The Windows Mobile Image Update System - Updating your ROM without losing data!

***THIS POST IS NOT COMPLETE, I WILL UPDATE MORE LATER***

First, an introduction:

The Image Update system allows the OEM (us! ) to issue updates to a "Live" filesystem - without disrupting user data. This allows, for example, a buggy driver to be updated after the phone has been shipped, or a software package to be updated to the latest version, with minimal knowledge on the user's part. The system validates all updates against an internal list of certificates, and refuses the update if a match is not obtained. This system can also be used to deploy entirely new software to the device (such as support for another locale, input method editor, application support for a new feature the carrier is rolling out, etc.)

Potential usage scenarios for this system

A central server could be maintained for all SYS/OEM updates - each ROM Chef would need to maintain a list of original packages, any updated package(s), and download URL's for each updated package. The user would then receive these updates through the built-in AutoUpdate facility in Windows Mobile, which can check periodically, or on-demand. Each Chef could maintain seperate download servers from the update server to minimize server load.

Alternatively, a chef could provide .cab.pkg updates in his or her ROM thread, on their own web site, etc., and the user could download these and install them at will. These packages can optionally be authenticated to be coming from the Chef, if the Chef wants to ensure updates are coming from him only. A public certificate could also be used to allow users to issue updates as well.

The more technical Summary

Image Update allows an OEM to issue updates to the OEM's, XIP, SYS, (possibly) Radio, or any combination of these. The update can be pushed to the user via a specially formatted SMS or by manual execution. There are at least 2 levels of certificate checking involved in the process, I believe against \SYS\Metadata\DefaultCerts.dat. The system reboots into the ULDR to apply the update, because the filesystem cannot be modified while actively mounted. The ULDR provides a minimal operating enviornment to facilitate this.

How does a Chef need to prepare a ROM for Image Updating?

The Chef would need to use a ROM Kitchen that leaves the .dsm and .rgu file structure intact (i.e. an "unprotected" ROM) - All .dsm's in this ROM would need to be properly formatted with Package Name, versioning info, etc. during the cooking process, in order to facilitate version checking, etc. Each .dsm would need to be signed with a certificate the Chef would use to validate the update as coming from him or her. (Alternatively a public certificate could be used like SDKCerts if the Chef chooses not to maintain direct control over updates, and allow other users to create updates as well)

The Chef also needs to ensure not to Reduce the ULDR partition or remove it; this would cripple the Update Loader and prevent the Image Update system from functioning.

The .cab.pkg format

At the root of a package, the .dsm defines the Package structure (all files, registry entries, etc.) It contains version info, certificates, and other data. A ROM consists of a number of these packages, in an area of flash memory that is not user-writable. When someone wants to issue an update using the ImageUpdate system, they create a matching .dsm, same guid, with a newer version number, same internal package name, same processor ID, os version, etc., there is also a flag that can be marked as an update package or a new package - in this .dsm they define the files that will make up the new, updated package. Here they can add or remove files. One of the files defined by the package is optionally an .rgu, and this defines the registry entries associated with the package. Also optionally included is a provxml to facilitate file operations (copy/replace/delete/rename/etc.) and further registry or metabase operations. This collection of files is rolled up into a ".cab.pkg" archive by a program like cabarc. Once in a pkg.cab format, the package is signed.

A .cab.pkg is referred to as a "Canonical Package" and multiple Canonical Packages can be rolled up into a single "Super Package" to facilitate updating multiple Packages at the same time.

Inside this .cab.pkg is where the "MNGE" file format comes in to play. Essentially, this format is Microsoft's way of storing an XIP Module in the filesystem. (Their equivalent of our imageinfo.bin + s000, s001, etc.) - The "MNGE" format is simply a 4-byte MNGE header, followed by the imageinfo.bin, followed by the s00x sections attached to the end. When the Image Update system processes a file in this MNGE format, it is added to the IMGFS as an XIP Module.

Deploying a .cab.pkg to a device

Now there are several ways to deploy this package to the device, the primary way is an OMA-DM SMS message, which triggers the Image Update system to initiate a download from a server defined in the SMS message. The server can be either a normal HTTP server or a secure HTTPS server. The Image Update system will prompt the user to plug in the usb cable to download over the users home connection if the user has not already authorized the Auto Update system to utilize their GPRS data connection.

Another way for a .cab.pkg update to be pushed to the system is simply through a file copy operation, be it ActiveSync, SD Card, Bluetooth, or otherwise. Once on the device, the .cab.pkg is executed by the user the same way a .cab would be.

The Update Agent

Initiated by either a completed download from push SMS, or user-executed, the "Update Agent" program (which is part of the \SYS\FWUPDATE Package) attempts to validate the Certificates, Package dependancies, and other info contained in the .cab.pkg and .dsm. Once validated, the "Update Agent" sets a flag that the bootloader reads, the flag is a boolean, off = boot into normal OS, on = boot into ULDR - so then the system reboots, the flag is read, and you load into...

The Update Loader

The "Update Loader" or "ULDR" which is a minimal kernel configuration, that provides just enough driver support to display info on screen, respond to user input, and read/write from the internal flash (NAND or NOR)

From here the ULDR does further validation on the .cab.pkg, and applies it to the filesystem. If there are any modules in the package it dynamically relocates the memory map to make sure there are no overlaps. This is why it's important that reloc's not be removed from your ROM - ULDR will fail in this case.

The End Result

Once the ULDR has completed updating, the device is again rebooted, back into the full system, where the now-updated packages are now a part of the IMGFS, any updated files are processed (.rgu, .provxml, etc.) - The package is now a full part of the ROM.

The new .dsm replaces the old .dsm (along with the other files in the package) and now a future update will be checked against this new package.

If the update was pushed via OMA-DM SMS, or AutoUpdate, the device Pushes a notification to the OMA-DM server notifying it of the update status.

What's missing right now to implent the ImageUpdate system?

We need a Kitchen that's properly configured to allow us to create versioning info, proper package names, and insert this along with a certificate (or multiple certificates) into the .dsm's.
We also need the Kitchen to be able to modify \SYS\Metadata\DefaultCerts.dat with the certificates used, so that it passes authentication. Alternatively the authentication checking could be patched out. (this one is easily doable at build-time)
We need a program that can convert from a standard file to an MNGE format, so we can implement modules in our .cab.pkg's. (done it seems, thanks ervius!)
We (optionally) need a properly configured web server that supports HTTP/HTTPS, can communicate the proper xml configuration data, and can be updated with new packages by Chefs. (this one's a ways off)
We (optionally) need a program to convert from MNGE format to a standard file to facilitate extracting modules from .cab.pkg's. (working hard on that)

How Do I Stop My Browser from Slowing to a Crawl?

Dear Lifehacker,
Everyone bickers about which browser is faster, but in my experience all of them eventually slow down after I've opened a few tabs and used them for a while. Whether I use Chrome, Firefox, or IE, my CPU spikes, the browser eats my memory, and it slows to a crawl. How can I stop this?
Please Help,
Need for Speed

Photo by William Warby.

Dear Need for Speed,
That's the trouble with browsers these days-everyone argues over a few seconds of startup and rendering time, but eventually everyone winds up complaining about how slow they get with regular use. Everyone has their favorite, but since we're not talking about any specific browser, here are a few suggestions to speed up any browser that's gotten bogged down over time.

Uninstall Unnecessary Extensions

Regardless of the browser you use, there are likely some extensions running in the background that you've kept as the browser has updated that you no longer need. The folks at the Mozilla Foundation are so convinced that old extensions are the reason behind poor experiences with Firefox that they've dedicated an entire page to calling out browsers that haven't updated their code for new versions. For example, FastestFox, a Firefox extension meant to speed up Firefox, is actually one of the browsers top-five slow performing add-ons. Chrome Extensions are no exception to this rule either. Even if they're helpful, they can often be the culprit when it comes to a slow browsing experience.

One of the best ways to speed up a bogged down browser is to take a hard look at the extensions you have installed and uninstall the ones that you don't need anymore. Also, check to see if newer extensions exist that perform the same functions as the older ones that, while not broken, also haven't been updated for a long time. For example, when I discovered that the author of one of my favorite mouse gestures extensions for Firefox, Mozgest, flat-out refused to support or update for any version higher than 3.6, the community stepped in and updated the code for him to support new versions. Unfortunately, the extension got slower and slower, and even though it was useful, there are other extensions and developers willing to keep their code up to date. Look around, you might be surprised.

Uninstall/Reinstall Flash and Java

For many people, especially those with iOS devices, living without Adobe Flash isn't such a far-fetched idea. You still need it for a number of sites, specifically sites that don't have mobile equivalents and require you navigate the site using Flash, but if you can get away with uninstalling it entirely and browsing without it, your browsing experience will be smoother. Google Chrome has Flash under the hood without you having to install a plug-in, which helps with stability, but you can still get a speedier browsing experience by disabling the Flash plugin. If you don't want to live in a Flash-less world, consider at least uninstalling Adobe Flash entirely and then re-installing the most recent and up-to-date version. You'll get the benefit of having the latest version, as well as the one with all the most recent security updates.

Java is the same way – unfortunately it's not as obvious when you need it and when you don't, so it's harder to enable when you want it and disable any other time, but Java is well known for leaving copies of itself lying around your Mac or Windows PC, updating frequently without removing old versions or files, and slowing your system to a crawl when in heavy use. At the very least, consider using a program like previously mentioned JavaRa to remove previous versions and clean up the mess it leaves behind.

Delete Browsing History/Caches/Personal Data

This is an old tip, but a good one-there's no real replacement for just cleaning out your browser's cache and all of the data that it's been keeping about you to speed it up. Plus, if you've never cleaned that data up, now is a good time to do it anyway.

In Firefox, you can clean up your personal data in the Firefox menu, under Options (Windows) or Preferences (Mac OS.) Click the Privacy tab to clear your recent history, cookies, or other browsing data. In Google Chrome, click the wrench in the toolbar and open the Options menu (Windows) or Preferences menu (Mac OS,) then click "Under the Hood" to see the buttons to "Clear Browsing Data."

Once it's all clean, you might consider reducing the duration between automatic cleanings by telling Firefox for example to only accept third-party cookies until you close the browser, or only save your history for a day instead of a week or month.

Change Your DNS Servers

DNS is like the phone book of the Internet, translating the web addresses and URLs that you type into the menu bar into the IP addresses of the servers where the sites you want or information you need resides. If you're like most people, the DNS servers your computer speaks to every time you type in a Web address or click on a link belong to your ISP, and are set up automatically when you connect to the Internet. However, those servers may not be the fastest, especially when compared with other DNS services like Google's free DNS and OpenDNS.

Namebench is a utility we've mentioned before that lets you compare how each of those DNS services, including your ISP's DNS, perform from your computer. Just install the app, and run it from your computer. You'll see the DNS servers you're connected to, and which ones are most responsive from your location. The service will even suggest how you should configure them on your system, in order of overall speed. Your ISP may win and you won't get a benefit from switching, but if you're like most people who are already displeased with the speed their ISP offers, you may benefit from a change.

Work with Multiple Browsers

If all else fails, consider using different browsers for different tasks. If you love your Firefox extensions and want to continue using them, but Flash video stutters and stops frequently in Firefox, consider using Chrome for your Flash-related needs and Firefox for other tasks. If you love Chrome's speed but find your app tabs crash all of the time, consider using Firefox just for those webapps and Chrome for your other browsing.

Go out on a limb and install Opera or Safari and give them a try for a little variety, and more importantly to keep some of your most resource intensive tasks isolated from the other things you want to do in your browser. That way your web surfing won't get bogged down because Flash is slowly crashing in a tab you left open a while ago, or because your app tab isn't refreshing as cleanly as it should.

Hopefully those are a few ideas that will help you speed up any browser, regardless of the one you choose to use. Plus, none of our suggestions involve installing something like an extension or plug-in that promises to give you speed back in exchange for the resources it uses. Remember, if all else fails, it might just be time to back up your data or profile and reinstall your browser to make it feel like new. Good luck!

Love,
Lifehacker

PS – What are some of your favorite ways to speed up your browser, whatever browser you may use? Share your tips in the comments below.

Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E420: Lenovo Style in an Affordable Package

Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E420 Review, by Yardena Arar July 21, 2011

Lenovo positions its ThinkPad Edge series as being slightly more stylish than its other lines while retaining the usability features that have long made ThinkPads popular with corporate users--and that's a pretty fair assessment. What the PR people don't mention is that the performance may not be great. For general business use, however, the ThinkPad Edge E420 we tested would certainly be adequate, and its price will appeal to small-business owners and other people in search of an affordable all-purpose laptop with a 14.1-inch display.

Configured with an Intel Core i3-2310M CPU (the low-end chip in Intel's current-generation lineup), 4GB of DDR3 1.3MHz RAM, Intel HD 3000 graphics, a 500GB 7200-rpm hard drive, and the 64-bit version of Windows 7 Professional, our test system came with a modest price tag of $719 (as of July 21, 2011). This laptop also includes a built-in fingerprint reader, Bluetooth, an integrated 720p webcam, a 34mm ExpressCard slot (unusual in a budget laptop), an SD/MultiMediaCard slot, and a DVD burner.

The major downer with our test unit, as previously mentioned, was its performance. It turned in a lackluster WorldBench 6 score of 98, and frame rates on our Far Cry 2 and Dirt 2 gaming tests were equally disappointing, topping out at 32 frames per second for Dirt 2 running at 800 by 600 resolution with the lowest detail settings on the laptop's 1366 by 768 display. Of course, those scores were not particularly surprising given the low-end Core i3 CPU and the integrated graphics, but they should give pause to anyone who needs to run processor-intensive applications such as large databases or video editors. The good news is that Lenovo offers faster processors and more memory as customization options--but you'll pay handsomely for such upgrades.

In our tests, battery life was 5 hours, 5 minutes--not bad for an all-purpose notebook, but nothing special. You can opt to improve the result by paying extra ($50) to upgrade the six-cell battery in our test machine to a nine-cell battery, but in addition to the extra expense you'll likely add weight.

That would be a pity, since one of this laptop's selling points is its relatively compact and (for an all-purpose machine) lightweight form: At 4.7 pounds, the ThinkPad Edge E420 is definitely one of the more portable units in its class, and its presence in a backpack shouldn't overly tax a frequent flyer.

The E420's soft-touch black lid, with gently rounded corners and a silver-colored edge, adds a subtly classy note to the traditional ThinkPad aesthetics. With the lid open, you can see that the soft-touch finish repeats on the surface below the keyboard, which (as usual) is one of the best reasons to consider any ThinkPad. Here, the keys are gently curved, contoured, and separated, making touch typing a delight.

Lenovo has upended the way you use the row of function keys at the top: Now, the controls that you once had to press the Fn key to access (brightness and volume adjustments, Wi-Fi on-off toggle, media pause and play, and so forth) are the defaults for those keys. If you want an actual function key (F1, F2, and the like), you must actually press the Fn key. This approach is an innovation that makes a lot of sense, given that most people use the system controls a lot more than they use the function keys. But the arrangement can be reversed in the system BIOS, if you prefer.

As usual, you get both the red-dot joystick and a spacious touchpad for navigation. The touchpad supports multitouch functions, which will likely appeal primarily to people who like to pinch and zoom Web pages; I found it nicely responsive, but you can opt to turn it off if you elect to add a mouse. The only regrettable omission is a backlight for the keyboard.

The ThinkPad Edge E420's LED-backlit display is another selling point. The antiglare screen on our unit (you can opt for a glossy display at no extra cost) offers better-than-average off-axis viewing, both from the side and--more atypical at this price--the top and bottom. The built-in webcam is one of the better models I've seen, with lots of image-quality controls; however, when I set it to the highest resolution, video started to get a little choppy. Audio quality is less exciting: While the speakers are capable of reasonably loud volume for a laptop, they produced somewhat tinny and jangly sound.

The port array is fairly typical for a laptop of this class: Although its lack of USB 3.0 support is disappointing, it does boast four USB ports, one more than usual. Lined up on the left edge, from front to back, are the SD/MultiMediaCard reader atop the headphone jack; one HDMI and three USB 2.0 ports (including one combo USB-eSATA port); and a VGA-out port. On the right edge, in front of the DVD burner, the ExpressCard slot sits atop an always-on USB port (great for charging peripherals even when the E420 isn't in use).

One other disappointment is the lack of 5GHz 802.11n Wi-Fi support; you get only the 2.4GHz frequency band. Even though that isn't uncommon at this price point, the limitation confines you to an often-overcrowded frequency, which can slow down or interrupt connections significantly in busy urban environments. Lenovo offers an upgrade that adds both dual-band 802.11n and WiMax support, and I'd recommend paying the extra $55 for it.

Lenovo preloads a slew of its ThinkVantage utilities to help with everything from biometric security to Web conferencing; also preinstalled are the starter edition of Microsoft Office 2010, Skype, and Corel apps for video editing, DVD burning, and DVD playback. Some unusual software options include an introductory edition of Biztree's Business in a Box business-document templates, plus Lenovo's SimpleTap software for easy access to frequently used settings (including the ones on the top row of keyboard keys), apps, websites, and documents. Even better, these programs are not installed by default: You get to decide whether to load them.

All in all, the Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E420 shapes up as an attractive general-use laptop if gaming and processor-intensive tasks--or superlong battery life--aren't of major concern. It's good looking, easy to type on, and equipped with a useful array of features and software. None of its minor flaws should be deal-breakers for its intended audience of budget-minded users.

Dell Inspiron 14R: Finding the Sweet Spot in the Inspiron Line

Dell Inspiron 14R (model N4010) Review, by Jason Cross 

Just in time for the back-to-school season, Dell has released its new R series of Inspiron all-purpose laptops. Though the stylish silver accents are the first thing you'll notice, the Inspiron R series is more than just a cosmetic upgrade. The Inspiron 14R may have fewer configuration options than the Inspiron 14 and may carry a higher starting price, but its improved hardware and refined design more than make up for the difference.

You can get an Inspiron R laptop in any of four colors: Mars Black, Peacock Blue, Tomato Red, or Promise Pink. Anything other than black, however, will cost you an extra $40. The cheapest Inspiron 14R is $479 (as of July 14, 2010), just $30 more than the least expensiveInspiron 14, but that particular model includes a 1.86GHz Pentium 6000. The real reason to select an R model is to obtain a Core i3 or i5 processor, which you can't get in a regular Inspiron 14. Selecting such a processor bumps the minimum price up to $649, but it means a substantially faster CPU and better Intel integrated graphics.

Our test machine, which cost $779 at the time of this review, came with a Core i3-350M processor (2.26GHz, two cores, and four threads), 4GB of DDR3 RAM, and an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470 with 1GB of graphics RAM. It also carried a 500GB, 5400-rpm hard drive. The R series doesn't give you many configuration options: You can choose from several models with somewhat different specs, but once you pick a system you can only change its color and upgrade to 6GB of RAM. By way of comparison, when I tried to configure a regular Inspiron 14 that matched the specs of our review unit (as close as I could get, at least) the result cost about $40 more.

Beyond the internal hardware, the Inspiron 14R differs from non-R laptops in other important ways. The lid hinge is offset about half an inch forward from the back of the machine, and the internal keyboard-tray surface is a nice brushed-silver tone. The power plug extends from the back-right corner of the machine, next to a USB port (non-R units have the power plug on the left side, and nothing on the back). The left side of the Inspiron 14R includes the ethernet jack, the exhaust vents, an HDMI output, a combination eSATA/USB port, and a multiformat card reader. The right side has another USB port, headphone and microphone jacks, and the 8X CD/DVD burner. In addition, 802.11n networking is standard (an upgrade over the non-R models), and the SRS Premium Sound definitely produces better audio quality through the speakers than you get on the non-R Inspiron models. In all, the Inspiron 14R is quite an attractive package for a 14-inch, 5.1-pound laptop.

Performance is quite reasonable for a sub-$800 notebook. Its WorldBench 6 score of 94 is a little on the low side, but typically you have to spend more to break past the 100-point barrier. The Mobility Radeon HD 5470 graphics board makes playing games on this all-purpose portable a real possibility. I had no problems running Left 4 Dead 2 or Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 at the display's native resolution of 1366 by 768 with just a few minor tweaks to the graphics settings. More-intensive games will require more sacrifices, but the 14R's vibrant screen and reasonable graphics performance make it a pretty capable entertainment laptop, given its size and price. The biggest drawback to playing modern games on this system is the fan noise: The fan is fairly quiet in regular use, but spins up to a loud whir when you play a graphics-intensive game.

When it comes to getting work done, the Inspiron 14R is no slouch. Core i3 and i5 processors offer more than enough performance for everyday Web surfing, e-mail, word processing, and light image editing. With 4GB of RAM, the system is pretty responsive.

The keyboard has great key action and is easy to type on, save for one annoyance: The spacebar sits too low and flush against the inside surface of the laptop, making it a little harder to press with your thumb than it should be. The large touchpad tracks smoothly and evenly, and the two distinct buttons make it easy to click what you want to, when you want to, with no accidental misclicks.

Dell missed a serious opportunity in not making the graphics switchable between the discrete Radeon card and the Core i3's integrated graphics. The option would have enabled users to get a lot more battery life out of the machine--our test model petered out in just about 3 hours, which is disappointing. Despite that flaw, and the somewhat annoying spacebar, the Inspiron 14R is an appealing system overall. It's the right "does everything well enough" laptop at the right sub-$800 price for the back-to-school crowd, and it isn't large, bulky, or ugly.