The Gadget Gurus

Tweakdeck Pulled from Android Market

Mobile Mike — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:37:49 +0000

Paul from Modaco just posted that he was asked to remove his Tweakdeck app from the Android Market. Tweakdeck is a great app that picked up the slack after Twitter bought Tweetdeck and the app was abandoned. Honestly I am surprised it took Twitter this long to pitch a fit. Paul is working on re-releasing the app with a new name and different logo to avoid further “confusion” with Tweetdeck and Twitter.

Also, all current versions of Tweakdeck will continue to function, but there won’t be any updates until this gets resolved one way or another.

From Paul:

“Unfortunately, this evening I received an e-mail from the ‘Global Brand Protection Manager’ at Twitter, stating that…

It appears that your app TweakDeck is causing confusion because of your unapproved use of the Twitter bird and your description as “TweetDeck Based“.”

“With this in mind I have unpublished TweakDeck from the Android Market while, through my new found Twitter contact, I try and obtain permission to re-offer TweakDeck with an icon and name which doesn’t risk trademark infringement. I have asked the contact to put me in touch with the TweetDeck Android team and i’ll keep you posted on when / if I receive a response.”

Via [Modaco]

Another Argument Against Annualizeable Titles

ryan — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:26:15 +0000

Many gamers decry annualizeable video games, or games that come out with a new version every year (see Madden, Call of Duty, NCAA Football). I can understand the outrage. New games are $60 and most of the differences between years are negligible. Sports games update rosters and add small innovations like the QB vision cone or hit stick. Games like COD offer a new single player campaign and some slight alterations to multiplayer. For $60 a year, these differences don’t seem worth the price but if people keeping buying these games, then publishers will keep churning them out each year. Annualizeable games will only go away when we stop buying them but until then let me offer a different argument: Annualizeable games limit their audiences’ accessibility.

I recently started playing FIFA Soccer 12. Years ago, I played a lot of FIFA games but have since taken several years off. My reasoning was that the games did not change enough year to year to justify a purchase (similar to a Madden or COD). However, these small adjustments that don’t amount to much year-to-year, accumulate over time. As a result, the game is very different several years later.

In my case, I used to be decent at FIFA but now I can’t come close to a win. The newest iteration of FIFA introduces more nuanced defensive techniques like jockeying and containing. The game features a variety of tutorials to help users understand these new techniques. However, from the matches I have played, it is clear that in the years I missed there have been advances to ball control and shooting among other things. I am completely lost on these techniques and there is no tutorial.

What am I left with? A game that I will never be that good at. Based on this inaccessibility, there is absolutely no chance that I buy next year’s FIFA. Game companies will keep making annualizeable games but I’m confident each one will burn out eventually. People will stop buying them due to diminishing returns or, in this instance, a complete lack of accessibility.

Foxconn: Not Apple’s Problem

Mobile Mike — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:30:29 +0000

The last few days the internet has been ablaze with talk of Apple, China and Foxconn. For those of you who don’t know, let me bring you up to speed quickly. Foxconn is the place where Apple and many other electronics companies have their products built and assembled. It’s a place where factory workers have threatened mass suicides, a place where suicide happens frequently and where fair treatment and labor are always an issue. It’s nothing new, especially in China, but it’s being brought to light because of the immense success of Apple and an article by the New York Times.

Apple’s latest quarterly results were astounding! It was the best quarter for any technology company in history. Apple’s profits are doing nothing but rising and they have amassed a huge surplus of cash. So naturally, when you are on top, you become a target. This latest assault places partial blame on Apple for the poor working conditions and poor treatment of the people working in China building their products. However, Apple isn’t the only company using Foxconn and the technology industry is by far not the worst when it comes to worker treatment.

The NYT didn’t take aim at Microsoft, who has the Xbox built at Foxconn, when 300 workers threatened suicide over pay. They failed to point out that Sony has the Playstation built there, that HTC and Motorola both use Foxconn to make their smartphones, and Amazon’s Kindles are all built there as well. Do all of these companies get a pass because they aren’t recording record breaking profits? Why weren’t they targeted?

I’ll tell you. Bullshit headlines. The New York Times is using the oldest trick in the book. We like to call it “link bait”. They have wrapped a real problem in a grim story and made Apple the bad guy. I don’t have to tell you that corporations are amoral. What’s the goal of a company? To make money. Apple is doing just that. The suggestion that Apple should take it’s crazy money they have hoarded away and some how change the labor situation in China is completely irrational. Foxconn and companies like it work in a completely different way than we do here in the United States. We have laws, unions, and government organizations that provide protection and support for workers.

Is Apple a company or a political lobbyist? It’s not their problem to mess with how the economics work in China. Would they like to have all of their products made in the United States and still have profits close to what they have now? Sure, and I want an flying car and a lightsaber.

If the New York Times wants to write a humanitarian piece, stop pointing the finger at Apple and take a look at diamonds (like they did in 2006), oil, or freaking sneakers for crying out loud. These industries have a far higher “cost” to bringing these products to the United States.

Apple’s billions of dollars isn’t enough to Change China’s economic strategy and the way they do business. When the United States owes China over $1 Trillion, what makes you think one company could have anything to do with the way they make money?

The Gadget Gurus Podcast Ep 147 – Catching Bodies

Mobile Mike — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:00:18 +0000

This week it’s just the dynamic duo, Mike and Nic. The Gurus talk about Google’s new privacy policy, Apple’s crazy profits with regards to Chinese labor, and Twitter censoring content based country (BOOOOO). Also don’t forget Guru Gotta Have/Trash It, where the Gurus give you their opinion tech they are using!

Special Guru Shout out to Jamal “The Jazz Guru” for his THIRD Guru donation!! Big thanks to you sir!

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Show Notes Below:

Guru Shout Outs!

Jamal with donation #3!!!! Big shout out to The Jazz Guru

Network News

News

Google, New Privacy Policy, do you care? Do the terms bother you?

Doesn’t affect Apps business and government users

China, labor, US jobs, and Apple

Twitter setup to censor based on location

Guru Gotta Have It/Trash It

Nic – RoadMice
Mike – Kindle Fire

Google: Objectively Evil?

Nic Ball — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:47:35 +0000

Forbes.com article Internet Freak-out Over Google’s New Privacy Policy Proves Again That No One Actually Reads Privacy Policies by Kashmir Hill

Nice read, but I’d like to point something out.

“When Google starts bundling everything it knows about its users and selling that to insurance companies, background check companies, and the Department of Homeland Security, that’s when I’ll trot out the “evil label.”

When waffle company X wants to sell an ad to males 18-24 who like cars, baseball, and maple syrup they would normally buy a demographic list to hit these guy via email, or TV based on a variety of half ass guesses. Maybe during ESPN 9am-Noon or something similar.

Or Google will just take the ad and deliver it to they keywords you’ve suggested and bam, you’ve just reinvented the whole system. No longer is there a need to sell information to companies for marketing. Now you’re selling access to the system that already HAS the information. If Facebook and Google have shown us anything it’s that “trust” and “privacy” is objective. When you go to a site and see an add for a site you were at 20mins ago that’s Google selling your information. Plain and simple.

Evil….well that’s objective now isn’t it?

AT&T ready to pay up on their Spectrum to T-Mobile

Donny Benfield — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 01:36:34 +0000

The AT&T/T-Mobile deal fell through in December of last year, ending with AT&T giving up 3 billion dollars and 1 billion in spectrum. Today AT&T and T-Mobile have submitted and application to the FCC, to transfer the AWS spectrum over to T-Mobile. This should be the last bit that AT&T has to pay to T-Mobile for the repercussions of the loss of the purchase. T-Mobile has more money now, along with no plans for a future when compared to the other main carriers in the US. Our bet is that they still might be sold in 2012.

(via The Verge)

The Gadget Gurus Podcast Ep 146 – Monocles

Mobile Mike — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:00:37 +0000

It’s once again time for The Gadget Gurus Podcast and this we are talking about government take downs, SOPA, Megaupload, and Apple making the changes to good’ol fashion book learnin! Enjoy the show!

Make sure you download The Gadget Gurus App available on Android and iOS!!!

Help Support or Sponsor The Gurus

Hit the details for show notes and to subscribe/download.

Want to get in touch with the Gurus? Leave us a voicemail at 805-69-GURUS or send us an email at podcast@thegadgetgurus.net

Get the show below:

[iTunes Link] Please Rate Us

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Check out the Gadget Gurus Network for other great podcasts!

Guru Shout Outs Megaupload Anonymous Takes attacks DoJ, RIAA and more Anonymous Just Deleted CBS.com and Took Down Universal SOPA Killed for NowLightsquared denied by FCC, claims testing was rigged.Guru Gotta Have/Trash It

Nic – Trash It: AT&T Uverse
Vic – Giant Government Horse Cock (Genetically altered to be EXTRA big)? / some gay ass cartoon on YouTube/ Razr phone
Mike – Speaker Proximity
Donny – iTunes U / GoodReader / Azul

RIM co-CEOs Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis to Step Down

Mobile Mike — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 02:42:18 +0000

When we think about pulling RIM out of the hole they have dug themselves, one of the first thoughts is to start at the top. RIM’s co-CEO strategy has been questioned very heavily lately and it looks like those questions have been answered. Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis will finally step down and current COO Thorsten Heins will take over as CEO.

RIM has stated that thier current stratgy to move forward with a new OS will remain as planned, but Heins makes sure to point out “It’s going to be continuity, but it’s not going to be a standstill.”

via [The Verge]

LightSquared calls BS on GPS Interference testing

Donny Benfield — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 02:37:47 +0000

LightSquared recently got the news that their network would not be able to operate due to interference to the GPS signal. This is a huge blow to the progression that they were pushing towards and now LightSquared is saying that the results are inaccurate and rigged. In a recent press release they say they are using obsolete equipment to test interference. LightSquare also points out their is no way that can provide real life experiences with their testing procedures. LightSquared has big plans, including pushing Sprint’s LTE Network along with other carriers. We can’t see this not being worked out in the future but it sounds like both parties are not going to go down without a fight.

“Former FCC Chief Engineer and LightSquared Question Validity of Test Results Rigged by GPS Industry Insiders

After learning that some devices tested have been out of production for over a decade, the parties call on NTIA to objectively audit testing and apply proposed mitigation standards

RESTON, Va., January 18, 2012 – LightSquared said today that the process used to test GPS devices by Air Force Space Command on behalf of the Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Executive Committee (PNT EXCOM) was rigged by manufacturers of GPS receivers and government end users to produce bogus results, and revealed details of the testing to document its accusations.

PNT EXCOM advises and coordinates among U.S. government agencies on GPS matters and is comprised of representatives from those agencies with GPS expertise.

LightSquared has called on the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to objectively re-evaluate this initial round of testing and also to evaluate mitigation proposals the company has proposed.

Additionally, the company has called on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the NTIA to conduct the second round of tests on high-precision devices at an independent laboratory to ensure objectivity and transparency.

In a call with reporters, Jeff Carlisle, LightSquared’s Executive Vice President, Regulatory Affairs and Public Policy; and Geoff Stearn, LightSquared’s Vice President for Spectrum Development; outlined how GPS industry insiders and government end users manipulated the latest round of tests to generate biased results. Also on the call was Edmond Thomas, former chief engineer at the FCC who explained how fair and accurate testing should be conducted.

Testing was shrouded in secrecy, no transparency. The GPS manufacturers cherry-picked the devices in secret without any independent oversight authority in place or input from LightSquared. The GPS manufacturers and the government end users put non-disclosure agreements in place for the PNT EXCOM’s tests, preventing any input by an independent authority or from LightSquared before the tests began. This secrecy made it impossible for independent experts to properly oversee or challenge the process and results, thereby leaving taxpayers who paid for the testing no option but to take the PNT EXCOM’s word for it.
The testing protocol deliberately focused on obsolete and niche market devices that were least able to withstand potential interference. When LightSquared finally obtained a list of the devices tested, after all testing in this first phase of tests had been completed, it was able to determine that the testing included many discontinued or niche market devices with poor filters or no filters. The units tested represent less than one percent of the contemporary universe of GPS devices. In fact, the only mass market device alleged to “fail” during this round of testing performed flawlessly during the Technical Working Group testing, which used best practice protocols agreed to by all parties, thus raising doubts about the integrity of PNT EXCOM’s process.
The testing standard does not reflect reality. To guarantee favorable results, the PNT EXCOM selected an extremely conservative definition of failure – one dB of interference. Independent experts agree that a one dB threshold can only be detected in laboratory settings and has no impact on GPS positional accuracy or user experience. In fact, GPS devices are designed with the ability to withstand eight dB or more of loss of sensitivity due to man-caused and natural interference. By setting the definition of interference at one dB, the testing was rigged to ensure that most receivers would fail. It should be noted that PNT EXCOM and others have justified the one dB threshold by citing an International Telecommunication Union (ITU) standard. However, that standard explicitly states that it does not apply to general purpose GPS receivers.
GPS and government end users should have opened the process for transparent review, chosen a representative sample of devices that reflect the scope of general purpose GPS receivers in the marketplace today, applied best practice standards to the testing protocol, and – most importantly, the tests should have been conducted by an independent laboratory rather than by the GPS manufacturers themselves, since they had a large incentive to ensure that the tested receivers would not pass the testing.

LightSquared recommends that reporters consider asking PNT EXCOM the following questions to ensure accountability:

Why did the government choose to ignore LightSquared’s proposed power levels?
Why did the government choose a power level 32 times greater than the level at which LightSquared will operate?
Why did the test protocol select the 1dB degradation to noise as the interference standard, since it does not apply to general purpose GPS receivers and GPS units are typically designed with an 8dB level of tolerance?
Who determined what acceptable interference is for the current round of testing? What is that standard?
Why was the testing conducted using outdated/discontinued devices rather than a representative sample of what is currently in the market?
Isn’t it a violation of conflict of interest laws for representatives of GPS manufacturers to sit on the PNT advisory board and play a central role in its consideration of LightSquared when those companies are actively lobbying on the same issue?
Is it fair that taxpayers funded a testing regime they cannot review?
LightSquared has agreed to meet every technical guideline requested by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), FCC and NTIA and will continue to work in collaboration with the federal government to resolve the GPS interference issues. The secretive behavior of the PNT EXCOM indicates a co-opted process. The inappropriate influence of the private sector on their decision-making has been brought to the attention of NASA’s Inspector General in a separate conflict of interest complaint filed by LightSquared.

LightSquared is asking for fair and transparent oversight of the testing process by the FCC and NTIA, much like the agencies provided in the first round of testing that was openly agreed to by all parties. Transparency is the only way taxpayers can be assured that the testing process is not manipulated to benefit one particular set of self interests. LightSquared is confident that a fair process will allow the company to move forward with its plan to deliver wireless broadband to hundreds of millions of consumers.

LightSquared’s mission is to revolutionize the U.S. wireless industry. With the creation of the first-ever, wholesale-only nationwide 4G-LTE network integrated with satellite coverage, LightSquared offers people the speed, value and reliability of universal connectivity, wherever they are in the United States. As a wholesale-only operator, LightSquared will deploy an open 4G wireless broadband network to be used by existing and new service providers to sell their own devices, applications and services – at a competitive cost and without retail competition from LightSquared. The deployment and operation of LightSquared’s network represent more than $14 billion of private investment over the next eight years. For more information about LightSquared, please go to www.LightSquared.com, www.facebook.com/LightSquared andwww.twitter.com/LightSquared.”

Star Wars: The Old Republic Tutorial – Key Binding 101

Vic — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:25:21 +0000

Since being informed about the importance of key binding in an MMO, I have spent my time researching and getting equipment for it (Razer Nostromo and Razer Naga), so I decided to create a tutorial on basic key-binding. I will create a more detailed version version for more advanced bindings in the future when I get to that level. Thanks for the feedback everyone and enjoy!