evolution creations
when you put your mind to it, anything is possible
Keeping your G1 screen from scratching
Jan 25th
It’s been a few weeks after I got a G1, and one area of the phone that really has me going is the screen. Not only is it brilliant and clear, but since you use it for practically everything on the phone, the tendency for it to get scratched up is fairly good. When you first get the G1, there is a plastic film that is over the screen, and for those who are gettin G1’s, I’d recommend that you leave this on for the time being.
But what do you replace it with? The answer to that is an Invisible Shield by Zagg. I did a bit of research, and what I wanted was to protect the screen with the least amount of added weight, and least amount of reduction in terms of touch sensitivity. I’ve tried hard cases for other phones (Motorola Q), and in my experience, it was more hassle than it was worth and the added weight and size made the PDA less attractive. There are hard cases for the G1, and if you are the type that wants to protect the whole phone in a vein attempt to keep it looking good, than good for you! But for the rest of us who realize that the phone’s exterior is meant to be used, the Invisible Shield is the answer for you.
From the manufacturer’s information, this is the same material that is used in military applications to coat the edges of helicopter blades–tough stuff to say the least. The manufacturer also claims that the material is scratch proof and won’t add added weight to the device or decrease functionality. All lofty ambitions, but the proof is where the rubber meets the road and test this myself.
So we finally got the covers for our phones (Samsung Dash and T-Mobile G1), and I installed them this morning. From some reviews I have read, the installation process was very painful. If you follow the directions, the hardest part I found was to align the covers properly on the device (had to do the Dash twice because it had different cutouts than the G1 that just covers a square screen. Unlike other reviews, on both devices, I didn’t have any problems with bubbles under the screens, and in 12 hours, the screens had dried and everything looks good.
Not only does the cover seem to eliminate scratches, on the G1 the touch screen is just as responsive than before. Also it doesn’t decrease the screens brightness or cause bad reflections under light. All in all for the cost of the cover, definitely a worth while investment!
T-Mobile G1 Locks up and Requires Battery Pull
Jan 21st
So after a few weeks of using my G1 successfully, I regret to post that I have run into one critical issue here that seems to be a show stopper in terms of every day functionality. I can use the G1 anywhere in Chicago-land without problems. I do get spotty 3G signals, but that’s to be expected as T-mobile expands their 3G networks. But every time I come to downtown Chicago and get to my office the G1 will lock up and become unresponsive. The only fix that I’ve found to this is to pop the battery out to restart it.
I’ve reached out to T-mobile support several times, and one suggestion was to put the phone into 2G mode only (Settings > Wireless Controls > Mobile Networks > Use only 2G networks), and this has helped the situation, but several times a day the phone will lock up.
One fix that I’ve tried that has also worked is to put the G1 into airplane mode that will disable all the wireless functions on the device, basically makes the phone useless with the exception of looking at it and using apps on it that don’t require a mobile or wireless network to be functional.
Have others run into the same problem downtown Chicago?
And there was Android… T-Mobile G1 Review
Jan 3rd
Whenever I think of Android, I always go back to my childhood memories of Lt. Commander Data, the first positronic Android to serve in StarFleet.
But in this generation and reality, we have the T-Mobile G1 powered by the Google Android software. I was hard pressed to choose between the AT&T iPhone or the T-Mobile G1, but in the end, the solution was clear–I couldn’t be a part of the generation fruit and go with the all to friendly Apple iPhone, the inner geek in me would never forgive himself!
So I had to see what all the hype was with the phone, and to start with, I initially thought that I wouldn’t be able to use my G1 with my Google Apps account. See here’s the skinny, when you first sign up with T-mobile and decide to get a G1, you have to activate the phone with either an existing Gmail account or create a new one. The representative at the T-mobile store didn’t know if you could use a Google App account or if it had to be a Gmail (@gmail.com) account. Fortunately for me, once the SIM card was activated with the data services, I was able to sign into my @thekochfolks.com email address that is through Google Apps. BEAUTIFUL!
Now I have my personal email at my fingertips, and it’s fully integrated with everything the phone does. For instance, my calendar and contacts all get dynamically synced both ways between the G1 and Google Apps. So needless to say, once the phone got activated and started to sync, BOOM all my contacts were on the phone. Easy easy. Next, I had to see for myself what the deal was with the Android Market. Now we’ve all been lead to believe that the iPhone store was the greatest thing since sliced bread when it came to user’s and developers creating applications to do cool things. I have to admit, I was a bit intimidated by this, and just browsing online, it seems like there are only a handful of apps available–WRONG! Once I got the phone online, the Android Market is chock full of applications! For starters, I had to go with the following lineup:
- ShopSavvy – This one allows you to photo a bar code and the software scans retailers in the area for prices to see if you are getting the best deal. I haven’t had a chance to use this one, so I’ll update once I do!
- FBook – Awesome, awesome, just another way to keep your status updated on Facebook.
- imeem – Similar to Pandora where you can search and play songs by artist name or song title.
- Brain Genius Deluxe – This one is just a fun game that suppose to improve your memory and concentration through daily activities. We’ll see how this goes as I’m only on day 2!
- BistroMath – Quick and easy tip calculator. Allows you to total out based on taxes, or total and add in tip percentage. You can split the bill amongst X number of people.
- Movies – Checks movies that are playing in your area.
- WikiMobile – Who doesn’t need wikipedia at your beck and call!
- iSkoot – Skype on your phone!
- The Weather Channel – Weather from your trusted source.
- ConnectBot – SSH client from G1. I can fully manage my Linux box from my phone!!!! AWESOME!
- ToggleWiFi – Simple app that turns on and off wifi. Save your power when you don’t need wifi, but get it quickly turned on when you do!
- ToggleBlu – Similar in concept to ToggleWifi, just turning on and off Bluetooth quickly.
Aside from the question on whether or not you can use your Google Apps account with your G1, there were a few other questions that I’ve had come up. One, can you change the clock on the main screen, so far the answer I’ve found is no you can’t (not at the moment at least). Second, how do you delete a bookmark from the Browser, you can do that by long clicking on the bookmark and you’ll see a new menu come up that you can then do a delete from. Clicking on the Menu won’t pull up the same list of options.
Also your G1 can hook up to your computer and act as a removable storage device, similar to an iPod, you just have to go into your notifications and select the option to mount the drive once it’s connected via USB.
The keyboard takes a bit of getting use to, having come from a BlackBerry 8830 to the G1, I actually think the keyboard is more functional as you don’t have to click special characters for the numbers, but it still takes some getting use to.
Also I’ve noticed that the power management is something you have to work out based on what you are using. I would say though the two things that seem to kill the juice are Bluetooth and Wifi. Use the ToggleWifi and ToggleBlu apps to help mitigate that. There is an aftermarket G1 battery that brings it up to the same levels as the iPhone, I don’t know if th extra 15% is worth the $45 you will spend but that’s a choice you have to make yourself!
Determining right Power Supply Unit (PSU) to use
Dec 28th
Many custom PC builders have a hard time determining what size, i.e. number of watts, to use in their rig. Some just go with the thought that bigger is better, and that isn’t necessarily the case. I’ve been searching around trying to solve this problem, and it looks like the folks over at ThermalTake have a page that simplifies this out greatly! Just enter in some of your basic specs, like CPU, GPU, attached devices, etc, basically anything that is drawing power, and it will calculate what you should need.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Dec 27th
I’m certainly not one of those who makes bad criticisms of a movie because I’m a purist of the genre, case in point all the Star Wars fans who had a spectrum of mixed reviews about the 3 prequel movies that were released out of Lucas Studios, but it seems again, that George Lucas, once famed director and visionary, has lost some of the luster that once gave him a massive empire to stand on.
Indiana Jones genre to many was about action, adventure, and curiousity to the unknown. In many ways, we see that live on in other movies, such as National Treasure, where our curiosity for adventure and puzzles along the way fuel our desire to see these types of movies continue.
This release though of Indiana Jones leaves a lot for both the casual Indy fan, as well as I suppose for those who grew up on this genre and were looking for Lucas to come back and hit one out of the park.
The first most obvious flaw is how old Harrison Ford is. In his younger days, it was the vibrant young archeologist who’s adventures threw countless obstacles in front of him–now as essentially a grandfather trying to keep up with his younger self, it seems a bit too unbelievable to imagine.
On the topic of unbelievable, the introduction of an alien influence into the movies central story arch really put a new level of stretching that you would suppose is fueled by Lucas’s extra-terrestrial interests, but in an Indy film, really seems out of place. At first I didn’t know where they were going with the story, and it certainly could have been promising, but if you watch through the end, you will probably be like me, and think to yourself, “What just happened”, and was that really it?
At any rate, its up to each individual to see it for themselves, but this is one that I will stay away from getting on BluRay and save your money for something with a higher replay value.
Previous Naruto Opening Theme
Dec 26th
I can’t believe that I didn’t post this earlier, but here is Hearts Grow – Yura Yura!
New Naruto Opening Theme Song
Dec 26th
As most who know me know that I am a huge Naruto fan. This is a show that I will download each Thursday every week and have done so for the last 5 years! And just recently they have put some really good songs on their opening and closing thems. Previous to this one, Hearts Grow – Yura Yura was on my iPod repeat over and over and over again! You just can’t get enough of these songs! Well they’ve done it again, and this time with Inoue Joe – Closer, this one kicks it out of the park! Great song, great melody, and just gets you up and moving! Enjoy!
Meet the Robinsons–All Time Favorite Movie
Dec 26th
So it’s not often that I can say that a movie makes it to my all time favorite movie slot–its something of a challenge to make it there you see!
But I have to admit, this one caught me off guard. Typically I envision movies coming out of Disney with the famed joint collaboration between Disney and Pixar, but this one when it first came out didn’t quite make much sense to me. I remember seeing the trailers and thinking to myself… “there’s a big dinosaur in the trailer talking about having a big head and little arm’s, just how good of a movie is this going to be”!
Quite the contrary though I have to admit–this one touched me at my very core. You know a movie is something that really has ever lasting endurance when each time you see it, physical emotions hit you. They could be laughter, sadness, anger, joy, whatever it manifests itself to be, but it’s when we connect at that level that we begin to see all the possibilities as it’s something that sticks with us having created a memory not linked by a thought, but linked to an emotional state. It’s similar in nature to how we link memories to smells, and those memories tend to be much stronger than just those that we experience.
There is a quite at the end of the movie that touches you at the core and is quickly becoming words that I live by:
Around here we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths. We’re always exploring and experimenting. – Walt Disney
This goes up there with my other favorite quote:
Ask a question and your a fool for three minutes–don’t ask a question and your a fool for life. – Unknown
It’s important that we align the way that we live in what we would consider the most virtous ways, actions that when we look back upon our lives in retrospect, we will not shurg ourselves off but look at how we changed and grew and became more than what we were. Meet the Robinson’s is a terrific example of how when we are faced with the most uphill challenges in life, we must pull ourselves together and keep moving forward. When we stop and dwell on the things that could have, should have, might have been, we tend to get lost in our own crapulance, and ultimately pay the price because of all the missed opportunities that could have been the Mount Everast of accomplishments in comparision to that which we can’t seem to let go.
Having come from an adopted background, family and friends are things that you don’t take lightly–in fact for me, it’s probably harder to become my friend, because there will always be an underlying thought of abandonment and mistrust. But if you live your life always doubting the goodness that might be out there, you can never forge real relationships with the ones that are around you, but those who you have yet to meet. But let’s not also forget about one of the most important foundations to what might just end up being a house of cards, and that is to put the trust in yourself to let go of your worries and doubts and let yourself take a chance on life.
One of the first jobs that I worked at, one of the trainers on the first few days of orientation told me the following words, and they have always stuck with me:
Always be aware of what you say and who you say it to. You never know who might be listening to what you have to say. For all you know, the person in the elevator that you think is just another person, might just end up being the CEO himself!
While some of this is a bit of words to the wise to make sure that as a newbie you don’t say the wrong things to step on people’s toes, its stuck with me because you never know what turn of events might happen and how that will in turn impact your life. You may have one of the most brilliant thoughts and your just chatting it up with your friends while you are out on a smoke break, but in the elavator you end up being overheard by someone from senior management who then takes you aside and wants to know more of your great ideas–this starts you on a path that will shape and develop you from that point on. Now that’s just an example of one such set of circumstances, but I think it’s a lost art that people forget about to be mindful of your surroundings and to be aware of the butterfly effects that continually occur around us.
Lord of the Rings on TV–Legend of the Seeker
Dec 21st
In what has to be one of the most interesting new shows to come onto the landscape, The Legend of the Seeker, I thought was originally just an off shoot of the Lord of the Rings series. But in reality, the show has many unique qualitites to it, and after watching what has already been broadcasted for season 1, this is a show that I think will be in it for the long haul. The story is unqiue and there is a dynamic between the two main characters that I think viewers will be drawn to. The wizard has a sort of quarky complex to him that reminds me of Doc Brown from the Back to the Future trilogy. The show picks up again in January, but you can catch all the episodes from Hulu:
Another show bites the dust–My Own Worst Enemy
Dec 21st
Another show that we watch each week, My Own Worst Enemy, we just found out is also getting cut from the NBC lineup. I have to admit, that this one didn’t really catch me off guard, as the story was a very confusing story to follow, and it was unclear as to what the NBC folks were going to do to carry out a story line now that Slaters character seemed to be able to function with being woken up either as Edward or as Henry.