A New Market Is On The Horizon

July 16, 2011August 22, 2018 Lorin Olsen

Just when you thought Google’s plate was too full (with Gingerbread/Honeycomb, Google Music and Google+), it looks like the Android team is sprucing up the Market a bit.
The snapshots above were taken from my phone on the new Market. The functionality is almost the same as it was before. But the look and feel seems vastly improved. More importantly, there are hints about new things on the horizon. In particular, there appears to be a movie rental option that may soon arrive in the Market.
But from my vantage point, I’m just satisfied with a Market that works when I need it. In the past, I’ve relied upon the Market to rebuild my system whenever I’ve had to do a clean install of Android. In fact, I just have to point a newly pressed image at the Market and let my phone build from there. It is seamless and nearly faultless. Sure it takes some time to rebuild. But the feature is well worth the wait.
Now, the Market also looks great as well. My only concern is that the newer images will require a great deal more downloading and file transfers. I sure hope that you aren’t paying for all the new graphics that Google is now pushing at you.
-Roo

Naming Your Phone Ain’t Easy

July 16, 2011August 22, 2018 Lorin Olsen

This week has been hectic at work and hectic at home. When there weren’t too many things to be done, there were hugely important little things that needed to be addressed.

This ain’t either one of those! 🙂

Like a lot of other geeks and music freaks, I’ve been fiddling with Spotify. I’ll post a full review of Spotify sometime this weekend – along with a more complete review of Google+. But I saw some things when I installed Spotify that made me address a long-standing challenge I have with Android. Specifically, Spotify allows you to sync your music to your mobile devices based upon the host names that your mobile devices present to your WiFi infrastructure. But Android doesn’t provide useful names for your phone.

In fact, the name that most Android phones provide is positively hideous. It usually takes the form of Android + <hexadecimal character string>. And when you have three or more Android phones connecting to your WiFi router, this kind of naming is impossible to manage. Like most folks, I prefer seeing a name that is customer-selected.

So I began the great Google quest. I found out where the odd name comes from. I also found a means of changing that name via a command shell and rot privileges. I even found an app that will change the name – but it is only effective until the next reboot of the phone. Finally, I realized that I could change the name on my home network by updating the DHCP tables on the router itself.

So I can affect the change that I desire (see above). But it sure would be nice if Google (and the Android community) would update the core OS to allow for customer-selected host names. That way, the platform will be even more manageable for the average user.

-Roo

Naming Your Phone Ain't Easy

July 16, 2011August 22, 2018 Lorin Olsen

This week has been hectic at work and hectic at home. When there weren’t too many things to be done, there were hugely important little things that needed to be addressed.
This ain’t either one of those! 🙂
Like a lot of other geeks and music freaks, I’ve been fiddling with Spotify. I’ll post a full review of Spotify sometime this weekend – along with a more complete review of Google+. But I saw some things when I installed Spotify that made me address a long-standing challenge I have with Android. Specifically, Spotify allows you to sync your music to your mobile devices based upon the host names that your mobile devices present to your WiFi infrastructure. But Android doesn’t provide useful names for your phone.
In fact, the name that most Android phones provide is positively hideous. It usually takes the form of Android + <hexadecimal character string>. And when you have three or more Android phones connecting to your WiFi router, this kind of naming is impossible to manage. Like most folks, I prefer seeing a name that is customer-selected.
So I began the great Google quest. I found out where the odd name comes from. I also found a means of changing that name via a command shell and rot privileges. I even found an app that will change the name – but it is only effective until the next reboot of the phone. Finally, I realized that I could change the name on my home network by updating the DHCP tables on the router itself.
So I can affect the change that I desire (see above). But it sure would be nice if Google (and the Android community) would update the core OS to allow for customer-selected host names. That way, the platform will be even more manageable for the average user.

-Roo

Sometimes You Have To Have Faith and Patience

July 16, 2011August 22, 2018 Lorin Olsen

Some of you have been asking me where the prenuptial posts have been. I have been loathe to post about the subject because there is still a great deal of emotional turmoil surrounding the situation. So without further fanfare, I am announcing that the upcoming marriage of Bailey and Daniel has been postponed.
While the dust clears and while God ministers to everyone’s heart, I ask for your continued prayers for both Bailey and Daniel. May God bless their hearts, minds and spirits. May they see His clarity of purpose. And may they have joy pursuing the path that He has ordained for them.

-Roo

Google+ Comes Crashing Into Chez Roo

July 10, 2011August 22, 2018 Lorin Olsen

I’ve been hearing the buzz about Google+ for months. It has been the subject of many tech conversations for quite some time. But I’ve been way too busy with weddings and work. So Google+ has taken a back seat at our home. But that ended yesterday.
A few of my friends saw a plaintive lament for an invite. Within thirty minutes, I had a slew of invitations in my email. So thank to everyone who saw fit to share with me. As of yesterday, I’ve waded into the stream.
So what are my first thoughts? That’s such a tough question. I really loved Google Wave. And since I have been using Google Mail and Google Reader since their inception, I had no trouble getting aboard the Buzz bus. But Buzz didn’t get any real traction. I think that this was because Wave was focused on the act of collaboration and Buzz was focused primarily upon the content. But Facebook (and Friendfeed) were always focused on friends. And contact/friend management is the real key to social media finesse. Twitter and Facebook were always focused upon making and contacting friends.
After a few days with Google+, I think that they may have finally gotten the message. Google+ seems to be about you an your friends. The lame code word for this is Google+ Circles. I don’t like the analogy – although I do like the reference to the same meme in the Meet the Parents movies. Creating clusters of community is really important. I have so many subsets of friends. Some love cycling and some hate cycling. Some love tech while others just use tech. Some love politics while others shun them. Like most people, I have groups that can and must be dealt with independently. And Google+ gets this right. Now that they have finally spent some time focusing on the people aspects of community, they may just get some traction.
But as a tech enthusiast, I must admit that there are some very cool touches that have piqued my interest.
First, there is excellent integration with Android. I love the Android app. And it looks just like the web experience. You can see your own posts…
your entire stream…
and all the notifications that come your way while you are out and about.
As the platform matures, I am sure that location-based services will start to flourish. But the cool part is that you won’t have to wait for Google to build these cool new features. Android is open. So you can and should be seeing all sorts of cool phone-based elements from developers near you.
And the desktop will also see some cool integration. Most of Google+ is accessible via Javascript. So extensions are not just limited to Android. I have had a great deal of fun selecting and integrating Chrome extensions into my browser. The coolest of these are the Push Contacts extension and the Surplus extension. Both of these extensions deserve their own post/review. But for now, take my advice and install them into your Chrome browser as soon as possible. They will make your Google+ experience even more pleasing.
But despite all the really cool possibilities that this platform portends, you do need to realize that this is still a beta – albeit a Google beta. One of the biggest shortcomings is the lack of integration with Google Reader – coupled with a complete abandonment of RSS as a content source. This is so incredibly important for me because I share so much content via Google Reader.

And I would really love to see some kind of integration with RSS and enclosures – especially audio content inclusion (like podcasts).
But for a first release (assuming you don’t include Wave and Buzz as early versions), then Google+ may well be able to attack the Zuckerberg monolith – and survive. Let’s hope so. And let’s hope that the DoJ keeps its ruddy mitts off of this conflict. True competition will yield real improvements in our social infrastructure.
-Roo

2T-7: Double Teaming For The Win

July 9, 2011August 22, 2018 Lorin Olsen

It is a bright and beautiful Saturday morning. In one week, my third daughter will be getting married. The whole family is abuzz with anticipation – and a little bit of dread.
As you know (if you’ve read my posts recently), my first daughter got married in late May. And despite all predictions to the contrary, that event went off with narry a hitch. I give all of the credit for that success to Meredith as she invested a great deal of thought and attention to the event.
But the second marriage of the summer could easily be characterized as a more free-spirited event. Bailey is a beautiful child of God. And she has a great sense of intuition. But planning and discipline are not her primary strengths. Her idea of getting married was to invite her family and a few friends to a ceremony and a simple party. Earlier this year, she would have said that doing more than this would be ostentatious and thriftless. In fact, her sense of utility and maximum stewardship expressed itself when she decided to wear a previously-worn wedding dress.
But her betrothed (and his family) did not share the same sense of the matter. So Bailey has adjusted. In odd ways, the rehearsal dinner may be a more formal event that the wedding reception itself. But that’s OK with me. I want Bailey to be happy. And Bailey wants to integrate everyone into the festivities. So she has learned adaptability and grace.
Of course, all of this comes when she is trying to finish her bachelor’s degree. Cindy and I had only one real requirement for the wedding: we wanted Bailey to earn her degree BEFORE she got married. This was a practical requirement because we know that once married, family priorities would necessarily outweigh personal priorities. So we held firm – and she has delivered. A little over ten days ago, she pushed through a compacted summer school session where she earned her last few credits. She now can put B.A. on her CV.
Of course, she has been swamped – and emotionally overwhelmed. She has only known Daniel for about nine months. So she is still learning how to deal with conflicts between herself and her future husband. She is also becoming an adult (as she just turned 21 about eight months ago). She finished her B.A. in three years. She is planning a wedding. And she has secured a first job that starts after her return from the honeymoon. And they will be moving away from friends and family as they start their life in Wichita. Wow, she has been busy.
And between her frenzy and my wife’s frenzy (juggling a job, raising a grand-daughter, and planning for two weddings), it has been an emotional blender over the past few weeks.
But I do think that we have finally reached a point of equilibrium (or emotional exhaustion). And everyone appears ready to get Bailey and Daniel married – and into their new lives. I want to thank everyone for their prayers to get us to this point. Less than a week ago, I had my doubts about whether the event would occur or not. But the train is on the tracks, the engines is fired up and the whistle has been blown by the conductor. We are finally underway. And just in time.
While this event will not go as “smoothly” (i.e., per a scripted plan) as the previous wedding, that is part of the bride’s “plan” for the wedding. Spontaneity and joy are Bailey’s hallmark traits. So we have dealt with spontaneous conflagrations. Now it’s time for some spontaneous joy and celebrations.
Cindy and I must now lean on each other and double-team our way to our own joy in this event. And Bailey and Daniel must begin to learn how to work together as a team. After a few years, we will get to see what kind of a team they become. I’m putting my money on Rowan and Martin.
-Roo

Making Your Phone YOUR Phone

June 19, 2011August 22, 2018 Lorin Olsen

After waiting a very long time for Verizon to release a Gingerbread ROM for my Droid 2 phone, I started hearing that this might not happen until the third or fourth quarter of the year – if ever. I appreciate Verizon’s position. They want to ensure that their new Android devices (with Gingerbread or Honeycomb) have the best features. And if previously existing phones get updates, then there is less “incentive” for customers to upgrade to the “new” phones.
I understand the sentiment inherent in Verizon’s approach (and their public statements). But as a tech savvy customer, I really despise being treated like a rebel. I bought an Android phone so that I could customize my own wireless experience. I bought an Android phone to have access to the broadest range of applications. I didn’t buy this phone to ensure the hegemony of Verizon.
Consequently, I chose to root my phone. Then I chose to upgrade my phone to a custom ROM (i.e., Liberty). And I was supremely excited when Google released Gingerbread (and the SDK) late last year. But I have waited to take the plunge and install a Gingerbread-based ROM. First, Gingerbread ROMs were very immature. Second, I really wanted to have a ROM based upon the vendor builds. A few months ago, I got excited that there was a leak of Verizon’s D2 Gingerbread build. But that leak has not been followed by a general release. So I waited.
Since the leak earlier this year, there has been a lot of growth. There are numerous Gingerbread builds for the D2. And the folks on the Liberty team have been working on their new build. As of this week, Liberty Gingerbread (a.k.a., LGB) is now at v0.8. With this latest release, stability has increased. And performance is always improving.
So after a lot of hesitancy (and a wedding or two), I’ve finally decided to tae the plunge. I am now running on LGB v0.8. So what did it take to get from Liberty 2.0.1 to the latest build? Here was what I did:

As a first step, I needed to deploy a Gingerbread build so that I could be on the new Linux kernel. I followed the recommendation found here and grabbed the ‘monster leak’ file. With a great deal of hesitancy, I flashed the revised kernel (wiping the system and cache) – and crossed my fingers. The result was a very vanilla build. But I was now on the right kernel.
Once I had the right base, I then re-downloaded the ‘donate’ version of the Liberty Toolbox. From within this tool, I was able to download and flash the new bits for Liberty 0.8.
My first thoughts about the new build were “wow” and “this thing sucks major power.” So I decided to get to work. The first order of business was to get all of my apps installed onto the new system. I could have used Titanium Backup. It is an awesome tool. But I chose to see how the base Android Market app would do on a Gingerbread ROM. For the most part, I was satisfied that my apps were recovered. But a few key apps didn’t get restored. I’m still researching why this was the case. But I now have all of my apps restored.
On Liberty 2.0.1, I used Advanced Task Killer to keep my system clean. But since I am now on a new kernel, I want to ensure that I test the base memory management capabilities of Gingerbread. Therefore, I uninstalled ATK. It may find it’s way back onto the phone at some point. But for now, I’m living with the base OS task management.
Since I was already seeing some battery issues, I decided that I would enable Juice Defender. I had purchased Juice Defender Ultimate. But was disappointed to learn that the Ultimate version didn’t work on Gingerbread. But the basic program did work fine. So I now have a good battery management tool that is helping to deal with battery management.
The overall look and feel of the new LGB ROM is great. But if I was going to rock a new ROM, I really wanted to make it look fantastic. So I downloaded a new theme (GingerComb Juiced). I also paid for the Beautiful Widgets pack. I really love the widgets in this package. So I now have a “killer look” to my fresh new system.
I rounded out the effort by switching to LauncherPro Plus. The New Liberty Launcher is good. But I have grown so accustomed to LauncherPro that I decided to replace the default launcher.

So what is the result of all of these changes? First, my phone looks great.

Second, my phone appears to be operating well with reasonable task, memory and battery management. But time will tell on this front. Finally, I have stuck my finger in Lord Farquaad’s eye (i.e., Verizon). This phone is mine. Yes, I respect Verizon’s right to deny me support. But they can never take my freedom!
-Roo

There Is Honor In Competing

June 12, 2011August 22, 2018 Lorin Olsen

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:29-31

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
Hebrews 12:1

Today was my second chance to participate in the 2011 Kansas City Corporate Challenge. I got up at 5:15 to assemble my gear and get ready emotionally. Clyde Miller arrived at 5:50AM. We strapped my bike onto his car and we headed out to Shawnee Mission Park. Today was the duathlon/triathlon competition. And my job was to ride around the park four times (approximately sixteen miles).

My spirits were upbeat. And my attitude was positively ebullient. After this year’s bicycle commuting, I was ready for the challenge – despite the looming hills and the threatening weather. I ride about twenty five miles every day. And there are some substantial hills on the return home. So I wasn’t too worried about completing the course. In fact, I took finishing for granted. Boy, was that premature!
Clyde started us off at 7:00AM when he began his swim. He did his leg in about thirty minutes. I give him so much credit. I can’t imagine swimming in open water with a pack of people kicking you in the face. I heard them call our number when Clyde left the water. So I lined up and got ready for the transfer. I worried about the transfer and getting clipped into my pedals. But the transfer went so very smoothly. I started off my part of the race with excitement. This was looking epic.
During the first lap, I did fantastically well going up the hills. I was dropping folks w/o much trouble. And my downhill pacing was good. [Note: I hate downhill racing. It requires much finer motor control. And my poor vision really reduces my ability to react quickly – especially in a big pack of people. But I was doing remarkably well going downhill.
I passed the start/stop line and shifted up into a high gear so that I could grab every ounce of power/momentum on the downhill stretch before the dam. When I shifted up, I heard a very disheartening clunk in my rear derailleur. I could still pedal. So I figured it was just a poor shift on my part. I kept hammering across the dam and then turned to go up the hill. And that’s when I figured out what happened: my shifting cable between my shifting levers (on the handlebars) and the rear derailleur had failed. I tried to shift down and nothing happened. I made it halfway up the hill before I had to hop off and run it up the hill.
I rode across the next flat and down the next hill. And I then tried to shift down. There was no joy. I tried to shift up – but with no success. My rear shifting was completely kaput. So I was riding a fixie in a high gear up and down the hills of Shawnee Mission Park. I had to hop off twice. I tried on two more occasions to fix it myself.
After about twenty minutes of fiddling and walking, I finally made it to the north side of the park. I rode down toward the transfer point where I had seen a bike repair truck from BikeSource. So I stopped at the finish line, dismounted and headed for the repair truck. My teammates thought that I was done. I had to wave them off and hoof it to the truck. It took about ten minutes for the tech to resolve the cable issue. Fortunately, I knew the tech. In fact, he was the person who had prepped my bike for KCCC almost six weeks ago.
After taking almost forty minutes on the second lap, I finally was back on the course for the third lap. The shifting was smooth, but I was hesitant. I probably did a twenty minute third lap. By the time I passed the start/stop line, I was one of the last folks still on the course. As I started my last lap, I had finally gotten back into the rhythm that I had built on the first lap. The final hills were tough but not punishing. I hammered through the last lap in about thirteen minutes.
While I don’t have the final time I posted, I think it was almost ninety minutes – a full thirty minutes off what I had expected to do. Yes, I did have a mechanical failure. But I did finish the course. And surprisingly enough, I wasn’t last. I was certainly in the last third of the participants. But I was passing people even during the last lap.
But for me, I must chalk this up as a moral victory. This was my first relay competition. So any time was obviously my best time. More importantly, I finished the course. I really thought about just packing it in when I rolled into the transition area for the repair. But as I thought about it, I realized how silly that would have been. I was here representing the USMC. Young Marines were (and are) in harm’s way. And they never gave up. So how could I give up on a simple bicycle race. I HAD to complete the course – regardless of which position I ended in.
The bottom line lesson for me was the obvious lesson of perseverance. I would finish in order to validate the work that Clyde had done. I would finish in order to give Julie her opportunity to compete in the running segment.. I would finish so that I could prove to myself that there is honor in the competition.
I must say “thank you” to all the volunteers who made the race possible. I must also say “congratulations” to the victors. Finally, I must say “Amen” to my Lord and Savior. Thank you for allowing this lesson to be so permanently impressed into my consciousness. I will not soon forget the message from the hills of Lenexa, Kansas.
-Roo

WordPress Updates Its Commenting Engine

June 11, 2011August 22, 2018 Lorin Olsen

Earlier this week, I got an email from WordPress about changes to their commenting system. Basically, they’ve opened up commenting to Facebook and Twitter accounts. That means that you can read your favorite blogs and comment without creating a WordPress account (or without commenting anonymously).
This is a tremendously simple change. And it is a tacit admission that federated identity is not quite there yet. That’s too bad. I had hoped that open and reliable identity management would already be available by now. But as a blogger, I welcome having a reliable source of information about the identity of my readership.
And I expect that this capability will soon be followed by Facebook “like” capabilities.
-Roo