The Xoom, Android, Microsoft, Everyone else, and Apple

So, Motorola's Xoom is being renamed Doom before even leaving the gate.  The tablet running Android 3.0 has been labeled over-priced for what you get, and I tend to agree with this.  Also, there seem to be rumors running around that in order to enable wifi on the Xoom you'll have to pay for at least one month's worth of 3g data usage through Verizon....   What are they thinking???

Microsoft and Google seem determined to make up in quantity what they lack in quality when competing with Apple, and yet they continue to fail.  They have a multitude of devices out there running their respective operating systems and yet Apple products are still the "must haves" of the industry.

I begin to wonder if Apple's closed ecosystem is really the way to go.  Create a product, or even a line of products from the ground up, not just hardware, but software too, make it look stylish and throw it out on the market and watch it fly off the shelves.  Oh, and it doesn't hurt if you can put a groovy picture of an Apple on it too.

Sometimes I get so disgusted with how HP, Dell, Samsung, Lenovo, Sony, Acer and all the other manufacturers lag two to three years behind Apple in design that sometimes I just want to throw in the towel, replace my 4 notebooks with Macbooks, set up a NAS, and be done with Microsoft and the PC manufacturers for well and good.

I would be lying if I said I have never gone to Apple's website and perused a Macbook Pro or two, but usually once I get a look at the price, and the generally outdated hardware, I remember why I continue to buy PC's with Windows on them.

Dropbox and Printing From Your Smart Phone

I'm always on the look out for a better opportunity (Read: Job) and I like to keep a lot of my documents synchronized between my phone and my computers and have found Dropbox an invaluable tool for getting this done, but Dropbox can also do more than just keep your files Synchronized.
Using Dropbox, you can also send documents, attachments, spreadsheets, and naked pictures of your co-workers to be printed at home for perusal at a later time.  All you need is is this VBS Script, a Dropbox account, a computer and a printer and you are good to go.  Just download and run the VBS Script on the computer with Dropbox installed and it will create a Print Queue folder that you can drop files in which will then send them to your printer (or queue them up to be printed when you get home and turn on your computer).

There are other programs out there like PrinterShare that you can use for a nominal fee, but why bother adding another one-trick-pony background process when you can use Dropbox to do both?

The only downside I have found to Dropbox is that large files seem to time out a lot when downloading to your phone, but hopefully a resume feature will be added at some point to resolve this issue.

If you don't already have a Dropbox account you can sign up for one right here and also boost my storage space by 250 megabytes in the process.  Don't worry, Dropbox is free.

Official Playstation App for iPhone and Android users.

If you're located in the United Kingdom and own an iPhone or Android smart phone, then you've probably already gotten a hold of the official PlayStation app released by Sony. (It allows you to play PS1 games).  Right now there is no app for the U.S. market, but I ran across the .apk out in the wild.  You can download it here: Playstation App for Android.

Please remember that many features available in the app are U.K. specific, so when the U.S. version is released, make sure you remove this one and grab the official U.S. version.

Android 2.3+ is required for this app to work and you can check out the official press release here: Sony Press Release


Enjoy!.

IRS2GO App let's you check your refund status using your Android smart phone.

Apparently the Internal Revenue Service has decided to get into the app game for Android by offering the IRS2Go mobile app. For the first time ever you can check out your tax refund status using nothing more than your smart phone.

Not only can you get updates on your filing status, but you can also sign up for email updates and follow the IRS on Twitter as well. (why you would really want to, I have no idea).  I guess all we need now is Turbo Tax for our phones....

While I am a little skeptical about the security implemented for this app, I know most iPhone users and a good portion of Android users won't really care, so for Android users I've created and posted the QR code.  Have fun...



*Non-Electronic filers need not download, as it will take 3-4 weeks for your filing status to be updated.

**Apple users can also grab it from the App store.

IRS2Go Official Website

So I bought this Android phone, what can I do with it?

Most people use their phones for making calls, texting, recording video, and taking pictures, and they use a notebook for everything else.  Well, I work in a building where notebooks aren't allowed, but I've managed to get around the Nazi regime that I work for by using my Android phone to do most of what I need to get done during the day.

I purchased a Motorola Droid X (upgraded from a Crapberry) for the purpose of having a slightly larger screen so I could control my Notebook (HDX18t, affectionately known as Monster) while I am at work or otherwise on the go.

I utilize three basic apps on my phone to do this.  I have an App that allows me to Remote in to my PC, I have an app to sync files between my phone and my PC, and I have a remote torrent app for adding torrents while I am away from my PC.

• PhoneMyPc --- $9.99 while in Beta
• Dropbox --- File Syncing between my computer and phone (Free) 
• Torrent-Fu --- Used to add torrents (need a client such as uTorrent for this to work) (Free)

These three apps allow me to do pretty much everything I need to while I am away from Monster during the days. Eventually PhoneMyPc will have file transfer capability, but in the mean time Dropbox works great and does the job nicely, so if you are looking to do more during the course of your day but can't carry a notebook with you, try these three apps, I think you will find them well worth your time and productivity. 

Note: The Dropbox link is a referral and boosts my storage space by 250 megabytes per click through.