Random thoughts and reviews

Nexus 7 Tablet Google IO Demo

2012-07-17T09:58:00.000-07:00

Here is just the Nexus 7 demo from Google I/O. This way you can just skip to the good stuff

Android Vs iOS how to decide

2012-05-25T15:27:00.000-07:00

with only a handful of criteria the decision between iOS and Android can be simple

To decide you should consider your thought on:

Screen Size

Games

Ease of use

and Navigation

Before deciding

2012-04-20T13:07:00.000-07:00

This video simplify s the processes of deciding between Iphone and Android. Although eventually it comes down to personal choice this decision can be greatly simplified by looking at 5 differences between the two systems

Tennis Racket Stringing for beginners by a beginner using the Gamma X-2

2012-03-10T07:14:00.001-08:00

Walk through for stringing a tennis racket using the Gamma X-2 stringer

Android development using Ubuntu: SDK Installation

2012-02-22T11:13:00.000-08:00

Install Android SDK in Ubuntu
This is a walk through on how to install Android SDK (Development environment ) in Ubuntu

Eclipse download
http://www.eclipse.org/downloads/download.php?file=/eclipse/downloads/drops/R-3.7.1-201109091335/eclipse-SDK-3.7.1-linux-gtk.tar.gz

Android SDK
http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html

Downloading the ADT Plugin
http://developer.android.com/sdk/eclipse-adt.html#installing

A Look at Diesel cars in the U.S.

2012-02-06T08:23:00.000-08:00

A quick look at diesel automotive industry in the US. From what is available today to whats to come in the near future.
Some cars mentioned are VW tdi, Audi A3, Chevy Cruze diesel, Mazda CX-5 and Mazda 6, Nissan Titan Diesel

Brake Pads Replacement

2012-01-15T13:00:00.000-08:00

Quick video going through the steps of replacing break pads on my Acura Tl

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2J1cFqr92Q

Rear Shock Replacement

2012-01-03T17:25:00.000-08:00

A quick walk through on replacing rear shock in a truck. This took about 2 hours with the use of minimal tools.
This was my first attempt at replacing rear shock on any car, so you should have no problem doing the work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEO4IO4GPvY

Knot Tying Tennis Racket

2011-12-25T09:45:00.000-08:00

Finishing knot after stringing a tennis racket

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2ANFBehRC4

Toilet Fill Valve Replacement

2011-12-25T08:44:00.000-08:00

Quick overview of replacing a toilet Fill Valve

It was very easy the hole thing took about 10 minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2ANFBehRC4

Honda Fit Vs Volkswagen Golf TDI

2011-12-17T15:43:00.000-08:00

So I need help, I have done hours of research test drove dozens of cars and I cant decided what car do get. I hoping that making this video and capturing all my thoughts will help me decide

I currently I drive a 2001 Toyota tundra that is approaching 200K miles and sooner or later I will need to replace it. For the past 10 years this truck has been perfect, but at some point the transmission or the engine will break and I will need a new ride.
What im looking for is a vehicle that is
Reliable
Roomy
Gets good gas mileage
Low cost of ownership
and Fun to drive

Im a big fan of consumer reports so I started my data collection with then like everyone else I turned to youtube. And finally I went down to the dealer and took a test drive.
From that I narrowed my search to the fallowing 5 cars.
VW Golf TDI other Golfs got a poor reliability scoring
Honda Fit sport
Hyundai Elantra
Mazda 3
Ford Fiesta

First car that I test drove was the Hyundai Elantra the car looks nice but im too tall for it, my head pressed agents the roof
Next was the Mazda 3 I also liked this car but the air-conditioning is just to week for Arizona summers
The Ford Fiesta had too small of a seat and it felt narrow

So that just leaves the Honda Fit and the Golf TDI
At 17248 the Honda fit is really good practical car it gets good Fuel economy, the front and back seats are conferable even for me. With all the different ways you can fold the seat this car can be transformed into a something that carry lots of stuff, and since its a Honda it should be relabel. The VW on the other hand is 7k more, not as reliable, and not as convenient as far as caring stuff. But their is just something fun about driving a VW which is worth something, I just don’t know if its 7K worth of fun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky1dfo08c1U

Free Video Editing Software: Cinelerra Ubuntu installation

2011-12-15T08:39:00.000-08:00

Recently I decided to dabble in video editing, so the question is what video editing software to use. Since Im not sure if this is something that I will enjoy I did not want to spend lots of money on the equipment to get started. Adobe Premiere runs about $800 and I don't own a Mac, prior to learning about Cinelerra all of the other free versions had very limited editing capability. Although I just installed Cinelerra it appears like its a full feature editing software. Video bellow shows how to install Cinelerra on Ubuntu, as I learn how to use it I will post more videos

How to video on installation of Free Video Editing Software
repo:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:cinelerra-ppa/ppa

update:
sudo apt-get update

installation:
sudo apt-get install cineler
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jahTakBS14I

Best Value in Tennis Ball Machines

2011-12-10T10:23:00.001-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2QJctoJ49s

The Question that Im trying to answer is which tennis ball machine is the best value. After spending countless hours researching the matter I have narrowed down the selection to four manufactures, which are Sportstutor, Lobster, SAM, and Silent Partner

Here are the futures that I think are important in a tennis ball machine

Spin: Without spin hitting a ball just does not feel real, spin is a big part of tennis and its an absolute must for a tennis ball machine as well. Without the ability to adjust spin you will get board with your tennis ball machine in no time.

Battery powered: That is an easy one, unless you own your own tennis court being able to plug in your tennis ball machine might be a problem in most public courts.

Portability: You need the ability to move the machine from your house to the tennis court without it being being a pain in the A$$. That means it must be light weight, can fit in your car and then can be moved easily from your car to the tennis court.

Large tennis ball capacity: I think 100 ball hopper is minimal anything less than that will not get you a good workout.

Random Shots: This is a nice feature to have when you don’t have anyone to hit with but you want to simulate real game situations. Having sad that I don’t see this option as a substitute for a hitting partner.

Based on that Criteria I have narrowed down the search to 4 models Lobster Elite 2, Sports Tutor Plus, Silent partner Rival, SAM P1.

The SAM P1 outside of the price was somewhat disappointing, I have seen several people complaining about quality issues, its least portable of the the machines. The Silent partner has some compiling features like large ball capacity included remote and high ball speed. Lobster and Sports tutor scored well in all categories, it was very difficult to choose between the two of them.

But we must have a winner at a price slightly lower then the tennis tutor I declare the Lobster Elite 2 as the winner. It scored well in all categories, its ability to fold makes it compact enough to fit in most cars. The big wheels should make it easy to move to the court, and its manufactured by someone that has a been around for a while and has a good reputation

Fore people that just can’t or won’t spend $1300 on a ball machine and can’t find anything used the Silent Partner LITE can be a good alternative to the more expansive machines. It looks like a very nice basic machine that should accommodate most players needs.

Milt Sparks Versa Max 2 Holster

2011-12-04T15:40:00.000-08:00

Well after six month wait my new Milt Sparks holster is finally here, the one I got is the Versa Max 2 horsehide, which make it all black. The holster came in a simple box with the holster in a Ziploc bag. The person taking my order at Milt Sparks Holsters was very knowledgeable and friendly, he was very helpful with the selection of the holster. One question that I had was the selection of loot size for the belt. The sales person recommended 1.25 since some dresses paints will not fit a 1.5 inch belt. One thing that I did notice are some miner tool makings, which I did not consider a big deal.

The Holster is custom made for a Glock 30 and it price was about $120, if you are willing to pay extra you can probably skip the 6 month wait and get one on ebay.

Review of Vibram FiveFinger

2011-11-23T14:02:00.000-08:00

How to size your Vibram FiveFinger shoes: Place the heal of your foot along the back of the wall then measure the distance from your longest toe to the wall. In my case that measurement came out to be about 11 1/4. Using the chart below that translates to a size of 44 for the TrekSport.
I decided to go one size bigger, although initially did not think that was a good idea but now I think the 44 would have been a bit tight. After two weeks of use the shoes do feel somewhat tighter then they did when they wore new

Men’s Styles
Your Foot Length in inches ± 1/8"	9½"	9¾"	10"	10¼"	10½"	10¾"	11"	11¼"	11½"	11¾"	12"	12¼"
Komodo Sport				40	41	42	43	44	45	46	47
Komodo Sport LS				40	41	42	43	44	45	46	47
Classic	38*	39*	40	41	42	43	44	45	46	47	48*
Sprint	38*	39*	40	41	42	43	44	45	46	47	48*
MOC			40	41	42	43	44	45	46	47
Flow				40	41	42	43	44	45	46	47
KSO		38*	39*	40	41	42	43	44	45	46	47	48*
KSO Trek		38	39	40	41	42	43	44	45	46	47
Bikila				40	41	42	43	44	45	46	47
Bikila LS				40	41	42	43	44	45	46	47
TrekSport				40	41	42	43	44	45	46	47
Trek LS				40	41	42	43	44	45	46	47
Bormio				40	41	42	43	44	45	46	47
Classic Smartwool			40	41	42	43	44	45	46	47
Speed				40	41	42	43	44	45	46	47
*for selected colors only

After couple months of use I am still enjoying my Vibram FiveFinger Trek Sport shoes. I don’t see them replacing my regular sneakers for playing sports or hiking in the desert. I do think they work well for short runs or at the gym. Like others have mention it takes some time to get use to and they are very odd looking so you do have to get over that. Even though I don’t regret my purchase I would probably have chosen the KSO model instead of TrekSport. The thicker sole of the TrekSport does not provide enough protection for hiking/running on rough surfaces but it does somewhat takes away from the barefoot feel