What A Week!

If you're reading this site, then you know that I like to play with the new gadgets and software. Unfortunately, my wallet forbids me from buying the new gear when it comes out, so I have to settle for checking out software.

It's is no secret that Verizon Wireless is possibly the slowest when it comes to updating their phones' software, so if you want to play with the latest dessert treat from Google... you need to install it yourself. So I did. Eventually. You see, initially, I only wanted to update the camera software so I could check out the Photoshere feature in the Android 4.2 update. Unfortunately, when I installed the camera update, it broke. I couldn't open the camera nor the photo gallery.

Get Ready To Hit Refresh!

Google has been sending out emails announcing the availability of the next batch of Nexus 4 phones to start at noon. So if you were one of the many that attempted to purchase one and were ultimately too late.... then head over to the Google Play store at 11:59 a.m. and get ready for the floodgates to open. And if you just skim the picture below, at least note that it says 12 noon PST. Which means those of us on the East Coast need to set our alarms for 3:00.

And because I'm a nice guy, I'll provide the links here:

• Nexus 4 (8GB) - $299
• Nexus 4 (16GB) - $349

Good luck!

Apple should be nervous

This past Monday, Google lifted the veil on the new products in their Nexus line. First up is the official appearance of the Nexus 4, Google's updated flagship phone. While I thought the Galaxy Nexus was a decent iPhone competitor, the new Nexus 4 is sure to do even better.

Just another point on my nerd card

I have installed Cyanogenmod 7 on my old Droid X2. The X2 was a really good Android phone when I first got it, but after a few Motorola updates and Android updates... and 100+ apps installed... there were bugs that just wouldn't go away. Too many force closes, freezes and random reboots, just to name a few. I tried the normal route by removing all the apps and only installing those that were used on a daily basis. To no avail. Many months ago, I rooted the phone and removed and handful of the Verizon bloatware apps, and the random reboots ceased, but it was still running quite slow. It was just prior to this time that I began wanting to sample other flavors of Android, the most well known version being Cyanogenmod.

Unfortunately, at that time, all I did was root. I am not a developer, and digging into the OS of my phone that deep to install something else... well it scared me. I couldn't afford to replace it if I bricked it. So I left it alone. Until now.

"Good artists copy, great artists steal."

Thank you to Steve Jobs for that pearl of wisdom. One would think, with that mentality, stealing would be somewhat tolerated. Not so, apparently. Stealing is only tolerated if Apple is the thief.

We have always been shameless about stealing great ideas.

• Triumph of the Nerds (1996)

But don't you dare steal a stolen idea from Apple.