Some New Videos for Your Enjoyment

Hey all, sorry I haven't posted... At all. I have put up a few new videos on YouTube. Please check them out.

In this video, I discuss my X120e review 8 months later.

A little bit of extra content for the X120e retrospective.

My desktop has a chronic but infrequent glitch that causes a system hang. I demonstrate the issue and discuss it to some extent.

Raspberry Pi Begins Accepting Preorders

The Raspberry Pi foundation has begun accepting preorders for their Raspberry Pi product. They have also announced that instead of doing their manufacturing in-house, they're contracting several licensed factories. This, they say, will allow them to produce more units.

Currently, they're only accepting preorders for the "B" version of the hardware, which includes 2 USB ports (up from 1) and an ethernet port (up from none).

Android ICS 2D Hardware Acceleration

I made a quick video demonstrating the huge difference that hardware acceleration makes in Android Ice Cream Sandwich. Apps need to get on-board with this! I demonstrate with Twitter because it's the most affected. Twitter guys, your app works perfectly with hardware acceleration on. Add the line of code so that we can have it smooth all the time!

UPDATE: The Twitter app on ICS now uses hardware acceleration without "force hardware acceleration." I've got it off on my own phone so that more apps work.

Tech Support Achievements

Tech support people: Check out this list of hilarious tech support achievements. It's right on the nose.

http://evilrouters.net/achievement-unlocked/

Lenovo ThinkPad X130E Released

Source: Lenovo

Lenovo is now allowing online orders of their new student-friendly ThinkPad. Their price is starting at $429. (I don't know why they say they're "from $938." That's some bullshit.)

After the jump, my thoughts on the changes Lenovo have made to the new X130E as compared to the older version.

Software Spotlight: Symlink Creator (Windows)

Earlier this year, I came across the good fortune of being  gifted a solid state drive. These drives are great, but come with one major caveat: Capacity. As my benefactor didn't want to spend hundreds of dollars, he got me a 64GB SSD. It's plenty to run Windows and a few key programs off of, but becomes rather inadequate when every piece of software tries to load itself off the C: drive.

That's where Symlink Creator comes in.

Innovation

Source: http://thedoghousediaries.com/3345

I have seen many a post from [insert technology here] fanboys who say [company x] isn't innovative because they just took something [company y] did before, and combined it with [existing technology]. News flash, everyone. There's nothing new under the sun. Everything is, at some point, a combination of things which previously existed.

As DOGHOUSEDIARIES puts above in a clever way, one of the most frequently cited examples of "lack of innovation" is Apple. "Well, they didn't invent anything new!" No, they combined previously existing technologies into a cohesive whole which had not been done before. That's innovation. Now, Siri is probably a bad example of innovation from Apple, since it was actually a product of another company's innovation, which Apple bought. But I digress.

The point is: Yes, combining things which already existed into a whole which hadn't been done before is innovation. (No, Apple's notification tray isn't innovative. Screw you, Apple.)

Samsung Galaxy Nexus

I finally got myself a smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus! I spend some time in the video above talking about the merits of the phone. A full review after the break.

How-To: Sync Your Gmail Contacts to Your Verizon Dumbphone

Perhaps you're like me: You're in a perpetual state of waiting for the perfect smartphone to buy. Maybe you can't afford a smartphone. Maybe you think "the man" wants to force you to get a smartphone, and so you are rebelling against the system. Way to be, man.

Whatever the reason, it's irritating that you don't get cool features like syncing your contacts with your Google Contacts. Fortunately, by using Verizon's Backup Assistant and Google's Export feature, you can quickly and easily put your Google Contacts on your phone.

Android Updates? It's Complicated.

Source: The Understatement

Several weeks ago, this image was making the rounds. It paints a pretty grim image of Android support. Sucks, doesn't it? It's obvious that if you want a smartphone, you should buy an iPhone.

That would be great. If this picture wasn't a lie.

10 Second News: AOSP 4.0.1

It has been announced on Google Groups that Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, is now available on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) git servers. There is currently the caution that the version on the servers is not complete, so hang on before you download the whole thing. The code also (finally) includes the source for Honeycomb, though I can't think of any reason to use that over Ice Cream Sandwich.

Enjoy!

UPDATE: Source is fully synced with the repos! Download to your heart's content.

Source: Google Groups

Software Spotlight: KeePass

Today I'm featuring the open-source program KeePass, as I've recently discovered it. I had previously been storing my passwords in a less-than-secure way, which I was not pleased with. I got frustrated with my old system, and looked to the internet for a solution.

Verizon LTE Data Cap Doubling

Starting tomorrow, and for a limited time, all new data plans will be double their original data cap, but the same price. Existing Verizon users can manually change to the larger data plan using My Verizon.

"Beginning tomorrow, Verizon Wireless will introduce a limited time promotion that offers customers the opportunity to receive double the amount of data for the same monthly fee for all Verizon Wireless 4G smartphones. For example, a customer who purchases the 2 GB plan for $30 will receive 4 GB for $30. The plans is available for new and existing customers. Existing customers need to request the change via customer service or through their My Verizon accounts --- the free portal where customers can view and pay their bill, make changes to their account and purchase new devices." (Source: Engadget)


For those of us not willing to pay more than $30 for a reasonable amount of data, this should be a great way to make your buck stretch a little further. Certainly won't hurt, in any case!

Mobile Edge Netbook Sleeve Review

I review my new netbook sleeve! I like it a lot. Check out the video!

See it on Amazon!

Android vs. iOS

Bias warning: I don't own a smartphone. However, I intend to purchase the Samsung Galaxy Nexus in the next few weeks, when it becomes available. Therefore I have a bit of an Android tilt.

It's hard to read a gadget blog without running into it: Rampant fanboys defending their choice of phone operating system. Fanboyism is apparently so primal that it's hard to turn the reflex off. I'm sure that psychologists would have interesting insights, but I think at some point, it comes down to "I've spent my money on this platform, and therefore I find it superior."

Lenovo x120e Review

I reviewed my brand new Lenovo x120e sub-notebook (netbook?). Watch to see more!

Related: I wish I could set the preview image manually instead of having 3 options.

Update: (November 2, 2011) My review for the x120e is now the top-rated review for this computer on Amazon! See the review!

Building a New Computer Timelapse

I built my new computer! I put it together on my kitchen table because my case hasn't arrived yet, and braved many obstacles, including an exceptionally curious cat, to build it. Thus far, I'm very pleased with it!

Components:
Intel i5-2500K CPU
MSI P67A-G43 Motherboard
MSI N560GTX-Ti Graphics Card
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 2 x 4GB DDR3 1333 RAM
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1501FASS 1.5TB 7200 RPM Hard Drive
COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus CPU Cooler

Windows Experience Index Scores:
Processor: 7.5
Memory: 7.6
Graphics: 7.9
Gaming Graphics: 7.9
Hard Drive: 5.9

Dell Vostro 1500 Screen Wobble Repair Guide

Many laptops eventually develop a screen wobble problem over their lifespan-Some sooner than others! The Vostro 1500 served me well in that regard, but a little screen tightening eventually became due. Many laptops can be repaired in a similar way! Don't forget to use threadlocker or superglue to hold those screws in, or it'll get wiggly all over again.

Dell Vostro 1500 Wireless Card Installation Guide

The Dell Vostro 1500 has three, count them, three slots for mini PCI-E cards. It even has six antennas to match. You can install an additional wireless card, or replace your existing one, very easily! Check out my video to see how.

Dell Vostro 1500 Hard Drive Upgrade Guide

In this video, I go through the steps to upgrade or replace the hard drive in a Dell Vostro 1500 computer. Many Dells of a similar vintage have a similar process. Enjoy!