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So Skype on Android, What’s it like?
So today I found out that Skype have released an app for Android 2.1+ devices and just had to give it a whirl. I have friends in France and Thailand that I’d like to keep in touch with and Skype is a very cost effective way of doing so. Ok I could use the full application on my laptop/netbook (yep – the Linux versions run just fine) but hard to believe as it may be, I don’t have them turned on all the time. Having Skype in my pocket would be fantastic, but would it work?
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Writing a plugin for Statusnet : Part 2
In a previous post previous post I configured my development environment so that I could start work on my Statusnet plugin. Well, a little later that anticipated, I’ve managed to get enough time together to get a working plugin – although it’s not perfect by any means.
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Ubuntu Forums: The font of all knowledge?
Many developers will know about the Stackoverflow ‘trilogy’ of sites which take a fresh approach to user forums. In addition to the Developer, SysAdmin and PowerUser sites the Stackoverflow team are also hosting more specialist sites such as Game Development, photography and even home improvement. In amongst these is a site dedicated to my operating system of choice, Ubuntu. It’s still in it’s infancy but if Stackoverflow is anything to go by it will flourish into a place where users know that there is quality content.
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Skobbler SatNav for Android: First Impressions
One of the reasons I bought a smartphone was to use it as a SatNav – thus removing the need to carry around two devices. I’d heard that Android phone came with turn-by-turn navigation – for free! However, I didn’t really do my homework and bought a HTC Hero. Not that there was anything wrong with the phone itself, but it was running Android 1.5 which didn’t have the functionality I wanted. With a trip to France looming I bought CoPilot 8.0 for Android with the Europe maps and apart from a few, minor niggles I’ve been quite happy with it. However, just because I have one SatNav application doesn’t mean I can’t have another – I’m a gadget junkie after all.
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Migrating my Broadband – Android to the Rescue in the meantime.
Ok, so it’s no secret that I’m not impressed with the Broadband service from TalkTalk; the connection speed is pretty good but it is unstable – dropping sometimes dozens of times a day. This is just too frustrating for words and the TalkTalk Technical Support is frankly a joke! Anyway, one day I was trying to download the Ubuntu Lucid Server ISO and was having numerous connection drop outs when a Sky salesman knocked on my door. Now normally I would not entertain these intrusions into my evenings but today was different. To cut a long story short, I signed up for the TV, Phone and Broadband services. Knowing that I would lose the broadband when the phone switched over I was prepared for a couple of days downtime but how was I going to cope? Well as it happened I have a HTC Hero phone and it was very recently upgraded to the official Android 2.1 release – and when I plug it in to my laptop I get a number of options including Charge Only, Mount as Disk Drive or Internet Sharing!
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