If This Then That. IFTTT.COM

If you haven't already tried it out, check out IFTTT.com (If This Then That)  You can create triggers for just about anything on social media to save a little time. Each "recipe" consists of a trigger and an associated action. For example, If I make a new tweet, then post that tweet to my Facebook wall. 

Windows updates

It always amazes me when I do Windows updates that Microsoft cannot seem to figure out how to update the computer without using Internet Explorer.

It seems to make sense that if you know -only Internet Explorer can be used to run Windows updates- that you'd bypass the default browser and open IE whenever someone clicks on the Update Windows link in the control panel. It's called prioritizing. Every parent has done it since the dawn of time. The youngest child can't bring home the mammoth for dinner so maybe I'll assign that task to the oldest child instead. Simple.

I'm also shocked that they still do this because I seem to recall, back in the '80s that Microsoft was forced to un-bundle IE and Windows. This seems like a blatant slap in the face to that court order.

I don't really care if they use IE for the updates, but I really despise the fact that they force me to open IE and manually enter the URL instead of simply passing on the URL properly in the first place.

An open letter to software developers

Please stop trying to subsidize your apps by adding installers for other company's apps. I'm looking at you +Adobe. It creates major headaches for IT support guys when you install +McAfee's anti-virus software on top of the anti-virus software that is already in place.

Yes, the user can click on the check-box and decide not to install the add-on, but the reverse is also true and two decades of support tell me that most end users do not pay close attention to the options given during a software install. By setting the install as a default, a large number of users unwittingly install whatever apps you have determined to be the add-on of the week. In the case of anti-virus software, running two anti-virus programs at the same time can really hose a system up.

When I have to explain to the customer that their system ground to a halt because the latest Acrobat updater included Mcafee on the install, the first two questions I am inevitably asked are: "Is there another program I can use instead of Acrobat?" and "I've heard of McAfee, are they really that bad that their program stopped my computer from working?"

It's one thing to include an option to install additional products during the initial, but it's a whole new level of low to try to sneak one in during an update. Updates should UPDATE the software they already have, NOT install new software (that is for installers).

All you're doing is fostering distrust with customers for these add-on products (and your own).

Random rants

As many of you are aware, I've worked off and on in the IT industry for about 20 years. Occasionally, I run across things that make me seriously wonder who is in charge at the various vendors.

For example: +Adobe  -Why do you insist on trying to add +McAfee  with every update? Can't you offer it as the option instead of the default? For this, and the nearly daily updates, you are hereby banned from my network.

+HP  -You want to know why you have fallen so far from the top spot? Your machines come with too much bloatware and crap-ware for me to consider purchasing another. I'll stick with Dell. They do it too, but it's easier to manage. While we're at it, why can't you guys simply supply the installers for the apps that come with your computers? I don't want to install the whole image, just the OS and a couple of apps.

HP again! Does *every* printer you make have to use a different cartridge/toner? Don't give me the line about "improvements in printing technology." Can't you make this year's lineup of laser printers use the same toner cartridge? I'll even give you two. Low end printers can use last year's toner and high end printers can use this year's. Imagine how easy that would be, "I'll have the 2012 toner cartridges please." You could even use the year in your model numbers "The HP Color Laserjet 2012snw" has a nice ring to it. I understood the differences when the drum was part of the cartridge, but now they're just a powder filled tube. Brother at least gets this right. I'd think about switching if it weren't for the constant nagging firmware update reminders. (Yes, I know they can be turned off, but they pop up for every user at least once so I see it every time I have to login on someone else's computer.)

Apple -Is it too hard to write a generic PCL 6 driver? I shouldn't need to add the postscript option to my copiers so I can print from a Mac. (Same goes for you Sharp!)

Lastly, Microsoft -Is it really necessary to lock administrators out of parts of a user's profile? Yes, I can change their password, log in as them, and get to those files, but some refuse to transfer ownership. You should have stuck with XP and Office 2003. It seems like your GUI team may have over-worked themselves and cracked. Seriously, have you seen server 2012? Windows 8? Give them a vacation before it's too late.

IOS 5 Review

I currently am running IOS 5 on my iPhone 4, and the rest of the family is running it on their respective 3rd and 4th generation iPod Touches. For the most part, I'm pretty happy with the update, and several fixes/features really stand out for me.

• Spell Check -You can now turn on spell check and turn off auto-correct. Previously, turning off auto-correct also turned off check my spelling. I like seeing the red underline when I misspell a word, and I'm really glad they fixed this.
• Notifications -Notifications work really well. I was really missing the droid style notifications, and as usual, Apple made some improvements to the process. I like being able to go directly into the app receiving the notification directly from the lock screen, and I'm glad they no longer disrupt playing Angry Birds.
• Reminders -LOVE this! This app should have been included from day one. My one wish is that Apple would allow reminders to perform actions. Currently, my reminders are set to a geolocation around my house reminding me to turn off my ringer when I leave, and turn on my ringer when I get home. I was really used to the Blackberry profiles that could turn off your ringer during the work day, and turn it back on when you are home. Even android offered similar functionality through an app. When I switched to the iPhone, I found myself constantly forgetting to turn on my ringer when I returned home. Now I set a reminder to tell me to turn the ringer back on, but why can't the phone do that for me?
• Trailers -The app is exactly what it sounds like. It plays movie trailers from the Apple website. Not sure why they need a separate app when you could do the same thing by looking up the movie in safari, but it does make it easy to find a movie trailer.
• Camera -They finally managed to implement pinch to zoom on the camera. Other than that, it's pretty much the same app.
• Wireless Synching -Not really a deal breaker for me. It works as advertised (Although it has crashed iTunes a couple times). However, plugging into the USB port also charges my phone so if you have a computer, I don't see why you would need wi-fi synch.
• iCloud -Works just like Dropbox. Only difference is that it also works with your contacts and calendar.

That being said, there are a few things I'm not to happy about.

• Newsstand -Hmmm... How do I say this politely? I hate this app! Not that there's anything wrong with the idea behind the app, but I'm not going to try to make my iPhone screen my primary reader so I don't use it. So why do I hate the app? Because you can't drop it into a folder and hide it if you're never going to use it. It just sits there, empty, taking up a spot for an app.
• Camera -In the IOS 5 video it shows the ability to access the camera right from the lock screen. If it's there, I don't see how to use it. The camera button doesn't show up on my lock screen.
• Update: The icon doesn't show up until you double tap the home button from your lock screen, AND it only shows up until you unlock the screen. The next time your phone locks you have to double tap home, and then press the camera button to access the camera. I fail to see how this multi-step approach is any faster than unlocking my phone and selecting the camera app. Perhaps if my phone was locked with a passcode, but I don't use one.
• Update 2: From Apple's IOS 5 page "Open the Camera app with one tap." Nope, it takes 3 taps. :(
• Integrated Twitter support. Not that I have anything against Twitter, but I never use it. Apple already integrates Facebook support into apps (iPhoto) on the Mac, why not IOS? Here's an area where android beats IOS hands down. On my droid, every time I installed an app, it automatically integrated itself into the OS. Want to publish a picture to Flikr directly from the camera app? No problem. FaceBook? Orkut? Google+? No problem.
• Siri and Voice to Text -Here's the kicker. There have already been videos showing Siri running on other IOS apps than the iPhone 4s, but Apple only allows it to run on the 4S. 
• Steve Jobs said, "Many Android OEMs install proprietary user-interfaces to differentiate themselves from the commodity Android experience. The user is left to figure it all out. Compare this with iPhone where every handset works the same." Looks like we can't say that anymore. Safari is only tabbed on the iPad, Siri only works on IOS 5 on the iPhone 4s. I probably wouldn't mind so much if Apple had simply come out and said IOS 5 only works on the 4s and up, but they didn't so we're starting to see OS fragmentation just like android. My first generation Motorola Droid had voice to text, why can't the supposedly superior iPhone?

What do you think of IOS 5?

It's not a bug, it's a feature.

I've discovered a new feature on my iPhone. I call it the "super random song generator."

All you have to do is hold down the home button on the phone until the voice control prompt shows up. Say "Play " and the iPhone will play a random song that sounds nothing like the song you said. 

But wait, there's more say "Play songs by " and you will be rewarded with artists you didn't even know you had. 

I really miss the voice control features on android phones. :(

LeFail

OK, I'm still a fan, but after watching the playoffs against the Mavs (Congratulations to Dallas on the win!), I'm thinking LeBron has earned himself a new nickname. For a player as dominant as LeBron James, there's no excuse to only step up to the line four times in a game (Or two times as was the case in game 5). If you have fouls to give when the game is on the line, then you're leaving too much hustle on the floor.


A basketball player's only job is to get the ball to the basket. At 6' 8" 250lbs, James is a freight train when he attacks the basket. People either get out of the way, or get run over and if you run over them more than once, they'll start getting out of the way. If they don't, oh well, that's why you get six fouls to give.

More than lack of drive towards the basket though, if you watched the games you would see James hanging out at the 3/4 court line repeatedly. No off-ball movement whatsoever. None. If he were in the paint he would have had a three second violation called against him every time.

Enough of my ranting, I'm hoping that they have a better season next year.