Joe KD2AKU

Virgin Mobile.to offer the latest Galaxy Nexus superphone?

kd2aku — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 03:29:57 +0000

Our Neighbors to the North have this now!

http://www.virginmobile.ca/en/hot-offers/offer-nexus.html

Samsung Galaxy Nexus highlights:

OS Android™ 4.0 ICE CREAM SANDWICH
Screen 4.65” HD Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 720×1280 16m colors
CPU Dual-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A9
GPU PowerVR SGX540
Memory 16/32GB storage, 1 GB RAM
Camera 5 MP, 2592×1936 pixels, autofocus, LED flash
Video 1080p@30fps
Battery Li-Ion 1750 mAh
Standby Up to 270 h
Talk Up to 8 h 20 min

Question is with this phone in CA and South Africa. when will we see it in the US? I do expect it to replace the Triumph as the main Android phone for Virgin. We will have to wait and see.

Android saves!

kd2aku — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 03:09:54 +0000

This is the story of how Android saved me over the last three days. How an investment in a smartphone can pay off. Friday morning at 2am I got a call from the Laurence Hospital ER telling me my mother had fallen and broken her left shoulder. She was fine expect for the pain and that they were admitting her to the hospital. Since I live an hour a forty minutes away, I did not panic, letting my Aunt take care of things that Saturday. After putting my affairs in order I headed down with a change of cloths and my sleeping bag ( staying at her apartment ). I headed to the hospital and after about an hour of updates mom took a nap. It’s 3pm I can stay to 5pm what should I do for dinner? Android => Facebook => old friends that still live around we I grew up. After some texting I had a place and time for a 3 person reunion. After traveling half the day and spending the other half at the hospital a local reunion was a necessary “depressurization”. Then Monday up at 8am ( Android alarm ) and over to the hospital by 9am. Then the first curve ball, meeting with the social worker, seems you can only spend about a day in the hospital if you break your arm. So mom had to go to a rehab center. But which one, they handed me a list of 30 and said pick 4 and we will make arrangements. My mothers roommate worked in that field and suggested the medicare rating website. Thus Android => hospital open Wifi => site => looked at ratings. So I was able to get three working with my mother and Aunt. Then I recalled that at the end of my reunion my old friends recommended another place. Back to Android => Facebook chat with buds => forth choice. That choice was one my Aunt knew but could not recall the name. Now with a list of places the social worker when to work. In the mean time the mood in the hospital room was improving. I got to talking to the room mates family members about places to eat ( since they were discussing where they were going to calibrate the impending release ). In which I discovered Bronx Ale House which you should check out if ever in the Bronx. Taking this information I feed it back to all my old friends and they were thankful for the tip.

At this point the social worker came back and informed me ( I was alone at this point ) that they had gotten a room in my mothers first choice. She was leaving in 3 hours. Again Android => Geo-Google food => NYC style Deli within a 5 minute walk. Got the best Turkey sandwiches ever! Back at the hospital mom needed some things from home, I left for the apartment as she left for the rehab center. At her apartment I got the items, but how to get to the new location? Android => Navi => Rehab center. I arrived only 10 minutes behind my mother. Got her settled in. Visiting hours over and starving again. Been thinking of how I missed Indian food on Saturday. Well as for lunch Android => Geo-Search => local Indian restaurant ( near where I was staying not the rehab center ) => Navi => Dinner! Who knew there was an Indian restaurant 3 miles from where I grew up ( now that is, was not there 20 years ago ).

Bottom line, a good tool is one that you can use in a changing environment. The Android phone was able to not only be a phone, but a way to communicate with many different people related to me in different ways. Also by using a Geo-Centric searching I was able to get information that was relative to my location, which was VERY important. Best of all I was able to take the information and navigate to the locations I needed to be at in a timely manor.

As I write this it sounds kinda silly, but I alone pulled it off. Without Android and all it’s many integrated facets I would not have been successful. I would have looked as helpless as a 7 year old to my Aunt ( who desperately wants to relegate me to that status, it’s a German thing ). Thus without such an amazing tool my butt would have been kicked.

Republic Wireless

kd2aku — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 01:06:23 +0000

Republic Wireless is offering a $200 Android phone with $19 / Month, how it works is the phone only exchanges data. Thus Calling is VoIP and well texting is well just data. So for this to work you need to use free/open/your own WiFi 60% or more of the time. Sure Sprint 3G is there to back it up, But I bet that if you hit 3G heavy they will pull the plug and your phone will only be WiFi until next month.

I do like the idea that you should be able to put a phone in a mode where it uses VoIP, like when I’m at home far away form sprint towers. I do home the idea of affordable Android phones takes off, that will benefit all.

Spek – Acoustic Spectrum Analyser

kd2aku — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 23:07:05 +0000

My post to the MHVLUG.org mailing list about if there were any programs to compare two audio files, was finally answered buy Adam with the revelation of the program Spek. This program can display a spectrum analysis of an audio file or video file in seconds! Thus one can compare two files to see which one contains more “information”. I needed such a tool since I am in the process of trying to compare three sets of headphones. I need audio content that contains sounds from 22Khz down to below 10Hz. This is to test them equally as possible, thus content that contains the most information is needed. Anyway back to Spek, as I review my collection of music I noticed that not all my collection was “complete” that not all mp3 files are created equal. We all know this but now there is a tool to visually display just how much information is lacking! Here is an example:

Tears For Fears - Shout

This song ripped directly from Audio CD into FLAC format. Notice the completeness of the content, less Black means more audio content.

Tears For Fears - Shout HD 1080p Digital PCM Remaster

Same exact song, but this captured from www.youtube.com as the source. Notice the clipping just above 15kHz or the LACK of audio content. Thus people who takes songs off of youtube are missing a measurable amount of audio data! So audio captured from youtube lower then 720p is 95kps or lower so expect less information.The point here is NOT how to get music from youtube but how to measure and compare in a post such as this. Being able to show clear results is important, and as a tool Spek can accomplish that task.

Now you may be wondering if Spek is accurate? So did I, thus I found some testing and calibration sample files and ran them through Spek. Using the sweep test file sweep.zip which start at zero Hz and increases to 20KHz with a sine wave as input we get this result:

sweeplin-wav

This shows that Spek accurately visualizes the content of the file! I’m sold.

The new magic number is $42

kd2aku — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 21:43:23 +0000

I’ll bottom line it for you, Straight Talk is really “Track Phone” which means you get Verizon for coverage. You must get the “all you can eat” plan which means unlimited voice/text/data for $45/mo but no contract. If you buy 6 months you can drop that down to $42 which is the lowest unlimited you can find! Oh ya you need to buy the phone up front for $150 which is fair for the Samsung Galaxy Precedent

Samsung Galaxy Precedent coming to Straight Talk
Wal-Mart and Tracfone to release Samsung Galaxy Precedent

Second Order Hobbies

kd2aku — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 23:47:47 +0000

There are two types of activities, first order and second order. That is first order activities that require your full attention. Like driving a car first order activities can only be done one at a time. Where second order activities can be done either alone or during first order. That is one can listen to a book on tape while driving long distance. Ham Radio is a second order hobby so it can be done during other first order activities. That is one can say ride a bike long distance and talk to fellow hams across the country or one can hike/walk while making contacts or attending NET meetings. The point here is that amateur radio can fit in with other hobbies it can also enhance this hobbies. If you are an avid biker that goes on 50 mile team treks, APRS can be used to allow other to follow your progress. Now it is true that this can be done via a cell phone but amateurs are allowed to use frequencies that carry over longer distances and up to 1,500 Watts of power ( that would NOT be a good idea on a bike, one would most likely get bad RF burns ).

So if you have any interest there is a local event going on later this month:

From http://www.qsysociety.org/

The QSY Society will present a program entitled “Introduction to Ham Radio” at the East Fishkill Community Library, Route 376, Hopewell Junction, NY on Monday, August 29th at 7:00 p.m. The program will consist of a short presentation, some informative/interactive displays, a 100 watt SSB station on 20 meters, and a QRP CW station on 40 meters. Those QSY members participating are Fred KC2QFR, Tony W1ZMB, Scott W2NTV and Stan WB2LQF. The Orange County Amateur Radio Club will send a representative to answer questions about their upcoming free licensing class which begins on September 24th. This program targets ages 10 through adult. Publicity and refreshments are being handled by the Library.

I will be going and encourage anyone who is curious or has questions to attend.

My 2m/70cm HT Radio

kd2aku — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 23:19:28 +0000

Wouxun KG-UVD1P

One of the first things a person does after they get there new license is to purchase a radio. After doing some research I chose the Wouxun KG-UVD1P for $100 ( & USB programming cable for $15). It’s a 144-148Mhz (2m) and 420-450Mhz (70cm) radio ( aka duel band). It also has a FM radio mode to pick up local stations. What was a discovery of mine is that it can receive 136-174Mhz (2m) and 350-520Mhz (70cm) right out of the box! Which means it get’s all NOAA stations (weather).

162.400 MHz
162.425 MHz
162.450 MHz
162.475 MHz
162.500 MHz
162.525 MHz
162.550 MHz

You need software to configure memory and functions which is at Wouxum’s site. But better yet you can get a after-market program called KG-UV Commander that is WAY better, but currently only works under Windows.

The radio is fully FCC approved under grant FCC ID:WVTWOUXUN04 Thus legal to purchase and own in the United States. You will need the correct FCC license to operate the radio to transmit (but that is true for any transmitting equipment).

Findings: I have been able to sit in my house second floor in Staatsburg and work repeaters 10 to 20 miles away. I successfully joined and participated in local Mt. Beacon Net. I am able to clearly hear NOAA and other local radio transmissions. I was able to program in all my Favorite FM stations so if I want local news I can hit 1-9 on the keypad for quick access like with a car radio. This will make the perfect camping radio since it can tune to all stations you would need. I can use it to teach the BSA radio merit badge and how to finding and working satellites. (Note: third party traffic is restricted if communicating with other countries, thus only allows scouts to communicate with the correct remote station ). Lastly the built in white LED is really bright and may come in handy.

Conclusion: for it’s intended use as a Amateur Radio and for BSA Camp-outs it is a very good value. Access to local FM radio stations and NOAA for weather is a must have in the woods. You need to configure the radio before heading out using the programming cable and software. The radio is insanely hard to program via the touch-pad.

Links of local interest:

Repeaters by State
Repeaters by distance
BSA Radio-Sport Fox Hunting!
Communicating via satellite with a hand held radio
Local satellite group ( NET is on Mt. Beacon repeater )

A new me

kd2aku — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 17:04:07 +0000

Time to re-brand myself, to project a more consistent image. That is I have not always prescribed 100% to the FSF aka RMS’s GNu manifesto etc. We are all grateful to the FSF for all they have done in the past, but all they accomplish now is telling people off, not producing anything new or better. My last straw was a note I got from there current president telling me how I was a bad person for having a gmail account and how I must hate freedom.

That is the old, in with the new. Many moons ago I had two hobbies, computers and communications. Back in the mid-90′s those two together were too costly for an unemployed EE graduate. Now after 18 year break, I have reviewed my old hobby and hope to mix in another, which is BSA aka hiking and camping. So I am turning this rambling blog in to my new search for computer/radio/camping/hikeing nirvana! Come along it should be a very rewarding hike to the top!

Get out from behind the computer desk and do something! You don’t have to leave your Inner-geek behind!

Just an example of what I mean not me of course. http://kb5wia.blogspot.com/2010_09_01_archive.html

Turning a Pandigital 7 into a cheap 2.X tablet

kd2aku — Wed, 04 May 2011 18:34:00 +0000

Tablets are all the rage, especially those Android ones. But who has $400 to blow?
Well for a little over $100 you can hack the Pandigital 7 into a Android Tablet running at least Android 2.2

Here are the notes from my conversation with someone simply called “Larry”

Pricing:

Hacking

Videos of a rooted Pandigital 7

Kohls was blowing this out @ $60 a unit after this bombed during Christmas.So it’s possible for a color tablet to be made and sold for that low of a price?

Linux 20 years old

kd2aku — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 21:33:36 +0000

Must see this video!

Happy 20th!