Category: ‘Clicker’

Planned Obsolescence (2021-09)

August 22, 2021 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

Don’t you just hate it when something fails shortly after the warranty expires?  It might be my imagination, but it sure seems to happen often.  It reminds me of a MAD magazine article I read about forty years ago.  It was a satire of Thomas Edison.  There was a picture of him in his lab working on the phonograph.  On the shelf behind him was a reel-to-reel tape recorder/player, which at that time was the latest audio technology.  The caption said that Edison didn’t get rich by patenting his best products right away.

Ever notice when you buy a new phone there will be a new model or major update long before you wear it out?  The same thing for computers.  You can bet that within two months of buying one, there will be a better model released.

Even though it sometimes appears suspicious, I don’t believe that companies would stoop so low as to profit by withholding their best.  I think they bend even lower.  How often is it cheaper to buy a new model of something than to repair your old one?

How old is your cell phone?  Does it work as good as it did when you first bought it?  How much longer do you think you’ll be using it?  How about your cassettes.  Do you still listen to them?  Maybe you listen to your phonograph records instead.  No?  It must be the reel-to-reel tapes that you like to listen to.  Why is it that you can buy a new computer, set it up and find that it is already out of date?

The answer to all of those questions and many more like it is planned obsolescence.  That is why so many things work great until about the time the warranty expires?  I think it is because companies deliberately design their products to fail early.  Is it a coincidence that printers quit printing when the ink is low, but not empty.  Doesn’t it seem that a lot of software isn’t compatible with prior programs or files?  Didn’t automobiles made fifty or sixty years ago last a lot longer than modern cars?

It isn’t just electronics technology that manufacturers plan to become obsolete.  Textbooks are revised every year even though most topics don’t have many changes in the subject material.  When I was younger, my Mother had a Hoover canister vacuum cleaner that she must have used for at least twenty years.  These days, it seems like my wife needs to replace the vacuum every three years or so.  The cuckoo clock in my living room is at least 100 years old.  I wonder if I could buy a new model that would last as long.

It isn’t just that equipment wears out.  How often do you hear about printer problems.  Many of them are solely because software drivers haven’t been updated.  No problem, you can pick up a new printer pretty cheaply.  If you’re using an android phone, how are you’re monthly security updates doing?  With most manufacturers, they are two or three months behind, if they’re updated at all.

I could probably rant on for another five pages or so, but I think you probably know what I mean.  Companies plan for their products obsolescence so they can make more profit by selling new stuff.  Of course, that’s just my opinion.

Now that I think about it, it’s not just manufacturers that plan for obsolescence.  After all, next month this column will be obsolete.

Thanks for reading and keep on clicking.

Read full article |Leave a comment
Tags: ,
Categories: Clicker

Android Fragmentation (2021-08)

July 18, 2021 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

Lately I’ve been doing research for my “About Android” workshop.  I’ve been an Android user since June of 2013 when I bought a Samsung Galaxy Note 2.  I probably would have never bought it if Windows Mobile hadn’t started becoming a terrible operating system.  Since then, I’ve owned several Android phones and tablets,  I’ve used products from Samsung, Google, HTC, LG, Motorola and many other companies.

One of the greatest problems with the Android OS hasn’t changed since it was first released in 2008.  The market has always been fragmented.  Android is open source software.  Essentially, this means that anyone can modify it to fit their needs.

This is why the market has become so fragmented.  Phone manufacturers modify the OS and add in their proprietary applications and other things that a user may or may not want.  On my Samsung tablet, the Operating System is listed as “Samsung Experience”.  Other companies do the same type of thing.

Most end users buy their phones through one of the cell carriers.  In turn, these companies add more programs and bloatware.  These often include apps for finding your family, chatting and texting, news feeds, roadside assistance, etc.  For most users, these apps aren’t needed, use up storage space and slow down their phones.

Another thing that contributes to Android fragmentation are updates.  Google releases a monthly security patch.  Before your phone can be updated, the manufacturer has to incorporate it and make it available for downloading.  Many stop doing this after a year or two.  If it is a carrier phone, the security patches have to go through another layer of updates before they can be installed on phones.  It isn’t hard to figure out why many phones don’t have the latest updates.

It’s not unusual for updates to take three or four months to get incorporated by manufacturers and cell phone carriers.  Some companies are faster than others.  Others just help to increase the fragmentation.

One last problem with Android fragmentation is the problems that application developers find when they create new programs.  It can be difficult for them to make sure their app work on every device.  Don’t believe me?  Look at almost any app in the Google Play Store and there will be restrictions on devices and Android Versions.  Read reviews for almost any app and you will find comments that the app doesn’t work on a particular device.

So what can you, the user, do to avoid the problem of Android Fragmentation?  Unfortunately, not much.  Do a little research before you buy a new device and check the manufacturer’s update polices.  Buying an “unlocked” phone instead of a carrier phone will eliminate one step in the update process.  If you are adventurous, you can find instructions on the internet for installing your own Android OS.

Thanks for reading and keep on clicking.

Read full article |Leave a comment
Tags: , ,
Categories: Clicker

Over-Technologied in the Hospital (2021-07)

June 25, 2021 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker

By Tiny Ruisch

Way back in November of 2010, I invented a new computing term.  I can’t believe that it hasn’t caught on.  Over‑technologied is a name that I made up to describe a situation where technology is used either unnecessarily, stupidly, inadequately or in some other silly manner.  I think that people who have the latest, greatest, newest technology and then don’t know how to use it are extremely over‑technologied.  I made up the word, so I guess I can make up the definition.

I recalled this article during my recent four day stay at the hospital.  I was in a lot of pain, flat on my back and needing lots of rest to recover.  For most of the visit, I had three separate IV tubes attached.  Intravenous Line technology has sure changed.  I remember when the nurse would attach the tube and start the medicine.  Every hour or so, someone would check to see if the drip was still working and replace the bag if necessary.

Now we have fancy technology to control the IV flow.  It is a small box that monitors the drip.  If the bag empties or there is a problem with the tube, an extremely loud alarm starts beeping.  It was very loud and reminded me of that old saying about “waking the dead.”   This sounds like a great system.  Unfortunately, there were a few problems.  More than one time, I fell asleep and moved my arm into the wrong position.  The machine would sound the alarm and wake me up.  It would usually stop before the nurse could come in to check.  I think that it was a great example of over‑technology.

Hospital beds have improved so much that they have become over‑technologied.  They have buttons that allow you to adjust them to every conceivable position.  I had a hard time figuring out how to just make it go flat like a bed.  When an aide wheeled me to an MRI scan, the bed wouldn’t fit in the elevator.  He pushed one of the adjustment buttons and the bed got shorter.  Luckily, after waking up back in the room, the nurse knew how to re‑extend the bed.  I didn’t have to spend the rest of my time in the hospital with my knees bent.

As a diabetic, I’ve become accustomed to checking my glucose level.  I use a meter that is just a little larger than an Oreo cookie.  The meter used in the hospital was a little larger.  About the size of a large paper‑back book, it had a lot of room for electronics.  It worked the same way with a standard test strip.  Before taking my glucose, the machine was used to scan my wrist band.  I never asked, but I assumed that the reason for all the technology in the meter was for record keeping purposes.  The machine might not have been over‑technologied, but it sure doesn’t seem to need many updates to become so.

Even with all the medical technology, the doctors haven’t been able to identify what caused my medical problem.  I don’t have to worry though. I’ve been scheduled to visit many specialists and take several tests.  I’m pretty sure that I’ll have more chances to see some medical over‑technology.  Meanwhile, I’m feeling much better with plenty of old-fashioned bed rest, chicken soup, liquids, etc.  Maybe I just need a mustard poultice.

Thanks for reading and keep on clicking.

Read full article |Leave a comment
Tags: , ,
Categories: Clicker

Another Facebook Hack (2021-06)

May 22, 2021 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

I’d like to take a minute to give Facebook a big thank you for giving me a subject for an article for this newsletter.  I often have a problem deciding what to write about.  Facebook made this one a “no‑brainer”.

With less than 50 friends, I’m not a big user of the service.  I usually log on only once day for about 15-20 minutes.  I don’t have any of the mobile apps installed, have never hit a “like” button and seldom post anything.  The only reason I haven’t closed my account is I have many relatives that keep me informed of what is happening.

People that know are aware that I don’t answer my phone for any calls that are not in my contact list.  If I don’t answer for them, I can’t really come to the phone.  Facebook caused me to do some research on calls that have been rejected.  From January 1 through April 5, there were exactly 7 of them.  Things changed for a couple of weeks:

April Date Rejected Calls
06 32
07 18
08 46
09 42
10 6
11 0
12 22
13 8
14 14
15 12
16 14
17 4
18 2

After a two week onslaught of unwanted calls, they have finally started to taper off to around 2-5 per day.  It wasn’t hard to figure out what happened.  In early April, more than half a billion phone numbers from Facebook accounts were posted on hacker forums.  Of course, the company went into “Public Relations” mode and announced that they believed the data was “scraped” from accounts in 2019.  We were assured that everything has been fixed.  Funny thing is, I don’t remember knowing that two years ago.

If you’ve had an increase in spam calls and have a Facebook account, you might now know why.  Once again, thanks Facebook.  You’ve helped me prove what I’ve said for years.  I don’t much care who has my phone number.  I don’t pay much attention to it anyway.  Facebook has also given credo to the fact that the “National Do Not Call Registry” doesn’t work well.

Thanks for reading and keep on clicking.

Read full article |Leave a comment
Tags: , ,
Categories: Clicker

The Room Series (2020-05)

June 7, 2020 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
by Tiny Ruisch

There is at least one good thing about being stuck at home to avoid COVID‑19.  I’m getting a chance to replay my all time favorite Android games.  Fireproof Games has released four installments of their popular “The Room” series.  It all started in September 2012 with the release of The Room, a physical puzzler, wrapped in a mystery game, inside a beautifully tactile 3D world.  It was followed with a sequel, The Room Two, in February 2014.  January 2016 gave us the release of The Room Three.  The Room: Old Sins was released in April 2018.  They have also created a Room VR which is a virtual reality game.  I wish I could afford the gear.

Fireproof Games describe themselves as “a team of 18 based in Guildford, UK and since 2012 we’ve been creating our own games.”  Many game companies churn out a lot of games that are mostly the same old thing with in‑app purchases to try and get your money.  Fireproof has a slightly higher price but delivers a quality game with no further cost.  The games are also available for Apple and Windows.  This mini‑review is for the Android environment.

In The Room, your task is to open a safe.  The safe is really a big box that changes as you solve the many puzzles, riddles, games and other baffling conundrums.  In the course of the game, you find a story unfolding about locating a strange machine.  I estimate that it took me about 20 hours to complete the game the first time.  I replayed it last year and got through a lot faster, even though I couldn’t remember a lot of the game play.

The Room Two picks up where the original game left off.  You have to recreate the steps of the scientist and complete a strange machine.  The first thing you notice is that the room is a lot larger and has several boxes.  There are a lot more puzzles and many of them are much more difficult.  I don’t think any of them were repeats from the first game.

The Room Three is more diabolical that the first two.  One of biggest differences is that the game “world” is much larger.  Instead of a single room, the game starts on a train.  As you start solving puzzles, you soon find a secret entrance to a room.  Once again, you find many puzzles, riddles, mazes, etc.  The difficultly level has increased again.  The machine you discovered in the previous games has put you in another world and you need to solve the game to return.

The Room:  Old Sins takes place in the attic of Waldegrave Manor.  You find an old doll house, which is a replica of the manor.  You have to find a missing engineer and his wife who are lost in the doll house.  There are many puzzles you have to solve to unlock the rooms in the dollhouse.

The games all have spectacular graphics, perplexing puzzles, eerie music and are very playable on a touch enabled tablet or phone.  If you have a device with a larger screen, they are even more playable.  I originally paid full price ($5.99) for each game.  Over the years, the price has been reduced:

The Room is $0.99, The Room Two is $1.99, The Room Three is $3.99 and The Room: Old Sins costs $4.99.  I can enthusiastically recommend all them.

Thanks for reading.

Read full article |Leave a comment
Tags: , , ,
Categories: Clicker
Newer Entries »