Android Releases

0.0 - 1.0      Alpha
1.1 - 1.4      Beta
1.5 - 1.5x    Cupcake
1.6 - 1.6x    Donut
2.0 – 2.1      Eclair
2.2 – 2.2.3   Froyo
2.3 – 2.3.7   Gingerbread
3.0 – 3.2.6   Honeycomb
4.0 – 4.0.4   Ice Cream Sandwich
4.1 – 4.3.1   Jelly Bean
4.4 – 4.4.4   KitKat

"L" release    developer preview

Motorola Droid 4 to Samsung Galaxy S5

Galaxy S5 Organize by Building App Folders

Just got the Galaxy S5. Disappointed in the implementation of this feature.

Creating new folders on the phone desktop area varies between the Samsung  S5 (SS5) and that of the Motorola Droid 4 (MD4).
 - MD4: Drag one icon on top of another, boom, new folder. GREAT, EASY
 - SS5: Drag an icon to the top of the screen, turn left Drop on the New Folder lander, Name the Folder

Simplicity is better.  What happened?  Isn't the S5 Kit Kat

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Save room on your home screen, build app folders to contain icons for multiple apps apps into one folder.
The process for creating folders is different in Android Jelly Bean than in Android Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS).

Android Jelly Bean Easy One Step (Tablet, Phone):

1. On the Home screen, drag one icon atop another.
2. As you lift your finger, both icons are combined into a group.
3. Add new apps to the folder by dragging them to the folder in the same way.

Android Ice Cream Sandwich (Tablet)

• Folders look like ugly folder icons, similar to those used to manage files on a computer.
• Folders must be manually created.

1. Long-press a blank part of the screen.
2. Choose the Folder or New Folder landing icon.
3. The folder icon will appear on the Home screen.
4. Drag an icon to the folder icon.

• Any way to edit which shortcuts are in that new folder?
• Sorting seems to work

Android KitKat

• Folders are ugly folder icons, similar to those used to manage files on a computer.
• Folders must be manually created.

1. Select an icon
2. Drag it t the top of the screen into the Create Folder at the top left part of the screen.
3. etc.

Enabling IE to View Wiki On A Stick (WOAS) Files

IE Requires Confirmation each time you start viewing a Wiki On a Stick Wiki

By default, Windows IE prompts the user to allow "blocked" content to run each time you load a WOAS html file.  This can be a real nuisance, but is also irksome when you share a WOAS document and they have trouble opening it.  This either makes them suspicious about your content and/or this minor irritation makes them not want to use your document or documentation.

Configure IE to Allow Blocked Content

1. From Internet Explorer, select the Tools menu ( ).
2. Select Internet Options.
3. Select the Advanced tab...
4. Scroll down until you see the Security options.
5. Enable the checkbox "Allow active content to run in files on My Computer".

P. S.

I would be happier if there was a way to specify a directory from which this allowed content is able to run rather than just write this blank check to allow all active content, kind of like in the security settings you can specifiy certain sites as safe.  If you have any ideas about how this would be done the please let me know.

P. P. S.

Thankfully FireFox doesn't have this issue.

I  recently purchased a 1974 Sunfish sailboat (14 ft) in partnership with another dad in our sons' Boy Scout troop.  I have been using my wellness recovery time to refinish the wooden daggerboard, rudder and tiller, fix small nicks, polish the hull and deck as well as to order sails, buy a few new parts like stainless steel screws, nylon washers, new lines (rope).

Buying New Line (rope)

The references for buying new line are somewhat confusing, some references are listed in millimeters  and some are contradictory for what size for which line.  So I'm going to simplify that problem here. (also see the conversion chart below.) . But remember, if you're racing you must follow the official specification for all line, sails, trim, boom, mast, etc.

The 25' halyard haul line (hoists the sails) should be 3/16 (US available at West Marine) which is approximately 5 mm but you could get by in a pinch with a nice 1/4" line if you wish, as long as it is strong.  In this case, the smaller line diameter works better since we're threading through a small pulley and tying off to a small cleat. See http://www.westcoastsailing.net/default/boat-parts/sunfish/lines/halyard.html

The mainsheet can definitely be 1/4 instead of the 7 mm to 8 mm specified in some of the catalog sites.  Diamond braid from Gander Mountain or other sites worked fine for us this weekend.

I think it is a good idea to use different colors for the different lines.  This will avoid confusion.  Also, I'd avoid nylon braided rope for either of these two, preferring instead a nice climbing type line/rope that has an outer sleeve.

We had trouble getting a new sail on-time because the "All-American" we ordered is apparently very popular and ended up on back-order.  We were lucky enough to have the seller, the Sail Store, offer us the temporary use of a plain white sail (with window) (The FX sails are really a nice quality!). We took them up on the plain white loaner and it worked fine.  Since it was temporary I avoided using the shower curtain hoop-type attachments.  Instead I rigged the sail up with one very long strand of parachute cord for each boom, tying special hoop-like structures as I went along the length of the booms. This worked quite well.  I'd guess a good rope would  hold up pretty well if you're in a pinch, but may not be the best permanent solution. I think it looks better and will hold up enough for our use.  It'll also be easier to de-rig when the All-American sail comes in.

Navigating to a USB Drive that is Plugged into a Ubuntu/Linux OS PC

I use Beyond Compare daily and when they published their version for Linux I immediately bought it. (It is that awesome!).

Problem:

• I had a rather difficult time trying to figure out how [where] to select the file system on a USB drive that I plugged into my Ubuntu PC.

Steps I Took to Solve It:

• I started a new folder compare session. 
• I could navigate to the local hard drive 
• But when I select "Browse for Folder" I did not see a place to select the USB drive.
• I was expecting the USB drive to appear in the same way that the Windows file system presents them.
• I tried the BC help and online FAQ but there was no mention of how to do this. 
• I have requested that they include this tip in their help system and on-line FAQ.

• Knowing a little UNIX I looked in the /dev folder but found nothing there that mapped to the USB drive.
• Seeing that the USB drive did appear as an icon on my desktop, I knew that the drive was accessible.
• Furthermore and I could use the Ubuntu file browser/explorer to view files on the USB drive.
• I double-clicked the desktop icon that represents the USB drive
• This opens the Ubuntu file system browser/explorer.
• I right-clicked on the name of the USB drive volume
• Selected "Properties" 
• I discovered that the 'Location' property lists /media.

Solution:

• Instead of looking in /dev  look in /media

Synapsis:

• Using Beyond Compare you must navigate to the /media folder and then you have access to the USB drive's file system.

• This may seem like common sense but this information is not listed in the BC help should help the new Ubuntu user navigate devices and file systems.

Android Gallery Won't Display Updated Pictures

When I edit pictures from my Droid on my PC and add them back into the Gallery, the updated pictures do not show up, instead I get this icon of gray mountains backed by a film strip.

I can see the pictures in thumbnail view but the main picture view only shows the gray mountain icon.
It doesn't happen on every picture I edited, but it does on most of them.
 
The followng procedure definitely fixes the problem for me:

1. Connect droid to computer using USB cable. (This un-mounts the SD card).
2. Run the SDRescan app (From the Android Market, by Benjamin Rosseaux, suggested above.)  Note: Running the sdRescan app while the droid is hooked up to the computer via USB takes a little while to complete. Also, it doesn't make sense to run this app at this time because the SD card is un-mounted, but it does seem to work...
3. Disconnect droid from computer/USB cable. 
4. Open the Gallery.
5. It will take some time while the gallery is rescanned. 

Google needs to write a real gallery rescan program.
It seems like the gallery cache is not being updated very frequently.
Is there a straightforward way to clear the gallery cache?

(Droid X with OS 2.3 installed)

NFJS Update

First of all I can't believe it's been that long since my last blog... last November??? Wow!

K, so I just returned from a @NFJS weekend-long conference. Most awesome of all conferences for calibrating your 'Technology Radar' (as Neal Ford * ThoughtWorks puts it).

Of course the cat wants to type now... and it's late ...and it's been a long week that will now stretch into another.