Category: ‘Darkside’

Motorola Edge Review

February 7, 2021 Posted by Tiny

From the Dark Side
by Tiny Ruisch

Last time, I told you about how sad I was that I had cracked the screen on my Motorola Play phone.  The only companies I considered for a replacement were Google and Motorola.  The big advantage of a Google phone is that you get frequent security updates.  The comparative Motorola products tend to be a little cheaper.  I’ve replaced my phone with the Motorola Edge.

The Motorola Edge, not to be confused with the Edge Plus, has a list price of $699.99.  I bought mine for considerably less at Best Buy. For a mid‑range phone, the Edge has some pretty impressive specifications.

Network Technology: GSM/CDMA/HSPA/EVDO/LTE/5G
Dimensions: 6.36 x 2.80 x 0.37 in
Weight: 6.63 oz
Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame, plastic back
SIM: Hybrid Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)
Water-repellent coating
Display Type: OLED, 90Hz, HDR10
Resolution: 1080 x 2340 pixels
OS: Android 10
Chipset: Qualcomm SM7250 Snapdragon 765G (7 nm)
CPU: Octa-core
GPU: Adreno 620
Memory Card Slot: microSDXC
Main Camera: Quad 64 MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/1.72″, 0.8µm, PDAF
8 MP, f/2.4, 52mm (telephoto), 1.12µm, 2x optical zoom, PDAF
16 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), 1.0µm
Video: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps
Selfie Camera: Single 25 MP, f/2.0, (wide), 0.9µm
Stereo Speakers
3.5mm Jack
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot
Bluetooth: 5.1, A2DP, LE
GPS
NFC
FM radio
USB Type-C 2.0
Sensors: Fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro and proximity
Battery: Li-Po 4500 mAh, non-removable
Fast charging 18W

The Edge is named because of the way the screen wraps around the side of the phone.  This gives the display a gorgeous look.  The wrap around makes the screen look like there are no bezels.  It seems to be larger than other phones of the same size.  The only problem with this is that occasionally a program is too close to the edge and is a little harder to use.  This can be easily changed in the settings.

All of the programs that I normally use run fast with no slowdowns.  I often listen to a podcast in the background while I either read a book or play a game.  Everything is snappy and a pleasure to run.  The 4500 mAh battery is more than enough to keep me running for about a day and a half.  It usually takes me about fifty minutes to charge.  I’m more than satisfied with my purchase.

Thanks for reading.

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Real Kakuro

August 15, 2020 Posted by Tiny

From the Dark Side
by Tiny Ruisch

I only play a few games on my Android devices.  With one exception, they are all either word or number games.  I like to play Sudoku, Crossword Puzzles, Wordiest, Cryptograms and a few others.  It has to be a pretty good game to make it to the games folders on my phone.  Real Kakuro is a game that I downloaded about a week ago.  I have found it to be similar to both Sudoku and Crossword Puzzles.  To play the game, you also need to employ both mathematical and logical skills.

Kakuro, also known as cross sums or sum totals, is like a crossword puzzle with numbers.  Each “number” must add up to the total provided at the top of the column or to the left of the row.  Only the numbers 1 through 9 can be used in any row or column.  Each number can only be used once.  Every Kakuro game can be solved through logic alone.  All of the puzzles have only one solution.  If you get stuck in any particular board and think there is no solution, just reset and start over.  There are 3000 puzzles to solve.

As shown in figure 1, there are five levels of play.  I recommend starting with a few easy games to get a feel for how the grids are filled in.  In figure 2, you can see the opening screen for the easy puzzles.  The ribbon denotes that the puzzle has been completed.  Figure 3 shows the opening screen of a puzzle.  Under the grid, you can see a list of all the possible solutions for each row and column.  These numbers change as you fill in possible answers.  Answers are added with the keyboard in the bottom center.  The pencil icon on the left will let you enter one or more possible choices.  The pen icon is used to fill in your answer.  If you enter a number that will not fit the answer, it will show in red.  Selecting the eraser icon lets you delete whatever you have entered in any block.  Finally, the eye icon removes the possible answer choices.  Figure 4 shows the completed puzzle, except for the final answer.

I do have one minor niggle with this game.  The numeric keyboard is a little small for my big fingers.  I sometimes enter the wrong number without realizing that I did it.  Then I have to change icons and delete it.

Like many Android games,  Real Kakuro is supported by displaying advertisements.  They are not intrusive and show on the top of the game play screen.  After I played my second game, I paid the $2.95 in‑app purchase to remove them.  Download the game from the Google Play Store. I think you will like it.
Thanks for reading.

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Rbdigital Reading App – Originally Published February 2020

February 16, 2020 Posted by Tiny

From the Dark Side
by Tiny Ruisch

There are several Android programs that aren’t very good, but I use them anyway.  This is usually because there just aren’t any good alternatives.  Let me give you an few example.

I’ve always been an avid reader and frequent user of the public library.  To check out ebooks and magazines, I am forced to use the Rbdigital app.  I can describe the program with one word: “terrible”.  I quit using the app for audio books and ebooks.  The Hoopla Digital app is supported by the library and is much better.  I do most of my book reading with FBReader (Favorite Book Reader) and Google Play Books.  I have found plenty of great reading within my budget of zero dollars.

I like to go to the Rbdigital website the first of every month and check out new magazines.  There are usually 25‑30.  Then I open the app on my phone and download them to my SD card.  Many times the Rbdigital app just fails to open. I have to go to Android settings and force stop and then restart.  If there isn’t an internet connection, the app often will not allow me to view more than two checked out magazines.  It doesn’t do this all of the time, but enough to be frustrating.  (Once is enough.)  I haven’t found any reasons why sometimes it needs a connection and sometimes it doesn’t.

At least I know I’m not the only frustrated loser.  Although the app has a 4.3 rating for almost 17,000 reviews, there are many comments from other users with the same problem(s).

Thanks for reading.

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Sudoku Free by A1 Factory – Originally Published December 2019

December 8, 2019 Posted by Tiny

From the Dark Side
by Tiny Ruisch

I was looking through my list of Android app reviews when I noticed that I had installed one on September 27, 2012 and had never written about it.  This was mildly surprising since it is a game that I play nearly every day.  Needless to say, it is one of my favorites.

When I searched the Google Play Store for this article, I found hundreds of Sudoku apps.   A sudoku puzzle is a grid of nine by nine squares or cells, that have been subdivided into nine sub−grids or “regions” of three by three cells.  The objective of sudoku is to enter a digit from 1 through 9 in each cell, so that each row and column contains each digit once.
Sudoku Free by A1 Factory Limited has the following features.

• 1500 puzzles five difficulty levels.
• Smooth interface and graphics.
• Statistics tracking, including fastest times, average times and completion % for each level.
• Optional hints and board aids.
• Two sets of Sudoku board art and fonts.
• Two different modes for notes input.
• Supports undo.

The game has an easy to use interface.  Screenshot 01 shows the opening display of the program.  It is a completed game.  The black numbers were the starting given numbers of the game.  The blue numbers have been filled in by the player.

Screenshot  02 shows that I have completed puzzle 80 on difficulty level 4.  It took me 16 minutes and 20 seconds.  The arrows on the side of the grid allow you to advance to the next puzzles or return to previous puzzles.  There is also a button to replay the puzzle.

In Screenshot 03, I’ve advanced to puzzle 81 and am ready to hit the play key.  Screenshot 04 shows the opening grid after I’ve started the game.  In the Screenshot 05, I’ve entered the digits 1 and 5 in the upper left block of the lower left grid.  These are the two possible numbers that could fit in this space.  I’ve also entered the number 9 to demonstrate an incorrect entry.  To correct it, I could either hit the 9 button or the Undo key.  Screenshot 06 shows the game options selectable by the player.

If you like to play Sudoku, I can highly recommend you download and try Sudoku Free from the Google Play Store. It is ad supported, but I can honestly not tell you if they are obtrusive.  After playing a game or two I purchased Sudoku for $1.99.  That was more that seven years ago.

Thanks for reading.

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Cryptogram for Android – Originally Published October 2019

October 6, 2019 Posted by Tiny

From the Dark Side
by Tiny Ruisch

Android phones and tablets are the perfect size for playing some of my favorite games.  Most of the time, it is some type of a word game.  In the past, I’ve reviewed Wordiest, 7 Little Words, Monkey Wrench, Crossword Puzzle Free and many others.  I’ve recently found another word game that I’ve played daily since I installed it.

Cryptogram for Android is a puzzle where a sentence or phrase has been encoded by substituting the actual letters of the sentence with different letters.  The challenge of the puzzle is to decode the sentence to reveal the original English sentence.  The cipher used to encrypt the text is a simple substitution of letters and is easy enough that the cryptogram can be solved by hand.  The solution to each puzzle is a message by one of hundreds of different poets, preachers and prophets.  There are thousands of puzzles to solve.

The features of the game as listed in the Play Store are:
• Hundreds and hundreds of hand-picked puzzles without any religious or political bias;
• It works completely offline, so you can enjoy some brain teasers while traveling;
• Compare statistics about how well you’re doing with friends;
• Keep track of which puzzles you’ve solved already and revisit them;
• Get help by revealing letters or showing hints.

The game is easy to play.  As you progress in the game, the puzzles get harder.  The quote topic and author name can often give you clues to what some of the words might be.  You can get hints by revealing letters.  As I write this article, the Play Store has 14,209 reviews with an average rating of 4.6.  The puzzle author is very responsive to reviews.

                                                     

Did I mention the best feature?  Cryptogram for Android is completely free and has no ads.  There is a donate button in the settings menu.  You can download Cryptogram from the Google Play Store.  If you like word puzzles, I highly recommend this one.

Thanks for reading.

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Medical ID – Originally Published August 2019

July 22, 2019 Posted by Tiny

From the Dark Side
by Tiny Ruisch

People that know me can tell you I wear a necklace with an unusual ornament.  It’s a nearly indestructible flash drive with my important medical data.  My theory is that if something happens to me, medical responders will read the tag and have access to my critical information.  I’ve recently installed an application on my Android phone that could also save my life.

Medical ID allows creation of a medical profile that is accessible from the lock screen of your phone.  In case of emergency, the app enables quick access to vital information such as your allergies, blood type, medical contacts, etc.  These could be essential to attending first responders, medics or medical staff that need to take action.

Features of the application are:
• Quick access to medical data from your lock screen.
• Nearby hospitals localization.

 

After installing the app you are asked to fill out profile data.  Copy and Paste works great, if like me, you have an extensive list of medications.  The app adds a widget to your device’s lock screen (screenshot 1).

If anyone double taps the widget, a window opens with your information (screenshot 2).  The window is scrollable and contains only information that you designate in the app settings.

                  

 

 

Medical ID is free (with advertising).  There is also a premium version ($6.99) which adds the following features:

• Customizable lock screen widgets
• Multiple SMS alerts
• Unlimited profiles
• Data backup and restoration
• Frequent updates

Thanks for reading.

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The Google Bandwagon? – Originally Published June 2019

June 5, 2019 Posted by Tiny

From the Dark Side
by Tiny Ruisch

I’ve had my Google e‑mail account since February 11, 1911.  Other than receipts from the Play Store, I estimate that I’ve received about twenty important communications.  The only other mail I get are test mailings that I send to myself when I set up new e-mail accounts

Although I have side loaded a few applications, I almost solely use the Play Store.  I occasionally use Google Search when Bing or Duck Duck Go doesn’t give me satisfactory results.  I have the Chrome browser loaded on all of my devices, but I usually only use it for accessing the Play Store, watching You Tube videos or testing code on my web site(s).

Is this because I’m wary of the company tracking me so they can advertise?  Not really.  All companies do this.  Many are much more nefarious.  Is it because I don’t like Google?  Not at all.  They have some fine services and most of them work very well.

So why don’t I rely on Google for any of my day to day needs?  The answer is simple.  The service might not be available in the future.  Am I concerned about nothing?  Probably not, but lets take a look at some Google services that are no longer available:

• Inbox by Gmail was an email service developed by  Google. It was officially released to the public on May 28, 2015.  Inbox was shut down by Google on April 2, 2019.
• Google+ was an Internet‑based social network that was launched on June 28, 2011.  This was Google’s fourth foray into social networking and it experienced strong growth in its initial years.  The service was discontinued on April 2, 2019.
• Picasa was an image organizer and viewer for organizing and editing digital photos.  There was an integrated photo sharing website.  It was originally created by a company named Lifescape.  In July 2004, Google acquired Picasa and began offering it as freeware.  It was discontinued on arch 15, 2016.  Picasa Web Albums, a companion service, was closed on May 1, 2016.
• Google Goggles was an image recognition mobile app developed by Google.  It was used for searches based on pictures taken by handheld devices.  It was discontinued on August 20, 2018.
• iGoogle was a customizable Ajax based start page or personal web portal launched by Google in May 2005.  It was discontinued on November 1, 2013.
• Google Reader was a RSS feed aggregator operated by Google.  It was created in early 2005 and launched on October 7, 2005.  Google Reader grew in popularity to support a number of programs which used it as a platform for serving news and information to people.  Google closed Google Reader on July 1, 2013.
• Google Health was a personal health information centralization service (sometimes known as personal health record services) by Google.  It was introduced in 2008 and discontinued in 2011.

This short list is only a few of the more popular Google services and programs that have been discontinued in the past.  There are hundreds of others, including web authoring, news readers, social networks, messaging applications, web analytic programs, etc.  I wasn’t able to find any sites with an exact total of how many were discontinued.

Almost without fail, every time Google kills something you will find a lot of articles on how important it was.  There are always many suggestions on what to replace the Google product with.  They seem to forget that Google is a business and offered the services in exchange for user information which can be sold.  When the service is no longer profitable, it gets shut down, no matter how popular it is.

That is the main reason why I don’t use Google for things that are important to me.  What if someday Google G‑mail is no longer profitable?

Thanks for reading.

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Android Threats? – Originally Published April 2019

April 28, 2019 Posted by Tiny

From the Dark Side
by Tiny Ruisch

I think it is about time we have another Android malware scare.  Lately, I’ve noticed that many of the tech blogs I read are starting to get a little dull.  There have been many articles on what the best cell phone case is, why you should clean your screen with spit, which camera is better and various other mundane tripe.

If the bad guys would only write some new software that threatens to steal all of our private information, the bogs could get back to writing useful articles about how we can all stay safe.  Maybe reviewers will start emphasizing phones security and updating procedures and less to telling us which has the best camera.  Wouldn’t it be nice to start seeing more stories on which apps are bogus?

Actually, most of these fears are unnecessary since many malware reports are theoretical.  Your equipment would be compromised only if you downloaded a certain app on Tuesday between noon and four when it is raining.

Even though most Android threats are often click bait, I’d still like to see more of them.  After all, the presidential election is getting closer.  I’d much rather read lies about Android than politics.

Thanks for reading.

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Smart Tools – Originally Published February 2019

February 3, 2019 Posted by Tiny

From the Dark Side
by Tiny Ruisch

This month I’m going to do a different type of review.  By different, I mean a review is for a paid application.  Before you say a bad word and click away from the web page or throw your newsletter in the trash, the paid part is only for a compilation of applications.  The individual programs can be downloaded separately from Smart Tools co. in the Google Play Store.  I’ve included a link for the free individual version of each tool.

Smart Tools® is a complete package of six individual apps (sets).  There are a total of fifteen tools.  There is a Pro version for each set that combines each application in the group.  I’ve included the current prices for the Pro version of each group.  The breakdown of each set is as follows:

Set 1: Length, Angle, Level, Thread; Smart Ruler Pro $1.50
Set 2: Distance, Height, Width, Area; Smart Measure Pro $1.50
Set 3: Compass, Metal Detector, GPS; Smart Compass Pro $1.99
Set 4: Sound Level Meter, Vibrometer; Sound Meter Pro $1.50
Set 5: Flashlight, Magnifier, Mirror; Smart Light Pro $1.50
Set 6: Unit Converter; Unit Converter Pro $1.99

For reasons of article length, I’m not going to do an in depth review of each app.  They all seem to be fairly accurate.  All of the apps are easy to use and have FAQs.  Many of them have an on‑line tutorial.  Most have high Play Store user rating.

The app that I personally use the most is the Magnifier.  My eyes are getting old and I find that I have to use it quite often.  It uses your phones camera to focus which might sometimes take a few seconds.  One of the nice features is that you can take a screen shot of what you have magnified.

I also often open the Sound Level Meter.  Usually it is when I am talking with someone and they mention that it is noisy.  It is kind of fun to be able to tell them how many decibels the sound level actually is.  Then I can tell them it is as loud as a subway train, busy street, rock music and more.  You can also record the sound.  I guess this might be useful if you’re calling the police to complain about your neighbors loud party.

Smart Tools ($2.99) can be downloaded from the Google Play Store.  Each individual app can be downloaded for free with the provided links.  I promise no more reviews of this type. Just putting so many links in the newsletter is a PITA.
Thanks for reading.

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Reviewing My Game Reviews – Originally Published December 2018

December 8, 2018 Posted by Tiny

From the Dark Side
by Tiny Ruisch

I was trying to decide on a subject for this month’s column by doing what I often do.  Almost always, I review previous columns and see if there might be a good follow up article.  I noticed that I have done quite a few game reviews.  This month, I thought I would recap them.  I hope you enjoy my reviews and that you might give one of the games a try.  All of the games except The Room Series are free from the Google Play Store.  Many have upgrade options to remove advertising, buy upgrades, etc.  In each application, I’ve included the month of my original review in case you want to reread it in the club newsletter or on my website.  I’ve also included the Play Store rating (as of this review date)

FEB 2014 (4.6) – Wordiest is a Scrabble like word game where you try to beat 100 other players by making two words out of fourteen tiles.  I still have this game on my phone and play it several times a week.
APR2014 (4.7) – 7 Little Words is a game that Tom recommended I try.  Thanks a lot Tom!  You’ve cost me more than $20 for puzzle packs I’ve purchased.  Each puzzle consists of seven clues for seven different words.  There are twenty letter combinations for you to put together that fit the clues.  I play this game every day.
JUL2014 (4.1) – Red Herring is a word game where you try to fit words into categories.  I thought it was a fun game, but not very challenging.  After playing the fifty free games, I uninstalled the app.
MAR2015 (4.1) – Trainyard Express is a puzzle solving game where you have to get your trains from their departure points into the correct station by drawing track on a square of grids.  The only real problem with the game is that the advertising is pretty intrusive.  I long ago purchased the ad free version for $1.99.  The paid version is renamed Trainyard and has a 4.8 user rating on the Play Store.
AUG2015 (4.2) – Shikaku is a game where the objective is to place rectangles (boxes) all over the screen such that each box contains a single number and has an area equal to that number.  I forgot all about this game, so I must have thought it wasn’t that great.  Now that I’m looking at it again, I may download and play it again.
MAR2016 (4.9) – The Room, The Room Two, The Room Three and The Room: Old Sins all have high ratings on Google Play.  They are all larger games that combine many different types of puzzles that the player must solve.  I keep them installed on my tablet.  When I finish the series, I start over again.  Just to be completely honest, I fudged a little on the Play Store ratings.  The Room was only a 4.8 rating.
MAY2016 (4.7) – Monkey Wrench is a word search game where you have to find the words to fit various categories.  The game is OK, but can get a little repetitive.  I still keep it on my phone just to play the free daily games.
DEC2017 4.5) – Block! Hexa Puzzle is a game where you have to fit small block pieces nicely into a given shape.  I really like this game because it gets more challenging to more you play.  Even so, I haven’t played the game for a while.  When I downloaded it to my new phone, I had to start playing from the beginning.
OCT2018 (4.6) – Crossword Puzzle Free is a nicely laid out puzzle game that is easy to play.  This has become one of my favorite games.  I’ve played it enough that I know which of the many puzzle authors to avoid.  There are a lot of crossword games on the Play Store.  I haven’t looked at any of them since I installed this game.
I also looked back on my app history and realized that there are a lot of games (and other programs) I’ve installed over the years.  Some I still use on a daily basis and others have become obsolete.  There might be a future article on these.
Thanks for reading.

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