Nexus 7 Review - Poor, Do Not Buy!

You have to be careful buying new tech products. There is a belief out there that a new version is always better than the old one. This is not always the case. Take for instance the new Nexus 7. A lot has been written about this with some rave reviews.

I don't know what some of these reviewers are on, but they certainly are not seeing things clearly - some bias is there. The widely held view that buying the latest Nexus 7 is the road to Nirvana is wrong. If you have another Android device with the same login you will not get an automatic restore. It just does not work because Google picks up the two Android devices. A trip into the Play Store will be necessary. Click on the icon in the top left and "My Apps" will be shown. You have to click "All" to see the apps you have paid for.

Re-installing each one in turn is the requirement and don't think all your data is automatically backed up. You discover that you should have backed up the data for each app separately before you dumped the perfectly good older version. A thing that you will regret.

The only virtue of the new Nexus 7 is that it is thinner. That sums it up. Despite having stereo speakers one at each end it does not cut the mustard. What a stupid idea having stereo on such a small device! Sound quality is very poor indeed. It really is disgraceful. If you plug it into a hi-fi you have to turn the volume up to number 22. This compares with 10 using the old version of Nexus 7.

Another odd thing is the hi-fi volume can be turned to maximum and it doesn't get louder - it gets more distorted. The old Nexus had beautiful base and full hi-fi volume could not be set as it was too loud. There is just a pinging "sort of" base with the new one. It is an odd sound. You cannot enjoy listening to music, podcasts only I would say. Even then there is only treble, no base at all from the two speakers. There was some base on the older version playing on its own.

A mystery to me is that all the BBC apps have disappeared from the Play Store. Has Google had a falling out with them or something. This sudden parting seems strange.

Don't be reckless and buy the new Nexus 7. It is a waste of money. No wonder the price has fallen. Many customers would return it if they kept the receipt. Oh, how I miss my old Nexus that unfortunately was dropped and became stuck in the "ON" position. Google picked that up and would not do an automatic install.  Buying online may be easy, but it is risky.  I should have gone to a store and taken it for a test drive.  You do learn something every day.
Technology by Ty Buchanan

Cat Shoe Fitting

"This is a good fit."
Funny Animal Pictures by Ty Buchanan
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Cashless Society Not Here Yet

We hear from many sources that the cashless society will be here "next week". Apart from Singapore which is very close to its taxation office getting everything legislation permits, other countries are a long way from it. Australians still have cash in their pockets purely because shops are not investing in appropriate technology.

A test was done with "equipment" provided by Westpac. The bank app had Mastercard debit and Visa credit cards linked to it. At the first coffee shop the fast pay worked via the Mastercard. The second payment using the linked Visa showed only $1 for a $24.95 bill. Linked Mastercard solved the problem.

Another payment made at the next shop worked with Visa. Shop owners and assistants for the most part had not experienced immediate payment yet and certainly did not have the new technology.

Westpac will go ahead and launch its payment app whether shops are ready or not. Terminals will be set up across the country. It does not look good for Westpac: test users said the sticker on the phone was too big and caused errors with no-contact payments. The same problem occurred with the Commonwealth bank's trial last year.

The banks say they only need two years to perfect the system. This seems overly optimistic. Debit card contactless payments have been a success. For banks to rely on similar credit card payments is risky for them because they will pay for the mistakes.

Apple is staying out of the race and allowing Android to adopt no-contact payments. This may be a wise decision based on prevailing inconsistencies. PayPal is already launching its quick payments system as it does not want to be left behind.

When cashless societies finally come to fruition it may improve the efficiency and speed of purchases, but one thing you can be sure of: there will be no way of hiding transactions.  Governments will legislate to get their hands on bank information that is now confidential and everyone will pay every bit of tax they owe, even millionaires.
Society by Ty Buchanan

Cat Hiding

"You can't see me can you?"
Funny Animal Picture by Ty Buchanan
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Teflon Beats Gecko - Temporarily

Can nature beat science? This is an open question but it will be put to the test. Teflon is a material created by scientists. It does not occur naturally. Will it stand the test and be unique, unfettered by mother nature?

Geckos can run along many surfaces, whether vertical or upside-down. Their toes are covered in in rows of keratin ridges called lamellae. They are like very fine hairs that attach to just about anything.

Students at the University of Akron's Auburn Science Centre tested the ability of geckos to run along vertical teflon sheets. And yes, they could not cross it! By adding water, however, they ran along it quite happily.

Apparently, the presence of moisture is a must for geckos to get around. Any surface that repels water is playground for geckos. An adhesive has been developed that will stick things together underwater based on research done on this interesting little creature.
Science by Ty Buchanan
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Bath Dog

"You are not thinking of bathing me are you?" 
Funny Animal Pictures by Ty Buchanan 
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The Rumor App "Secret" is Spreading Across the English Speaking World

Rumor mongering is on its way to the tech world. An app initially established in the US is being rolled out in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Ireland. The app called "Secret" allows people to spread rumours, innuendo, their feeling about things, and accusations about the behavior of innocent people - anonymously. Of course praise can be offered, but is will probably be praise with a small "p".

Apple has offered the app for some time. Google is about to launch it as well. Apparently, there is a voracious appetite for the app in the US. The opinions will be kept among your friend list. However, it is commonplace now for users to accept absolutely anyone who asks to be a new friend.

The app contains a weird option. A warning pops up telling people that the view they are about to make could be defamatory. This is laughable. Users generally ignore such warnings and turn them off. Lives will be destroyed by this app and legal cases will emerge everywhere. Freedom allows people to give their views but not at the expense of innocent victims.

Apple has a small market place. Google is huge. If this app becomes mainstream like Facebook and Twitter, it will change societies across the world, making telling lies the thing to do. A lot of suffering will be caused by this.

Something is going on in the Google Play Store. The company is doing something to regulate apps. Why have all the BBC apps been removed by the store? The BBC has a strong impact internationally, yet all its app are no longer available. Only a few third party UK audio and video apps are left. Perhaps these will be removed soon.

Getting back to the main issue: in the US 75 per cent of Secret's users return regularly to the same topic. This is frightening. Rumors will not only be established they will modified and distorted as just about everyone comes on board. This will make WikiLeaks look like child's play - there is no onus on proof.

Users in the US have become addicted to Secret. A staggering 90 per cent return to the same conversation, opening the app up to ten times a day. Gossiping over the garden fence has returned in a new way to the current age - seemingly in a nasty way.
Internet by Ty Buchanan

Dog Gossip

"Are you sure about that?"
Funny Animal Photos by Ty Buchanan
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Queensland Anti-Bikie Laws are Challenged

The Premier of Queensland, Campbell Newman, is carrying out a "pet" policy that appears to be solely his own. Remember, John Howard and Kevin Rudd were shown the door by voters for pushing out pet policies, ignoring advice from cabinet. Campbell Newman thinks voters will thank him at the next state poll for clamping down on the freedom of bikies.

Under the new rules police are hounding bikes out of the state. This is forcing police in those states to take action as well. It is certainly contagious. Freedom of association has clearly been limited and the laws don't make any sense. If each of two brothers belong to two different bikie clubs they cannot associate socially. This is a restriction of human rights.

The government is interfering in the freedom of the judicial system. Judges have criticized the new laws. Severe language is used in the legislation. An Offence are named "Vicious Lawless Association". Furthermore, a "defendant" has to prove his innocence, not be proven guilty.

The government has written the laws so a minister can expand a law at his own whim. This is very bad government, dictatorial even. Vicious Lawless Association carries a mandatory penalty of 10 years in prison. Members of bikie clubs in other states have been arrested and charged while on vacation in Queensland. The legislation can be expanded to cover workplace, sporting and recreational clubs, including political parties that a government wants to suppress.

Stefan Kuczborski a member of Hells Angels had lodged a High Court challenge against the freedom of association restriction.  A woman has been arrested for going with her husband because she was dressed in bikie gear. The main target of the legal challenge is that the government has broken the constitutional code of separation of powers by making judges bring down mandatory sentences.

In Australia constitutional challenges are won and lost by the political bias of judges on the panel who are appointed by changing federal governments. Decisions tend to be very close with split outcomes possible. The fear is that the legislation is implicitly supported by both leading political parties and this will sway the decision of High Court judges.
Politics by Ty Buchanan