Notable Technology tweets.

1. Five trends driving the hardware boom http://cnet.co/16D6hmA 
2. Microsoft Office for Android now available, but not for tablets http://vrge.co/132zvct 
3. Google surpassed Apple's mobile app download total in Q2, but Apple's still winning the monetization battle. http://dthin.gs/17Toi1f 
4. HTC reckons it's losing money for the first time ever http://cnet.co/13YLgUB  #icymi
5. (1) Man gets fake FBI child-porn alert online (2) Man takes PC to cops to pay fine (3) Man gets busted for child porn http://cnet.co/13OEW1X 
6. John Williams will officially score Star Wars Episode VII – hear what he thinks of J.J. Abrams: http://on.io9.com/q59Vojr 
7. Get started on #CinemaNow and choose up to 10 movies to add to your UltraViolet Digital Collection for FREE! http://shout.lt/kCjm  #deal
8. First take: Google's $35 Chromecast stick pushes Netflix and YouTube to your TV http://cnet.co/1c2ZBTl 
9. Apple vs. Microsoft vs. Google — profits http://bit.ly/13337Kh  pic.twitter.com/cPkSpT0yAl

The complex history of Android

Found this article floating around the Net a few days ago. Aside from the main headline for the article, the author does an excellent job of chronicling the history of android just as well as explaining why google seems to be shifting focus from android to chrome which would be brilliant on the part of google. Android isn't going anywhere as far as an OS for phones and tablets are concerned but there are multitudes of other hardware markets out there for google to attack and Chromecast is just the beginning.

The future of Innovation

I have an idea that in the near future innovation and technology advance will be guided by hardware more than software. The blooming 3D printer and micro controller sectors are the catalysts for this future that I see and know exists. So I say to you all, are you ready for this future?

Here is an article that I saw that supports my hypothesis. I will continue to expand on this post. Stay tuned http://news.cnet.com/8301-10797_3-57596007-235/five-trends-driving-the-hardware-boom/

Slow News day

A lot of Tech news didn't come out today. So I'll give you all a rundown of my last 24 hours and the news that did come out at the end of today's post.

My last 24 Hours: After I finished up my post last night, I noticed that it was a bit warmer than it was earlier (FYI, I am in NYC and today was day three of a six day or longer heat wave.) Checked the window air conditioner for the living room and sure enough, it was dead. Had to work out the logistics of purchasing a new one today (it was not in the budget,) how to get it home and install it. Worked out pretty good as I finished installing the new one about 90 minutes ago and am here testing it.Work is as crazy as it has every been, not able to get any meaningful work completed aside from dealing with in the moment issues. Went a majority of the day before I was able to eat my lunch. Lastly, I flashed the updated version of the ROM that I use (Jelly Bombed) for my Galaxy Note 2 last night so I had to re-install all my apps and get all my settings back to how i like it.

1. Redesigned Google Maps Web interface now available to all http://cnet.co/15EmKGC
2. Google Allegedly Working on New Online TV Service http://tchno.be/17jyf7Y 
3. An engineer at MIT wants to turn your skin into a computer interface. http://bit.ly/1bm794S 
4. Man electrocuted while retrieving dropped cell phone from subway tracks http://cnet.co/15CJOWg 
5. Scientists use sound waves to lift and move objects, make cup of joe in mid air - http://engt.co/15K9Toz
6. From earlier: Leaked Verizon plan would let you upgrade to a new phone after paying off half of your current one http://vrge.co/13f0kxa
7. Also from earlier, and related: AT&T fires back at T-Mobile with upgrade installment plan of its own http://vrge.co/13fhpXz
8. Intel buys gesture firm Omek Interactive for $40M -- report http://cnet.co/15BXv7X 

Daily tech headlines

Hello everyone. I will be doing a compilation of daily headlines as I feel that there is too much information on a daily basis to do this once a week. 

1. Los Angeles to New York in 45 minutes? Elon Musk thinks he can make it happen. http://bit.ly/13nxm9S

2. Morning Spoilers: Could Hugh Jackman join the Avengers? Is Star Trek 3 filming in 2014? http://on.io9.com/e5GgXAa 

3. HTC rumored to be preparing 6-inch One Max to take on Galaxy Note 3 http://vrge.co/15eYrzm 

4. Stop-motion teardown of a Porsche Carrera 3.2 engine http://cnet.co/18fFHSI 

5. Why do mosquitoes bite some people more than others? http://ow.ly/mWK20 

6. A cash-strapped engineering student made a 3D printer almost entirely out of Legos, and he shows you how http://cnet.co/15kb4su 

7. Globalfoundries' $6 billion New York chip plant waits for Apple http://cnet.co/14Qqc2g 

8. Nokia Lumia 1020: a 41-megapixel Windows Phone available on July 26th for $299.99 http://vrge.co/13DrxfU 

9. Just how fast is LTE-A? http://cnet.co/12sJWo5 

10. Softbank's $21.6 billion acquisition of Sprint is complete - http://engt.co/13C3IoE 

11. Quadcore smartphone shoot-out: The fastest phones around http://cnet.co/15cz14V

12. Today marks the 30th anniversary of the Nintendo Entertainment System (pictures) http://cnet.co/1aoIGZT

Handy Man day

          I will be posting a handy man section anywhere between once a week to once a month depending on if there's anything to do around my home. There will definitely be a few over the next few weeks since it is summer time and I will be setting up my garage with a server and other goodies but today I'm doing some work in the bathroom. 

          So this is the before Picture. I removed the old medicine cabinet before I took a picture so there's just a blank wall. 

          If you look closed enough, you can see the outline of where the original medicine cabinet was attached to the wall. Also note the two holes to the upper left hand corner. I had a shelf system there and it was not screwed into a wall stud and as a result the screws started pulling out of the wall (A classic example of why you should ALWAYS find the stud when attaching a weight bearing device or shelving system to a wall or ceiling.

          Even with checking and double checking measurements before cutting, I still started a cut and realized that I did not triple check the measurements and as a result there is a random cut that is not visible once the medicine cabinet is installed but it is there (A classic case of if a tree falls in the Forrest  did it make a noise.) I started with a hole large enough for a base ball (You should check for studs before start cutting using a stud finder. It pays to have a good one, in other words, if you can afford one get one with all the bells and whistles.) I slowly cut the hole larger and larger until I located the studs accurately and was able to use it as a reference for how to place the cabinet. I then marked the area that needed to be cut out and slowly cut the required space. I cannot emphasize triple checking every step of the way as it is very easy to forget a measurement/calculation and screw yourself into either having to call a professional to correct your error or add a few hours and a trip to your local hardware store to your job. As far as preparing the damaged section of the wall, you should use a metal scraper and scrape away any excess paint and loose drywall/wall. Clean out the hole as much as possible so that when you use the wall filler it stays in the hole. After the required drying time for the filler I used a sander to smooth out the surface of the wall.

          I was as patient as my personality allowed when waiting for the wall filler to dry but alas, I did not wait long enough and there is a small indent where the filler was not completely dry and I did not apply sufficient filler to have a smooth finish (I need to work on my patience.) You do see that I successfully installed the Medicine cabinet after we completely repainted the Bathroom. I anchored the cabinet to the studs that I used as reference (Another reason to know where the studs are at the end of the job.

          This is where it is crucial to have a really good stud finder. My home is at least 40 years old so the walls are very inconsistent and as a result, even my middle of the range stud finder had a difficult time finding stud #2 even though I knew that they are typically approximately 18 inches apart. I took me 15 to 20 minutes just to be sure enough that this was where the second stud was located. Once I verified this with the stud finder in multiple locations all over the wall I used my  leveler to ensure that the shelving system was level when i attached it to the wall. Needless to say that it is solidly anchored to the wall now and will not be a victim to a drunken night gone bad :-)

           Voilà, installed medicine cabinet, painted bathroom and repaired shelving system instillation. Instillation time for the cabinet depending on your level of experience is two to five hours. The hole repair and shelving system re-installation took two to four hours.   We started at 9:30 this morning but we did extensive cleaning of the bathroom before painting so the entire job took us approximately ten hours. If anyone has any questions please feel free to ask. If I know the answer or can find an answer for you I will. I hope this helps someone to get the job done.

Tools used:

1. Dremel rotary tool
2. Variable speed power drill
3. Electric sander
4. Mini cut saw
5. Stud finder
6. Vacuum cleaner
7. Leveling tool

Last week’s biggest Tech news (Headlines taken directly from Twitter)

1.       The Expendables 2 is now available on Netflix Instant watch.

2.       FCC gives green light to Sprint-Softbank deal http://cnet.co/14YE6Oc 

3.       Microsoft Adding Native Support for 3D Printers in Windows 8.1 http://dlvr.it/3cbQ5D

4.       Quick Read: The Raspberry Pi's entry into every hardware hacker's toolkit http://vrge.co/19Z6fYM 

5.       New York City gets its own .NYC domain. http://ow.ly/mGUMf 

6.       Game of Thrones hires director Neil Marshall again for the season 4 finale: http://on.io9.com/qxfNBnK

7.       Samsung acquires cloud TV startup Boxee for ‘tens of millions of dollars' http://dlvr.it/3cP3Fv  #Tech #News

8.       Samsung's estimated Q2 2013 profits top out at $8.33 billion - http://engt.co/16RX5eU

9.       Vudu for Android now available on (some) phones, not just tablets - http://engt.co/10CtXHv 

10.   Courts Can’t Agree on Whether Cops Can Track Your Cell Without a Warrant http://bit.ly/17UlF3n 

11.   Inventor of the Mouse Doug Engelbart Passes Away at Age 88 http://dlvr.it/3cLw2C 

12.   Android 'Master Key' Security Hole Puts 99% Of Devices At Risk Of Exploitation http://tcrn.ch/18yehKs  by @riptari

Preview

Going to be trying something either tomorrow night or sunday morning in regards to technology news reporting. Basically a compilation of all the news stories over the last week from a tech perspective with a quich one sentence synopsis and a link to the original story or stories. A basic one stop shop for quick and easy access to multiple subject matters as it relates to Technology and Living in todays connected world.

Tech Stuff to Do

Engadget reader meetups are usually epic and free but Engadget Expand is neither free nor cut from the same fabric as the reader meetups. All I can say is I will be there. Will you????

Day 2

Getting familiar with the google blogger settings and editing my page. Anyone watching, I would apreciate some feedback as I slowly edit the page.

Hello World

I am not sure where this blogg will take me but I am sure that it will assist me in attaining a higher level of engagement and knowledge about technology and how it influences the world. Till the next blogg keep your friends & family close and your technology closer.