + Volume Down buttons.

Step 4: Connect the phone's USB cord from the computer into the device and open the Odin application from within the unzipped folder.

Step 5: Make sure Auto Reboot and F. Reset Time are checked. Wait long enough for Odin to connect with the phone. You can tell it's connected when you see something listed under ID:COM and in the Message box. Mine says, "<ID:0/005> Added!"

Note: During my installation, the computer downloaded additional drivers and installed them. It may have taken about 2 minutes before it connected. Your connection time may vary.

Step 6: Download your phone's firmware. My phone is the the SPH-L710 from Sprint. Yours may be different so be sure to search the device listing on http://www.samsung-updates.com for the latest version.

Step 7: Once the phone connects to Odin and you have the most recent version of the firmware, click on PDA within Odin and select the downloaded firmware. It should end in ".tar."

Step 8: Click Start. Once Odin completes its process, the phone will restart. Voila!

I hope this information helps you address any issues that you may have had. A special thanks to the following sites for their assistance: WonderHowTo.com, XDA-Developers.com, and Samsung-Updates.com.

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Google Celebrates Les Paul's 96th Birthday With Guitar Doodle

Today, on Google's home page, visitors can participate with the daily Doodle by playing a virtual guitar. The interactive instrument is in remembrance of the late Les Paul, a famous jazz and country guitarist, whose 96th birthday is today (June 9). As an added bonus, you can record your session and easily share it with a shortened URL. Here is what my song sounds like. Enjoy!

Click here to listen.

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How To Extend The HTC Evo Battery Life

Darin Tyler shows us how he more than doubled the battery life on the HTC Evo.



If you cannot see the video, click here.

Link to Battery:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003SNIR7Y

Link to Case:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003XDU0AQ

If you like what you've read, take this opportunity to subscribe to my RSS Feed and Newsletter.  However, don't forget to connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Buzz, or Friendfeed.

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It Feels Like The Good Ol' Days

Yesterday, I made the decision to return to online journaling. It was a decision that I took great care to make. For one, there can be a huge time commitment. I recall how easily I spent hours writing one entry. Now that I am a doctoral student working on the dissertation, I feel as though I might be cheating myself. The time it takes to write an entry could be time used to read an article or write a page of the proposal.

At the same time, I am reminded of how journaling made me a better writer. Maybe this is just me procrastinating, but if memory serves me well, I wrote daily in my journal and completed the M.B.A. If that doesn't prove something, I don't know what will.

Anyway, after I posted my first entry yesterday, I spent a great deal of time personalizing the site. For starters, I changed the look to reflect a more lived in design. I added some additional widgets and offered visitors a number of ways to keep in touch.

As the day wore on, I found myself growing increasingly excited about the new space. So much that I started dusting off my HTML and CSS skills. My goal was to add a Tweetmeme and AddThis button to the site. After a series of failed attempts to place the buttons where I wanted them, I accepted defeat; not of the war, just in battle.

Today is a new day. I wake up excited about reviewing my Google analytics, Feedburner statistics, AdSense dollars, and Bit.ly follows. No, the results are not astounding. In fact, there is very little action outside of my own visits; no worries, though, because I understand the value of building things.

This morning, I am looking into alternative solutions. In my cursory reading, I found there are other services that may provide answers. Another option, and one I'm not eager to make, is the idea of moving from Blogger to Wordpress. Based on the search for widgets, I found Wordpress is a formidable opponent with lots of bells and whistles. I don't want to act in haste, so I'll leave that decision for another time.

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