Apple Patent Wars

Apple is working quite successfully to ban the import of HTC products in the United States. This is just another saga in the ongoing patent wars between Apple, Microsoft, and the Android crowd. Aside from the fact that the delayed import of Android devices is annoying, its disappointing to me in other aspects.

I'm actually becoming fond of the iPhone. There's definitely things I would change about it. A larger screen would be great (and rumor is, the next iPhone will have it). Perhaps making it more durable would help as well. What I really like is jailbreaking.

It is very difficult to root most Android phones. I've been considering rooting my HTC Droid Incredible 2 or more likely my old Motorola Droid 2 Global. Unfortunately... That involves rolling back the device firmware, gaining root access, and then loading whatever you want.

On the iPhone, its as simple as visiting jailbreakme.com and clicking the button on the iPhone. It'll unlock the iPhone and gain access.

Now, if it wasn't for philosophical reasons, I would probably switch to an iPhone eventually. The key is Apple's behavior. If Apple would quit fighting its sales battles in court, I would buy one. Until then, I will stick with the free, open source based alternative.

Comments

Comparing Oil Prices

I'm a sucker for spreadsheets. Its so convenient to lay out the data, compare, and make an informed decision. Okay. I probably get carried away with it. Did I really need to make one to compare oil prices? Um no. But I didn't anyway. My Grand Oil Price Comparison Spreadsheet This comparison includes motor oil, gear oil, and transmission fluid prices I compiled from Amazon, Autozone, Meijer, Menards, Tractor Supply, and Walmart. These prices are generally for the West Central Indiana market so they may vary. As I have time, I will add other local retailers (Advance Auto, Napa, and O'Reilly). This is mostly centered around my fleet of Fords. In our household, we're driving a 1998 F-150 XLT 4.6L 4x4, 2004 Expedition XLT 4.6L 4x4, and a 2010 Expedition EL Eddie Bauer 5.4L 4x4. I never meant to be a Ford fanboy but its pretty convenient keeping all the same fluids and filters around. Some oils are marked specifically as 5w-20 (that's what Ford recommends afte

Drolet HT-2000 Extra Large Wood Stove

Drolet HT-2000 Since our old Blaze King bit the dust, we replaced it with the Drolet HT-2000. It was a special order from Menards for $1099. Wait and watch carefully, you can grab it with the 11% rebate. Its free shipping to the store. Otherwise, you're looking at a couple hundred in shipping fees to your home. I also ordered the blower for $100. Drolet will send a 25% off coupon after registering the warranty so it might be worthwhile waiting to order the blower.

Splitting Kindling

Its fun revving up the saw and felling a tree. Its relaxing to rhythmically swing a maul. Its delightful to hear the wood crack and pop as it splits. The neatly stacked rows of seasoning wood are a proud accomplishment. Kindling is the one wood heat chore no one seems to like. Its time consuming. It can be dangerous. The meager mound of kindling feels like a weak victory compared to tenacious, stacked cord wood. At least, that's how I felt. I was never quite sure what to do with it. I often gathered sticks and sometimes the wood bits from splitting. When I tried splitting wood down to kindling size, it felt like it took forever.

Chris Marts

Search This Blog