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tunebug vibe – the best htc desire accessories (according to me)

markus — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:32:56 +0000

in accordance with my new series “the best android apps (according to me)”, i’m also starting “the best htc desire accessories (according to me)”. they’re hardly ever limited to the desire, but that’s what i use (and test) them with.

first up is the tunebug vibe: it’s a tiny, portable sound system that uses other surfaces to transmit sound. in other words, it turns almost anything -- from an empty cigarette packet to your fridge -- into a speaker.
i didn’t expect it at first, but tunebug actually creates beautiful sound which is rich in both treble and bass.

i’ve tested it with …pretty much every potential resonance body in my apartment, and outside, and it has lived up to its promises.

tunebug vibe comes in a chrome finish, is compatible with every digital device that features a 3.5 mm headphone jack (such as the htc desire, htc hero, many other smartphones, and pretty much every mp3-player), and plays music for 5 hours before you need to recharge.

it’s not only a cool gadget, but also a piece of applied basic physics in pure form: you probably know the changing shapes that sand grains form on a flat surface, depending on the excitation frequency.
the same principle is at work when you try different sizes of boxes/surfaces and get slightly different acoustical results. the size of the box, and the position of tunebug on the box, pretty much acts as your equalizer.

i’m really fond of this product!

i found the tunebug vibe over at StyleMyPhone, who offer a wide range of iphone and smartphone accessories.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvhVzfx4Fqg

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twitter weekly: 2010-08-22

markus — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 21:00:00 +0000

"Just because you're not paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you." (W. Allen) (via @ArminWolf) #
external hdd, 2 TB, USB+eSATA, 99 euro. sold out at two stores just 30 minutes after they opened. #
RT @newscientist Top 10 videos – from 3D supernovae to exploding moss (not Kate) http://bit.ly/byaHGZ #
RT @mashable Facebook Dislike Button is Fake [WARNING] – http://mash.to/2q6Ns #
RT @gab_div "The future is already here, it's just not evenly distributed" – William Gibson #
take a moment, if you will, to remind yourself that nothing's to be taken for granted. #
wohooo! i just found the song that i've been searching since MARCH! http://is.gd/ekFYB it's "guster – the captain" http://is.gd/ekG4i #
i am sooo happy! (as in http://is.gd/ekGzQ ) #

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twitter weekly: 2010-08-16

markus — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 22:00:00 +0000

beaver roadkill on the highway :( #
the beaver is so endangered and strictly protected in austria, even owning a stuffed one requires a license. #
i'm having a food allergy test today, and i'm dressed accordingly. :) http://twitpic.com/2d346c #
girl quits job on dry erase board exposes farmville boss called her hopa http://is.gd/ecKA7 (via @ihatepink) #
"markets of britain" by lee titt (via @serafinowicz) http://j.mp/dBfpIy #
turns out "girl quits job on dry erase board" was a hoax. good one, though. http://is.gd/edtjS #
cake pan size trade #fail http://is.gd/edtrG #
i just came across somebody's request for a software "cereal number". #
i'm on an actual scavenger hunt for reimbursements. if i manage to find all the clues, i might just get my money back. #
oops, watching the *perseid* shower of course. is anybody taking care of the goat? http://youtu.be/y42gX1ASlEU #
word of the day: porometer-parameter #
amazing: the new google voice actions will make driving so much safer (for me, anyways) http://youtu.be/gGbYVvU0Z5s and http://is.gd/egzWX #
squirrels rob liquor store. "we're just after the nuts!" http://youtu.be/5YZ_ryQE2IU #
if my little brother can post pictures from arzler alm bike trips, so can i. ;) 70 mins from 7wege http://twitpic.com/2f1lvt #

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twitter weekly: 2010-08-09

markus — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 22:00:00 +0000

RT @zefrank mini pencil lead sculptures! :: http://bit.ly/9Rw8l6 :: wow! #
holy crap. litterally! http://jum.bo/bXNkGx #
"Sounds like you need an escape goat. With ropes on its horns and a headlight. And no fear of tunnels." http://is.gd/e0550 #sleeptalkinman #
very cool: oewf "Sommerzeit" interview (in german). http://fb.me/Erig75PU (via @oewf) #
i've submitted my first geocache! http://is.gd/e3QyL #geocaching #
i couldn't possibly agree more: austria's most important invention http://twitpic.com/2cfcu4 #
european commission says standard mobile chargers coming in 2011 http://is.gd/e7XDI #
i think it's funny that right now, jailbroken iphones (w/ pdf warner installed) are more secure than non-jailbroken iphones. #

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android data roaming issue with mobile virtual network operators (htc desire, droid and others)

markus — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 21:18:48 +0000

(this is the english translation of my earlier post android datenroaming problem mit bob, telering, …)

if you’ve tried to use your brand new android smartphone (e.g. the htc desire, motorola droid, …) with a SIM card of one of the really cheap mobile providers, you may have noticed that no data connection is established even if you’ve entered the correct credentials.
instead, (if anything) there is a notification popup that says:

You have lost data connectivity because you left your home network with data roaming turned off.

in the US, this problem occurs with a total of 48 individual mobile network providers.
in the UK, there’s a total of 19 MVNO, including virgin mobile, asda mobile and tesco mobile.

the reason for this is based on the usage of infrastructure: discount providers usually don’t set up their own radio cells (antenna towers), but instead rent the hardware of bigger providers.
it’s similar to network roaming in foreign countries, but usually doesn’t come with extra costs for the client.
the correct term for such providers is mobile virtual network operator (MVNO).

in order to get data connectivity on your android phone, all you have to do is activate data roaming. when you place the little check mark next to “data roaming”, a popup notification will warn you against potentially high extra costs. this only applies to international data roaming, so as long as you have a data plan with your own provider, you can ignore this.
however, as soon as you’re getting close to the border, or when going abroad, you run the risk of actual international data roaming, and this is still ridiculously expensive.

there’s a very handy app for that scenario: real roaming alert by xendroid usually just runs quietly in the background and doesn’t use any notable resources – except when your phone logs into a foreign country’s network. in that case, depending on your settings, RRA can either warn you (with sound, vibration and/or status LED) or activate flight mode, thus preventing any unwanted data transfer before you can disable data roaming. (automatic deactivation/activation of data roaming is currently not possible because of safety restrictions in android – it is after all a potentially pricey check mark in your settings.)

important note: ideally, the app should always run in the background, so you’ll need an exception rule in the task manager or task killer of your choice.
i’ve successfully tested the app on multiple occasions – it does what it promises to do.

by the way, there has been word from google that a native solution is in the works:

I want you all to know that you have been heard. I can’t promise when a change will be made or when it would be available but I am looking into it.

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the best android apps (according to me): productivity

markus — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 20:07:56 +0000

with more than 100.000 applications in the android market (2010-07-30), it’s getting hard to find good apps by just browsing the market. in “the best android apps (according to me)”, i’m going to introduce my favourite applications for android handsets.
i’m using an htc desire with android 2.2 (froyo), but as far as i know, all of them are compatible to all android versions down to 1.5 (cupcake).

if you have any thoughts/questions/suggestions, please let me know in the comments.

today’s category: productivity

astrid task/todo list (free)
is your own private octopedal secretary who will remind you of things to do, lists your TODOs according to importance and deadlines, and keeps track of the time you’ve spent.
she also adds nice little things to your reminders (“how about a little snack afterwards?”). astrid also syncs with remember the milk, if you’re into that.

note: astrid was recently updated to version 3, which – in my opinion – sucks. many options that i really liked about it (such as keeping track of how much time you’ve spent on a task) were removed.
luckily, version 2.14.3 (the version in my screenshots) is still available here: http://bit.ly/oldastrid. get it while you can.

easy note (free)
is a beautifully designed alternative to the standard android notes app (which, apparently, is missing alltogether in android 2.x?). it features fully customizable notes and folders, checklists, password protected folders, handwritten notes, and backs up your data in google docs.

paperdroid (free, pro version for 2,95 €)
paperdroid is perfect for all the situations when you have 5 minutes of dwell time (when waiting in line, sitting in a bus etc.). it’s an android app for the read it later service, which lets you note down internet pages to – well – read them later. paperdroid automatically syncs with your readitlater-list and downloads the pages for offline use.
this way, you always have that article that you’ve been putting off, right at hand.

handycalc (free)
if you need a little more than just 10 digits and 4 operators, handycalc offers LOTS of maths for free, inlcuding formulas with multiple variables, graphs, unit and currency conversion, …

alarmed alarm clock (free lite-version, full-version for 1 £)
i added this app to “productivity” because i have a hard time getting up in the mornings, which keeps me from being productive. what makes “alarmed” special, is that you can specify a number of equations and anagrams to be solved before the alarm turns off. it also includes increasing ring volume, music playlists and more.

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twitter weekly: 2010-08-02

markus — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 22:00:00 +0000

just had my picture taken with a celebrity. you'll never guess who it was! :) #
no, even better than all your guesses… :D http://twitpic.com/28xbup #
just crossed the arctic circle (66* 33') on our way south. #
this one's for the people who say i'm old enough to look after myself. :) (trondheim, norway) http://twitpic.com/29q521 #
what a view… http://twitpic.com/2aoytu #

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