Thomas Jeppesen – Digitally

Jeg har drenge, der begge er omkring den alder, hvor det begynder at blive sjovt at kunne genkende og stave forskellige ord. Derfor spurgte jeg ud i “Twitterverset” om der var nogen, der kunne anbefale nogle spil, hvor der netop var fokus på ord. Det kom der heldigvis nogle gode forslag ud af:

• @msdahl var hurtigt ude med at anbefale Bogstavspillet fra Fusentasterne - på deres side ser er der andre iPad apps, der ser interessante ud.
• @askhybel sendte mig i retning af denne side, hvor der er lavet en fin gennemgang af gode apps. Og så er der den ekstra dimension til websitet, at det en, der til dagligt underviser børn.
• Sidst men absolut ikke mindst gav @computerspilzon deres input, og de sendte mig til “Trunky lærer bogstaver” af @SeriousGamesInt eller “Knæk læsekoden” af @realdeleicht – begge til førskolebørn – og begge ser rigtigt interessante ud.

During summer I wrote a small blog post on my thoughts on replacing my iPhone 3GS for an Android device. Frankly, the introduction of iPhone 4 had left me underwhelmed and as such the post could at the time be used as a point of leverage for preparing myself mentally to take the Android plunge. In the end I opted for the Samsung Galaxy S with Android 2.1. (Eclair) – not sure what to expect I fired the up the phone – and all hell broke lose – or… things changed… and in a lot of ways things changed for the better.

I am a geek
First impression – my God what a screen and what an overall nice look and feel. Second impression – this is sloooow and laggyas hell – and Samsung makes the worst PC software ever (note… there is currently no software for Mac-users in order to update new firmware and transfer computer content to you Samsung Galaxy S…. but if the software would have been in same miserable shape as its PC counterpart, I would not let it near my Mac even if my life depended on it). So… what to do… enter: geek-mode.

Rather than just accepting the state of things I started digging into optimizing my Samsung (and Android) experience… and it turned out I was by no means alone. I quickly got acquainted with XDA Decelopers and their forums for Android in general and Samsung Galaxy S in particular. I found myself learning a whole new vocabulary with terms like rooting, SuperUser, Recovery Console and Odin PDA flash and the likes… and I loved it… but… would I want my dad (or in fact any other family member) to get an Android phone (or at least a Samsung Galaxy S) – Hell no!

Making my Samsung Galaxy S usable
Again… loved (and love!) the screen… but hated the laggy feeling – and missed some of my favorite iPhone apps. It quickly dawned on me that my Android phone suffered from bad coding in the carrier made  rom (yet another sexy concept) that comes with the phone – and that the “über-geeks” over @ XDA had a fix for my woes. It was a lag-fix that was applied through an application downloaded from the market… that same application also “rooted” my phone (same as jail-breaking on iPhone) and did some other tricks that I to this day am unaware of.

So… there you have it… had it not been for the geeks, and had I not been a “small geek” I would properly have attempted to turn my phone in and gotten an iPhone 4 instead. But…. now… as they say “The first cut is the deepest” – this means that I am now throwing geek-lingo left and right, am trying custom-made roms for my device and pushing the phone to its limits and beyound (which explains the “Force closes” and instability experienced by some Android users).

So I guess the real confession here is that without being a geek (to some extend) the Android/Samsung experience would have had me run back to Apple and iPhone and lie flat on my back and pledge my eternal support for iOS… but it did not happen…

Next page -> Android day2day

Getting used to Android was much simpler than I thought… to be honest it is not all that different than my iPhone 3GS. I like being able to do multi-tasking and I really love how my device is always connected to my Google-cloud. Setting up the phone was extremely easy and straight forward. And despite Google’s initial attempt to sabotage their own product by not giving other users than the Americans access to paid apps in Android market (again – that was circumvented by the nice people over at XDA), the Android market has so many nice apps that I would claim that Android should not feel too embarrassed when compared to the App store for iPhone.

Things I hate

• No EyeTV application – and radio silence from Elgato in spite of numerous queries to the matter
• No Boxcar application
• iTunes for media and updates (pretty sure I am the only one here…)
• That Samsung does such a horrible job in supplying their phones with the latest releases and patches to Android
• That Samsung has disabled the option to get Android software updates over-the-air

Things I love

• There is nothing I cannot change or customize. If a want a different home screen and layout of my applications – I download it from the market and apply it. If I want a different SMS application, I download it of the market… and if I want a different dialer to handle my phone calls.. (you get it now…) There is virtually nothing that I cannot do.
• Using my device as a hot spot
• How lightning fast my Galaxy S is as soon as I abandoned stock Samsung ROM
• The community that “comes with” the Android. Due to the open nature of Android the number of foras and communities that make contributions are stunning. An abundance of tips, tricks and help is available – if you know where to look
• Tight integration with Google

A word on Samsung and Android

2010 must have been “The year of Samsung”… with their massive gamble on Android devices around the globe (and the Galaxy Tablet) Samsung is now a player that must be treated with respect. However, Samsung has to realize that they, too, must treat their customers with respect. Right now a movement set fourth by various forums such as Samdroid.net is gaining momentum on twitter. Under the hash tag #NeverAgain Android users are showing their frustrations with Samsung as the provider of the Android solution stating problems both with the stability of the Android software, the extreme time-to-market to update stock Android to their devices and the reluctancy of Samsung to release their source code to developers (as is required under Open Handset Alliance).

For me, on Samsung, there is not doubt in my mind that I will never buy a Samsung-powered Android phone again… but if I do, I will only do it to remove the Samsung ROM and replace it with a custom open ROM. My twitter-friend said it like this:

Gunnar Þór Hafdal
The Samsung Galaxy S is first class phone burdened with a second class OS.

Next page -> Android Final thoughts

Final thoughts
It should come as no surprise that I am not relying on Samsung to supply me with the latest and greatest in Android development. For the time being I am using a custom ROM made by “Darky” Called Darky’s Rom – it is blasing fast, has superb battery life and outperforms the Samsung ROM in all possible areas. The setup of it all is very geek-ish, but again there is a fantastic community behind it to make the transition a breeze. If you are on a Galaxy S phone I would get it now.

My own experiences with Android still leaves me with a feeling that Android is still not ready for prime time (at least not when it is on a Samsung hardware platform). I must admit that the numbers show otherwise… but I have a feeling that a lot of Android users either do not know better  or believes so much in the whole concept that it makes up for some of the issues. Again, it is very important to point out that I am writing this based upon my experiences with Android on Samsung. Users with HTC, LG, Motorola or other vendors may see things very differently.

For myself – I am pretty sure that I will remain on this platform.. I thrive on it and I really like all the options of the OS; I am also pretty sure that I will try and jump on to the “Android vanilla” experience as soon as I get an option… it just will not happen on a Samsung phone… that is one thing I am sure of.

I know… the below is a bit far fetched… but taking into consideration the abundance of  ”do not do it” hints provided to FIFA before electing Qatar to host FIFA World Cup 2022, my take on the actual vote is pretty much summed up in the small joke below…

So… here goes

Three women were all applying for a position in the accounting department. The interviewer asked each of them this question: “If you were to find $100,000, what would you do with it?”.

The first woman said that she would give it all back. The second woman said that she would give half back and keep half for herself. The third woman said that she would keep all the money.

Which woman got the job?

The one one with the biggest tits!

My God!! I have just experienced one of the most horrific displays of incompetence of this year… it involves one quick sender from eBay, a fairly swift package handling outside Denmark, and then an example of why Post Danmark is such an extremely bad-run company that viable alternatives should drool with the mere fact that Post Danmark is doing such a bad job.

Case
Bought a new set of headphones on eBay – they were send swiftly from Hong Kong and everything was dandy. Got a good deal on some much needed audio equipment…. The package was send as “value-shipment” – which means that I have to be at home to sign for reception of the package – both vendor and and buyer agreed this was the safest way to go by the transaction… but BOY were we wrong…

The package arrives
Being the summer period I took the liberty of going way on a small vacation leaving the handling of the package to Post Danmark. When I got home there was a small “pickup note” in my mailbox that a letter requiring my signature had not been delivered since I was not at home, but that I should go to my local post office in Brabrand to get the package… I was happy – I really needed my new headphones…. So equipped with my note and my ID, I went downtown to pickup the package…

Oh what incompetence
When I handed in my note, things started to go all wrong… the post office staff, apparently, had also decided to go on vacation – subletting the handout of packages to a bunch of morons (sorry!)… after they had spent 10 minutes turning each and every package, they asked me to come check for myself.. while I found it a bit strange that I was not snagging into packages send to Miss Anderson and Mr. Petersen, I still gave it a shot… but to no avail.. the package was gone… and since the vacation personal were as helpful and knowledgable as a hole in the ground, I was left pretty frustrated… I then went to the nearest “real post office” and they provided me with a phone number for the locate distribution liaison…

Still… no dice
He has now spend quite some time on helping me (and in all fairness he IS doing a great job in trying). However, the package remains lost… there is proof that the package was in fact signed in with the Brabrand post office – but they have somehow misplaced/mislocated/borrowed the package.

Now what
Well… now it gets interesting… I want my money back – and I really think that Post Danmark must try and help me as a consumer and provide me with some sort of compensation… But I could not be further away from the truth… in fact I as the receiver cannot do anything to claim money from Post Danmark… I have to get in contact with the seller to have him file a missing package claim – eventhough the problem here lies deep within Post Danmark and not in Hong Kong or whatever country the package may have passed through… and guess what…. compensation for the package will then be paid out to the seller.. and I will then have to file a formal complaint with the seller for him to pay my money back… this workflow is simply beyond me?! Post Danmark has admitted to making a mistake, I have to do all the work in contacting the seller, the seller goes to file a missing package report, he will eventually get the money back – and then I get a shot at getting my money back from the seller?! God almighty…

Next steps
The seller has agreed to file a missing package…. I am not sure what happens with that afterwards -since the package is nowhere to be found, he will get the money back… I guess I will make good use of the eBuyer protection program, only if the are issues with getting the seller to pay me back my money (I think he will do this… he seems like a good guy)… but the fact of the matter is not really how I get my money back….

The fact of the matter
No… the real beef lies with Post Danmark… they have proved extremely incompetent in handling this situation… a chain is only as weak as it weakest spot – and in this case this boils down to the two monkeys at Brabrand post office. If Post Danmark means business, they must ensure that they tidy up their own mess and make sure that in case something like this happens that I as a consumer does not have to be both worried and spend an insane amount of time tracking down my options… Post Danmark – you are not living up to your responsibility to me as a consumer – especially when I think of all other areas where consumers enjoy protection from vendors – it is beyond me how you are not willing to give me proper help and compensation and deal with the sender of this package to sort out his compensation without my involvement.. it is not ok!

Well well well…. Another year – same dilemma: stick with Apple’s iPhone or bail ship and change course and head down the Android path to freedom, autonomy and Open Source… As was the case last year – this year’s decision is a no-brainer.. Right? I mean, come on, Open Source IS the new black? And Apple is growing into a profit-hogging mastodon without its long-hailed customer finesse. Looking back at my old blog-entry from August 3rd 2009 the contenders were HTC Hero or iPhone 3GS (opted for the 3GS, if in doubt).. So another year gone by; Same dilemma…

Hello iPhone 4
Actually, when iPhone 4 was announced I was left more or less with the conclusion that I could not live without it.. I signed up immediately.. But then two things happened. One – the whole Antenna-gate thing (in particular Apple’s response) and two – second thoughts: did I REALLY need another iPhone just for the sake of a better camera and 720p video (sure Retina screen is also nice.. But so is the 3GS screen). I mean the iOS4 already runs on my 3GS.. Maybe it was time for something completely different…

Android ghost of summer past
There you have it. Yet again I am struggling with ghosts of “past blog posts” – should I stay or should I go? The first iPhone 4 challenger was HTC Desire. I have long had eyes on the HTC Sense UI on Android (big clock and weather widget combined – how to live without it) – but also the way that it handles contacts integration with various sources was/is very exiting to me. However, after talking with friends already using the Desire (and not letting that go by unnoticed) it became clear that a few things were rotten in Desire-land. Things such as battery life, Mac sync and camera capabilities a long with what I found to be perhaps the biggest letdown so far in my Android exploration – apps in Android Market, were all decisive factors in me turning away from Desire and back to iPhone (so much for Open Source – welcome back to the Walled Garden). But then something happened…

Samsung – do they really make mobiles?
Enter Samsung i9000 Galaxy S (or whatever name carriers in the US may have decided to name “their” version). Super quick processor, excellent camera and also sporting 720p video.. Interesting UI with a little iPhone to it.. And a super AMOLED 4″ screen (maybe a tad big…). This devise looks very interesting indeed – so I started turning a few leaves on the Internet to get “real user experience” input… And again – I cannot help to feel that Android is let-down. From what I gather:

• No sync with my Mac and my music (I know – very old-school – but I still have a lot of music sitting on my LG NAS).
• Plastic finish (on a very expensive phone…)
• No LED flash for the camera (how dumb is that!)
• Android Market – if I am to leave the ton of apps I have already paid for on my iPhone behind – I really need a much broader variety of apps (don’t even get me started on how insanely stupid I think it is that I am not able to buy apps in Android Market just because I live in Denmark). Also, try googling for EA Sports apps (love FIFA 10 on my iPhone – so does my kids) – some say it is there; others do not see it. Come on people…

Still, I am very intrigued by the chance to grab a hold of the Android train.. And as far as I can dig into the new Galaxy S, I think the phone comprises both something new UI-wise but also hardware-wise. Interesting….

Decision time
Time is ticking (I bet you already think that this blog post is way too long – sorry about that!). I am still having issues with buying an iPhone 4 simply because that the my 3GS on iOS4 is doing such a great job. “Then don’t buy a new phone”, you say?! Well, now I have already set my heart on getting a new phone – so that would simply not be possible… Also, me and a glass-cased phone – that has got bad idea written all over it (guess that case will come in handy by keeping reception high and break-factor low)… And besides the short-comings of the Galaxy S – I am more and more inclined to take the plunge into Android this year than a year ago. Much will rest on my investigations into the Android Market and it’s current somewhat sorry state. The iPhone 4 still has not been announced on 3 network here in Denmark; and the Galaxy S arrives in week 31 (that would be in a weeks time from tomorrow). The race is on – and this year the no-brainer could actually turn out to be victorious.. I really want Android to be good – but sync, apps and a clear update-path to Froyo and Gingerbread must be dealt with first – I give myself and Galaxy S three weeks to get this figured out – I will update this post as I go along.

Resources
iPhone vs. Samsung Galaxy S (youtube)

Been around the Internet to pick up on some of the harsh (somewhat) comments posted to accompany the English football team trying so hard to go through to the second phase of the World Cup 2010 being held in South Africa… and the picking of the web is not for the faint of heart…. but here goes:

Fabio Capello walks into the England dressing room and finds a big steaming turd on the floor. He shouts “who’s shit on the ground”? “Me”, says Heskey, “but I’m better in the air”.

and another one:

Breaking news – England has got a new coach. It will be picking them up Thursday morning from Heathrow airport

uh… and another one…

South African police admit they’re having problems with drug-dealers,
thieves and sex fiends during the World Cup. They said that things should improve once John Terry’s family go home.

again – again:

The England team went to visit an orphanage in South Africa this morning. “It felt so good to put a smile on the faces of people with no hope, constantly struggling and facing the impossible” said Jamal Umbongo, aged 6

And… just to round things of:

all future televised england matches have been moved to the gay adult channel. Apparently the sight of 11 arseholes frequently getting hammered for 90 minutes was far too explicit for normal tv

Migrating away from tjep.org to tjep.me – using Flavors.me as the aggregator platform and blogging through WordPress @wordpress.com…. tjep.me has been bought for 9 USD on godaddy.com.

Just got my hands on some fantastic (?!) quotes from US courtrooms.. I laughed.. I hope you enjoy it too….
Below abstracts are from a book called ‘Disorder in the American Courts’ and are things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down and now published by court reporters that had the torment of staying calm while these exchanges were actually taking place._____________________________________
ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?<br>WITNESS: Yes.<br>ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory?<br> WITNESS: I forget.<br>ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot?_____________________________________
ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn’t it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn’t know about it until the next morning?<br>WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?____________________________________
ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the twenty-year-old, how old is he?<br>WITNESS: He’s twenty, much like your IQ____________________________________
ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken?<br>WITNESS: Are you shitting me?_____________________________________
ATTORNEY: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?<br>WITNESS:Yes.<br>ATTORNEY: And what were you doing at that time?<br>WITNESS: Getting laid_____________________________________
ATTORNEY: She had three children, right?<br>WITNESS: Yes.<br>ATTORNEY: How many were boys?<br>WITNESS: None.<br>ATTORNEY: Were there any girls?<br>WITNESS : Your Honor, I think I need a different attorney. Can I get a new attorney?_____________________________________
ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated?<br>WITNESS: By death.<br>ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated?<br>WITNESS: Take a guess_____________________________________
ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual?<br>WITNESS: He was about medium height and had a beard.<br>ATTORNEY: Was this a male or a female?<br>WITNESS: Unless the Circus was in town I’m going with male…_____________________________________
ATTORNEY: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney?<br>WITNESS: No, this is how I dress when I go to work._____________________________________
ATTORNEY: Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people?<br>WITNESS: All of them. The live ones put up too much of a fight._____________________________________
ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to?<br>WITNESS: Oral._____________________________________
ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?<br>WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 pm.<br>ATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time?<br>WITNESS: If not, he was by the time I finished_____________________________________
ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?<br>WITNESS: Are you qualified to ask that question?_____________________________________
<b>And the best for last</b>:<br>
ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?<br>WITNESS: No.<br>ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?<br>WITNESS: No.<br>ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?<br>WITNESS: No.<br>ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?<br>WITNESS: No.<br>ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?<br>WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.<br>ATTORNEY: I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?<br>WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law<br>
<b>THINK ABOUT IT! MOST MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ARE LAWYERS….. </b>