Michael P. O'Connor « My Life

We are Android resistance is futial, you will be assimilated

Categories: Geekdom

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Published on: March 21, 2012

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/23/technology/google-glasses-will-be-powered-by-android.html?_r=1

I want to be that cybore now, “We are android, you will be assimilated, resistance is futile.” Heck I am already always connected to the network, with my new Bluetooth head set, I can be streaming audio data into my right ear. I get instance update. Heck (this is the scary part) the smart phone tells me what to do and I do it (GPS turn by turn directions)

For longer notes, I probably could use my Bluetooth keyboard (that I have for my tablet) to the glasses so just wipe that baby out and take notes there.

SAVE YOURSELF it too late for me the assimilation process has started.

Another artical http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2012/02/24/147364732/googles-goggles-is-the-future-right-before-our-eyes

Some day I will have those, maybe I should start putting some money away to save up for it, it probably will not be cheap. I wonder how they will get to the internet, would my mobile WiFi Hotspot do that, then can I control it via Bluetooth from my Moto Cliq? The stuff could be epic.

“My body, my choice” really?

by Michael O'Connor

Categories: Politics

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Published on: March 14, 2012

One thing I will not understand about the so called “pro-choicers” (we should call them baby murders, because that is what they are) is they will say that a woman should have the right to do with their body what they want (conveniently forgetting there is a second person’s body being destroyed) But when it comes to other’s bodies with other choices they will try to regulate the heck out of it. Examples

Smoking, they will go on about how they are protecting people from themselves etc and want to force people to stop smoking “evil” tobacco. but what happened to those people’s right to do with their own body what they want.

Seat Belt laws, unlike the above example they can not claim second hand hurt, so if some one does not want to wear a seat belt why force them what about their right to do with their body what they want. (oh for the record you should wear a seat-belt)

Some states have helmet laws (both motorcycles and bicycles) (oh for the record you should always wear a helmet)

What about suicide, and I am not talking about assisted suicide but any one, why can a 20 some perfectly healthy person not end their life if they want to, it their body. (no I am not promoting suicide, if you ever consider it please please please call 911)

How about banning of transfat, if someone wants to eat transfat why should they not be allowed to it is there body

It seems that the liberals mantra of choice about one’s own body seems to fall flat on its face.

Bllody spammers I hope they suffer

by Michael O'Connor

Categories: Uncategorized

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Published on: March 5, 2012

Well now some spammer has decided to use my email address as the return address for their spam. If I ever find out who the SOB is, I file charges against them if possible and see if I can get them prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

The new tablet

by Michael O'Connor

Categories: Technology

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Published on: January 23, 2012

I posted over the weekend about the new tablet I got, I am impressed with the battery life. It probably has a longer on since it not connected to the cell system, and that when it “sleeps” it turns of the wifi, so it better with the battery then my cell phone. Today I unplugged it at 7am and here it is 11pm and it still has 46% of the battery left, not bad. Sure I was not using it as much as I would have liked, only maybe 5 minutes every hour during the work day (average, lunch had a lot more, the other 8 hours had less), then then after work at home 30 minutes every how but still, nice battery life on it so far.

New Tablet

by Michael O'Connor

Categories: Geekdom, Technology

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Published on: January 21, 2012

I got a new Tablet today, a Toshiba Thrive. It is a nice system it has a 10.1″ screen on it, I also got a bluetooth keyboard to go with it. I have a case that can convert it to a stand up, making typeing stuff on it nice, without having to have a fool laptop for the typing. I am going to give my old tablet to my mother.

The Issues Etc App for Android

by Michael O'Connor

Categories: Church

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Published on: January 8, 2012

The Issues Etc App for Android is now on the Android Market please see the link below.
https://market.android.com/details?id=org.issuesetc.android#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDIxMiwib3JnLmlzc3Vlc2V0Yy5hbmRyb2lkIl0.

Since Akismet is working so well

by Michael O'Connor

Categories: Uncategorized

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Published on: December 27, 2011

I have noted I have not needed to moderate as spam any comments, as Akismet is working so well, I am going to test for a bit, turning off all moderation needed for all comments, and let Akismet deal with the spam, if it continues as well as it seems to have been going then I will leave it this way, lets see how well it works

Issues, Etc. App for Android

by Michael O'Connor

Categories: Church, Technology, Uncategorized

Comments: 4 Comments

Published on: December 24, 2011

For Issues Etc Fans I am finally ready to let a beta 3 version of the Issues Etc App for Android out.

UPDATE: Christmas Day 2011 midnight, there is an update that I encourage you do download it as there is a bug fix

If you have any bug reports and/or suggestions please email them to android@lutheranpublicradio.org

Updates for this beta:
Support for Lutheran Public Radio (Sacred Music for the Christmas Season), Update to the UI updating when buffering on the playing so that it updates so that the user knows that it is not frozen but doing some work. A check box will show up when Issues Etc is on the air to let you select if you wish to listen to Issues Etc of Lutheran Public Radio, at all other times only the play button will be displayed and will only play Lutheran Public Radio. The visit web site button will take you to the Lutheran Public Radio web site unless you are listening to Issues Etc, then it will take you to Issues Etc’s Web site. If the audio is buffering on first play and the buffering is being shown the back button will now cancel the play request.

To install it follow the following instructions:
From the Home screen press the menu button
Select the Settings option
Select Applications
Select “Unknown sources” (this is to allow apps to be installed from outside the Android Market, I will put this app on the market at a later date when it leaves beta)
now you can open your browser to this website and select the link or use a bar code scanner on this bar code (to get a bar code scanner search the Android Market for “Google Goggles” or generic “Bar Code Scanner”)

Permissions asked for by this app:
READ_PHONE_STATE:
Why: so the app knows when a phone call is received or made, so that it can stop the audio play back of Issues Etc so you can deal with your phone call with out IE playing in your ear at the same time you are trying to hear the other party on the phone.

CALL_PHONE:
Why: So that when you want to call the show and you press the dial button in the app, it can dial the phone for you instead of making it a 2 button process where you tell it to call, then you have to hit dial in your dial app, it will just dial the phone for you.

RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED:
Why: so the app know when the phone starts up and can set up the notification for when the show is on.

INTERNET:
Why: so I can access the audio data from the internet and bring it down to play the Issues Etc show when it is on.

Again if you have any bug reports, suggestions, please let me know.

Issues Etc Fans that use the Issues, Etc App for Android

by Michael O'Connor

Categories: Church

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Published on: December 23, 2011

If you are an Issues, Etc fan that is using the Issues, Etc App for Android watch this blog tomorrow (Christmas Eve)

Issues Etc Android App Beta 2

by Michael O'Connor

Categories: Church, Programming, Technology

Comments: 2 Comments

Published on: November 28, 2011

For Issues Etc Fans I am finally ready to let a beta 2 version of the Issues Etc Android App out.

If you have any bug reports and/or suggestions please email them to mpop@mikeoconnor.net and in the subject line please precede it with “Issues Etc App:”.

To install it follow the following instructions:
From the Home screen press the menu button
Select the Settings option
Select Applications
Select “Unknown sources” (this is to allow apps to be installed from outside the Android Market, I will put this app on the market at a later date when it leaves beta)
now you can open your browser to this website and select the link or use a bar code scanner on this bar code (to get a bar code scanner search the Android Market for “Google Goggles” or generic “Bar Code Scanner”)

Finally note the play button in the app will not show up unless Issues Etc is on the air.

Permissions asked for by this app:
READ_PHONE_STATE:
Why: so the app knows when a phone call is received or made, so that it can stop the audio play back of Issues Etc so you can deal with your phone call with out IE playing in your ear at the same time you are trying to hear the other party on the phone.

CALL_PHONE:
Why: So that when you want to call the show and you press the dial button in the app, it can dial the phone for you instead of making it a 2 button process where you tell it to call, then you have to hit dial in your dial app, it will just dial the phone for you.

RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED:
Why: so the app know when the phone starts up and can set up the notification for when the show is on.

INTERNET:
Why: so I can access the audio data from the internet and bring it down to play the Issues Etc show when it is on.

UPdates for this beta:
Notification of when the show is on the air
Moved the audio out of the main program into a system service so that it will not be shut off by the OS when the user is not actively using the program.
A few bug fixes, and code clean up.

Again if you have any bug reports, suggestions, please let me know.

My Android has now replaced yet another device

by Michael O'Connor

Categories: Technology

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Published on: November 20, 2011

Got a 32Gb mSD card for my android phone today, and using a program called iSyncr to copy a good chunk of my music collection to my my Android, now when I leave in the morning for work I have one less device to grab, now that my Android Cell phone has replaced my iPod.

First it replaced my GPS, now it has replaced my iPod. These Android phones is there nothing they can not do.

The future of entertament

by Michael O'Connor

Categories: Geekdom, Random Thoughts, Technology

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Published on: November 14, 2011

I for one think the days of TV are numbered, why? well let me tell you about tonight. I for once had a chance to site back and relax. I pull out my tablet computer (And android device, but for the sake of this story it could have been any of them Android, Black Bary Play book, iPad, WebOS) from there I had my choice of a game (if I had any on my tablet) surf the web while laying on my couch, post to my blog (which I did) mess around on facebook, or read a book (using the kindle app) Not once did I think about TV. I currently have satellite TV and the contract is up in April, and I am seriously considering just killing the subscription to it when the contract is up, I don’t watch much (max 2 hours a week).

So I ask why have TV if it not being watch, many people are turning to the internet for their news and entertainment. With the news you get it faster and more up to date then having to want till the news comes on, for entertainment it more fun to have interactive stuff going on (for me this would be a computer game) or just mess around with different things, surf the web. And for the more “lazy” stuff, you can always get a book to read. I am beginning to wonder about the value of TV in today world, you have this big box that you have to go to for entertainment, while the internet now travels with you on a smartphone or tablet computer, and is more stimulating then TV.

Maybe my thoughts are colored by the fact that growing up for 5 years my mother decided she did not want to have TV in the house so growing up there was no TV for me, so TV does not have the hypnotic lock on me that it might have for others. Can any one think of a good reason to have a TV.

For those that are looking for the “background noise” as some call it, there are great podcast and internet broadcasts that go out that can supply that, and when you are at home just have the smart phone/tablet connect to your home WiFi (so you don’t use up the data on your data plan) and have the smartphone pump the “noise” out for you. Uses a lot less electricity then a TV. Plus the smartphone/tablet makes your entertainment more portable, and on demand.

Sorry TV your days are numbered.

Speedup an older Andoid phone

by Michael O'Connor

Categories: Geekdom, Random Thoughts, Technology

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Published on: November 14, 2011

I found today a way to breath some new life into an “older” andoid phone. I have recently had some slow downs on my phone and it having some trouble getting a GPS signal. Today I cleared the dalvik-cache and I have noticed a slightly faster system and less GPS trouble. I am sure there are other ways, but a start is a start, this is the first cell phone that I have gotten that I have not felt the need to upgrade it 6 months after I got it, I can see myself using it for another year or 2 easily.

Posted via my andoid phone

The Issues Etc Android App

by Michael O'Connor

Categories: Geekdom, Politics, Programming, Random Thoughts, Technology

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Published on: October 17, 2011

For Issues Etc Fans I am finally ready to let a beta version of the Issues Etc Android App out.

If you have any bug reports and/or suggestions please email them to mpop@mikeoconnor.net and in the subject line please precede it with “Issues Etc App:”.

To install it follow the following instructions:
From the Home screen press the menu button
Select the Settings option
Select Applications
Select “Unknown sources” (this is to allow apps to be installed from outside the Android Market, I will put this app on the market at a later date when it leaves beta)
now you can open your browser to this website and select the link or use a barcode scanner on this barcode

Finally note the play button in the app will not show up unless Issues Etc is on the air.

Permissions asked for by this app: Read phone state.
Why: so the app knows when a phone call is received or made, so that it can stop the audio play back of Issues Etc so you can deal with your phone call with out IE playing in your ear at the same time you are trying to hear the other party on the phone.

Beware a new text message scam

by Michael O'Connor

Categories: News

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Published on: September 27, 2011

Today I got 3 text messages from a scam called “smart iq” I never replied to it, but it texted me 2 times saying do this to subscribe, I did not respond I ignored it. It then texted me a 3rd time telling me it subscribed me at a cost of $9.99 a month, if you get a texted from “smart iq” call your carrier right away it is a scam. I called T-Mobile, let them know, the operator said that they were going to reverse the charge and and said they will black list them for me, then they will be escalating it higher up to possible do a service wide black list of them. But if you get a text from a “service” named “smart iq” report it to your service provider right away.

The kicker is I thought I had the line that the text message came in on blocked on all text messages but some how it still got though.

Edit: I just called T-Mobile again, to see if I could block ALL premium SMS “services” I will never be using them, and since that scam one came in today I feel it is safer for me to block them all. To those that would ask well could you not refrain from using them, well yes I do and I will never willing use one, but it the same one that happens today that I did not ask for that just signed me up with out asking that makes me want to block all premium SMS “services”. And T-Mobile did let me do a blind blocking of all Premium SMSs with out affecting my other SMSs to family and friends.