Busy Few Weeks With Technology!

What have I been up to?  I've not been idle, that's for sure.

A few weeks ago, my work Blackberry started acting up.  I was happy enough with it, as I don't really need smartphone tech to answer calls, run conference bridges, and send e-mails or reply to them.  I actually had a phone upgrade awaiting me the last 8 months, so I decided to use it.  What'd I get to replace the BB?  I got an HTC One M8.  I already had a taste of the M8, as my daughter has one.

How's the M8?  It's a great phone!  It's overkill for what I need, though, but I'm not going to complain.  I love the included headphones and they work far better when I'm on conference calls.  I have to use the Good Enterprise client on it, though.  I didn't have to do that with the BB.  The Good Enterprise client isn't bad, but I'm surprised there's no native Enterprise tools for HTC phones (in fact, it's like this for all Android phone if you're working for my company).  iPhones aren't using the Good client.  It's kinda strange.

Anyways, I wanted to be able to play with the M8 when I'm not working, and since the Good client segregates the phone into business and personal sections, I can probably get away with taking personal photos with the phone.  I bought two 64-GB Sandisk Ultra Plus Micro SDXC cards, one for the M8 and one for my Samsung Note 3.  Both phone accept this card without issue, although my laptop didn't like the card at all (due to old drivers, which I updated).  This card uses exFAT (be aware of that, especially if you're using it with devices that may not support exFAT, such as some action cameras).

Speaking of action cameras, I bought a Mobuis action camera.  I wanted something smaller than the GoPro series of cameras that also had good features.  This camera takes good footage...just as good as the GoPro Hero 2 I currently have.  I also got a ton of accessories with the Mobius.  The Mobius doesn't have a view screen, so you have to be sure you've framed it properly.  It also doesn't have wireless capability, so you can't use it like you can the GoPro wifi backpack.  Sound is great with this camera, but the reason I noticed that is because the Mobius doesn't come with a waterproof case (hence the sound isn't muffled and is quite clear).  The kit comes with a small suction cup mount that I attached to my car's dome light...the vantage point was great...I was not able to do this with my GoPro and Gecko suction cup mounts because the suction cup is too large for the dome light.  A con of the Mobius is, while it doesn't have a non-removable battery, it is not designed to quickly swap out.  You can open the Mobius case to remove the battery, but there's no battery port to swap out batteries like the GoPro and Astak.

On the PC front, I went through my house and removed all the RAM and hard drives from the old laptops and gaming systems I no longer plan to use.  I came up with two wifi cards, 2 sets of RAM (2.5GB worth) and 5-6 2.5" hard disks, the largest being 250GB and the smallest being 20GB.  I installed three of the larger 2.5" disks into a Linux system to see if they would work (they are SATA drives)...they did, although one had partition table issues that I'm trying to sort out (been repairing the table the last 3 days).  I suppose I can revisit those laptops I scavenged and also remove their CPUs as well.  At least one of them has a removable CPU.  I might be able to determine if they're desktop CPUs, and if so, I might be able to use them to upgrade my older servers.

Unhappy Customer: Comcast Told My Employer About Complaint, Got Me Fired

http://consumerist.com/2014/10/06/unhappy-customer-comcast-told-my-employer-about-complaint-got-me-fired/

Ugh...this story is tragic.

I hate Comcast.

We used Comcast a few times before FIOS became dominant, at different locations within Virginia.  The service was good enough (this was between 2004 and 2010).  There were no service interruptions and the bandwidth was adequate.  There was no equipment or billing issues.

So, why do I hate them?  It seems that they receive far more negative news coverage than even Verizon.  Verizon definitely has customer service issues...I'm not going to even argue that they don't, but Verizon doesn't have the level of negative press coverage that Comcast does.  The problem is, the Comcast leadership seems to welcome strong-arming their customers and then dragging them through the mud afterward with such press coverage.  If the Comcast leadership want to get in front of the negativity, they need to retrain their staff and fire anyone that is involved with such activity.  Some of these stories can be refuted, but there have been several stories where the complainers actually recorded their interactions with Comcast, and it's difficult to argue against such evidence.

I've a problem with this story in particular.  Several commenters state that this was the customer's fault.  No.  It was both the employer's fault for taking Comcast's word as gospel AND Comcast's fault for calling the employer.  What's funny is that, when asked if it is standard practice for Comcast to contact customer employers, Comcast didn't provide a straight answer.  And while most states are "at-will", where companies can fire their employers without reason at any time, there should generally be a reason offered when terminated in the fashion that this Comcast employer was let go.  If I were this guy, I'd lawyer up and go after both Comcast and his employer.  Apparently, he was let go due to ethical reasons.  For such accusations (that can damage a person's reputation and hinder future job searches), a reason is definitely needed, and all evidence should be offered.  The employer never provided a copy of what was sent to them by Comcast.  Comcast didn't specify what was discussed.

Now, every company has its bad elements, but the Comcast leadership appears to be playing games with people and when journalists ask the right questions, Comcast offers blunt but insufficient answers.  At some point, they're going to get seriously burned.  I seriously hope this customer legally hunts them down (he still has to deal with those billing and service issues, too).

The next time I see a Comcast sales rep on my door step asking me to switch to Comcast, I'm going to try to discuss this article with him...maybe it'll make him leave my door step quicker.

Wordpress Woes

I did a dumb thing last week.

I'd been holding back on upgrading my Ubuntu server to 14.04...for good reason:  I was running software versions that weren't compatible with my version of Ubuntu.

Well, I upgraded anyways (after months of holding off).  It broke my web server and also reverted my Wordpress site back a few versions (3.8.x or something like that...I'd been running version 4.0).

That was this past Saturday.  Today is Tuesday afternoon and I'm almost finished restoring the site.

Things that broke:

Wordpress
PSAD
Apache

I'm going to specifically speak to Wordpress now.

This was actually an Apache/Wordpress combination issue.  I believe the version that Apache was upgraded to was 2.4.x.  It changed the default webserver location from /var/www to /var/www/html, which broke a LOT of my content.  The fix was easy:  I moved everything from /var/www to /var/www/html, ensuring the file and directory permissions didn't change.

Then, I found a multitude of issues with my Wordpress site's content:

1. All image links broke, meaning they wouldn't render, even after moving content to /var/www/html (but I could upload new pictures without issue -- and they'd render).
2. I couldn't perform upgrades to v4.0 via the GUI.
3. I couldn't install new plugins.
4. I couldn't install templates.

First thing I did was upgrade (manually, via CLI) to v4.0.  That cleared up some issues.

Next, I worked on trying to get the plugins to work.  I couldn't install new plugins.  I also couldn't update old plugins to new versions.  The error I would get was, "Unable to locate Wordpress content directory".  I'd also get "Unable to locate Wordpress plugin directory".  What I did was download (via web browser) the "third party host fix" plugin.  I loaded it to my Ubuntu server via SCP.  I then unzipped it, and moved the uncompressed directory to the plugins folder.  It still wouldn't work.  I found that a symlink was missing from /var/lib/wordpress/wp-content/plugins, so I created a new one:

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 60 Sep 30 19:48 third-party-host-fix -> /usr/share/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/third-party-host-fix

That's linked to /usr/share/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/third-party-host-fix...that also the directory where the actual plugin content is located.

After I did that, I was able to see the plugin in the UI.  I activated it successfully.  I then tried to update a plugin...I got a different error:  "Wordpress could not create directory".  Ugh...

I found the solution on how to fix that issue at https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WordPress.  I went to /usr/share/wordpress/wp-config.php and edited the following:

Changed:

define('WP_CONTENT_DIR', '/var/lib/wordpress/wp-content');

to read:

define('WP_CONTENT_DIR', '/var/www/wordpress/wp-content');

That fixed the issues of installing or updating templates and plugins.

The only issue I need to resolve now is the image rendering issue, but I think I'll just reload all the images, one at a time (there aren't all that many, I believe).

This was a horrible experience but the benefit was that it got me to delve and fix the issue (vs. just wiping everything and reinstalling the whole distribution).

UPDATE:

New issues --

1. Can't remove plugins.  Error message:  "Plugin could not be deleted due to an error: Unable to locate WordPress Plugin directory."
2. Using Photo Gallery plugin - galleries will render but the images will not show within the gallery UI.  I also can't seem to view the images via browser...may be another incorrect coding issue or even a permissions issue.

UPDATE 2:

1. I've fixed the issue with the Photo Gallery plugin.  I basically dumped the picture back in the directory where the plugin was looking for them (/usr/share/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/photo-gallery).  I hate how hodge-podge this is...crap is everywhere without standardization, but I'm to the point where I just want the site functional again.  I just hope things don't break when I next upgrade Wordpress.
2. I'll look into the "can't remove plugins" issue tomorrow.

California Law Now Requires All Smartphones to Have Built-In Kill Switches By July 2015 - Mac Rumors

http://www.macrumors.com/2014/08/25/california-kill-switch-law/

I'm glad this is happening!  I'm hoping that this is adopted by the other states (or that there's a federal version of this law).  There are many non-U.S. countries that have laws that protect their citizens' privacy (a stolen phone will put your private information at risk).  The U.S. always falls behind the curve where citizen privacy is concerned, it seems.

As you know, my wife lost track of her phone and someone stole it.  I'm not sure if the phone's deactivation signal was ever applied (the phone was powered down by the thief before I could have the carrier deactivate the phone...the carrier never got an indication that the phone was ever powered back up...I deactivated it so that when the phone came back online, it would receive the deactivation signal but the phone never came back online).  In addition to the fact that someone stole a $500 (retail) phone, we had private data spillage to worry about.  Also, there were complications on getting a new replacement phone.  We learned some valuable lessons, but still, a stolen phone is no joke and can put you at risk for not only stolen private data, but people could possibly use the information on your phone to open lines of credit.  That's not good.

I'll be awaiting to see how this pans out for the nation.

Smartphones - Maxing Out Your Storage Capacity?

Maxing Out Your Storage Capacity?  This article can help you regain storage space.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/08/01/no-more-storage-space-on-your-phone-heres-what-you-should-trash-first/

I skimmed over the article.  It appears sound as far as what it recommends.  It speaks in a way that people should understand, no matter what brand of phone you're using (it has screenshots of both Android and Apple smartphones).

Do I need this?  No.  I already know how to free up space when I've reached the storage limits (I usually back up everything on my SD card onto my PC, then place it on a dedicated storage drive).  But I'm sure this will be able to help people like my mother or wife or daughters.

Enjoy!

How's the Note 3 holding up? Other stuff as well!

Well, I'm happy to say that my Note 3 experience has been pretty good, so far.  About the only thing I've noticed that I don't like so far is the bloatware that comes with the phone and the fact that Samsung did away with the facial recognition lock screen configuration (not that that's a huge deal, given that this option isn't the most secure unlocking mechanism, but none are 100% secure...as well, facial recognition is two-factor; the face and a PIN are used to unlock the phone).

Also, I was hoping to see that Find My Mobile was actually functional for US phones...sadly, it is not, just like the Note 2.  Yes, there are tons of apps out there that can assist in finding your lost/stolen mobile, but the Samsung solution is free, native to the Galaxy phones, and offers a crap-load more features (for free) than any other free solution you can find on the Play Store.  That being said, I'm now using Prey, which I was using with my Thunderbolt (and laptops).  That's the only free solution that I've found offers near the same amount of features as Find My Mobile.  Another thing:  I've a Norton AV subscription (it includes three licenses).  It isn't cheap at all, IMO.  Well, they offer a mobile app with AV/lock/lost features...it's not included in the price of the PC solution, although they sure as hell market it within the PC solution's GUI (that's how I knew about it).  That's extremely annoying, but it was probably something I didn't need, either...a true AV solution would hog system resources and I'm only looking for something to with features to use in finding lost or stolen phones.

I'm growing used to the Otter Defender case.  The built-in screen protector still doesn't sit well with me, but I've found that if I'm quick with the stylus, it isn't as intrusive to the stylus experience.

I've taken some pretty good pictures with the Note 3 so far and have even doe some video of my son's MMA exams (I captured some slow-mo footage of moving nunchaku).  The video settings layouts are a bit confusing to navigate.

The Note 3 really doesn't have all that much more to offer than the Note 2, IMO.  The only drastic difference are the video settings...there are some seriously high offerings if you want to capture good video.  Is that worth an upgrade from a Note 2?  It depends on how much of a video nut you are (not everyone cares about having the latest specs as far as video capturing is concerned).

Another thing:  I spent a ton of time in creating several themes using the Next launcher on my Note 2.  I lost those when I went to the Note 3.  I ran a back-up but the Next developer should have it backed up to SD card as well (and have the name and location of the backup noted somewhere within the configuration).

I also got my oldest kid an HTC One M8 (she had an iPhone but wanted to go Android).  She loves it.  It is a beautiful phone...I couldn't stop telling her and the store consultant that.  The only thing I didn't like about that phone is that the battery is not removable.  I'm not sure about the 4 Ultra Pixel camera...it's more marketing than anything, and I'm pretty sure it's not going to out-shoot my Note 3.  I love the Sense UI, as well.  I have not played with it all that much since I got it for my daughter, but one evening I'll have her unlock it so that I can play with it a bit.

I've still been wondering about the LG G3 (and even the G2).  I was actually considering the G2 when I was trying to decide which phones to consider.  It's cons were:  non-removable battery and no SD slot.  The G2 is also a free phone (as a contract phone)...I have no idea how much they're charging for it as an Edge upgrade.  The G2 has the same hardware as an S4...it's VERY fresh as far as hardware is concerned.  I think most people couldn't stomach the volume and power buttons layout, which is why it's a free contract phone with Verizon.  I might even consider seeing if I can buy an unlocked G2 as a spare phone (they shouldn't cost too much on Craigslist or eBay).

The G3 is due to be released this summer (it's already been debuted).  I'm predicting mid-July as a Verizon release date.  I'm on the Vz notification list so that I'll know when they decide to sell it.  I want to check it out.  It may well replace my Note 3 (and soon).  I'd have to pay at least 50% of my Note 3 before I can  "edge up", though.  The G3 is a great phone and will be running a ground-breaking display.  It'll be using the SnapDragon 801 series CPU in the US.  It has a removable battery and a micro-SD slot that'll take 128GB cards. (!!)  It's almost as big as a Note 3.  While it doesn't have a stylus, I rarely use the Note's stylus anyways.

Edged Up...Also Got the Note 3!

So, my daughter's 13th birthday was yesterday.  The wife and I got her an iPhone 5S (which is what she wanted).  While we were at the Verizon store, I was told that I was eligible for the Edge program (I will not explain Edge here...most Vz customers will know what Edge is).  I was curious, as I'm tired of always being locked to a phone for 2 years, so I had the Vz shop explain everything to me.  I believe the Edge program would benefit people who like to upgrade ahead of 2 years.  So, I went home and did some thinking.  I'm aware that the Note 4 will eventually be out...I always miss these releases.  I almost decided to wait until my contract with my Note 2 ended (that wouldn't have been a bad idea, either).  I did some research online and it was very difficult for me to decide which phone I'd like to upgrade to, because the Note 2 is THAT good...seriously.

There were two other phones that caught my eye that I could get through Verizon:  The HTC One Max and the LG G2.  The thing I didn't like about the Max was that it is just a big HTC One M8.  It is also extremely large at 5.9" in display area...that might've been too much for me.  Those cons weren't the kickers, though.  The kicker was that the back camera was 4MP (really???)  And a phone that big (I hate the word phablet, so I won't be using that term) needs a stylus.  The LG G2 looks like it would've held my interest...it has LOTS of features and the phone appears to be more responsive than the Galaxy S4 (probably due to Samsung's Touchwiz bloat).  The Note 3 is better than both of them, although I was willing to compromise (but only to an extent).

I ended up getting the Note 3.  I might've been happy enough with the HTC One Max, but I would not have been happy with that camera.  I came close to getting the G2, though.  What lured me toward the Note 3 was the fact that I was already familiar with the Note 2, which would help me when using the Note 3.  Also, the phone on the Note 3 is spectacular and has slow-motion (120fps) capture and 1080p 60fps capture as well.  The charging/syncing port is different, too (using USB 3.0 now and has a funky new port that can still use a regular micro-USB cable to sync).

I got the black version and got an Otter Defender case (will have to sell the Note 2 Otter Commuter case that I have).  I sorely missed the belt clip, which the Commuter case doesn't use, but I could never find a Defender case for my Note 2 in local shops.  One thing I don't like about the Defender is that built-in screen protector...my stylus doesn't like it at all, so I've been using my finger when texting.  I was tempted to cut out the plastic, but I'll try using it for a few weeks instead of being hasty.  Another thing:  I got my daughter a Lifeproof case for her phone...that damn thing was expensive, but I wanted no excuses that she got it wet or broke it.  I wanted to get one for my new phone, but apparently they aren't making them for the Note 3.  That's OK, though, because it doesn't have a belt clip.

For some reason, migrating my data to the new phone took forever, but I've been using the Note 2 heavily the last year, so there was much more data that had to be pushed to the new phone.  As well, I was never near wifi for it to complete the syncing (was shopping after I got the new phone).

My next purchase will be a larger microSD card (64GB).  I ran upon the limit of my 32GB microSD card several times the last 12 months.  I might also look into another battery, because I'm using a Pebble smartwatch now and I have to keep BT on for it to work with my phone...my phone is sucking down battery power bigtime.  I 'm lucky if I can get 10 hours of usage out of it.  If I don't touch the phone, battery life is fine, though.

There was also an Android update waiting for me when I got my hands on the phone (v4.4.3).

Other than getting all my apps installed on the new phone, I've not played with it yet.  I still need to get the Next launcher running again (will have to customize a new theme).

I'll post up any new findings I discover/experience.

New Title & URL Assigned to this Blog

I should've done this a long time ago.  I've always tried to mesh general tech in this blog but the original make-up of this site was always of an Apple/Mac orientation.

Without further ado, the new name of the blog is All Things Tech.  The new URL is technology2have.blogspot.com (everything else I tried was taken already, but I suppose I could've leveraged the domain space I currently own).

The content of continue to revolve around general technology...I've no plans to change anything else about the blog.

Pebble Smartwatch

Yes, I got a Pebble.  Eventually, I'll get a Pebble Steel, too (or get a nice metal band to imitate one).

A review video is below:




 What I like about it:

• It vibrates when e-mails and texts are received (I can read them, although long e-mails are truncated).
• I can shake or tap it as an added functionality (for example, when I want to see battery status on the StudioClock app that I'm using, I tap or shake the watch).
• I like the magnetized charger.
• I get get a week out of a charge! (added 10/13/2014)
• I can use it to control my phone when I'm running/exercising. (added 10/13/2014)

What I dislike about it:

• I don't like the magnetized charger (because it is proprietary...I hate proprietary cables...this may as well be an Apple product).
• I hear that it isn't as scratch resistant as it should be (I'm hoping that I can find a screen-like protector for this watch).  Added 10/13/2014 - I also tried to use a screen protector...that was a waste of time.

As I use the watch, I'll continue to make note of the good/bad things about the watch, as well as the apps.

EDIT:  Found a steel watchband here...this one had decent but not outstanding reviews, but the search for a steel band now looks promising.  There's also tons of screen protectors, too.

Post Install - Samsung 840 EVO SSD

SSD and OS reinstall notes

1.  Installation of SSD hardware was easy (I followed the instructions of a YouTube video on my iPad while installing the SSD).

2. I found that I could NOT use my restore image that I created when I first received the laptop.  Apparently, it will not install onto the SSD because my image is bigger than the drive itself?  The image is stored on an 8GB USB drive, but throws an error every time I try to use it to install the backed up factory install onto the SSD.  I used AlienRespawn to create it (but never tested it).  I used the factory restore CD that came with the R3 instead (very slow process compared to installing from a USB drive).

3.  I had an issue getting the SSD drive to show in the Windows drive install option section of the OS install.  I installed the SSD in the Drive 1 slot, but initially it wasn’t showing at all.  I went into the BIOS and switched the drive setup from RAID to AHCI, then tried again and the SSD drive showed as Drive #1.

4.  Later, after the install finished, I installed the SSD management software.  I followed it’s optimization instructions and saw that it stated that the drive setup should be set to RAID.  When I set it back to RAID, the install would no longer boot up.  I even tried letting Windows repair it, but it could not fix the issue.  Granted, there’s a BIOS prompt when you attempt to switch between the two settings...it states that switching could make the system not boot back up.  Next time, I won’t follow Samsung’s recommendations, at least regarding this setting.  I’m reinstalling Windows 7 again as I type this.

5.  I noticed that with a fresh install of Windows 7, none of the damned network devices work...at all.  It looks like I might have to download them onto a USB drive from another system to get them installed onto the R3.  [This was actually rather easy to fix.  I just went to Dell’s site (they have a list of M17x software, listed by revision #, that listed the specific driver I needed for the ethernet hardware)...I downloaded it to a spare USB drive, transferred it to the R3, then installed it...I instantly had internet access.]

6.  I’m using the following URL for instructions (other FAQs and help guides for the R3 did not work):  http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-17-m17x/562751-m17xr3-clean-install-ssd-instructions-recommendations.html  

This is the first one that worked.

7.  In hindsight, I could’ve bought Window 8.1 from Microcenter for $100 (but I was trying to cut costs). I do have a license for Windows 8 (and 8.1 was/is a free upgrade if you've v8 already), but I'd have had to download Win 8 again and I didn't want to spend any more time downloading, as I spent a great bit of time downloading all the damned security updates/patches for Win 7.

Some URLs of interest with this install:

• http://www.dell.com/support/troubleshooting/us/en/04/KCS/KcsArticles/ArticleView?c=us&l=en&s=bsd&docid=536193
• http://www.qca.qualcomm.com/resources/driverdownloads/
• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/330-system-protection-turn-off.html

Bought a Samsung 840 EVO For My Laptop!

So, I've always wanted to install an SSD drive in one of my gaming rigs. Initially I wanted to install it on my main desktop gaming rig, but that system hasn't been stable in awhile and I've been almost totally reliant on my Alienware gaming laptop, so I decided to focus on using an SSD in that instead. Part of the problem is that the laptop is using 2 x 750GB Seagate drives in RAID0. No, it is not fast, but I have a crap ton of drive space. I did not want to lose any of that space, so in order for me to have an SSD, I'd have to go big. As well, the M17x R3 has issues with SSDs on drive 0 (of 0 and 1)...they had to nix the speed (so no 6GB/s with this drive in this system). I can go SSD on both drive slots if I wanted and even set them up in RAID0, but I wouldn't be able use SATA 3, only SATA 2. Dell has disabled SATA 3 in all BIOS versions over A08 for this system, also (I'm at A09...it's been like that since I bought it...I've had no reason to update to a higher version). So, I bought 1 x 750GB Samsung 840 EVO. I will break my RAID0 setup and replace the drive in slot 1 with the SSD (and I'll have an extra 750GB drive just sitting around, I guess...I can always throw it into one of my other laptops). I'll use the SSD for my games (BF4 and Arma 3, amongst others), and use the other drive as my data/archive drive. For now, I can live with bandwidth limitation. I can always reuse this drive if I decided to upgrade to an R4 or R5 later on. I'll post my OS reinstall experience a bit later.

Still Active

This blog is still active.  We'll, it isn't but as long as I still have Macs, I'll keep the site up and running.

I've not been using the iMac all that much. I take that back.  I use do use it, but mainly for crunching video and movies that I capture from my phone, my GoPro, and my Emerson Action Cam.  iMovie does some things that Movie Maker doesn't.  iMovie also tends to be more intuitive.  Other than that, the only action the iMac sees is in playing Minecraft (my kids).

My MacBook is barely being used (I do occasionally use it for web browsing while in bed).  My Macbook is no longer supported (it is a 1g).  I suppose I could swap out the battery with the wife's (my wife's is a 2g and is still supported - but her battery stopped working) and use hers.  Or I can throw Linux on it.

I don't think I'm every going to buy another Apple.  I love the idea and the simplicity of basic operations, but when complicated issues arise, sometimes even the basic things are no longer simple.  As well, I tire of trying to ensure the computers are supported.

But, I should document how to get my music from a backup of my iPad Mini to my Samsung Galaxy Note 2.  I've been trying to do that for a very long time.  Like a fool, when I installed Windows 8 on my Alienware, I forgot to back up my iTunes stuff (music and such).  Now, I can get most of it back via iCloud and via wireless and iTunes, but I'm having a problem getting my music reinstalled that I *didn't* purchase via iTunes.  It's a PITA (similar to the issue I had back in 2008 where I dropped and broke my iPhone...got a new iPhone but had a very difficult time getting my music onto the new phone).

Phones and Screen Protectors

So, I saw a Google+ post today regarding screen protectors (someone bought one for their Note 2).

I've used screen protection on my phone but I really think it is overkill, unless your phone spends lots of time in your pocket with your keys and spare change.  As well, they are difficult to install and can sometimes interfere with the usage experience, especially if you're using a stylus (as with the Note 2).

Some people think that screen protectors, which are small pieces of plastic, keeps your screen from being shattered from face-down drops.  Generally, that's not the case, although there are several screen protectors that are marketing just that (such as the Amzer ShatterProof screen protector).

Here's a good link of a group of people discussing general protectors vs. shatter-proof protectors.  I homed in on this, specifically:

a good screen protector will hold your glass in place after its shattered, but wont stop it from shattering. 

most screen protectors do not cover the whole screen, they leave the edges exposed. when you drop your phone, its 90% likely to land on a corner first, so you'd need to reinforce the corners to minimise vibrations and the resultant damage in the case of a drop.

Now, I've used a protector twice in the past but I've never kept them on for more than a few days.  As well, I've NEVER had any of my phones' or PDAs' screens being scratched, but then again:

• I never put my phones in my pockets with keys or change (I never put phones in my pockets if pockets are empty, either). 
• I always use a belt holster.
• I do not put my phones face down on any surfaces.

I've shattered screens before (with and without protectors).  I don't believe in YouTube videos testing this aspect of phones, because I don't think most people on YouTube are qualified enough to proficiently test/measure this aspect of phones.  I've seen quite a bit of people thinking that general screen protectors will prevent shattering in face-down drops. No.  Just like with any other glass, a plastic covering will only prevent the glass from flinging everywhere.  Just because you see it on the internet doesn't mean it's true.

I'm now going to show some back-and-forth arguments on this topic, from a reference (it may be better to go to the actual link, because the blogger.com keeps altering my formatting):

 Originally Posted by ice456789 

The hair-width screen protector won't make a difference in a drop or a fall. If you had that screen protector on and you dropped your phone and it didn't crack, that means it wouldn't have cracked if you didn't have the screen protector. The only thing a protector can do in this case is mitigate the damage. It would maybe help (debatable how much it would help) a small crack from becoming a large crack but other than that it does nothing from to save you from an impact. It takes a large amount of force of impact to cause the reinforced glass in your phone to crack; that much force will not be mitigated by a less-than 1mm flexible plastic film enough to make a real difference. That's like expecting rubber soled shoes to save you from lightning if you decide to play golf during a thunderstorm.

What they ARE useful for is keeping the screen scratch free. Sand in your pocket or on your hands can scratch the phone. Also some protectors make it easier to clean oils from your fingers off the screen or make those oils less visible. Finally, some provide interesting effects like privacy or a mirror finish. So in those ways they can provide protection but unfortunately they do not offer any impact protection.

 Originally Posted by Liderc 

Check your windshield the next time you get in a car accident that breaks it, that 1mm film in between it saves lives. I don't think you can say for certain whether a screen protector helps absorb impact or not, I can definitely say it doesn't hurt it.

1) The plastic in a screen protector is nothing like what is used in windshields.

2) The film in windshields does not prevent the window from breaking, it just prevents the pieces from flying everywhere. It does nothing at all for absorbing impact energy. If it did, our soldiers would be wearing a 1 mm piece of plastic instead of a 20lb flak jacket. I really wish that was the case.

 Originally Posted by ice456789 

1) The plastic in a screen protector is nothing like what is used in windshields.

2) The film in windshields does not prevent the window from breaking, it just prevents the pieces from flying everywhere. It does nothing at all for absorbing impact energy. If it did, our soldiers would be wearing a 1 mm piece of plastic instead of a 20lb flak jacket. I really wish that was the case.

You are exactly right. I work in the auto industry, the film is an anti-shatter device. Just keeps the glass from spraying the driver and passenger in the event the glass breaks. The glass the auto industry uses is something else though. It is extremely hard to break. We've had to bust driver side windows out with ball-peen hammers its extremely hard to do, dont even try windshields. The object has got to be sharp for a quick puncture. Auto glass is extremely resilient. The downside is it scratches very very easy. 

When it comes down to it, its all just physics. Just like working with steel. Higher Rockwell Hardness means its moredurable and scratch resistant, but becomes more brittle. I dont believe there is a wonder glass the does the best of all. Just gotta pick whats right for you.

 Originally Posted by ice456789 

1) The plastic in a screen protector is nothing like what is used in windshields.

2) The film in windshields does not prevent the window from breaking, it just prevents the pieces from flying everywhere. It does nothing at all for absorbing impact energy. If it did, our soldiers would be wearing a 1 mm piece of plastic instead of a 20lb flak jacket. I really wish that was the case.

So take this for what it's worth, but I called my father who's a mechanical engineer for Ford. I asked him what material they use in windshields to prevent them from crumbling during a shatter/crack, he said "it's similar to the films you would use on your phone or tablet."
I didn't even tell him why I was asking about it, he just threw that at me. 
As I said, I think you'd be surprised if there were tests done to show how much a "thin piece of plastic" helps absorbing an impact.
There's also a bit of a difference between absorbing a bullet and absorbing a fall to a hard surface from 3-5'' feet, your analogy is flawed.
The fact remains you have no proof proving that it doesn't help, while it's common knowledge that plastics are often used to absorb impact, whether they are thin or thick.

Last interesting post in that thread:

I think I just had a brain aneurysm reading the responses about screen protectors providing shatter protection to the screen. Unless you are using a screen protector that's a couple millimeters thick, you won't be getting any appreciable amount of energy dissipation within the screen protector on impact. These things are maybe 100 micrometers at best in thickness. I don't care what it's made of, its not saving your screen.

Now here's a good screen protector.  It seems similar to the Amzer ShatterProof.  People have to realize that these are not general screen protectors.  These protectors are designed with high ballistics in mind (high in the sense of objects or phones being thrown/dropped or purposely damaged).  Just because several screen savers are exceedingly capable in protecting screens doesn't mean they all have the same capability.  They aren't created equally.

Last reference post on this topic:

In order for a screen protector to prevent a crack, it would have to be designed so that it would distribute the pressure across the screen. With screen protectors like IS and PhantomSkinz, etc, this is not possible. These protectors aren't designed to distribute pressure, but instead to prevent scratches to the screen. Now if he was using a hard plastic cover on his screen then that would be a different story, as the thickness of such item would aid the resonant forces outward instead of inward. If you are using a thin screen protector, it wouldn't have the capacity to handle the forces, therefore the resonant forces concentrate at the sight of impact, creating a fracture for the force to escape.

References:

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=964454 - iPhone-specific

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1368848

http://www.droidforums.net/forum/galaxy-nexus-accessories/191335-do-we-really-need-screen-protector.html

http://forums.crackberry.com/blackberry-storm2-f145/screen-protectors-will-save-your-lcd-screen-being-cracked-399472/

Galaxy S III bug bypasses lock screen, allowing access to personal data on Home Screen

http://bit.ly/Yd4P4C

The lock screen on your phone may not be doing a good job of keeping intruders out. A new bug has been found on the Galaxy S III that can let users bypass the lock screen and access phone data that resides on the home screen.

This issue also affects the Galaxy Note II.

Bought Samsung Galaxy Note II

I finally got the chance to replace my aging HTC Thunderbolt.

The Thunderbolt was actually fine until Verizon pushed a 4.0 firmware update (without my knowledge and without prompting me first...if I'd have known, I'd have done some research and postponed the update).

The update caused issues.  ICS is designed for multi-core CPUs.  The T-bolt is single-core.  After the update, I noticed serious lag in response times when clicking on objects.  2-3 seconds of lag, in some cases. I decided to restore back to the factory settings and wipe the microSD card of data.  Even after doing that, there was still lag (although not as much...but it was much more random).  As well, the battery was draining more quickly than it used to...power consumption was already kinda bad without adding ICS.  Sometimes the phone would shut down with little warning.  At first, I thought it was a system crash, but began to notice that the battery was dead, even when showing at least 50% power.  I don't know if the battery needed to be replaced, but I wasn't about to buy a new one when I was close to being eligible for an upgrade.

So, I was due for an upgrade.  The window of the upgrade would open on 3/9.  I'd been researching the last 4-5 months and had set my eye on two phones:

Samsung Galaxy SIII
Samsung Galaxy Note II

For those that don't know, both of these phones share the same hardware.  The Note II is bigger, though.   The SIII has a 4.8" screen and the Note II has a 5.5" screen.  The SIII is sold in a 16GB version and 32GB version.  The Note is only sold as a 16GB version.

I decided multiple times on the SIII 16GB version (I'd add my 32GB microSD to expand the storage), but I kept going back to the Note II and changing my mind.

**Another thing (treat this as a warning):  do not get these phones from Verizon.  They're a lot more expensive than 3rd party vendors such as Radio Shack and Best Buy.  As of 3/5/2013, both Best Buy and Radio Shack sold both SIII versions (the 16GB version for $99 and the other version for $199 -- Verizon sold the 16GB version for $199, AND Verizon only sold the 16GB version).  Both of those stores also sold the Note II for $199, whereas Verizon sold it for $299.  No-brainer for me...do not buy from Verizon.

So, I decided to get the Note II.  I wanted a traditional color, so I got the gray one.  I got it yesterday afternoon.

First, it is a BIG phone.  It is big, but I love the size of the screen.  The extra space is an asset.  It is also highly configurable.  I thought I liked ICS on the Thunderbolt (it was nice...it was just that it appears that ICS didn't like the phone's hardware)...  My Note II is running v4.1.1 (stock ROM, which I'm happy with).

I haven't found anything that I dislike about the phone so far, and I'll looking hard.

I got a case for it as well, the Platinum Series Kickstand Case.  At first, I wanted the Samsung flip case, but I read reviews that said that they're not durable.  The case that I got is pretty hardcore, but it is hard to remove the bottom portion...not a problem until you have to install or remove the microSD card or battery.

As well, the battery capacity is outstanding.  I can probably go 24 hours without recharging the battery, with heavy usage.  Wireless reception is very good.  4G reception still needs to be tested (I only have average reception when I'm at home, due to the distance of the tower from the house), but I shouldn't have a problem with that.

All my apps work fine on this phone (I've a crapload of apps, both free and paid).

The camera is outstanding.  The screen renders colors the way that most Samsung products do...extremely well.

All I have to do now is get insurance coverage, as I've read that it's a fragile phone.  I'll cancel my T-bolt coverage and add the Note II instead.

Overall, I'm very happy with this phone.  I'll be studying up on its capabilities by joining web forums that cater to this make and model.

I may donate the T-bolt, but may play with it to experiment with ROMs.  I'll have to get another microSD card before I do that, though.  At this point I should probably just donate it, because, really, my older iPhones are more capable than the T-bolt.  I liked the T-bolt but it got old rather quickly (was already an old phone when I first got it).

** I'm referencing US-spec models.

Thrustmaster T16000M and Windows 8

They don't mix.  I'm trying to fly planes in BF3 again and I didn't have this issue with Windows 7, but within Windows 8, I don't have full rudder control, even if I configure it within BF3.

I've downloaded these (2009_FFD_2.exe...based on the naming convention, these are rather old...Thrustmaster, fix this shit, please) drivers from Thrustmaster's support pages.  We'll see if that helps.

EDIT:  Yes, the drivers got the rudder to work.  BUT!  The drivers also appear to be causing some weird issues.  For example, whenever I get into a chopper, I occasionally hear my primary weapon being fired (ie, a sniper rifle, for example).  Also, once I exit the chopper, I can't sprint or reload a clip...the buttons will not work.  I experimented a bit, trying to determine where the issue lied until I realized that the joystick was the factor...when I disconnected the joystick, I found that I could sprint again, and reload a magazine.  the sniper firing while piloting a vehicle has stopped.  I captured footage of this happening.  It's a shame, because I was planning on practicing the upcoming DLC release of End Game.  I do not want to have to adapt to flying via mouse...screw that!  So, count this as a rather major negative in migrating to Windows 8...this did not occur with Windows 7.  Sure, this probably isn't the fault of Microsoft and is more than likely a Thrustmaster driver issue (that I'll report), but it ruins the experience of Windows 8 regardless.

iPhone Lockscreen Can Be Bypassed With New iOS 6.1 trick

And here we go again...

http://www.theverge.com/2013/2/14/3987830/ios-6-1-security-flaw-lets-anyone-make-calls-from-your-iphone

A security flaw in Apple's iOS 6.1 lets anyone bypass your iPhone password lock and access your phone app, view or modify contacts, check your voicemail, and look through your photos (by attempting to add a photo to a contact).

Something very similar happened with iOS 4.2 (see the article for a reference link).

The article also includes video footage of the flaw being taken advantage of.

Logitech G700

I forgot to mention that I got a new mouse a few weeks ago.  The TactX was acting wonky (apparently, the mouse cable tends to wear over time).  I was a bit pissed, since I spent a good deal of money on that mouse.  It works very well, but I expected it to last much longer.  That was the first wired mouse I've owned in awhile, but this time I went back to the tried-and-true wireless mouse.

I bought a Logitech G700, a gaming mouse.  And it is badass.   It has a replaceable battery and can be charged while using it (via USB cable).  It has profiles and has adjustable on-the-fly sensitivity settings.  It has this tactile material where your thumb sits that offers nice feedback/grip.  It has a ton of buttons.  It is heavy, as well, but there's nothing wrong with that.

Loving it so far.

I explain more about it here.

Alienware: Upgraded to Windows 8 Pro

Last month, I saw several posted articles mentioning MS selling upgrades for Windows 8 Pro for $40 ($39.99, actually).  I bit.  Why?  Because it was a good price for an upgrade and if I found I didn't like Windows 8, I could always go back to Windows 7 with little money spent.

The install wasn't bad and wasn't the best either.  Since this was an upgrade and it is typically best to use a fresh install, I opted to restore my system back to factory configuration.  I did not want any issues with programs that I'd installed in Windows 7 not working in Windows 8.  The factory configuration wouldn't negate this but the factory configuration doesn't have as much installed either.  So, I whipped out my special flash drive with the copy of the factory image and installed.  I then immediately installed Windows 8 from flash drive as well (to speed up the install).  It was rather cumbersome and long, even via flash drive, but it installed flawlessly.

Afterward, I checked to see what wasn't running against the listing of what Windows 8 had flagged that might not work.  Alien Respawn wasn't working.  I'll have to get a Win8-specific copy of that and install it.  Everything else worked.

I then installed my free copy of Windows 8 Media Center.  When I entered the product key, it conflicted with the product key for Windows 8 Pro, which I thought was odd.  Many people were complaining of the same issue and there were some solutions but none worked for me.  Apparently, the system didn't like being upgraded then immediately having Media Center added.  So, I had to call the automated Microsoft number listed in System Information (I believe...I'll check that and correct myself if I'm wrong).  I called the number and followed the instructions.  I had to key in 8 or 9 five-digit codes via phone keypad, then the automated system read back 8 or 9 five-digit codes that I keyed into the config window.  After I did that, the system properly registered!

I did NOT like Metro.  I know there's a way to remove it, but I'm now getting used to it and I think it is oddly intuitive.  I'll keep using it for now.  What I also like is the Windows 7 shell...I can fall back to that when I feel the need.  Chrome only works within the Windows 7 shell, which I don't like, but it's not a huge deal.

The system appears to be quite a deal quicker, but I've never benchmarked Windows 7 on this system and haven't benchmarked Windows 8 either.  Note that I'm not using an SSD (I'm running two 750GB drives in RAID0).  SSD will not help me all that much...it's not going to make my gameplay any faster (only upload faster, but really, that's nota huge deal for me).  One day, I'll go the SSD route, but I want lots of drive space and SSDs aren't cutting it in that department yet.

So, I'm keeping Windows 8 for now.  I may even reinstall it just to get a pristine image of it captured onto flash drive (backup copy).

Apple Disables Java

http://slackfiles.blogspot.com/2013/01/apple-disables-java.html

Posted on my security blog, but since this applies to Apple, I decided to link that blog entry here.