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Keith I Myers - Blog

A Crash Course in Android Security

K

I spend a lot of time online reading technical and security websites and am often baffled on the amount of misinformation I keep seeing. Several of these websites seem to promote several different third party products and services that are not really necessary in most cases. This is a modern version of the old defunct argument for Android Task Killers. Instead of promoting any third party products, lets look at three practical Android Security Tips that will keep you safe.

Thoughts On The End Of The Google Glass Explorer Program

K

The Google Glass team made an announcement today that the Google Glass Explorer Program will be coming to an end within the next few days. This news does not come as a surprise to me as the Google has set the expectation from day one that the Glass Explorer program was essentially a public beta. As with all beta programs, they must come to an end. The news is very bittersweet to me as I was one of the first 8,000 Google Glass Explorers to get their hands on Google Glass nearly a year and a half ago.

Wearable Gadgets and Mobile Data Use

K

What do Android Wear SmartWatches, Pebble SmartWatches, Fitness Trackers and Google Glass have in common? They all tether to your mobile phone and consume mobile data in the background. Most people do not realize it but the amount of data these devices silently consume in the background could possibly put you over your data limit and make you incur additional charges. How much data do these devices really consume in the period of a month?

Why I Root

K

Rooting an Android Phone is seen as a right of passage to adulthood within the groups I personally associate with. While rooting your Android Phone is not a necessity as we enjoy a lot more freedom than other mobile platforms, rooting does open up a whole new world of possibilities. I am encouraging all Android Users to share the reasons why they root on their favorite social media sites with the hashtag “#WhyIRoot”. Here are the reasons that I personally root my devices.

My Dream Android Tablet

K

With 2015 around the corner and tablet use quickly overtaking conventional desktop use, we are barely beginning to scratch the surface of what our tablets are capable of. Tablets are currently positioned to become much more than a content consumption device and are quickly turning into powerful workhorses. I have huge aspirations on what I would personally want in my primary tablet and have documented them below. Needless to say 10 inches is not going to cut it, this behemoth should have a 13.3 inch display!

Side Project : Ubuntu GNOME HTML5 Simulation

K

Rule #1 – Never give a geek free time or a week off of work, you never know what can happen. I took a week off (December 15th – December 19th) to some much needed work around the house. During my downtime, I decided to fire up a gedit document and come up with something creative, the end result was a simulation of Ubuntu GNOME running completely in a web browser. This HTML5 based simulation could will eventually allow users to experience Ubuntu GNOME (and possibly other operating systems) without the need to install it on their computer. This is especially useful for training new users.

Wishlist for Android 6.0

K

Lets face it, Android is already one of the most powerful, versatile operating systems on earth right now. In the humble beginning of Android, it’s use was limited to smartphones however we are currently seeing it in everything from phones, tablets, watches, TVs, Home Automation Systems and even Smart Eyewear. I am a huge Android Fanboy and often find myself being one of the first in line to buy the latest Android devices, heck, I have owned Google Glass for over a year and a half. Android is great but far from perfect, here is my wishlist for a future build of Android 6.0:

Rant : Digital Content Overload

K

I decided to take a few days off this month to do some much needed housework. Not only did I completely move around my bedroom but we also took a lot of time to get rid of some old junk that was just taking up space and collecting dust. In total, we donated a lot of the old stuff to several charity’s as much of it could be appreciated by others who are less fortunate. As a consequence of tearing apart everything in my room, my desk was also completely dismantled and it took me close to two days to put everything back together. When I got my desktop computer back together, I came to a realization, I am a hoarder… of data.

Giving Back To The Ubuntu Gnome Community

K

I have been a proud user of Ubuntu since 2007 and have used it religiously as my primary Operating System since 2009. Since its humble beginnings in 2004, Ubuntu has quickly grew to become one of the most popular Linux Distributions on earth. It has become so popular that over a thousand “forked” distributions have been created and maintained. I was thrilled with the formation of the Ubuntu GNOME community which announced a version of Ubuntu that utilizes the Gnome Shell rather than Unity. I started using it in October of 2012 and have not looked back since. For the past 2 years, I have been a long time lurker on the Ubuntu GNOME mailing Lists and IRC but as of November 2014, I have decided to step up and fill a much needed vacancy within the community as the Lead of Marketing and Communications.