Bupahs World

A Good Point about Marriage

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Rea) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 23:37:00 +0000

I have made my point on Same Sex Marriages before but I thought the above image summed it up pretty well.

Megaupload is gone and I'm not happy

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Rea) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 01:36:00 +0000

Yes I am angry. The Governments take down of Megaupload in its latest attempt to stop online piracy and copyright infringement has me quite ticked off simply because I have lost tons of files I had stored there, all legitimate backups of files I own that I am doubtful I will ever see again. The hassle this has caused me is not a small one, most of the files I have linked to on this site were hosted by Megaupload not to mention the ton of files I had linked to the various forums I am active in I cant honestly count all the broken links I have to now find, fix and replace. There goes my weekend!

This does sour me on cloud storage, who is to say that the Government wont shut down other popular storage and sharing sites such as Mediafire, Dropbox, Box.com, Google Docs, Spideroak and the like.. apparently no one... and I cant afford to lose all of my cloud stored items so I have some serious thinking to do over the future of my cloud usage.

I doubt the Government cares one bit that hundreds of thousands if not millions of people have lost files in this take down, files that in many cases will never be recovered and /or can never be replaced. Fortunately I have backups of most of the files I have lost, but not all of them and that does piss me off quite a bit. I also question how the Government was able to force the shut down of Megaupload prior to a guilty verdict.. last time I checked the US operated on an innocent until proven guilty system not the other way around... yeah right, I just made myself laugh at that one.

Oh well, off to find the now broken links and get things running again.

Happy New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Rea) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 16:36:00 +0000

Well here it is, the New Year, have a blast!

Lady GaGa comes to Lancaster, Pa.. again

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Rea) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 01:10:00 +0000

Apparently Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, better known by her stage name Lady GaGa, has visited Lancaster Pa again, this time her stop, last Monday, was a local bar / restaurant called Jacks in Millersville and as usual her visit was low key and uneventful. So far I believe Ms Germanotta has visited here 4 or 5 times and the rumor mill has been putting out that she is looking to purchase a home here.. which is kinda cool.

I like the fact that when she visits, usually with her boyfriend Taylor Kinney who is a Lancaster County native, she does so as herself with no glitz, no 'look at me I'm important' and no expectation of being treated differently she just shows up as herself and if you weren't looking, she could walk right by you and you would never be the wiser.. that makes you a class act Stefani.

The AT&T-Mobile deal is dead

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Rea) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:34:00 +0000

AT&T and T-Mobile announced today that the proposed purchase of T-Mobile by AT&T is dissolved. Big news for sure but going forward T-Mobile isn't out of the frying pan yet, when the announcement was made back in March of this year hundreds (if not hundreds of thousands) of once loyal T-Mobile customers jumped ship and left an already struggling company in even more trouble. One thing is for sure, someone else will attempt to purchase / merge T-Mobile since Deutsche Telekom has made it clear that they do not want to hang onto T-Mobile and in my opinion they have had a "second option" planned "just in case". With out engaging in the already present and running rampant rumor mill it should be interesting to see how this plays out in the very near future.

The full press release follows:

AT&T Ends Bid to Add Network Capacity Through T-Mobile USA Purchase

Company Reaffirms Its Commitment to Mobile Broadband Leadership

DALLAS-(BUSINESS WIRE)-AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) said today that after a thorough review of options it has agreed with Deutsche Telekom AG to end its bid to acquire T-Mobile USA, which began in March of this year.

"AT&T will continue to be aggressive in leading the mobile Internet revolution"
The actions by the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice to block this transaction do not change the realities of the U.S. wireless industry. It is one of the most fiercely competitive industries in the world, with a mounting need for more spectrum that has not diminished and must be addressed immediately. The AT&T and T-Mobile USA combination would have offered an interim solution to this spectrum shortage. In the absence of such steps, customers will be harmed and needed investment will be stifled.

"AT&T will continue to be aggressive in leading the mobile Internet revolution," said Randall Stephenson, AT&T chairman and CEO. "Over the past four years we have invested more in our networks than any other U.S. company. As a result, today we deliver best-in-class mobile broadband speeds - connecting smartphones, tablets and emerging devices at a record pace - and we are well under way with our nationwide 4G LTE deployment.

"To meet the needs of our customers, we will continue to invest," Stephenson said. "However, adding capacity to meet these needs will require policymakers to do two things. First, in the near term, they should allow the free markets to work so that additional spectrum is available to meet the immediate needs of the U.S. wireless industry, including expeditiously approving our acquisition of unused Qualcomm spectrum currently pending before the FCC. Second, policymakers should enact legislation to meet our nation’s longer-term spectrum needs.

"The mobile Internet is a dynamic industry that can be a critical driver in restoring American economic growth and job creation, but only if companies are allowed to react quickly to customer needs and market forces," Stephenson said.

To reflect the break-up considerations due Deutsche Telekom, AT&T will recognize a pretax accounting charge of $4 billion in the 4th quarter of 2011. Additionally, AT&T will enter a mutually beneficial roaming agreement with Deutsche Telekom.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates - AT&T operating companies - are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile broadband and emerging 4G capabilities, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T | DIRECTV brands. The company’s suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising.

Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com. This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATT.

© 2011 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. Mobile broadband not available in all areas. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies.

Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

Information set forth in this press release contains financial estimates and other forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results might differ materially. A discussion of factors that may affect future results is contained in AT&T’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. AT&T disclaims any obligation to update and revise statements contained in this news release based on new information or otherwise.

CR-48 Anniversary

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Rea) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 02:37:00 +0000

With the anniversary of my getting the CR-48 (Chromebook) from Google quickly approaching I thought I would write a little piece on it. Yes I am still using it and yes in the year since I received it, as part of the pilot program Google had before releasing the Chromebook to the public, there have been several updates, fixes and vast improvements. It went from a very basic internet notebook to quite a little powerhouse with offline support for many of Google's key services (Docs, gmail, calender etc) a file manager, media player and a host of behind the scenes improvements. I really cant say enough about the device except if you are in the market for a inexpensive notebook you have to do yourself a favor and look over a Chromebook.

Chromebook Home

AT&T Acquisition of T-Mobile Looks Less Likely Than Ever

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Rea) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 14:18:00 +0000

AT&T and T-Mobile have withdrawn the application for approval of the two companies’ merger from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, which doesn't mean they are giving up on the deal, but it makes it unlikely to go through.

The two companies are fighting for approval on two fronts: the FCC as well as the U.S. Department of Justice are opposing the deal, and this latest development means they’ll be fighting for DOJ’s approval first, without which the approval from the FCC would be meaningless.

Furthermore, AT&T said it would record one-time costs of $4 billion this quarter in case the deal falls through.

Although a joint statement from the two companies say they’re “continuing to pursue the sale of T-Mobile USA to AT&T,” some analysts see this latest development as a clear sign the deal is not to be.

“AT&T’s auditors have now concluded that the deal is likely to fail and have forced the company to take that charge,” Espirito Santo analysts wrote in a note to clients.

AT&T’s intention to purchase T-Mobile has received blows from all sides since its announcement in March 2011, including opposition from the DOJ, the FCC and a lawsuit from Sprint (not to mention nearly all of the T-Mobile customer base). It hasn’t fallen through completely just yet, but don't be too surprised if AT&T gives up on it even before the final Sep. 20 2012 deadline.

[via Reuters]

Happy Turkey Day

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Rea) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 23:23:00 +0000

In a couple of days we (United States) will be celebrating Thanksgiving and instead of reminding you to be thankful of something (everything) or some other mushy mushy junk, all I will say is watch them turkeys:

People support Paterno.. Really??

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Rea) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 00:24:00 +0000

Oh come on, are you kidding me?! People are supporting Joe Paterno, rioting for him? are you serious? This man, who's mantra was "do the right thing", never contacted the local authorities! All he did was report the accusation to his superiors? Thats all he did? Really? He never followed up? he never bothered to call the police.. even anomalously! Contacting the authorities when a crime is committed, especially one against a child, is a moral obligation each and every person has.. what if it were your kid being molested? what if you were told "well he reported it to his supervisor, what more could he do? We have a chain of command here you know" wouldn't you be pissed, wouldn't you want heads to roll? of course you would! The first damn thing out of your mouth would be "why didn't he call the police! Even if the accusations turned out to be false he at least would have done the right thing! This absolutely amazes me, people are actually more concerned that Joe got fired then about the kids getting raped.

And what about Mike McQueary? He was 28 when he witnessed the rape, and in turn reported it to Joe Paterno.. but thats all he did? WTF, a 28 year old man witnesses a child rape and the first thing he does is call his daddy to get advice? and that advice was to tell Joe? Doesn't this piss anyone else off?

Maybe I am wrong, maybe in the coming weeks I will find out that Joe did more, maybe I will find out that Mike did more, maybe I will find out that the prosecutor who decided not to prosecute Jerry Sandusky back in 2002 for what he did to a child had good reason not to... and maybe pigs will fly tomorrow as well!

what the hell is happening to this country?

Android Market Version 3.3.11 Now Being Pushed To Devices [Download]

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Rea) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 01:00:00 +0000

Android Market Version 3.3.11 Now Being Pushed To Devices [Download]:

I noticed the new Android Market making the rounds on Twitter today and thankfully it’s been uploaded for the downloading. While this download will work for all users (rooted or not), if you’re a tablet user hoping to get in on some of this action, we’ve heard it hasn’t been playing too nice with those devices.

So what’s new in this version? Well, Google doesn’t exactly release changelogs for these sorts of things so we have to go off of the little changes we’ve noticed.

New settings like, auto-update apps, update over WiFi-only, Auto-add shortcuts (to homescreen)

UI tweaks like smaller font, new app drawer icon, etc.

Microphone (voice command) button in search menu

Star rating chart on app pages

Download Market 3.3.11 here

If you’re feeling a bit paranoid about updating keep in mind you can uninstall updates if something were to go wrong in your Settings > Applications > Manage Applications. Leave us a comments if you experience any weirdness or if the new Market has already been pushed to your device without the need for downloading. Have fun!

[Via Android Police]

Linux Mint Debian vs Ubuntu

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Rea) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 13:27:00 +0000

After several years I have left the Ubuntu camp, I loved Ubuntu and used it as my primary (only) OS for several years, then Mark Shuttleworth decided that Unity would be the only desktop experience he would ship on his Ubuntu seemingly forgetting one of the biggest reasons people went to Ubuntu in the first place was the utltra customization ability. If we wanted to be told how our desktops would look we would have stayed with a MAC or Windows system! Sure we could do some tinkering and install other desktops, but that rendered the whole package unstable and updates to Ubuntu tended to break or even remove critical components of the installed desktops (very Microsoft of you Mark). Unity itself is useless to any power user, geared more to the ex-windows user who wants everything simple and direct, make it dumb and they will come seems to be Shuttleworths new mantra. I did give Unity an honest try, I went through 2 versions of it hoping that the issues would get addressed and it would become stable and allow a bit of customization but no dice. Unity of Ubuntu 11.04 was bad, but Unity on Ubuntu 11.10 was a train wreak! So I went looking for a new distro and after creating a countless number of LiveUSB and trying distro after distro I stumbled on Linux Mint Debian. I nearly skipped over Linux Mint because I knew it was based on Ubuntu (basically a forked distribution) then I read that they had come out with a version based on Debian Testing and I had to try it out.. I am so glad I did. Linux Mint has a history of taking a good thing and making it a whole lot better, the only reason I never bothered with it before was it was a spin off edition of Ubuntu, and while it did a bit more then Ubuntu did in each release I figured I could do the same with a bit of tinkering (yeah I know a bold statement, but true none-the-less). But a Debian release, that got me very curious, Debian has a very strict policy of stability even if it means lagging behind a bit in the Linux world. So we have a distro that is being built on the stability of Debian but includes the 'out of the box' thinking of Linux Mint.. I had to test it out, this could be a game changer!

It is, a game changer. Linux Mint Debian is fast, works perfectly out of the box and it ships with Mints wonderful Menu system. Clicking on the Menu button yields a squarish box that presents your "favorite" applications, which can be easily customized to your favorite applications. Clicking "all applications" brings up a more traditional lineup of application categories (All, Accessories, Graphics, Internet, Office, etc.) and mousing over the various categories brings up a list of applications directly to the right. Fast, Simple, Customization built in .. Perfect!

If you are sick of Unity or want to give Linux a try I strongly suggest you try Linux Mint Debian, you wont be sorry

Busy Busy

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Rea) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 12:15:00 +0000

Sorry for the lack of updates of late; I have been busy first getting pissed at Ubuntu 11.10 and Unity, then looking for a new Linux distro. After trying a whole bunch (actually lost count of how many Live USB images I made) I settled on Linux Mint Debian and so far so good. Of course now I am working to get my desktop just the way I want it.. but that is actually the fun part.

I will write up a post on why I left Ubuntu after years of use and why Linux Mint Debian is the alternative in the coming days.

Get Google Music Manager Working in Ubuntu - Updated

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Rea) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 12:30:00 +0000

I was quite happy to see that Google had released a Music Manager for Linux users (to upload to Google Music Beta nativity from Linux) only to have my happiness dashed when it failed to work, trying to sign in would prompt a 'couldn't identify your machine' error and the link provided would send me to a help page that said virtual machines would not connect, I do not use a virtual machine.. this prompted me to contact Google Music Support and after a few emails it was clear I would have to find the answer myself.

The answer follows.

What I eventually had to do was manually edit the Google Music Manager Peer.db file with my MAC address, it is present in the machine but for some reason Google Music Manager does not 'see it' and manually editing the file was the only way to add it.

Follow these steps to get (hopefully) Google Music Manager working for you. This worked on Ubuntu (11.04 and up) as well as Linux Mint 11 and 12 but I imagine it would work on other deb based distros as well:

Download/Install the Google Music Manager Application, ONLY version 1.0.13.9715 will work with this method, that version is available here
Once Installed Run Google Music Manger and attempt to connect, when it fails close Google Music Manager
Download/Install sqlitebrowser from the Software Center
Open your file manager and enable 'show hidden files'
Browse to ~/.config/google-musicmanager/
Copy the file Peer.db to another file for editing
Open sqlitebrowser and browse to the location you saved the Peer.db file in
Open the file
Click on the Browse Data Tab
Double click on the empty space next to Machineidentifier (should be the last line)
Now right click on your connection icon in your notification area select Connection Information and copy the Hardware address line
Go back to sqlitebrowser and enter in the data you copied in the empty space you opened beside Machineidentifier
Now save the changes, copy the changed Peer.db file back to ~/.config/google-musicmanager/ over-writing the original.

Fire up Google Music Manager, sign in and start uploading

I imagine this would fix many a users issue, why Google decided to use the MAC address as the identifier is beyond me, there are so many other ways to identify a machine that the use of MAC address is kinda silly. Google should assign a unique identifier to each install if their desire is to limit the amount of machines that can connect. *My concern now is if future installs / updates to the software will over-write my edit to the Peer.db file but since it is so easy to modify it is a small concern.

*UPDATE; Newer versions will break your ability to upload music, it seems ONLY version 1.0.13.9715 will allow editing of the peer.db file. I have included a download link above so you will be able to get the working version. Once installed you may want to use your package manager to lock this version from being updated. If you don't you will lose your upload ability.

Dynamic Views on Blogger

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Rea) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 12:40:00 +0000

I really wanted to give the new Dynamic Views a try on my blog, I went so far as to set them up until I realized that there were really no customization options yet and it seemed very unstable for me. Half the time my blog wouldn't load (Dynamic View would actually crash) and while they looked nice 'out of the box' I couldn't find a way to add custom header images though I could change the colors (text and links) and add a background image, I guess I could edit the CSS but that's a lot of work for a simple header image. I will give it a bit more time to mature then try them again. They do look really cool and if you are interested check out the link below to see them in action. I just thank the tech gods that I remembered to backup my original template before switching, saved me a few hours of work.

Dynamic Views

E-Cigs My Alternative

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Rea) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 18:18:00 +0000

For the past week I have been trying out E-Cigs, electronic cigarettes, I found a brand called Cigirex being sold in our local convenience store (Turkey Hill) and after looking into them online I decided to try them. I liked the idea that no artificial ingredients were used (Nicotine, Water, Mint for the Menthol flavor and Vegetable Gelatin are the ingredients) and the price tag of $20.00 wasn't bad since I spend that already on tobacco smokes a week (not a real heavy smoker). Anyway I decided to give them a try and I have to say I am very satisfied.

I have no desire to quit smoking (well I suppose now I am Vaping) as I enjoy it. But I did want a healthier alternative and I believe I found it. This particular brand does not use the chemicals other brands use like diethylene glycol and they have eliminated all of the nitrosamines (the carcinogens found in tobacco) opting instead for all natural ingredients (yes Nicotine is a natural ingredient and is found in a vast array of vegetables you eat every day). I have used this product all week and I have had no craving for a tobacco cigarette what-so-ever, and my wife will finally let me smoke inside... since no smoke is actually created by E-Cigs. I don't want this post to turn into an advertisement for Cigirex but if you are a smoker and are looking for a totally satisfying alternative to tobacco I highly recommend Cigirex.

Vacation over, now back to work

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Rea) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 23:16:00 +0000

Our vacation has come to an end (bummer). We spent the week in Salem Massachusetts and had a blast, here are a few photos from the trip:

We got a really great deal on the Bed and Breakfast we stayed at and it included tickets to all the major local museums. It did rain the entire time, but not hard enough to hinder us having a great time. We got to see and do everything we wanted and even with the rain, didn't even bother driving we just walked everywhere.. we must have walked the entire town of Salem three times (at least) while we were there.

My Granddaughter Olivia's TV Debut

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Rea) — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 23:40:00 +0000

My Granddaughter Olivia entered the Dancey Dance Video Contest and won an all expense paid trip to California for a live tapping of the Memorex 50th Birthday featuring the Yo Gabba Gabba Cast. She met the entire cast of Yo Gabba Gabba and was crowned the Queen Dancer, A really big deal for someone not even two years old yet.

Video streaming by Ustream

DOJ says No Way to AT&T-Mobile

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Rea) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 23:49:00 +0000

Today the Department of Justice said no way to the planned 'merger' of AT&T and T-Mobile by filing a civil antitrust lawsuit to block it, in a nut shell:

The department said that the proposed $39 billion transaction would substantially lessen competition for mobile wireless telecommunications services across the United States, resulting in higher prices, poorer quality services, fewer choices and fewer innovative products for the millions of American consumers who rely on mobile wireless services in their everyday lives.

Does this mean the deal is dead? well According to former FCC chair Reed Hundt, "The Department of Justice will prevail. The Justice Department in its entire history has never lost a telecom case of this sort" so yeah, I would have to say the deal is dead as it can get. Sure AT&T and T-Mobile are going to attempt to fight the lawsuit, but in the end (and countless millions of dollars spent) the deal wont be allowed to proceed and T-Mobile will get it's settlement from AT&T (6 billion dollars, guaranteed roaming rights and all the AWS spectrum AT&T is currently sitting on). What then will happen to T-Mobile? DT (deutsche telekom) has made it clear that they want to get rid of T-Mobile USA and they will do it, but who will be next up to bat? Verizon wont get it (same situation as is currently in play over the AT&T deal) Sprint might want it but they were in talks late last year and couldn't get it (for whatever reason). I personally think one of the other European Giants might step up, Orange Mobile (France) or Telefonica (Spain) two companies that are quite a bit bigger then AT&T and whom just might want to get a foot in the door in the US market.

So what does this mean to me, a long time (10+ years) customer of T-Mobile? not a whole lot. I have already decided to move on once my contract expires, T-Mobile has simply gone too far down the drain of late and they have ruined any trust they once had with this once loyal customer.

New Android Market 3.1.3

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Rea) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:57:00 +0000

A new Android Market apk has been released that adds a couple nifty features, the first is the addition of the +1 on Application Information Pages and the second is a way to clean out recent searches (about time, now if they would only add a way to clear out searches on Navigation).

You can either wait for the update to be pushed to your device or you can download it here (remember you do so at your own risk, it works fine on my device) Market 3.1.3

MyTouch 4G Gingerbread - Updated 1/26/12

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Rea) — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 20:14:00 +0000

After nearly a week of getting the run around from T-Mobile about what locations actually had / have the sdcards (*I have posted installation instructions below) for the in-store Gingerbread update for the MyTouch 4G I finally found a local store that was willing to help out. The Store manager actually called around, found a location that had the sdcards then had a copy made and long story short, I got my update. That store manager went well above and beyond what he was required to do, and quite frankly that is what T-mobile customer service used to be like, before the AT&T-Mobile merger talks anyway.

Now I find myself in a different kind of spot.. I cant root Gingerbread 2.3.4 (no root exploit has been found yet) and the theme I used to use on my MyTouch 4G won't work on Gingerbread, so now I fond myself looking at home (launcher) replacement applications. I have used Go Launcher (it's a staple on custom ROMs) so I am not really looking to use it any more, I would rather find something new with ultra customization to keep me busy until a root exploit is found for GB 2.3.4. So far I have tried ADW, Launcher Pro and QQLauncher, all pretty much the same old same old, so anyone with a cool Launcher Replacement app.. beta versions are ok with me (love beta testing apps) hit up the comments and share your suggestions.

*You can now get the Gingerbread update straight from T-Mobile by going to this web site http://support.t-mobile.com/docs/DOC-1818 (found by ES)

Google Related, Get it NOW

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Rea) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 01:24:00 +0000

Ok, it's no secret that I am a Google "fanboy" I use all of their services and products and volunteer my free time in the Google Mobile Help Forums as a Google TC, but this new service from Google called, Google Related, blows me away. Basically it is a browser assistant (a Chrome Extension) that once installed, and on a relevant web site such as news or shopping, will display a thin bar along the bottom of your browser window with several tabs that will allow you to access content related to that specific page, maps, links to other sites and reviews. Since I am planning a trip to Salem Ma next month I was looking at Inns to stay at, once I landed on ones home page the bar appeared and wallah.. links to more Inns in the area... sweet. It just cut my surfing time to better then half! The bar only appears when related information can be found, other then that it disappears and is not in the way of normal browsing.

Google Related Bar and Tabs

I strongly suggest those of you using Chrome Web Browser to install this extension and see what it can do for you and if you are not using Chrome Web Browser.. umm, why not?

Google Acquires Motorola... is goooood

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Rea) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 12:28:00 +0000

Google + Motorola = Good news for Android devices. Up until recently Motorola has been my favorite device manufacturer, we all remember the whole Cliq XT issue (it will be updated, we promise.. oh guess what no it wont) that put me off Motorola Mobility for a while don't we. Anyway, Google has snatched up the failing division (Motorola broke off the Mobile department about a year ago to form Motorola Mobility) for a measly 12.5 Billion and in the process is getting a dedicated Android partner, not to mention the rights to 80+ years of patents (take that Apple and Microsoft).

Google has stated that it will operate Motorola Mobility as a separate business, which is good, this means Motorola will still license Android, as will others (Google has made it clear it will keep Android as an open platform) and at the same time tie hardware and software closer together (my only hope is Moto-Blur is done away with).

Oh, and I guess we all know where the next Nexus device will be coming from.

You can read the official release here - Supercharging Android: Google to Acquire Motorola Mobility

MyTouch 4G update fail

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Rea) — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 16:33:00 +0000

T-Mobile promised an in store upgrade option* for the MyTouch 4G users from the current 2.2.1 to 2.3.4 (gingerbread) starting today August 6th at all T-Mobile corporate store locations, funny thing is not one corporate store knows anything about it (from the reports coming in from the T-Mobile forums). The T-Mobile forums are all a buzz with people traveling to their local corporate T-Mobile locations and being stared at blankly by the sales reps when they ask about the MyTouch 4G in store upgrade option, a lot of users are now calling their local stores instead of wasting the trip and so far I haven't found anyone on the T-Mobile forums that has been successful in finding any T-Mobile location that knows anything about this in store upgrade option, myself included. When I called my local store I was told they know nothing about it, when I directed them to the official announcement about the in store upgrade they acted surprised that they did not know about it.... so T-Mobile fail? I think so.

I have noticed that since T-Mobile and AT&T made their announcement earlier this year about AT&T purchasing T-Mobile their (T-Mobile's) customer service has taken a nose dive, it has gotten steadily worse over the last couple of months, I suppose this was bound to happen since AT&T has already stated they will be letting go countless T-Mobile employees.

I think T-Mobile and HTC need to make the upgrade available for download (other device manufacturers do, why not HTC?) Waiting for an OTA update is fine, but the roll out started July 20th and seems to have just stopped, in fact the number two complaint on the T-Mobile forums (this in store update being the number one complaint) is that no one has received the OTA out side of a few people in the initial 'test group". Come on T-Mobile, can you at least pretend you care about your customers for a little while longer, we already know the terrible customer service we have to look forward to on AT&T you don't have to prep us for it with your own poor customer service.

*Update: It seems some stores have started to receive SDCards, and here is a kicker, some stores have apparently received empty boxes that were supposed to have the update SDCards within. My advice, call your local store before heading out.

Google Music Manager Hits Linux!

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Rea) — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 00:01:00 +0000

Google Music Beta, launched in May 2011, allows users to upload (around 20,000 songs) for free and streams them via web and / or mobile devices from anywhere in the world you have a connection. At the time of launch the only upload options we had were through Windows or Mac and Linux users had to use WINE (a Windows emulator) which while it worked, left much to be desired. Thankfully Google saw the evil that was no native Linux support and promptly corrected it (one of the reasons I love Google). Now I can get rid of WINE and get Busy uploading some tunes!

To download the Music Manager (in either 32bit or 64bit flavor .deb files) simply log on to Google Music and click on the Add Music button. Once installed connect via your account and upload away!

Google+ Simply Kicks Ass

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Rea) — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 14:31:00 +0000

After a solid week on Google's new social service Google+ I can honestly say it is, in my opinion, the best Social networking idea I have seen in a long time! I don't say this because I am a Google Fanatic (which I am) I say this as a person that has learned to loath social networking spaces (like facebook, myspace) I just couldn't stomach them anymore and when I was invited to try out Google+ I was very hesitant, but it very quickly won me over. Google+ is way more then simply a social network, its everything I love about Google combined with the people I communicate with already with the services I already use.

I've interacted on a more personal level via the group video (hangout) feature with people I have only spoken to through chat and emails, I have jumped in on public hangouts with people I have never, and never would have, met before. I have found more people with more in common with me in a week on Google+ then I did in a year on Facebook! The experience has been nothing but positive and Google+ hasn't even been fully opened to the world yet (invites can be sent out in small amounts daily so it is growing).

I really cant do it justice, you really just need to experience it and you can by visiting the demo site here or read the official Blog Post here, then after the demo, join and get social the way it was meant to be.