CircleCount helps you better understand Google+

2013-05-19 16:53:09 (20 comments, 2 reshares, 50 +1s)

Ahhh! How do I get into the send-money-via-Gmail early access?

2013-05-18 05:40:15 (74 comments, 39 reshares, 393 +1s)

Android Studio Preview

Not sure why this was called a "Preview".

It's infinitely better than the abysmal pile of shit known Eclipse. I've switched over completely.

Kudos to +Tor Norbye, +Xavier Ducrohet, and whoever else may have had a hand in this.

2013-05-18 02:17:31 (52 comments, 14 reshares, 67 +1s)

Couldn't agree more ...

2013-05-17 21:53:04 (38 comments, 0 reshares, 38 +1s)

My open source libraries need cool names. And need to be published on Maven.

Also, Maven is terrible.

2013-05-17 21:48:59 (38 comments, 72 reshares, 218 +1s)

2013-05-17 05:51:35 (8 comments, 14 reshares, 190 +1s)

With Google App Engine now supporting PHP, we can all host our Wordpress vulnerabilities at Google scale.

2013-05-17 04:38:45 (40 comments, 4 reshares, 67 +1s)

DeskSMS server source

Holy crap, DeskSMS has been around almost 2 years. 

Google's recent sunsetting of the XMPP protocol in the Google Talk to Hangout transition kills one of the main reasons people use DeskSMS: the ability to text your messages via an IM client on their PC.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5714557

Furthermore, there are great alternatives to DeskSMS, which are free (thanks to VC funding).

In light of all this, I've just published the App Engine server source. You can use this to spawn your own app engine instance of DeskSMS.

https://github.com/ClockworkMod/desksms-server

Feel free to laugh at my terrible Python code; it was the first project I'd ever written in the language.

I'll keep my DeskSMS server up and running in the meantime; but I imagine once Google pulls the plug on... more »

2013-05-17 03:04:20 (16 comments, 7 reshares, 113 +1s)

Google Cloud Messaging for Chrome

Not sure if this has been mentioned, but Google quietly released push Google Cloud Messaging (which was previously only for Android) for Chrome.

Your browser can now send messages to your phone. And your phone can send them back.

I had to build this infrastructure out for DeskSMS. Leveraging this, I can get rid of one of the costliest server pieces involved in the DeskSMS stack.

2013-05-16 23:47:36 (27 comments, 5 reshares, 115 +1s)

Thanks +Barack Obama 

2013-05-16 21:36:03 (12 comments, 3 reshares, 79 +1s)

2013-05-16 19:06:34 (32 comments, 34 reshares, 257 +1s)

Google Play Services

If you've been following Google IO, you'll notice that Google Play Services has added a ton of new APIs... many of which don't seem Google specific per se (ie, activity recognition, geofencing, etc).

Many of these APIs would be appropriate in the Android SDK proper (not sure if any/many backend services are involved here).

Rehashing a previous point: this creates a dependance in Android on Google, as they are creating a superset of defacto standard APIs that require Google services to be on the device. Obviously, this is a good thing for Google.

This is also a positive note for developers: Google can extend the platform SDK without a dependance on the manufacturer releasing an OS update. The developers can count on the API calls being there across all platforms (that support Google Play).

The losers here? Amazona... more »

2013-05-16 17:59:53 (11 comments, 4 reshares, 73 +1s)

+Reto Meier is talking about not synchronizing data based on time, because it causes server spikes.

This reminds me of the time I accidentally DDoS'd PayPal's Android payments service with ROM Manager. PayPal actually reached into my account logs and activity, to first determine I was not doing something shady. Once they confirmed that, 3 of their engineers called me up to ask me what I was doing that would cause their servers to get smashed with API calls every hour on the hour.

2013-05-16 15:35:20 (62 comments, 6 reshares, 48 +1s)

Men who are physically strong are more likely to take a right wing political stance, while weaker men are inclined to support the welfare state, according to a new study.

So that explains why every time I miss a lift in Crossfit, I yell "Thanks OBAMA"

2013-05-16 07:04:38 (45 comments, 167 reshares, 790 +1s)

2013-05-16 05:50:39 (38 comments, 0 reshares, 112 +1s)

I wonder if the Google Edition SGS 4 will come with a corresponding AOSP code drop?

/me runs and looks

poke +Jean-Baptiste Quéru  ;)

2013-05-16 06:37:42 (29 comments, 21 reshares, 50 +1s)

Testing ALL the Android Image and http Libraries

I've been testing and benchmarking a bunch of the various image loading and http request libraries available, since a couple of them were released in the past week.

Lineup:
AndroidAsync + UrlImageViewHelper (mine)
Volley (Google)
okhttp + Picasso (Square)

All support cached and conditionally cached responses, keep alive, etc.

Thoughts:

Picasso has the nicest image API. I am going to steal their currying API style for my future/current stuff. Picasso is also noticeably the slowest. Especially on 3g vs wifi. Probably due to their custom okhttp client.

UrlImageViewHelper + AndroidAsync is the fastest. Playing with these other two great libraries have really highlighted that the image API is quite dated, however.

Volley is slick; I really enjoy their pluggable... more »

2013-05-16 00:01:16 (46 comments, 14 reshares, 111 +1s)

In one breath, Larry Page admonishes Microsoft for integrating Google Chat and not being interoperable in return.

In the next breath, Google kills XMPP support for Google Talk.

What a load of crap.

2013-05-15 21:34:18 (33 comments, 35 reshares, 195 +1s)

Google just quietly turned Wallet into a PayPal competitor.

http://googlecommerce.blogspot.com/2013/05/send-money-to-friends-with-gmail-and.html

2013-05-15 21:04:08 (46 comments, 1 reshares, 138 +1s)

Playing with the new toys courtesy of Uncle Google.

Already migrated all my existing projects over to Android Studio.

2013-05-15 19:38:17 (44 comments, 8 reshares, 110 +1s)

No one cares about Android

No Android platform announcement at IO. Just (major) improvements of Google specific services.

The subtext is that Google is trying to regain control of Android and entrench themselves.

2013-05-15 19:21:38 (23 comments, 38 reshares, 109 +1s)

Android Studio

http://developer.android.com/sdk/installing/studio.html#download

2013-05-15 19:04:21 (17 comments, 22 reshares, 198 +1s)

2013-05-15 17:28:20 (10 comments, 2 reshares, 43 +1s)

Chromebook Pixel to all I/O attendee's?  Install base increases 3000%

2013-05-15 17:18:23 (15 comments, 24 reshares, 190 +1s)

Day. Made. 

http://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/1ecpuy/samsung_galaxy_s4_google_edition_to_be_announced/

2013-05-15 16:39:55 (24 comments, 9 reshares, 182 +1s)

This makes me happy

2013-05-15 19:00:37 (137 comments, 7 reshares, 115 +1s)

Google I/O Live commentary about to start here. Guaranteed to be loaded with hilarity and snark.

---
8:48 Still butthurt I didn't get a ticket

8:59 I'll probably take my bathroom break and/or nap during the Chrome part of the keynote.

9:00 That's a lot of nerds

9:04 When he said it was about the developers, I flashed back to monkey boy.

9:06 Sundar. This is the guy that replaced Andy Rubin after he got pushed out.

9:07 He's running Android and ChromeZzzzzzz.

9:08 I can say this because I'm Indian: his accent bugs me. You can't say it, because that's racist. Whitey.

9:10 Entire audience is thinking "when do we get our free shit?"

9:13 Damn, Google has been doing a lot of celebrity hires, but when did they get Eric McCormack?

9:18 The interesting thing about... more »

2013-05-14 18:43:39 (83 comments, 134 reshares, 162 +1s)

Interesting read...

Even artificial sweeteners, which are marketed as safe for diabetics, can contribute towards diabetes, since they still trigger an insulin response.

There's also similar studies that show that insulin responses are triggered by just by tasting (vs consuming) sweet things.

2013-05-13 22:02:53 (12 comments, 4 reshares, 121 +1s)

Every now and then, I think to myself "I shouldn't be so snarky on Google+". Then I'm all like...

2013-05-13 21:50:46 (23 comments, 8 reshares, 89 +1s)

Do we have final numbers yet?

Did the HTC First Facebook phone outsell the Microsoft Kin?

2013-05-14 01:15:57 (119 comments, 127 reshares, 787 +1s)

2013-05-13 16:29:52 (7 comments, 2 reshares, 31 +1s)

At some point Bill Gates and Steve Jobs were supposed to have a dinner together, and at the last minute Steve couldn't make it.

Bill recalled Steve telling his secretary to say "If he wants to know why, tell him I'm an asshole". Bill went on to say, "He was sick, but it was kind of classic. `I'm not going to give you any reason, but I'm canceling.` That's Steve."

2013-05-13 02:00:19 (11 comments, 25 reshares, 72 +1s)

2013-05-12 23:36:30 (23 comments, 2 reshares, 62 +1s)

I'm in support of raising mom awareness

2013-05-12 23:15:33 (17 comments, 1 reshares, 38 +1s)

Why is everyone changing their profile photos to their Mom? New Mom awareness campaign?

2013-05-12 03:59:01 (26 comments, 2 reshares, 72 +1s)

I have beer and the BitTorrent spec in front of me. Will be a fun night in.

2013-05-11 22:05:23 (22 comments, 8 reshares, 28 +1s)

My "What's Hot" feed with my profile listed as female vs male.
+Koushik Dutta 

2013-05-11 22:10:32 (27 comments, 2 reshares, 46 +1s)

Just created some +CyanogenMod builds with the new Freetype font rendering changes from Adobe.

http://blogs.adobe.com/typblography/2013/05/adobe-contributes-cff-rasterizer-to-freetype.html

Screenshots attached of before/after. Click photo details to see filename of whether it is a before or after shot. "adobe.png" and "noadobe.png"

2013-05-11 21:55:19 (28 comments, 11 reshares, 56 +1s)

My friend just switched her profile to "Male" so she'd stop getting vapid content in her What's Hot feed.

Google+ delivers "recommended" content based on your gender (among other things). The content is probably customized based on what said gender generally +1's and reshares.

Male: tech stuff, science posts, etc
Female: cheesy motivational pictures

Related:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/108421602578971480448/posts

2013-05-11 20:21:33 (31 comments, 9 reshares, 138 +1s)

If you think you can delete something from the internet forever, I'm interested in whatever you're smoking.

2013-05-11 23:18:17 (34 comments, 20 reshares, 149 +1s)

Android Font Rendering

One of my biggest complaints about Android is the font rendering quality. If you've used an iOS or Windows Phone device... you know what I'm talking about. Font rendering is beautiful on those platforms (I'm a fan of WP in particular).
I'm not a typeface nerd, so I don't know whether this is due to the font rendering, or the font itself. But either way, this looks exciting:

Adobe has contributed some font rasterization tech to freetype (which renders fonts for Android, Chrome, etc).

http://blogs.adobe.com/typblography/2013/05/adobe-contributes-cff-rasterizer-to-freetype.html

2013-05-11 16:26:43 (26 comments, 3 reshares, 217 +1s)

Scumbag koush posts pics of his dog on Caturday

2013-05-11 05:17:58 (48 comments, 3 reshares, 214 +1s)

Going to go see Iron Man 3. By myself.

#foreveralone  

2013-05-11 03:30:52 (59 comments, 136 reshares, 438 +1s)

Riker sits down like a crazy person.

How did I never notice this?

2013-05-10 16:28:37 (94 comments, 3 reshares, 28 +1s)

A&F

Mike Jeffries may be an asshole, but he's also right. He knows his target demographic (upper income "cool" kids, ie, generally not overweight), and has to maintain exclusivity, or watch the brand get diluted.

If A&F targeted all ages and sizes, they'd just be another GAP.

Also, any press is good press; and I think that his statements were somewhat calculated.

I doubt this will have any effect on their demographic (the kids at least) wanting to buy their products. If anything, this makes A&F more appealing.

/flame on

2013-05-10 15:57:46 (15 comments, 36 reshares, 167 +1s)

#philosoraptor  

2013-05-10 06:18:39 (36 comments, 45 reshares, 153 +1s)

Make +ClockworkMod Recovery Backup via adb backup

Make a CWM backup directly to your computer.

Backup
 * boot into recovery
 * adb backup -f boot.img boot
 * adb backup -f system.img system
 * adb backup -f data.img data

Restore
 * boot into recovery
 * adb shell echo -n boot > /tmp/ro.bu.restore
 * adb restore boot.img
 * adb shell echo -n system > /tmp/ro.bu.restore
 * adb restore system.img
 * adb shell echo -n data > /tmp/ro.bu.restore
 * adb restore data.img

The restore usage still kinda messy. I have a couple ideas on how to fix that.

Just checked in this code-- there will be recovery rebuilds later as well.

http://review.cyanogenmod.org/37290

2013-05-10 02:47:10 (58 comments, 32 reshares, 278 +1s)

2013-05-09 16:43:10 (16 comments, 2 reshares, 14 +1s)

Oh wow. This is big. Generators landing in v8, which means that async/await, coroutines and all sorts of other magic become much simpler.

+Koushik Dutta, did you see this?

2013-05-09 15:36:31 (34 comments, 17 reshares, 133 +1s)

Elizabeth Warren: Student Loans Should Have Same Rate Big Banks Get

"Every single day, this country invests in big banks by lending them money at near-zero rates," Warren told The Huffington Post. "We should make the same kind of investment lending money to students, who are trying to get an education."

Brilliant.

2013-05-09 15:27:25 (53 comments, 33 reshares, 96 +1s)

When Did You Choose to Be Straight?