Automobile Upholstery Decorator

When I was a kid, before anyone had ever heard of a "DC Power Outlet", we still had great gadgets with which to occupy our time, while waiting for Mom to emerge from the liquor store with a carton of Salem Lights.

Cleaning the garage today, I found such a toy. I remember my Mom's excitement when I fashioned a Micky Mouse head and an Olympic symbol on the back seat of her '65 Mustang. She taught me some new adjectives that day, and if you'd known my mom, you would know how impressive that really was.

Now Retired Blog Header

Often waxing techno-sophical, he dreams someone might stumble across his words, engendering a one-way feed from his mind to theirs, a mild viral form of e-progeny. In reality, few will visit, and those who do will not do so again. At least he can imagine he'll leave a legacy. The aliens that some day discover Google's ancient, crystal storage units will, upon rubbing their eyes in exhaustion, skip it.

Running Multiple Versions of Firefox on one PC

I decided that I wanted to update to Firefox 4 and yet also not yet have to upgrade my RoboForm (see prior posting) password/identity manager. Thus, I needed a means by which to run multiple versions of Firefox on the same PC.

I accomplished this by creating a new Firefox profile (called Dan_v3.6x), and then re-installing Firefox 3.6, in a separate folder, creating a shortcut, to the 3.6 executable, and adding an argument, after the shortcut's target location, to use the 3.6 profile when running the 3.6 executable.

I can now run both Firefox 4 and Firefox 3.6 on the same PC. The catch is that only one version can be running simultaneously, but it works great. [Note that if one tries to launch the other version, while one version is still running, the system will simply launch another window of the same version.]

So now, when I absolutely need my RoboForm information, it's there, but when I want the Firefox 4 experience, I can have that too.

Steps:

• Create a new Firefox profile

• Run the Firefox Profiler Manager via the command prompt (or via creating a shortcut) as follows:

"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -Profilemanager

• Install Firefox 3.6 into a custom folder via the 'Custom' installation option. I suggest the following:

C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox _3.6x

• Create a shortcut to Firefox 3.6. exactly as follows, including quotes:

"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox _3.6x\firefox.exe" -P "Dan_v3.6x"

The key to the above steps to work is that one needs to create a new profile, in Firefox 4, prior to installing the older version.

Downloading Older Firefox Versions:

To download Firefox 3.6 or other older Firefox versions, go here:

http://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/firefox/nightly/ .

Jump to

http://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/firefox/nightly/3.6.16-candidates/build1/win32/en-US/

for the Win32 version if you're a Windows 32-bit user.

RoboForm v7 Supports Firefox 4 - Upgrade Options for v6 Users

    Long time readers of this blog know of my affinity for RoboForm, the password and identify tool.  [Yes, I still have no official or monetary connection to RoboForm, so this posting is NOT an ad].

    I recently upgraded to Firefox 4, and to my dismay, realized that my RoboForm toolbar no longer functions within Firefox.  Per RoboForm's site, version 6.x will not support Firefox 4, and one must upgrade to RoboForm v7 in order to get Firefox 4 to work with RoboForm.

    And thus the age-old dilemma.  Should I revert to Firefox 3.6x?  Should I revert to using Internet Explorer as my default browser (in which RoboForm v6 still works fine)?  Should I buy the updated RoboForm?  [And no, Neither Safari nor Chrome offer enough RoboForm compatibility to be viable options; the RoboForm bookmark applet is not robust enough for my needs.]

    Being a supporter of RoboForm, I think I will choose the upgrade route.  Look for updates to this posting as I pursue this.

    To help get you started, I provide the 'Upgrade from v6 to v7' link, as follows:  https://secure.roboform.com/php/pums/pums_usrlogfrm_upgrade.php

HTC Incredible Gets "Application data space is low. To free space 1. go to Mail..." Error in GMail App

Apparently I had been lucky in not getting this error prior to tonight.  Other HTC Incredible users tend to get it more often.

Google seems aware of the issue but no direct fix appears to be forthcoming, so here is a work-around that should get you through for some time:


Solution:

On the phone, navigate to Settings > Applications > Running Applications and look for "com.htc.socialnetwork.provider".  Clear the data.  Your Gmail should start syncing immediately.  If not, perform a manual sync.

Your messages should start flowing again.

My Favorite Android Apps - March, 2011

    As promised, here are some of my favorite Android apps.  Anywhere you see a semi-colon, below, is where I typed comments after the app.

    I generated the app list with aTrackDog (listed below) and emailed it to myself from my phone.

    Download FULL VERSIONS of most Android apps from http://download.pandaapp.com/?app=soft&controller=android , and then simply install them using ASTRO.  Pandaapp is a great resource for finding applications not available in the Android Market.  As always, support the software developers by buying what you find useful.  Apps are not really expensive, and if they are worth something to you, support the team that created them.

    For your first app, download LookOut, the best anti-virus app for the droid!

- Dan Reams, March 2011

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aTrackDog,3.17,com.a0soft.gphone.aTrackDog; Use this to keep all apps updated.  Note it also generated this list (which I then edited).  Now being on my second Android phone, I cannot emphasize how handy having an app list available to reference, to more quickly get my new phone full of my favorite apps.

AIM,1.10.4.1,com.aol.mobile.aim; AOL Instant Messenger

ASTRO,2.5.2,com.metago.astro; The best file manager, in my opinion.

Adobe Flash Player 10.1,10.1.106.16,com.adobe.flashplayer

Advanced SD Card Manager,1.0,com.arron.sdCardManager

Advanced Task Killer Froyo,1.0.6 beta,com.rechild.advancedtaskkillerfroyo; Gotta get this one.  Kill those pesky apps that won't seem to shut down.

Air Control Lite,2.03,dk.logisoft.aircontrol; My favorite Droid game of all time.

Air Horn,1.55,com.foncannoninc.airhorn

Angry Birds,1.5.1.1,com.rovio.angrybirds; Of COURSE.

AppWall,1.1,com.appdream.appwallfree; A cool way to see and get to all your apps with just one click.

Apps Organizer,1.5.15,com.google.code.appsorganizer; I keep loving this.  Lets one create icon groups and saves tons of desktop space.

Audalyzer,1.14,org.hermit.audalyzer

Best Buy,2.9.1,com.bestbuy.android; Sure, it's commercial, but its QR code reader directly ties into Best Buy's product information database.  It hooked me enough that I actually use it, in Best Buy, to pull up additional product information.  Sure, I still use a standard barcode reader to find the best PRICE, but for product information this is handy.

Better Cut,2.0,com.betterandroid.bettercut; Easier shortcut creation

Books,1.1.4,com.google.android.apps.books

Bump,1.3.2,com.bumptech.bumpga; bump your contacts with others.

Cartman,1.0.1,com.mandroid.cartman; The legendary Mr. Eric Cartman.

Compass,2.0,com.apksoftware.compass

CraigsNotifica,2.90,com.mufumbo.craigslist.notification.android

Data counter widget,1.1.10,com.roysolberg.android.datacounter; Counts data throughput on your phone.  Even though I have an unlimited data plan, this is interesting.  For those
charged by the byte, this is a great tool.
DoggCatcher,1.1.1034,com.snoggdoggler.android.applications.doggcatcher.v1_0; I subscribe to podcasts and listen to them via this tool.  It remembers one's position in an audio
file between sessions.  I suggest downloading audio files only via WiFi, at home, and then taking them on the road.  Downloads go much faster that way.
EasySleep Sound Machine,1.3.1,com.siano.SoundMachine; We use this whenever we sleep over somewhere.

FaceIT,1.9,com.icubicles.cekup.FaceIt/ Funny novelty.  Hold it up to your mouth and speak like a vampire, etc.

Foursquare,2011-02-14,com.joelapenna.foursquared; My #1 check-in app.

Glympse,1.26,com.glympse.android.glympse; One of my favorite apps of all time.  It lets you send a tracker, to friends, with an optional time expirations, so they can track you in
real time on a Google Map.  C'mon...totally cool.

Google Reader,0.8.0,com.google.android.apps.reader

Maverick,1.1.1,com.codesector.maverick.pro; GPS fun.  I admit I have only recently started playing with this one, but it states it supports offline maps.  I have had issues, with Google Navigation, where I lose network connectivity...and then am flying blind.  Offline maps would solve that and truly let me retire my stand-alone GPS.  I will update this list after I test further (2011-03-24).

MySpeed,1.1.0 beta,org.l6n.myspeed; GPS Fun

NFL Mobile,3.5,com.mobitv.client.nfl2010

Pandora,1.5.4,com.pandora.android; I have numerous music stations set up.  Like one ad an hour or something.  Wonderful.

Paper Toss,1.0.9,com.bfs.papertoss; 2nd favorite droid game

PayPal,2.5.0,com.paypal.android.p2pmobile

PinPoint,2.1.4,com.pinpoint; GPS Fun

RedEye Scanner,1.3,com.funpack.wallpaper

RedLaser,1.0.2,com.ebay.redlaser

Restaurant Story,1.0.3,com.teamlava.restaurantstory

Roboform Bookmarklet Installer,1.1,roboformBookmarkletInstaller.android.com

SMS Backup,1.1.1,tv.studer.smssync; Automatically backs up all one's text messages to one's Google account and optionally in a 'Read' status (which I utilize).  Brilliant.

SMS Replier,SMSReplier 1.61a,com.jeff.wayne.dev; Auto-reply to text messages.

Scanner Radio,2.3,com.scannerradio; Scanner channels from all over the country.

Scroll Text,1.7,co.uk.almien.scrolltext; Scroll a message in various sizes.  I've used it to keep people away from my desk while on phone conferences.

Shazam,2.5.1-BB70131,com.shazam.android; A classic.  Hold it up to a playing song and it'll tell you the name and artist.

ShopSavvy,4.0.5,com.biggu.shopsavvy

Shopper,1.31,com.google.android.apps.shopper

TalkaDroid,2.1,com.dominickjohn.talkadroid; Simple text-to-speech app.

Tank Hero,1.11,com.clapfootgames.tankhero

The Weather Channel,2.3.23,com.weather.Weather

The Sims 3,1.0.9,com.ea.sdk; Get this via Panda.

The Eye,1.17.11,com.venturecase.theeye

Ticker,1.2.3,com.misc.ticker

Timed Profiles,1.0.0,ayman.utils.timedprofiles; This is cool.  Set up schedules for your profiles to change.  For example, time it so your phone automatically switches to vibrate-
only when you walk into work, and for sounds to come back on when you leave for the day.
Titanium Backup,3.5.0 :: Added Dropbox support (donate), Added Japanese/Spanish/Greek/Norwegian/Polish, Fixed sync of custom labels to SD, Fixed live wallpaper reset on backup,
Minor GUI fixes ::,com.keramidas.TitaniumBackup; Back up all your apps.
Toss It,1.8.2 Tabs Support,com.boolbalabs.tossit.preview

Twitter,2.0.0,com.twitter.android

TwitVid,1.1.0,com.sisow.youswap.twitvid

Ultra Keyboard,5.4.1,com.binarybulge.android.apps.keyboard.full; My personal favorite keyboard replacement.  My fingers are more accurate with this one.

UnZip,1.0.0,com.freeandroidsoft.UnZip

Ustream Broadcaster,1.0.2,tv.ustream.usclient

Walgreens,2.0.3,com.usablenet.mobile.walgreen

Where Am I?,1.0.3,com.whereami

White Noise Lite,3.5.3,com.tmsoft.whitenoise.lite

Wifi Analyzer,2.5.5,com.farproc.wifi.analyzer

Wireless Tether,2.0.6,android.tether; Gotta be routed for this.  Don't download it unless you are.

Yelp,2.6.2,com.yelp.android; A decent locator of things to do based on GPS location.

YouTube,2.1.6,com.google.android.youtube

Zedge,2.1,net.zedge.android; My favorite app for getting free ringtones and themes.

The Legacy of Posting

As I consider each posting, each quip, on any site, I think to myself, that when
I am gone, my kids will have an unprecedented chance to peruse my words, as they
move through their adulthood. In the old days kids would only get such chances
if their parents were prolific writers in the physical realm. I then think to
myself, will they get a kick out of it? Will my words describe who I am? Will I
seem whiny? What I type will certainly illuminate.

Every posting might as well be a tattoo, and I must think as such, before
committing the needle.

I am who I am, but I hope I do not disappoint or embarrass.

Something to think about for anyone wishing to define their own legacy.