New Video: Installing Linux Mint 15

In our latest video we step through how to install Linux Mint 15 'Olivia' on a clean hard drive.  In our example, I am using a new VirtualBox machine and Linux Mint 15 'MATE' edition with No Codecs.  If you have ever installed Ubuntu, then you will have no problem stepping through the installation wizard and successfully installing Mint on a system.

However, if you have not installed Ubuntu, and Mint is your first experience with Linux.  Do not fear.  As the wizard is rather simple and straight forward.  Check out our video, and as always make sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel to stay up to date with all of our videos as they are released.



Thanks for watching!
Checkout our YouTube channel for more videos on Linux Mint, Ubuntu, and Windows! http://www.youtube.com/techiesmarts

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Remove Ubuntu from a Dual Boot Computer

In our most recent video, we are going to learn how to remove Ubuntu from a Windows 7/Ubuntu dual boot setup.  You may be asking yourself: "Wait a minute, Techie always does his best to promote Linux in general.  Why is he telling people how to remove it?".  And if that is your question, I'd say it is a very valid question.

But simply put, there are a plethora of reasons why someone would want to remove Linux from a dual-boot machine.  See below for a short list of just a few reasons:

1- They may be low on total Hard Drive space and may need to reclaim that space for Windows.
2- Maybe Ubuntu just isn't the Operating System for you.  There are thousands of Linux distros to try.
3- Maybe you want to revert back to Windows for everyday use, and run virtual machines of Ubuntu from within Windows.

There are many, many other reasons.  But whatever they may be, removing one of the Operating Systems from a dual-booting PC may sound like a daunting task.  However, I am here to report that it isn't as daunting as it may seem.  And in most cases should take less than half and hour.

Disclaimer: Anytime you start monkeying around with Operating Systems, Boot Records, Partitions, etc.  Please be sure to backup any data that is important to you.  There is always the off-chance that something could go wrong.

Be sure to check the video out below, as always I will list the steps as a sort of cheat sheet below as well.

Difficulty: Moderate Skills Are Required (Basic Understanding of Boot Records, Paritions, Partition Wizards)

Step 1

Be sure both Ubuntu and Windows are accessible and bootable.

Step 2

We need to remove the Grub Bootloader that was installed when we installed Ubuntu.  DO NOT attempt removing Grub manually.  As you will render both operating systems unbootable.  To remove Grub, we need to use a tool called: EasyBCD.

Visit the following website to download EasyBCD (there is a free community edition):

http://neosmart.net/EasyBCD/

Note: If you are using EasyBCD within a commercial setting, you need to honor the developers wishes and purchase a copy of it.

Step 3

Once EasyBCD has been installed, run it.  Click on 'BCD Backup/Repair' button.  On the right, select 'Re-create/Repair Boot Files'.  Our goal is to rewrite the MBR and restore the Windows bootloader.  Don't worry, this process takes a couple minutes.  

Once this completes, the status box will disappear.  You can then exit EasyBCD.

Step 4

Reboot the PC and make sure Grub does not appear.  If Grub is now gone, we can proceed to removing the Ubuntu Parition and the Linux Swap Partition.

Step 5

Once Windows 7 has finished rebooting and we have verified Grub is gone, click on:
-Start
-Right click on 'Computer'
-Left click on 'Manage'

This will open the computer management console.  Locate 'Disk Management' on the left side of the screen.  This will allow us to manipulate the Hard Drive's Partitions.

Step 6

Once inside the 'Disk Management' tool, locate your Ubuntu and Linux Swap Partitions.  Note: These partitions will not have a file system assigned to them.  Be sure to pick the correct partition as you don't want to delete the wrong ones.

Step 7

With the first partition identified, move the mouse of that partition in the graph towards the bottom of the screen and right click on it.  Choose 'Delete Volume'.  This should convert that partition to 'Unallocated Space'.  If it changes it to 'Free Space', right click on it again and select 'Delete Partition'.  This should convert it to unallocated space.

Repeat this step for the Swap Partition.

Step 8

You should now have a portion of the hard drive labeled as 'Unallocated Space'.  Locate the Windows 7 partition and right click on it in the graph.  Select 'Extend' from the context menu.

Step 9

The 'Partition Extension' wizard will appear.  By default it will detect the amount of 'Unallocated Space' and give you the option to use all of it.  Take the defaults and click 'Next' until you get to the confirmation screen.  Once here, simply click on 'Finish'.  It may take a few moments depending on hard drive and partition size.

Step 10

One the unallocated space has been taken up by the Windows 7 partition, simply close the 'Computer Management' console and verify the changes took effect by going into Windows Explorer and verifying your C: drive size.  Now reboot just to make sure everything looks good.

That's it, your now back at a "single" boot machine.

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New Videos Coming Soon!

We've been working very hard to bring some new videos to our YouTube Channel!  The first couple of videos are almost out of production and should be hitting our channel within in the next days.  We will initially be covering Linux Mint (from installation to optimization post-install).  And will bloom out into other topics as they occur, or as watchers request more info on other topics.

As always, I want to know what you would like to see covered in future videos.  Feel free to leave a comment or send me an email at: ask_techie@gmx.com and I will be more than happy to try and oblige!

Be sure to swing by and checkout the channel and look for more video fun coming real soon!

Nerd On Friends!,

-Techie

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Players Will Be Required to Pay for Xbox One Features

Xbox One console

Was there ever any doubt that Microsoft would go this route?  Not in my mind.  Why?  Simple, because they already do this.  A story reported on today from BBC News mentions that the Xbox One will require the user/player to subscribe to a Live Gold account in order to utilize some functions of the new Xbox One.  Is this really that much of a change?  Nope.

Long story short, here is the deal.  In order to use the following functions, players must be an Xbox Live Gold account subscriber.  Items marked *Currently Required indicates Xbox 360 features that currenly requires a Gold subscriptions well.

-Multiplayer Gaming *Currently Required
-Netflix (or other video streaming services) *Currently Required
-Matchmaking for Online Games (considered a function of online play) *Currently Required
-OneGuide (think of a recommendation service for online media content)
-Access to communicate via Skype.

I don't particularly see anything worthy of arguing about int his list.  As it stands, it doesn't appear that all that much will change between current Live Gold accounts and current-gen Live Gold accounts.  This doesn't mean that changes will not pop up elsewhere, it just means there isn't a whole lot that us current-gen gamers can argue about.

And with Sony also starting to charge for online access and similar features on the PS4, there goes the excuse that paying for online on an Xbox console is more expensive.  Looks like we're all on a level playing field now.  Like it or not.

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Chromium Browser Issue under Ubuntu

Chromium Web Browser

This evening while I was web surfing, I decided to make a couple of changes to my Ubuntu desktop and thought I'd simply sign out and back in to see if the changes would stay upon a reboot/log off.  My changes worked fine.  However, I didn't exit the Chromium Web Browser properly when logging off.  In short, I logged off while I had the browser minimized to the Unity dock.  I honestly didn't think anything else about it.

Upon signing back in, and launching the Chromium Web browser again I was greeted with an error I hadn't previously seen. (See pic below)

Bad Profile??

"Your profile could not be opened correctly.  Some features may be unavailable.  Please check that the profile exists and you have permission to read and write its contents." This is the error message I got, and was unable to proceed past the error.

Upon further inspection, by right clicking the Chromium launcher in the Unity dock, I was able to select 'Open a New Window with a Temporary Profile' to do some research on the issue.  In short, I found a bunch of links with very similar information.  There are two ways to go about fixing this issue.

The first, basically make a backup of the Chromium Configuration File and then launch Chromium to let the profile rebuild itself.  Or just launch Chromium and let it build a new profile configuration anyways (this option will cause you to loose all of your browsing history, bookmarks, cookies, etc.

*Hit enter after each command entered into Terminal.

Step 1: Close Chromium.
Step 2: Launch the Terminal (Alt + Ctrl + T)
Step 3: Type the following:    mv ~/.config/chromium/Default ~/.config/chromium/Backup
Step 4: Launch the Chromium again.  This time is should open without an error.
Step 5: Once you have verified it works, close Chromium again.  We will restore your data.
Step 6: Go back into Terminal and type:  rm -rf ~/.config/chromium/Default
Step 7: Still in Terminal, type:   cp -R ~/.config/chromium/Backup ~/.config/chromium/Default
Step 8: Exit Terminal and open Chromium and verify your data has returned (bookmarks, etc.)

If you aren't particularly picky, and don't mind loosing things like your bookmarks, cookies, and browsing history.  Then you can simply just launch Terminal and type the following command and hit enter:   rm -rf ~/.config/chromium/Default

This will remove the existing Chromium configuration file.  By removing the configuration file, Chromium will be force to create a new profile configuration the next time it is run.  Essentially starting with a blank slate as if it were just installed.

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The 12th Doctor Revealed!

For Whovians worldwide, today was a HUGE day for all of us.  It was announced just a few months ago that Matt Smith would not be reprising his role of the legendary Time Lord: The Doctor.  This created a sort of outrage from the fans of Doctor Who worldwide.  As Matt has garnered the adoration of Doctor Who fans new and old.  Matt Smith portrayed the 11th incarnation of the Doctor, following David Tennant's infamous role of the 10th Doctor.  I had just started watching Doctor Who just a few months before Tennant's Doctor regenerated.  The regeneration episode was one of the hardest episodes of any television show I had ever watched.  It felt as if your favorite character was in the process of dying.  And sure, I was a little unsure how Matt Smith would do as the new version of the Doctor.  But am incredibly happy to say that just mere moments into Smith's first episode named 'The Eleventh Hour', I was sold on the change.  Smith had capture the essence of all that made Tennant's Doctor fun, but also he brought a sort of wonder.  The wonder that Smith radiated through every episode gave the viewer the eye sight of a child.  Seeing things that we see everyday and making them fresh and new and alien all over again.  Seriously, who else could make Bow Ties, Tweed Jackets, Stetsons, and the Fez cool again?

Matt Smith as The 11th Doctor

But alas, it's that time again.  As we have been blessed with the stage presence of Matt Smith as our favorite time-traveling alien, it is time for a change.  For Mr. Smith, I wish you all the best sir.  Even though you were not my "first" Doctor, your Doctor will always hold a place in this Whovian's heart.  And I wish you nothing but success moving forward.  You have made a lifetime fan out of me and my wife.

Now, on the the big announcement.  Today (Sunday, August 4th, 2013) the announcement was simulcast from the BBC One and BBC America,  Here in America the timeslot was 2:00p to 2:30p EST.  The special was pretty cool.  We saw some interviews from Matt Smith, wishing his successor all the best and got some insight from previous Doctor Who actors and fans.  Toward the end of the special, we found out who will follow Matt Smith as the "Mad Man in the Little Blue Box"...

Congratulations to Mr. Peter Capaldi!

Peter Capaldi- The 12th Doctor

For those who aren't familiar with Mr. Capaldi, he is no stranger to the world of Doctor Who.  First staring in an episode entitled 'The Fires of Pompeii' and also staring in Torchwood (a spin-off of Doctor Who).  For those who may be stunned by a previous Doctor Who actor showing up again... Remember, this is not the first time.  Also in the 'Fires of Pompeii' we first met Karen Gillian who later moved on to star as a separate role opposite Matt Smith as the 11th Doctor's Companion, Amy Pond.

It has been stated by Steven Moffat and other show runners that the coming season of Doctor Who will bring us a much darker Doctor.  And with the teaser of Jon Hurt at the finale of this past season, and how he ties into the whole Doctor Who numbering scheme without messing up what we all know of Doctor Who is going to be a huge story arc as well.  And with this being the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who, Steven Moffat has gone on record stating that the decision on the next Doctor has to be right.  And I believe the decision made to bring Mr. Capaldi to lead role was taken into heavy consideration and we as fans have to respect both Moffat's decision and Matt Smith's desire to move on to bigger projects.

And as Doctor Who fans, please wish Peter the best.  I'm sure he will do everything in his power to be the Doctor that we not only want... But the Doctor that we need at this point in the story.  Remember, the story of the Doctor is much larger than just the past 4 years of Matt Smith.  And as always, keep the fan-boy/girlism to a minimum.  We haven't seen the last of Matt Smith.  And remember, change is constant and not everyone will like change.  Doctor Who is very much a story about change and progression.  And don't forget, Matt will be back as the Doctor before Capaldi takes the role.  But one thing is for sure, Matt's regeneration into Capaldi's Doctor will more than likely pull so many tears world wide as we see the bittersweet regeneration glow. Who knows?  Will it be similar to Tennant's heartfelt comment "I don't want to go..."?  Or will it be Matt's iconic: "Geronimo!".  Time will tell.

So as loyal Whovians, embrace the change and welcome the Doctor back at the end of the year.  Much as the Ood told the 10th Doctor "This song is ending, but the story never ends...".

Until then, we will not know how the story of the Doctor will progress nor how Peter Capaldi will do in the roll.  All we can do is embrace the way of the Doctor: "GERONIMO!"

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App of the Week: RipTide GP2 for Android

It's been a while, but in attempt to get the ball rolling again; we are back with a new 'App of the Week' and this week that app is 'RipTide GP2' for Android mobile devices.  First off, let me say that this game is simply amazing.  It is more of the same but with new tracks, a much larger career mode, upgradable 'Hydro Jets'; if you played it's predecessor you will have a general idea about what the sequel will have in store for you.  However, this time around VectorUnit has given us Online Multiplayer.  Let's cover what this game is all about.

The Deal:

As this game is about pure speed and thrilling tricks, there is no story.  The premise is you are a Hydro Jet racer in futuristic Hydro Jet Races.  Think of a Hydro Jet as a futuristic Jet Ski.  As you progress through the race circuits you will encounter not just standard 8 man races, but you will be faced with 'Hot Lap' and 'FreeStyle' races as well.  More on those below.  Regardless what mode or race type you play, I promise you it will become addictive fun that will be hard to put down.

Ready... Set... Go!

Race Types You Will Encounter:

You will of course play through the standard race that includes 8 NPC's all racing each other to the finish line.  The amount of laps and duration of the race will depend on what circuit you are playing.  The end goal is of course to be the first to cross the finish line.

Elimination mode will pit you against 8 NPC's and every few seconds (determined by the circuit you are playing) a player will be eliminated without prejudice.  The goal is to stay ahead of the pack and let everyone else get eliminated.  The only way to ensure victory is to be the race leader and outlast everyone else.

Hot Lap is basically a time-trial race.  Each time trial has set times that you need to complete the lap under in order to win.  Some tracks it's 1:07, some tracks it's 00:59 or a little less.  You will need to upgrade your Hydro Jet and make sure you have a speed demon to ensure victory in these races.

The level's are absolutely stunning!

Finally, you will bump into 'Free Style' races.  These races feature only your racer on a track filled with Ramps to trick off of.  Each 'Free Style' race will have a set score you have to hit to place in the top 3.  Earn points by popping tricks off of large waves of water and ramps.  You will have to unlock higher tier tricks to place high in the more advanced circuits.  More on that below.

Controls:

Controlling your Hydro Jet is as simple as tilting your mobile device in the direction you'd like to navigate.  Popping tricks is handled by swiping your thumbs in a particular order on the screen while your racer is airborne.  Each trick has a unique swipe, with the more advanced tricks requiring a slightly more difficult swipe pattern.  Sounds a little strange, but trust me... It works great.

Skills and Upgrades:

There are several different Hydro Jets that you can unlock with cash earned from your races.  Along with purchasing new Hydro Jets, you can also purchase upgrades to your Hydro Jet's abilities.  These abilities are split into several categories: 

- Acceleration

- Top Speed

- Handling

- Boost

Busting a Move!

Each category does exactly what it's name applies.  As you upgrade, the next upgrade level becomes more expensive requiring you to play more to earn more in-game cash to upgrade your ride.  You can also change the color-scheme (or 'paint job') of your Hydro Jet and your racer's uniform.

It doesn't stop there either.  As you play and race you will earn XP that will help you level up.  As you level up you get extra in-game cash and SP points that you will redeem for things like new tricks and increased agility and increased boost time.  Later in the game you will discover some future tricks are compounding.  So they require a trick from a lower skill level before they can be unlocked.  All in all the leveling system is pretty deep for a mobile racing game.

Music:

The soundtrack is pretty similar to the first RipTide GP.  Mixing techno beats with what sounds like spots of dub-step in spots.  All in all, it's pretty catchy and helps keep the energy moving during gameplay.

Online Mulitplayer

The online multiplayer is what I like to play.  I have ran several online matches against others and I have had a lot of fun.  Basically you pick 'Quick Match' and let the game match you up.  If you have signed in with your Google+ account, you can send invites and play with your friends as well.

Circuit Listing

Final Comments:

All in all, RipTide GP2 is an amazing game.  We are finally at the point where the division between mobile games and console quality games is started to fade.  The effects and overall experience are simply amazing.  In my opinion this game is well worth the $2.99 price tag.  Per their website, the game is also on it's way to the Apple iTunes App Store as well.

To Checkout RipTide GP2 visit the Google Play Store: http://bit.ly/15CFQxm

App Cost: $2.99

Rating: 5/5 Stars

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Busy, Busy, Busy Times

Just checking in to let everyone know I am still alive and kicking.  It's been a while, and life has been busy.  On a personal note, I have managed to force Ubuntu 13.04 as a dual-boot beside on Windows 8 (with Windows 8 kicking and screaming the whole way).  But the end result, I have to answer a couple extra boot menu's but it works.  And works pretty well too.

In the recent news, we have the release of 'Chromecast', so hopefully more info on that project coming up.  And Canonical has released information on the 'Ubuntu Edge'; in their attempt at taking Ubuntu even more 'mainstream' by sticking it inside a smart phone.  Looks cool, looks promising, but I really want to see it in action first.

Also, I just upgraded my phone to the Samsung Galaxy S4... It is a sweet, sweet smart phone, loaded full of cool features.  I'm still learning it's feature set, and getting some hands on with it so hopefully a full review is also on it's way.

So all in all, hopefully updates will start coming more frequently, and I am hoping to get some new video uploads on our YouTube Channel very soon!

Until next time, Keep Calm & Google On my friends!

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Gaurdians of The Galaxy Casting News

Following on the tail of Marvel's 'The Avengers' is a movie whose source content is not nearly as well known as 'The Avengers' amongst the general public.  However, for those of us who follow comic books, it seem pretty exciting.  The movie titled 'Guardians of The Galaxy' has all the potential to be a huge film.  And as cautious as I am to say I am excited about this movie, I can't deny the fact that I really want to see Rocket Raccoon on the big screen.  (Just hope it's done right).

And if the previous movies from the Marvel Cinematic Universe is any indication, then they definitely have huge shoes to fill.  And what better way to start off the hype, than to build a cast of top billed actors and actresses.  Presently there is still a lot of speculation about the casting, but there are confirmed actors/roles already listed.

We can look forward to seeing the following in their fresh Marvel roles:
-Michael Rooker (of Walking Dead fame) taking on the role of Yondu
-Zoe Saldana will be portraying the deadliest woman in the galaxy: Gamora
-Chris Pratt will be in the role of Peter Quill (aka Star-Lord).
-Dave Bautista from WWE fame is filling the shoes of Draxx the Destroyer

Also credited as part of the cast (but unbilled as to their role in the film) are:
-Glenn Close (possibly as a leader of the Nova Corps.)
-Benicio Del Toro (who knows, but some speculate as Thanos)
-Karen Gillan (possibly playing Death opposite Thanos)
-Lee Pace (unbilled role as of this writing)

I am personally excited for the Karen Gillan as she was a fan favorite from one of my favorite television shows: 'Doctor Who'.  Gillan portrayed the infamous Time Lord's companion 'Amy Pond' for several seasons.  So it's awesome to see her leap from one of my favorite shows into one of my favorite mediums: comic books.

It has been said that Del Toro's role will be included in several other films as part of the ongoing Phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  So I am extremely excited to see how this one pans out.  So as Phase 2 has started unraveling itself for us in 'Iron Man 3', I can't wait to see what Marvel has in store for the future.

I was an 80's kid.  So for me, my childhood was spent watching movies like 'Masters of the Universe' (and dreaming that is was done right).  And then foaming at the mouth when 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' became a live action film. When it came to the comic books that me and my friends loved so much, we were strictly left to playground fun and collecting action figures.  Now that I'm 31 years old, and we have the creative direction of fantastic directors and productions stafff, and the fact that technology has started to catch up with the types of effects needed for these productions is an amazing thing.

In short, it's a great time to be a comic book nerd.

The release date for 'Guardians of The Galaxy' is 8-1-2014.

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More Techie's Tool Box Videos Coming Up!

I have been getting numerous requests via our Facebook page asking when more "Techie's Toolbox" videos were going to drop on the YouTube Channel again...  

My response is officially, 'Coming Soon!  Very Soon!'. 

A little background on the 'Tool Box' videos: I started posting a couple videos highlighting tools and free/cheap software that can be a valuable asset to those in the IT field.  It doesn't matter if you are only repairing friend's or family computers in your spare time.  Or if you are a field technician needing a few more flexible options in your tool kit.

After making a couple of these videos, the response was somewhat small, and people seemed to want help with more Linux/Ubuntu based issues.  So we spun several series of videos based on Linux and Ubuntu.

Unfortunately, life has been pretty busy for a while and my attention had to shift off of the website and videos for a little while.  Now I'm shifting gears in my spare time and trying to start contributing again.  So hang on tight, we've got more good stuff up our sleeves.

Here is what I need to ask from my loyal readers/viewers: FEEDBACK.

I need to know what you folks would like me to cover?  Want help finding the proper tools to analyze hard disk space, cloud backup/storage services, backup solutions, antivirus support, remote support, etc.  Drop a line in the comments section below or swing by our Facebook page and leave a suggestion.  If you drop a suggestion, be sure to leave a username and I'll give you a shout out in the video.

Drop by our Facebook Page and leave a comment at: TechieSmarts on Facebook

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Copy: Free Cloud Storage for a Limited Time

Checkout Copy... And do it now.  Copy is awesome.  Sure, it isn't a new concept.  Sites like Dropbox have been around for a while.  But if you want 5GB of free storage, why not take it right?   They have a working client for Android, iOS, and PC (Linux, Mac, & Windows).  And seeing as how I use Android, Linux, and Windows this is a very tempting offer.

But for a limited time, 5GB isn't the only free storage you can get from Copy.  If you sign up for copy using this link: https://copy.com?r=UfAoUE

You will get your 5GB of free storage for signing up (which everyone gets).  But once you sign in to any of the client apps (Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android) you will get an extra 5GB of storage.  That's a total of 10GB of storage for doing nothing more than signing up and installing the app.

So far, I have used the app to sync pictures from my Android phone and my Nexus 7 tablet.  And once I installed the Windows client, any data within selected folders "automagically" syncs to my laptop too.  That means no more hooking my phone up to a USB cable to transfer pictures or data to/from my mobile devices.

The sign up process is extremely simple.  Basically, just your name, email address, and a password.  It takes less than a minute to sign up, a few moments to install the app and sign in.  That's less than 2 or 3 minutes for 10GB of free cloud storage.  It doesn't get any easier than that.

How sweet is that?

So drop by Copy using: https://copy.com?r=UfAoUE
Sign up and use the mobile app.  Worse case scenario, you get 10GB of free storage for future use.  Not too shaby!

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Big Happenings in Techie's World!

Sorry for the lack of posts everyone!  (Although it feels I write this a lot here).  Things have been a bit wild and crazy in my world for the last while.  Staying busy and enjoying life has been a primary goal.  Unfortunately, I haven't been around Linux much as of late.  But I have managed to:
-Become madly addicted to "Call of Duty: Black Ops 2"
-Get my Wife madly addicted to "Call of Duty: Black Ops 2"
-Work a lot

-And another HUGE announcement that hopefully should be coming soon.

So stay tuned!


-----
And don't forget to watch Doctor Who tonight!

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National Day of Unplugging

Did you hear?  That this evening from sunset until tomorrow (March 2nd), a nonprofit group named "Reboot" has suggested we have a "National Day of Unplugging".  The goal is to encourage people put disconnect for technology for the close to a 24 hour period.  In attempt to battle "burnout" and stress that comes from being wired into technology all the time (like most of us are).

I see a couple things about the "National Day of Unplugging".  First: is it kind of funny that a large portion of the time spent "unplugged" will occur at night while a lot of us sleep?  Or it it because a lot of recreational technology use is done of the evenings after we all get home from work?

Second, isn't it kind of funny that instead of starting say March 1st at 8:00a let's unplug.  Instead, it's the idea of getting through the business day and then unplugging.

My skepticism aside,  I completely understand that with the advent of things such as our laptops, tablets, and smartphones we all are hooked up way more than we probably should.  And yes, I am positive that I understand that with these technological attachments comes the added stress from always being "in the know" whether it be for personal or work use.

But for me, one day of being unplugged just isn't enough.  For me personally, I try to leave my phone in the other room on occasion.  Or go out to eat and leave the smartphone at home.  In reality, we will not be gone that long and the phone can wait.  With all of that being said, I doubt I'll be participating this evening and tomorrow (as these times are my usual gaming times and that requires being hook into tech).

But for those who wish to participate, I highly commend you.  Just don't over do it when you pick up your phone tomorrow evening.

For more on the "National Day of Unplugging" visit: http://www.rebooters.net/

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App of The Week: Shadowgun Deadzone

Our App of the Week for the week of March 1nd, 2013 is: Shadowgun: Deadzone.  As always, we always try to highlight apps that are cheap and/or free in most cases.  There are exceptions where an app is just so awesome, that paying more than $4 or $5 dollars shouldn't be a problem.  But keeping true to our idea that most of us are on a budget (and or just cheapskates like me), ShadowGun: Deadzone is a FREE app.  And unlike our usual App of Week pick, this game is cross platform on both iOS device and Android devices.  So let's jump into what really makes this game standout.

What is it?

Shadowgun: Deadzone is an online multiplayer, third person shooter title.  It follows the release of the original Shadowgun game for iOS and Android created by MadFinger Games.  This game is absolutely gorgeous.

The Story

As mentioned above, Shadowgun: Deadzone is an online multiplayer game that throws the player into either a deathmatch style game or a capture point style game.  There is very little by way of story for this app.  It ideally picks up after the events of the original Shadowgun title.  If you missed the original, a "Shadowgun" is basically a professional bounty hunter.  In the original game, you played as John Slade and your mission was to stop a mad scientist from making a mutated army.  So in Deadzone, your character is either a mutant soldier or one of several Shadowgun skins.

Gameplay

The game plays pretty much just like the original Shadowgun title.  It is basically a covered based shooter much like the Gears of War franchise on the Xbox 360.  Meaning, you run and gun and use objects that are scattered around the map to hide behind when you need to get out of the line of fire.  When hiding behind a barrier or your back is pressed against a corner wall, the camera shifts a little providing a view of the action in front of you.  You can then fire from behind cover, which is really handy in a heavy firefight.

The controls are fairly straight forward as well.  On the left side of the screen is a virtual joystick which controls movement.  You aim by sliding your right thumb around the screen.  In the bottom right we have several icons that include aiming/firing, reloading, and sprinting.  In the upper right corner of the screen we have your weapon selection icon, your sprinting meter, and a couple empty inventory spots for certain perks or power ups that you unlock as you play.  These perks can include the ability to drop ammo or health recharge packs, use motion radars, and grenades to name just a few.  Unlike a lot of games that utilize a touch based, onscreen button layout; this one works extremely well with a very low learning curve.

Other Features

What would a game that only offers online multiplayer be without a system for leveling your character?  And Shadowgun: Deadzone offers exactly that.  As you play matches you gain experience points and cash.  Both of these add up over time.  Your cash is used to upgrade weapons and unlock new power up.  Meanwhile, you're experience points builds up your character's level as you play as well.  Here is the important thing, a higher level doesn't necessarily mean a "stronger" character.  It does mean, that someone with a higher level than you, has access to different weapons which in turn may be stronger than those who run lower level characters.  But this is a fair trade off.  As I have been in matches with people who are much higher levels, and still been able to more than hold my own against them.

Character Loadout Screen

There is also a "Casino" feature built into the games main menu.  Each day your account will be given a token (or 2 or 3 depending) and you can use these tokens to take a spin on the Slot Machine.  The reward for playing the Slot Machine is in game gold.  This gold can be used to buy cosmetic items such as skins, hats, etc. for your character.  As the tokens are given to your account, you do not have to pay "real-world" money for these.

There is also a buddy list, you can log in with your Facebook account, and you can chat (and voicechat if you have a premium account).

Game Modes

Currently there are only two game modes: Deathmatch and Zone Control.  Deathmatch is your traditional free-for-all game mode.  Where every player loads out into the map and spends the matches time limit trying to frag each other.  He who has the highest killscore wins the match.  Meanwhile, Zone Control is a little more tactical.  Each map is contains a series of "Control Points" which also acts as spawn points.  Two teams (red and blue) each fight for the duration of the match to gain control of more points than the other team.  Eventually this leads to some pretty epic battles over points in the middle of a map.  I spend a lot of time playing Zone Control as the strategy aspect of this game mode is a lot of fun.

Premium Features?

So at this point you may be saying, "Wait a minute? A game with these features, and it's free?".  That's right, it is free to download and free to play.  There are a couple ad screens you will see while playing, but the ads are for Shadowgun: Deadzone itself.  Players have the option to upgrade to a "Premium Account" if they choose.

Premium accounts get the following:

-50% more Money and Gold for Playing Matches

-Increased Experience Points for Matches Played

-Access to Premium Servers

-Voice Chat

Premium features can be purchased using your in-game gold or you can drop some "real-world" money for it as a microtransaction.  Premium accounts can be:

-1 day 

-3 days ($00.99)

-1 week ($00.99 USD)

-1 month ($2.99 USD)

-3 months ($9.99 USD)

For example, I ran the month of January as a premium account.  And the immediate advantage is being able to change between more than just the original 2 character skins.  For me the cost is very little and if it counts towards helping the developers build updates for the game; then I am happy to support it.  The Premium cost is a one time charge and no recurring.  So when it runs out, you are dropped back down to a "Free Play" account status.  Which means you receive less money and experience points.

Overall

This game should be considered a AAA title.  It offers gameplay that I have yet to find in any other mobile game.  And it feels like a big-console experience that you can hold in your hand.  With great controls and graphics and an online experience like no other on a mobile device.  I highly recommend this game.  With a limited selection of maps and only two game modes, I would love to see this game grow to offer more as time goes on.  But even with those limitations, I still give this game 5 Stars.

To play it, you will need a device that has at least 512MB of RAM.  For iOS device users this includes: iPhone 4 (and newer), iPod Touch 5th Generation, and iPad 2 (and newer).  For Android users a modern device with at least 512MB of RAM and running Android Honeycomb and newer.

I have been playing this on both my Samsung Galaxy S2 and my Google Nexus 7 and it plays smooth and fluidly on both devices.

Check it out:

Madfinger Games 

Google Play Store- Shadowgun: Deazone  (FREE)

Apple's App Store- Shadowgun: Deadzone (FREE)

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Falcon Pro is Still Kicking

As reported in a post yesterday, one of the best Twitter clients on the Google Play Store was having some issues with Twitter's Access Token limits.  For the time being, things seem to have been worked out.  No Twitter didn't recant on their stand of not increasing Falcon Pro's token limitations.

Instead, looks like the tokens were reset.  Thus freeing up used tokens.  The only catch is that if you are still a user of the app, when you download the latest update, you will be required to log back into Twitter via the app.  Not a big deal whatsoever.

This is great news, as now the app can once again be purchased.  It is unfortunate that Twitter is still sticking to their position as well.  Especially since it is inevitable that the app will hit the 100k token limit again at some point.  In the meantime, the developer has set the price back to a "purchasable" cost at $1.96.  For more information be sure to checkout the Falcon Pro page on the Google Play Store.

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Should Pre-College Students Be Offered Programming Courses?

There is a video circulating the social media networks that was created by Code.org.  If you aren't familiar with this nonprofit, here is a brief explanation.  Their goal is to promote computer programming to the point in which schools across the United States would start offering computer programming courses to their students.  Currently, most schools do not presently offer their students the opportunity to take programming classes until they attend college.  Where Code.org is aiming to expose young people to programming before they get to college.

If you haven't seen the video yet, I would highly encourage you to check it out.  It will be posted below.  But in short, the video features a handful of well know people who are either programmers or are allegedly taking programming courses.  And as the video progresses they all offer their insights as to why programming is important to them or even how they started programming.  Some of the people on the video include Bill Gates (Microsoft/Philanthropist), Mark Zuckerburg (Facebook), Gabe Newell (Valve), and Will.I.Am (I know, I didn't figure him to be interested in programming either).  And by visiting their website you will see a bunch of quotes by other famous people.  So it does "appear" that Code.org seems to be throwing popularity at the young people to make programming "cool".  This doesn't mean that programming isn't cool.  I happen to believe that it is very cool and a rewarding skill.

The big reason Code.org is pushing so hard to educate young people about programming is to expose them to a skill that happens to have a high demand in the job market.  And that demand is being forecast to continue to grow.  So by exposing young people to this as part of their education we are only empowering these kids with the skills and abilities to help them succeed should they decide to pursue programming as a career.

Personally, I feel like to sooner we expose the young people to programming; the better off those who decide to pursue that as an avenue of a career will be.  The Code.org website has a lot of good references and tools available for those interested in learning more about programming.  Some tools are aimed for kids and some are actual paid classes and courses.

There is also a petition to sign if you believe their cause is a worthwhile one.

So, check out the video and see what you think.  And afterwards, head over to our Facebook page and join in the discussion on this topic.

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Ubuntu 12.10 Laptop Issues

Over the past several days I have been attempting to get Ubuntu running the way I want it to on my laptop.  This has been easier said then done.  I have a Pavilion g7 laptop running Windows 8 out of the box.  Windows 8 isn't my choice of OS, but one I can live with for things like playing certain games, and producing our YouTube videos.  However, for everything else, I'd really prefer using Linux.

After disabling Secure Boot in my laptop's BIOS and imstalling Ubuntu 12.10, I had to run Boot-Repair from the Ubuntu 12.10 Live DVD to repair Grub 2 and make it bootable.  So far so good.  The issue began when trying to install my proprietary display drivers for the A8 APU my laptop is running.  The default OpenGL drivers seemed to do ok, but every once in a while the screen would flicker for a brief second.  Not a big issue, but one that made me feel like I was loosing my mind.

I followed numerous guides and tutorials on various Ubuntu blogs, YouTube videos, etc.  And every single method I used returned the same issue.  The driver would install, I could see it and test it as long as I didn't reboot.  The catch is that to fully utilize the drivers I was forced to reboot anyways.  Upon reboot, my Ubuntu setup would boot straight into a TTY session with no LightDM login or GUI of any kind.

Some methods required purging the recent changes to bring LightDM and the GUI back.  But that didn't always work; resulting in reinstalling Ubuntu about 3 times.  After the third installation, it started getting old.  After doing some research, I have found several sites mentioning that the drivers seem to work in Ubuntu 12.04.  Dropping down from Ubuntu 12.10 to 12.04 isn't a big deal to me.  I have been using the LTS releases for a long time anyways.  And with Steam now on Linux, I really want to get into some Counter Strike: Source action on my Linux install.

So, with the Ubuntu 12.04 Live DVD in hand; I plan on installing Ubuntu again and seeing if the Legacy drivers in fact work under 12.04 as many have claimed they do.  If everything goes well, I hope to be reporting back with success soon.

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Twitter's Token Limits vs Falcon Pro

I was considering featuring the Falcon Pro Twitter app for Android devices as one of our weekly app picks.  However, I am kind of glad that I didn't.  But not for the reason you may first think of. The app is an outstanding Twitter client for Android devices.  It is very fluid and offers a smooth user experience when using Twitter.  In my opinion, it is just much sleeker and useful than most other Twitter clients I have used (including the official Twitter client for Android).

So what is the problem?

You may be thinking that the developer might have nerfed some features or did some funky new thing with an update.  But none of that is true either.  The issue appears to be on Twitter's end.  How can this be?  Are they trying to choke out "3rd party" developers?  Don't they want people to use their service?

How: Twitter's API grants access to their service via "access tokens".  If you have ever used a Facebook or Twitter app that allows you to login using your account for a social media service instead of just setting up yet another account; then you have used access tokens too.  This is a popular way to sign into sites and services using mobile devices as well.  So, an access token is delivered to your app or device when you access your account for a particular service using one of these "other" client type apps.  Simple enough.  On the end user side, this makes it easy to use other services and clients without managing multiple logins.  There are some other challenges on the service side, such as token limitations.

For example, Twitter's access token limitation is 100k for a 3rd party type app or service.  Once you hit the 100,000 token limit.  That is it, new user's are no longer able to authenticate their app on Twitter.  Meaning if you buy a Twitter client app on the Google Play Store, and it can't authenticate on Twitter, you have useless app (at least from the purchaser's point of view).

This is exactly what happened to Joaquim Verges who is the developer of the acclaimed Falcon Pro app.  His app hit the 100k wall in less than 3 months, and that is "all she wrote".  Mr. Verges has since started a petition to try and get the community feedback to help encourage Twitter to raise this limit, but per the Falcon Pro Twitter account (@falcon_android) he has already received a correspondence from Twitter stating:

So let me get this straight, does this mean that Twitter won't raise the token limit at all?  Or if Falcon Pro offered some feature that Twitter's "official" client didn't have, it would then raise the limit?  The later is how I read it.  I know that Twitter controls what, who, how, and when can utilize their service.  I completely understand that.

But at the same time is it right of Twitter to slam a door in the face of a successful app developer?

It doesn't take a person long to realize this app has a pretty good user base by looking at the apps reviews on Google Play Store.

So what happens now?

Well, for Mr. Verges he has done only what one could sensibly do.  He has reached out to the community for participation in a petition and has contacted Twitter with his request.  At this point, Twitter has shot down his request; and I honestly don't know how much a petition would really help at this point.  In the meantime, Mr. Verges has placed a disclaimer on the app's Google Play Store page informing user's and potential buyers not to purchase the app due to the token limit from Twitter. He has also marked up the app price to $132.13 USD.  Not sure how he came to pick this price, but that's how much it costs now in attempt to discourage future user's from purchasing the app thus restricting it's growing user base without being forced to just shut down.

And that is not all.  The app's store page also requests that any user who is no longer using the app to please release the token from their app.  That will free up a token so other people can use the app would essentially drop the count below 100,000 tokens (at least until it is used by someone else).

My advice?

I am not an app developer (or much of a programmer either for that matter); but if I were Mr. Verges my next step would be to prove to Twitter how awesome my app was.  I would drop back and punt for lack of better puns.  Go through the official Twitter app and try to work up a feature or two that the official Twitter app doesn't offer.  And build on it.  Then see what Twitter's excuse is for not raising the cap.  My guess would be they will probably still shoot the request down, and probably add a couple new aforementioned features as well.

To Twitter...

As a company offering a social networking service to the internet community, I understand you're limitations concerning 3rd party developers, apps, and even services.  However, for Falcon Pro to hit this benchmark means that there is definitely something great about this app. Why not make Mr. Verges an offer to help with the current development of the official Twitter app?  Instead of choking out these smaller developers who make awesome apps, why not bring them on board and help build what you currently have going?  Just makes sense to me.

What happens now?

Well, Mr. Verges has tweeted out that he will continue to update the app and support it for current user's as he uses the client himself, and refuses to use an app that is outdated.  For which, I cannot blame him.  And personally, I will continue to use the app as well.  And in the meantime will continue to follow the progress on this and will report back if anything changes.

Ways to get involved:

It may seem somewhat ironic, but why not show Mr. Verges some support over on the Falcon Pro Twitter Account.

Go sign the petition: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/extend-falcon-pro

After all, Mr. Verges isn't the first and probably won't be the last that this type of thing happens to. Unfortunately, if we as the community don't get involved then this will continue to happen to other apps even across other services.

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Mortal Kombat Legacy 2

I just saw this today, even though it has been out for better than a week or so.  Over at Machinima's YouTube Channel, there is the preview trailer for the upcoming sequel to the Mortal Kombat reboot/web series "Mortal Kombat: Legacy" and it is aptly titled "Mortal Kombat: Legacy II".  As of yet there is no release date for when the episode's will start filtering onto the Machinima channel, but hopefully it will be soon.  As it looks pretty awesome!

Looks like this time around we'll see more Scorpion/Sub-Zero goodness, will see Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa reprise his roll of Shang Tsung.  Also shown in the trailer are Keshi, Styker, Raiden, Ermac, Mileena, Kitana, Kung Lao, Johnny Cage and Liu Kang.  Remember back to the first season where we saw the likes of fan favorite characters like Sonya Blade, Jax, Johnny Cage, Kano, Cyrax, and Sektor to name a few.  The first web series was somewhat controversial as many believed the initial teaser to be part of a big-screen franchise reboot of the movie franchise based off of the hit game series.  However, when the developers announced it would in fact be a serial webseries many criticized the series and it's original take on these established characters origin stories and even their revised appearance in some cases.

Personally, a fresh look on the series from a "real-life" perspective was pretty cool.  And infact, as the series progressed and gradually got better and better, I looked forward to each new episode.  And in my opinion, the game series has been pretty dormant over the past several years (and since the release of the lasted MK game).  So any decision to launch this movie into a big-screen type release would more than likely see it flop; in my opinion.  But being a web-released series really makes it standout.  As it is definitely one of the more "premium" style series on the web.  And personally, I'd like to see more webseries like this one.

Anyways, if you haven't seen the new trailer, check it out below.

Watch below:

If you missed out on the first season of the webseries be sure to visit Machinima's Channel, as they have all of the episodes online: Machinima: Mortal Kombat Legacy 2

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App of The Week: Temple Run 2 for Android

As the title mentions, our App of The Week for the Week of February 23rd, 2013 is Temple Run 2.  Let's be honest, if you have a Android or an iPhone, then you have probably at least heard of or even seen the original Temple Run.  The original Temple Run became somewhat of a staple of mobile gaming.  Along with the likes of Angry Birds, Jetpack Joyride, and numerous others.  Either way, the original was an awesome game (albeit, rather frustrating at times; but still awesome).

If you happened to have played the original Temple Run then you pretty much know the ropes of the gameplay.  Basic controls involve swiping the screen in order to make your runner avoid obstacles or make turns all while you are running from the likes of a crazed monkey.  As the game opens, you see a nice 3D fly in of the ornate opening of a cave where an idol hovers in the cave's opening.  You tap the screen to play, and that is when we are introduced to our runner.  Who comes running out of the cave's opening and picks up the idol and starts running.  You catch a shot of the giant monkey that is pursuing your runner.  From there the game's camera positions itself behind your runner and you start out on your high speed adventure.

What's new in Temple Run 2?

Temple Run 2 brings several new elements to the game.  All of which makes the game much more involved and in my opinion, brings a welcomed new environment to the Temple Run series.  The environments from the original game were somewhat dark and gloomy looking; which, don't get me wrong served, to set the mood of the game.  But still the newer, brighter environments just look awesome.

The environments aren't the only improvements that Imangi Studios brought to the table though.  Where the original game succeeded in guiding players through a running, jumping, and sliding crazed run while collecting coins and power-ups; the sequel also throws in zip-lines, mine cart rides, and a much larger monkey.

I have been playing the game on my Nexus 7 tablet and my Samsung Galaxy S2 phone.  And it runs so smooth it's almost ridiculous.  I have experienced virtually no lag while running this game on either of my devices.

What is the point of the game?

Run fast, and run far.  All the while, collecting coins and various power-ups that grant your runner abilites like being invincible, attracting all of the nearby coins as you run past them, or a green bubble of protection.  And at the end of the run, try to beat your high score.  There are also achievements built into the game that change as you level up

Is it worth the download?

Most certainly.  And the price is perfect: FREE.  That's right.  It doesn't cost you a dime to pick up this awesome game.  You can spend your real world cash for jewels in-game.  But spending real world money doesn't help you progress through the game.  As each level starts fresh, and each run is different.  So forget about trying to memorize the pattern as you run through the level.  But overall, this game is lush and beautiful, and is a lot of stylized fun.

Sure, the game can be downright frustrating at times.  But if there has ever been a game that makes it fun to be frustrated; then this is it.  So in short, if you are looking for a fun (and free) game to pick up then this is the app for you.

Rating: 

Visit the Google Play Store: Temple Run 2

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Steam is now a Native Linux application

That's right, you read that right. Valve has released it Steam client as a native Linux application. I have installed it on my Ubuntu 12.10 box and can confirm that it does indeed work. And is pretty much just as easy to install as it is on any Windows machine.

If you are using Ubuntu then be sure to check the Software Center that is built into Ubuntu to download and install it.  I have yet to try a game as I am currently in the process of downloading Counter Strike: Source for testing. To be fair I am also downloading CS:S on my Windows box as well for comparison purposes.

So stay tuned and I will try to report back as to how the Linux version runs when compared to it's Windows counterpart.

In the meantime Steam is running a sale which features some pretty awesome games. I picked up Counter Strike: Source for $5 and Half-Life for $2.49. And that's is just a couple of the great games that are on sale. That sale is supposed to run through Feb. 21st and the games that are purchased are unlocked on your Steam account for any platform that is officially supported. Meaning if you buy a game that runs on Linux, Windows, and Mac then you get access to all the on your Steam aaccount. So check it out:

http://store.steampowered.com

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Rooted Nexus 7 Updated to Android 4.2.2

As mentioned in my earlier post (Nexus 7 Rooted via the Nexus 7 Toolkit) I have rooted my Nexus 7 tablet using Mskip's Nexus 7 Toolkit from the XDA Developer forums.  It was an extremely easy (and quick) process.  Mskip did away the daunting and somewhat confusing aspect of rooting the Nexus 7 and he did an outstanding job.  But as my luck would have it, just a couple weeks after finally rooting my device, Google releases an OTA update to bring the device to Android 4.2.2.

What does this mean for my root access?

Well, typically when updating a rooted device using an official ROM or even an OTA update; there is a really good chance it will do away with your root access in the process of the update.  In some cases, if you have loaded a custom recovery during your initial root, the OTA update may even fail.  This is the last thing I wanted to happen, since I like using my device and not necessarily spending the time to fix my device issues.  So I purposefully waited for Mskip to update his toolkit for the Android 4.2.2 update.  Especially as some many were reporting the need to re-root after updating via the OTA push.

Tonight was the night!

So yeah, I decided to make the jump after reading on the XDA Developers forum that Mskip had updated his toolkit.  I figured why not go ahead and update?  Worse case scenario, I'd need to reroot again.  Sure, there are apps like SuperSU (which I have installed) and OTA RootKeeper which both have features that "should" technically preserve your root access while doing OTA updates.  I chose not to even worry with them, as other user's have had very limited success in either solution saving their root.

Anyways, I went ahead and ran the update.  To my surprise, my device rebooted into CWM and prompted whether I wanted to install the update.  I chose to proceed.  Then the update was installed, and towards the end of the process CWM alerted me that there was a "chance root access was lost".  And prompted me to "Fix" it.  So, I selected to "fix" it.  When the tablet rebooted, first thing I did was check my apps where I saw all of my "root-required" apps were still installed and working.  After downloading a Root Checker app for free from Google Play, it also verified that my root was preserved during the update.

That was pretty awesome.  Now keep in mind, per the XDA forums; some people have had this luck. While others have had to re-root their devices.  I'm not sure, but it almost seems like it depends on what version of the Nexus 7 Toolkit was used to initially root the device.  However, I can't state that to be gospel truth as my knowledge of the toolkit is limited to a couple of uses.

Anyways, give it a shot.  You never know.

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Retro Game Curator on YouTube is Now Live!

Well, you can tell we got snow here in my area today.  Why?  Because I was finally able to get some time to sit down and do some recording!  As mentioned in a previous post, we have a welcome addition to the TechieSmarts network of websites/YouTube Channels!  It goes by the name of: Retro Game Curator.

There is also an associated blog as well.  Check out: http://retrogamecurator.blogspot.com where we have a growing selection of posts covering topics concerning old school gaming, reviews, news, and yes; links to all of our video content (which will be growing soon).

If you follow me on Twitter, keep an eye out for posts with the hashtag:
#RetroGameCurator as that tag will designate everything concerning that site.

So be sure you drop by and show us some love guys!

Happy surfing!

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New Video on Our YouTube Channel!

After a long hiatus, I'm back!  Just uploaded a brand new video to our YouTube Channel, so feel free to swing by and check it out (or watch it below).  Regardless of how you watch it, be sure to swing by our channel and subscribe so you stay up to date as we add new videos!

Ubuntu 12.10: Install Cinnamon Desktop

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OTG Cable for Nexus 7 Makes Moving Files Easy

As mentioned in a previous post, there is a USB cable you can purchase for your Nexus 7 that will allow you to read from USB Flash Drives (and write to them if you are rooted), use game controllers, etc.  But keep in mind that this cable is not a standard USB cable.  It is called an "On-The-Go Cable" or "OTG Cable" for short.  They are fairly cheap to buy, and in my opinion are well worth the investment for any Nexus 7 owner.  Does it work?  Do you have to be rooted to use it?  Why even worry about it?  The answers (respectively): Yes, No, and It's Awesome. See below.

Does it work?

In short, yes the OTG cable works marvelously.  Seeing as how it is just a cable, there aren't many ways it wouldn't work.  It fits the small connection on the bottom of the Nexus 7 where you plug it up to charge.  The opposite end of the OTG Cable, is a female USB connector.  This allows you to hook up pretty much any USB Flash Drive or game controller to it.  This makes it possible to watch movies or play music or even just access files directly from a USB Flash drive without the need of transferring these files directly to the Nexus 7 using either a PC or services like Box.

If you are using your Nexus 7 as it is straight out of the box (i.e.: not rooted) then you will need an app from the Google Play store to be able to read the USB Flash Drives.  And without Root access, that's about all you can do.  There have been some reports of certain apps allowing play with a PS3 gamepad without root, but not every app supports it.  So if you aren't rooted and just want to be able to access other files using flash drives:

-Visit the Google Play Store and download the Nexus Media Importer by Homesoft ($2.99 USD)
-Hook up the OTG Cable and a flash drive.
-The Nexus Media Importer app should launch automatically.
-Select your files and have fun!
*Just note that without root access you can only read from USB Flash drives, you can't write back to them.

Do you have to be rooted to use it?

No you don't.  As mentioned above, you can use it without root access.  However, you're somewhat limited to what you can do with the OTG Cable unless you do have root access.  With root access you can read and write to and from USB Flash Drives.  You can also hook up a PS3, Xbox 360, or even Wiimote to your device for gaming.  Using these devices does typically require an extra app to make it easier to setup (for PS3 controllers use Sixaxis).

And for reading/writing files I use the Stickmount (FREE) app and ES File Explorer (FREE) app to access and transfer files as needed.

Why Even Worry About It?

So why even worry about it.  In short, if you have no plans to root your device or you are completely happy with your Nexus 7 as it is out of the box, you may not even care about using an OTG Cable.  But if you're like me and you like to read books/comic books digitally, or watch movies and videos offline, or even play games with a gamepad; then the OTG Cable is a great workaround.  The Nexus 7 is a slick device, no doubt about it.  But one of the complaints have been the lack of an SD Card slot (or even a full sized USB Host port).  Pretty much, whether you bought the 16 or 32GB capacity versions, that's all the space you get.  With an OTG Cable you not only get the internal storage of your device, along with as many USB Flash Drives you could possibly want.  This really opens up your devices storage options especially if you get tired of using your PC to transfer files to and from your device.

Get Your's!

I use the IVSO Nexus 7 Tablet Micro USB Host OTG Cable from Amazon which cost me after shipping: $4.97 (USD) which is pictured above.

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Nexus 7 Rooted via the Nexus 7 Toolkit

Last night I did something brave.  Something I swore I wouldn't do for a while after I purchased my Nexus 7.  Apparently, I lied to myself.  As I a little better than a month out of my ownership of my Nexus 7, and today it is rooted.  This isn't a definitive walkthrough.  But it will hit the high spots.  And we can do it in about 4 steps that make the rooting process so easy it's almost ridiculous.  Be warned, the rooting process does perform a factory reset during the process which means all of your user data and apps will be erased from the device.  Please backup any information or data you may need before starting the rooting process.  Read below.

Step 1: Drivers

First thing first, you need the ADB drivers for your Nexus 7.  This can be accomplished one of a couple of ways.  Way #1: download the Nexus 7 Toolkit and let it install the correct drivers for you.  I attempted this, and it didn't work for me.  I am using Windows 8, and I had read there were some funny issues about Nexus 7 driver installation under Windows 8.  So I had to go to Way #2.

Way #2 is manually downloading the drivers from the ASUS site (click here).  This will download the USB Driver Package to your PC.  Simply unzip this file to a folder you can easily find.  Then open Windows Explorer, right click Computer and click on Properties.  Look for the link in the properties box that says "Device Manager".  Look for an entry that had a yellow caution sign beside it that reads "Nexus 7".

Right Click the "unknown" Nexus 7 device and select to Update the driver.  Follow the wizard and point it to the USB Driver that you downloaded and unzipped.  This should fix the driver issue.

Step 2: USB Debugging has to be Enabled

On the Nexus 7 the "Developer Options" menu has been hidden.  To access is, open the "Settings" app on your Nexus 7, tap on "About Tablet".  Find "Build Number" and tap 7 times.  You will see a prompt counting down how many taps until you become a "developer".  This unlocks the "Developer Options Menu".  Now tap your back button to return to the "Settings" menu and then tap into the "Developer Options" menu.  Locate "USB Debugging" and enable it.

Step 3: Download and Install the Nexus 7 Toolkit

This is where the magic is going to happen but you have to be running this from a Windows PC with the drivers mentioned above (unless you let the toolkit install drivers for you).  Visit XDA Developer's Nexus 7 section and download the Nexus 7 Toolkit.  There is a lot of good information on this page, and if you have any desire to root and load custom ROMs on your device then please frequent XDA.  XDA is a great community for this kind of thing.  Anyways, click here to visit the thread about the Nexus 7 Toolkit and download it.  Once you have downloaded it, install it.  It will place a shortcut on your desktop for future use.

Step 4: Hook it all up!

Hook your Nexus 7 up to a USB Cable and your PC.  Launch the newly installed Nexus 7 Toolkit.  And you'll be greeted with a window that has a black background and green text asking if you want to check for an update to the toolkit (select No).  Then select your build of Android (if you aren't sure go back into your Nexus 7 settings and click on "About Tablet" it will tell you Android 4.2 or 4.2.1 or other).  Back in the ToolKit enter the number option that matches your version of Android.  For example, mine was 4 for Android 4.2.1.

If the Toolkit see's your tablet, your tablet's serial number will be just bove the main menu.  If you see it there, you're in good shape (see the pic below).  I selected #8 from the menu for "1-CLICK for ALL...".  Essentially, it will go through an automated process of unlocking the bootloader, rooting, renaming the recovery, installing custom recovery and busybox.  The whole process takes less than 10 minutes to finish.  It is prompted.  So just follow the instructions as the program prompts you.  The Toolkit will handle all rebooting of the Nexus 7 and installation of all software as needed during the process.  So basically sit back, answer a few prompts and let it ride until it is done.  Once the process is finished your Nexus 7 will reboot and the program will prompt that the rooting was successful.

If you are curious that it infact worked, download one of the many Root Checker apps from the Google Play Store and check.  Now you can flash custom ROMs and run apps that require root access.  One of my reasons for rooting was to use my PS3 controller for some of my tablet's games.  But we'll cover that in another post.

Links used:

Nexus 7 Toolkit from XDA-Developers (does not require site registration)

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