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To do or not to do. That is the task…

Leo J. Allen Jr. Leave a comment

  I’m going to start this post off in the most cliche’, worn-out way possible by saying:

Let’s face it. We’re all busy. We all have hectic lives with busy schedules, especially those of us with kids. From work to soccer practice(s) to PTA meetings(s) – our lives are so jam packed with activities that we often find ourselves wishing for at least 2 more hours in the day just to get it all done.

 Fact is, we all feel that way at some point, don’t we? So we have to find ways to stay organized, on time and on task. As for me, I’m a calendar junkie. My Google Calendar is packed with monthly recurring events (bills, automatic withdrawals), appointments, meetings and simple to-do’s.

 Which brings me to my question – do you use To-Do or Task Management apps like Evernote, Todoist, or GTasks?

 Over time, I have tried each of those 3 apps only to find myself ignoring them over time in favor of Google Calendar. Don’t get me wrong – each of the 3 task management apps I mentioned are awesome in their own right – from the over-all completeness of Evernote, to the simplicity of GTasks. But the funny thing I’ve always been faced with – these apps aren’t really doing anything that I can’t accomplish by simply using my calendar. A quick reminder? Just jot it on my calendar – it has reminders enabled by default anyway. A recurring event? Calendar. Meetings? Calendar. Appointments? Calendar. But what about associating a document or file to a reminder? Yep, you guessed it – calendar.

 I would be lying if I failed to mention that I don’t use calendar exclusively for organizing notes and tasks, or general day-to-day what not. For those types of things, I simply use Google Keep. But my question is really this – why download and use yet another application just to keep track of my “busy life” when I already have one? And isn’t adding another thing to have to log into and keep track of only simply adding to the chaos, even if only in a minuscule way?

 The fact is, everyone’s lives and experiences are different, thus everyone approaches handling things differently. I personally always try to find the most simplistic, organized way to keep it all together. The less I can add to my plate in an attempt to keep the kitchen organized the better. My mind functions on this logic – why have 2 or more apps to accomplish what I can do (and have been doing) in 1?

 Or maybe I’m just not busy. At least not as busy as some of you. But every day, week, and month when I look at my calendar I sometimes feel like I’m looking at a map of a foreign land through the eyes of a general preparing for battle, and I sigh… But could it be that I’m really not that busy? Could it be that you’re really not that busy to warrant using a task manager app?

 Could it be that we all only think that we’re busier than we actually are? When discussing this with a close friend, he said to me, “No one is as busy as they think they are.”

Must Have App – Thuuz Sports

Leo J. Allen Jr. Leave a comment

   I wouldn’t go so far as to call myself a sports fanatic, but I love NFL football and MLB (Cincinnati Reds!). As I’m sure is the case for a lot of you, I don’t always have time to be plopped down on the couch watching games but I would like to know what’s going on – especially with my favorite teams.

I’ve used the ESPN Sports Center app and have been, quite frankly, thoroughly disappointed. Recently, the NFL launched their new app – this proved to be lack luster in my opinion as well.

               So my search was on for a clean, reliable sports app. What I found was Thuuz Sports. First and foremost, Thuuz offers one thing I’m always looking for in an app of its type – a clean, well-organized and intuitive UI. Thuuz is simple and to the point. Notifications are extremely easy to customize, as well as selecting which teams you would like to be notified about individually. And if you play fantasy football or baseball on any of the major platforms, Thuuz helps you track when your players are having great performances and when is the right time to tune in and see a great performance. Thuuz will even let you know if your players get injured.
  Other features included:
 My sports TV guide: Check in to see what’s on TV right now
 My on-the-go sports alerts: Know what’s going on when you’re not in front of the TV
 My Fantasy tracker: Get alerts when your players are going off or are injured
 My buddy system: Check in to a game and alert all of your friends to what’s going on
 My time saver: Life getting busy? Use Thuuz to optimize your sports viewing time
               And according to the developers, more is on the way!
    I think Thuuz Sports is a must have app for whatever level of sport fan you may be. Check it out and as always, if you feel you know of a better app of its kind please feel free to let me know!

Download from Google Play
Download from Apple App Store
              or
Visit the Thuuz Sports website

Must Have App – Dinamotxt Web and Tablet SMS

Leo J. Allen Jr. Leave a comment

It didn’t take long for me to notice since my first tablet purchase (a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1) that I spend more time on my tablet than I do my cell phone. In fact, over time, my cell phone has become more of what it was originally created to be – a phone.

 As such, over the past couple of years I’ve always wanted a way to be able to send and receive text messages from my primary device of choice – my tablet. Especially on those nights when I’m reading something on my tablet or playing a game. If I get a text message, I want to be able to simply view it and respond to it from my tablet. Not that I’m simply that lazy. It’s really my linear way of thinking – I like things simple and streamlined.

 I know – First World Problem, right?

 Well apparently I’m not the only one who thinks along these lines as there are plenty of apps out there that will help facilitate this. Some are a bit quirky in my opinion. They require you to register and receive a randomly generated phone number that you now have to tell everyone you know about. For those types of apps, typically there is a free version that will generate you a different number over time, or you can buy a paid version to keep the original randomly generated number.

 Nah….not what I was looking for.

 Through trial and error over time, I did settle originally on Mighty Text. Mighty Text did exactly what I needed – allowed me to send/receive texts from my tablet using my cell phone number, and I could even send/receive from any desktop computer! However it seemed as though, as time passed, that Mighty Text got slower and slower with sending and receiving messages. And, as of late, it simply no longer seemed to function.

 Then I found Dinamotxt, and have not turned back! Dinamotxt offers exactly what I need – sending/receiving texts using my tablet while using my same cell phone number. Dinamotxt also offers the ability to send/receive via desktop like many others, but I’ve found it to be very slow when initially loading. But, I was only looking to use it for tablet texting anyway.

 Perhaps my favorite thing about Dinamotxt is that it’s very fast! My phone and tablet send/receive text messages literally within a second of one another!

 Add to that the PopUp feature – you can enable incoming text messages to open in a small pop up window from which you can respond – and customizable theme!

 Yes there are countless other apps of its kind out there. Please feel free to let me know your favorite and I’ll give it a try! In the meantime, it you’re looking for a way to text via your tablet, I recommend Dinamotxt Web and Tablet SMS.

Download Dinamotxt Web and Tablet SMS from Play

My First Weekend With Chromecast

Leo J. Allen Jr. Leave a comment
The dust has settled. The fan fare has subsided. The ticker tape has been cleaned off the streets. The reviews are in. Chromecast has (sort of) settled into its spot on the couch amongst the other streaming devices in the market.
When it was first released, everything I saw about it left me filled with a bunch of “but, what about?” questions. Sadly it seemed I couldn’t get any concrete answers to those questions, so my only logical choice for answers was to get one for myself. Off to Amazing Prime I went to order one!
But alas, none available until August 15, 2013. That’s OK… I can wait. Then came a couple of interesting emails from Amazon –
We have no estimated delivery date
         followed a few days later by
We now have an estimated delivery date of October 19th thru the 29th
Oh well. No big deal. I mentioned this on Google Plus, and a fellow Geek by the name of Tim Martin came to the rescue. Seems Tim purchased about 4 of them, using at least 2 to integrate at the office, and had one extra. Awesome – just give him the one from Amazon whenever it comes in. A quick H.I.R.L. (that’s Google Plus talk for Hangout In Real Life for those of you who don’t do Plus) with Tim to pick it up, and to talk all things Geek, then back home I went to see what this little powerhouse can do!
OK. Into the HDMI port, download the app, add to my network. Simple – in about 3 minutes flat the Chromecast was ready to go. But ready to go do what? Well, there in lies the disappointment in my opinion. Fact is, as of yet, it only does 2 things that can’t be done on any other streaming  device. And one of those two things isn’t really extraordinary.
The Netflix app is simply that. No real surprises there. Unless you are of the relatively small percentage of the population who’ve yet to experience Netflix, it is exactly what’s to be expected.
The two things that are unique to Chromecast are Play Movies/TV and desktop casting. Yes it’s cool that Google even has Play Movies/TV, but for me it begs the question – “if it already has Netflix, what’s the point?” Maybe it’s just me, but I have yet to find anything in Play Movies that I can’t also find in Netflix. TV shows, maybe – Netflix is usually a bit behind when it comes to television shows.
To me, the not-so-extraordinary feature is desktop casting. Many people seemed pretty excited about this, but I personally see no “wow factor” in it. The fact is, if you have your PC (but more than likely laptop) with you in front of the TV, and cast your Google Chrome browser content to it, you’re still sitting in front of the TV using your computer system. Only now, you’re essentially looking at 2 monitors showing the same thing. You still have to look at your computer to point/click for the most part. I guess this is awesome if you want to share what’s on your browser with the rest of the family in the living room. But, how often does that happen?
My afore mentioned friend Tim showed me what IS awesome about desktop casting though – using it in the office for presentations. Especially if you have multiple parties who have individual content to share at the same presentation. Each party can add their content to the Chromecast queue, and it will broadcast in that order. Now THAT is pretty awesome! But if Chromecast is to be your media streaming entertainment device at home, what good is this?
Look, I get it – this little $35 nugget is poised for the future of online streaming. And there is no argument that the price point is unparalleled. My problem is that it simply seems unfinished. Maybe that was Google’s plan all along – release it now, bring developed apps later to keep the price down. I don’t know. I don’t work for Google. I just think that maybe they could have waited until there was more to it. After all, Ford didn’t release his first car with no wheels with the promise that it was only going to get better as each wheel was added.
Would I recommend the Chromecast to someone looking to Cut The Cord? Probably not, especially if they are looking for a more robust experience. But again, the $35 price point is its saving grace.
As for my first weekend with Chromecast, I can’t lie – it was more like a couple of hours. My wife asked, “so what’s so special about this thing?” Sadly, I had no answer for her. But I did say the same thing many others have said in other reviews – Hopefully new content will get added soon…

Yes – your Roku CAN do that

Leo J. Allen Jr. Leave a comment

As I mentioned in the series “The Truth About Cutting The Cord”, your Roku device can stream or “cast” content from your device(s). I mentioned an app called PlayTo in Part 4. However, to clear up some questions that arose about how to use it, I’d like to present a similar app called Twonky Beam.

Twonky Beam works essentially the same as PlayTo, but I find it to be a bit more stable. Please note that I’m not one to normally do video reviews and demonstrations, so this video is a bit clunky! But I wanted to offer a real-time demonstration, so please forgive my noob-ness!

//www.youtube.com/get_player

Download Twonky Beam from Google Play

The Truth About Cutting The Cord – Part 4: Optimizing Your Experience

Leo J. Allen Jr. 1 Comment

Now we come to the final chapter in the Cord Cutting saga. In part 1, I hope I cleared up any confusion you may have had about why you or anyone else would want to abandon a cable or satellite subscription. As mentioned, although we all will have different reasons for doing so, I believe the greatest of all reasons is simply content. Specifically, the ability to choose what to watch, when you want to watch it and (in most cases) free of commercials.

In part 2, I provided some insight into the type of equipment you will want to purchase to make it all work. As I mentioned in that chapter, you may find better, more robust, and faster equipment. I just wanted to present what I chose, especially from a cost-conscious perspective. The way I see it, at the pace of technological growth these days in the gadget-sphere, there really is no need to dip into your kid’s college fund to have an awesome, Cord-Cut set up.

Finally, in part 3, I gave you what I feel are the key apps to bring it all together. Once again – you may come across others that blow the ones I mentioned out of the water. If so, please feel free to share! As with all things tech-related, I’m always on the lookout for ways to do things better!

In this final chapter, I’d like to offer some suggestions for getting the best out of your cord free lifestyle, specifically using the apps/services I suggested. I’m basically going to walk you through the setup steps I took to achieve the best television viewing experience for my family. Of course your family will have different viewing habits and tastes, but I think these tips will be helpful for you to get started – you’ll just need to tweak them a bit to fit your and yours.

 A. Television Shows

**WARNING** – this section details the use of torrent downloads. Be sure  you fully understand any laws that may impact your individual downloading and use of torrents, as well as any impact on data usage these downloads may have on your specific internet plan with your ISP. If you are any way in doubt, the safest thing to do is to simply skip this section. I take no responsibility for any negative impact that may occur from following this procedure.

First, start by downloading/installing BitTorrent. Of course, there are other torrent tools out there, but I personally choose to use BitTorrent.

If you are hesitant about Cutting The Cord because there are television shows you simply don’t want to miss, remember that I mentioned the website showRSS. Granted, showRSS does not have EVERY show available, but the list is pretty impressive.

The UI is pretty straight forward – simply select the show you want from the drop down, then select “Get the public feed address”. You will then need to place this feed address into BitTorrent by selecting Add Torrent. The cool thing about BitTorrent is that you won’t need to copy/paste the address from showRSS – it already recognizes that link once you select “Get the public feed address”.
 It’s a good idea to Add Alias to the feed that you add to BitTorrent to make it easier to recognize in your feed list. Once you have your feed entered into BitTorrent, you will also want to right-click on either the main “Feeds” header, or on one of the feeds in the list and select “RSS Downloader”. From that screen, you will tell BitTorrent where to save your shows (as you see in my example, it’s my external E:TV drive), as well as select the alias you entered from the “Label for new torrents” drop-down. This helps keep things nice and simple to find, in case you need to go into that drive to look for something specific.
Also, I found that it’s a good idea for organizational purposes to go into the “Preferences” menu and tell BitTorrent to save all torrents in my external media drive as well. Otherwise, you will find that it saves the torrents in your “My Documents” folder, and the actual shows in your media drive. This may not be a big deal to you, but I’m a bit picky about keeping things together! Once you have all of your shows set, you’re done! As each show becomes available, BitTorrent will download them and place them into your specified location.
Next, simply launch your Plex Server, right click on the tray icon, and select Media Manager. Under “My Library”, select the “Add Section” + sign. Select the type as TV Shows, then select “Add Folder”. From the “Add Folder” drop-down, select your media drive and navigate to the folder you told BitTorrent to save all of your shows in (as mentioned above, mine are saved in E:|TV), then save.
Restart your Plex server, and that’s it! From your Roku, launch the Plex channel, and enjoy! Of course, you may have also noticed the Movies section in Plex – you will follow the same procedure as you did to TV Shows to tell Plex where to stream your movie collection from. Plex has a beautiful UI which includes show art, complete descriptions, as well as show theme music.
B. Steaming From Tablet / Phone
 With the recent launch of Google’s Chromecast, one of the most talked about features is the ability to “cast” video content from your tablet and / or phone. This is an awesome feature, but don’t worry Roku faithful – you can do this too! There are several apps in the Google Play store to use to make this happen – I test drove a few and finally settled on PlayTo.
As you may also notice, this app also works for GTV as well as Apple TV. For Roku, simply install the PlayTo channel from the Channel Store. Then, download the app on the devices you want to stream (or “cast”) from, and you’re all set. So, how does it work? Simple!
 First, you will want to tell PlayTo where to stream (or “cast”) to. Simply select the small, TV icon in the upper right corner. PlayTo will recognize your Roku (or, each on if you have more than one) on your network. Check the box to remember the device selection, then tap the actual device to save and close the menu.

As you can see, you can also customize the name of the device you want to stream to in case you have more than one – just to keep things simple!

 Let’s say you’re watching a YouTube video on you’re Nexus 7 and you want to watch on your Roku. As in any other situation in which you want to share a YouTube video (i.e. – to Google Plus), simply select the Share icon on your device.
From the share options presented, select PlayTo –
 Your video will stat to play through your Roku! And, without selecting the actual PlayTo Roku channel – it merely serves as the network connection between your device and the Roku. PlayTo also allows you to play any audio, video, or photos stored on your device through your Roku. It also includes an extensive online selection of content that you can stream from your device to your Roku. Have DLNA or any other devices containing media on your network? Select “Home Media” and PlayTo will recognize that device and the media that is able to be streamed to your Roku!
 Finally, don’t forget about the Roku app itself. It serves as a remote, and offers a Play To Roku feature, but it only streams music and photos stored on your device.
 Don’t forget to explore the Roku Channel Store. The usual suspects are there – Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon – but there are many more awesome channels as well.
 And, that’s it! I hope that the steps I’ve provided from Part 1 thru Part 4 will help in your decision as to whether or not you will “Cut The Cord”. Or, if you already have, I hope I’ve provided some information that may help better your experience. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please feel free to let me know!
 Happy Streaming!

Flipping back to Flipboard

Leo J. Allen Jr. Leave a comment
 For as long as I can remember, I have been on a quest to find an application that allows me to view all of my social media streams/pages in one convenient location. I’ve gone through a few throughout the years – from the “ok” to “goodness – that’s awful!”. 
 During my quest, I came across Flipboard and had settled on it. At the time however, I always felt something was missing. Specifically, Google Plus. But, I lived with it. I’ve always enjoyed Flipboad’s layout, its cover page and beautifully smooth transitions.
 But over time I noticed I wasn’t using it as much, so I uninstalled it and just went back to opening social media apps individually. In fact, I actually forgot about Flipboard until recently when Flipboard’s Owen Thomas announced a new web interface. So, I decided to give it another shot. And I’m glad I did!
 Flipboard now has every social media outlet that I use – from Google Plus to SoundCloud. All packed within its beautiful UI. The display is especially awesome on my Nexus 7! There have been a few updates since my last use as well, namely faster feed updates and Flipboard launches very quickly. And of course, there is the ability to search and add new topics to your Flipboard. The read later function comes in handy, and the magazine creation feature adds an extra punch!

Many of you will read this and say, “well, duh!” But for those of you like me, who had abandoned Flipboard for one reason or another, I suggest you give it another look-see!
Download Flipboard from Google Play or iTunes

Moto X’s Camera App Download

Leo J. Allen Jr. Leave a comment
There have been tons of rumors and great anticipation of the Moto X. It seems that everywhere you turn, especially on Google Plus, there’s a new nugget of info! But let’s be honest with ourselves – we Geeks love this kind of stuff, don’t we?
 
Just as it seemed Chromecast took all the attention away from the daily Moto X-ing, Android Police got their hands on the Moto X camera app and shared it with the rest of us! They’re just cool like that!
 
  I’ve installed it on my Galaxy Nexus and must admit that, even with the current limitations, it’s a pretty cool camera app. It won’t over write your existing camera app as long as you’re not using a Motorola phone (in fact, it won’t install on a Motorola phone). It will create an app icon that looks exactly like your current camera icon, so you may want to separate them. Not everything works on it, such as Panorama, HDR, and Slow Motion mode, but it’s still pretty cool.

I specifically like touching anywhere on the screen to take a single shot, or holding on the screen to take a burst of shots. Also, zooming in and out is a simple matter of swiping up and down on the screen.

If you’d like to give it a try, I’ve made the apk available here –
 
 
Enjoy! Thanks once again to our friends at Android Police!

Must Have App – “Soundwave”

Leo J. Allen Jr. Leave a comment
 Some time ago while doing my normal Google Plus socializing, I was asked by one of the devs of this app if I would be interested in beta testing. I asked “what is it?” and was told that it’s an app that lets you find music based on what people around you are listening to. Well, since I love music and I love apps, I said “sure!”
  I was pleasantly surprised from day 1! The UI is incredibly simple, but the app is packed with goodies for music lovers. You can follow people from all over the world who use the app and discover some really great music that you may not have heard otherwise. And the music you listen to is instantly shared – once installed and enabled, you don’t have to actually launch the app to share what you’re listening to. Just listen to your music as you normally do. When you launch the app and check out your own feed, you’ll see that whatever you have been listening to has been quietly shared in the background. Don’t want to always share what you’re listening to? The app of course allows you to turn sharing off – you can easily change your location and privacy settings.
 The app has a built in social aspect – it lets you follow profiles of people whose music you enjoy, and others follow you as well. Got a favorite song? Set it as your “Humdinger” to let the world know! Songs discovered can instantly be previewed, viewed on YouTube, streamed on SoundCloud and purchased directly from Google Play and 7Digital.
 I have discovered some GREAT music that I might not have ever heard thanks to Soundwave! If you love music as much as I do, it is a Must Have App!
  Download for free from Google Play – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=me.soundwave.soundwave

The Truth About Cutting The Cord – Part 3: Suggested Software

Leo J. Allen Jr. Leave a comment
  So, you’ve got your broadband internet access, your new cable modem, your gigabit router, your HD antenna, a dedicated PC with extra storage, and your Roku(s). Your network is up and humming along.      You’ve gone through the Roku and have experienced its awesomeness – you’ve plowed through the Roku channel store and have added the ones that you like to your lineup.
  But it still seems like something’s missing, right? Although there’s Hulu Plus, Netflix and Crackle, you still can’t seem to find your favorite shows you’ve been watching. And when you do find them, it’s usually long after they’ve aired. Simply put, you don’t want to be almost an entire season behind while everyone else is talking about the latest episode of “Justified”.

 

 Or, what about your collection of movies you have gathered over time and have saved on your massive external hard drive? Sure – with the Netgear R6200 router I suggested, you could simply connect the drive to the router and access it via the My Media interface. But how about having your favorite NEW TV episodes and your movie collection in one place, accessible via one interface? Well, I’m glad you’ve asked! That brings me to the first (and perhaps most crucial) suggested piece of software – Plex
At first glance, one can’t help but note that Plex also offers its own channel store. There are many of the same channels that can be found in the Roku channel store. However, I have noted that over time as each of the official license owners of these channels launch their own official Rocku channels, the ones on Plex will stop working. Case in point – when PBS launched its official Rocku channels (PBS and PBS Kids), both of those stopped working in Plex. But alas – these channels aren’t the beauty of Plex, and not why I’ve suggested it. The 2 key sections of Plex are the My TV and My Movies “channels”.
 Plex is a media server that allows you to view your locally stored movies and TV shows via Roku. I won’t go into complete detail on its setup – simple step by step instructions are on the website: http://www.plexapp.com/. As the old saying goes, it really isn’t “rocket science”!
 Remember the dedicated PC I mentioned in Part 2? Now it comes into play! Download and install Plex onto that dedicated PC, and connect your external hard drive with your movie collection. On your external hard drive, create a folder called “TV” or “My TV” and if you don’t have one already, create a folder called “Movies”. If you’ve always simply downloaded movies onto that drive, move them all into the “Movies” folder. Following the simple directions on the Plex website, have it feed your movies for the My Movies channel, and your TV shows for the My TV channel. I suggest using a dedicated PC to get the most optimum experience. You can of course choose to install it on your main home-use PC. However, if you have other people at home actively using that PC you may experience some performance issues while viewing shows via Plex as that PC handles the streaming duties as well as whatever else the person using the PC is doing.
 As for your TV shows, there are a couple other pieces to the puzzle you will need. The first may be all-too-familiar: BitTorrent.
 Once again – download and quick and easy setup can be found via their website: http://www.bittorrent.com/bittorrent-free
Download / install it onto your dedicated PC.
 But BitTorrent by itself won’t get you your TV shows. You will need to “feed” it. That is where the final, awesome piece to the puzzle comes into play: the website showRss: http://showrss.karmorra.info/?cs=feeds

 

 I would suggest bookmarking this site in the browser of your dedicated PC. It does not automatically “feed” BitTorrent. Rather, you select the “Feed for a show” dropdown to obtain the RSS feed for the show of your liking to add to BitTorrent. You will want to add the feed link to each of your shows to BitTorrent and be sure to tell BitTorrent to save them in your “TV” or “My TV” folder on your hard drive. What I have found is that new episodes for shows are usually available on your Plex server for watching in about 15 – 30 minutes after airing. The great thing about Plex is that as all of your shows begin feeding into it, it will organize them into their own folders with show art, episode descriptions, AND theme music! No fumbling though cryptically named file types. Simply select My TV and find your shows!
One final server I will mention that you may want to download onto your dedicated PC to access via your Roku is called PlayOn. But, I only want to MENTION it and not necessarily SUGGEST it. http://www.playon.tv/playon
 The reason being is that as of date, I have not found PlayOn to be living up to the claims found on their website. Many of the “live” channels they claim to have simply don’t work, or are in fact NOT “live” at all. In fact, the only “live” channel I can get to work on it is HBO Comedy This in itself may be worth it to you (I paid the $24.99 per year fee – may drop it at the end of the term). But hey – that’s YOUR call!
  Now you should have all the pieces in place! I know I’ve glazed over some steps to get this all up and running, but I will address that in the 4th and final installment – Optimizing Your Experience. Of course, you may have gotten all you need to know in this installment. If so, HAPPY STREAMING and I hope I’ve helped with your decision to Cut The Cord!
Up Next – Part 4: Optimizing Your Experience