Contributions, ramblings, and rants from Rainabba

I'm getting ready to defect.

2011-12-21T20:49:00.002-07:00

Ok, maybe not quite ready, but it's a thought that's occuring more and more all the time for a number of reasons.

I'm seriously becoming sickened that I gave 4 years of my life to support this country and help maintain "freedom" when it's coming to this type of behavior. I don't care if there's some back-story here. The Police made it quite clear that they were arresting these people for DANCING. Notice how they wouldn't answer the mans question about what charges he would be arrested on? Also, the treatment of the camera-man at the end who was completely uninvolved and only observing. Thank goodness too because his bravery allows us to see the abuse.

More and more I'm seeing and sensing the reign of King Henry the VIII in this country and he is as responsible for anyone in driving people out of England to establish the UNITED STATES [not federation] OF AMERICA. Of course his neglected but conditioned daughter Queen Mary [aka Bloody Mary] perpetuated things, but the wheels were already in motion.

Someone tell me how I can make a real difference. I'm not being given a choice of president that will help, contacting representatives only results in canned replies and who knows if it makes any difference how many calls I make or letters I write, and clearly protesting is as risky now as it was if you did so as a person of black skin in the 50's. What options are we left with aside from non-peaceful "protest"? Would it matter anyway considering how many people seem to be content to let shit like this go on? If I'm such a minority in feeling this way, then I have no interest in further supporting this country with my hard work, financial revenue, and OBSCENE taxes (don't get me started on the Internal Revenue Scam). If I'm not a minority in my feelings, then I must conclude that I'm surrounded by others who at best are as lost as me in how to respond, but also aren't speaking out enough based on my observations (when did you last contact your congress person or a House representative?). In that case, I still fear I'm doomed and I don't want to be around when the country as a whole gets fed up enough that we end up with a nation wide L.A. Riot-type response (think Rodney King injustice inciting people to act out).

Why I'm selling my Samsung Galaxy Nexus and keeping the HTC Rezound

2011-12-21T19:10:00.001-07:00

STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS

My SGN never got setup completely (thanks to the rediculously slow transfer required due to lack of sdcard) and even prior, I was so disappointed by the screen quality (so much hype about SAMOLED) and camera compared to my Rezound that it's now just sitting here waiting to be sold while I keep loving on my completely stock Rezound.

I tried using FTP server/client between my SGN and Rezound (over WiFi that proves capable of no less than 12Mbs using Speed Test to San Jose). I also tried using SMB to a maching on my network. I tried Bluetooth File Transfer (both phones do support BT 3.0 supposedly) and finally, I just pulled my sdcard from my Rezound (how nice it was to have that ability), used a card reader to copy files to a PC, then connected the SGN and used MTP to try and copy files onto the SGN. That was the final straw. HOURS later and I just couldn't migrate my files onto the SGN and that's when I decided enough was enough. I wasn't going to try and survive with a "Dev" phone that had no sdcard. Especially when I remember how painful my last two Samsung experiences were (Captivate and Charge).

The screen size is both a benefit and liability depending on my mood so I don't count it, and I'll take the glowing blacks and light bleeding of the Rezounds SLCD screen over the color banding and hashing I saw on the SAMOLED display any day in trade for the amazing colors and density the SLCD gives me. What's more is that it seems there was either a wireless bandwidth limitation or I/O limitation being realized somewhere because when I watched Tudors (Showtime series) via Netflix on the SGN under identical conditions to the Rezound, I never felt I was getting "HD" on the SGN. The rezound never took more than a minute to clean up and lose all the blocking and banding.

HDMI out (need an MHL adapter of course) is another missing feature for the SGN. The more devices I own with this feature, the more I come to appriciate it. I can see why it's so understated when so few applications truely benefit, but the Rezound has an incredible GPU and now OnLive works over Android so more and more, I see my "phone" becoming a truly portable "console" gaming system. Between that, Netflix, Google Video, and soon Vudu I hear, HDMI is a major feature the SGN lacks.

Also, with the extended battery I like how it feels in hand plus I'm getting 16+ hours with 3 hours screen-on and I've seen 26+ hours once when I forgot to charge overnight and only has about an hour of screen on the following day (bluetooth, WiFi, GPS, and 4G enabled constantly). To me, the SGN love seems almost iPhone fanboyish in light of the Rezound being available, but then that does assume my priorities toward the screen and camera which weigh heavily. To someone else those might not matter so much and that could change the equation significantly.

Even ICS was a bit disappointing because apps kept crashing ("Stopping"), especially the browser. In the end, the slightly buggy build of ICS on the SGN seems to be the only significant advantage the SGN has over the Rezound in my opinion.

I can only imagine what kind of experience I'll have when it gets S-OFF and then eventually a fully functional build of ICS. I'm still in awe of how incredibly smooth, snappy, and functional a completely locked, stock, Sense ROM is on the Rezound. The is the first device I've owned since the days of Windows Mobile 5 that I'm not "dying" to hack. I do look forward to a FULLY functional ICS ROM for it, but I won't be running a broken one (read, "NO CAMERA"). ICS just isn't bringing enough to the table for me to temp me that way. I do realize that I'm a rare breed though given my tendencies towards Sense. Heck, the only ROM I've ever been a signicant part of was the ZeusDroid project for the OG Droid and there's a good reason for that. In case that comes as a surprise, that's because I've always been more concerned with supporting developers than getting recognition. My time and loss at AllDroid.org is the ultimate proof. I'll leave that for another day though.

Outlook 2010 Export to PST - Another MS UI Screw-up

2011-11-18T00:58:00.001-07:00

I had a need to export the entire contents of an Exchange Mailbox to a .PST and for the life of me could find NOTHING in the Outlook UI that even hinted at exporting aside from "File, Save As" which will let you save a single item as a text file.

So of course I Googled and ended up at SherWeb > How to export an Outlook 2010 pst file (Exchange 2007).

Below are the instructions provided on that site and I think they serve to prove how insanely lazy (or careless) MS is getting with Office; a fact I find interesting considering what a cash-cow it is for them.

I've highlighted the most interesting part which happens to also explain why I had to Google to do something which was incredibly obvious (even if still slightly flawed from a UX perspective) in previous versions of Outlook.

Open Outlook 2010.
Go to File - Open and then click on Import.
Select Export to a file and then click Next.
Select Outlook Data File (.pst) and then click on Next.
Select the top-most folder, check the box Include subfolders and then click on Next.
Click on the Browse button.
Decide where you will export the .pst file and then click on OK.
Click on Finish.
A password box will pop up. Leave all fields blank and just click on OK.

I'm not kidding. OPEN, then IMPORT to access EXPORT! You have to wonder what these people are thinking because that's a bit hard to call an oversight and beyond senseless any way you look at it. Thanks to the guys over at SherWeb for saving me the hours I might have otherwise wasted looking for this well hidden option.

Logitech Revue - Why you shouldn't bother with it

2011-10-14T01:24:00.000-07:00

My condolences to those of you unfortunate enough to have wasted your hard earned money purchasing a Revue, especially now that Logitech dropped the price to $99 though that's an understandable move on their part considering what a POS this thing is. I've owned 4 different Android tablets with roughly the same hardware specs and they could all do more than the Revue and FAR faster (especially web browsing which is the primary function of the Revue isn't it?).

I was lucky enough (or was I?) to have been given one thanks to Google I/O and I'm surprised that Google hasn't found a way to revoke Logitech's rights to use Google TV considering what a great job they've done and making it completely underwhelming.

The first deal-breaker for me and the reason I rarely use the Revue is because it's HDMI 1.3 and does not pass 3D. Ironic considering it was pretty much marketed along with DirectTV HD DVRs which are heavily pushing 1080p and 3D content. For that matter though, you can't really use it as it was intended with any decent settop box because of this limitation. I have to put the Revue on a separate HDMI input or give up 3D movies and that means that I can't use the Live TV features of the revue which makes it good for little more than YouTube and web browsing. For $99 that would be a decent deal IF it was a decent web browser, but it's painfully slow so even at $99 it's pointless.

If the 3.1 update ever releases, perhaps it was gain some value, but as long as it can't pass 3D through HDMI, this is a failure of a product in my eyes. Since it has ONLY HDMI connectivity it was clearly meant to be used in more high-end setups yet it's missing a key feature that prevents it from being used in those setups. I just can't see what Logitech was thinking.

So that said, "in weeks to come" is quickly closing in on "in months to come" and I still see no update.

Could it be that Logitech is just plain ripping people off? I mean, wouldn't a decent company, one with some morals, at least admit the reality of the situation if things had just gotten out of their hands? They've already proven to be dishonest with the "by the end of the summer" BS. They would have been better off saying that they had no planed release for an update then provided it, pleasantly surprising us all. They might have lost a few sales thanks to folks like me spreading the word about how useless the device is in it's current state (I mean, I can hook up my tablet or phone via HDMI, use a bluetooth KB, and have a better experience than the Revue provides), but at least they wouldn't have made liars of themselves in a way that pissed off so many people.

For once I'd like to see a company come clean and demonstrate some maturity and morals (ahh hemm, Verizon for example) instead of double-talking, back-peddling, and rhetoric-spewing their customers to the point of anger. Can they REALLY not see that they hurt their bottom line more with such behavior? Clearly their stats can't show it since they have no basis for comparison, but I'd think it would take little more than common sense to draw the right conclusions.

What does my opinion matter though? I've only got 14,000 members at my web site and a couple 1,000 people more listening to me on twitter and G+. It's not like I hold much sway when a company treats me, friends, family, and associates like this does it?

USB Device Not Recognized - Error 43

2011-08-06T02:35:00.004-07:00

After HOURS of fighting this error, uninstalling/reinstalling drivers, mucking with my registry, restarting, blahh, blahh, blahh... I finally ran across a post that mentioned trying another USB cable. This sounded more crazy than not, but I was desperate at that point so I went for it. Low and behold, my device installed as expected.

Lesson: USB cables can go "BAD" (perhaps a damaged connector) and give you headaches.

Thanks to THIS post for the suggestion.

The lies from Verizon just keep on coming (regarding LTE and the Motorola Xoom)

2011-08-03T17:25:00.001-07:00

The only reason I'm writing this post is to help others realize that Verizon has been and continues to outright LIE about the Xoom being a 4G/LTE tablet. Even when they say that it's "upgradable", they are at the very least, being misleading. Since March they've been saying that it's "LTE Upgradable", but that's not true because they still aren't providing upgrades. If they said "someday we might provide an LTE upgrade but by then this will be a sub-par tablet", then I'd say they're being more honest. By placing ports on the bottom, you're forced to buy another expensive accessory to use it in some of the more fundamental ways a 10" tablet should be used. Newer tablets (like my Toshiba Thrive [I also own a Samsung Galaxy tab 10.1 and have owned an Acer Iconia]) place the ports on one of the short ends so that you can prop the tablet up any way you like while doing anything it allows.

This isn't a bad tablet, but I made the mistake of paying the full $800 because I didn't want to use an upgrade and I did so under the impression that I'd soon be able to active it on the LTE network. I've since purchased an HTC thunderbolt which I can tether off of (cheaper than the LTE plan would be if my Xoom was LTE ready right now, and it's not). Now the xoom retails for $500 and is still sub-par compared my my $579 Samsung Thrive except for the fact that the Xoom has dual-band WiFi. That is LITERALLY the own objective benefit the Xoom has over the thrive.

Why bother giving VZW your money when you can do better elsewhere?

Today (2011-08-03) I spoke with @VZWSupport on Twitter and here are some of the replies I received:

@AllDroid 1/2: I hear your frustration. The Xoom LTE upgrade will be released soon. Here's a link for further details:http://bit.ly/jMGx42.
@AllDroid 2/2: Enter your email address to be contacted. We offer a trade in program to buy back the Xoom device http://bit.ly/rlIX2F ^EW
@AllDroid I'm sorry there's was an issue with the link being sent about the LTE upgrade on the Xoom. The link is: http://bit.ly/gEQ5qk. ^EW
@AllDroid The Xoom is 4G "upgradeable." The upgrade is coming soon to the device, and you will receive info on how to update. ^MSF
@AllDroid The Xoom has always been marketed as a 4G upgradeable device. Do you not like your Xoom, because I absolutely love mine! ^MSF

I think anyone who's been following the release of the Xoom would agree that it has NOT "always been marketed as a 4G upgradable device" and the image above is CURRENT proof. It doesn't say "will have 4G LTE network capability" or "upgradable [eventually we claim] to 4G LTE network capability". Also, if you look at the displays in-store, or watch the current commercials, you'll find that it is included in those collections which implies that it IS (not WILL BE) 4G/LTE capable.

Let's for a moment assume that Verizon has been completely honest about it not being 4G/LTE ready (wording I'm sure they've avoided because it is even more guilty of the point I'm making). When Verizon says "4G upgradable", I think we'd all agree that to mean we could go upgrade it to 4G. In the English language, that's a pretty clear message and there aren't many ways to misinterpret it. Really though, it's like someone telling a 10 year old boy here in the US that he can "run for president." In fact, he cannot because the point in time where that possibility exists hasn't occurred. EVENTUALLY, the Xoom will be 4G upgradable but right now a 4G upgrade is not available so to say that the Xoom is "4G upgradable" is not true and thus a lie.

It seems to me that this should be addressed by the FTC or perhaps a class-action suit could be filed to compensate those of us who have suffered a loss as a result of the lies Verizon has spread.

Fact: I purchased a Xoom under the impression (based on what I read from Verizon and what I was told by more than one representative in a Verizon store) that a 4G upgrade would be made available in the near future (notice "upgrade will be available" vs. "upgradeable").

Fact: I would not have purchased the Xoom if I had known that 5 months later an upgrade would still not be available.

Fact: I paid $800 for the tablet being reasonably sure that I was paying a premium because the 4G capability the device would have.

Fact: The EXACT same device is now selling for $600 from Verizon and the upgrade is STILL not available.

Fact: I now have an LTE capable phone I can tether with (a service cheaper than direct LTE service on the Xoom will be) and I have already purchased another tablet with more features and a better design for $579. While tethered to my phone, I have everything and more than I should have had for the $800 tablet I purchased 5 months ago.

Fact: Consumer technology like this has a very short life-cycle and the value my $800 Xoom has dropped by something like %50 (a loss of ~$400) and I still haven't seen the functionality for which I paid the premium.

Conclusion: Either Verizon KNEW they weren't going to provide the upgrade in a timely manner and they intentionally mislead people like myself so they could sell the hell out of the product (other Android tablets WERE available, some with better specs aside from the so called "4G upgradable" feature) or they didn't know it would take so long in which case they were negligent for advertising the Xoom as they continue to do even today, as a "4G" device.

I think there are a couple fair ways for Verizon to compensate me for this situation.

Buy the device back with a reasonable decrease in value based on its condition/use (which is very little since I rarely used it while waiting for the upgrade and even less since I found a nicer tablet which is my primary), perhaps the full current retail of $600.
Let me keep my Xoom, give me the upgrade but then give me unlimited LTE service for a period of time that is equal to the time that elapses between my purchase date, and the date I have my Xoom fully working ON THE LTE NETWORK (roughly 5 months as of right now).
Give me at least $500 in additional device upgrade credits.
Something of value along those lines.

From (http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/store/controller?item=phoneFirst&action=viewPhoneDetail&selectedPhoneId=5606&deviceCategoryId=12):

"4G LTE network capability" says that the Xoom is capable of using the 4G LTE network which it WILL NOT be UNTIL the upgrade is available and HAS BEEN installed. The English language relies heavily on a concept called "tense" (quick read here). Either Verizon marketing "professionals" have something less than a 3rd grade reading level, Verizon is ignoring the significance of tense in their materials, or they're intentionally being misleading.

Not quite on-topic for the 4G/LTE issue, but along the same lines where "misleading marketing" is concerned, another item to take note of on this ad is the "3D holographic user experience". There is nothing 3D or holographic about this device. It has a standard 2D LCD display which renders application that regularly use a well known technique called "3D Projection" to communicate the impression of a 3D scene/object on a 2D surface. By adding "holographic" to their marketing, they are implying that this device differentiates itself in the context of 3D displays and in a market where "autostereoscopic" displays exist. This marketing is also very misleading.

Apparently Verizon is finds it perfectly acceptable to misrepresent their products to improve their bottom line.

Why would buy a game from the "Games for Windows Marketplace"?

2011-08-01T18:03:00.001-07:00

"This software uses digital rights management software (“DRM”). DRM may limit the number of times you are permitted to install this software on a computer and/or the number of computers to which you may install the software."

We all know that the folks they CLAIM to be worried about just go and download from torrents and newsbin services anyway so once again, they are only causing us honest folk trouble.

Seriously, why would I go buy this game online for full price to be so restricted when I could go buy it from a local retailer, get the EXACT same game for no more cost, and NOT have that restriction (unless god-forbid, they've been dumb enough to put the same system on the retail products also).

Every heard of OnLive? Amazing service that's more and more appealing to me all the time. Think "Gaming in the cloud" meets "low-latency video streaming". An approach that means anyone with the bandwidth can game like they've got an incredible PC rig (forget weak-a$$ consoles) yet it still provides many of the same titles that consoles do. Best of all, you can play all the same games, games saves, have the same friends, etc.. whether you're in front of your TV or at a computer. Either way, you get the same experience completely.

Reflecting on recent events, lies, rumors, and "drama" surrounding AllDroid

2011-07-25T18:14:00.005-07:00

Foreword:

I’ve been writing this and reviewing it for many weeks now so some reference will be a bit outdated but no matter how badly I wanted to address these issues, I had to get my facts straight (literally HAD to) and wanted to do my best to be sure it was informative and as unemotional as I could manage. This has turned out to be a major learning experience for me and I believe it is helping me grow as a person. At the least, I can honestly say that I’ve tried in a major way to help the Android community and now I realize that I’ve put more time and energy into AllDroid than I should have and I will continue to do what I can, but I cannot make AllDroid the priority it has been since December of 2009 when Brent was running the site, it was hacked, and I came onboard to help out. I WILL support the community should they want to use its name a resources to make something more (within reason of course). As it always has been, my goal is to support Android by helping developers through the use of AllDroid (with its current tools, and any I can add by request). Hopefully this includes connecting developers to end-users as well through tools like the forum which is only a part of what I envision AllDroid being. At one time I discussed adding a wiki to AllDroid and as most people should know by know, a former admin of AllDroid tried to realize that idea in his own way, but I’d like to give it a chance to be what it should by offering to provide a fully user-managed wiki. If you have any interest in this, please say so by mention @AllDroid on Twitter, by contacting me on the site, or by gmail and I will provide instructions on how you can become a wiki contributor on the site.

The main message:

I've spent the last couple weeks dealing with, absorbing, processing, organizing, and reflecting on the events surrounding AllDroid since December 2009 and in particular, events triggered by a choice @Speeddymon made and lies regarding that event which have cascaded into one of the largest social conflicts that I think the Android community has seen. If I’m wrong there, blame my perception please and not my ego. I’m sure it seemed larger to me than anyone else because of my position in the situation.

Before a detailed explanation, I want to clarify up-front that my choices regarding @Speeddymon and his actions had nothing to do with any other person in the Android community, least of all one who has proven himself a hypocrite by claiming to the world that he is the reason I "tried to get @Speeddymon fired" (which is itself a complete lie). I call this individual a hypocrite because at the same time he says that I committed this untruth, he claims it was in retaliation toward him.

Not only is he in no position to know such a thing and therefore is arrogant in indicating such a thing, it just isn't true and so he's made himself the center of a situation that had absolutely nothing to do with him. To me this sounds like a text-book example of being ego-centric. Some would say that I’ve done the same and it would be true except that I’ve always acted to help developers and acted on facts that I verified myself with very few exceptions. Ironically, the largest of those exceptions involved the very same person now attacking me based on this lie that I was trying to get @Speeddymon fired. Seeing now that he has no integrity, I may owe Koush an apology (for accusing him of using someone else's work without giving due credit).

In nearly the same breath that this person made these accusations (I’ll leave him to identify himself or be identified by his cohorts who know the truth), he was calling me narcissistic. That's like the kettle calling the pot black. Not only does he demonstrate the very trait he tries to assign, but he demonstrates ignorance or delusional tendencies while doing so.

The last few weeks have been very trying for me as I’ve hopefully learned another hard lesson in life and matured as a result. When I think of my thirteen month-old son, I hope even harder that it hasn’t all been in vain.

In December of 2009 I was contacted in regards to a website which had been “hacked” and needed some help both recovering and then hardening itself to protect against future attacks. This happened at a time when I was getting involved in Android development, the development of software or hacks for the Google Android operating system which runs on many, if not most, popular smart-phones these days. Because of this, and what I’m currently feeling is a personality flaw of mine, generosity, I decided to help out and ask nothing in return.

I was well-received, or so it seemed, by the owner and the other two site administrators as well as most of the community. Everyone was grateful for my assistance and professional knowledge. I think many were relieved as well that I wasn’t another “kid”, as there are far too many in this so called community. After some time, this led to me being given more and more responsibility and say in how the site was run and various affairs relating to the site.

Jump forward to March of 2010 when the owner was in over his head, way too involved in politics and various social issues surrounding various developers and teams within the community, most of who were looking for too much power, recognition, or in general just seem to have too much ego. It’s my opinion that the owner got sick of how ungrateful most of these benefactors of the site were proving to be and he blew a fuse. He decided that despite making a decent amount of money each month by running the site, that he was better off bringing it down entirely, backups and all, than he was continuing in his current capacity or even handing it off to someone else.

I heard rumor that he was looking for someone to buy the site, but he was asking WAY too much in light of what it was at that time and so nobody bit. I approached him after the fact to try and understand why he choose to do what he did and I never did get an answer. Somehow in those talks though, we came to agreeable terms where he would sell me the website for a significant amount, but he would then apply a very large discount for me in light of my services. This was a major tax mistake on his part since he’d owe taxes for the sales price and what he got in cash was roughly what he’d owe in taxes, but that wasn’t my concern and I had no pity after what he’d done to me and the rest of the community by bringing the site down.

By April 2010, I had ownership of the domain, complete rights to the name, and I was rebuilding the site. Jump forward to May 2011. The site now has 14,096 users and I’ve had my share of challenges since bringing it up, much of them the same that the previous owner did, but I had a business interest and I’d like to think I had better judgement, so I kept putting one foot in front of the other so to speak.

That May, I flew to San Francisco to attend Google I/O 2011, a conference that Google has every year where they share new information, education developers, give some VERY nice gifts to attendees, etc.. I was meeting three others there; one of whom I had bought the plane ticket for, and all three of whom I was putting up in a very nice hotel, within walking distance of the conference for a discounted rate using an investment I have in the area. There was a fair bit of conflict at the conference, but nothing overt and far more than I realized until afterwards... Events which didn’t surface until an unrelated event came to light and was either misunderstood, or abused. That event is what’s made my life Hell recently

In May, I received a phone call from someone we’ll call @Speeddymon for semi-anonymity sake. He was previously an admin for AllDroid, but before I took over. I invited him to be an admin once I was in control, but quickly had to dismiss him because he got upset about something and decided to email all the registered members of the site saying some things that were not appropriate and did the site more harm than good. I felt that that was a demonstration of rash behavior and poor judgement on his part and because of my business interest in the site (really, the debt I took on to obtain the site), I couldn’t allow that or risk more of such behavior.

Speedy called me to let me know that he was now working for the company which hosted my website and out of curiosity, he had done some research and sleuthing which resulted in him discovering a phone number in my accounts’ contact information that appeared to be a number from the United Kingdom. He thought he would do me a favor and call to let me know about it so I could correct it. Taken at face value, and especially coming from any other employee at this company, I would have been happy to find out about such a catch, said thank you, and thought nothing more of it except perhaps for making a mental note of the above-average customer service.

Coming from @Speeddymon, though, a couple questions and concerns came to mind. For starters, why had he even thought to begin poking around about my site. As a person, I wouldn’t have said that I disliked @Speeddymon, but I couldn’t say I trusted him highly, either. In reality, the year before he had done something for me that was notable and kind so I held somewhat conflicting opinions of him depending on whether the context was business or personal. Since this was a business context that included not only my website, but my employer and others, I was very nervous.

Then, I had to wonder whether he was supposed to be accessing such information, especially without first getting my permission. As I knew him, I expected him to be working there in a technical capacity and didn’t believe he had much reason to get into their customer account records. I later found out that I was correct. He was not authorized to access our account and his employer considered terminating him for this alone. Finally, there was the simple fact that I didn’t want him having all the information available in that account in light of the impression he had previously made on me and the volatile nature of the community in which we are both active and fairly well heard thanks to Twitter and our reputations.

My first instinct was to call my hosting company and report the incident and ask that he be restricted from my server and account but I realized that if he meant harm, he already had access to all the information and that would mean little and more importantly, I’d be putting his job at risk and I really didn’t have any wish to see him affected so drastically. After talking with my wife and reflecting on the issue more, I realized that our company was potentially at risk, as well as our partners and @Speeddymon needed to know that was he did may have been well intentioned, but it was very unprofessional and inappropriate. Given the fact that this was a business matter, I knew it would be irresponsible for me not to address the issue and from personal experience and making a similar mistake myself, I knew that it would be inappropriate for me to confront @Speeddymon directly so I had to call my hosting company.

I dreaded the idea because I was going to have to address the issue by voice and that way I would have to respond on the fly and didn’t have the benefit of time to consider everything I said carefully in advance. In writing, I can deal with conflict just fine, but in person and on the phone, I get jittery, have trouble talking and start stuttering, and I can’t focus well so it’s likely that things don’t get resolved nearly as well. When I’m angry, that’s less true, but I wasn’t angry at this point. I also was very nervous about whether I’d be able to clearly and sincerely get across to whom ever I spoke, that I didn’t wish any harm to come to @Speeddymon or his job and that I wasn’t angry, but I felt obligated to all the people dependant on me as CIO for our company (NOT AllDroid, but the job which pays my bills), to take appropriate measures, so I made the call.

Both on the phone and shortly after in writing I reemphasized that I did want to see the issue addressed, but I did not want to see harm come to @Speeddymon in any sense if it was avoidable. Of course, I knew that the ultimate decision was out of my hands, but at the same time, his employers should feel far less obligated to terminate him and far more likely to only reprimand him, if even that. As it turned out, he was not terminated and in fact, he didn’t even receive the worst type of reprimand, but his quarterly review wasn’t going to be favorable. (I was told this by one of him more immediate managers later on.)

Despite the fact that his job had only been mildly affected, it became clear that he spoke to others in the community about what had occurred and then he spoke about it publicly on Twitter. Both of these actions were unprofessional and more examples of his poor judgement. I wouldn’t have minded if he had been entirely truthful about what happened, but I soon had very prominent figures in our community saying that I was trying to get him fired and talking about how his children and food were at risk because of my actions. Those comments began to spread and before I knew it, I was a target of cyber-bullying from people who, in some cases, were perhaps not even ½ my age.

If that weren’t enough, someone began to create Twitter accounts to impersonate me and on them, published personal details about me which I didn’t make available to the general public. One might argue that these results were self-fulfilling prophecy, but then again, they were proof that my decision was not only justified, but wise in the long run because if I hadn’t spoke up an @Speeddymon had later become upset with me about something else, and he taken advantage of information or access he had, I might not have had the grounds or evidence to expose him.

I’ve spent the last week dealing with services to help protect the information which @Speeddymon had accessed, conferring with legal council about whether to take action and how, and generally trying to manage the situation. There is no doubt that @Speeddymon has caused my reputation to be harmed, my sites’ reputation to be harmed, and given everyone in my family and two business to worry about what may be to come, but in an ironic twist, traffic for my site is on an upward trend and user registration has picked up as well.

The reason I think things came to this point and why the damage is as bad as it is has to do with how I’ve handled myself prior to these events. I believe I’m a very giving person and expect all my friends (and many strangers) would say the same. I was born into a very poor, single-parent household as the oldest of 3 children. I can remember more than a few times as I grew up where I looked toward extended family members or strangers and thought to myself how they could do some little thing, or give up some small pleasure for the briefest of times to give or do something for me and it would mean the world to me. Those memories and the idea behind them have stuck with me throughout my life and I’m now in a position to give back to others in many different ways and I both refuse to be a hypocrite by forgetting those memories and at the same time, I long to make a real difference for others even if only in the littlest ways as I see it.

The combination of my passion for Android (yes, I’m a geek at heart) and my personality is what led me to take on the project of my website. It’s cost me many sleepless nights as I took to heart what others have said about me, nearly always when my intentions were misunderstood or because someone was being actively ungrateful for my help (which I take personally even in many cases when I shouldn’t.) The site has also cost me 100’s of hours in development, research, social networking, and countless other small tasks. That is time I could have put toward my business and perhaps made significant money on; many in this community don’t yet appreciate the concept of opportunity cost because their time isn’t fiscally valuable. Even if my time weren’t worth money to the extent it is, I would have much preferred to spend it with my wife, son, friends, gaming, or engaging in my hobbies if it wasn’t being found valuable by others in the community. As if that’s not sacrifice enough to warrant appreciation, I’m also indebted $1,000’s for the money I borrowed to obtain the domain and rights to the name in order to rebuild the site under it’s previous name so it would benefit from its status on Google, it’s familiarity amongst previous users, and for the pride so many members had for it.

The ultimate insult to my efforts and the site would be for someone to say that I and, or the site don’t matter and have made no real difference. With a user-base of 14,096 members, roughly 500 active users at any given time during the day, around 1,000 visits to the site per day (which is extremely low now compared to where it once was), and more than 9,000 posts in the forums, it would seem silly for someone to make such a claim, but someone has. As a result of the situation @Speeddymon has created, someone that I once thought I could be friends with, someone that I’ve tried time and again to help and support so they could be free to contribute to our community, someone that I once respected in-spite of their age, and someone that I trusted enough to make an administrator on my site has said just that. In fact, two such people, one of which has burned me before and still received my forgiveness and a second, undeserved show of trust made these claims. These people are now building a site of their own with the belief that they can do better or be received better. I’ll be interested to see if they get to learn the same lesson I have and eventually realize how ungrateful and deluded they’ve been. I say deluded because they continue to believe that my intentions are almost completely different than they are, that I’ve done all this for money or attention, that I’m manipulating and insensitive (when in fact I’m extremely insecure about being misunderstood when I offer to do good because this world is so cynical), and because for saying things like this, they would accuse me of only trying to seek pity though I only continue to try and help others understand me and demonstrate where their assumptions of perceptions have been wrong.

Most of all, they don’t have perspective enough to see how my efforts have brought thousands of people together to share information, help each other, promote development, and enable me to do things to help developers which could not be done if everyone didn’t have such a place to come together. I look at my site like an event. Without performers, an event is disappointingly incomplete, but without someone to create the event, it can’t happen and without spectators, the event has no purpose. I created a venue, promoted an event, drew spectators, attracted performers, and ultimately created a situation where the spectators and performers benefit magnitudes more than if they were left on their own. I don’t claim that someone else couldn’t or wouldn’t have done it, or that I even created the best site; there are others much larger than mine (one even used content from my site before I was the owner so they could have presented much the same service and resources). The fact though is that I DID do all these things and a large number of people have benefited in a number of ways.

From all of this, I’ve concluded that I cannot loan so much of myself out to strangers in the form of time, energy, emotions, passion, or money. I should have gone into this project with all the same intents of benefiting this community, but having set boundaries for myself to prevent being crossed, taken for granted, lied to, and effectively stolen from. Not everyone understands my nature or appreciates my efforts. Combined with the fact that I expect others to be thoughtful or at least appreciative as I am and my oversensitivity when someone expresses a lack of gratitude or isn’t thoughtful, I set myself up for too much heartache.

In a community where confronting someone for dishonesty, plagiarism, abuse, or other valid concerns is frequently considered “drama”, an environment then which at least according to the most outspoken clearly has no respect for integrity and by the same token demonstrates a lack of maturity, this is a time-bomb and in my case, the bomb has gone off.

From here forward I must not make personal connections with users of the site. I must use funds the site generates to pay off the debt it has created and perhaps a minor amount to maintain the site. I must not trust users to be admins if they aren’t properly hired and under contract, and most importantly, I must stop investing so much time and emotion into the site. If i can find this balance, I believe I can continue to contribute to the community while recovering my investment and keep from overextending myself.

The facts:

“He [@Speeddymon] no longer has access to any of your servers or your information. At [AllDroid’s hosting company] our techs’ ONLY responsibility is to care for our customers. Tom’s actions against you and your Alldroid efforts left us no option other than to terminate him. I fully believe he understood this, hence his resignation.”

Ask yourself this, “if I were @Speeddymon and did nothing wrong, why wouldn’t I fight to keep my job? More to the point, why would I resign and why would my manager, who should know me far better than this guy, rainabba, not take my word over his unless rainabba presented undeniable evidence of wrongdoing or my manager knew the truth independently?” Also, why quit when that would deny you unemployment unless you’re too rash and irresponsible to see that far ahead (which is the pattern of behavior which prompted me to call my host when I discovered @Speeddymon had access to our account information and possibly our server)?

Something else which must be understood here is that the account and server which were accessed included information far more sensitive than what AllDroid would expose. I had to act in the interest of FAR more than AllDroid. For that very reason, I can’t even put proper emphasis on this, but the scope of this issue is larger than even @Speeddymon knows and that’s why his original decision was grounds for termination originally. I was enlightened by the same supervisor I quoted above that he had considered terminating @Speeddymon in the beginning and I’d like to believe that my pleas he not be fired had an impact on his continued employment... Employment that lasted until he continued to badmouth a customer of his employer and ultimately acted against his employer by acting against their customer (more lack of perspective or a sign that he was more concerned with “being right” to the public than keeping his job).

My motivation, perspective, and an abstract on how I see myself and AllDroid:

I’m a fan of break-dancing or b-boy style dancing as some know it. I find it fascinating how the style can vary so dramatically from one region to the next. I’ve spent what some likely consider far too much time on YouTube watching the most amazing dancers display strength, coordination, balance, and creativity which I can only dream about having. Then one day I ran across a social media post where somebody said, “You have to see this video. I wish I could move like that.” and for me, that’s bait I cannot pass up; not even when I should be doing work or homework and so I clicked the link and once again, found myself on YouTube.

Immediately the video struck me because the setting wasn’t typical. I’ve seen numerous solo acts where talent; that’s what they call dancers and many other players in the performing arts, showed off their moves in the most random of places. They might use a sidewalk in front of the local convenience store with nothing but a large piece of cardboard on the concrete. The dancers preferred location could also be a local park where the setting is green, lush, friendly and they can draw a crowd of people already looking for leisure or entertainment. In virtually every setting, everyone is energetic and happy.

I don’t want to say those dancers are generally less talented, but most often I’m impressed by dancers in a different type of setting; dancers on a stage who are either performing as part of a larger show or a competition. The venue, or location of those shows can be as common as a school gymnasium, or as high-profile and impressive as a Broadway stage, but this video was something that appeared different and that difference struck me. Not only did the venue strike me, but something more unusual did as well. There wasn’t one dancer on the stage, but instead there were four.

The stage didn’t look like a stage inside any sort of theater, but it did look to me like a stage none the less. I could see four large pillars, two on either side of the dancers. The pillars looked like something I’d expect to see in a great, ancient Greek building. The kind which were run vertically with what looked like pipes cut in half long way and the inside was facing out. In the background I could see a DJ who was clearing controlling the music. As the video played out it became clear that there were multiple cameras recording video and spectators around three sides of the stage.

The four dancers were located in a diamond shape relative to the cameraman so that one dancer was closer to the camera than the other three. This dancer began to perform on their own with a slow beat playing then all at once the music picked up speed and the other three joined in dancing with the same moves. Choreography like this isn’t common with this sort of dance so once more I find myself taken back and pleasantly surprised. Not only were they synchronizing at times, but they were cooperating so that at any moment, a dancer might be able to execute a move that would otherwise be impossible if they were dancing solo. That’s saying something if you know how incredible the moves are which these dancers can do on their own. Their strength can make it seem as if gravity is not a factor in their show. I once saw a dancer who moved around the stage as if they were strung up and only put their toes to the ground on occasion to slow their movement around the stage for fear they would fly right off of it otherwise.

Unless you have participated in an event like this or helped organize one, it’s easy to take for granted all the effort and preparation required to make even a one hour show possible. In the case of this particular video, it was clear that someone had to secure the venue itself. That means finding a time that the location is available, the performance doesn’t interfere with the surroundings, the entertainers will be available, supporting services can be found, etc. Then the venue must be prepared by decorating, setting up lights and speakers, preparing seating or standing areas, putting up signage to indicate details about the event, maybe even building or configuring a stage depending on whether one exists or can be customized for the type of performance. Growing up, I was involved in choir performances and I always like this part of the event. The atmosphere was slightly tense, but with a positive feel that made it exciting instead of stressful. I was always interested in mechanical and technical details too so one could argue that a performance is more than the product that most will see and that’s something special. Even more so in light of the fact that you can’t typically buy admission to that part of an event. You have to have special skills or contributions and be accepted by the greater group of people making the event happen.

Once a venue is prepared and talent available, spectators must show up in order for an event to be considered successful by most individuals definitions. That does not happen on its own. There are a number of a ways in which an event can be made known to potential spectators and the process of doing this is generally known as promoting or marketing. Promoting is something I’ve found I can only do when I’m truly passionate about what it is that I’m promoting. An example of this would be a website I run by the name of AllDroid. Being a software developer that loves electronics and the ability to stay connected to others, the Internet, and media on the go, it’s only natural that I get excited by mobile technology. Today that generally means “smartphones”. AllDroid is what I consider an “Android enthusiast site”. It helps spread information and software related to the Android operating system created by Google for battery powered, mobile devices. When one of these devices is released with new technology or abilities, I’m like a child in a toy store about to explode with anticipation of getting to buy and go home with the latest, greatest new toy. This makes it very easy for me to promote my web site. I do this on a daily basis when I talk with people and hear they might have use of my site, by advertising with other sites who share similar interest, by using professional services that expose ads for me elsewhere on the Internet, and likely in a number of other small ways.

All these preparations for an event are critical to making an event the best it can be. Why does the event matter though? The dancers are incredibly talented and if you saw one on the street corner, I wouldn’t expect you’d be much less impressed than if you saw them at an event. The event does offer a few things though that combined, are significant and this video made me realize this.

One dancer can be quite something to behold, but when four of them work together as a team, the results are far beyond what any of them could have dreamed of doing alone. At one of these events, it can be expected that many such talents will be brought together so once the promoting has made the event known to an individual, that person will have many more opportunities to observe such talent than if they left it to chance or even if they went looking on their own.

Without the support of everyone who brought the event together, the talent would still find it difficult to make their skills known to the world. This means the everyone from the architect that designed the venue, the people who pushed brooms to clean up the construction site, the event managers, the designers, the sound engineers, the promoters, the financial backers, right down to the spectators that showed up to watch the talent and cheer them on so they would try that much harder to do their best; every last person was in a way just as important as the talent. Without the event, they are talented and can entertain a few. Without the talent, the event is virtually pointless. Together though, something amazing happens and a great many people are better off.

Watching this video of four dancers working together at an event made me realize all this then draw an unlikely parallel. My website is like an event. It has financial backers, architects, engineers, promoters, spectators, and like an event, it must have talent to be complete. The talent (Android developers) can work on their own and they will accomplish much the same, but they won’t reach all the people who are passionate about their work and appreciate the fruits of their effort. Like in the entertainment industry, their can be other benefits of a talent working in the context of an event. It typically generates revenue in any number of ways and that lets the people who manage the event provide benefits to the talent and spectators so that every-one's experience is better in the end and perhaps even allows them to compensate the talent in some way.

When everyone involved understands this and does their part, everyone involved should end up better off then if they worked alone, outside of an event. I built AllDroid to help support the Android development community, and in a way I think I understood this instinctively, but I’m not sure all the potential spectators (users and members) and talent (developers) in my community does and that saddens me because I know Android will be less than it could be so long as that’s the case.

Additional details: Following is largely my opinion mixed with facts and is subjective and highly emotional as a result. You have been warned:

This will also be the last I have to say on this subject publicly and will serve as a new milestone for the site. I will also no longer act in such a personal manner because I’ve received so much personal abuse as a result of my attempts to connect this way. This saddens me because there are many who I’d like to give personal time and attention to in an attempt to support their efforts to further Android, but if this community does appreciate my efforts, it is a very small group who voices it. I am grateful for all the efforts that have made AllDroid what it now is. I’ll say one more time that without users and developers, it would be nothing and then my efforts truly would be in vain. This also serves as proof that they haven’t been and that is why I will continue to support the community via AllDroid.

I really wish I didn't have to address such things because only a couple weeks ago I would have called this person a friend and didn't think him capable of being selfish or mean but he's proven beyond a doubt that I was wrong. I do have to wonder how much is his doing though because as smart as he is, life experience is worth a lot in both knowledge and wisdom for those who choose to learn and grown over time and he is currently under the wing of someone roughly 10 years older who has twice now shown that he is not above acting without integrity either out of greed and/or anger.

The person to which I refer once did great damage to AllDroid for his own personal gain only to be burned by the very people which he foolishly thought would reward him. After he admitted publicly his wrong-doing, I choose to show forgiveness (something I'm beginning to see is a personality fault of mine) and once more I invested time, energy, hope, and trust toward this person thinking that the entire Android community could benefit. When I choose to stand up for my principles with the intent of strengthening the community by calling out someone who was acting selfishly and dishonestly, this person turned tail and hid, making my time and efforts a waste.

The latest two of which I speak are now partnered up and have been spreading the same lies and hateful words towards me again, without having any way of knowing the truth. Neither of them did the adult thing and contacted me when they heard the outrageous claim which @Speeddymon made to ask my side or to even see if there was a discrepancy. I'd say that is proof that they had no interest in the truth and were only looking for an excuse to defame me and AllDroid. Of course, by their own admissions, they were already biased towards such behavior because they had made up their minds collectively (including a 3rd person, even) about me and although I can't say that collective opinion can be entirely wrong, based on the amount of interaction they had with me, I can say that they were all mistaken about my motives and that it tainted their opinions of me which in combination with their lack of life experience and maturity, appears to have led to some nasty results.

These same people have also been pasting the contents of messages (and even a voicemail which to me seemed like it worked against them) which were not meant for the general public and without proper context, these also are very misleading and as such I feel should be seen as lies or attempts to manipulate the truth in their favor. Nothing I’ve said privately embarrasses me or makes me regretful except that I didn’t slow down to say it better and without all the profanity and insults (no matter how much I still feel they were due).

I am not naming anyone but @Speeddymon because at this point, if you as a reader don't know the other names, then that's immaterial. If from here forward they don't commit further libel against me, then they're just more players in this huge Android community and they will suffer the natural consequences of their shortsightedness, lack of judgement, etc.. I will say that I find it incredibly ironic that those other individuals now run a site of their own, using so many of my ideas, and appear to have so many people fooled into thinking that they are not the lieing, back-stabbing individuals they have proven themselves to be. Let me go on record saying that I don’t feel sorry for anyone who ultimately gets burned by them. I’ve done everything I could to help the community and do my part to expose them. Their lies combined with their intelligence have succeeded in putting me in a position where I have little choice but to sit back and watch them build that site, then burn all the people they will. Mark my words, they will do it too. Likely in a way that people don’t even know it’s happening.

Following is a very long-winded and thoroughly thought out explanation of what has gone down regarding @Speeddymon, as a matter of facts, not opinions or lies as others have provided. After that, you will find an explanation (proof if you like, and at least a couple people should see it as just that) of my intention in obtaining, building, maintaining, and continuing to run AllDroid.

This is the last I will speak on the matter in public. I could continue to provide public replies to these individuals but it's like arguing with a fool; it's pointless. Some people choose to see things their own way, independent of facts and reality and you cannot sway their view or opinion. I think in some cases this is unintentional and is the result of believing some things to be true which are not, and not knowing or understanding where the faulty facts begin. That in turn affects their interpretation of other facts or events and gives them different meaning. The classic example would be "rose-colored glasses". If you didn't know you were wearing them, nobody could convince you the world actually was a different set of colors than you see. As I continue to try and explain/teach/enlighten/etc these people to the reality of certain situations, they are only able to understand it based on the experiences and knowledge they have to work with. If they make bad assumptions as well, then this becomes an impossible task. When their opinion is that I'm only trying to justify my actions because they disagree with them, then my attempts to explain actually become counterproductive and I'm left with no choice but to let them believe as they will.

I do have the ability to address others who have heard what those confused individuals have said and are open to hearing truths and opinions (labeled as such instead of facts) so that accurate judgements can be made. Even then, I suspect that some people just won't see things the way I do and that is also something which I will just have to let be.

"I" and I alone know my intentions and can only tell you this much: I don't believe in lying. It's contradictory to the nature of the universe and serves nobody well in the end. Practically, it just doesn't make sense because lying creates work and potentials that work against ones own self. Even more practical, I have a bad memory and so lying to people would be about as sensible as picking fights with angry junkies who have nothing to lose. I'd be setting myself up for disaster. I believe in win-win-win scenarios. I don't say win-win because in the real world, there's almost always "you, me, and them". When anyone loses, well, someone loses and that idea doesn't make me feel good. I'd rather work a little harder, be honest, perhaps gain a bit less in the short term, but know that nobody loses while I enjoy my keep and more importantly, I have the foresight to know that if everyone wins, the future will hold more opportunities for me than if someone loses. When making decisions in my life whether they be personal or business, I keep this in mind and always seek solutions that are win-win-win.

You have two reasons to believe all of that, either because it sounds good and you want to, or because it makes sense. Since you've not been in a situation where you can know that my decisions were not based on other motives, that's all you can know, but why believe otherwise if you haven't seen evidence of anything else? THAT is what I'd like to get through to these people who seem to think I have some evil master plan. At this point, one in particular sounds downright paranoid when you consider that because he still thinks that I'm just manipulating people when all my actions have been for everyone else's good and I continue to lose by running AllDroid... except for the knowledge that I am helping Android in various ways (which he feels differently about of course).

If you have been following recent events and after reading the following you can see without a doubt that @Speeddymon has lied, others have believed those lies and acted on them to include sharing them with you, which in turn makes them liars, you then have to ask yourself how much of what they've said you can believe. The thing about someone who will lie is that they rarely do it just once if they're any more than a child who still hasn't come to understand how futile lies are. If you're knowingly going to invest your time, contributions, energy, trust, etc.. in someone who would lie to you, then you are setting yourself up for disappointment or even disaster.

In closing:

In any case, my interest is ultimately in Android and so I will no longer get sucked into the childish politics that so often seem to affect this community. Clearly cohesion isn’t a priority and too many developers would prefer to work autonomously for AllDroid to be what I hoped it would, but it will remain to support any developers who want to use it. If even one developer uses it and makes a difference, then I haven’t failed. Lastly, you'll find that because of their guilty conscious, the unnamed parties that this document doesn't refer to by name will likely have something to say about all this and if they do as they always have up to this point, they will use the term "drama". I've come to understand that they use this word to refer to issues they don't want to deal with, especially now this means issues which show them for who they really are. Watch for this tell-tale sign (assuming they aren't smart enough to read all the way to this point and as a result, avoid that which they've done so many times before as a result).

RAINABBA

Toshiba Thrive Review and AllDroid announcement

2011-07-22T11:58:00.001-07:00

The review will be a WIP for a couple days, but I wanted to announce immediately that I have added forums for the Toshiba Thrive AT105 at http://AllDroid.org (specifically at http://goo.gl/4G9aU). Interestingly, other major Android enthusiast sites are ignoring this amazing tablet (the best of them all right now in my opinion).

Details on the 32GB that I'll be reviewing can be found at: http://www.toshibadirect.com/td/b2c/pdet.to?poid=2000003331

Wireless Companies and my Frustration

2011-07-19T20:51:00.001-07:00

In March, I purchased a rather pricey piece of electronics from Verizon Wireless that was being advertised as “4G”. In some of their materials they qualified that equipment as “4G upgradable” to indicate that it wasn’t actually able to use their LTE network just yet, but it would.

Four months later, an eternity in the technology world, their LTE network has been running nicely for some time and the 4G upgrade for this device is still not available. At this rate, the device will be obsolete before the upgrade is made available and if that occurs, then Verizon Wireless will be guilty of misrepresentation but my opinion is that they already as because even now, they still have commercials and posters that display their “4G Devices” and they include this device that I’m talking about.

Verizon Wireless has also been making changes to their service plans and the most significant of those changes relates to their shift toward “tiered plans”. In the past, if you’ve paid for data on a device, it’s been “unlimited” (which really wasn’t if you read the fine-print, but that didn’t apply to many people or circumstances). They changed the game though. If you aren’t already a customer on one of their “unlimited” plans, then you’re forced to subscribe to one of their tiered plans. I am one of the “grandfathered” customers so I pay $29 for unlimited 4G data. If you go buy a 4G device today, you will pay $30 for 2GB of data ($15/1GB), $50 for 5GB of data ($10/1GB), $80 for 10GB of data ($8/1GB), then $10 per additional 1GB used thereafter. This means that if you’re a “typical” user, you will pay as much as me and I have unlimited data, but it also means that you pay the most compared to all other users. The more data you use, the better your rates get until you use more than 10GB at which point the pricing begins to go back up.

I not only fail to see the logic here, but it looks to me like Verizon is trying to push customers away. Especially true when you look at how other carriers are providing truely unlimited plans as lower price points. Most people don’t need to speed that Verizon’s LTE network provides so they don’t have incentive to pay those rates and if you buy a 4G device, you MUST use a 4G plan. This means that you soon won’t be able to get the nicer phones without also paying the higher rates for data. What is Verizon thinking?

This frustration led to to walk into a Sprint store so I could find out about their “4G” service (by the way, nobody has real 4G, they all just use the term anyway, but Verizon has the closest thing right now). The first sales person I spoke with was rude and uninformed so I just walked away and looked for another one. The only other sales person was with a customer, but near a phone I wanted to look at so I couldn’t help but overhear his sales pitch as I checked out the phone I wanted.

He was trying to help the customer decide between two very similar phones, both high-end with lots of features. The customer asked him about battery life and he told her that, “this one will have slightly better battery life because it has a little bit slower CPU” which is like saying, “you’ll eat less food while traveling in this car because it has a weaker engine” in a world that doesn’t have speed limits. The reality is that the slower the CPU is, the older is likely is and that alone means it’s most likely less efficient, but it also means that the screen will be on longer as the user waits for the phone to complete tasks and the screen on a smart-phone is the biggest battery consumer by far. In other words, he had no clue what he was talking about and as a result, was misleading her to what may be the wrong phone for her entirely.

This steered me away from Sprint because I don’t want to be dealing with a rude, ignorant, dishonest company. Then there’s the fact that their “4G” service is available in a VERY limited number of places, isn’t very robust, and their 3G service is onbearably slow, especially compared to the unlimited 4G I get right now with Verizon.

I’m just fed up with the wireless industry right now. It seems like all the providers are so desperate that they’ll say and do anything (think of all the AT&T vs Verizon commercials we’ve been exposed to, most of which were completely misleading) and they are getting away with it. I thought the FTC existed to protect consumers from this sort of behavior, especially when it happens with near-monopolies like Verizon and AT&T.

I think I’m going to look for and possibly try to initiate a class-action lawsuit against Verizon for talking me and 10’s if not 100’s of thousands of people into buying 4G devices that aren’t actually 4G yet because they need upgrades that aren’t available or because service isn’t available yet and they don’t bother telling the consumers. Same with AT&T. There’s a study that says something like 60% of iPhone 4 users think they have 4G phones because the iPhone 3G and 3Gs were 3G and iPhone 4 has a 4 in the name. I’m sure the carriers and Apple aren’t ignorant to this trend otherwise they wouldn’t have gone from the 3, to the 3G, to the 3Gs to the 4.

Is the US on the verge of complete ruin?

2011-07-19T14:53:00.003-07:00

So congress is still discussing the debt-cap issue and as our country nears this cap, the consequences are beginning to show. As a disabled veteran of the USMC, I receive disability benefits and I’m currently going to school thanks to benefits from the Montgomery GI-Bill, a plan which I choose to pay into nearly 13 years ago. The government has had my money for all this time and now I’m being told that I may lose those benefits.

I can’t even invest in our own government with security? That wouldn’t be so bad if I didn’t see our government giving BILLIONS of dollars to private companies that have failed to thrive and should be gone now. Companies which made horrible decisions, practice bad business, have proven themselves corrupt and put our entire country at risk, and are now taking money DIRECTLY out of my pockets. As if paying those companies through my illegally collected federal tax dollars wasn’t enough to disgust me.

As a veteran I find all of this almost impossible to stomach, but what really takes it too far, is thinking of the active-duty troops facing the fear of loosing their pay. As far back as history goes, all major militia have been paid for their service. The way the US structures its military and the support for them, there are 10’s of thousands of troops putting themselves in mortal harms way over seas right now, who also have family here in the states who rely on the paychecks these personnel receive. If they lose their paychecks, the families here who already suffer fear for those they love and the separation that is inherent in the service of our military, how have to fear for their own very survival. The most basic things like food and shelter are at risk.

If sympathy for them isn’t enough motivation to straighten out this mess, the reality that our military will not perform anywhere near optimal levels when they find out their family is facing such fear (or the reality should it occur) should be enough. That means that as a country, we’ve spent the money to put our troops out there (and imagine if that decisions was bad to begin with), put their lives in harms way, all in the belief that it’s needed to secure the future of our country, and now it would all be thrown to the wayside because of wasteful spending and mixed up priorities.

Imagine if we hit the cap, can’t pay our military, things begin to fall apart, another country understands this and takes advantage of it, then we lose lives and/or assets over-seas as a result, THEN our countries moral will take a dive and that will further damage our economy.

All this because someone chose to bail out a bunch of worthless, corrupt thieves called “business men” who would give themselves multi-million dollar bonuses for doing what? If instead someone had the wisdom to intelligently invest that money in other ways and approve the “Ensuring Pay for Our Military Act”, then none of this would be an issue right now.

Our government has already let the terrorists win their war (TSA is the proof) and now they’re playing the very real possibility of destroying our country because of mismanagement of spending and debt. How sad it all is.

Something to consider regarding David Wagner (Davidjr621)

2011-06-06T15:11:00.005-07:00

A boy (I assume he's a boy) named David Wagner recently created another twitter account to post my personal information, which he received from one of a small handful of people in the Android community who have decided they don't like me in the last couple weeks (or at least finally found the courage to say it out loud).

Twitter being the wonderful service it is nipped that in the butt pretty quickly and I noticed that David's retweet was gone just as quickly (make sense since the original is gone). I was satisfied with this outcome and was ready to write him off as another child in the community throwing a fit, trying to get attention, or something like that but then I started some research to see if I could connect David to the number which prank called me the other night from (609-233-7***) and I realized that David is one of the developers which I had in the past taken the time to setup and promote a collection for so he could upgrade his phone and hopefully help contribute to the community.

Between the conversation below and his recent tweets, we've had no interactions and he has had nothing but hear-say to base any change of opinion on. So easily swayed is his opinion and emotions and the extreme difference amazes me. "You're awesome Rainabba" to being so angry about something he's not even involved in and never checked facts on, that he released my personal information to the Internet without explaining in the least, to anyone why he was upset with me let alone why that was an appropriate retaliation (as if it could be).

I found the conversation below and though it was appropriate to share so that anyone who'd seen his tweets and wasn't sure how to interpret them, OR who considered using them as a basis to form an opinion of me; could gain some perspective on him. The last few lines are the most significant. The rest is just for context.

He is only one of quite a few developers I've setup these donations for by the way and they have in all but perhaps one case, gone DIRECTLY to the developer. I only setup a page to explain the circumstances, provided the tools (site, software, collection plugin which I had to put for myself, and of course the time it takes to create the page and it's contents.)

If you follow me via @AllDroid, you might also find it interesting to note that I've also done this for @_mrbirdman_ and @Drod2169 on at least one, but I believe more than one occasion.

Let me emphasize that I only do this so that you as a reader can better decide how to interpret his malicious tweets and I wish I didn't have to make public what should be private. Lately though it seems that others have no respect for the idea of privacy and this makes me WANT to care less. I hope defending my reputation in this way isn't viewed in a negative light, but I think those who would see it that way are likely not those who I am concerned with reading this.

8:06 AM davidjr621: Hey rainabba
  I had someone tell me they donated through the alldroid page
8:07 AM
Does it go directly to my paypal?  Or what?  Plus the page isn't updating  For % me: It should. Check your account .8:11 AM I'm double checking the site right now also. davidjr621: I checked it8:12 AM me: And?8:13 AM davidjr621: Nothing8:14 AM me: I'm confirming the settings right now. My power is out though so I have to do it to my tablet. davidjr621: Ahhh8:15 AM me: Davidjr621@******.*** is where the donations would be going to. Is that correct?8:16 AM davidjr621: Yes me: Ask the user what their alldroid username is and if they were logged in and tell me that please.8:20 AM ? davidjr621: She was logged in  Corinacakes

5 minutes

8:26 AM me: She donated to the alldroid general page not your page, that's why you haven't seen it. I'll make a payment to you now for the amount she donated which was $25. Ask her if she used the link off of Twitter or she browsed to the donation page .8:27 AM davidjr621: She said she used my twitter one8:31 AM me: I'm not sure which one she used but it was not the one that points to your page. Please ask her to give you the contents of that tweet and pass it along to me so I can determine where the problem was.8:33 AM davidjr621: She hasn't replied  She went Away8:34 AM You gonna send that onto me though right?  I'm sure she's gonna ask8:35 AM me: David if you're going to continue to question me then perhaps I shouldn't be running this donation for you. If you don't trust me then this doesn't make sense. davidjr621: I didn't say I didn't trust you me: Either she made a mistake and she's not admitting to it, or there's a problem on my website. If there's a problem on my website, I want to resolve it to ensure your future donations go to you as they should.8:36 AM davidjr621: K  One sec me: Then please be patient and let me try to find where the problem is. I'm returning her money to her so that she may donate it correctly through the page I've set up for you. davidjr621: She used the Davidjr621Donations one  Alright8:37 AM Brb8:39 AM me: I can assure you she did not use your donation page. This is not the first I've set up this way over the last year and a half. I will make a donation myself so we can be sure that it's working correctly.8:42 AM davidjr621: Ok  Be back in 30 me: I just donated $5.30 and it reflected on the page immediately your address was correct there is no doubt that the page is working properly. I have not made any changes. She did not use the page. Regardless I've given her a refund so she can now use it and give you the $25 donation.

12 minutes

8:55 AM davidjr621: Alright thank you so much  Ill let her know8:56 AM me: K8:57 AM davidjr621: She sent it to me  Your awesome rainabba  I don't get why the DF people don't like you  (Well, miami anyways)

6 minutes

9:04 AM me: I can only guess, but I really have no idea what his problem is.9:06 AM davidjr621: yea, I don't know either

A Personal Revelation about human adaptivity (is that a word?)

2011-05-31T15:11:00.000-07:00

I find it unlikely that these thoughts are original amongst professionals in the field of psychology or perhaps anthropology, but just a moment ago, it became an original thought in my head. Original in that I didn't read or hear this, but it occurred to me as I was listening to Stephen King's, "The Waste Lands: The Dark Tower III".

I can't even say precisely what thoughts came together but the gist is this: a small group of travelers finds themselves together in an impossibly unusual and strange place. They are all from different times and one from a completely different place (both geographically and by its nature). Their ability to accept their situation, deal with the issues at hand, and not lose their minds due to the unfathomable difference from the worlds which they are accustomed to is amazing; almost unbelievable.

Another thought almost occurred but was interrupted as I began to focus on the story once more. One of the characters was dreaming and in that dream, he found himself back on the streets of his home town, but certain key players in his life, came to him in roles that made no sense. For example, a powerful drug dealer appeared to him as a pan-handler begging for change (not unlike I encountered every 30 seconds while recently in San Francisco).

That character had already made a mental transition from his previous life to the one in his current waking world and now he was essentially back in that previous life via a dream. I expect the transition was the mental equivalent of living the better part of 30 years with gravity, instantly loosing it and learning to deal without just find, then suddenly being cast back to place with gravity; a feat that should be virtually impossible.

It isn't thought. We (humans) have an absurdly amazing ability to adapt. I came to understand this without realizing it, when I became a United States Marine. Given my upbringing, life as a Marine was nearly as foreign to me as would have been life living as a monk. I was never exposed to the demands, prepared to deal with the conflict, forced to be so insensitive, made to see things through, etc... (this would be another post completely if I really wanted to elaborate). After being discharged from the USMC and "coming back to the civilian world" where so many things were taken for granted, I learned a new respect for war veterans. Even if you consider yourself an "outdoors person", there are things you can't understand until serving in the military; in particular, being trained as a Marine/Soldier, or doing hard time in war. Things like a clean bed, warm shower, clean/soft clothes, comfortable/quiet toilet, a roof, fresh food (even if not great food, just cooked is a luxury).

War veterans can come home from a place where every stranger (someone not in a friendly uniform) might be as ready to bring out a weapon and shoot you as they are to make a phone call to a friend. A place where a private, warm, long shower might be had at most once a month. (I could go on and on)

Yet when they come home, they often go to watch for these dangers out of habit and instead see little more around them than petty conflict between "adults" who might as well be kings/queens/princes/princesses by the standards they've come to know and experience. These people might find their day ruined because someone cut them off in line, their coffee order at Star**** was wrong, their food is a little slow coming to their table at a favorite restaurant, etc.., etc...

Still, they manage the transition (some need a bit of help, but they do it none the less). They resume life in this world despite their new perspective which makes this a completely foreign place for all they recognize and know in it. Eventually most even thrive because they now have perspective and knowledge that gives them an advantage. They are grateful for the life they have.

For those who don't because their experiences in combat have put images and memories into their mind so grotesque that they hesitate to speak of them, it's not unusual to become homeless because they can't live up to all the expectations of our culture. Expectations that are far too often misplaced and meaningless in their minds. In a mind that understands what really matters and doesn't.

Be in awe of your minds ability to adapt to new and strange surroundings. Be grateful for those who live another life where comfort rarely exists so that you can live your life, where comfort is abundant. Be sympathetic of those who you might otherwise find disdainful, because they've suffered and changed so much that they try to come home and can't find home when it's all around them; people who have literally given away themselves and their life for you (even when they still walk).

jQuery Custom UI JS File too Large for IIS 7?

2011-04-29T03:47:00.001-07:00

I just burned roughly 2 hours learning that Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit IIS (7.5) can't serve a fully loaded jquery-ui-1.8.12.custom.min.js file (which is around 208k). The only solution I've found so far was to split the file in 2 and serve them separately. This issue is NOT specific to a particular version of jQuery UI.

If you know a better solution, please do share with the rest of us.

Symptom: REALLY slow loading page which results in an error that can be found on the dev console. Using IE9 Dev tools, Network profiler, I was able to see the "pending" status of the file which wasn't getting served properly.

Solution: I used UltraEdit to break the file in 2 and in my app I load both files in the correct order so that the Core components load first (in case it matters).

Logic you shouldn't use in regards to nuclear safety.

2011-04-19T23:46:00.001-07:00

This will be another short one because there's not much to say, but I think this bit does need to be said.

"The nuclear incident in Japan makes me less sure about the safety of nuclear energy." Aparently a recent poll found that an insane FOURTY PERCENT of Americans agreed with this statement.

Let's put this in perspective but first we must make a point clear. The nuclear incident in Japan has EVERYTHING to do with the people who designed, built, and ran the facility (material choice, location, maintenance, etc..).

If we replace the phrase of nuclear energy with "car", the word incident with "crash", and to bring the idea home, Japan with "California" then let's see how much sense this logic makes:

"The car crash in California makes me less sure about the safety of cars." Based on the logic represented in the first statement, the 2nd should be just as valid but we all know that's beyond far from true. We all drive regardless of the fact that car crashes do more harm collectively across the US than the nuclear incident in Japan has done there.

Why the double standard? Also, why not just look at the bigger issue, the people who maintain the plants? Go do your own research on US Nuclear Incidents and you'll find that it's not the technology that should be a cause of concern, but the people who design, build, and maintain it.

By the way, for those of you living in California (Southern CA in particular); did you know that you live VERY close to a nuclear facility? Personally, I used to live within 30 minutes of it and frequently saw it as I traveled on the I-5. You can learn more about it HERE and see it below.

Oh yeah, here's one for you. Notice how much detail you get if you zoom in on these maps (or Marine Corps base Camp Pendleton where the facility is located) then consider how much harassment you receive from the TSA when flying. Doesn't seem quite balanced does it? You'd think someone would make it more difficult for a terrorist to get so much detail and such a good layout of CRITICAL infrastructure if the US Government is going to harass its own citizens so much when they're using a commercial service THEY PAID FOR. *face palm*

View Larger Map

View Larger Map

Here's one more location to consider in the context of my last point (I used to be stationed here and can confirm that this is a LOT of detail and far more than someone would need to get themselves somewhere they shouldn't be).

View Larger Map

1.3 Million US Veterans to lose VA Eligibility

2011-04-12T16:58:00.000-07:00

Can someone please explain this government rational to me? "Let's work on a national health care system, but strip VA benefits from 1.3 million veterans." Talk about ass-backwards.

Yes, that IS my entire blog entry on the topic. I just don't think elaboration is needed because this is so simply stupid.

The facts about Android, hardware, locking, and carriers.

2011-04-05T16:22:00.000-07:00

Gasp. Bootlocking is the devils work. Why the hell would u make a device based on open sourced code if ur gonna lock it up? Just clearly state it voids the warranty and let us have our fun.

Here's a real example relating to the DroidX. Verizon wanted to give us movies on demand via Blockbuster. Blockbuster told VZW that their content would have to be secure and their app would be guaranteed to remain on the phone (marketing, brand awareness, etc) which in theory means a locked down device. So VZW has to get with Moto to figure out how to prevent users from gaining root.

In reality our devices are locked almost entirely for "our good" but then again "we" represent a very small fraction of users that would rather have something like a bare-bones AOSP ROM that runs fast and does what we want, rather than have Skype or Blockbuster (or Motoblur, Touchwhiz, Sense, etc...) and "we" don't represent a large enough group for the carriers or manufacturers to risk their networks or support for things to change at this point. Hopefully over time our numbers will grow and we

They are not going to continue to subsidize (give us phones at a low cost in exchange for contracts) high-end smartphones AND intentionally leave them unlocked. It's bad business and "open-source" has NOTHING to do with it.

The whole "it's not open if the device is locked" argument is also a load and I'm shocked to see some of the people out there trying to push it. Android is open-source. You can download the source, modify it, build it, and put it on a device. Period, end of story. Not being able to put it on hardware of your choosing is all together another issue and if people are being realistic, not a surprising one. It should be no more expected that Apple would open up their hardware to Android than Moto would open up theirs to "your" version of Android. They all have their reasons (both stability and business/marketing) to lock them down. There are already companies out there building Android devices intended to be open hardware to appeal to folks just like us ( http://synapse-phones.com/ is the first I know of ).

Bottom line? Stop trying to convince yourself that the manufacturers are locking your devices when the ones really responsible are the carriers and they have good reason to do it. Also, realize that Android running on locked hardware doesn't make Android any less open source. You have the ability to find and use hardware of your choosing to run Android as you see fit, with any changes you'd like so long as the hardware was intended for that purpose (and frequently more often since most device get rooted and flashed anyway).

Dealing with adults that don't act like adults.

2011-04-02T00:26:00.000-07:00

So there is this individual that I encounter regularly online despite my best efforts. I try to avoid this person because after becoming involved with an organization that plagiarized material belonging to me (and recently suggesting THEY would take legal action against me), they seem to think the worst of me with nothing to base it on (except blatant lies they've even effectively caught themselves in, or been called out on by people that represent them).

This isn't really about THAT person, but "that" person. We all have one in our lives I think. No matter what we do they can find fault, place blame, create problems, etc.. I actually have another and sadly this other one is in my life because I and my wife tried to do a favor for a friend. It's backfired to the point that a major investment (5+ years of my life) has been at risk on many occasions and I fear it may be getting worse because "these" people do things based on some alternate reality and as a result, I can never tell what's coming next.

A kind gesture is met with disdain, childish, malicious words, and an overall attitude that can only be delivered by an adult that thinks like a child. You know what I mean? Things are said and logic used that couldn't be conveyed by a child, but the lack of logic and thought processes behind it are not representative of a mature, adult mind.

Most adults can use humor to overcome awkward situations and it's often said that imitation is the best form of flattery. Put the two together and at the least, you'd expect two adults to have a good laugh, then walk away. Bring in one of "those" people though, and it just starts another war.

In my case "this" person LOVES to go on about how mature they are, how they'll take the "high road" (made me think they must have meant the road taken when 'high', heh), and then bad-mouth me and the organization I represent. In the meantime, this person is a civil servant responsible for children in our city and is quite literally worshiped by children online for their "contributions", which are always WAY less glamorous than in reality, but that fact is never rectified.

I just can't wrap my brain around how people like this see the world, I can't avoid "these" people in two instances, and so I don't know how to deal with them. It seriously feels like I'm trying to reason with lunatics. In both cases, they operate for profit (though in one case, they might dare argue otherwise despite the public evidence to the contrary). In my case, I operate at a constant loss, and for the good that they are profiting from. You'd think that alone would be enough reason to quite with the silliness. That's sound logic though so it doesn't apply.

Sigh..... I'm rarely at a loss, but this is definitely one of those times. :(

How to enable or switch to RAID/AHCI mode from IDE on an Intel ICHR chipset without reinstalling Windows

2011-03-24T16:00:00.002-07:00

Credit for the following goes to: gLk*zaP and goaliejerryy at hexus.net. I'm just reposting these two posts from that forum because I've needed the information a few times, not found it easy enough, and am tired of all the Internet know-it-alls posting worthless and incorrect advise like, "just go buy an add-in card [even though you have a perfectly good, fast raid controller built in]" or "Impossible. You'll have to do a compelete reinstall." when in fact this is a simple matter of telling Windows, "hey, you're about to be rebooted and should use a new storage driver to boot the same installation of Windows. Windows should be more graceful about this, but it really isn't a big deal.

The core issue is that if you originally installed using the included IDE drivers for the ICHR controller while it was in IDE mode, to convert a single drive to a raid WHICH IS SUPPORTED BY INTEL (talking to the folks out there that think they know but DO NOT), you must first switch the controller to RAID mode in the BIOS and get windows to install and recognize the RAID drivers. There's a catch-22 here though because if you switch to RAID in the BIOS without the drivers installed, Windows can't boot past NTLDR or what ever bootloader is being used initially. The solution seems simple, install the Intel RAID drivers. The problem there is that in their infinite wisdom, Intel decided that if their RAID controller can't be detected, then their installer will refuse to install the drivers. See the problem? If they'd just allow a simple, force install of the drivers, this would all be much less trouble.

On to one of many solutions:

OP Post by gLk*zaP

If you have installed Windows when your mainboard SATA controller was set to native IDE mode,

you usually cannot switch later to AHCI or RAID mode, without completly reinstalling windows.
But there is a way...

A very interesting article about the features and possible benefits of AHCI mode, including comparisons
of different drives, and if it might be faster or even slower for you:
http://www.behardware.com/art/imprimer/624/

I recommend making a disk image of your current windows partition before you
continue and make any changes to things like registry and drivers.
Use programs like Norton Ghost or Acronis True Image, there should be free trial versions available.

Activating AHCI/RAID mode for mainboards with ICH9(R) southbridge

If you are using a 32-bit Windows XP AND want to use RAID on ICH9(R), please scroll further down.
Everyone else, either AHCI or RAID mode and for all other Windows versions, read on.

What you need:

- Intel Storage Manager Software (Version 7.5.0.1017 iata75_cd.exe)
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/download.aspx?url=/13494/a08/iata75_cd.exe&agr=N&ProductID=2101&DwnldId=13494&strOSs=All&OSFullName=All+Operating+Systems&lang=eng

- Registry fix for ICH9(R): http://www.jzelectronic.de/jz2/Download2/ICH9R-AHCI.reg

Follow this step by step:

1. Go to Start, Run, iata75_cd.exe -a -a
This will appear to run as normal setup, but will actually just extract the needed files to \Program Files\Intel\Intel Matrix Storage Manager\Driver
Note: For 64-bit Windows versions, chose the iaStor.sys from \Driver64\ instead of \Driver\.
Copy the iaStor.sys from there to \Windows\System32\Drivers\

2. Double-click the downloaded ICH9R-AHCI.reg file. A safety question should pop up, answer yes.

3. Now reboot your system. Go directly into the BIOS menu, change SATA controller mode from IDE to AHCI or RAID. Exit & save changes.

4. Boot into windows. It will detect new hardware now, cancel that wizard.
Instead start the downloaded Intel Storage Manager Software (iata75_cd.exe), this time without any paramaters.
When it is done installing, reboot once again.

5. Now in your device manager Intel (R) ICH9 SATA AHCI Controller (or RAID) should show up.

6. Enjoy.

Activating RAID mode with 32-bit Windows XP on mainboards with ICH9(R) southbridge:

NOTE: NOT CONFIRMED WORKING YET

What you need:

- Intel Storage Manager Software (Version 7.0.01020 iata70_cd.exe)
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/download.aspx?url=/13315/a08/iata70_cd.exe&agr=N&ProductID=2101&DwnldId=13315&strOSs=All&OSFullName=All%20Operating%20Systems&lang=eng

- Intel Storage Manager Software (Version 7.5.0.1017 iata75_cd.exe)
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/download.aspx?url=/13494/a08/iata75_cd.exe&agr=N&ProductID=2101&DwnldId=13494&strOSs=All&OSFullName=All+Operating+Systems&lang=eng

- Registry fix for ICH8R: http://www.jzelectronic.de/jz2/Download2/ICH8R-AHCI.reg
- Registry fix for ICH9R: http://www.jzelectronic.de/jz2/Download2/ICH9R-AHCI.reg

1. Go to Start, Run, iata70_cd.exe -a -a
This will appear to run as normal setup, but will actually just extract the needed files to \Program Files\Intel\Intel Matrix Storage Manager\Driver
Copy the iaStor.sys from there to \Windows\System32\Drivers\

2. Now i am not sure which registry fix you are supposed to use for Raid mode and 32-bit XP.
Either the old ICH8R or the ICH9R. I have to rely on feedback from other users here.
Double-click the file, a safety question should pop up, answer yes.

3. Now reboot your system. Go directly into the BIOS menu, change SATA controller mode from IDE to RAID. Exit & save changes.

4. Boot into windows. It will detect new hardware now, cancel that wizard.
Now, start the installation of the new version of the Intel Storage Manager Software (iata75_cd.exe).
This will replace the old iaStor.sys with the actual ICH9R version. When it is done installing, reboot once again.

5. Now in your device manager something like Intel (R) ICH9 SATA RAID Controller should show up.

6. Enjoy.

Notes: It has been mentioned that hard drives that have been partitioned using tools such as Acronis Disk Director,
might be unable to work with RAID mode as boot drives. I can confirm this myself, Windows does not even start loading,
you get an error like 'Inaccessible Boot Device'. You need to partition this drive again using just Windows Disk Management Tools.
I am using 32-bit XP myself, and so far couldnt get RAID mode working. I keep getting the reboot loop.

Activating AHCI/RAID mode on mainboards with ICH8(R) southbridge

What you need:

- Intel Storage Manager Software (iata621.exe)
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/detail_desc.aspx?agr=N&ProductID=2529&DwnldID=12474&strOSs=45&OSFullName=Windows*%20XP%20Home%20Edition&lang=eng

- Registry fix for ICH8(R): http://www.jzelectronic.de/jz2/Download2/ICH8R-RAID.reg

1. Go to Start, Run, iata621.exe -a -a
This will appear to run as normal setup, but will actually just extract the needed files to \Program Files\Intel\Intel Matrix Storage Manager\Driver
Note: For x64 Operating systems, chose the iaStor.sys from \Driver64\ instead of \Driver\.
Copy the iaStor.sys from there to \Windows\System32\Drivers\

2. Double-click the downloaded ICH8R-AHCI.reg file. A safety question should pop up, answer yes.

3. Now reboot your system. Go directly into the BIOS menu, change SATA controller mode from IDE to AHCI or RAID. Exit & save changes.

4. Boot into windows. It will detect new hardware now, cancel that wizard.
Instead start the downloaded Intel Storage Manager Software (iata621.exe), this time without any paramaters.
When it is done installing, reboot once again.

5. Now in your device manager something like Intel (R) ICH8 SATA AHCI Controller (or RAID) should show up.

6. Enjoy.

Thanks a lot to Supershanks for finding it, and JZ at the german Gigabyte forum for working this out.
I have merely done the translation from german to english.
Original threads on german Gigabyte forum:
http://forum.gigabyte.de/cgi-bin/sbb/sbb.cgi?&a=show&forum=1&show=2647&start=0#1
http://62.109.81.232/cgi-bin/sbb/sbb...=449&start=0#1

Followup post by goaliejerryy which I found useful.

THIS WORKS ON VISTA 64.

My main problem was I wanted to clone my current OS partition onto a yet to be installed Raid-0 configuration. BUT, research informed me that first Vista had to have RAID drivers installed - and normally, you cannot install such drivers except at the time of original OS installation.

(note to Intel - I am amazed that no one over there ever thought that perhaps someone would want to setup a RAID system AFTER installing the OS....)

So, I needed to make my current version of Vista have the raid drivers installed before I could clone, but as you know, if you found this post, there is no straight forward way to just install the drivers without just clean installing.

This post has the answer.

I just want to say thank you to the original poster, all those who contributed, as well as "eliprand," whose advice of 05-05-2008 was critically important. (And if he got if from someone else, thank you too!)

Here is exactly what I did, just in-case someone has a similar setup as I do.

Mobo: MSI-7345 P35 chipset, NEO2-FR, w/ ICH9R RAID controller on-board
Bios: 1.10 (most recent)
OS: Vista Ultimate 64

First - I downloaded most recent version of Intel Matrix Storage from Intel website.
Second - I followed the directions in the first post, just substituting the newest version of the Intel Matrix Storage. Extract the files, move the appropriate .SYS file. THEN run the registry hack noted in the first post.
Third - reboot, and set bios to AHCI, since raid won't work yet.
Fourth - windows will start up (progress, since it wouldn't even do this before), let it run its install of drivers (since you can't stop it.)
Fifth - look above at Eliprand's post, wherein he describes editing the registry of "iaStor" to Start = 0x4, and editing "iaStorV" to Start = 0x0. THAT IS THE KEY.

Sixth - reboot, set to RAID in BIOS, then Vista will start up and install new device drivers, configuring each currently installed hard drive to run with the RAID drivers.

CHECK - in device manager, under "Storage Controllers," it now lists the ICH9R Raid Controller. WHOOT!

NOTE: This worked for me even though I do not even have the RAID drives installed yet.

Thank you all again. Note also that I recommend that anyone who thinks they may, at some time in the future, want to add a RAID setup to an existing Vista install, do this now - there is no harm in having the raid controller run your non-raid drives. (If I am wrong, please correct.)

Anyways, thanks for saving me hours of headaches, and the pain of reinstalling Vista!

Netflix and Hulu working on YOUR Android device! (tested on Xoom and Thunderbolt)

2011-03-23T06:27:00.000-07:00

I first posted this writeup on my Android enthusiast site ( here at AllDroid.org ).

Firstly, this is NOT a hack and DOES NOT require root. This DOES require a proxy of sorts but I think it can be done free (I paid for the app that's making this possible because it's WELL worth it) and in theory should only require the new Flash 10.2 app from the market, one other app, and a bit of setup. As of right now, PlayOn.tv is only available for Windows and I haven't found a Linux equivalent (or Mac for that matter). I'm still looking but if anyone else finds one and want to share here, PM me and I'll update this post with credit to you for the info.

Short Version of Directions:

Download and install PlayOn.tv (get it HERE)
In the setup, enable Netflix and provide your Netflix credentials
Go to the Android market on your device and search for PlayOn
Install and configure the client
Watch your Netflix movies on Android!
Thank me for sharing this simple little trick with you

Longer Version:

Download and install PlayOn.tv (get it HERE)
Once installation is complete, open the control panel from your system tray.
Be sure the server is running (you should have a green box saying running. See image below to compare). Also be sure server is set to "Automatically run" when your PC starts.
Navigate to the Channels tab and provide your netflix credentials (as well as any other service you'd like that requires them) and check the "enabled" box for that service. Next click the Test button to be sure they're correct and that PlayOn can access Netflix correctly.
If you'd like to try and get mobile access working (so you can access this content from anywhere, while on WiFi at home), navigate to the Mobile Access tab and check "Enable Mobile Access" and if your router supports UPnP (to configure NAT port-forwarding), select "Automatic", otherwise set "Manual" and configure your router to forward port 57331 to the same port on your PC's IP address internally (this process varries for every router, but most modern routers support UPnP though you might have to enable it through your routers web interface). Use the "Test" button to confirm that PlayOn.tv is accessible from the outside (I believe that uses a server on their end to confirm connectivity).
Now on each of your Android devices, search the market for "Flash 10.2" and install.
Then search the market for "PlayOn" and install.
Open the PlayOn app and follow the instructions to access your content!

PlayOn provides access to all sorts of content and once configured you can access it from virtually any modern UPnP client such as XBox 360, PS3, GoogleTV, etc......

Enjoy!!!!

Block specific domains in results from a Google query (experts-exchange.com anyone)?

2011-03-22T21:36:00.000-07:00

In case this hasn't been blogged to death I want to introduce you to a new feature of Google.com's search engine that will help clean up your search results. There is one site in particular that this feature practically seems to be built for and if you're an IT pro either you pay this site (and succumb to this extortion) or you will love this feature and use it.

If you want to block all results for a given domain, just click the link for the evil result (maybe this is Google's way of showing them SOME mercy), then navigate back and hover over that same result. A new option will show up allowing you to block the site. Below is a highlighted example of the link after following the result and navigating back.

Enjoy!

DotNetNuke FileManager and ACTIONS menu break with performance compression on

2011-03-16T17:20:00.003-07:00

I've spent no less than 6 hours over the last 2 days trying to figure out why my sites ACTION menu (SolPartMenu) and FileManager module were broken. I typically use Chrome for my primary browser and definitely use it when it comes to development work. Next I prefer FireFox and firebug, and then there's IE which I use mostly just for compatibility testing.

Looking at the source code behind the specific tags the problem revolved around, it was clear that this was a JS issue and appeared to be related to jQuery within DNN or ASP.Net AJAX, but the errors I saw weren't helping me much. It wasn't until I decided for reasons I don't even recall, to try the same in IE, that I saw an error I could search on more readily. When I took that error to the DotNetNuke forums, I found my solution and a post that indicates the cause is known. The combination, I find troubling. This seems like something that deserves more attention than it's getting and I hope that this post will have come to your attention MUCH faster than the one that helped me which by the way, is located HERE. I do want to thank William for the solution and I don't want to sound ungrateful, but he is on the DNN team, this is a fairly nasty issue, and I think it deserves a more proactive solution so here I am.

The symptoms:
You click the "+" sign in FileManager to expand the root folder, or you click the ACTIONS menu to make it open up/drop down but in both cases, you just get an indefinate "wait" animation (spiral for default).

The indicators:

For Chrome:

In the Developers Tools, Console tab, Errors group: "Failed to load resource" on the current page.

For FireFox after clicking the image:

In FireBug, Console tab, All group:

A "POST" that returns 200 OK, but with the error symbol
A JS error

Index or size is negative or greater than the allowed amount" code: "1
http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1/jquery.min.js
"(function(a,b){function cg(a){return d...a:a+"px")}}),a.jQuery=a.$=d})(window);"

For Internet Explorer after hovering over the image:

In Developer Tools (F12), Console tab:

"SCRIPT5022: Sys.ArgumentException: Cannot deserialize empty string. ScriptResource.axd?"
or if you copy the error and search by pasting it:
SCRIPT5022: Sys.ArgumentException: Cannot deserialize empty string.
Parameter name: data ScriptResource.axd

The solution:

Login to your dnn instance as host
Navigate to:

Host Settings
Advanced Settings
Performance Settings
"Compression Setting" (yes, there is another "Compression Settings" group, no it's not the one you want)

Set "Compression Setting" to "No compression"
Scroll down and click "Update"

NOW your ACTIONS menu and FileManager module should be working once more.

Buyers beware: "Cheap" Android tablets are NOT "like iPads"

2011-03-05T22:52:00.000-07:00

I wrote the following to post on Craigslist in response to an abusive number of ads where one or more people in the Phoenix metro area are trying to convince unsuspecting tablet shoppers that these "cheap" ($80 - $350) Android Tablets are "like iPad" or that a shopper should "compare to iPad" when in fact they are nothing like an iPad in terms of hardware or O/S and thus would not provide a user experience even remotely similar.

There appear to be a number of either ignorant, or malicious posters here on Craigslist trying to push weak Android tablets at or above retail prices, and claiming they are "like iPads". As an Android developer, and someone who knows both platforms intimately, this infuriates me and I'm not one to standby and watch someone try to take advantage of others to begin with.

Here's what you should know when buying a tablet right now:

There are 3 main categories: Windows 7 "Slates", Apple iPads, and Android Tablets.

Windows 7 "Slates" are really very thin, portable Windows PCs running on somewhat limited resources. They can do most anything you could do on your PC with Windows, just not as quickly and gaming is somewhat limited. This makes them very useful, but the interface is not designed to be "finger friendly" so there is a trade-off for their power. They also run on Intel Atom or Core 2 Duo processors and so their battery life is far shorter than iPads and Android tablets (3-6 hours vs 5-10 hours).

Apple iPads and various Android Tablets are actually quite similar in many respects and in the end, the choice of platform is largely just a matter of preference, but the HARDWARE can make a make difference. Most notably is the screen. iPads ALWAYS have very nice LCD, capacitive, multi-touch screens. Nearly ALL of the cheaper Android tablets (there are very few exceptions right now, but the Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy, and Viewsonic GTablet are the most common) have cheap LCD screens that result in poor viewing angles, and use resistive screens which means they are not as "easy" to interface with and are generally not multi-touch. Unless you want a very inexpensive tablet (perhaps to use just as an eReader), you likely want to avoid resistive screens. If you want to experience the difference, go to Frys Electronics in Tempe or Phoenix. They have a very nice selection now where you can try them out first. You'll also be able to see first hand how ridiculously expensive some selling on Craigslist are.

The other major hardware factors to look out for are Memory and Graphics. "Memory", a term frequently misused, refers to the amount of RAM (Random Access MEMORY). RAM is very fast and is used as a temporary place to store data to be used by the CPU. More RAM means a faster tablet, especially with Android. As of right now, 256MB of Memory is considered inferior at best. 512MB is reasonably good. 1024MB (1GB) is quite good and anything more is great. The latest and greatest Android tablets like the Motorola Xoom have 1GB of Memory. I'm not sure how much the iPads have because Apple tends to be a bit mysterious about that, but the iPads are designed in such a way that the relevance is different and you can't shop for an iPad with more Memory anyway (you can show for an iPad with more storage). Many of the Windows 7 Slates have 2GB because Windows needs more Memory.

People often mistakenly refer to MEMORY but actually mean storage, such as internal "NAND" or "SSD". That's "Storage", not "memory" and it will save programs, data, and things like your pictures and music, even after the device is turned off, your battery goes dead, etc.. For more information about Memory (and it's distinction from storage), Wikipedia has a good article (google "Wikipedia Computer Memory" to find THIS entry.).

Graphics are important in a modern computer as well, but only the nicest tablets make a point of telling you which graphics cards, or chipsets are used. Right now the iPad2 is claimed to be 900% faster than the iPad and the "cheap" android tablets are generally not as "fast" or powerful as the first iPad. Any Android tablet based on the "nVidia Tegra" platform will be quite fast and have very good graphics performance. The ViewSonic GTab, Motorola Xoom, and a few other less common tablets are based on these platforms. They will always have capacitive screens and nearly always have at least 512MB of Memory.

In short, these "cheap" (less than $600) Android tablets are not "like iPads" nor should you "compare to iPad" because they typically have only 256MB of Memory which isn't much for an Android Tablet, have resistive screens which means you will not have a nice interface or multi-touch which should be a given for a tablet, tend to have cheap LCD displays that provide poor viewing angles and you'll find it difficult to use because you either have to prop it up, or move your head directly over it, and they generally have weak graphics so they won't visually be as smooth as the iPad. They might have similar applications available, but the overall experience will be significantly less pleasing than an iPad or nicer Android tablet.

If you see one of these ads, it should be "flagged" (using the links toward the top-right of the post) as prohibited for being misleading, or in many cases that I'm seeing, "spam/overpost" because the same, misleading ad, is being posted over and over. Another issue you as a Craigslist user have the responsibility to address, is flagging posts as "prohibited" when the ad uses unrelated or misleading keywords as many now are. For example, when these cheap Android tablets use "iPad" or "Xoom" as a keyword. That would be like posting an ad for a 1975 Volkswagen Beatle then using keywords like "Lamborghini", or "Ferrari" to draw people to the ad. Appropriate keywords for any tablet would be: portable, touch-screen, tablet. A tablet like the Xoom might use keywords like: Capacitive, 1GB, nVidia Tegra, Dual-core, etc.. Notice how those are descriptive and provide a way for other users to find groups of like items.

Craigslist will not tolerate abuse of the search system and flagged ads are removed quickly. Given the frequency with which certain individuals have been posting inappropriately, the site is especially responsive right now in the "Phoenix craigslist" > "for sale / wanted" category so if you are one of the abusers, save yourself the time, and other users the trouble and stop trying to get away with these abusive ads. Automated systems are in place to facilitate fast moderation and your ads will receive minimal views. It takes FAR less effort to identify, flag, and remove your ads, then it takes for you to post an ad up.

Enabling the touchscreen in Linux for the Exopc / Wetab

2011-02-24T11:29:00.002-07:00

The Exopc is a Windows 7 Slate with some pretty incredible specifications by today's standards and costs less than Android equivalents (or even many with far less "Oommph" to them) so I thought to begin a port of Android over. I've never done this before but it seemed logical that the first step would be to get Linux working entirely first since Android is really just a layer over Linux.

Using a USB flash device install approach, I got Ubuntu 10.10 x86 (and ultimately Debian 6/Squeeze amd64) working except for bluetooth and the touch panel. I Googled for days and found all sorts of tutorials and HOW-TOs on the issue, and with Ubuntu 32bit, installing the EETI eGalax binary package took care of the matter AND provided a rather nice control panel (maybe too nice since it helped me screw up right-click functionality).

Debian Squeeze amd64 was another beast though and the primary issue where the EETI installer was concerned, comes down to hardware IDs and Xorg implementations. Their installer script isn't very robost and makes some very bad assumptions.

I ended up back at a tutorial I was constantly running across written by Samiux. The advice there made no difference for me though. After checking and double checking, I could see that xinput recognized the panel, but every time I tried to calibrate (with the stock app included with Debian or the one he suggested), I'd hit the 2nd point and it just wouldn't proceed. The cursor would go top left and that was all there was to it. I Googled more and found another, far less verbose tutorial, but the one thing it mentioned, that I recognized, had a very important difference compared to Samiux's.

The key is underlined and highlighted in the following because it's easy to miss:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash i8042.noloop=1 usbhid.quirks=0xeef:0x1:0x40"

That "1" in "0x1" actually represents a hex value equivalent to "0x0001" but it was different in this other tutorial I saw. This made me recognize the "0xeef" prior as matching part of the device ID for my panel is it shows using 'lsusb'. Mine is "0xeef:0x72a1" so I updated that line to read:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash i8042.noloop=1 usbhid.quirks=0xeef:0x72a1:0x40"

I once again ran update-grub, reboot, and I was happy to find that the touch screen would now calibrate and worked quite nicely. Hopefully that fact that you found this means you're close to getting your setup working too.

If that didn't do the trick for you, I suggest your next step is a custom kernel to be sure you're using the latest eGalax drivers in the kernel. In my case this was a good idea regardless because I needed a kernel that was more appropriate for this Intel Atom system.

I don't know anyone will have interest so I won't do it proactively, but if you'd like my kernel (for use with the Exopc), let me know in a comment and I'll set you up.

Stereoscopic technology and how LG is abusing your ignorance

2011-02-14T13:44:00.001-07:00

Let's get your curiosity up, blood boiling, or at least set the stage. The LG Optimus Tablet does NOT have a "3D" camera, nor does it have a "3D" screen anymore than I had on my 486 some 17 years ago (can't remember how far back that was so don't flame).

What it DOES have is two cameras spaced appropriately to record left eye and right eye images that can be combined to created various stereoscopic content. From all the public information and reviews available so far, it appears that they are including software that will record from both cameras and process them to be viewed in an anaglyph (see Wikipedia for more details) format. That format required color filtered glasses that have the nasty side-effect (at best) of an odd "shimmery" feel to the photo and distort the colors. These images can be viewed on ANY color monitor with enough color depth. Actually, they can be viewed on a piece of paper using highlighters of the appropriate color and corresponding glasses.

Unless LG has gone the extra mile and stored the video in a more common industry format (like top/bottom or side-by-side), then plays THAT format back in anaglyph on the tablet (which is possible given the power of the Tegra 2 platform, but unlikely since most companies take the lazy way out), this means that "3D" video recorded from your Optimus tablet won't playback on your 3D TV using your active shutter glasses. You'd still have to use anaglyph glasses that distort the colors.

In fact, let me show you how unremarkable the tech is that they're claiming. Go find a pair of those cheap cardboard "3D" glasses you have lying around from a cereal box, 3D DVD, commic book, etc.. Now go hit THIS link and enjoy your "3D" computer monitor. If you weren't aware, YouTube has features targeted specifically at anaglyph content. HERE is a great example. You could go do this on the iPad right now too (or use whatever method is required to view YouTube videos on the iPad and search "anaglyph 3d video").

Also, want to take "3D" photos on your current Android handset? HERE is a list of apps to help you do just that and other related tasks. Amazing!

This tech (both Anaglyph and LCD shutter glasses) is so old, that it's been available with ANY nVidia video card running on Windows for the last 10+ years. In fact, the "new" 3D tech on your TV isn't new either. I was using the same active shutter technology at least 13 years ago. The only thing that's really changed is the glasses are wireless (for the sync signal) and the tech now works on flat-panel technology because they've got the refresh rate high enough. CRT tech has been capable for at least 15 years (any CRT capable of 120Hz vertical refresh).

As far as the "3D" camera is concerned; you might call me pedantic, but a 3D camera is NOT 2 cameras pulled together in software, but something more integrated. The difference is a gray area, but cost is a sure way to separate the two. Go find a camcorder that can do 720p@60 fps in 3D that will play back directly to an industry standard 3D monitor like your typical consumer 3D TV and you'll see what I mean. As I said earlier, LG MIGHT have gone the extra mile to make this possible, but I doubt we'll be so lucky or they'd be showing off the tab connected to a 3D TV and someone watching that with shutter glasses instead of the anaglyph playback we're seeing now.

So apparently LG thinks we're all ignorant and wants to talk up their hardware as if it's something so special.