Techie Smarts

We Oppose SOPA/PIPA

2012-01-18T17:36:00.000-05:00

In the spirit of all of the publicity from the SOPA/PIPA blackouts today, we at TechieSmarts want to go on record to say that we do oppose SOPA/PIPA. As you all probably know and understand the 'goal' of both the SOPA and PIPA proposals are to combat piracy. However, what this really means are restrictions would be placed on webhosts, service providers, and even users that are so vague and loose that they very hint of anything potentially copyright-infringing could land all of the above parties in deed legal crap.

As with other anti-piracy attempts (like DRM), these proposals will hurt those who try to use the web in all sense of honesty. Those who choose to pirate or copyright materials will just find another way to do it. So we are only hurting ourselves if we as user's of the internet don't make our voices heard. These proposals go way larger than what I have the time or space to go into on this simple blog. But don't be snowed on the idea that this is a beneficial thing; because it is not.

We all know the entertainment industry are huge supports of SOPA/PIPA. So let's look at it this way. Would you let the entertainment industry run other aspects of your life? I know I wouldn't. So why would we want to stand back and let them tell us how to use our internet access? After all, instead of fighting piracy, this is actually what they will be doing.

So take a moment and sign the petition: https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T20:00:00.000-05:00

Well it's that time of the year again. That time when we bid the previous 365 days goodbye and look forward to a new beginning. I think I can honestly speak for a lot of people when I say that 2011 was a wild ride not just in the tech world but with life in general. From the games to the television shows, and right down the line to the death of one of our generations leading visionaries; this will be a year remember for some time to come.

So with the advent of a new year, I'd like to challenge you all to make 2012 the best year yet. I'm not talking about resolutions; because seriously, who keeps those anyways? But my hope is that everyone will have a safe and Happy New Year and for those who can; enjoy the long weekend!

God Bless!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T23:29:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to take a few moments and wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! Be sure to remember that Jesus is the reason we celebrate not only Christmas; but for life, love, and salvation everyday and not just on December 25th. With that being said I wish everyone to have a joyous time with friends and family and please be safe this weekend and the upcoming New Year weekend as well. I look forward to starting the New Year off right and to an adventurous year ahead.

Happy Nerding!

The Hobbit!

2011-12-22T18:05:00.000-05:00

Several awesome movie trailers have hit the web this week for their debut. From the likes of 'Batman' to the space-faring 'Alien' prequel from Ridley Scott entitled 'Prometheus'. And yes, they all look like splendid films. However, none excited me more to see than Peter Jackson's 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey'. I have to be honest and say that I have never read the book. However, now I am definitely going to (actually starting it tonight). From what I know of 'The Hobbit' comes strictly from the old cartoon by the same name and from the backstory given in 'The Lord of The Rings' trilogy. As an avid fan of the 'Lord of The Rings Online', I can't wait to see more of Tolkien's work on the silver screen.

I personally only have a few author's who I absolutely adore their work. I can name them very quickly:
- H.P. Lovecraft
- Stephen King
- J.R.R. Tolkien

That's it folks. So for me to see this trailer once, was not nearly enough. I have watched it four times now. And every time I pick out a little more detail. So, for your viewing pleasure, check it out (borrowed from YouTube):

How To Remove Our Ubuntu Wubi Install!

2011-12-19T12:00:00.003-05:00

So if you followed along with our last video on how to use Wubi you'll know how easy it was to install our dual boot setup using Wubi. But what would happen if down the road a few weeks or a couple of months you decide you need to reclaim the used hard drive space for other needs and wish to remove Ubuntu. How hard is that to do?

If you have ever removed a traditional dual boot partition you'll remember that on occasion things don't always go as planned during the removal and you may end of with a bad MBR or no bootloader, etc. The fix for this can be rather simple or you could end up with a non-booting system. This is where Wubi shines, because this isn't the case with a Wubi install.

Should you decide to wipe your Ubuntu install (installed with Wubi) all you need to do is boot into Windows. Once in Windows, jump into the Control Panel and hit up the 'Add/Remove Programs' applet. Find Ubuntu in the list of installed software and select to remove it. After a short removal process, it will be gone. Simple as that.

So be sure to watch the video below:

How To: Uninstall Ubuntu 11.10 with Wubi

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How to Install Ubuntu using Wubi!

2011-12-17T18:56:00.000-05:00

In this video we will cover a quick and easy way to setup a dual boot system using the Wubi Installer. If you have never heard of the Wubi Installer, you may be wondering what it is. Wubi is essentially a small application that grants the user the ability to start the Ubuntu install from with the Windows operating system. The magic doesn't stop there though. At any point later, if you decide you want to wipe Ubuntu to reclaim the used hard drive space, or in attempt to wipe the drive and move solely into Linux from Windows, you can simply boot into Windows and remove the Ubuntu installation just as if it were a native Windows application from within the 'Add/Remove Programs' option in the Control Panel.

The Ubuntu installer has certainly gotten a lot better about keeping the 'confusion-factor' down for new user's when it comes to setting up a multi-operating system setup. But Wubi takes just about all of the mystery out of it from the get go. So be sure to checkout our video:

How To: Dual-Booting Ubuntu 11.10 with Wubi!

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Insane App Deals for Android Devices!

2011-12-06T23:02:00.000-05:00

For those of you out there who are Android users/fans be sure to swing by the Android Market for the next 10 days. To celebrate 10 Billion App Downloads from the Market, Google is selling select apps for 10 cents a piece! That's a great deal!

And to stop the rumors right away, these aren't crappy apps either. Today's deals were:

- Minecraft Pocket Edition
- Soundhound
- Asphalt 6: Adrenaline HD
- SwiftKey X Keyboard (Highly Recommended)
- Great Little War Game
- FieldRunners
- Edmondo Sports Tracker Pro
- AutoDesk's Sketchbook Mobile (Highly Recommended)
- Paper Camera
- Color & Draw for Kids:phone

Be sure to swing by the market tonight if you see one of these that strikes your fancy. If not, than check back everyday for the next 10 days and see what's on sale for that day!
Links: Android Market

Techie's Update

2011-12-03T03:13:00.000-05:00

Hey everybody, I just wanted to drop a quick update and let you all know that I am sorry for the recent lack/delay of posts and videos on both my blog and my YouTube Channel. I came down with a pretty rough cold that claimed my voice and overall motivation for a large part of this past week. Leaving in it's wake a voice that sounded like a sick Darth Vader (hence the lack of new videos).

I am feeling a lot better now and hopefully will have some new videos up on the YouTube Channel soon (my voice is almost back to normal so production should resume in a few days). As far as the blog is concerned, we're not dead or stuck in some weird form of stasis, and new posts will be rolling out over the next few days so stay tuned!

Thanks everybody, have a great weekend!

Review: Samsung Galaxy S2 Epic 4G Touch

2011-11-28T17:01:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I managed to get my hands on a Samsung Galaxy S2. And in short, it has to be one of my favorite devices yet. I'm using the Sprint model which is dubbed the 'Epic 4G Touch' surname. I have had my hands all over this phone for the past 2 weeks and it continues to get more and more awesome all the time.

Let's cover some of the phone's specs right quick:
- Dual-Core 1.2GHz processor
- 4.52" Super AMOLED Plus screen
- 8 MP rear camera and a 2 MP front facing camera
- Voice Talk by Vlingo
- Expandable Storage up to 32GB via MicroSD card
- 16GB of onoard storage
- Mobile Hotspot Feature
- 3G/4G compatible where speeds are available
- WiFi built-in

So you can see from the specs that this phone packs some serious punch under the hood. But how does it perform? In a nutshell, smooth as can be. I have experienced very little to no lag from this device. And lag is one thing I have noticed in both my Acer Iconia a500 Honeycomb Tablet and my wife's HTC Evo 4G. Usually the lag on those devices occurs between screen transitions from Applications Menu to Home Screen or when loading up a resource heavy game. But none of that has been evident thus far in my Galaxy S2.

Samsung packs this phone with the TouchWiz UI overtop Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread) by default. This means we get some pretty useful shortcuts and a nice, clean looking User Interface. Some of the shortcuts are pretty awesome too. The one I especially like (since I shuffle app shortcuts all over the place) is the tilt to move feature. Simply tap and hold an app shortcut and tilt your phone to cycle through the available home screens. It works flawlessly. If you're not a widget fan, you'll have some work to do since by default there are numerous widgets running onscreen from the first power on.

Namely, you will see the clock and weather widget on the main home screen. If you scroll to the left one screen you will see a Driving/Handsfree Widget and and a nice looking AP News widget. If you scroll to the right one screen from the Home Screen you will have the Google Search Widget. This being the Spring version of the phone it does come with some bloatware from Sprint. In the form of: Spring TV, Sprint Zone, Nascar, Sprint Radio, etc.

The phone does come with a cool app named Kies Air. In short it lets you control the phone's contents from a computer's web browser (as long as your computer and phone are on the same WiFi network. The layout is nice and allows you to see pretty much everything you have on your phone from pictures to the most recent text messages all within your web browser. That being said, I could play music back but had issues copying files through the network from the PC to the Phone. Maybe I was doing something wrong. Still, not a deal breaker for me as I could care less about this feature overall.

The default social networking app is 'SocialHub'. I had some issues with SocialHub (just being in the form of having to track down settings and options from where I felt they should logically be placed). Still, not a big deal as I ditched SocialHub for the Plume and Facebook apps for Android anyways. Another great app that comes loaded on the phone is Polaris Office. And it appears to be the full version of the app as well which includes Windows format compatibility. So that is a nice inclusion as well.

One of the big topics that is discussed with every Android device is battery life. And most of the time this is one of the biggest complaints from Android user's. I can honestly say that my battery life with the Galaxy S2 is pretty good. In short, carrying it around during the day (from an 8 to 5 workday) my phone doesn't outright die halfway through the day. Usually when I get home in the evenings around 5:00p or so it is down to about 40% life left. Which is pretty good in my opinion. Especially when my wife's HTC Evo 4G tends to get something like 4.5 to 5 hours of life from a full charge.

With that being said, I'm also running it with 4G turned off (we have no 4G in my area yet) and the WiFi and Bluetooth radios turned off as well. Surfing the web on WiFi around the house causes the battery to discharge much faster. But still it is fine for casual use or updating a Facebook status.

The camera is outstanding and does a great job. In low-light areas the pictures still look as long as the flash is turned on. And the flash is freakin' bright too. So, if you're into mobile photography with your smartphone you'll not be disappointed.

One last thing to touch on is the hands-free features. The hands-free/voice recognition features are powered by Vlingo. Vlingo has been around for a while and can be thought of as an app similar to Apple's Siri in functionality. And it is pretty good. Out of the box you can have it read your text messages and send text messages for you. It can do web searches and pull up GPS info for you as well. All powered from your voice. If using a Bluetooth headset it is setup so if you say: "Galaxy Hi" it will wake the phone and allow your voice input to use the phone. Pretty awesome.

I had only one issue with the phone, and it was more with the software and with Facebook than with the device itself. If you sign in to Facebook for Android, you're contact list will compile all of your Facebook friends info into your Contacts List. I didn't like this feature and quickly found an easy way to turn it off in the settings. Once again, it was an easy fix and not that big of a deal.

I could go on and on all afternoon about how awesome this device is. I mean, I essentially replaced my iPod Touch with this device because it everything my iTouch did in terms of music and podcasts, not to mention Netflix and Crackle run great on it. And gaming is jaw dropping on this device. If you are looking for a great Android phone, without a doubt I would highly recommend the Samsung Galaxy S2. The great thing about this device is that Sprint, AT&T, and T-Mobile all have their own version of the Galaxy S2. So if you're on one of these services you can have a go at the S2 yourself (sorry Verizon customers).

Easily this phone gets a 5 star/5 star score!

Let's Dual Boot!

2011-11-23T17:00:00.000-05:00

Our latest video has gone live and it covers the topic of setting up a Dual-Boot system. We will cover what dual booting is and why it is handy for those who like to play around with other operating systems without wanting or having the ability to sacrifice your existing partitions, data, etc.

At one point in time, dual booting tended to be a rather daunting process and could easily overwhelm those new to the concept. However, it has become so common place (especially among Linux user's) that the process has been somewhat streamlined and is not all that different from performing a clean install on a fresh hard drive. In this video we will be using Ubuntu 11.10 to setup a dual-boot system with Windows 7.

So, with that said; checkout our latest video:

Dual-Booting Windows 7 and Ubuntu 11.10

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Video: Navigating Gnome Shell 3 in Ubuntu

2011-11-21T17:03:00.000-05:00

Our latest video covers the basics of getting around in Gnome Shell 3. In our previous video we discussed how to install Gnome Shell 3 in Ubuntu 11.10. If you haven't watched that video yet, you may want to consider watching this video in it's entirety to make sure you'd like to check out Gnome Shell 3 in more detail.

Gnome Shell 3 brings to the table some large changes to the Gnome Desktop Environment. It reminds me of a mix up of both Gnome and Unity. I have my own complaints about Gnome Shell 3 (which will be touched on in another video). But in the meantime, checkout how to navigate the new version of Gnome.

Navigating Gnome Shell 3

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Video: Installing Media Codecs in Linux Mint 11

2011-11-17T16:51:00.000-05:00

In our latest video we will step through the process of installing multimedia codecs in Linux Mint 11 'Katya'. By default the version of Linux Mint 11 I used to install in our previous video does not include the Multimedia Codecs. Simply put, no mutlimedia codecs = very limited support and playback of things like videos, music, and flash based content. So, why use such a limited release?

There are several versions of the Linux Mint 11 'Katya' Live CD. The reason a 'No Codecs' version was made available is for distributors such as magazine companies or disk suppliers who may not have the legal rights to the licenses for some of the 3rd party multimedia codecs. So, Mint has a 'No Codecs' version which squeezes the operating system on a single CD-ROM without the multimedia codecs. If you so desire, there is a full version which does include the multimedia codecs and some extra software packages preinstalled. This version however is quite a bit larger in file size and is designed to fit a DVD.

So without further delay, feel free to checkout our video on installing Linux Mint's multimedia codec packages.

Install Multimedia Codecs in Linux Mint 11

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Video: Installing Linux Mint 11 'Katya'

2011-11-16T18:15:00.000-05:00

In our latest video we will step through the basics of installing Linux Mint 11 'Katya'. 'Katya' is the latest distribution release of Linux Mint with version 12's Release Candidate just being announced. Mint is based on Ubuntu and in some circles is considered to be one of the best Linux distributions out there (next to Ubuntu). There is also a version of Mint that is Debian based and features rolling distribution updates; meaning, you get the major updates as they roll out instead of doing a "mass-upgrade" on the entire OS. That's nice.

The version of Linux Mint 11 being used in this video is the GNOME, 32bit version without Multimedia Codecs. In our next video, we will step through quickly and easily installing these codecs.

Installing Linux Mint 11

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New Videos!

2011-11-16T17:31:00.000-05:00

Due to technical issues with my Ubuntu install, I will be a few days later on the Gnome 3 introduction video. In in the meantime, I'll have a couple of Linux Mint 11 videos going live in a few hours. Thanks!

Doctor Who Big Screen Bound?

2011-11-15T12:11:00.000-05:00

"Leave us alone, we did it right
the first time...All 11 of us!"
-The Doctor

So it appears that David Yates (director of the "Harry Potter" films) is aiming to bring Doctor Who to the big screen. Yep, I'm not hot on this idea. Were the "Harry Potter" movies well directed? As a matter of fact they were. Granted I did not read any of the books, the movies seemed very well put together. However, please leave Doctor Who alone. Just because the show is rocking it and growing it's viewer base doesn't warrant a blockbuster movie be made.

You may be asking, why? A lot of my opinion on this matter is the fact that the franchise will get royally screwed up. Doctor Who has been running off and on for decades. Yates has already gone on the record to make mention that the movie will not follow the television series. In a sense wouldn't this be considered a "reboot"? What better way to break a franchise than do a theatrical reboot of it? It just doesn't sit well with me.

Now you may be saying, well you are just a fanboy of Matt Smith... Nope, Matt Smith is a spectacular Doctor (just a David Tennant was). I love Doctor Who regardless who the Doctor is played by. I have never understood the allegiance to one particular actor who plays the Doctor (as many, many Who fans are). You are basically saying that the only Doctor for you is *insert fav Doctor here*. This isn't fair and in my opinion not what Doctor Who is about. We all know the Doctor can regenerate meaning that at any time a new actor could step into the Time Lord's shoes. And is no doubt one of the big factors behind the series longevity.

Anyways, I could go into a thousand reasons why Doctor Who should be left alone when it comes to making big-budget, theater released movies. But mostly it goes against everything we have come to know and love of Doctor Who. For years it has made it's name as being one of the few Sci-Fi television shows which incorporates the traditional "man-in-a-costume" monster or alien over computer generated graphics. Only now with the last two seasons of Who are we really getting more cgi monsters being shown off. This gives is a particular charm in my opinion. Especially with so many other television shows pulling off lower quality cg creatures. A big budget movie would no doubt do away with that particular nuance that for many has made Who what it is. I don't care who you get to write the script or fill the shoes of the Doctor. This is wrong by all means of the definition of the word "wrong".

From the keyboard of a dedicated Whovian... Mr. Yates take your Who Movie concept and stick it in the Tardis' swimming pool!

Original Source: http://bit.ly/uFAZ3e

New Android Unlock Feature Trickery!

2011-11-12T11:30:00.000-05:00

If you follow Android news, you'll know that one of the big features rolling out with Ice Cream Sandwhich (from here on will be called 'ICS' for short) is the Face Unlock feature being included in the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. So here's the deal, the device will use facial recognition to unlock your device. That's awesome and it doesn't impede upon one of Apple's patents, right? Sure is.

Or at least it was until some wiseguy decided to try and beat the feature at it's own game. And let's just say, he won. It was posed as a question from Twitter to SoyaCincau as to whether or not the Galaxy Nexus face unlock feature could be unlocked using a printed picture of the owner's face. In his test, he didn't even need to kill a tree or waste ink on printing a picture. He used the Galaxy Note device and took his own picture. And guess what, it worked. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus unlocked.

It has also been called to question as to whether he setup the device to unlock with the picture or setup the phone to behave the way it did. His answer is that he setup the phone to unlock using his face, not the picture. And he is sticking to that story. Which in my opinion is completely believable. After all, facial recognition isn't doing anything other than comparing a fresh image of your face with one on file somewhere in a database tucked away inside the operating system on the phone (all geeky references to how the technology actually works aside, this is basically it).

So, the concept that this could be tricked makes a lot of sense to me. What do you think?

I can see a couple of ways this could be a pain for someone. Say someone is having a meal with you and snipes a picture of you while you're waiting for your meal using their iPhone 4S (for example). You get up and go to the restroom and while you're gone they use the image of you on their device and unlock your phone. For kicks they now set your unlock screen feature to match their face. It seems you'd be locked out of your own phone right?

I like the concept of facial recognition for unlocking the device. However, I don't see how this is anymore secure than a lock screen pattern or passcode. Both of which can easily be circumvented should someone be attentive enough to watch you unlock your phone.

If you'd like to watch the video yourself check it out at:
http://youtu.be/BwfYSR7HttA

APB: Reloaded Has A Live Action Trailer

2011-11-12T09:00:00.000-05:00

Remember a title from a while back that took the media by storm as a massively multiplayer game in the same vein as Grand Theft Auto. This game was titled: "APB: All Points Bulletin". Initially this game was released on the PC and the devs where considering a console version. The game was short lived though due to faults of it's own merits (from gameplay to game modes disappoints were huge). The game just couldn't deliver what fans and industry watchers had hoped it would. In short, the game launched in June 2010 and closed down in September 2010. Yep, short lived alright.

After bouncing around in limbo for a little while, GamersFirst picked it up and it was released by Reloaded Productions. If you aren't familiar with GamersFirst they are a MMO gaming company that carves their business into the Free-to-Play market of MMO titles. Titles under their label include: War Rock, Knight Online, Taikodom, Sword 2, and most recently Fallen Earth (out of which I can personally attest that War Rock and Fallen Earth are great games). With this new development in the game's brief lifespan there was hope once more.

The game went into Open Beta in May 2011 under the title: "APB: Reloaded". One of the big positives this game has going for it is character customization. This was one of the few things it's original incarnation did right. And hopefully it will roll over to this version as well. So with the news that the game is finally making it's way back to life, GamersFirst has rolled out a Live Action Trailer. Honestly, I love watching these Live Action Trailers. Sometimes they suck, sometimes they are awesome. Really it's a crap shoot and one I have no way of being able to predict prior to watching it. This trailer is pretty unique in that it shows the different character customizations in a live action form. And it is an interesting trailer (so it definitely doesn't suck).

However, it is not for the faint of heart and should be for mature audiences only as it depicts scenes of graphic violence. It is kind of ironic that this trailer rolls out so close to the release of 'Saints Row: The Third', don't you think?

If you're interested in checking out the game swing by their website:http://www.gamersfirst.com/apb/?fbid=wmjBHrVWu3DAnd if you'd like to see other games from GamersFirst visit:http://www.gamersfirst.com/

Steam Users Beware!

2011-11-12T03:39:00.000-05:00

On Thursday, November 10th; Valve announced that their Steam forums had been compromised. In an initial release from Mr. Gabe Newell it was stated that the intrusion "went beyond the forums". But it is unclear how far beyond the forums this attack managed to go. Valve is saying that there is no evidence that any personal data or credit card information was harvested or stolen and they are continuing the investigation.

If you have used Steam (or it's forums) you'll know there is a separate login for the forums which requires a separate password. Of course this is assuming you have theoretically passed "Online Security 101" and are not using the exact same password as you do for your Steam purchases (if so you're billing info could very well be at risk). One of the first recommendations of online safeguarding is to not use the same password for everything you do online. Why? Simple, if that password is compromised it then becomes very easy for the rest of your online dealings to be compromised too.

Valve will be resetting forum passwords and urging user's to update their passwords in general. In short, this is probably a good rule of thumb for anyone using Steam. Regardless whether you are actually at risk or not. Here are two things to help:
- Change your password for both Steam Forums and your overall Steam Account.
- Keep watch on whatever method of billing you have setup for Steam purchases to be on the safe side.

I think it is a shame that yet another game service has been compromised. I'll be the first to admit that it is probably impossible for any service to be 100% bulletproof when it comes to security. And when it comes right down to it, the fact of the matter is that our online security as customer's lies at fault with ourselves. Sad but true. How can customer's hold a particular service to blame for security issues when customer's are using weak passwords, not changing passwords regularly, and flat out putting themselves at risk?

In short, we can't.

Google vs RIAA concerning Mobile Apps

2011-11-11T18:03:00.001-05:00

Apparently Google is in the hot seat with the RIAA. What about? Seems to be about some apps in the Android Market that allow user's to download MP3's. One in particular: MP3 Music Download Pro seems to be the topic of much discussion. The RIAA is claiming that they have issues a take down notice to Google. And Google did not respond.

Google's stance was that the app could be used for legitimate purposes (like downloading public domain music which is legal and free). In short, if you have pulled down this app from the Android Market or were planning to I wouldn't be surprised if it disappears very shortly. Plus, with the RIAA getting involved if you use this app (or apps similar to it) I'd be very careful. The awkward part for me is the fact that this app promotes downloading music and is very vague as to what it's limitations are (meaning you can technically access copyrighted materials). And yet, a lot of reputable sources are promoting the app and suggesting it as a great app. Just because it's mobile doesn't necessarily make it right folks.

I know people in general like free things. I understand that. However, I don't see why Google doesn't go ahead and make the leap with a music store offering. The web has been a buzz for several months now that this would be a viable option for Google. And one that Google hasn't denied and has actually been working with recording labels on. Maybe if Google opened their own music retail hub online, and started screening out these free MP3 apps everybody wins. Customer's get the music their looking for at competitive prices (legally and without RIAA action), Google gets a cut of the profits, and the RIAA is happy that the bad apps are screened out and legit music is filling devices.

Just a thought.

Linux Mint in Number 1 Spot?

2011-11-11T17:46:00.000-05:00

So I was messing around this afternoon on Distrowatch (my favorite Linux website) and I noticed their Page Ranking section on the far right side of the page. And something odd caught me eye. The fact that Ubuntu was no longer in the very top #1 spot anymore. What?! Could it be that another distribution has made the jump to pop up the list a little ways? Even over the Ubuntu giant?

Seems it's true. As of this writing Linux Mint was now in the top seed. This is pretty crazy, especially since Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu (at least one version of it is, the other is Debian based). So my next thought is, why? Did Canonical ripple the waters enough with the exclusion of the traditional desktop when they chose Unity as the default desktop environment? Is Ubuntu outgrowing it's own community? Who knows.

A screencap I took to convince my
eyes it's real!

I have my own reasons for why Ubuntu 11.10 isn't necessarily my first pick anymore when it comes to Linux Distributions. However, regardless of my personal opinions there is a reason Ubuntu is one of the most used Linux Distro's in the world. It's good, slick, and most everything works right out of the box. I truly believe that some user's got fed up with Canonical's direction and decided to go looking elsewhere for their Linux fix. Either way, this exposure is no doubt a big deal for Mint. Especially with version 12 just right around the corner.

Kudos Linux Mint!

If you want to check it out for yourself, visit:
http://www.distrowatch.com
http://linuxmint.com/

Our Facebook Page!

2011-11-11T17:23:00.000-05:00

Just a reminder, be sure to follow our Facebook Page to stay updated on when new stories roll out on the site. And for some extra goodies from time to time!

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WoW: Mists of Pandaria

2011-11-11T16:35:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I mentioned World of Warcraft's troubles and a little information about the latest WoW Expansion: Mists of Pandaria. I figured it was only fair to follow up with a little more of what is known about the upcoming expansion for one of the biggest MMO titles on the market.

With the expansion Blizzard will offer up:
- New Race
- New Continent
- Level cap will be raised to 90
- And a new class.

If you've been living under a rock for the last couple of weeks, than you'll know that the Pandaren are the new race and they hail from Pandaria (lacks a little imagination for me). The new class is Monk. Blizzard will also be bringing a new challenge mode, PVP goodies, and more. If you haven't seen the trailer yet, check it out (borrowed from the WorldofWarcraft YouTube Channel).

Ironic Week in Review

2011-11-11T12:00:00.000-05:00

Dig that hole a little deeper,
these guys are...

This week there were two topics of interest that I thought were kind of funny or ironic. So here we are, The 'Ironic Week in Review'.

First topic:
Isn't it kind of ironic that almost immediately after announcing no more mobile Flash. Adobe goes and rolls out an update for Flash on Android devices? I know they said they wouldn't drop support for updates (just support for further versions of Flash on mobile plateforms). But still, it's almost as if Adobe decided they needed to prove to the public that they still have the ability to update it.

Or maybe they needed to save face with all of those people who let "Flash Support" sway their purchasing decisions when it comes to consumer electronics?

Second topic:
It's official Ashton Kutcher is a "Qwitter" or a "Twitter-Quitter". It appears as though Mr. Kutcher tweeted about the Penn State Abuse Scandal without being fully informed (at all, whatsoever; it's only made national headlines seriously?!). And it struck a cord with the general public since he has something close to 8 million Twitter followers (which equates to a countries population right?). In his defense he did publicly issue an apology on his blog. Enough said right? Nope, he the proceeded to hand his Twitter account over his "team" at Katalyst Media "to ensure the quality of it's content". Isn't Twitter like Microblogging or the ability to randomly update stuff wherever you are at? Maybe the way to ensure "quality content" is to stay informed of what you are tweeting about?

Why is this turn over ironic? Well you can thank Mr. Kutcher for Twitter being what it is today (or at least lending a hand). Remember in Twitter's earlier days when Kutcher was in a "follow war" with a couple other celebrities and his account seemed to just take off? I don't know it just seemed ironic that for someone who started Twitter so strong and now because of some controversy decides to bail and let some PR rep take over? That's Hollywood for you.

At second glance, maybe "Two & A Half Men" is rubbing off on him. Maybe he decided to bail before the "trolls" come after him? (another joke in bad taste I know- #jokefail).

:)

No More Gmail Love for Blackberry

2011-11-11T10:32:00.000-05:00

It was announced recently that Blackberry users will soon be unable to get their hands on a dedicated Gmail app for their devices. However, as one might expect from a company like RIM who was basically one of the front runners in the smartphone market, this is kind of a surprise. Instead, the decision came from Google themselves. RIM built their business in the phone market by granting a web experience on their devices and were one of the first to really get it right. Only since the iPhone's debut has RIM been struggling to stay ahead of the tech curve.

No doubt RIM is feeling the pressure being put on from both Apple and Google in the smartphone industry. We have already seen this with the release of RIM's Blackberry Playbook which has all but been a 'hot item' since it's release. So what is the plan with Google then? Looks like the effective date is November 22, 2011. If you are a Blackberry user who already has the Gmail app installed, you're in the clear. Unless of course you require some sort of support for it. Otherwise, you can continue to use it to your hearts content. The other good news is that if you are indeed a Blackberry user, your device already includes native Gmail support via Blackberry Internet Services. So you're still in the clear regardless what Google decides to do now or in the future.

If you are a Blackberry user who doesn't have the app but would like to get it. You have until the 22nd of this month. Instead of supporting a dedicated app, Google seems to be redirecting their efforts in this area to "building a great Gmail experience in the mobile web browser" per their website. What do you think? Does this sound like Google is trying to sway Blackberry/Gmail user's to move towards Android (or at least away from RIM)? Either way, with about every other mobile device supporting a Gmail app sounds kind of funny with this move doesn't it?

It definitely sounds like it's been a big week as far as "tech shake up's" go. With Adobe's announcement earlier this week of discontinuing mobile Flash to Google not supporting Gmail app's on the Blackberry platform...Man, what's next? Is Netflix going to reopen Qwikster? (just a joke, sorry Netflix).

:)

Voting Now Available!

2011-11-10T18:15:00.000-05:00

Hey everybody! Do me a favor and look in the left sidebar at the top section. You'll now see a new Voting section. Keep an eye out right here for a say so in some of the things we will cover on the site. I am starting some reader voting to bring more interaction between our readers and myself!

In our first poll be sure to vote for which Linux Distribution you'd like to see a video review for! Voting will run for 7 days. So cast your vote!