Dusty's Den: 2013

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Totally Pointless Rants

I like rant.

A lot.

About really pointless stuff.

It gives my life meaning.

So let's get on with it, shall we?

Parental Controls and Netflix
I'm not a parent, but I am constantly amazed at the lack of parental controls in so many applications. Netflix, for example. It's an all or nothing with them. Most of us just setup our Roku, Wii, PS3, etc with our username and password, for all to watch. And if you don't want your kids watching rated R or TVMA, you have to shut that off for everyone.

Even the new and "improved" Profiles at Netflix only offer the option of setting up a Profile as a "This is a profile for kids under 12." What about separate ratings? What about kids over 12 but under 18? What about separate passwords, so my kid can login under their account, but not under my account? What the WHAT?!

And Netflix has decided to implement their own TV ratings. Many shows that air on TV as TV14 are either listed as TVPG (which is viewable on the under 12 setting), or NR (which is not viewable on the under 12). If the people overseeing the network ratings have said it's TV14, what the hell gives Netflix the right to call it "Not Rated?" OR to say that kids under 12 can watch it, because its "TVPG?" All because they were too lazy to implement a better parental control system? After all these years? Really?

WTF Plex?
I'm a bit disheartened with Plex. It used to work quite well. Then they got a legit Roku channel, and it seems like that's when the program began it's downward spiral (as far as online content anyway).

Then came "Plex Pass." And things got even worse IMO. Plex Pass is something you can pay for, and get beta releases of updates & new features. But if you don't want to buy a Plex Pass, you can stay with the free version, and just get the releases "later." Sounds great, right? Sure...in theory. Problem is...Plex "basic" doesn't GET updates any more. What updates it does get are very few and very far between. And they seem to make things worse, instead of better.

Plex likes to dangle pretty shiny things in front of you that you can have...if you get a Plex Pass. Free users may as well just accept the fact that those "new features" will, in fact, NEVER come to them. One example? Plex released an Android app (similar to the PlayOn app mentioned in my PlayOn post) almost a year ago...for Plex Pass users. With the "promise" that it would be available (and free) to everyone, once it was out of beta. Really? You reached a beta version that was good enough to put up on the Android market, but haven't ironed it out enough for a full release...a YEAR later?

And hey...I get it. You need money. You deserve money. Agreed. Just don't make promises that you know you will never keep. Do what PlayOn has done. Make the personal media portion of the program free, and just charge for the rest. It's a hell of a lot more honest than saying you'll give the non-paying users things that they will never actually get.

Word to the wise however...if you ARE going to have a paid for program, you had better make DAMN sure it WORKS. Given the issues I've had with Plex basic/free, I wasn't about to pay $75 for a Plex Pass, and end up with more features, but the same issues! $75 for a program that SORT of works?! I really had planned on paying for a Plex Pass. But the issues never got resolved...only worse. So, why would I drop money into something that only makes cuss words come out of my mouth? To be fair...most things make cuss words come out of my mouth. But, that's not the point. PlayOn works. And they don't BS me about features I might get...in three years...if I'm lucky.

I'm sure that a year or so down the road, when I find that my "lifetime PlayOn license" isn't really for a lifetime, I'll be less than happy with them. But for now...I'm a happy camper. Because it freakin works. And support from PlayOn has been quick...and actually quite helpful. If I have a problem, I know I can email them, or hit the forums, and get an actual answer. Not some BS about how "that's not actually supported, due to Rokus rules/restrictions. We cannot advise you on this." Which is what I've found on the Plex forums. I don't even BOTHER trying to email them. So, you want me to pay for something that, not only doesn't really work, but that you can't even advise me on how to GET it to work? MmmmK. Lemme jump right on that.

The only thing, that I'm aware of, that Plex has (if you pay for Plex Pass), but PlayOn does not (that I know of), is cloud sync. And my guess would be that PlayOn is working on something similar.

I'm so sad to have lost my undying love for Plex. It used to be awesome. Now it's just sort of...coolish. Like I've said before...I like the interface for playing my personal media. But that is pretty much all I'll use it for now. And I may eventually get to where I like the simplicity of PlayOn's My Media better.

If it's more important to the people at Plex, to have a "legit" Roku channel, that's available in the Roku channel store, than it is to keep their users happy and their product working, then I think I'll stick with giving my money to PlayOn.

PlayOn

So, I had a looooong post earlier about Plex. How to set it up, what it does, etc.

I've recently discovered the joys of PlayOn. So, I might as well make a loooong post about that too. I put off getting PlayOn for several years, simply because it isn't free. It does the same thing as Plex, but it does a few things much better.   It's much easier to set up and use. And it has a few options that Plex does not. I still like Plex for personal media (videos, music & photos on my computer). But for online streaming...Plex is simply lacking something. Like the ability to actually work. Do I sound bitter? Probably. That's just one of my many natural talents.

Cord cutters should definitely look into PlayOn. It is vastly superior to Plex for online content. And so much easier to set up and use. Like any online experience, whether it be watching online videos or just surfing the web, you should have an internet speed of at least 1.5 - 2.0 Mbps. You can test your speeds at speedtest.net.

PlayOn, unlike Plex, is not free. But it's ability to stream online content is by FAR better than Plex. Maybe Plex works better with Apple TV or Chromecast or other devices. IDK...I only own Rokus.

So what is PlayOn?
It's a program for your PC that acts as a media server for online and personal media. Huh? In simple terms, it allows you to watch virtually any online videos on your TV. It also allows you to watch videos, music, and photos on your TV, that are stored on your computer.

Networks such as ABC, NBC, SyFy, etc often put full episodes of their shows up on their websites. You can watch those videos on your PC, laptop, tablet, etc at no charge. PlayOn allows you to watch those same videos on your TV (which generally means a larger picture and better sound). You can also watch Hulu basic videos using PlayOn (no Hulu+ subscription needed).

To do this however, you need two parts...
Your PC (with PlayOn installed and running)
A streaming device, such as a Roku, Apple TV or gaming device such as a Play Station 3. It also works with some Smart TVs, and might work with Dish Hopper (I'm still testing that out).

To take things a little further, you can also record those shows to your PC, with a PlayLater subscription.

Just as with Plex, you must have PlayOn running on your computer, in order to use it on your streaming device (Roku, Apple TV, PS3, etc).

PlayLater
PlayOn has also created a program called PlayLater. You can bundle it with your PlayOn purchase for a few bucks more. Or purchase it as a stand alone program (and not get PlayOn). It adds a bit to the cost of PlayOn, but IMO is worth it. And I wouldn't get PlayOn without PlayLater or vice versa. I highly recommend getting the bundle!

PlayLater is a DVR for your online content. You can "record" shows from any of your available channels. It will save that video to your computer, and allow you to watch it whenever/wherever you want. Say Netflix Instant has a movie that is expiring soon, that you really want to watch, but don't currently have the time. With PlayLater, you can "record" the movie now, and watch it later. It will be saved as a video (MPEG-4 or PLV) on your computer, and will be available to you, even after it has been removed from Netflix Instant.

With the stand alone PlayLater option, you cannot watch channels on your TV (as you can with PlayOn). You can (I believe) record from the channels, and then watch via My Media (which I cover below).

Be aware that PlayLater records in real time. So that 2hr movie is going to take 2hrs to record. You also need to have a decent internet speed at the time of recording. Otherwise, you will get the same stalls that you get, when watching live with a slow connection. Only...these stalls will be recorded.

The only downside to PlayLater, IMO, is that it doesn't give a lot of options for video format, or how large you want the file to be. The PlayLater recordings seem a bit large to me. I use another program to convert and shrink these files. Then delete the originals. The converted files play much faster and smoother.

My Media
I mentioned that I prefer Plex for my personal media. But, you can use PlayOn for personal media. I simply prefer the Plex interface. The "My Media" comes bundled with your PlayOn purchase. But is also available as a separate FREE program. You can download the My Media program for your PC, install the channel for your chosen device (Roku, Wii, PS3, etc), and use it for free. It is strictly for viewing your own personal media files that are on your PC or attached external hard drive (you cannot watch online channels...that requires the full PlayOn license). The My Media Roku channel IS available in the Roku channel store (unlike PlayOn).

As happy as I am with PlayOn, I must say that My Media seems lacking in it's slideshow capabilities. It seemed to play video and music okay...though it took awhile to load the folders. But for picture slideshows, it just didn't work well at all, for me.

PlayMark/PlayCast
A new feature of PlayOn, is the PlayMark/PlayCast feature. Plex had a similar feature, but it was very limited. And frankly, a real pain. PlayMark however, seems to work quite well. I've only tested it a few times, and mostly with YouTube videos, but I haven't been disappointed.

PlayMark is sort of like a bookmark for online videos. But instead of bookmarking it for your browser, it is bookmarked for your TV. It is a "channel" within PlayOn (just like CBS, NBC, etc).

You know you really want to watch that YouTube cat video on your TV...don't lie. With PlayMark, you can "bookmark" that video, using a "PlayOn" button that is added to your browser(s) during install. PlayOn saves the address in a folder, and you can watch it via your streaming device...on your TV...the way God intended. It works for just about any online video...YouTube, CBS, Hulu, etc. Unlike PlayLater, there is no video saved to your PC, and if the video is removed from it's online location, you can no longer watch it.

The PlayCast feature sends it directly to your streaming device for immediate watching, rather than saving it as a "bookmark" for later.

While PlayMark seems to work well, PlayCast seems a bit hit and miss, depending on the website you want to watch.

Additionally, if you have PlayLater, you can use the PlayOn browser button to set a recording. Giving you three options from your browser...
Send To (which will send it directly to your streaming device for immediate viewing)
Record To (which will use PlayLater to record and save it as a video to your PC)
Save (which will "bookmark" it to your PlayMark channel)

I am uncertain if the PlayMark/PlayCast feature is only available for the full PlayOn program...or if it is available with the free My Media program. Though, I did notice a new "PlayCast" channel in the Roku channel store, so it may be that it'll work with the free My Media PC program.

Parental Controls
PlayOn and PlayLater even have parental control options. I tested it out on my system, and it seems to work...even on Netflix. It has separate settings for movie ratings and tv ratings. I set mine to TV-14 and PG13, then went into Netflix (via PlayOn...not via Roku's Netflix channel) and tried to play a video that was in my Instant Queue, that I knew was TV-MA. It looked as though it was going to start, but once it began to load the video, a screen with the PlayOn logo and the words "The video you have selected exceeds the maximum parental control rating you have chosen in PlayOn Settings." appeared. DOH!

The only thing lacking in the parental controls is the ability to have password protection. So, if your child has access to the computer that hosts the PlayOn program, they can simply open the PlayOn settings and change the parental control settings, or turn them off completely. It's not great parental protection, but it gives you some control.

Plugins
There are also plugins available for your PlayOn. These are generally channels created by people in the PlayOn community, and do not come with PlayOn by default. You must install them separately. None have really excited me enough to install, but that's just me. There are tons of plugin channels to choose from, and you may very well find something you just can't live without.

And...some totally smart person created a program for Windows that will write the script and do the footwork of creating a plugin, for a channel of your choosing. All you need is the internet address of the video site you want.
For example:
I used this program to create a channel for myself and my parents, so we can watch 9News Denver. They have online newscasts for the Denver area, and beyond. I have family in Colorado, and when Colorado decides to set the state on fire each year, it's nice to be able to keep up on the news. They are live newscasts, so we get up to date info. Thanks to the smart person, I was able to create the channel as a plugin, and add it to my PlayOn channel lineup and to my parents PlayOn lineup. Now we can watch 9News webcasts, live on our tvs. And pretty much all I had to do was paste in the website address. Pretty sweet, eh? And yes...I hit up his "donate" button.

There's An App For That
Do you have an Android or iOS device? You can use PlayOn with that too. Apps are available for Android, iOS and Blackberry (not sure about Windows phones). The apps are free, but you do need the paid PlayOn subscription on your PC to use them. Setup was fairly simple, though not entirely self explanatory.

Once you are setup on your phone or tablet, you can watch any of your available channels, as well as your home media...from anywhere with a connection. It doesn't have to be wifi or the same network as your PC. You can use your 4G or 3G. You can be at the airport or your BFFs house.

Your PC must be running PlayOn at home though (that is your server). If you also have PlayLater, and have that running on your PC at home, you can use your Android, iOS, or BB app to set recordings.

I am uncertain if the apps work for those users that only have the My Media program. It's possible that they do...just without the channels.

If you don't want yet another app on your device, you can simply open a browser, and go to http://m.playon.tv/
I know it works with Android, but can't say for a fact that it works with iOS, BB or Windows phone. For Android, initial setup is the same, and it works exactly as the app does.

30 Day Money Back Guarantee
PlayOn offers a 30 day money back guarantee. However...they don't make it super simple. I've seen many people complain about it. I didn't have any problem with it, but then again...I was asking to cancel a license for $8.99 so I could upgrade to a license for $69.99. So maybe they were just more prompt with me, due to the upgrade. Maybe other people are just whiners. IDK.

But just so you know, if you do want to get your money back, you'll have to email them at support@playon.tv and may have to wait a bit for it to go through. Going to the cancel page will only cancel your monthly or yearly license...it will not refund your money. You must email them...and it must be within the 30 days.

But Does It Work?
PlayOn has worked very well for me (so long as I have an internet connection speed of at least 1.5Mbps). And it requires little to no setup. With Plex, I had to find and install each channel. And often had to tweak certain settings, just to get things to semi-work. With PlayOn, I simply enable or disable the channels I do/don't want. Very easy. And pretty much self explanatory. And NO tweaking required.

I've tried several of the channels available with PlayOn, and have only run into problems with a few. Bio, for one, will play some content, but not all. I can live with that. The major networks, such as CBS, have worked very well.

PlayLater has also worked well for me. Again...as long as I have a speed of at least 1.5Mbps. I recorded an entire movie from Netflix Instant. The picture and sound quality were excellent, and it played w/o a glitch. Though, for the tech savvy, I would suggest getting a program called Freemake Video Converter, to convert the video to a smaller size and better format.

Overall, I am very happy with PlayOn. As with anything internet related, there will be problems. Especially if you have horrible internet speeds, like I do. Most nights, I can't watch anything online, because our speeds throttle down to below 1.0 Mbps. Which is another plus for PlayLater. I can setup a recording, during the day (when I have better speeds), and watch the video that night. This way, it is now playing from my computer, not from the internet.

Note for Roku users...
Installation of the PlayOn channel requires a bit more than hopping into the Roku channel store. But it's still pretty easy. You will need to have a Roku account, with an email and password. Then simply go to this page https://owner.roku.com/Add/MYPLAYON, log in and add the channel. It may take awhile for your Roku to update/show the new channel. To get the channel to show up immediately, go into your Roku & choose Settings/System update/Check Now. This should add your new PlayOn channel.

Is It Worth It?
That's up to you & how you choose to spend your hard earned cash. Check out their list of channels and judge for yourself. Keep in mind, that the channels they don't list may not have online content. PlayOn can only play what the networks have available online.

Also know that in order to watch anything (PlayOn related) on your streaming device, you will have to have PlayOn running on your PC. You'll need an internet speed of at least 1.5 - 2.0 Mbps. And the faster your computer is, the better your viewing experience. It is recommended that you have at least 500MB of RAM on your computer.

The PlayOn/PlayLater bundle lifetime license does seem a bit pricy at $69.99, but that's about the cost of one month of cable or satellite service. With the money back guarantee, it's at least worth a glance.

To play devils advocate...I don't know if I really believe that the lifetime license will actually last a lifetime. Let's be realistic. But even if it only lasts a year or two...you get PlayOn, PlayLater, My Media, PlayMark/PlayCast, plugins, and parental controls. You can watch shows like Person of Interest, The Blacklist, Haven, Vampire Diaries, and more, through your streaming device. You can record shows to watch later. You can even watch all those important YouTube cat videos on your TV.

PlayOn - http://www.playon.tv/playon
PlayOn's home page

PlayOn Bundles - http://www.playon.tv/buy/
PlayOn Bundle deals. Bundle PlayOn and PlayLater. Choose monthly, yearly or lifetime. I went with the lifetime license. At the time of my purchase, the lifetime PlayOn/PlayLater bundle was on sale for $69.99. If that's not the current price when you look...wait a bit...they'll go on sale again.

PlayLater - http://www.playlater.tv/
PlayLater stand alone program. Also has an option for the PlayOn/PlayLater lifetime bundle.

My Media - http://www.playon.tv/mymedia
Stand alone FREE My Media program. Roku channel available in the Roku channel store.

PlayOn for Roku - https://owner.roku.com/Add/MYPLAYON
Add the PlayOn channel to your roku. You need to have a Roku account with email and password. There's an option to create an account, if you don't already have one.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Apps, apps, apps!

I love Android. Even with it's downfalls and limitations, I wouldn't have any other phone. I thought I'd post a little blurb about some of the apps I've found, that I thought worth sharing. The write ups on the paid apps are a bit longer, just because I feel the need to justify the fact that they cost lol.

FREEBIES

Carbon (now Helium)
I only just downloaded and tried Carbon today. But, so far...I really like it.

In the past, I've used Titanium Backup for my app backup needs. Unfortunately, it only works if your device is rooted. And it can seem a bit complicated and confusing.

Enter...Carbon.

Carbon, unlike TB (Titanium Backup), is simply a backup utility. It will not allow you to "freeze" or uninstall apps. It will, however, work for people w/o rooted phones. It's also wonderfully simple, and beautifully designed. My phone is rooted, so I haven't tested the non-rooted method yet.

So, why would you want Carbon? What exactly does it do?

Well, while some apps will remember their user data, most will not. Carbon, will make backups of your apps & your app data (settings, preferences, etc). And, if you've managed to completely wipe your phone...you can restore all your apps, and your settings/preferences/etc for those apps.

Say you've installed a 3rd party SMS (texting) app, such as Handcent. You have all your settings just right. For whatever reason, the app gets uninstalled. Perhaps an update messed something up. Perhaps someone got hold of your phone and "ooppsed." Whatever the reason, it doesn't matter. You are going to have to try and remember all your favorite settings, when you re-install it. PITA.

BUT...if you had Carbon (and had done a backup of your app), you could use Carbon again, to restore all your settings.

There are two options w/Carbon, when it comes to backups.
1. You can choose to backup the entire app. This will create a rather large file, but will reinstall the app and all the app settings. No need to visit the Play Store (or other app store).

2. You can choose to only backup the app data. This will create a much smaller file, but will require that you manually download the app from the Play Store (Carbon will send you to the correct page). Once the app is reinstalled, you do the restore via Carbon, and all your settings are put back into place.
*Note that if you downloaded the app you're restoring from another store (ie:Amazon App Store), you may need to go there, rather than Play Store to reinstall.

It really comes down to how you want to do things. Small files & downloading from your chosen store...or large files, and not having to worry about downloading anything.

As I stated earlier, my phone is rooted. So all of this was very simple for me. If your phone is not rooted, it will require a bit more work, and a PC. Still...I think it's worth it. If I wasn't rooted, I'd jump all over this app. I don't care if I have to download a program onto my PC, and do a few extra steps. I hate losing settings and preferences, when I uninstall/reinstall an app on my phone. It annoys me. It annoys my dog. And when my dog is annoyed...she craps on the carpet. So...you know...worth it.

There is a free version and a premium/paid version of Carbon. For most users, the free should be just fine. In the free version, you can backup to a cloud service, such as Dropbox, but you will not be able to restore from there. You can, however, backup and restore to/from SD card in the free version. With the paid version, you get a few more options, and show your appreciation to the hard work of the developer(s).

I still plan on using TB, for uninstalling bloatware, but for my backup needs, I'm thinking of switching over to Carbon. It's so beautifully simple.

Links for Non-Root users:
Helium's PC downloads - http://www.clockworkmod.com/carbon
Samsung S3 drivers for Verizon - http://www.samsung.com/us/support/owners/product/SCH-I535ZKBVZW (scroll down, and choose Downloads tab. Then click on "EXE" button)
*links to Samsung for other providers coming soon*

MyAppList

I've been using MyAppList for a few years now. It's another handy tool, for when you lose an app, or wipe your phone. It's not a backup utility, like Carbon is. All it will do, is create a list of the apps you have on your phone. But, not just a list. A list with Play Store links. I use this, when I really don't need a backup...just want to find and reinstall an app from Play Store.

There are options within the app, once you open it, to create your list. I generally choose...
Include market Links
Mobile Market
HTML
Other (Dropbox)

SMS Backup +
Another app I've been using for a few years. It allows you to save all your texts (mms as well). It will ask you to give it permission to link to your Gmail account. It can be any Gmail account (doesn't have to be the one associated with your Android phone). Once that's done, any time you choose to backup your texts, they will be saved to that Gmail account.

Parcels
Another favorite! Love this app! I order a lot of stuff online. This app lets me track my packages...no matter who the carrier is. It even has overseas carriers, if you need them.

FedEx doesn't work as well on this app, as it used to. I guess they changed something, and the dev hasn't been able, or had time to fix that. It will still track it...but you have to view it in the Parcels browser. No biggie.

There are other tracking apps out there, but I prefer the look and feel of this one.

You can go into settings, to choose which carries to show or not show. I've selected only FedEx, UPS, USPS and On Trac. Lots of other settings as well.

And a few more freebies worth mentioning...

Alarm Clock Xtreme (alarm clock with lots of features) *pro versions also available
FlightView Free (flight tracking app) *pro versions also available
IMDb (THE best movie & tv database...hands down)
Jorte Calendar (nice calendar app with theme options & icons)
Latitude Shortcuts (I miss my Latitude shortcut...this gives me that & a bit more)
Latitude Launcher (simple shortcut to Latitude...fewer options/less confusing than above app)
Pulse News (much better than Flipboard IMO)
Roku (official Roku app. Missing search feature that my paid remote app has)
Titanium Backup (**Requires Root**) *pro version also available
WomanLog Calendar (menstrual & fertility calendar) *pro version also available
XDA-Developers (my favorite place for Android info, roms, etc) *pro version also available
Zedge (very nice app for downloading wallpapers, sounds, etc)

PAID APPS

Car Home Ultra

I bought this app when I had my G2X. The Car Home app on that phone was just horrid. The Car Home app on the S3 is much better than the G2X, but still not nearly as nice as Car Home Ultra. So many options and shortcuts available. And it includes a speedometer (must have GPS enabled), compass, clock, altimeter, etc. With this app, you download a free 30 day trial, but must pay for the license, once the trial expires. I love apps that give you long trial periods. It's the best way to find out, if you really want to spend the money on an app.

KLets - Voice control

I use bluetooth. I live in a state with cell phone driving laws. WTH Google? Why do you insist on slacking off on voice control and hands free dialing? My old BlackBerry had better voice dialing! I will say, that I appreciate that Google has finally made voice recognition available offline in Android Jelly Bean, but their voice search app still sucks. It has little, to no confirmation, pops you into search all the time, is very limited, and is butt ugly.

Most 3rd party voice control apps are more concerned with being Suri clones than actually being useful. I don't need my phone to be my friend, & hang out with me, & tell me jokes...I have actual friends for that. I need my phone to dial my contacts, open apps, and send or read texts while I'm driving. And I need it to do that offline. Just because I have a cell phone signal, doesn't mean I have a good data signal. Not all of us are blessed with high speed data in our area.

KLets is just what I needed! It is much improved from when it first came out. Which means the developer has been hard at work. KLets will voice dial a contact for me (ie: "Call Mom"), dial a given number for me (ie: "Dial 555-555-5555"), compose a quick text, read unread texts to me, take a quick note (requires Evernote), add an alarm, add an event...and much more.

It works well with my Bluetooth stereo for Call audio. It's buggy if I also pair my phone with Media audio (music & navigation audio). But I think that's a limitation of my stereo...not the app. I've had problems with other voice apps as well. It's my only gripe. I would like to be able to hear Google Nav over my stereo at times. But, as long as I have voice dial, that's enough for me.

It takes some setting up. Pairing, re-pairing, restarting, etc...to get it just right. But again...I think more a limitation of my stereo (and maybe Android), than the app itself. The developer explains all of that in his FAQs. And though I haven't personally contacted the dev, he seems responsive to others that have.

This is another app, that allows for a test version. Which I love! When you download the test version, it will be limited. However, you can activate a trial license of the full version for one week. Which definitely helped me decide to buy the app. It's a very nice addition by the dev!

Remote for Roku
I bought this app, before Roku came out with their official app (which is free). I'm not sorry I did. It has some features that the official app does not. Like the search feature. Which allows me to type a search on my phone, rather than having to do it letter by letter on the Roku screen. It also allows me to add custom backgrounds, which I like. And I don't have to put in any info, or passwords, or whatever...it just detects my Roku devices for me.

The free, official app, from Roku is nice. But I still prefer my paid app. It's only a little over a buck.

Tasker
I'd read about and heard about Tasker, back when I had my G2X. Everyone just loved it. But I could never understand what the big deal was. So it can turn on your wifi...big deal. Hit a button, for crying out loud. Lazy much?

To be honest, I probably would never have really given Tasker a shot, if the price hadn't dropped so much. It used to be $6+. It's now around $3. Once I looked at the Play Store page, and found the link that allowed you to try it, before buying it...I decided to go for it. Let's see what all the hubbub is about. Well...I tried it...and then I bought it.

I'm still not sure I'd have ever paid more than three bucks for it. But I am enjoying it. And learning to do new stuff with it all the time.

It probably isn't for everyone. And you're going to have to do some Googling, to figure out how to do most of the stuff. But it is useful, and certainly worth three bucks! There is a TON of help out there for this app. All you need do, is Google...and read. :)

Currently, I have Tasker setup to...
Mute my phone at 11pm and turn the sound back on at 9am

Disable Wi-Fi, when my Bluetooth connects to my stereo, and re-enable Wi-Fi when my Bluetooth disconnects.

Disable GPS when my Wi-Fi connects, and re-enable GPS when I disconnect Wifi (this actually requires **Root** on Jelly Bean)

Reboot my phone once a week (on Sat @ 3am). It is recommended that you restart your phone at least once, every 2 weeks.

When not connected to specified Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, require a pin number to unlock phone.
When connected to specified Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, simply swipe to unlock.
This way, if my phone gets stolen or misplaced, no one can get into my phone to read my contacts etc. They would still be able to see anything saved on my SD card, and could probably reset/wipe the phone. But they wouldn't get my contacts info (phone numbers, addresses, etc). And I can be lazy, when I'm at home, and not have to put in a pin. And I don't have to try and enter a pin while I'm driving (which I'm pretty sure I could be ticketed for).

I've also created some buttons (using the free Tasker App Factory addon). I bought a new TPU case for my S3, and it's kind of hard to hit the power button. My old case was easier. So I made a button (that I put on my home screen) that shuts off the screen, when I want to.

And, since I'm rooted, I occasionally want to reboot into recovery mode. It's kind of a pain. So I've made a button to do this for me. I created a folder on one of my home screens, and added these buttons...
Shut Down
Reboot
Reboot-Recovery
So, now...when I want to shut down or reboot my phone, I don't have to hit and hold my power button. And I don't have to hit/hold a gazillion buttons for Reboot-Recovery. I just open the folder, click an onscreen button, and viola. Nice. :)

If you want to try out Tasker, or buy Tasker...I highly recommend also installing Secure Settings plug-in. It will make many of the tasks much easier to create.

SplashShopper
I had SplashShopperon my Blackberry, and waited (somewhat impatiently) for it's release on Android. Well, it finally came, and I scooped it up. It's a bit pricey...especially if you want to add syncing ability on your PC (you have to buy the PC program separately). But I still love it. It can be buggy, and isn't going to be for everyone. But I love having the ability to have multiple lists, and sorting options. If I take the time to look at the aisles in my grocery store, I can add the aisle number to each item. Then I can have the app sort by aisle when I'm shopping. So, everything that I mark as "needed" on my list is in order by aisle. No more running back to aisle one for something that was at the bottom of my list.

I don't know why more shopping apps don't do this. I don't shop alphabetically...why should my app sort it that way? And lets face it...stores don't always stock things in areas that make sense. My parents like Cheese Whiz...but every store stocks it in a different area. I can never find it! With SplashShopper, I don't have to hunt for it. As long as I've taken the time to enter the correct aisle number, I know right where to find it.

I can also make as many lists as I want. Grocery, Pet Store, Gifts to buy, To Do List, Travel Check List....anything you can think of. So...it's not just a shopping list. It's an any kind of list you want list.

It's very nicely laid out, and has more options than you can shake a stick at. But it can be buggy at times. Especially with the PC syncing. Even I have trouble with it...and I've been using it for quite awhile now. And as I said before...costly, if you want the PC program (which is very nice to have).

**If you just want a shopping list app, you can also check out ToMarket. There is a free version, and a paid version...though I'm not sure what you get in the paid version. It's not as easy for me to use, as I'm so used to SplashShopper. But it looks quite nice, and seems to have a lot of options.**

Enhanced Email
This is the only paid app that I didn't actually pay for, that I'm going to mention. I was lucky enough to get this app for free, via Amazon's Free App of the Day.

It seems a bit pricey, to be honest. And I doubt I would pay to get it. But it is a very nice email app, if you have multiple email accounts at various providers. Rather than have an app for each service (ie: Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc), you can just use Enhanced Email for all of them. It takes a bit of setting up, but it's worth it. I have all my email accounts (that I want access to on my phone) in one place. I can turn on or off automatic syncing too.

There may be cheaper alternatives, that are just as good. As I said...I was lucky, and got this for free. So I had no need to try other apps.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Com-PLEX-ities (part 2)

Okay. So, you've managed to setup your photo (and possibly video and music) library in Plex. Awesome! Now let's add some channels. If you've used Roku before, you understand the concept of channels. Plex is similar, in that it allows you to add channels to it's directory. These channels will not be added to your Roku, but will be available to watch through your Plex channel on your Roku. Sure hope that made sense.

If you haven't used Roku before...don't worry...things should make sense by the end of this post. Umm...I hope. ;)

Since I already have my channels added to Plex, I'm not positive what you will be seeing on a fresh install. This version of Plex Media Server is different than what I originally downloaded...there have been a lot of updates! Which is a good thing!!

If your browser is still open to Plex, click on the Home icon (upper left corner).

If not, re-open Plex, using the right click method discussed in part one (that little icon in the bottom right of your computer screen..remember?)

Once the page opens, click on "Directory"

This will send you to a list of available Plex channels.

With the default choice being "Featured."
But there are several choices you can make here (including New, Popular & Categories).

I would suggest skimming through "Most Popular" and "Categories."

Under "Categories" you will find options like "TV" and "Video." Which will lead to channels like NBC, CBS, and YouTube.

Choose a channel you want, and click on it.

You will get a popup with a small channel description, and an "install" button.

Now that you've installed a channel (or more), click on "My Channels."
You will see that your channel has been added.

And if you want to uninstall a channel, just mouse over the specific channel (in "My Channels"), and you will see an uninstall icon option appear.

My personal recommendations are...

Any major networks (NBC, CBS, ABC, etc)

USA (Not very many major cable networks available anymore)

YouTube & Hulu

I like that I can watch YouTube on my tv, and that I can catch an occasional TV show, that I maybe missed. If a network is unavailable to add, or doesn't have much on their Plex channel, sometimes you can find it on Hulu. Plex allows you to watch Hulu basic, rather than having to pay for Hulu+.

Look around...try some channels. If you don't like them...you can uninstall them.
I love it!

Now all that's left to do, is install Plex on your Roku. You can find the Plex channel in the Roku channel store. You may have to sign in, once it's installed...I'm not sure.

**Again...in order for Plex to work w/Roku, you must have Plex Server installed and running on your computer)**

Com-PLEX-ities

So...you got yourself a Roku? Sweet!

If you got one of the models that is not the XS, you didn't get a USB port. If you did get the XS (after all...who doesn't want Angry Birds, right?), you were excited about the fact that it had a USB port. You'd be able to pop in a thumb drive & watch your personal videos. NICE!

You got your Roku2 XS all setup, got your videos moved to a thumb drive, popped that drive into the port and....nothing. Wait. WHAT?! WTF man?

Sadly, the Roku2 XS USB player is pretty limited. It will, to my knowledge, only play MP4 and MKV video files. Furthermore, it will only play music files in MP3 and AAC formats. And only show pictures that are JPEG or PNG.

So...you either don't have a USB port, or your USB port won't play your videos.
NOW what? :\

Never fear! Plex is here! Although Plex is not my most used channel (Netflix & Amazon are), it is probably my favorite.
Most Roku channels have one purpose. One use. To allow you to play a video from their library. Plex is more of a multi-use channel. You can use it to play videos from your library, but also add even more channels to use on your Roku. It's all a bit different. And a bit confusing, at first. So, hopefully this will help you setup and understand the basics of Plex.

**(In order for Plex to work w/Roku, you must have Plex Server running on your computer)**

First things first. We're going to run through setting up your video, audio, image library. I will cover other aspects of Plex later on.

I use Firefox browser, but this should work with pretty much any browser. This is assuming, however, that you are using Roku and running Windows. Plex will work on other OSs and streaming devices, but I use Roku and Windows...so...

You will need to download some things to your computer. You will also add a channel to your Roku...which is super easy. Since the Roku channel part is simple, I'm going to concentrate on the PC part.

Step One: If you don't already have them, you should download (or update) both Adobe Flash and Microsoft Silverlight. Both are free.

Step Two: Download Plex Media Server (this is version 0.9.7.9.375).

Step Three: Download Plex Media Center (this is version 0.9.5.4).

I don't know if it's okay for me to just give you the d/l links here, but since it's just for my family/friends, we'll do it this way, for now. The downloads are found at the Get Plex page.

Step Four: Install (if you haven't already) all of the downloads.

Assuming the installations all go w/o incident, Plex Media Server (PMS...yes...I know lol) should be running. You should see a small icon at the bottom right of your screen (in your taskbar/ Notification Area Icons).

Step Five (the big step): Setting up Plex on your PC...

Mouse over the Plex icon in your taskbar & right click.
Click on "Media Manager..."

This should open a window in your browser.

It should look something like this.

Next, click on "Add a section"

You will get a popup that looks like this.

We're going to walk through adding pictures, because that's the easiest.

So, click on "Photos"

On the next popup, click the "add a folder" button.

Click on "Browse Folders"
(this is where it'll get a little tricky, for some)

(You will need to know where your files are. Generally, they will be somewhere in your C: directory. So, we're going to go with that. This section, is written using Windows 7. Vista should be the same, but Windows XP or other will most likely be different)

Immediately after clicking on "Browse Folders", you should see "C:" in the same box.

Click the "C:" and you should get a drop down menu.

Scroll to the bottom, until you find "Users" & click on that.

Next, you will see a few options (based on your configuration). It should be fairly obvious, which User is your main identity. Whatever name you chose, when setting up Windows. "Bob" or "Dusty" or "Bite Me" lol.

In this picture, mine is "DustysDen", so that's the folder I will click.

We're going to choose the Pictures folder (aka "My Pictures")

Now, I could stop there. But why not show you that you can be even more specific w/the folders you want to make available?

(If you want to add the entire Pictures folder, just click on Pictures, then click on "Add Folder" button)

I'm going to click on Pictures, but I'm not going to add that entire folder. Instead, I'm just going to add my Pictures/Pets folder. So, I click on Pictures, then...click on Pets in the next window.

Now Click "Add Folder" button.

Finally, click "Add Section" button.

Plex will spend a couple seconds (or minutes, depending on the amount of photos), scanning and adding your photos to the Plex directory. Eventually, you will see thumbnails of your pictures....

Click on a thumbnail to view a larger image. From there, you'll be able to flip through the album.

To add music and movies, follow these same steps.

Since you already setup Photos, the "Add a section" text is now a "+" sign/box.

Instead of choosing "Photos" in the next step, you will choose "Movies," "TV," "Home Movies" or " Music."

Again...you must know where your files are on your computer. In Vista & Win7, they will almost always be somewhere under your main User folder. Follow the above steps to get there. It may take awhile for all your files to show up, and/or play.

In Part Two, I will go over adding channels...