The Life of Matt Campos

In the latest Google corporate blog post the company it is helping to put tools out to allow the normal internet user to take his or her ISP to task. The latest set of tools is an effort in co-operation between academia and Google. What Google is doing is allowing the research universities to use Google’s massive infrastructure to test and develope tools to see if ISPs are blocking or throttling certain types of traffic.  Measurement Lab or M-Lab is a suite of tools being developed across the globe to do things like check to see if your ISP is blocking or throttling your torrent downloads. Other features touted in the blog post are allowing users to   “measure the speed of their connection, run diagnostics, and attempt to discern if their ISP is blocking or throttling particular applications.” With these new tools Google is taking the Net Neutrality fight directly to the ISPs. Before tools like these the normal user had no idea if their ISP was blocking any types of traffic. Hopefully with Google behind these tools it will shift how our ISPs think about us, the normal user.

What is White Space? White space is the radio airwaves that exists between the tv channels that are unused. Why should we free it, because it is a public resource that certain companies want to horde and use for their own profit. Why should it be freed, because it could bring wireles internet access to the massess. Could you imagine being able to access the internet anywhere in America? Think about it for a second…if somewhere in america can get a TV signal, they could then get Internet access.

Unless we speak out to our congressional representatives, large telephone and cable companies will continue to deny Internet access to millions who cannot access the information superhighway.

Please visit the URL below to check out what’s at stake and send a loud message directly to Congress:

https://secure.freepress.net/site/Advocacy?id=273

More Information:
http://www.freetheairwaves.com/
http://blogs.siliconvalley.com/gmsv/2008/08/google-fertilizes-grassroots-push-for-wide-open-white-spaces.html

Please take a moment and read and inform your self and get involved.

Put out an SDK and and emulator and what do you think is goign to happen? Its goign to be used in unintended ways. Some ingenious hackers around the globe have got Google’s android OS running on several different hardware platforms and it seems to expanding to more and more hardware as the weeks go on. If your interested in checking out the timeline and whats hardware it has been found to work on check out the link below.

Source: LinuxDevices.com

You ever been in a new city, trying to find a location and don’t have GPS or a map. With your cell phone you can get turn by turn directions directly from Google. All you have to do is text your starting address and your destination address to Google (466453) and BAM, google will send you turn by turn directions!

To get driving directions, enter your start address then ‘to’ followed by your destination address (ex: 94040 to 94043, pasadena ca to los angeles)

So Google has released a new sync tool for its mobile tools that allows you to sync your google calander to the calender on your Pearl or any other mobile device that it supports. Download was quick and easy and setting up the options to import multiple calenders was a breeze. So if you need it, check out Google mobile.

Well its official, google is going to move into the move into the cell phone world with an open source OS. Right now it looks like they are basically developing a platform to deliver their services and ADs with out the restrictions placed on normal mobile phones. This could be exciting if the platform catches on, being open source will allow any programmer the ability to see the OS and make their own apps, that should be exciting.

One of the first phones to have the new OS and is rumored to be Google’s “Dream” phone, is manufactured by HTC and called the Omni. This looks to be a well rounded and sleek looking phone with aa nice feature set.

From Engadget:

• 32 bit Qualcomm MSM7200 Chipset, 384 MHZ CPU Clock
• 256 MB ROM
• 128 RAM
• 800 x 480 px TFT 262 color touchscreen
• GSM850, GSM900, GSM1800, GSM1900, UMTS850, UMTS1900, UMTS2100 connectivity
• CSD, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA, HSUPA data support
• Built-in QWERTY-type keyboard, 65 keys
• SDIO, microSD, TransFlash expansion slots
• USB 2.0 client, 60Mbit/s , USB Series Mini-B (mini-USB) connector
• Bluetooth 2.0
• 802.11b, 802.11g
• NMEA 0183 , 20 channels built-in GPS
• 3.1 Mpx camera with LED flash
• 640×480 VGA secondary camera
• Dimensions: 81 x 130 x 16 mm

Looks to be an exciting phone and I can’t wait to get my hands on it.

Update: Google has released its own sync product. Check it out.

So I have a blackbery pearl…Its been one of the best phones I have ever owned and it is so customizable. Like this, a new app (well new to me) that lets you sync your google calander and the calendar on your phone. Here’s how:

BTW: Just a little safty plug for myself:

Rememebr this is your phone! I can not be held liable if you follow these instructions and your phone self destructs! Also I have no knowledege of how this program is coded or works so do not ask me for tech support, what I know is documented below.

All the info I got from here: http://code.google.com/p/gadjet/

and here: http://osdir.com/ml/calendars.gcalsync/2006-12/msg00002.html

Anyway Instructions:

1) First go to http://wappy.to/gcalsync on your phone’s browser. And install the app.

2) Reset your pearl, either battery pull or user softreset by alan @ geekandproud.net (Link)

3) On your Phone, Go to Options > Security Options >TLS > TLS Default – set to handheld

4) Options > Advanced Options > TCP > APN set to wap.voicestream.com (This is for t-mobile, do a google search for your carrier)

5) Reset your pearl, either battery pull or user softreset by alan @ geekandproud.net (Link)

6) Go into gcalsync

7 )Enter username and password and sign in.

8 ) Choose your calendars you want to sync.

9) Press menu button and start full sync.

10) Choose what you want to sync to your phone and what you want upload and commit it.

11) Your done! Rememebr this is your phone! I can not be held liable if you follow these instructions and your phone self destructs! Also I have no knowledege of how this program is coded or works so do not ask me for tech support, what I know is documented above.