Rooting and Installing CyanogenMod on Samsung Galaxy S2 i9100/i9100T

I'm going to outline the process I went through to root then install CyanogenMod (CM) on my Samsung Galaxy S2 i9100T, which was running Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean). In addition, I'll mention a few things I've learnt along the way. I make no promises that the following is the most efficient or best method. Also, I make no guarantee that what I say is even accurate; especially given that the community seems to mainly operate in forums (information is all over the place) and not always necessarily easy to understand or accurate.

However, I can say that the following worked for me, and will probably work for you as well. There is always a risk involved in flashing a phone, therefore I recommend only those willing to take the (rather small) risk to continue reading on.

There are a few reasons why I decided to root and make the move from Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) to CM:

• Samsung S2s are no longer getting Android updates.
• Performance was often sluggish.
• Battery was draining quickly. Lucky to last a day with moderate use.
• Remove Bloatware.
• Greater flexibility with my device.

Setting Up Prey on Ubuntu (Includes Dual Boot Instructions)

Prey is a piece of anti-theft software which can come handy in the unlikely event that someone snags your device, whether it be a computer, tablet or phone. This post is targeted towards those who just want to get Prey up and running on Ubuntu.

You may also need to operate Prey under a dual boot configuration such that all operating systems (for obvious reasons) are running Prey under a single device in your control panel. Operating under a single device can be necessary if you are someone who owns up to three devices and are using Prey without a subscription; it also makes managing missing devices easier as well. This post will assume you have the other operating system(s), such as Windows, already operating Prey successfully under a single device in your control panel.

Benchmarking a HDD to SSD Upgrade (Lenovo T440 Laptop)

The following benchmarks are by no means thorough and all encompassing. I carried out these quick benchmark tests to get a general idea of the performance gains I hope to see after upgrading my Lenovo T440 laptop to use a SSD. Maybe this will inspire you to invest in some better performance as well?

Opening Up the Lenovo ThinkPad T440/T440s

So you have invested in a new stick of RAM or a new hard drive and now need to swap out what is currently inside your Lenovo Thinkpad T440/T440S machine. No problem. Removing the base cover from these laptops is a fairly simple process. However, there are a couple of things you will need to be aware of before beginning. Whether you are new to doing this sort of tinkering with a laptop or you just want to get a feeling of what need be done without breaking anything, then you have come to the right place.