PleaseRobMe.com Solicits Social Theft

Since I did a little write-up about foursquare yesterday, everyone should check out this article from InformationWeek:

PleaseRobMe.com Solicits Social Theft: "The Web site gathers tweets and online posts about people who are away from home to emphasize the risk posed by advertising one's location."

Link to Article from InformationWeek

Link to PleaseRobMe.com

As a foursquare and twitter user I was initially concerned. The security/privacy issue seems to only be an issue with publicly viewable twitter feeds. Since my tweets are protected, this site cannot "see" me or the posts about where I'm checking in. check out this link to the twitter page that describes the difference between public and protected accounts and how you can update the setting son your account:
http://help.twitter.com/forums/10711-getting-started/entries/14016-public-vs-protected-accounts

foursquare - social networking game!

Many of you may already know about foursquare; for those that don't, here's a quick round up of a great social-networking-game.

So, you have a Facebook account and you have fun posting pictures and maybe playing games; you have a Twitter account to post blurbs about the things you are doing throughout the day (you might even have these accounts linked so when you post one one it shows up on the other). It's great to be able to post so your friends and family know what's up and you like to know what is happening with them also.

Let's add another service to the list of social networks, not to just have one more thing to keep up with, but to have fun! Foursquare adds a fun twist to the social network scene. The idea is you "check-in" to the places (or venues) that you visit during the day or while going out for a night on the town. When you check-in you can add a quick message about what you're doing. You can also add tips about that place so others know how great it is or things to check out when they visit.

Ok, now the fun part. As you visit more places you earn badges. These badges indicate things like the number of venues you've checked into, or that you must be a local since you checked-in to the same place many times that week. In addition to earning badges, if you have checked-in to a venue more than anyone else, you will be crowned the Mayor!

In an effort to not have to keep up with so many different services, foursquare can post your check-ins, badges you've earned, and your status as Mayor (or when you've been ousted) to your Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Foursquare is available for Android, BlackBerry, and iPhone devices. Find out more about foursquare and create an account by visiting: http://foursquare.com

Android users can scan this code to find foursquare in the Android Market:

Remoid RDP for Android

While I try to have most of the tools and resources I use regularly available in the cloud, there are some applications that I do not have control over and they must (sigh) reside only on my desktop. This only becomes an issue when I am not at the office or at home. There are so many different ways to connect to desktops remotely these days, but I prefer Windows RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol). Connecting to my desktop from my old Windows Mobile device was a breeze since a RDP client came with the OS. As a new Android user I did not want to give up this ease of access. A quick search of the Android Market yielded a single free RDP client, Remoid RDP. There are a few paid apps ranging from $7.98-$19.98US, but I'm always looking for a free lunch (or at least a snack).

Remoid RDP, is your basic RDP client. You enter an IP address (and Port if needed) to connect to your server/worstation along with your login information (domain\username if you are on a domain). The client does support sound, but I have not had the need to try this out. The theme of the remote computer is turned off to improve speed, but you can opt to keep the theme. Since your remote computer is displaying a larger resolution than your phone, you have to do a bit of scrolling (sliding your finger across the screen) in order to navigate. The mouse (movement and click) is controlled by the trackball.

Remoid RDP installed for free, but is somewhat limited. Remote sessions are limited to 10 minutes, you are not able to mount your SD card to the remote computer, and information/credentials for more than one sesssion are not saved. The limitations are removed upon registering on the developers website for $10.00US. This app does exactly what I need it to do, no frills. I only use it for quick sessions and am happy to live with the limitations, but may see the need to register in the future.

You can download Remoid RDP from the Android Market. More information can be found on the developer's website: http://remoid.net

How To: Adjust Your Mirrors to Avoid Blind Spots - Feature - Auto Reviews - Car and Driver

I've been adjusting the mirrors on vehicles I drive in this way for many years, but this link describes (and shows) how and why it works so well:

How To: Adjust Your Mirrors to Avoid Blind Spots - Feature - Auto Reviews - Car and Driver

Mobile Package Tracker for Android

I love to know where my packages are, but hate having to go to each carriers website and type in the tracking number each time.

Mobile Package Tracker is the best app for tracking packages across all major carriers. This app comes in two flavors on the Android Market; Package Tracking Express (free 7 day trial) and Mobile Package Tracker ($0.99US). There are many apps that claim to be the best and may offer similar features, but none (I tried them all) offer the features, functionality and ease of use that Mobile Package Tracker does.

Not wanting to waste my hard-earned money, I opted to start with the trial version. The trail version is not feature-limited, but you will not be able to use it longer than seven days after installing. Features include tracking packages from FedEx, USPS, DHL, UPS, and TNT, barcode scanning for quick entry of tracking numbers, adding notes to your saved packages, and receiving notifications when the status of your packages changes.

When I first installed, I happened to have a few incoming packages and one to ship out. The interface is simple and easy to navigate. Entering tracking numbers manually is easy enough if you are expecting a delivery and you can customize the list of carriers to select from (I removed TNT). If you send packages and have the shipping label available, then you can just scan the barcode, select the carrier, and you're set. The barcode scanner is great time saver.

Besides the barcode scanner, the notifications are the best feature about this app. While you can manually request updates, Mobile Package Tracker will check the status for you on a set schedule (from every 15 minutes to 24 hours) and you can select if you only want to know if it's delivered (or exception) or all status changes. The type of notification is up to you; ringtone, email, vibrate, and/or LED blink and you can select multiple types.

After just a couple days, I knew that the Mobile Package Tracker was going to be well worth the $0.99!

Find out more from this website: http://24hourstracking.appspot.com/
or scan the QR Code to access the Android Market:

AVOID ID THEFT DURING THE 2010 CENSUS

A family member forwarded an email today regarding the 2010 Census and ID theft. I copied the email here for your benefit: AVOID ID THEFT DURING THE 2010 CENSUS Zander Insurance wants you to be aware of scam artists using the 2010 Census as a means to steal your personal information. THE CENSUS will be mailed to 134 million households on March 1. The form has 10 questions about your age, date of birth, race and whether you rent or own a home. It does not ask for your social security number or information about your taxes and income. If you do not return a completed Census Form by April 1, it is likely that a Census Taker will either call you or come to your door to obtain the information. BE CAUTIOUS AND USE THE FOLLOWING SAFETY TIPS: 1. The Census does not ask for your Social Security Number – do not give that information out to anyone claiming to be with the Census Bureau. 2. Never invite a Census Taker into your home. 3. All Census Takers carry official government badges marked with just their name, a Department of Commerce watermark, and an expiration date. 4. The Census Worker is supposed to provide you with a letter from the Census Director on official letterhead. 5. The Census Bureau will not contact you via email. 6. Do not click on any websites that pop up disguised as a census survey. The Census Bureau does not solicit information over the internet. 7. The Census does not ask for credit card or bank account information. Visit the U.S. Census website at http://www.2010.census.gov/ or call the U.S. Census Telephone Questionnaire Assistance Center at 1-866-872-6868 for additional information.

customerservice@idexpertscorp.com • Zander Insurance

Google Buzz

With all that they have to offer, how they continually add new features and services, there always seems to be some "buzz" about Google in the news. Now the rest of us can buzz. Simply put, Google Buzz lets you share whatever you have on your mind at the moment, a joke, words of wisdom, link to a web page, pictures, movies, news article, whatever. Not only can you share these great things from within the Buzz interface, but it can also pull your posts from other services like Twitter, flickr, YouTube, blogs and more. Whatever you post, wherever you post (except Facebook) is all pulled together and shared in one place and available to the people you communicate with most or the whole world.

Google buzz is easy to use and readily available to those using Gmail; a button to access Buzz is right below the Inbox button and you are notified of new posts in you Inbox. People that you communicate with frequently or follow with Google Reader show up in Buzz automatically. Buzz also integrates with your Google profile by adding a tab next to your About Me and Contact Info tabs.

I think Buzz is going to be a big hit for mobile users. You can access your Buzz from most mobile devices (but not a Blackberry due to a browser issue). The mobile interface allows you to post in reference to your location and also view the latest "buzz" near you (posts from your friends and those who post publicly). The newest version of Google Maps for mobile includes a Buzz layer.

While it's still a very new feature/service, I think it has potential to really take off. So, use your Google account and check out http://google.com/buzz on your mobile device or desktop!

aCar for Android

Shortly after becoming an Android user, I began searching for an app to store and track data about my truck. I was mainly interested in tracking and receiving notifications about regular maintenance (oil changes, tire rotations, fuel filter, etc.). After reviewing several apps, I uninstalled all but aCar by Armond Avanes.


I've been using the free version of aCar for about a month now an I am very impressed! The app has a very clean interface that is easy to read and navigate. Once installed, you only have to enter some basic information about your vehicle and then you're ready to go. The default services and maintenance schedules should work for most people, but they are easy to modify. New service types can also be added. Entering data is very intuitive. There is a user manual available, but the program is so easy to use it is really not needed.

I have to say, the two features that really make this app stand out is the notifications of services and the graphical display of data.

Since I maintain my own vehicle, it's up to me to put the sticker in the corner of my window... I usually make a mental note of the mileage and then promise myself to grab a sticker when I get back inside. I think I have actually put the sticker up twice. Needless to say, not having a visual reminder makes it easy to forget exactly when it's time to change the oil again. aCar now saves the day! Not only does it remember and remind about oil changes, but also about checking the battery, fuel filter, antifreeze, belts, and more!

I'm a geek at heart, so I love to see the results of gathered data displayed for my viewing pleasure. This app definitely satisfies; displaying information regarding fuel efficiency, fuel and maintenance costs, and other related statistics.

aCar is available for free from the Android Market. The free version contains a small advertising bar at the bottom of each screen, but is otherwise fully functional. Donating to the project will allow you to remove this ad bar along with adding some nice features like manual or automatic backups and importing data from other sources. I plan on making a donation soon; not so much for the extra features, but because I think an app like this is worth every penny!

Here is a link to the developers web site for full details and download information:
http://zonewalker.com/acar

New stuff coming your way

Ok, so I don't know how long this blog has been sitting idle, but it's time to give it some action.
Check back soon for posts about:

• projects I'm working on; web, electronics, or home improvement
• reviews on devices and software
• random thoughts, pictures, or news
• links to great things I find on the web