d

Show Notes

* Android News

* N Preview has a Calculator Quick Setting tile.

* Google’s new Live Cases let you customize your Nexus phone case with a photo or map.

* Google now providing OTA zip links for Android N Previews

* Google Launcher on N Preview lets you set different wallpapers for home and lockscreen.

* App News

* HTC’s new Boost+ app is one of the least useful things they’ve ever made.

* Find Your Goals with Google Calendar

* Google Voice Access App allows for complete control with just voice.

* In Other News

* Google aims for transparency with updated user data rules on the Chrome Store.

* Let’s Encrypt is Now Out of Beta

* Google’s new Save to Chrome extension is a half-hearted clone of Pocket and Instapaper

* Alphabet could be building an entire futuristic city soon…Maybe they should call it the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.

* National Weather Service to stop using all caps on weather forecasts.

* Lawyers who won Happy Birthday copyright case suing over We Shall Overcome.

* U.S. House Committee approves bill requiring warrants for e-mail.

* Stephen Hawking and a Russian billionaire want to send spacecraft to Alpha Centauri

* Roadside textalyzer could help stop distracted driving in New York

* Paramount thinks the Klingon language is copyrighted unless there are real Klingons to talk to.

* New USB Type-C authentication specification hopes to stop faulty cables before they do damage

Also on:* *

Happy International Louie Louie Day.

Show Notes

* Android News

* Android Studio 2.0 now stable.

* Marshmallow now at 4.6%, Lollipop at 35.8%, KitKat 33.4%, Jellybean 21.3%

* Google updating the Play family of apps with a unified icon design.

* App News

* gReader RSS Reader gets its first update in 8 months.

* Official Reddit App released from beta…may be disappointing. Here are some alternatives.

* Zero Click from Dominos just orders a pizza when you run the app.

* Google removes merged tabs entirely from latest Chrome Dev

* Nova Launcher adds ability to choose a Night mode.

* In Other News

* Senate drafts an encryption-weakening bill

* NexDock, the $149 laptop shell, passes $300,000 funding goal

* New York Court rules parents can eavesdrop on children for protection

Also on:* *

We again…continue the saga we thought would be over by now.

Show Notes

* Android News

* Check out how the Google app’s latest voice was created.

* F-Droid partners with Guardian Project and CopperheadOS to build open and verifiably secure Android based OS.

* App News

* CNN Android App updated to 360-degree video and Chromecast support.

* Google is testing a new app called Spaces for Group conversations

* Google brings Calculator app to the Play Store, violated Wear Guidelines.

* In Other News

* Google aims to open up 360-degree photos with an open source system.

* RadioShack’s VP keeps reminding people that it still exists

* The ability to run a linux and bash command line coming to Windows 10.

* Google confirms the physical Wallet card is going away on June 30th.

* Verizon will charge $20 to upgrade phones because they can.

* Should internet companies be required to let you cancel service online?

* Actress Patty Duke dead at age 69.

 

Letter from Mr. Bird

The Bill of Rights is the standard law governing not only the Federal Government, but all the states in the Union. It is not “pick and choose”. First Amendment rights do not ONLY apply to Federal rights, but they apply to all governments that exist under the Federal Government, namely the states. So to say that Second Amendment rights only apply in Federal cases and not the states is non sequitur.

Under current law, the Organized Militia is considered the National Guard and the Navy Militia. The Reserve Militia are part of the unorganized militia defined by the Militia Act of 1903 as consisting of every able-bodied man of at least 17 and under 45 years of age who is not a member of the National Guard or Naval Militia.

Former members of the armed forces are also considered part of the Unorganized Militia per Sec 313 Title 32 of the US Code. In essence, the militia is practically all US citizens CAPABLE of bearing arms. Originally, the framers of the constitution had no definition of “Militia” other than the whole body of the people.

And now for something completely different.

I will be replacing my Samsung S3 this year. I don’t mind staying well behind “cutting edge” tech to keep costs down,

“A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”

Show Notes

* Back to the Second Amendment for a moment

* In United States v. Cruikshank(1875), the Court ruled, “The right there specified is that of “bearing arms for a lawful purpose.” This is not a right granted by the Constitution. Neither is it in any manner dependent upon that instrument for its existence. The second amendment declares that it shall not be infringed, but this, as has been seen, means no more than that it shall not be infringed by Congress. This is one of the amendments that has no other effect than to restrict the powers of the national government.“

* Conversely, in Presser v. Illinois(1886), the Court ruled, “We think it clear that the sections under consideration, which only forbid bodies of men to associate together as military organizations, or to drill or parade with arms in cities and towns unless authorized by law, do not infringe the right of the people to keep and bear arms. But a conclusive answer to the contention that this amendment prohibits the legislation in question lies in the fact that the amendment is a limitation only upon the power of congress and the national government, and not upon that of the state.” and, “It is undoubtedly true that all citizens capable of bearing arms constitute the reserved military force or reserve militia of the United States as well as of the States, and in view of this prerogative of the general government, as well as of its general powers, the States cannot, even laying the constitutional provision in question out of view, prohibit the people from keeping and bearing arms, so as to deprive the United States of their rightful resource for maintaining the public security, and disable the people from performing their duty to the general government. But, as already stated, we think it clear that the sections under consideration do not have this effect.“

* In United States v. Miller(1939), the court ruled that the National Firearms Act, limiting certain types of firearms to be registered with a division of what later became the IRS, was not a violation of the Second Amendment. “In the absence of any evidence tending to show that possession or use of a “shotgun having a barrel of less than eighteen inches in length” at this time has some reasonable relationship to the preservation or efficiency of a well regulated militia, we cannot say that the Second Amendment guarantees the right to keep and bear such an instrument.“

* In District of Columbia v. Heller(2008), the court held that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home. None of the Court’s precedents forecloses the Court’s interpretation, for example, U.S. v. Miller does not limit the right to keep and bear arms to militia purposes, but rather limits the type of weapon to which the right applies to those used by the militia, i.e., those in common use for lawful purposes. It is not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose. “Although we do not undertake an exhaustive historical analysis today of the full scope of the Second Amendment, nothing in our opinion should be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, or laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms.” The dissent in the case, joined in by 4 out of 9 justices, points out that the mere fact the amendment specifically mentions the militia in its preambl...

We’re back for a chat.

Show Notes

* Android News

* Google is calling Android N ‘New York Cheesecake’ (NYC) internally.

* 275 Million Phones affected by new code execution exploit

* Mid month security update to be given to Nexus devices after critical Linux kernel exploit discovered

* Why so few Android phones are encrypted and why should you encrypt yours?

* Google may have to change its Android app-bundling policies in Russia

* App News

* Facebook app for Android now supports HD Photo Uploads

* Developer of Kodi’s Android App has Quit, will work on his own fork instead

* LastPass Authenticator released for TOTP 2FA. (Play Link)

* In Other News

* Google is going on a tour of the U.S. to get your feedback on its products

* Universal Pictures made different Straight Outta Compton trailers for different races delivered via Facebook

* New Jersey proposed making texting while walking illegal.

Also on:* *

Guru returns.

Show Notes

* Android News

* March distribution numbers: Lollipop at 36.1%, Marshmallow 2.3%, KitKat 34.3%, Jellybean 22.2%

* How Android Wear and Ambient Display can decrease your phone’s battery drain.

* Google I/O 2016 site is live…but as the podcast was in hiatus, you missed registration by now.

* Explore the new Google Play Developer Policy Center

* Android N

* Preview of Android N released.

* Android TV supports multiple recorded sessions for DVR-like functionality.

* Default Dialer app can now screen incoming calls.

* Optimizing Apps Screen gone in Android N

* Android N may separate out more parts of the operating system so updates of certain elements can come separate from manufacturer area updates.

* Expanded System Tuner options, with auto-rotate status symbol, headset, etc.

* Emergency Info added to lock screen.

* Multi-window/split screen modes

* Bundled Notifications

* Improved Java 8 language support

* New data saver option for limited cell plans.

* App News

* Waze 4.0 released with reduced battery consumption, new ETA panel, smart reminders, etc.

* Facebook Messenger updated with material design.

* VLC 2.0 Beta adds local network browsing and universal Android TV interface.

* In Other News

* Google says it won’t google jurors in upcoming Oracle API copyright trial.

* Ray Tomlinson who popularized the @ symbol in email, dies at 74

* Men behind Diffie-Hellman key exchange receive top computer science prize.

* FCC wants internet providers to ask your ...

The last episode was missing a piece. Last week, Guru lost his voice. Take 2 on that.

Show Notes

* Android News

* JetBrains releases Kotlin, a JVM compatible language that can write Android apps.

* Cyanogen launches ‘MOD’ platform to give developers Google-like access to Android OS

* Intel not backing down from Android, announces XMM 7480 modem this week.

* App News

* Popular display tweaking app f.lux coming to Android. Available now in beta, requiring root.

* Facebook Messenger adds multiple account support on Android

* Google’s text to speech engine updated, adding support as well as voice variations.

* Paypal updated with overhauled UI and fingerprint sensor for Marshmallow devices.

* Google offers to Gmailify your Yahoo or Hotmail/Outlook account.

* Google launches rich text formatting and instant RSVP in Gmail on Android

* Latest Street View update offers notifications for new collections, updated interface, and better integration with spherical cameras.

* In Other News

* George Gaynes dies at age 98.

* Harper Lee, author of “To Kill a Mockingbird”, dead at 89.

* Civilization: 25 years, 33m copies sold, 1 billion hours played, and 66 versions

* Also at 25 years, Lemmings.

* Looking at Justice Scalia’s opinions and dissents and its impact on technology.

* We are closer to embeddable/programmable SIMs replacing removable SIMs.

* One year anniversary of Net Neutrality was this week, attacks are still coming in court and Congress.

* It’s actually easy to force people to be evil.

Remember the Maine…February 15, 1898.

Update: Due to unknown technical issues, several minutes of the show was unknowingly not recorded. Have edited to remove the gap, replacing with a single tone. Could not recover the missing minutes. Losses have been rare over the previous 286 episodes. Will be checking system for possible reasons.

Show Notes

* Android News

* Android devices from 74 companies feature Microsoft apps.

* Why aren’t more manufacturers using Intel in their phones?

* Android has a new API for Contacts called the People API, which combines the older APIs for contacts and user profiles

* App News

* Latest Maps update allows disabling voice guidance when in a call.

* Chrome 49 for Android will support physical web-enabled beacons

* Google Clock updated with night mode, audio alerts for Android wear, and new animations.

* In Other News

* Qualcomm announces new Arm chips, LTE modem, and a wearable platform.

* Google shutting down Picasa in May.

* This USB-C problem isn’t going away any time soon.

* Chrome to deprecate SPDY in favor of HTTP2 as well as the NPN extension to TLS on May 15th.

* Happy Birthday will soon be public domain, lawyers vow to free more songs.

* Amazon’s new game engine services cannot be used for safety-critical systems unless of a zombie apolcalypse.

* Opera Software may be bought out by Chinese consortium.

* Gmail will now advise users when they send or receive from email providers who don’t support TLS encryption.

Also on:* *

In 1879, Sandford Fleming first proposed adoption of Universal Standard Time. In 1952, Queen Elizabeth II was proclaimed Queen of the United Kingdom. In 1965, Eastern Airlines 663 crashed off Jones Beach state park after taking off from Kennedy Airport. In 1986, the Hinton Train collision killed 23 people. It is also Robert Klein’s birthday, he is 74.

Show Notes

* Android News

* Android distribution updated, Marshmallow has reached 1.2%, Lollipop at 34.1%, KitKat at 35.5%, Jellybean 23.9%.

* Android Studio 2.0 Beta released.

* Android Wear update introduces new gestures and speaker support

* Open Source repository F-Droid updated.

* App News

* Public Speaking for Cardboard Lets You Practice Speaking in Front of a Virtual Audience. (Play Link)

* Google Hangouts can now use Peer-to-Peer Connections for Voice Calls

* LastPass changes logo from Asterisk to dots.

* Remember the Milk gets 4.0 update, with new UI, subtasks, and more. (Play Link)

* Swiftkey acquired by Microsoft.

* In Other News

* The US ranks 55th in terms of LTE download speeds.

* Buy Your Own Doomsday Bunker in Northern Ireland

* Google will now warn you before you load sites with deceptive ads or buttons

* Google engineer finds USB-C type cable that is not only dangerous, it fried his hardware.

* Podcasts could come to Google Play Music later this month.

* Gmail now has 1 billion monthly active users.

Also on:* *

Groundhog Day Approaches.

Show Notes

* Android News

* Google is phasing out “Mark as Unhelpful” button for App Reviews

* Google Now Notifications have started getting tagged with a ‘G’ badge.

* App News

* Google adds Smart Suggestions to Calendar in more than 30 new languages.

* Chrome updated to v48 with Actionable Notifications, Status Bar Color without Merged Tabs, etc.

* ParcelTrack is The Author of the Article’s New Favorite Package Tracker on Android (Play Link)

* Pushbullet competitor Join goes paid, starting at $3.99

* Google Hangouts 7.0 asks users to stop using it for SMS

* Mobile Comments arrive for Google Docs, Slides, and Sheets

* Google shutting down My Tracks on April 30th. Apparently due Google Fit, however, Google Fit is a fitness app, and my tracks is a tracking app.

* 25 Million Installs of Cardboard Apps from the Play Store and more than 5 million Cardboard VR viewers.

* Inbox on Android gets improved search with Quick Cards for Orders, Flights, Bills, and more.

* In Other News

* Abe Vigoda has passed.

* January 27th was International Data Privacy Day

* The three worst tragedies in spaceflight history occurred between January 27 and February 1. Apollo 1 on January 27, 1967, the Challenger on January 28, 1986, and the Columbia on February 1, 2003.

* Many U.S. banks will be integrating cardless ATM technology in 2016.

* NayuOS is a Google-free version of Chromium OS.

* High severity bug in OpenSSL allows attackers to decrypt traffic.

* FCC expected to require more choices for cable set-top boxes.