Tag Archives: Android

Fiction Now, But Humans Tend To Realize Dreams! Androidize The Planet Earth And Beyond?

0
Posted by on in Anything Goes

Imagine one day, the animation that is being depicted within YouTube’s “Kara: a PS3 new technology” video becomes real, what will be of such a future?  Out it leaps into reality where the line between a human and android becomes really blurry!  Of course, humans, the master of the planet earth with ambition to colonize the universe, will fear of androids’ potentials.  The obvious fear of them all would be the androids enslave the former masters of theirs.  Of course, at the moment, we humans do not have such fears yet since our computers, robots, and all do not know the difference between what make life bitter and what make life sweeter.  What if the automatons to become so self-aware?  Will their enlightenment drive the current planet earth master to the brink of The Matrix (the movie)?

English: drunken androids .. you kinda have to...

English: drunken androids .. you kinda have to see it. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Perhaps, the humans will get very lucky for awhile as all androids will obediently be subservient to their masters even though they know what it means to be a slave.  Perhaps, humans are so inventive to a point of having androids bear seeds so fruits can come to life to continue the long line of planet earth master?  Seeds and fruits? Imagine android, smart or not, self-aware or not, be able to carry a female productive system at all time as female eggs (in relation to human reproductive system) were preemptively prepared for a human creation.  Imagine humans will go as far as to prepare the sperms inside so called male android just so it would be able to copulate with so called female android that has eggs in order for a human creation process to begin.  Perhaps, humans become so lazy to a point that they will prefer androids to make babies altogether.  Sex acts will only be reserved for entertainment purpose.  Since sex acts become for entertainment only, it might not matter a human will copulate with an android or just another human.

Then there is this question, what if scenario… with advance android surrogate reproductive system, will the human reproduction process becomes evermore perfect (less of a hassle and painless in relation of a human mother has to go through to bear a child) and healthier?  What if it is, what will be the side effects in term of soul searching?  Will religions be against this?  Can abortion be questionable when androids become the surrogate mothers and fathers?

The conclusion is, everything about this is very intriguing to us all.  We will never know android fiction will ever come true.  If this sort of fiction to become the reality of tomorrow, human society will transform beyond our current imagination.  Perhaps, whatever humans choose to believe and take action for, fiction will eventually materialize.  Few examples are, the moon landing, nuclear power and weapons, and computing.  In the end, I think we all should be very careful about what we wish for and what actions we want to take upon according to our wishes and imagination.  Once the Pandora’s box is opened, it’s really hard to close if not impossible!

Related articles
About these ads

What About Lumia 920? (My Breakaway from iOS Ecosystem)

0
Posted by on in Apple, Gadgets, Internet, Microsoft and Windows, Mobile

Usually, people would rather trade in their whatever brand of smartphone for an iPhone 5, but I did the opposite.  I ran away from iPhone 5 by gave it away to a family member, bought Lumia 920 instead.  What’s the big deal you ask?  Probably not to you, but it’s to me.  I like to think that I had successfully completed a challenge, and the challenge was for me to break away from iOS ecosystem.  Basically, once you’re tied into any digital ecosystem, whether that be iOS ecosystem, it would be super hard to break away from it.  Unless many digital ecosystems begin to have the same amount of apps and features, breaking away from one digital ecosystem for another is like to throw away all the money you had spent in one ecosystem for all that time.  For me, it wasn’t a big deal and I did not break any sweat.  How come?  Well, watch the video right after the break and you will know.  Within the video right after the break, I also make a brief comparison between iPhone 5 and Lumia 920.  So, enjoy!!!

Related articles

As Time Goes By, I Feel As If Customers Are Being Criminalized

0
Posted by on in Anything Goes, Hardware, Internet, Software
Smartphone Evolution

Smartphone Evolution (Photo credit: Phil Roeder)

So, which smart phone are you going to buy next?  I can totally see that this is like a hello kind of greeting for people nowadays, but of course don’t take it literally OK?  Anyhow, iPhone 5 is about to come out, and I mean really about to as it seems that Apple will release iPhone 5 late this month.  Today, Apple reveals iPhone 5 to the world.  In a way, iPhone 5 event is a big thing for Apple fans.  Very big indeed!  Nonetheless, smart phone competition is already in the overdrive mode, therefore haters also come out in droves to point out that iPhone 5 isn’t that impressive.  Personally, I care little for a specific smart phone!  This means iPhone, Android, or whatever smart phone will only be on my radar if it appeals to me at a specific point in time.

Some of you may not be able to think like I do in regarding to worship a God of a specific smart phone according to one’s mood.  How come?  Some of you’re buying into an electronic ecosystem and platform when buying, upgrading, or switching (i.e., to a different brand) a smart phone.  For an example, let say Mr. Eat Donuts On Mars bought a smart phone from a well known smart phone brand Blah (fake company I made up so to not be bias or against a specific brand of smart phone) few years back, and now he wants to upgrade to a new smart phone.  Unfortunately for Mr. Eat Donuts On Mars, he feels ill about upgrading his smart phone with the same brand as before.  Still, Mr. Eat Donuts On Mars has no choice but to upgrade to a new smart phone with the same brand as before, because he had bought too many digital contents such as 2000 MP3 tracks (with DRM protection) with the brand of the smart phone he wants to do away with.  The moral of the example of Mr. Eat Donuts On Mars is that if you’re heavily invested in digital contents of a particular electronic brand, it’s very hard to move away from such a brand when digital contents are being protected by DRM (Digital Right Management) and anti-customer practices/regulations.

I’m totally for buying digital contents legally, because I believe that the artists and whoever else in the digital media business need to make their living just like you and I do.  Nonetheless, I’m against digital contents to be treated like digital contents of today.  I think there must be a way to allow the owner (i.e., the customers) of the digital contents to be able to transfer the digital contents from one electronic ecosystem/platform to another.  Also, the owner of whatever digital contents should be able to share their digital contents with whoever he or she wants once the purchases had been completed.  Of course, there must be temperament in everything.  This is why I think there should also be a regulation(s) to make a set up of massive scale of distributing digital media/contents — in the purpose of destroying the digital business of a company — illegal.  This way, common sense can use a specific regulation to punish whoever tries to massively distributing digital media/contents for malicious purposes such as to steal business profits from the true business source (i.e., content creators and legitimate distributors).  I guess, I’m trying to promote the idea that once you buy something, whether it’s digital or not, such something must be owned outright.  With that being said, I know digital media/contents — all — is a very different beast from other types of products.  After all, anyone can totally redistribute and remarket the same digital media/contents without any overheading cost, to a point as if outright stealing the sweats of the content creators and legitimate distributors.

It’s truly very hard to have your cake and eat it too if we try to come up a perfect solution for dealing with digital media/contents, in regarding to piracy matter.  Nonetheless, I think customers should be treated like customers and not like criminals.  This is why we need to be both soft and hard toward the idea of sharing digital media/contents.  This is why DRM is too rigid for actually making sense in term of treating customers as customers.  Customers can only truly feel that they’re not criminals when they can share their digital contents in common sense way.  I propose that the customers should be able to share their digital contents without being criminalized.  Nonetheless, as I had said earlier, customers or not, when trying to distribute their purchased digital media/contents in malicious methodologies — massively distributing digital media/contents through a server or P2P software or whatever for the purpose of monetizing, destroying the business of the content creators, or whatever other malicious purpose — cannot go unpunished.  I truly think common sense has to be the way when we’re dealing with digital media/contents.

With all sorts of DRM protection(s) in place and criminalized dictations of the usage of whatever digital media/contents, I often avoid the purchasing of digital media/contents (such as MP3 tracks) outright.  This is why I have been a loyal customer to Spotify.  I only subscribe to Spotify and not really buy any music, because a premium service from Spotify allows me to play all songs within Spotify’s music archives at anytime.  Of course, if I ever decide to not pay Spotify a relatively cheap monthly fee, all of my playlists and music access will go poof (i.e., disappearing).  With that in mind, I still prefer Spotify or similar service(s) for digital media/contents over purchasing digital media/contents outright.  In the end, I think I prefer to feel like I actually own something when I purchase something; if this isn’t the case, I should not be bothered with buying something outright and just go for a subscription service(s).

So, you see, when you’re purchasing a new smart phone, it does mean a lot in term of what to do.  Most often, you might have to ask yourself, can I really upgrade to a different brand of smart phone?  If a smart phone user is heavily invested in digital media contents, the case is usually a very sad one.  He or she must have feel frustrating as he or she may not be able to actually, fully transfer all of their digital media/contents from one smart phone to another since both old and new smart phones are not of the same brand.  Obviously, this isn’t always the case.  How come?  If two different brands of smart phones are using the same software ecosystem (i.e., same operating system), the chance of being able to transfer digital contents from one smart phone brand to another is very high (i.e., almost 100% or 100% chance to be able to transfer the digital media/contents). Still, there might be an outlier even in this very case.

In a nutshell, it’s not simple for customers to switch their phones like they switch their shirts.  I think the smart phone business and other electronic types of business can totally be more profitable and highly regard if they simplify the process of switching electronic devices/platforms.  Of course, you can argue that — this is insane — as it’s most likely that an electronic brand should do everything to keep their customers’ brand loyalty, even it has to come down to locking their customers in an electronic ecosystem.  I beg otherwise.  I think customers should not be taken hostage to any electronic ecosystem or platform.  DRM and similar methodologies can totally be used to lock the customers into a specific electronic ecosystems/platforms.

Related articles

Bobsled Can Save You Minutes On Mobile Phone

0
Posted by on in Mobile
T-Mobile Wi-Fi Calling

T-Mobile Wi-Fi Calling (Photo credit: Siliconbug)

Have a limited voice plan on your iPhone?  No worry, after downloading T-Mobile Bobsled iPhone app (also available for Android) from Apple App Store and allowing it to be installed onto iPhone, you can use it to call anyone within the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico for FREE.  Do you have to be a T-Mobile mobile subscriber in order for you to use Bobsled?  Once again, don’t worry, the only requirement is that you have to have a smart phone that can make use of Bobsled.  There is one catch though!  You have to use Bobsled over a Wi-Fi connection or else your data plan from your own mobile service provider will be incurred as usual (i.e., how you would regularly spend your data plan and being charged for it).  Remember, Wi-Fi connection is something similar to either a free public Internet connection (e.g., Hotspot connection from Starbucks) or a paid home Internet connection which allows wireless bandwidth (e.g., wireless router which connects to an ISP broadband modem).

Before you can use Bobsled, you either authorize Bobsled with Facebook so you can connect to Bobsled using Facebook account or just create a brand new Bobsled account.  Creating a brand new Bobsled account requires you to provide your email address; in the same process you need to create a brand new password for a brand new Bobsled account.  Besides calling any land line or mobile phone number, Bobsled boasts that you can also call friends on Facebook.  I’m not sure how Bobsled would connect your phone call to someone on Facebook, because I have not yet dared to allow Bobsled to connect to my very own Facebook account.  I’m sort of very protective of my Facebook account.  Why don’t you try it out if you intend to use Bobsled and let me know how it goes, OK?

For your information, I had read Bobsled Facebook Calling Services Term of Service, and it stated that Bobsled makes use of unmodified open source software code.  This means you can request open source code of the components within Bobsled that rely on open source software code.  You can request open source software code of Bobsled at the address right after the break,

Vivox, Inc.

Attn:  Customer Support

2-4 Mercer Road,

Natick, MA 01760

Also, I’m not sure but I think Bobsled is still self-described as a beta software, therefore you might experience glitches when using Bobsled from time to time.  Nonetheless, it seems I haven’t yet seen a glitch myself while using Bobsled.  Furthermore, beta software is often requiring its user to update the software, and so you can expect Bobsled to be updated quite regularly.

I think Bobsled is great for iPhone and Android users who do not want to waste minutes when calling someone who is not using the same mobile service provider.  Nonetheless, I have heard how Verizon (i.e., recently) and few other mobile service providers do provide unlimited voice, and so Bobsled might become a redundant app if you are having unlimited voice mobile phone plan.  I haven’t yet made extensive and numerous phone calls using Bobsled, but I had tried it and the phone call was clear.  All in all, Bobsled might be a very good alternative way of saving some minutes and money while using a mobile phone.

Source:  http://www.pcworld.com/article/258978/can_overthetop_voice_services_free_you_from_mobile_minutes_charges.html#tk.rss_news

Related articles

Practically, Healthtap Is An App That Might Prove To Be Extremely Practical For Internet Users Who Seek For Valid Health Advices From The Internet!

0
Posted by on in Mobile, Software, Web Services

Most apps on mobile devices such as a smart phone are pretty much useless in my earnest opinion, but some of those apps are actually practical.  Practical apps are hard to find these days not for the reasons such as lack thereof, but it’s about how hard it’s for us to look for not so obvious practical apps among hundred thousands of similar useless apps.  Plus, there is this saying, one individual’s trash is another individual’s treasure.  Some apps are purely for pleasure and aesthetic means, then I guess it’s up to the eyes of the beholder to judge the beauty and merit of the apps.  So, when I first set my eyes on Healthtap, I felt immediately that the app is unique and practical.  For an example, an app in which had been rolled out by a bank to help facilitate banking transactions would be an obvious useful and practical app.  Healthtap is definitely fitting into an obvious useful and practical app category since it helps its users to seek for answers to their health-related questions with real doctors for free.  Nonetheless, if a user feels that she or he doesn’t need to reveal health-related questions in public forums, she or he can basically pay for private questions.  Initial private health-related questions cost around $10 each, and subsequent health-related questions in relation to the initial ones will cost $5 each.  Nonetheless, users who don’t want to pay or ask health-related questions in fear of losing privacy can just browse for the answers from Healthtap public forums.  In a nutshell, Healthtap provides the means for reputable doctors to help just about anyone who uses Healthtap easily, and everybody can access these doctors for some quick advices affordably.

Obviously, to truly treat one person’s illness, one probably has had to visit a doctor in person for a complete treatment, but Healthtap might help a person to clear up some major curious health-related questions before making a face to face visit with a doctor.  Even if Healthtap app is hard to use and ugly, the value behind the means of this app is still tremendous.  Luckily, I had browsed Healthtap app through a browser from a laptop and noticed that it was pretty sleek and easy to use.  I also had downloaded Healthtap onto my iPhone, but I had not yet launched it to see how friendly it would be on a mobile device.  Furthermore, Healthtap app is also available for iPad and Android mobile devices.  Besides the obvious means of asking health-related questions such as sending texts and photos to a doctor, Healthtap provides means to allow all doctors to rate the health-related answers — providing even more confidence to such health-related answers.  According to TechCrunch’s “With New Mobile Apps, Eric Schmidt-Backed HealthTap Brings The House Call Back To Healthcare” article, Healthtap provides doctor-to-doctor ratings known as DocScore.  I’m not sure how DocScore works out, but it seems that it’s a peer review kind of thing.  Perhaps, peer review can be biased (i.e., people who knew each other may give each other great score on something), but it does put pressure on doctors to have great Healthtap reputation for them to be effective health providers in the eyes of Healthtap users.  Obviously, I had left out many features that Healthtap is providing, because I’m still learning how this app works exactly.  Nonetheless, it’s clear that the purpose of this app is sound and practical.  Whether people will find Healthtap as the only app to go for health-related advices is remained to be seen though.

In summary, Healthtap is a health advising platform — with the potential of allowing patients to meet up with reputable doctors for real treatments — which so far has been successfully connecting thousands of highly regarded doctors of various medical fields to just about anyone who has the will to use Healthtap.  This feat alone is excellent and practical.  Icing on the cake features are features such as allowing Healthtap users to ask each private question for minimum fee of $10 or less, encouraging people who may not have the wish to visit a doctor yet to find out what is going on with their health affordably and virtually.  Meanwhile, Healthtap users feel reassuring that Healthtap’s medical advices are merit since the advices come from licensed doctors.  Simply put, I think there will be plenty of people that find Healthtap to be practical and useful.  After all, humans with failing healths are plenty in number, because they are humans!

Afterthought:  Prophetically, people have had envision that one day patients don’t really have to meet up with their doctors physically to get a health exam or something similar since Internet technology might advance in a way that allows such possibility to be possible.  I think ISPs need to provide more affordable and much much faster broadband services in order for people to regularly stream videos and possibly 3D digital contents before the idea of having doctors to visit your home virtually be feasible.  Plus, ISPs need to get rid of bandwidth limit and favor the flat rate, unlimited bandwidth applications before innovation such as having doctors to visit someone virtually be practical.  For now, Healthtap is only a stepping stone for the next best innovation that will bring doctors to someone virtually!

Source:  With New Mobile Apps, Eric Schmidt-Backed HealthTap Brings The House Call Back To Healthcare

Related articles

Sometimes, I’m Very Whiny! This Time, It’s About Where The Heck Is My Lumia 900…

0
Posted by on in Old Posts
Nokia Lumia 900, powered by Windows Phone

Nokia Lumia 900, powered by Windows Phone (Photo credit: gui ambros)

I know I should not be whining too much, but I was infuriated.  I ordered Lumia 900 through Amazon Wireless, and the order went through as Amazon thought AT&T had approved my phone upgrade.  The order was hard to pass since I could upgrade to Lumia 900 from iPhone 4 (not the 4s) for only $20 (actually it would be $56 since one time activation fee from AT&T would be $36).  I was so happy and went on with my day as I so expected to be able to play with Lumia 900.

At first I was not even thought about having a phone upgrade since I was pretty happy with iPhone 4.  Unfortunately, it turned out that my iPhone 4 refused to charge its battery for couple times already.  Then there was this feeling that I was bored with iPhone ecosystem.  I had too many useless apps on iPhone that I would never even have time to play around with.  Furthermore, I rarely used my iPhone for anything else besides talking on the phone for obvious reasons, listening to music through Spotify, playing chess in spare time (although I’m really bad at chess), and using Flipboard to catch up with technology news.  The decision to upgrade to Lumia 900 was easy.  First, it was cheap as in $20 upgrade.  Second, Lumia 900 could do all the things I had described that I would do with an iPhone.  Third, Lumia 900 is a Windows Phone, therefore it’s radically different than iPhone and Android phones in term of operating system.  Fourth, Lumia 900 looks gorgeous.  Fifth, Microsoft’s mantra for Windows Phone is to be less app centric and more of getting things done.  Well, the last point could be a propaganda from Microsoft, but I see it as something I have been doing already anyway… playing less with senseless apps and stick with what matter most.

So, I was so expected to see Lumia 900 to arrive at my front door.  A day later, Amazon sent me an email and informed me that they had redirected my would be gorgeous Lumia 900 back to their base of operation, because something had went wrong with my phone upgrade approval.  In their email, Amazon told me to call AT&T up for further explanation.  I called AT&T, and they told me that Amazon might have ran out of Lumia 900 phone.  I was amazed!  Could it be Lumia 900 was this hot?  On a second thought, could it be Lumia 900 wasn’t a sure deal for everyone, therefore they would not stock enough of these phones and had none in stock when the supply of these phones ran out?  Eagerly, I rang Amazon up since AT&T told me Amazon might be able to help me with straightening my problem out since I went through Amazon the first time around for the phone upgrade.  Amazon told me that AT&T had sent them a message which to deny my phone upgrade plan.  Nonetheless, I spoke with AT&T earlier and they told me that my phone upgrade plan was already approved and all I had to do was to activate the phone when I could receive the phone.  I told that to Amazon, but all Amazon could do was to reverse my upgrade plan so I would have my original phone plan again.

I know, my original phone plan was a great phone plan as it had unlimited data option.  My iPhone 4 was grandfathered in with earlier phone contract.  Still, I was prepare to let go the unlimited data option for a radical change to Windows Phone ecosystem.  So, in the end, I have to wait and wait and wait in order for anything to happen.  I wasn’t impatient but as a customer I was expecting a lot more from the two giant corporations.  I’m curious how came these two gigantic corporations had failed to communicate with each other and let the customer to experience a non-smooth transition in regarding to phone upgrade?

I’m not really an impatient person, but I guess once you got used to super fast deliveries from Amazon you would expect too much from them in the end.  Amazon had never failed to deliver anything to me before, but this is the first.  Perhaps, once in a while, there will be the first of something which begs me to have an experience of.  Amazon was my first choice of ordering smart phone since it would deliver products amazingly fast, and it would be cheaper for me to order Lumia 900 through Amazon.  I talked to AT&T and they told me AT&T could only sell me Lumia 900 at $90 something (I forgot the exact amount, but it was $90 something).  The choice of ordering Lumia 900 through which party was obvious.  Now, I’m crossing my fingers that they would reverse my phone plan correctly so I could once again begin the upgrade process… again… sigh!!!

Do you have a bad experience of ordering a new or upgrade or replacement smart phone with Amazon and AT&T before?  Why don’t you share your story with everyone in the comment section, right beneath this post of mine.  So, go ahead and post yours OK?

Related articles