Google's Android Problem

Google has a problem.

The problem doesn’t lie with the software.  It doesn’t lie with the build quality or battery life.  It doesn’t lie with anything that Apple is doing.  Google’s problem lies with the carriers and OEMS.

The prime example is the atrocity that is the Verizon version of the Galaxy Nexus that was released in 2011.  It was billed as a “Nexus” device with a “pure Google experience”.  Free of bloat ware, LTE speeds, excellent display, and constant updates from Google.  It was advertised as a “consumer device” as opposed to being a developer device.  They even had commercials advertising such things.

Fast forward to 2013 and the device saw a grand total of two late updates (ICS and Jellybean 4.1.1), Google Wallet has been blocked/disabled by Verizon, and as of today, I was assured that since this device is “retired” it will not be getting any more software updates.  So, is this what a “pure Google experience” feels like?  I surely hope not.

 

Sadly, this had been my experience with Android over the past few years.  It’s been rather frustrating to say the least.  I’ve had a HTC Incredible, Motorola Droid, HTC Incredible 2, HTC Rezound, Nexus 7, and now a Galaxy Nexus LTE.  With the exception of the Nexus 7, all have been horrid experiences.  Complete hardware failures (multiple), software issues, poor user interfaces, etc.  I figured that the Galaxy Nexus would be a different story as this was to be a Google device and not bound by the rules as the other devices but I couldn’t be more wrong.

I soon found the device to be nothing more than a slightly less-bloat free device which had horrible call quality, signal issues, random reboots and software freezes.  Taking the device to Verizon for service was an exercise in futility as the techs would just perform a factory reset or do a hardware swap.  Same issue on the new device.  It was the software that needed to be updated but Verizon wasn’t going to push it.  No, instead they place the blame on Samsung and Google for not pushing the updates.  After a while the customers that can’t use the phones just give up and either buy iPhones or root their devices.  This is where the problem is.

If you market something as a typical consumer device, you can’t expect the average consumer to know how or even want to try to root their phone.  They buy something and they expect it to work as promised.  The Nexus LTE wasn’t promoted as a developer phone.  It was marketed as a consumer phone.  Oddly enough, as a developer phone it also fails.  Verizon insisted on blocking/disabling Google Wallet and not providing ANY updates whatsoever to Jellybean.  As far as they were concerned, Jellybean 4.1.1 is the best that Android can get so they had no need to ever update it.  Why do developers even need to make calls on this device?

To make matters worse, the OEMs just love to put their hideous UI skins on the devices to further muck up the process.  HTC Sense, Samsung Touch Wiz, and Motorola MotoBlur all detract from the value of the device and lead to subpar and frustrating experiences.  Consumers eventually come to know the entire Android operating system as some ugly unintuitive UI that crashes a lot and becomes obsolete and unsupported before their contracts are up.  This isn’t what Android is.

The latest version of Jellybean is a fast, fluid, intuitive, functional, and extremely attractive OS that the majority of Android users won’t even see until they buy another phone or root their current phones.  It’s a sad fact and it’s something that iOS users don’t have to deal with.

The Apple iPhone 4 still received the last update (iOS 6) and the device was released in June of 2010.  The same day that the update is released, you can get it on your device.  The updates may be missing a few features on the older devices but regardless, it still gets some love.  Most Android device are lucky to see just one update their entire cycle and are quickly discarded if there’s not a strong developer community to put out buggy ROMs occasionally.  Even this month’s supposedly high profile devices are tossed to the dogs after a few months when something with slightly better specs is announced.

I realize that OEMs have the right to do whatever they want to the OS since Android is open-source.  I also realize that carriers can also do what they want on their network but there MUST be some sort of structure to Android at some level for this operating system to have a future.

 

Google needs to step up to the carriers and take charge of their own updates.  If they want to market a “Nexus” device then support it like you would a true Nexus device.  Since OEMs are going to run rim shot and fork the OS, let the consumers know and give them options.  Don’t just rely on the tech geeks to go to the Play Store, wait months to buy a Nexus 4, and then sign up for service through a carrier that supports GSM.  The average consumer isn’t going to do that.  They’re going to go down to their local carrier store and get the phone with the biggest screen…

Apple is going to continue to make great devices.  I don’t think Tim Cook is dumb and he knows what he needs to do. Apple is the type of company that doesn’t need to innovate all the time.  They just need to continue to make quality products just like they’ve always done and update iOS and mark my words, iOS will catch up to Android in the near future.

 

Google’s “make it or get broken” moment is the day they decide to provide structure for Android or rely on the tech geeks to all go out and all buy a Droid.    

Tech That I Use

I’ve had a lot of people ask me about my opinions on certain technologies over the years so I felt that it would be appropriate to make a post about how I organize my digital life and some of the services and technology that I use on  daily basis.  There are a few things on the list that I have used for years.

I try to separate things in my collection and I’m a big proponent of dedicated devices.  So I have a lot of gadgets that I don’t use for more than one main task.

Gadgets

Primary Desktop PC

Over the years I’ve realized that I really don’t need a lot of computing power for what I do.  I don’t code or do any graphic design so I basically need a primary desktop that is reliable and can handle the basic needs like email and managing my media library.

I really like the Lenovo brand after working with the ThinkPad T410 for a solid year so I bought a Lenovo IdeaCentre K330B.  It came with Windows 7 (64-bit) but I recently upgraded to Windows 8 (64-bit) and I can’t say that I hate it at this moment.  I say “at this moment” because Windows 8 has given me lots of issues.  The OS is not intuitive at all and for some reason, I can’t put the desktop to sleep without losing my internet connection on resume.  It is a lot faster and I kind of like the pastel color scheme.

Primary Laptop

Like I mentioned before, I’m rocking the Lenovo ThinkPad T410 that was supplied from my job.  It has Windows 7 but it seems faster than my Windows 8 machine.  I primarily use this for work so it seldom leaves the docking station on my desk.  For mobility, I use my Apple iPad.

Tablet

I absolutely love my Apple iPad (16GB)!  I try to stay away from Apple products and I initially hated the idea of a tablet but I guess I got a taste of the Apple Kool-Aide while I was using an iPhone and decided to pick one up.  After buying and using the 3^rd Generation iPad for a few months I sold it and bought a Nexus 7 which I also loved.  Both are great devices but I ultimately decided to go back and get a 4^th Generation iPad (16GB) due to their excellent selection of apps.

Honestly, I’m a Fandroid and I love the Android operating system.  I hope to get a Nexus 10 in a few years when they improve on their app quality but for now, I’m sticking with my iPad.

Smartphone

I have to say, I love the Android operating system but I absolutely despise what the OEMs are doing to their phones.  The skins (HTC Sense, Samsung TouchWiz, Motorola Blur, etc.) have got to go!  I think I’ve gone through at least 4 Android phones and two different iPhone models in the past three years.  I finally decided to skip the skins and get the Samsung Galaxy Nexus (LTE).  This phone has some issues but the biggest one would have to be Verizon. 

I bought the phone thinking that it was the “pure Google experience” and that I’d get the updates first.  I was wrong.  It took forever just to get Jellybean and even with the update, it’s still 3 updates back from where the Sprint version is.  Luckily, it’s a Nexus so I rooted it and I’ve been enjoying JB goodness from the custom ROM from JB Sourcery.  Runs solid and way more functional than my iPhone 4S ever was.  I was also able to snare a few extended batteries from Verizon for $20 a while back when they had a sale.

Media Player

Since I refused to pay for satellite radio anymore, I’ve been using my Nexus to stream music from Spotify through my car radio.  I have no issues with this at all.  I can basically listen to whatever I want in my car and not have to deal with commercials o an extra bill.  When I’m on the go, I listen through a set of Sennheiser CX 475’s that I got from NewEgg for $10 on sale.  I hate to admit it but they actually sound a lot better than the $100 Beats by Dre headphones that I have… I highly recommend these things if you can get them for a bargain.

As far as video is concerned, I’m still a little old fashioned. I have no problems with the quality of streaming and downloaded media but it’s just not as functional having the physical Blu-Ray disc in front of me.  The few digital items that I have in my video collection were obtained from iTunes (via Digital Copies from purchased Blu-Rays) and Amazon.  All the rest of my collection is Blu-Ray.  I only keep “classic” movies in my collection and kid’s movies since they like to watch them repeatedly.  I find that once I watch a movie, I seldom have any interest in watching it again.  Although I tend to watch “The Negotiator” on TNT whenever it’s on…

 I do have some podcasts that I transfer over to my iPad to watch before I delete them.  I also keep the Play Value podcast series from a few years ago on my phone and iPad just for reference (big fan of Dan Ackerman).

eReader

I wish I had a valid excuse to buy another Amazon Kindle…  I absolutely love this thing!  I’m still rocking the Kindle Keyboard that I purchased a few years back and I’m still happy with it.  When the warranty ran out I decided to go ahead and root it just for fun.  I got rid of all the “creepy” screensavers and put my own book collection screensavers in place of it.

The Kindle seems to NEVER run out of juice.  It’s also great on my eyes and my collection easily transfers over via Wi-Fi.  I can’t really ask for more than that.  I get my digital books from Amazon and they’re fairly priced.  I hate reading on my iPad due to the reflective screen and weight so the size of the Kindle is perfect.  For children’s books, I do tend to buy from the Apple Book Store due to the need to have a color screen for the pictures.

Camera

I despise cell phone cameras.  Especially the one on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.  It’s horrible.  Instead, I went out and picked up a Canon Powershot for $100.  I threw an old 4GB card in and I was good.  It keeps everything on the SD card but that’s not an issue.  I just go home and plug it into my desktop PC and it transfers over all the pictures to my Dropbox folder in date order.  I then use Google Picasa to further organize them.  From there, I can post them on whatever social networking site I want without compromising quality. 

I still use the camera on the Nexus as does my wife but I have that set to automatically upload to Dropbox when we have a connection.  Besides, if I’m at an important event I don’t want to waste the battery on my phone to take pictures when I have a better camera in my pocket.

Gaming Consoles

I was never an Xbox kinda guy but I had to get a 360.  I traded in my original 360 and bought a slim version with Kinect a year ago.  I’ve been mostly satisfied with it.  I like the feel of the controllers in contrast with the PlayStation 3.  I use it primarily as an adult gaming console so it sees regular use.  I’m waiting to see what the PS4 and Xbox 720 will consist of before I make a decision.  I might even give the PS4 a try. 

I also have a Nintendo Wii and a 3DS XL that I bought for my son.  They’re both fun consoles and he seems to play them a lot.  I feel like I’m getting my money’s worth so I can’t complain about the lack of HD graphics.

Television/Blu-Ray Player

I have a couple HD TVs in the house but I primarily use the 42” Samsung HDTV in the living room.  I bought it for the smooth picture when set on 120Hz because it makes the children’s movies look surreal.  I also have a Sony BD player which is a fine replacement for the Samsung BD player that was bricked with a Samsung software update.

Automobile

Does a car count as a gadget?  Oh well… I drive a 2012 Toyota Prius C which I absolutely love.  This is coming from someone who grew up driving Cadillacs and Lincolns his whole life.  The gas mileage cannot be beat and I made sure to pick the most unique color that they had.  I specifically asked the dealer to show me the most outrageous color that they had in stock.  So if you see a black guy with an afro playing T.I. in a Prius at full volume, you’ll know it’s me.

Services

Internet Service

It’s hard to find a good ISP down South.  Luckily we have this small local company called Comporium.  A lot of people hated this company a few years back (including myself) due to the fact that we simply had no other provider in the area.  Since that time, they have added Time Warner and AT&T U-Verse.

I eagerly signed up for AT&T U-Verse service and it was the biggest mistake in my tech life.  I had cable, phone, and internet… none of them worked at the same time.  If the internet and phone worked, the cable was out. If the cable and internet worked then the phone was dead.  Sucked.  Countless tech would come to the house and find problems with the previous techs.  Outages would happen but no credit would ever be given.  I finally gave up and went back to Comporium.

Although I only have internet service, it’s been rock solid.  50down/3up and a static IP for working at home for $75 isn’t that bad compared to Time Warner.  It is annoying that they actually charge me $15 a month just to have the static IP address but oh well.

I configured the gateway to connect with my Cisco Router and then piggy back my Netgear Wireless Router, desktop PC, and Verizon Wireless Extender off of that.  Seems to work out well. 

Phone Service

As a cost saving measure, I dumped my landline years ago.  I’ve been using my mobile phones as my primary phones and it gets the job done.  Last year I bought a Wireless Network Extender from Verizon and it allows me to get service in my apartment.  Unfortunately, it hasn’t been as reliable as I had hoped.  When it works, it’s great.  I get 5 bars constant.  When it doesn’t work (like today) I’m lucky to get 1 bar.  Thus I have no home phone.  It is kind of dangerous to not have a reliable phone line when you have kids in the house but hopefully Verizon will get me the replacement device this week.

In the meantime, I have my Cisco IP Phone that is just as reliable as my internet connection.

Television Service

I used to be a cord cutter but after I had a full season of NFL Sunday Ticket on Direct TV, I can’t live without my satellite!  I signed on for the premium channels and cut out my Netflix subscription.  I also have the wireless On Demand box and HD-DVR where I can record movies.  The On Demand isn’t really “on demand” though.  It’s not streaming.  It’s more like request a movie and it’ll take 5 hours to download to your DVR.  Yeah… it basically downloads the movie before you can watch it.  No complaints though… it was free.

Software

Office 2013

Since upgrading to Windows 8, I’ve used this opportunity to try to use some alternative software.  What I’ve found is that sometimes, there is no alternative.  I can’t argue with Microsoft when they say that Office 2013 is the best software suite out there because it is. I was lucky enough to get a copy of the full version of Office 2013 through the HUP (Home Use Program) and I have no complaints.  I also purchased Project 2013 even though I have no idea how to use it.  Hopefully I’ll learn before the next version comes out.

The one hidden gem that I’ve found with the Office Suite is OneNote.  This has probably been the best note keeping application that I’ve ever used.  I don’t even use Evernote anymore because of this.  I use it a lot for my blogs and just as digital journals for whatever I can think of.

In addition to my Exchange account at work, I also have a hosted Exchange account for my blog.  It costs me $4 a month but I use it primarily to synchronize my contacts and calendars rather than rely on Google Sync since it’s going away this summer.  Besides, I’m trying to use Outlook more and I need the practice.

Google Apps

My love for Google runs deep.  I live in Gmail and Google Reader for news, blog ideas, etc.  Google Reader helps me stay on top of current events on a constant basis.  I can even directly blog about those stories from the application itself.  I’ve tried using Flipboard and Google Current which are also nice but you just can’t beat a full screen full of headlines that you can scroll through.

I use Google Chrome exclusively and my main social network is Google Plus.  I think it’s a vastly more detailed and improved upon social network than both Twitter and Facebook combined.  I might not personally know a lot of people on there but I tend to get more out of it than I do anywhere else.  I still have a Facebook and Twitter page but I use those as mostly “static pages” where people can contact me if they need to but I don’t actively communicate on those networks unless I have something relevant to say.

I use Google Calendar for keeping track of my bills and sharing calendars with my wife.  As I mentioned before, I have a hosted Exchange account that I setup for contact and calendar syncing.  I’m still in the process of getting everything moved over to Exchange so in the next few months I see myself getting away from using Google Calendar.  It’s still a great application but I live in Outlook and it would make more sense.  Besides, my wife never checks the shared calendars anyways.

Cloud Storage and Security

Dropbox has been the greatest cloud storage option that I’ve used.  I’ve been using it since they first rolled it out to the public and it would take something really major for me to leave them.  I don’t keep a lot on my local computers anymore and it syncs perfectly with all my devices.  I highly recommend Dropbox but I always keep my information backed up on a local external hard drive and backed up using CrashPlan just in case.  I love the Instant Photo upload feature and I use it as opposed to Google+ Instant Upload. 

As far as security is concerned, I have Trend Micro Titanium 2013 which came free from my ISP.  I also installed Malware Bytes for malware but it’s not actively protecting my PC.  Both products aren’t bad and I’d recommend both of them for complete protection.  Just don’t use the active protection that comes with the Pro version of Malware Bytes to prevent conflicts.

Why I Quit Facebook... Twice

TL;DR Version is below this post.

When MySpace was hitting its stride, I was using Facebook.  When people raved on about glitter pages and embedded music in their profile page, I was using Facebook.  When MySpace finally withered up and died, I was still using Facebook.  I was in essence a Facebook fan.  Facebook was my early everything-in-one social network.  Wow... have times changed.

I remember FB having a clean, almost professional look to it.  Clean pastel colors with a simple interface allowed me to post my ideas and get to converse with people that I used to go to school with.  I had a few friends that would send me a "poke" or an invitation to hang out or give them a call.  Ah... those were the days.  Now FB resembles the MySpace of old complete with page long advertisements, nudity, spam, banner ads on the sides, cluttered interface, and little to no relevant content.  All they really need is some glitter graphics to crash the browser and loud raunchy rap music with hidden controls embedded in the site.  I guess we can't forget the "comments" section at the bottom in which everyone posts the same damn comments for every single post...

After a year of random friend requests for Farmville and Mafia Wars, I was about through.  I decided to go ahead and cancel my FB account.  Twitter was getting big but it still contained a lot of "noise" for my tastes.  It would have to do for the time being.  So, I went ahead and cancelled my account.  Or at least I thought I had.  Instead of a simple "Cancel account" button, I had to go through 45 minutes of replying to emails and confirming that I "really want to cancel" my account.  It was sickening.  I was tired.  At that point, I didn't even care what they did with my pictures and posts, etc.  I just wanted it to be over.

I really liked the "idea" of a social network that I could share my life and experiences with but all I had was Twitter.  I was excited to be a part of Google Wave but found that to be like using Microsoft Excel and waiting for a ghost to start communicating on my keyboard.  As an avid user of Google Reader, I was excited to see a social network that I thought would take off, Google Buzz.  Unfortunately, no one likes to share anything and the other 90% of people had issues with privacy.  You can't image how happy I was to use Google+.

Google+ has been everything that Facebook isn't.  I can arrange my contacts in convenient circles and sync those same contacts with my phone, send emails, easily share stories, pictures, and YouTube videos all in one place.  Heck, I'm even starting to use Google+ as a blogging platform.  I communicate with a few people regularly and I've gotten more out of this social network in one month than I have from my entire time with Facebook.

There was always something missing though... the people that I knew.  My family, friends, co-workers, and classmates were all still using Facebook.  I think I've managed to get a few close friends to try Google+ but they always seem to go back.  That's the main reason why I went back.  I signed up for another Facebook account and had to find all my "friends" again.  It's nice to see these people and find out what they're doing with their lives.  Too bad that's not what I found.

I like to call this "Facebook 2.0".  It kind of looks like Facebook and they have pictures of my friends but I seriously doubt that they're spamming me with multiple page advertisements for makeup and Wal-Mart flyers.  It seems like everything that one of my friends "likes" shows up on my news feed in the form of a huge advertisement.  Every time they make a comment, it "links" back to an advertisement somehow.  Hell... even my wife is spamming me on Facebook!

I can easily see how Facebook plans to make money but this is just bad.  Google is supposed to be the advertising giant, not Facebook.  There is an art to advertising and Facebook needs a lot of instruction.  I can easily see Facebook becoming the new version of MySpace in the next few years if they continue this.  All of this isn't even mentioning the dreadful mobile apps.

Look, I love the concept the Facebook.  They changed the game but by trying to force advertising in the news streams and substitute interactions with the people we care most about just to satisfy investors will be their downfall.  I quit Facebook once and came back because of my friends and family.  This time, I'm quitting for a different reason altogether.

TL;DR Version:

Facebook has become bloated and full of ads.  Their mobile apps (iPhone, iPad, especially Android) are absolutely horrid.  They care more about investors than the users and that will be their downfall.

Google+ has been wonderful for me and I've meet some interesting people and been able to contribute in a meaningful way.  Sharing is a snap (Google+ Instant Upload/Picasa) and it integrates perfectly with whatever I'm doing.

I'm still going to keep a "static page" on Facebook but it's not worth even looking in my news stream.

Windows 8 = MAJOR FAIL

If there has ever been a case where I have been completely dumbfounded by ignorance and technical incompetence, it has to be the case involving the piece of s*** operating system know as Windows 8.  I had extremely high hopes of the new version of Windows.  I was anxious to try out the new Start menu and had even saved money for a Surface tablet and Windows 8 phone.  All that vanished after FOUR days of using Windows 8.

After the initial adjustment of getting used to the "missing" Start button and live tiles, I actually started to like the new look.  That is until Windows decided to update the OS.  Normally I'd like to review the updates that are installed but for some reason, I couldn't find the option in Windows 8 for it.

"Oh... what the heck can possibly go wrong?"  I said to myself.

After a completely unscheduled reboot of my machine, I see a blue screen with "configuring updates".  I grab a soda and come back 5 minutes later to see that it has incremented to 13%.  Excellent.  I come back 40 minutes later... it's still on 13%.  2 hours later... still at 13%.

After some investigation, I realize that there is an issue with Windows 8 and some Realtek sound drivers.  I decide to power off my PC and get into Safe Mode to see if there may be something else to it... maybe my anti-virus software.  Come to find out that the Safe Mode has been completely buried in the OS making it damn near impossible to get to anymore.  After the next reboot, Windows decides to really screw with me.

I'm finally able to get into Safe Mode and log into Windows only to see that none of my programs or files would open.  I can't even access Device Manager for some reason.  Instead of an error message with a vague description of the problem I get a blank dialog box that I can't close out of... Yeah.

"Let me just open Task Manager and kill it from there."

Nope.  Task Manager won't even open and instead gives me a grey dialog box.  While using my Windows 7 machine to research the issue, the screen goes blank on my Windows 8 machine and I can't wake it up.  At this point, I have no idea what's going on.  I don't know if it's in some kind of sleep mode or what...  Power light is still on the tower and also on the monitor but I have a blank screen.  WTF?

After another hard reboot, I then come to the dreaded "Windows is attempting to repair.  This may take HOURS..."  Hours?!?!  (silent rage)

A little over an hour later, my PC goes right back to the blue updating screen... still stuck at 13%.  At that point, I decided to contact Microsoft for support.  Keep in mind that I work in tech support so my pride is severely damaged at this point.

After being disconnected and rerouted for an hour, I finally gave up and decided to start a chat session with Microsoft Support.  This guy was nice enough (at least in chat) but he appeared to have an issue with my Windows 8 key.  Even though the windows that he was typing it into verified that it was a valid number, the next screen would not connect to whatever it was connecting to.  Message displayed was "Unable to connect".  I then heard probably the dumbest s*** that I've ever heard from a technician who was already remoted into my computer... "Do you have an internet connection?"  SMH

OF COURSE I HAVE AN INTERNET CONNECTION!  YOU'RE REMOTED INTO MY PC USING IT!

"Oh yeah.  Okay... I'll have to escalate this to our 2nd level technicians.  Someone will try to call you back tomorrow."

So here I am.  I took the Microsoft plunge and paid the price for it.  Had Windows 8 for all of four days before it rendered my PC unusable.  Even after a hard reboot with a wired keyboard and mouse, nothing is recognized from boot.  No sound, can't access the BIOS or Safe Mode.  I'm dead in the water until Microsoft decides to call me back.

I must say that occasionally it does randomly power on the monitor and display a pretty picture of a hill with the time and date.  I can't access it but it does look like it would be nice if it worked.  It "looks pretty and would be nice if it worked" pretty much sums up my review of Windows 8.