Well you see, things aren't exactly what they seem with Two-a-day. I mean he actually does that kind of shit you've known him to, hustles hot software to the caspers in Barrytown, but his main shot, I mean the man's real ambitions, you understand, lie elsewhere... 'Count Zero' - William Gibson

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Google Play. Google Maps. Here maps. Offline maps for Android phones. Full screen maps.

Here's a nice bit of news.
Google Maps update of August 17, 2015 finally introduces a 'tap to go full screen' mode on Google Maps. At last !
This is the one feature that has been really missing for a long time. Google Maps is once again useful and usable.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.maps&hl=en

I had completely written off Google Maps for a long time and gone to Nokia's Here map app which has a lovely interface, and still does. It also boasts extremely useful OFFLINE maps that can be saved to an SD card. This feature is still unequaled on any other map app.

Anyway, for all of you who had given up on Google ever producing a decent interface for Google Maps, give it another try, it's quite good now.

Here's a screenshot from my Huawei Mate 7.
Google Maps with that intrusive 'Search bar' and 'Around here bar' blocking your screen.


One tap on the screen and those bars are now gone and you have a full screen map. It's much better.


If you want offline maps saved to your phone when you are going overseas, definitely go for Nokia's Here map app.

Here's a screenshot from my Huawei Mate 7. 
Nokia's Here map app. This is showing an offline map of Australia saved to my SD card - not a real time data download like Google Maps uses.


'Use app offline' when traveling overseas, or just all the time, to save your precious data.


It's very important that you go straight into the settings and select 'Storage Memory' as 'sdcard1'.
The app will then always store downloaded maps here, and you can take your maps to your new phone by also taking your SD card.


Buy a 32 GB SD card and download the world ! You will always have it offline.


For those of you who are familiar with you phone's file systems and want to rig up multiple back up phones for travel, you can copy and paste the Here maps data to a new SD card.

Fire up you computer and first plug in your phone that DOES have the Here maps app and all the downloaded maps on an SD card. Make sure you use a good USB cable that is a data cable, not just a recharge cable.
Next plug in your travel/back up phone that DOES NOT yet have Here maps installed. If it does, uninstall it for now.

Copy and past the "com.here.app.maps" folder. 
When I plug my phone in,the address is...
G:\Android\data\com.here.app.maps

You must do this BEFORE you install Here maps on your new phone, otherwise the copy and paste will be blocked. You will be trying to overwrite a protected file created by the new installation of the the Here maps app.
If you strike this problem, just uninstall Here maps, copy and paste the file, then re-install.

This process is easier and quicker than downloading the offline maps via the Here map app to yet another phone. It will take quite a while to transfer those files, so be patient and go and make a cuppa.


Saturday, July 11, 2015

Google Play. Office Lens. Trim, enhance, and make pictures of whiteboards and docs readable.

I've been trying to take pictures, using my phone, of signs that are over my head height and at an angle. Cropping the standard images produced from camera was just no good.

Office Lens has let me capture exact images of just what I need - cropped and squared. It had interpreted precisely what I was after.

Here's the link to Google Play.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microsoft.office.officelens&hl=en

I can then save these images to my gallery and to OneNote, which is now my preferred cloud note storage, as well as to a PDF or Word document. This is very clever software.


Have a look at these two images. These are pictures taken from my Samsung Galaxy S3 with my arms stretched above my head, of a sign that was high above my head and at an angle.

Office Lens has zoomed in and also cropped what it takes to be a rectangular document, in this case, the screen. I have not altered that image at all myself.



From my normal phone camera, without Office Lens, I get this...




Thursday, June 4, 2015

Google Play. Google Keyboard. Gesture Typing. Swipe to type.

You might think that this post is a little obvious as every phone comes with a keyboard.

This is true, but there's a few things different about the Google Keyboard from the Google Play market - it has a swipe to type capability and also has different alphabets, such as Japanese, and has built in dictionaries for more than 25 languages.

Samsung, HTC and Sony phones have their own stock keyboards and from my old experience, they are all missing swipe to type.

For me, it's the swipe function that wins me. There's no going back from it.
To quote Google, "Glide through letters with Gesture Typing".
I find I can always tell people who are stuck with iPhones as I see them slowly and painstakingly tapping out single letters. It's the same with people who have Android phones but have not yet experimented with different keyboards.

Here's the link on Google Play.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.inputmethod.latin&hl=en

Install and enable from Settings - Language and input.


Enable the Google Keyboard.


Enable Gesture Typing.


Then try it out. The secret is not to rush, you can drag your finger around as slow as you want.

The Japanese Input is pretty clever too, if you are trying to learn Japanese.

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Google Play. MySMS text message cloud sync.

I broke my phone during my house renovation. I lost my text messages. I needed a solution for cloud sync of my text messages.

Now all my Contacts are in Google Contacts, so I can create and update them from my phone or computer. Cloud synced, no worries.

All my Calendar is in Google Calendar, so I can create and update my appointments and rosters from my phone or computer. Cloud synced, thank you Google.

All my pictures are in the removable SD card, as well as in Dropbox, so that's all cloud synced, no problem. (Never buy a phone without a removable SD card, ever !). Dropbox is wonderful and easy to use and free up to a point.

What I also wanted was to see all my SMS text messages to my tradesmen and friends, on my computer on the big screen.


I wanted to be able to sit at my computer and type messages to the plumber and send them through my phone, and have all that synced to my phone by the time I walked out the door.
I found MySMS which solved all my problems.
MySMS replaces my native text messaging app on my Android phone.

Here's the link on Google Play.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mysms.android.sms&hl=en



MySMS does all that I need and makes it very easy. It's free to a point, but I subscribe for $15 a year to support the MySMS team and give me more features.

I use the Tron theme for the dark colors.


Good menu system.


Cloud sync. If I lose or break my phone, or just want a new phone, I install the MySMS app on my new phone and enter my account and all my messages sync from the cloud and appear on my new phone.


And most importantly for me, I can sit at my computer and read and send my messages


Some FAQs


* I lost my phone, how do retrieve all my SMS text messages and put them on my new phone ?

Install and use MySMS as your test messaging app on your phone. MySMS will cloud sync your messages so they are always available on your computer or your new phone.

* How can I see all my SMS text messages on my computer ?

Install and use MySMS as your test messaging app on your phone. MySMS will cloud sync your messages so they are always available on your computer.


Google Play. Nova Launcher app.

I am still using my Samsung Galaxy 3 phone which uses the TouchWiz graphical user interface, which is OK, but it's very limited and not very adaptable.

Most of all I wanted to remove the app dock at the bottom of the screen so that I could use 5x4 widgets for my calendar.



So I tried a couple of other launchers such as Go Launcher, but settled on Nova Launcher for it's staggering customizing ability. I can change just about anything on my phone.


That pesky app dock is now turned off.


Here's my phone now, with a 5x4 calendar widget from Jorte Calendar app.
See ? No more app bar at the bottom of the screen !


Here's the link on the Google Play market.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.teslacoilsw.launcher&hl=en

Here's my main desktop page, again with no dock bar at the bottom.


Here's some more of the Nova menus.
The main panel...


The Desktop menus...


Transition scroll for the desktop. I use Cube or Card Stack.


Here's some FAQs.


* Samsung Galaxy S3. How do I remove the app dock bar at the bottom of the screen ?

Use a third party launcher from the Google Play market, such as Go Launcher or Nova Launcher.
Install Nova Launcher and select it for use always, then go to the Dock menu and turn the slider to the left to remove the app dock. See the images above.



Google Play. Jorte Calendar app. Google Calendar.

I use my Google Calendar all the time, many times a day. I'm a shift worker, and I recently renovated my house. Having all my shifts and appointments in my Google Calendar is essential. I can enter appointments at my computer and they sync to my phone.

I like the presentation of the Google Calendar widgets, but I like the widgets from Jorte Calendar even better. I can have any size I want. I use a 5x4 widget and a 1x1 widget.
Jorte lets me use my Google Calendar as well as any other calendar I want to integrate into the app.

Here's the link for the Google play market...
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.co.johospace.jorte&hl=en

Here's what the Jorte app looks like. I use two weeks to a screen.


This is my main widget, also two weeks to a screen.
(Note that I am using Nova Launcher on my phone, which I tailor to remove that lock bar of apps at the bottom of the screen.)


I also use a 1x1 widget to show me today's events.


It's worth having Jorte just for the amazing and complete amount of all possible size widgets.

Keep in mind that Google Calendar is also a great way to back up your data. 
Make monthly repeating entries so that you can always find them. 
In one, put all you car info. In another, put all your medical info. In another, put all your house info and bills, and so on. I can put a very large amount of text in the notes. 

See my post on my tech blog...


Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Google Play. Dropbox . How do I ....

Dropbox, what a wonderful idea. What a great way to back up all my photos and files.

Dropbox is a cloud storage system. All your files and photos are stored on Dropbox's server so that you can access them from any device - phone or computer.

Dropbox grants a free allowance as well as the ability to earn more free space.
Even though I am a huge fan of free stuff, I pay $100 a year for a terabyte of space so that I never have to worry about running out of space.

Here's the link on Google Play
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dropbox.android&hl=en

This is it on my Android phone...


I've gone to the effort of writing this post to help you understand how to use Dropbox and to make the most of it.

Firstly, keep it organised.
Keep all you files is one folder in the main menu. 
Use sub folders inside that main folder.

Every so often I copy and paste me Word Excel files into Dropbox, as well as the yearly tax files and other important documents.

Keep images of your passport and drivers licence and airline tickets and insurance here if you are traveling.



In the Dropbox settings on your phone, turn on instant upload. Also select upload over WiFi only or via data plan, depending on how big a data plan you have.

Keep you pictures sorted too. Keep them sorted into folders or you become lost in them.
Inside the Camera Upload folder, I make one sub folder for ALL holidays, with sub folders inside that.
I make a sub folders for car, dogs, cafes, passport and airline ticket pics, and so on.

Important: Go to your camera settings on your phone and turn the size of the image down to 1 MB or under. If you are taking pictures that are 2 or 3 or 4 MB in size, then you will use up your phone memory very quickly, as well as you free Dropbox space. Large photos also take to long to send and download, as well as using up your data allowance.
See the main post on my tech blog...
http://genuinefreestuff.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/my-dropbox-is-full-how-do-i-fit-more-in.html#.VWWxws-qpBc

I use instant upload from my phone, it all goes straight to Dropbox. It's wonderful and it's easy.
I never have to worry about losing my phone and the photos on it, or worry changing hard drives on the computer. It's all on Dropbox.



Here's their home page link if you are at your computer...
https://www.dropbox.com/home


FAQs

* Google Play. Dropbox . How do I make the photos from my phone go straight to Dropbox ?
Go to the Dropbox settings on your phone and turn on the Camera Upload.
Also select WiFi only or Data Plan.


* Google Play. Dropbox . How do I make my phone camera pictures smaller so that I don't use up my Dropbox allowance ?
Go to the camera settings on your phone - open up the camera - and turn down the resolution of the picture.



Take a picture, go to your gallery and check the details of that picture.


Mine are always approximately 500 KB, always less than 1 MB.


* Google Play. Dropbox . How do I back up my files ?
Install the Dropbox program on your computer from the Dropbox home page.
Then copy and paste the folders from My Documents that you want to back up into the Dropbox folder. That's it.

* Google Play. Dropbox . My Dropbox is full, how do I get more space ?
Refer friends to Dropbox. Read here at their help site...
https://www.dropbox.com/help/topics/space_and_storage
Or...
Pay. Seriously, I love free stuff, but I love having my precious photos backed up even more. I pay $100 a year for 1 terabyte of space so I never have to worry about running our of space. It's a good form of insurance if you ever lose your phone or have your computer stolen or hacked.

* Google Play. Dropbox . How do I stop Dropbox uploading photos when I'm overseas on holidays ?
Go to the Dropbox settings on your phone and go to the Camera Upload area. Select WiFi only.
Also go to your phone settings, go to Data Usage, untick Mobile Data and just use the hotel WiFi at night for all your needs.


Saturday, May 23, 2015

Google Play. Game Dev Story. How do I ...

This game is great fun. Lots of fun. 



Here's the link.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.kairosoft.android.gamedev3en&hl=en



Here's my hints.

Create your first games for PC using the Research method which gives lots of Upgrade ability.

Hire a Sound Engineer and Designer.

Save Research Points to Upgrade those staff to Level 5.

In new 6 seat office, hire Mr X through Open House hire - he has best power.

Don't buy boosts, buy Career Change Manuals (always buy 3) and Upgrade Mr X to Level 5 in all aspects then Hardware Eng.

Buy a licence for maybe the Gamekid and make games for that as long as you can, then maybe Playstatus.

Train all low level staff just once in each area when you have cash to unlock Genres.

Let staff that want to Increase something do so for one Research - if they fail, more bugs gives you more Research points.

Advertise .

Always make e Sequel if you make a Hit. You'll have another sure fire winner.

When in 8 seat office, and have plenty cash, hire through Hollywood Agent these staff who have best power...
Stephen Jobson, Francoise Bloom hacker, Walt Sidney, Cokie Bottleson, Sophie Kairo, Mindy Crawford, Bubbles Morgan, King Ackbar, Kai Robot .

Buy Career Change Manuals and Upgrade your staff to Level 5 in all aspects, then Hardware Eng to make consoles, with 6 HE you can make a console with Potato Chip and Punch Card, just for the fun of it.

* If you change the career of a highly trained staff member, they keep all the benefits of their previous career. Don't be afraid to change them once they hit Level 5.

Then train them all as Hackers !



Here's some links that helped me...

http://www.gamefaqs.com/iphone/610758-game-dev-story/faqs/61859

http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/610758-game-dev-story/57387788

http://strategywiki.org/wiki/Game_Dev_Story/Combinations

http://strategywiki.org/wiki/Game_Dev_Story/Walkthrough

My own FAQs for you.

* Game Dev Story. Should  I make my own consoles ?
Yes. Firstly for the fun of the game.
Secondly, then never become obsolete unless you make a new console.
Thirdly, you gain lots of Research points to upgrade staff.

* Game Dev Story. Should  I buy boosts ?
Not really, not until late in the game. Buy Career Change Manuals instead to cross train staff. This is much more important.

* Game Dev Story. Should I try to buy every console ?
No. Make games for PC as long as you can, then maybe the Gamekid and make games for that as long as you can, then maybe Playstatus. Then try making your own console.

* Game Dev Story. How do I hire a Hacker ?
Well, you don't really need to. Train a high stamina staff member, maybe Mr X, in all areas, then Producer, then Director, then you can train him as a Hacker ! This goes for all staff of course.
Don't hire a Hacker, train them all up.

* Game Dev Story. How do I hire really good staff ?
Wait until you have an 8 seat office and plenty of cash, then hire them through the  Hollywood Agent.
Look for those with the best stamina ...  Stephen Jobson, Francoise Bloom hacker, Walt Sidney, Cokie Bottleson, Sophie Kairo, Mindy Crawford, Bubbles Morgan, King Ackbar, Kai Robot .

Google Play. Prison Life RPG. How do I ....

Here's my hints on how to play this fun game. It's kept me amused for weeks.
Game Version 1.3.5, May 2015.

 

This is the Google Play link

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nobstudio.chengshuwan.prisonLifeRPG&hl=en



I've been looking for game that involves fun character development and this is it.
There's a lot of well thought out game play here.
This is a great game. Take the time to learn how it works.



Choose your prisoner carefully and check the long term goal - make sure you achieve it to unlock other prisoners.
Choose Rich and high Agility to help survive.
Choose Basketball, Body building, Socail or Chess to join a gang straight away and do join a gang.
Be careful where you sit at lunch - sit with your own gang or with the gang-less prisoners.

** Game saves at night sleep so you can go back to your last save if you mess up in the day.

My first priority if to join a gang if I have the Skill. Otherwise...

My second priority is always to gain 40 Snitch to protect my prisoner from bully and extort, and to obtain free Gossips. This becomes the first priority if the prisoner is weak in all aspects.
I always work in the first job as much as possible early in the game to earn Gossips and to gain the Cockroach Pet.

My third priority is to learn Steal. Idle to obtain a Coin to help learn Steal.
Once I have Steal, I steal hamburgers and use instead of sleep to practice skills in my cell at night.
I then Steal all the items I need to learn all the Skills - mirrors, meat, hamburger, nail, origami, and so on.
To gain money, I always Cheat rather than Gamble, as Cheat gains a benefit from Agility and Intelligence and any Friend. Gamble just relies on luck.

Next priority is to learn all the Skills. I don't rush to gain promotion in the gang until later.
** Make friends with and learn skills from the Heart breakers gang for preference - it makes it quicker to take over their gang later if you are friends with them all.
Learn Basketball to give +6 survival in the showers.
Learn Joker to obtain free Jokes - useful if you sit at a gang table at lunch by mistake.
Develop Social and similar skills to make friends and influence people.

** Also Recruit the first few people you learn skills from if your escape plans allow. They will assist you with Bully and Steal and so on. If you are going to tunnel from your cell, befriend your cell mates.

Next I usually try to make 30 phone calls. I bribe Mr Slave to allow 4 calls a day. This gives me Stealth and extra Agility from the pet cat.
This can also give me a vital cash flow or hamburger supply from Grandma, Wife or Gangster.

I learn Architect and work in the Warden's Office to earn the Ladybug Pet for +2 Luck.
Architect is better than Banker because it requires one less Intelligence and is useful in your escape.
I  steal two sleeping pills from the Warden to aid my escape later.

Then I start to Steal to earn money, and maybe buy the Lucky 8 Ball to help Steal.

Work to gain the pets. Work in the kitchen to steal knives. Work in the guard room to steal pills.

Always take the Bribe Boxer Two jobs to earn easy money. Bet on Boxer One of course !
Keep a supply of drugged coffee handy.

Next I usually try to advance in my gang as well as steal or buy the items to gain the upgrades from the mad doctor in the medical lab.
* Charisma needs 6 rotten foods and 2 combs.
* Agility needs 4 bread and 4 toothbrush - easy to buy them. Do this early in the game.
* Strength needs 6 nails and 2 spoons.
* Luck needs 4 weather reports from watching TV and 4 mirrors.
* Intelligence needs 6 needles and 2 candles - you can steal needles from the Medical Lab.

Next, I take over my gang then all the other gangs if I feel the need.

Oh, make sure you complete your Personal Goal.

Prisoners.


Hungry Monk is probably the hardest.
Work every morning so that you are not bullied or extorted.
Make friends every afternoon so that you are not bullied or extorted. I friend Teabag as he will join as an escape recruit straight away. You need the +5 friend bonus to help kill Minsc.
Save to buy a knife or the most expensive weapon you can buy.
On you second last day, kill Minsc to gain his rat to save you from execution. Hope to meet him in the shower for a safer kill. You stand a good chance to kill Minsc if you have a knife and a friend.
Then proceed as per low intelligence below.

Pip-boy is also tricky, but an easy prisoner to play.
You have to forge keys or lock pick twice to escape, so plan carefully. If you stay in a ground cell, friend both your cell mates.
I prefer to go to the roof top cell after bribing Shane. Then I rope down to the kitchen to pick the first lock, then to the laundry to pick the second lock, then any route to the car which I also use lock pick on, so that's three chances at lock-pick to complete my goal.

Ranbow is also tricky. Read the personal quest properly.
You have to kill the Warden. So tunnel and pick the escape route to the front gate that involves killing the Warden.

For all other characters that have low intelligence or charisma, I have a fail-safe routine.
Work every morning to gain gossips to gain 40 Snitch. Social every afternoon to gain friends.
Do NOT let yourself be interrupted by bully or extort, even if it means leaving a friend at 99%. Just chat to yet another prisoner for a full afternoon until you have 40 Snitch to protect you.
If you have a nightmare, just exit and reload the game to keep happiness your up.
Slowly gain Steal, then Social, then Gamble, and go from there.

My own FAQs for you.

* Prison Life RPG. How do I take over the Heart Breakers gang ?
Chat to them all to gain 100 percent trust. Then take over.

* Prison Life RPG. How do I take over the Mobsters gang ?
Work at gang jobs to earn 48 gang respect, then take them over. Game Version 1.3.5, May 2015.

* Prison Life RPG. How do I take over the Golden Coin gang ?
Earn $11970 from Gamble and Bribe Boxer Two jobs, them take them over.

* Prison Life RPG. How do I take over the Guns and Roses gang ?
Kill their leader twice - in the shower is best to avoid solitary.

* Prison Life RPG. How do I Bribe Boxer Two ?
Wait and watch for Bribe Boxer Two to come up as a gang job in the morning or work job in the afternoon. Keep a supply of drugged coffees handy - craft them at night in your cell.
If you drug a boxer, it's best if you be social to them the next morning to avoid too many enemies.

* Prison Life RPG. How do I protect my prisoner from other prisoners Bully or Extort ?
1. Join a gang.
2. Work to earn Gossips to gain at least 40 Snitch from the guard at lunch.
If you make enemies from Snitch, it's best if you be social to them the next morning to avoid too many enemies, that goes for irate gangs too. It's best to snitch on the guards.

* Prison Life RPG. How do I win at Gambling or Cheat ?
Make sure you have the Gamble, Chess and Banker skills, as well as the Lady Bug pet from working in the Warden's Office, and either the Lucky Eight Ball purchased from the Gold Coin gang shop, and the Luck buff from the mad doctor.
You can also Cheat at Gambling by having the Gamble, Chess and Steal skills. Cheat is a lot easier.

Also check this link...
http://mypartimespace.blogspot.com.au/2015/02/prison-life-rpg-guides.html