The Drunken Tech Blog

Spoiler/tl;dr - Philo TV is an awesome service! To clarify, this post is more focused on streaming Live TV, not just on demand... Let me start by saying I DESPISE Cable TV. Paying a ridiculous fee for an obnoxious number of channels that will never be watched just seems ludicrous. When I decided to cut the cord, Sling TV had just recently come into being. I liked the idea of around 25 channels, most of which I would actually watch, only costing about $20. This was also about the time that The Walking Dead was reaching the end of whatever season they were on at this time. This was a show that my wife and I watched religiously on Sunday night. So, my first foray into streaming Live TV channels had begun... For the most part, things went well. But then Sunday night came around and time to watch our show. I can't begin to express how frustrating the buffering was. It was more annoying than I could deal with and I decided to change the channel, with the plan to watch it...

Let me start by saying I bought my DSC-QX10 "Lens-Style Camera" at the end of February through Amazon.  The first thing I did was update the firmware to the latest version. I also grabbed the latest version of the PlayMemories Mobile app form the Play Store. This "camera" has been the most useless device in in collection ever since.  Sony's marketing of the device is very "optimistic" and misleading. They have a video showing a few really happy-looking individuals seeming to really enjoy using the camera with their smartphones.  This is a complete farce! On the RARE occasion where I can get the "NFC/Wi-Fi® allows simple, one-touch connection with smartphones" to actually stay connected to my phone for more than 15-20 seconds, the ability to compose any kind of shot with the "live-view" on the smartphone is non-existent. There is such a tremendous amount of lag in the display that even stationary, landscape shots are madden...

Yesterday, the communications rep at my place of work advised me she had a few pre-release Verizon Nexus 6 units on hand. You see, for the past 6 years or so, I have been the go-to for putting new Android devices through the paces before opening the floodgates for every Jo and Jane Schmo to request one for themselves. This is, however, the first time I've done so with a phone that wasn't "officially released" yet. A couple of things I can confirm: The Verizon Nexus 6 has got Android 5.1 Lollipop.  Our rep stated all she did was put in the sim cards and power these on; she did not perform any type of system updates. There is none of the usual Verizon bloatware/crapware pre-installed on this device! No Verizon/VZW Apps No Softcard (which is technically about to be put to pasture anyway) Not even that damned NFL Mobile App! Spoiler Alert: The above two points, I imagine, are really the only Verizon-specific aspects of this mini-review. The remaining t...

Last week I posted about the newly announced Ubuntu Touch edition designed for phones and tablets. I promised an update with my first impressions. Unfortunately there isn't a whole lot to say just yet. Only a handful of the apps are actually functional (gallery, phone, camera, browser, media player, and notepad) and even fewer of those actual function properly on the Nexus 7. What I CAN say, though, is that Ubuntu Touch has A LOT of potential. It certainly is a beautiful OS and the layout of the interface and the way you interact with it is quite intuitive. It makes use of all four edges of the screen, allowing you to swiped between running apps, access app-specific settings, system settings, and a quick-list of favorite apps (think the Unity Launcher, on your Ubuntu Desktop). The install image includes some sample content, including People, Pictures, Messages, etc, so you can see what using each of those apps looks and feels like. All-in-all I would like to spend some time wit...

So let me start out by saying I am usually fairly content with my Comcast connection. I pay for the "Performance" package that states: "Get download speeds up to 20 Mbps and upload speeds up to 4 Mbps with PowerBoost®." My download speeds, according to Speedtest.net, are regularly in the 13Mbit - 18Mbit range, which I find quite acceptable. I can stream HD content from the web with easy, and I rarely have a hiccup with gaming online. BUT... In the last week or so, my Upload speeds have been dismal. I struggle to get 600kb  according to Speedtest, and real-world tests are even worse! Trying to transfer a file from my home PC to my work PC via my home web server, I barely get 250kb!  That is ridiculous! A few months back I had an issue that affected both my Download AND Upload speeds. A technician came out several days after I contacted support and said there was a signal issue and he would have to come back the next day and repair some wiring on the outside ...

Every once in a while, an app comes along that surprises the hell outta me. FXGuru is one of those apps! It lets you add impressive-quality special effects to your boring home videos. The app is free, and as of now, there are 4 effects that are offered free as well. Other effects can be purchased individually through in-app Play Store links. There is also a "MegaPack" that offers 13 effects for $8.99. For now, I'm having a blast with the freebies, but see the developers Play Store Trailer below for a rundown of some of the other effects. Thanks to Droid-Life for pointing out this great app!

Ok, I still don't entirely get how this app works, but who cares??? Go get this app, now! Basically, you launch this music app and search for a band. It shows all the albums it can find by said band and you can play any/all of the songs it finds. So far I have been pretty amazed at what it can find. I was even able to listen to some older GWAR stuff that I couldn't hear on Rdio or other more well-know apps! Oh, and the kicker...It's FREE. Yep absolutely FREE. All you can hear; unlimited skipping; non Pandora-like crap. Oh, and did I mention you can build playlists? And add any tracks you like to them? AND every artist you search for is stored in a list on the main music screen so you can easily get to them again (unless you remove them, of course) (There is an option to remove the ads for $0.99 but it's not necessary. Personally, I did just as a THANKS to the Developer!) Seriously, go get this app now! Play Link: http://t.co/eTIHlE9 (Oh, and in case you didn...