Myside's Spew - Blog of Spontaneous Combustible Spew

Firefox Now Does a Rapid Release (Backport) on Ubuntu

27 January, 2012 16:42 CST6CDT

This morning I noticed APT had a new version of Firefox waiting to be updated.  Firefox 9.0.1 was a welcomed update for my 10.04 LTS Xubuntu installation.  Ubuntu will now be releasing the browser upgrades as Mozilla rolls out it's web browser application with the next generation of Internet technology, such as enhanced HTML5 support, and security enhancements.

"The upstream Mozilla Firefox web browser has moved to a rapid release cycle. New Firefox versions are being released every six weeks and contain new features and security enhancements. Until now, Ubuntu 10.04 LTS and Ubuntu 10.10 have been getting 3.6 point releases of Firefox. As such, users have not been benefiting from new features, support for new web technologies, security enhancements, and performance improvements. Firefox 3.6 will be reaching its end of life soon, so we need to migrate users to rapid release so that they will continue to receive security updates in a timely fashion."

The roll-out was announced to start January 17th, though I thought from the start it was to be the 27th - and it turned out to be so, for me.  Ubuntu 10.04 LTS and Ubuntu 10.10 installations are now on a rapid release cycle as is the latest Ubuntu distribution sets available.  I am sure it is relieving a lot of stress now not having to patch Firefox 3.6 as security issues arise, as this is the default and once permanent version of these older maintained Ubuntu distribution sets.

APT repository add-ons for the previous Ubuntu Firefox branded version will be migrated to the new Firefox version through Mozilla's add-on service, addons.mozilla.org.

Day to Day  Software  Article & Comments

Kwik Trip Coffee

25 January, 2012 14:52 CST6CDT

Kwik Trip is predominantly a Wisconsin and Minnesota convenience store and gas station.  It is king of gas in my area and once the king-quick-stop for morning coffee.

Up until about 3 years ago Kwik Trip brewed a fine roast of well tasting caffeine filled coffee to kick-start the morning.  Out of no where the company decided to package and re-sell their meagerly roasted blends in ground and whole bean packages called Cafe Karuba Coffee.  Around this time is when the grounds went stale.

From what I can see, the employees are now forbidden to put any love into our cup of Joe.  Coffee grounds are grounded exact as well as brew baskets swelled to the bottoms of hell where brewing only turns the color of the water into a hazy brown.  Kwik Trip is no Cafe, even in Karuba, a village in Nord-Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

It took a good year before I gave up completely drinking Kwik Trip Coffee, now opting to buy a half of a pound of Folgers at the same establishment for a justified 68 cents more.  Woe is an actual refill of a cup of Kwik Trip Java - especially with these fine establishments selling quality cups of coffee on the go: coffee shops near La Crosse, Wisconsin

A year ago I was writing...

Destroy Heater & Air Conditioning Filter Odors
Vikings vs. Packers Loyalty

Day to Day  Article & Comments

Sprint Total Equipment Protection (TEP)

09 November, 2011 04:52 CST6CDT

Sprint offers new customers a phone insurance policy from the 3rd party company, asurion.  During an open enrollment a couple of months ago I was able to buy an insurance policy well into my 1st year of my 2nd 2 year contract.  TEP costs $8.00 per month and covers all claims including water damage, lost, theft, and even a scratch on the cell phone screen.  iPhone users do not have the luxury of insuring their phone through asurion (TEP) and must use Apple's equipment protection plan.

Customers are eligible for enrollment within 30 days of activation or upgrade of device.

Two days ago I killed my phone - the LCD screen cracked in multiple places and I had severe exterior damage.  I had thought I would never file a claim for damages, though the insurance had been a calming addition to my cellular service package and sure enough within two months, I had a life line.

Filing a claim is very easy.  You may head to http://protection.sprint.com/ to access the on-line claim form that will redirect you to asurion's website, or as I did, you may call asurion directly.  I believe you may also call Sprint to file your claim for damages, however I would not suggest this - it is not their job, honestly (3rd party)

Filing my Total Equipment Protection (TEP) claim took less than ten minutes.  I called asurion and was prompted to enter only very basic account information with no long computer dial prompts or extension to run around.  After these couple of simple questions are answered, you are quickly connected with an agent and are then asked to better describe the damaged item(s) you wish to claim.

Within 5 minutes on the phone with the agent, the claim was approved.  I suggest that you not do a run around with the facts of any claim; a run around with any insurance company leads into trouble - TEP is truly worth the monthly fee, as even a scratch on the screen qualifies you for hardware repair or compensation.

Total Equipment Protection has got you covered for just about any situation that may derail your day. Whether your phone is broken, beaten, lost, or stolen, we quickly re-connect you with all the people and places that matter to you.

Total Equipment Protection covers you for the following:

  • Loss
  • Theft
  • Physical or liquid damage
  • Mechanical and electrical failure due to defect or normal wear and tear

The deductible for my phone was $100 for a replacement.  I called around 8 PM CST6CDT and the phone was activated by my request and shipped overnight using FedEx.  The deductible is either $50.00 or $100.00 depending on the model of your phone.  You have the option of billing your Sprint account or use a credit card to satisfy the required replacement deductible costs.  Batteries, cables, nor any accessories are not sent with your replacement unless these peripherals are included as damaged items, lost, or stolen.  You will receive a new, yet bulk stock phone replacement.  I believe you are able to file a claim up to 12 times per year

The bulk phone boxes are labeled by the insurance company that handles TEP.  I do not believe Sprint handles any part of the claim - with the possible exception of the optional pre-activation of the device, however that in which could very well be accomplished by asurion themselves.

A postage paid package will arrive with the next day replacement (if the phone cannot be serviced) in order to ship the non-repairable damaged item back within 10 days of the claim.  In my case, if the phone is not shipped back within the 10 days of filling the insurance claim, I am responsible to pay up to $500 which would automatically be billed to my Sprint account.

Whether eight dollars a month and a $50 to $100 deductible is worth the investment for your phone is of course a case by case personal decision.  In my particular situation TEP saved myself hundreds of dollars and what could have been an extremely frustrating and disconnected situation.  I am quite impressed.

edited 2011-11-25

The phone that I received states "Re-manufactured" inside the battery case.  I now know that most replacement phone models are re-manufactured directly by asurion with some exceptions of availability.  Admittedly, they do a very good job on the refurbishment of these devices.  I have only read of two cases since submitting this insurance claim of persons receiving a phone in non-perfect condition.

A year ago I was writing...

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Day to Day  Technology  Article & Comments

Baby Interaction with Computers - 1 Year Old Observations

21 September, 2011 11:48 CST6CDT

Taking observation to a 1 year old male child interacting with a computer - its keyboard and monitor, I noted some interesting interactions that I will attempt to depict that may be a viable progressive design mechanisms for modern computer hardware.

The child was sitting on a lap positioned at the same median height that an adult would be, waist to a lower vertical position of the keyboard.  Because of his shoulder width, he naturally used both hands to interact with the keyboard keys not having to adjust any length between his arms or forward his shoulders.  From my experience with keyboards, I often have to tighten my arms and shoulders inwards to position my fingers on the QWERTY keyboard layout adding stress to the wrists, elbows, shoulders, and chest.  I have been pondering how a split keyboard, not necessarily a curved origami design, might help with with a more natural typing posture and possibly increase productivity.

An interesting note with the keyboard interaction: when pressing two keys separately with both hands, each hand separated by the QWERTY keyboard dividend, the child would look at the monitor for feedback.  However when pressing just one key, or two keys on just one side of the divided QWERTY keyboard, there was no interaction with the screen.

Smartphones and touchscreens for computers can be a wonderful tool for many interactive applications.  When the child wanted to interact with the screen, he would be moved to a position in reach of the display.  Interestingly, he made the decision, or of naturally, would not physically touch the screen display but instead tried to find a response by movement of the arms and hands.  Wow, that XBox 360 Kinect looks tempting now.

These were not intentional observations.  These observations just happened to be interestingly noticed and forwardly mentionable.  To end the description of the observation, once again, like many parents or parties have noticed, the child navigated to features and pages of Firefox and the desktop that I had not used nor known existed.  All in good fun, cheers!

A year ago I was writing...

Great Squirrel Covenant of the Seventh Sacred Acorn
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Day to Day  Technology  Article & Comments

Foods Rich in Potassium - Taking the Bananas out of Monkey Food

29 August, 2011 15:34 CST6CDT

Foods Rich in Potassium

Food Size Potassium (in milligrams)
Baked potato with skin 1 medium 850
Spinach 1 cup 840
Cantaloupe 1/2 medium 825
Lima beans 1/2 cup 580
Banana 1 medium 560
Orange juice 8 oz. 496
Salmon 4 oz 437
Milk 8 oz. 400
Navy beans 1/2 cup 395
Avocado 1/2 cup 372
Lentils 1/2 cup 36
A potassium intake sufficient to support life can generally be guaranteed by eating a variety of foods. Clear cases of potassium deficiency (as defined by symptoms, signs and a below-normal blood level of the element) are rare in healthy individuals. Foods rich in potassium include parsley, dried apricots, dried milk, chocolate, various nuts (especially almonds and pistachios), potatoes, bamboo shoots, bananas, avocados, soybeans, and bran, although it is also present in sufficient quantities in most fruits, vegetables, meat and fish.[68]

- Source [WikipediA]

Random Thought : What a weekend from hell.. I need to reload on Potassium.. Enough said...

A year ago I was writing...

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Day to Day  Article & Comments

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