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ninite

Using Ninite to Automate Your Updates

By On · Add Comment · In Tips & Tricks

If you’re one of those people that doesn’t think to update your applications then keep reading. You are probably missing out on new features and still have unpatched versions of programs. Ninite offers an easy fix for the lazy.

I stumbled upon Ninite from a lifehacker article a while back. Previously I was familiar with the FileHippo updater that works quite well, but still requires users to manually go to each program link and download the update. Ninite is a no nonsense tool that downloads updates to your commonly used programs. It automatically installs whichever programs you select without the toolbars, changing of your home page, and other packaged garbage. Ninite currently offers a wide variety of programs to choose from including popular browsers, iTunes, Adobe flash, and many others.

To get started, head over to ninite.com . Then choose the programs you either use currently or any additional ones you want to install. After you’re finished scroll to the bottom and select “Get Installer”. Ninite downloads as a small file, then you’ll run it.  It will begin to run and download and install the applications you’ve selected. For $29.99 (for 5 machines over 1 year) you can have Ninite run automatically and download and install updates with no interaction needed. They also have tiered plans to manage multiple machines at once, while eliminating the annoying update notifications. This is a great option for a small network or maybe even a corporate environment.

 

Tim_Hortons

App Review: TimmyME

By On · Add Comment · In App Review, Technology

TimmyME

It’s not uncommon for restaurants to have their own mobile site, and some have their own apps. Most feature almost no functionality and serve no other purpose other than to exist. Tim Horton’s is a staple for those in Canada and northern United States. Before seeing @TimHortons post about their app on twitter, I had no idea it they even had one. Curiously, I navigated  to the market on my Galaxy Nexus and downloaded the TimmyME app. To my surprise the app was quite impressive.

To start the entire interface for it is very clean and easy to navigate. TimmyME has large buttons with pictures on them for easy selection. It simplifies everything as it should. The first feature is the traditional location finder. It finds the nearest 10 Tim Horton’s locations to your GPS location on your phone. The second and maybe my favorite button is one that allows you to check your Tim’s card balance in real time. For those fortunate enough to have Tim Horton’s in your neighborhood, probably received some Tim’s cards for Christmas. This is an easy way to see how much is left on those cards. The app also includes the nutritional info for almost everything on the menu. There is an option to interact with Tim Horton’s on social networks like twitter and facebook. You can also contact Tim Horton’s right through TimmyME. The final button is a great idea for a Tim Horton’s app, an order notepad. So when you’re designated to go out in the frigid winter to pick up hot coffee and donuts for the family, you don’t forget anybody.

For a relatively small chain (compared to a Wendy’s or McDonald’s), this app is incredibly useful. Although it installs at a 7MB size, and doesn’t feature a full menu of what Timmy’s has to offer; this app is quite handy for most people’s favorite coffee stop. TimmyME is available on both Android and iOS devices with links below.

 

iTunes_ringtones

How To: Create Custom Ringtones with iTunes

By On · Add Comment · In Technology, Tips & Tricks

Remember when you’d pay $1.99 a month to be able to download 3 ringtones a month. Yeah, those days are long behind us. Even before the smartphones ran wild, you could put your own ringtones on your phone. So assuming you own some music this can be achieved even easier with the new phones of today. I’m going to give you a step-by-step guide on creating your own ringtones easily in iTunes. Even if you aren’t a fan of Apple products, or you don’t use iTunes; I think this may be the easiest method I’ve come across.

 

Continue Reading…

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First Reaction: Battlefield 3 (PC)

By On · 2 Comments · In Game Reviews, Technology

Battlefield 3 is a mythical game most of us thought would never be released. Rumors dating back to the Battlefield 2 heydays have purposed a birth of a predecessor. A game with the same feel as BF2, same large scale maps, jets, tanks, helicopters, squads, etc. While Battlefield 3 has all of the above, it may not be what everyone was expecting.

Battlefield 2 was largely based around squads and teamwork. Battlefield 2142 was decent, and Battlefield Bad Company and Bad Company 2 were more of a competitor with the Call of Duty series. Bad Company and Call of Duty were similar styles with teamwork stripped out making it every man for himself. Battlefield 3 brought back some of the teamwork that’s been missing for quite a while. Below are some things BF3 does well and somethings it doesn’t.

Pros

  • The graphics for Battlefield 3 are stunning, to put it simply. Similar to most games, primarily Crysis, BF3 allows different levels of graphics. These range from low to “Ultra” which requires a beefy video card to handle it smoothly. EA even boasted it’s graphical achievement by asking viewers to discern between real life footage and gameplay graphics in the below video.

  • The unlock system, while not new, is still excellent. It provides motivation for future gameplay and endless kit combinations.
  • They kept with the shoulder mounted anti-air rocket. It’s annoying in air vehicles, but great to shoot down pesky helicopters and jets.
  • Ability to spawn on different members of your squad. This is great if you squad mate is in a good sniping position, behind the enemy, or close to a flag.
  • VoIP is hosted through the Battlelog website so it’s one less program to open. The quality doesn’t quite match Teamspeak or Ventrillo, but it’s pretty good for what it is.
  • The ability to see your progress towards new unlocks in real time, in the game.
  • The Battlelog page with your stats is very pretty. Nice, neat and organized, with nice little charts and graphics.
  • Co-Op. The ability to play missions with a friend in order to get extra unlocks.
  • The multiplayer server browser is nice. You can filter servers by location, map, open slots, and other options.

Cons

  • For the majority of the time you can’t create your own squad and invite your friends like in Battlefield 2. This kills the teamwork aspect, especially if you are in the same server as your friends.
  • No VoIP in the squads themselves. It’s hard to give direction or criticism without using in game voice. Typing is difficult in a game that requires you to be on the move to stay alive.
  • The entire BF3 launching and such is convoluted. To play it requires EA’s Origin, which is similar to STEAM, it requires the BF3 game itself, and it also requires you to have a browser running with the Battlelog website up (resource hungry). To play single player you can either go through the BF3 icon on your desktop, or through the Battlelog website. To play multiplayer or Co-op you’ll need to go through the website portion. To check a list of your stats, configure your profile, join a platoon (similar to a clan), chat with battlefield friends (voice or text), or join a server you’ll need to go through the website. The website requires a plugin by the way which gets installed with Battlefield, I believe. If you don’t have the plug-in, none of the buttons work in Battlelog. If you uninstall origin, you uninstall the game (pending it’s the download version). DO NOT UNINSTALL ORIGIN. You can add friends through Origin, which are not the same as your friends that are in Battlelog. 
  • The Battlelog friends list isn’t always live updating. Sometimes it shows friends are online when they aren’t or offline when they are in game.
  • Joining servers as a party doesn’t always work. Like…a lot of the times from my experience.
  • Only 2 views available in the jets and choppers. You can select third person or inside the vehicle with all the HUD controls displayed. I personally hate this. I don’t need to see any of the gizmos and gadgets inside the vehicles. There needs to be a first person view for these air assets.
  • The minimap isn’t that great. The default zoom for the map is too close. I constantly have to zoom in and out of the map to get my bearings and find the next flag. It also can’t be locked from rotating.
  • Only 4 to a squad? Usually I’ll have a few friends join the squad and then I’ll want to add a few more players I play with all the time. Four open squad slots isn’t a lot.
  • Server Lag and Rubberbanding. It’s kind of expected when everyone and their mother is slamming the servers. This seems to occur on pretty much every server however. Battlefield is patching the XBOX and PS3 servers now to try and correct the issue; hopefully the PC ones are next.
  • No right-clicking for secondary weapons in vehicles. Instead you’ll have to first unlock them, then switch to the weapons using your number keys.
  • Claymores don’t be as sensitive as they used to be (In BF2). The enemy needs to be almost on top of the mine for it to detonate. I guess it eliminates the “Claywhore” aspect of the game.

While the negatives may seem to outnumber the positives, it doesn’t make BF3 a bad game. It just needs improvement. The single player campaign is pretty good from what I’ve played. Nobody ever buys a game like Battlefield 3 for the single player missions though. The CO-OP piece of BF3 allows you to play with a friend through side missions to unlock more weapons. It’s definitely a cool feature, but again, it’s overshadowed by multiplayer. Also it appears the expansion pack “Back to Karkand” will be going live in December [Tweet]. This will be an updating post so keep checking back. If you have questions or feedback leave them in the comments section below.

My Profile

Thanks to OnyxZ32 and Copper280Z for suggestions and game feedback.
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Why You Should Use Last.fm

By On · Add Comment · In Technology

Last.fm Logo

Yes, I know… Last.fm is now 9 years old and counting. I however am late to the party. I joined up on this site because, well, what site have I not signed up on. Little did I know I’d get hooked and make it my mission to include this in my daily routine. I already listen to music pretty much all day, including at work, at home, and in the car. In addition to being a hardcore music junkie of every genre, I am an actual musician. I’ve played in a few bands and I’ve played a variety of instruments. I try and make it to a few shows a year and make it a must to discover new music. This can be done by the traditional “Hey check this band out” from a friend, or more conveniently from online streaming sites. Pandora, Last.fm, and most recently Spotify are great places to discover new artists that might otherwise be in the dark.

I don’t recall the exact reason I joined last.fm in the first place, but I did. Then I discovered their scrobbling service.  It’s an interesting sounding term, but it’s honestly my favorite feature of last.fm. The “scrobbler” is a small application that runs in the background and automatically adds what song you are playing to your  recently played section on your Last.fm profile. It currently works with a variety of media players like iTunes and Winamp, but not with my favorite media player Zune. When you add friends to Last.fm, you can check out their recently played tracks and find out how musically compatible you are with them. The scrobbler also works when you’re using Last.fm’s radio service.

Similar to Pandora, Last.fm allows you to type in an artist, song, or genre into their search box and then play music related to your search. This is a feature I’d like to see polished up a little. Unlike Pandora’s radio, you can’t add variety to your stations to either broaden or hone your channel. Not only will the radio player display the artist and track information, but it will also show a brief biography of the artist and display a rotating slideshow. Have a rare artist that you enjoy, last.fm probably has them listed. They even have one of the rare bands I listen to, “Paracoccidioidomicosisproctitissarcomucosis“…see I told you.

In addition to the above features, Last.fm also has groups. These are small communities were people with similar interests in music can collaborate. There is also an events section which shows upcoming shows in the area near you. These are extremely helpful if you’re like me and can’t keep track of who’s touring when and where.

Join up and check it out at http://www.last.fm/ and once you join up add me http://www.last.fm/user/ProgRocker153

featured image by www.htbackdrops.com

Please Don’t Stop the (Google) Music

By On · Add Comment · In Main Menu, Tech Reviews, Technology

Google Music

As Google was announcing their new Google Music service, I was already signing up for an invite. A couple weeks later I got my invite and have been working with it nonstop. The idea behind Google Music is to be able to upload your music collection (or 20,000 songs worth) from a central location and stream it to any computer or android device you own. It uses your Google account, just like any other Google service, to link everything together. On computers you can just navigate to the http://music.google.com/ website and log in with your google account. For Android devices, you’ll just need the Google Music app. The following is my first impressions of the new service.

The Good:

  • Uploader is fairly easy to use
  • Playing and switching music is surprisingly quick considering it’s online
  • Almost positive that it pulls album art automatically upon uploading.
  • Can be played on multiple computers and android devices

The Bad:

  • Only one folder can be selected to grab music from.
  • Difficult to delete songs you no longer want/need
  • Once a mass upload is started it’s seemingly impossible to cancel it
  • No visualizations or equalizers

 

Uninstall Adobe Flash Player Silently

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Flash Player

Well this is going to be one of my shorter posts, but I think it’s helpful. Some may want this and some won’t, at work we wanted to uninstall flash silently. We’re pushing out a package for flash 10.2 and we needed to try and make it as silent (no user interaction). After searching and chatting with their support we finally figured out the solution. You will need to:

  1. Download the flash uninstaller tool (CLICK HERE)
  2. Open the command prompt by doing a Start >> Run >> CMD
  3. Drag the Flash uninstaller to the command prompt window so it should now display the full folder path
  4. Append a -uninstall to the end of the command then hit enter.

This will remove Flash for both ActiveX (IE) and other browsers as well. The switch used to be different from what I’ve read. It seems that after 9.0.28.X they changed it (I could be wrong). From what I’ve seen it’s varied between a /qb and /silent switch. The above method is the new way to make the uninstall process silent. We happened to use this for SCCM, and then to install Adobe Flash player just follow the above steps but change the -uninstall switch to -install.

Fixing the “Swype Trial Ends”

By On · 4 Comments · In Technology, Tips & Tricks

Swype Trial Ends

If you are on android device and have installed the Swype Beta, you may get the above error, “Your trial period has ended. Please upgrade your copy of Swype”,  after 100 days of use. After this time period Swype becomes useless and it no longer works. Originally the developers had figured a new version would be released after 100 days. There is an easy way to fix this problem and start using  this great keyboard alternative again.

Start by going to your Settings then to Applications. Select Manage Applications and under the Downloaded tab you will see both a Swype Installer and a Swype program. Uninstall just the Swype application which should be between 10MB and 11MB. Once that has complete navigate back to your applications screen (with all of your apps listed). Tap the Swype Installer and if there is an update to the swype installer you will need to download that first. You will then be prompted to Login using the credentials you setup when first registering for the Beta. After logging in, choose the Swype Beta Full and tap Download Sywpe. You will be prompted to install Swype again, go ahead and tap Install. Once that finishes installing tap Done and you’ll be taken back to the Swype installer where the program will be licensed, and you can enable the swype keyboard.

If you do not have Swype yet you can sign up for their Beta here:
http://beta.swype.com/

Browsing with Chrome

By On · Add Comment · In Technology

Chrome Logo

I’ve been a firefox user for years and years. Probably since at least version 2. While I’m still a loyal user to the Mozilla brand, I just started using Google Chrome. Wow this browser is fast. I already consider myself  a Google fanboy primarily based around their Android OS, but the browser is really fast. Anyone Else out there using Chrome? What extensions are you using?

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