Tag: Android

Google Voice

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So I’ve long had a Google Voice account. I use it mostly for filtering out recruiters and work.Plus the number I got is has the first two groups starting to 40.

So the other day I went to make a call and it gives me a message that the call couldn’t be completed. So I log on to Google Voice and they tell me my account has been suspended for Terms of Service (TOS)  violations.

What the hell? I sent them an appeal and got this back:

Hello,

We have reviewed your request and have determined that your use of Google Voice is in compliance with our Google Voice Policies. Your Google Voice service has been reinstated and will be accessible soon.

If you have any further questions, please consult the Google Voice Help Center.

Thanks,
Google Voice Support Team

Logged on and even tried a test call on the phone and it works again. This worries me because it means that Google’s automated TOS scanner just randomly suspends accounts for no real reason.

I suspect it’s an automated system and perhaps my call blocking might have pissed it off. But here’s the thing, my phone is an Android platform which is a Google product. And it’s running Google Software for the Google Voice service. And one of the features in this particular version of Android is call Call Block. Call black says nobody but your contacts can ring your phone. I like it a lot. It’s a global white listing essentially but based on only those you’ve added as contact. Got to wonder if that’s not what cause the consternation on Google’s part.

Want to try an exercise in annoyance – try turning off Talkback on Android

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So somehow Talkback got turned on on my Android phone. Touching anything started the phone reading the description of what I’d touched to me. Really annoying. I suppose it’s for the visually impaired but then a touch screen phone is sort of a lost thing on the visually impaired in the first place although at this point in time I doubt you can get a phone that isn’t touch screen these days.

But it wouldn’t let me swipe across screens – then I googled – you have to use TWO fingers to swype.

I disabled the talkback app anyhow. It’s stupid. Bad on you Google for including that in Android. You should have thought that through.

Need an Ad Blocker for Android

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So earlier this morning I went to watch a YouTube video on my phone and a 15 second ad popped in the video stream. WTF?

Now I watch YouTube quite a bit on my laptop but I don’t see ads there. Maybe because I aggressively block them.

So now I have to go find a system wide Ad Blocker for Android. This should be fun.

Cox will forever be the underdog

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I say this because I’ve been a Cox Communications customer for many years. And my experience with Verizon was far less than stellar for both residential and commercial services.

But I have to laugh every time Cox tries to say they’re improving my TV service. The latest is this:
ImageNotice anything? Yeah – only available for IOS.  No Android app. Really Cox? I mean just based on my blog stats and pro site stats I don’t get a whole lot of IOS visits, but I do get a lot of Android visitors. And I’ve talked to friends that blog and have personal web sites and they concur – it’s mostly a Windows and Android world out there.

But Cox Communications – the perpetual underdog ignores that a pretty good majority of their customers who are using Android devices and writes the $*#(*@# IOS app instead. Nice going assholes.

Facbook Android App Saga and other news

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So I noticed this past weekend that the Facebook app for Android was clunky. As in the news feed wouldn’t load. I’d get notifications but clicking got the little spinning icon and no update.

So I did what I normally do with tech that doesn’t work.  I bitched – I googled the issue and found a forum for Facebook. I told them that they didn’t UAT their latest Android app or that they were having problems because I could access via web browser but not their app. For those unfamiliar with SDLC and PM (Ok – UAT == User Acceptance Testing, SDLC = Software Development Life Cycle, and PM = Project Management) it’s a big no-no in project management or PM not to build in an acceptance phase.

So today I fired up the app and wonder of wonders, it worked. I’m know I wasn’t the only one having the issue, as the Google search had yielded a ton of people complaining about it.

And in other news – I hear Google has just released a new maps update that will work on IOS-6. Now all Apple has to do is fix the cluster fuck in IOS 6 that lets it work with other peripheral docks.

The iPhone 5 fawning on facebook

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Ok, I’ve already made a few comments on it. Friends are crowing about it’s fast, thinner, lighter.

So I made comments like “Unless there’s been an advance in battery technology that I missed I can’t see this having better battery life.” and “The battery life must be around 300 milliseconds.”

In the past I’ve dinged Apple’s iPhone because:

1) You cannot change out the battery.

2) Charging via that crappy dock connector

3) You cannot extend the memory

4) Apple blocks a lot of 3rd party apps that let you tether, sling, etc.

So if you want to fawn at the cult of Apple go for it. Just shut the fuck up about it already.

Signed,

A Happy Android user.

Hey guys – Android exists

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I’m so sick and tired of seeing people who go all ga-ga on apps developed for IOS (Apple’s iPhone OS) but then they don’t have an Android version?

Even the city I live in – they rolled out ProvConnex for iPhone first, but about a month later they did the Android version. Thanks guys!

But there’s a lot of cool software out there and they completely miss the Android market.

Yet the market is now split pretty evenly between IOS and Android.

All you have to know is some Java to develop for Android. And download and install the SDK and hope to God your phone OEM or carrier didn’t completely fuck up the Android deployment. I’ve written about that part before and it irks me that Google didn’t retain TIGHT control over the Android system. If Google ever does manufacture a phone I’m probably going to buy theirs, as they’ll be the ones to least mess with the Android OS.

But to all those cool software people – we exist too. And at some point we’ll probably overtake IOS. There’s a sobering thought.

And if anyone else is like me – I don’t recommend the iPad. It’s got serious flaws that I cannot in good conscience recommend it to anyone. I do like the Asus tablets and they run, you guessed it, Android.

One of the biggest reasons I don’t recommend the iPad is simply the price. It’s a ripoff. For less money you get more feature with the Asus for example, including a keyboard dock that turns it into what is pretty much a laptop.

And my next computer – while I got some serious usage out of my current Dell computer I want something better. The Samsung Series 9’s look pretty nice. Granted, they’re short on disk space as they only have a 128GB SSD. But then I realized, I can spend a couple hundred on a Buffalo NAS device. That shares over the cloud now too. And the Series 9 – it’s sleek as hell:

Nice isn’t it. And cheaper than MacBook Air. And it runs Windows – sadly I’m sort of married to the Windows platform. I could go MacOS-X Mountain Lion but even that would limit me.

Carriers just don’t get it

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I’m talking about Cox and Verizon in this one.

Last night I attended MoDev-RI (And upon reflection I believe it should be MobDev) and we had a hellish time getting Google’s Android SDK up to snuff on the computers there, and then to further irk us, those with the HTC Thunderbolt had issues. And to top it off, I found out that the Sparkfun Electric Sheep I won won’t work with my Samsung SCH-R910! I think Google really needs to get the act together – and get tighter control on what vendors and carriers can do to the Android distro on the phones.

For example, I had the Samsung SCH-R910 Indulge, Keyron has the LG Optimus. Both Android phones – but completely different UI’s. Maybe I’m fussy here but Microsoft and Apple didn’t get where they are by putting an OS out there and letting OEM’s and cellular providers muck with the user interface. A prime example, on my phone you swipe left/right. On Keyron’s it’s up/down. Bad move Google.

But this brings me to the point of this post. I note both Cox and Verizon offer watch instantly apps for IOS, but nothing for Android. Yet Android is moving up there. In fact if last nights group was any indication I saw but one iPhone yet the computers were majority MacBooks.

This not having it for Android has come up in the past. When the City of Providence rolled out the ProvConnex app it was only for IOS. I raised a small stink and suddenly there’s an Android version. Not to say that you can try to register for ProvConnex and get your credentials, only for the Android app to say it can’t log you in. Ut si!

It’s that human propensity to go for just good enough. I understand why Google let OEM’s and carriers fuck with Android, but it’s not going to serve them well. And Cox and Verizon both need to get their shit together and offer an Android watch instantly app too.

Because for the prices Cox and Verizon charge, just good enough isn’t going to fly.