Roku Channel Review - Plex Parental Controls Are (finally) Here!

 

  Late on the night of November 24th, I received a notification via email. It had finally happened. Plex finally announced long overdue parental controls. The folks at Plex even admit it themselves - these controls are years overdue. But alas, they are here. For those like myself who use Plex as their primary media server and have little ones in the home who shouldn't have easy access to some of the content, this is big news. In January, I wrote about what I feel is an excellent alternative known as RARflix which I still use to this day. Though effective, RARflix requires establishing multiple Plex accounts, and sharing the portions of your Plex library that you want those accounts to have access to. You can then password protect any or all of those profiles using your Roku remote. Again, this works once all set up. But the fact is, Plex users shouldn't have to go through this type of setup. There should be native parental controls.

   Plex pulls this all together with a new feature called Plex Home. Simply select "Check For Updates" via your Plex server icon and it should grab the latest version, 0.9.11.4 (although thanks to the auto-update feature built in it should have already updated on its own). You'll then need to grab the Plex Test Chanel for Roku. It is important to note here that to take full advantage of this new awesomeness, you need to be a Plex Pass subscriber.

   Quick and simple: 1. The server updates. 2. You add the Roku channel. Boom - done! On top of that, Plex did an excellent job making the user setup as simple as can be via the server UI - a process they refer to as Creating A Plex Home. A very common sense approach: add a user, name the user, and if you want it to be a secured user enter a PIN. On the Plex Home website, there's an example Home setup that illustrates this effective simplicity.

   Once completed, my setup looks like this:

   As this is new, it is not without at least on shortcoming. Oddly enough, the shortcoming is on the most important screen - the login screen itself. Not sure about anyone else, but I have one son in particular who likes to play the "I bet I can guess your password" game. As such, he often tries to sneak up on me to try to figure out the PIN and/or password for my cell phone or tablet, or the current PIN for RARflix. Thus, the problem with the current Plex PIN entry screen is that anyone can see your PIN as you are entering it because you have to navigate to each number on the keypad to select it:

   For the sake of Roku users, perhaps Plex will want to adopt a different approach. As for RARflix, the password is setup via the Roku as an admin user and is actually a directional pad combination (ex. - UP, DOWN, DOWN, UP, LEFT). Thus when entered at the login screen, there is no visible keypad but a blank area that displays asterisks as the directional pad is used:

   Other than that, I have had no other issues with this new setup. I applaud everyone at Plex for finally bringing this much needed feature to the most important element of my cord cutting universe!

   Have you created a Plex Home? If so, please share your thoughts on it below!

'Tis The Season For Online Safety

  In this age of online everything, perhaps one of my favorite things is online shopping. I often say it was invented for men - most guys like myself don't get all too excited about hopping in the car, driving somewhere, and shuffling around a store trying to buy 1 or 2 things. With online shopping, from the comfort of where ever I happen to be at the moment, I can snag what I'm looking for and in most cases have it by the next day.

   And during the Christmas shopping season, online shopping is the perfect tool for the consummate procrastinator - which I'm at times guilty of being myself. And speaking of shuffling around a store, what bigger pain is there for a guy like me than shuffling around a store with wall-to-wall glassy eyed Christmas shoppers?

   It doesn't take an accounting genius to recognize that online shopping is huge business. According to the statistics portal Statista, retail e-commerce sales in the United States alone jumped from around $42 billion in 2002 to around $210.6 billion in 2013.   As one can imagine (or learn by simply watching the news), a considerable percentage of this revenue comes during the holiday season with popular shopping days such as Cyber Monday and Black Friday. As per the norm where big money is concerned, so comes the criminal element circling like hungry sharks waiting for the chance to feed on unsuspecting victims. The holiday shopping season is often the feeding frenzy time for these criminals.

   Without question, online attacks and threats are nothing new. But with the ever-growing amount of private information being shared online for multiple reasons, with shopping being perhaps the most popular among them, I feel that it's important for everyone to have some basic guidelines and tips for navigating the waters as safely as possible. First off, one needs to know what to look out for.

Phishing

  This particularly nasty (and actually pretty genius) form of threat typically involves legitimate - looking websites that trick people into sharing user names, password, or other sensitive information. The hope is that you won't realize you're not actually at "Bank of ____" 's website and will unassumingly provide this information. Then, they can use this to log into your real accounts and....well, I think you get the picture.

Online Scams

   I often joke about how I actually don't need to work another day in my life, given the amount of money that has been entrusted to me by every Nigerian prince that ever (not actually) existed. I use GMail, and thankfully its filters work effectively enough to provide me with a very entertaining spam folder. But as time goes by, these attempts grow more and more sophisticated. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center lists dozens of variants on email and online scams - from fraudulent automobile auctions to online dating schemes - in its annual Internet Crime Report. In 2013 alone, more than a quarter of a million complaints were submitted related to online scams. But hey - you're young and savvy. This is somewhat old news and you've warned your parents and grandparents, right? Well, consider this: one fifth of scam victims last year were younger than 30. 

Massive Data Breaches

   

    To be clear, my intent isn't to scare anyone away from Internet use. In fact, I'm often questioned about personal online safety and security. As I assist with explaining the risks and tactics to stay safe, I try to reiterate that these same risks have existed long before the Internet, often in greater proportion. I also try help people understand that the truly serious, "professional" hackers are not after you particularly. The fact is, the vast majority of these individuals are very smart and aren't going to risk getting caught committing a crime over your personal information only, which may not amount to anything of value to them. Simply put - why risk jail time stealing one person's info when you have the same capability of harvesting tons more?

  Recent hacks of Home Depot, Target and other major retailers have led to millions of credit card numbers being compromised.  Hackers turn around and sell these numbers and information on a black market to anyone who might be willing to buy them. Sometimes, these numbers and forms of information aren't directly tied to individuals but can instead be used to establish fake identities that can be used to harvest hundreds of thousands of dollars in credit, which has a damaging affect on the overall consumer market.


   So with these and other threats out there looming, just how do you protect yourself? First and foremost - DON'T BE PARANOID. Truth be told, throughout the years I've serviced many PCs that had crashed due to people doubling up on anti-virus this or that, every other firewall, and multiple anti-malware packages. Just remember, the Internet isn't "out to get you". Instead, employ a bit of vigilance -

• Look carefully at any website you're considering purchasing from. Be on the lookout especially for poor spelling and grammar. 
• Look for incorrectly placed characters - for example, a zero (0) placed where and O should be such as "Home Dep0t".
• Be especially careful when bargain hunting. A website selling a brand new iPhone 6 for $200 is more than likely not a safe place to provide personal information to.
• Pay attention to website names. Remember - all websites reside in "domains". The most common of these domains is the ".com" domain. This domain stands for "commercial", thus most of your trusted retail sites will have this domain suffix. For example - if you're trying to purchase something online from Walmart, yet the website reads something odd like "www.walmart.krq", don't proceed!

   Another effective tool is two-factor authentication. Most major banks nowadays (mine included) require this when you first log in from a computer that you have authenticated or added to a trusted device list. This often works by the institution sending you a text to your phone number on file, or an email to your email address on file. After entering this number you are usually prompted to register the device you're on (if it's your personal device that you plan on accessing with in the future), or to just activate for one time use (if it's a device that you're using just once - i.e. you're using a computer at your Public Library). This particularly effective in a case where your user name and password may have been stolen. As for email accounts, Google takes this a step further with Google Authenticator .

   These tips should help you protect your personal data by being mindful of your online activity. But what about those merchants your choose to do business with? After all, what happened with the likes of Target and Home Depot was not due to any fault on the consumers' part. Don't be afraid to ask these merchants exactly HOW they are storing your customer data. Some may do so in-house, while others do so on secure servers. And if you know of a start up merchant who is looking for a secured solution, please don't hesitate to provide this information to them. After all, malicious online activity does not only hurt the consumer, it can also cause permanent damage to a merchant's reputation.

   Overall, don't be afraid to swipe up some good online deals. Don't be paranoid by shopping online - I do a large percentage of my shopping online. But please be mindful of what sites you're visiting. If things look somewhat odd, chances are something is wrong - trust your gut instinct. Try to stick to reputable, well-known sites like Amazon. But most of all, have fun and enjoy this holiday season!

  Do you have any online safe shopping tips? Please feel free to share below!

In Defense Of Tablets

   Before I begin, let me point out that this post will be a form of obvious self-justification. With the recent announcement of the Nexus 9, I asked myself, "do I really want to part with my much-loved Nexus 7?" After all, it has been somewhat of a journey for me to get to it in the first place.

   I started with the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, back in the days of Android Honeycomb. I quickly grew a hatred of Samsung's TouchWiz and began searching for an alternative. At the time there was much chatter about the first generation Nexus 7. I wondered if I could give up a 10-inch display for a 7-inch one. After all, I reasoned, half of the point was to have the ability to use the same apps I use on my cell phone but with a larger, more beautiful display. Fortunately for me, a close friend purchased the Nexus 7 and allowed me to take a test drive. I quickly fell in love, sold my Galaxy Tab 10.1, and grabbed the Nexus 7. I was so happy that I did.

   For me, the 7-inch form factor offers the perfect amount of screen space without the extra bulk of the 10-inch display. This is most useful when doing things like reading in bed - for me, 10-inch tablets are just simply too large for this. This explains why, when looking to get away from TouchWiz, I first considered the Nexus 10, but ended up with the 7.

   I quickly noticed that I was spending more time on my Nexus 7 than on my phone. Although I could install and run nearly every app on my phone that I could on my 7, for me the screen real estate made all the difference. This was especially important when it came videos  - a'la YouTube or Netflix for example. As for me, I literally hate watching videos, much less movies, on a cell phone screen. Yes it's awesome and cool that we've come this far technologically that this is even possible, but watching anything longer than a short clip on a phone is literally painful to me. I have friends who talk to me about the high amount of mobile data they consume monthly by doing so - it's beyond how they watch so much on a cell phone screen.

  I also noticed that my desktop / laptop usage had plummeted as well. Since I do most things using cloud computing tools such as Google Drive, over time I've found less and less need to be planted in front of a PC or laptop. I could do nearly everything from my Nexus 7.

   Then, it evolved.... Then came the 2013 Nexus 7. I promptly sold my first generation device to cover the purchase price of this new hotness. Front-facing camera and, thinner, lighter. I've been more than satisfied with it.

   As we reach the latter half of 2014, I've been by hearing more and more chatter regarding waning interest in tablets regardless of their size. As more and more devices are released entering the Phablet arena, it seems that many people - especially those in the tech community - no longer see the need to own a tablet. In fact, this point has been brought up more than once on one of my favorite Net Casts - TwiT's All About Android - by hosts Ron Richards and Gina Trapani. Each have noted a lack of interest with pretty much any news regarding new updates or new releases of any tablet.

   Truth be told, I kind of felt the same recently with my newly acquired Oppo Oneplus One. I even posted about the fact that, once I got it, I noticed that I was spending more time on it and ignoring my Nexus 7. However, the fact is that once the "oooo- shiny!" effect of the Oneplus wore off, I went back my to my normal self: using my phone as a phone primarily and using my tablet for everything else.

   Bottom line for me is simply this - yes I will be selling my 2013 Nexus 7 to cover the cost of getting the new Nexus 9. Yes I still think tablets have a place in the mobile device arena primarily for the usages I listed above: specifically, the fact that I simply can't watch videos of any significant length on a cell phone or phablet, and I feel the same when it comes to the use of productivity tools. I still feel the 10-inch form factor is a bit too big, and the 7-inch is near-perfect. Could the 9-inch (well, actually 8.9-inch) display be the true sweet spot? Well, I will find out because I will be purchasing the Nexus 9. Not to mention, I didn't even talk about the awesomeness that is Android Lollipop....

  So where do you stand with tablets? Do you think they are a dying breed, or do you look forward to each new incarnation? Please feel free to comment below!

Roku Channel Review - Media Browser (A Worthy Plex Contender?)

   I've said it before, and I'll say it again - one of the most crucial elements in the Cord Cutting lifestyle is a feature-rich, yet easy to set up and navigate media server. Yes, there's the ever faithful Netflix with its second-to-none library of movies and TV series and original content, as well as the likes of Hulu Plus, Crackle, and the ever expanding Vudu. Each has their strengths and weaknesses. For example, my experience with Crackle was lack-luster from day one - commercials I can live with when it comes to free content, but the cut-ins of the commercials were always horrible. I would often get slapped with a commercial while an actor was mid sentence. To me, Vudu is essentially a video rental store. No real harm there if you're the type that likes to watch everything on an on-demand basis, but that simply isn't for me. In my opinion, Hulu Plus is the worst of all. Pay a monthly subscription fee to watch commercials that I can't skip? No thanks.

   But, what of the content you own that these providers don't have? What of your favorite TV shows for which you've set up some form of DVR capability on a designated PC? Again - you're going to need a media server!

   By now I think it's obvious that my favorite recommended media server is Plex. It is robust, easy to use, and its configuration requires no coding knowledge on the user end. Plex is "out-of-the-box" ready to use. Like all things, it does have its short-comings, though most are minor in my opinion. For example, fast-forwarding and rewinding could be improved to show real-time views of current media position as Netflix does. The greatest short-coming is the long-overdue, much requested parental control feature. Plex says they are working on this, but as of date, this still does not exist. I touched on this in my January post "Plex Parental Controls....Sort Of", in which I also provided information regarding an alternative solution known as Plex RARflix that I still use to this day.

   But all this time that I've been using Plex, I couldn't help but wonder, "is Plex all there is?". I've just found it hard to believe that in this day and age, Plex is the only easy to use, robust media server available for multiple platforms. To be clear: I'm not questioning whether or not Plex is the ONLY media server. I know of many media servers. I'm questioning whether or not there are other media servers that are as simple to use and deliver the same punch as Plex. So, I went on a mission - to find a worthy Plex contender. I even went into this mission with the mindset that I was going to replace Plex with ____.

   I started with some criteria (Mission Objectives, if you will) -
 
     1. The media server must be simple to download and install on my hardware. No hosted downloads - the server's developer should be reputable enough to make the .exe available 1st party.
     2. The media server must have an understandable, fairly easy to use configuration UI for setup and server maintenance.
     3. Since I'm a Roku Cord Cutter, the server must have a Rocku channel.
     4. The Roku channel must have a sensible UI for navigation and viewing.
     5. The server must deliver content to the Roku channel in the best resolution possible.

   Using those 5 points alone, I was able to eliminate many media server offerings without even actually testing them.  I did try out Serviio, which has been around for some time now, but found its configuration and plugin installation process cumbersome and time consuming. Also, I had to access it using Roku Media Player as there is currently no Roku channel as of yet.

   All said and done, the closest contender I could find was Media Browser. Though not new to the media server arena, Media Browser only recently released its official Roku channel from beta (Mission Objective #3 - - met!).

   The directions for downloading and installing the Media Browser server on your hardware are clear and simple, with the install for Windows being the simple, familiar .exe format delivered directly from the Media Browser website (Mission Objective #1 - - met!).

   As for picture quality, Media Browser delivers stunning 1080p viewing with no annoying buffering issues. (Mission Objective #5 - - met!).

   The server configuration UI is fairly simple and easy to navigate. It's rather minimalist, which I like - no flashy emoji-type icons, 3D effects or otherwise annoying splash screens or pop ups. However, I did find an  odd quirk with the Plugins section - specifically, when attempting to add any plugin from the MB Classic plugins section. Whenever trying to add any of these plugins to Media Browser, I keep receiving a rather uninformative error message that simply states "This plugin must be installed from with in the app you intend to use it in".

 Now, considering the desktop heavy origins of Media Browser, I kind of get what this error message is referring to. However, in the realm of the Cord Cutting Roku user, this error message is pointless and quite frankly confusing. After all, I am installing it form within the app I intend to use it. Since this error happens with every plugin from this section, I personally find it useless to include the MB Classic section if these plugins cannot in fact be used. Simply put, if these plugins can't easily be added to Media Browser (and many of them are pretty cool, so I was pretty disappointed), then what's the point of listing them there?

   The biggest selling point for me on the configuration front has to be where I feel Plex has dropped the ball - as mentioned, Parental Controls. The Media Browser UI makes it plain simple to set up multiple user accounts and assign what content these accounts should have access to. It also makes it very simple to add passwords to these accounts if you so wish. And these are actual passwords. PlexRARflx accomplishes this with direction pad arrow entries, but Media Browser gives you the full qwerty keyboard. I understand that there are those people who hate using this keyboard on Roku because it can be time consuming making entries, but I personally have no issue with it.

   I configured 2 user logins - one main, password-protected Family login that contains all media content, and a Kids login with no password protection that contains only our children's content as I did with Plex RARflix.

   As mentioned, if The Allen Family (the main, Family login) is selected, the password that I set via the server UI must be entered to have access to its contents.

    So I have to say Mission Objective #2 is pretty much met, with the exception being the rather cryptic MB Classic plugin error.

    This brings us to Mission Objective #4, which I purposefully saved for last. Unfortunately, this is where things begin to fall apart. To quickly recap, Media Browser's download and set up is great. Media delivery / picture quality is great. Server UI is great, barring the odd plugin error presented when attempting to add those from the MB Classic section. However, the Roku channel itself needs a lot of work. Granted, this channel is fresh out of beta, so hopefully there will be updates to clean things up.

   First and foremost, one of the biggest issues I've found is with metadata and content images. Media Browser comes defaulted with The Open Movie Database and TheMovieDb for metadata downloaders. For images, there is TheMovieDb, FanArt, The Open Movie Database, and Screen Grabber. There are a few additional plugins available (I added Last.fm), but it still seems as though Media Server can't pull in complete data as efficiently as Plex. So, for a lot of the content in my library where Plex has full, complete listing information, Media Browser does not.

   For example - seeing as we are in the Halloween season, I thought I'd add a classic favorite of mine: "Pumpkinhead".  Plex immediately displays as this -

   While Media Browser gives me this -

    Sadly, this is true of a very large percentage of the content that both servers have access to - from my TV shows to movies - while Plex displays complete art and information, Media Browser often only shows system icons with no titles or any other descriptive information to know what content the icon represents, or a picture from a random scene from the content. While Plex seems to simply "get it", Media Browser seems to be expecting me to do more - either try to download some other plugin, or create my own - in order to tell it how to "get it".  Simply put, no matter what content I add to my designated media folders on my hardware, Plex immediately has the correct artwork and content description while Media Browser has unfortunately failed to do so on a large percentage of my content.
 I also find Media Browser's "Jump In" feature to be not very user friendly. It offers side-scrolling navigation (which I publicly plead for every developer to stop using!) that's grossly over-sized, and quite frankly childish looking. I really don't understand the decision to add this as it only helps amplify the need for a drastic UI makeover.

   On the plus side of the Roku channel, Play From Scene option is pretty awesome but it too has an unfortunate drawback. Though it allows you to pick a chapter starting point for any of your content, and it loads almost instantly, there is no picture art representing the channel you are selecting - only system icons. Thus, you pretty much have to peck around to find the chapter you're looking for when using this feature. Plex does not have this feature - if you want to start from any point besides the beginning, you have to fast forward until you get there (there also is no picture art representing the scenes), and I've found that this can sometimes cause Ples to freeze up if you do it too many times on the same title. 

   Overall, I have to report Mission Objective #4 as not met. I do understand that this is the initial release out of beta, so I only hope the short comings I've pointed out only continue to improve with time. Because truth be told, if Media Browser can get the wrinkles ironed out that I've mentioned here, I could personally see myself replacing Plex with it as my media server. After all, with its tight integration with WMC, Media Browser also offers another huge advantage over Plex - direct server integration of live TV.

   On a final note, I do want to point out that there is a Media Browser app   currently listed in the Google Play Store for $4.59. Considering it's odd quirks I've pointed out, and the fact that I got the Plex app for free, I've passed on the Media Browser offering. Not to mention that I get a pretty robust experience simply navigating to the website via my mobile device browser. 

   I know this review may come across somewhat bias and Plex-promoting. However, please don't forget - out of other media servers I looked at, read about, and tested, Media Browser is the only one that I feel is poised to best Plex in the streaming arena. With a little more time and polish, I don't think it will have much of a problem doing so.

   Are you using Media Browser? What are your impressions of it? Or, do you know of another media server I should check out? Please feel free to share below!

Safe At Home - Simple Solutions For Online Family Safety Part 2

 

One of the most important elements of connecting to the outside world via the internet is your router. Whether you have a single PC connected via an Ethernet cable, or multiple devices connected via wireless, your router is your devices' pivotal point of contact - surpassed only by your modem, which is your router's point of contact. To put it simply, no one goes to the internet without first talking to the modem and they have to first be allowed through by the router to get there.

  When it comes to online family safety, and given the importance of the router, why would you leave its setup to your teenager? Many years ago, the answer to this question was simple: given the then-cumbersome nature of router configuration, many parents who lacked the tech savvy nature of a generation born into it only had the choice of their teen or their cable guy. Even today if you rent your router from your cable provider (which often comes as a modem / router combo), you may feel compelled to let the cable guy just handle it. But if you purchase your own router, which I suggest you should, you can rest assured that the days of the overwhelmingly complicated router setup are long gone.

   Years ago when I used to do a lot more freelance PC repair work than I do now, I found myself in far too many situations whereas I needed a client's network password and they could only answer, "oh, I let my son set that up - I don't know what it is." I would have to bite my tongue to keep from asking, "so, did you let him set up your bank account as well?". Instead, I would simply factory reset their router and teach them how to set it up themselves, and explain the importance as to why they should have the ultimate control of their router - not their teen aged son.

   I've also assisted with unfortunate circumstances in which the parents simply could not trust what their children may be doing online after hours. Having ultimate control of your router also gives you the ability to set the hours in which the internet can be accessible. You can make this setting apply to internet access to the entire house at certain hours, or to specific devices on your home network. Again, the point here is that you configure these settings, not your child.

   You may have already noticed something missing from this post. Although I can't stress enough the importance that you set up your own router, what I can't do is tell you how to do so. Why? Because just like most things all routers are different, so set up is dependent on which model you buy. Sure, I could make this a super long entry, and go on and on about specific router models or even post links to the most popular models' user manuals. However, EVERY MODEM comes with its own manual. Many are only a few pages long, as they should be. They usually contain the basic information you'll need to get started - the administrator user name and password (which you should change ASAP), and a link to more in-depth setting information. Some routers, like my Netgear router, actually have on-screen instructions built in once you log into the router. I repeat - what's most important is that you take a few minutes to set up your router. Trust me - if you can create a Facebook  account, log in, and write posts, you can log into and set up your router. It is just that easy! And if you are in the unfortunate situation where there is someone in your home struggling with internet usage, your router is an extremely important part to helping heal and rebuild.

Turn Off Notifications - How I Ended Up With Quiet Devices

 

 

    One of the hardest things for a lover of technology to come to grips with is the possibly that there may be certain aspects of technology that may not be as beneficial as once perceived. Or, worse yet, that these aspects may in fact be detrimental. Bummer....

   During the mobile coming of age, one key element that developers and users alike agreed upon was productivity. This would require having instant-on, up to the minute information - primarily in relation to productivity's foundation of communication known as email. Add to that a calendar for appointments and reminders (which I personally rely on heavily), and the current world leading form of communication known as texting, productivity literally demands constant notification.

   Then came a new form of interaction known as social media. With it, the world has become an increasingly smaller place. No longer are people required to leave the comfort of their own homes to "meet" new and interesting people - from around the corner to the other side of the globe. People share as much, and as little, about themselves as they wish, whether true or make-believe. With social media came a need for a new form of productivity - being socially productive: being always up-to-date with every response to every post, sharing pictures and news links, and being on top of the latest social media trend. Again came another demand for constant notification.

   With our mobile devices we have our mobile forms of entertainment - from games, to books, to TV shows and movies - all in the form of neatly packed glowing digital squares known as apps. These bring their own need for notifications as well - stay connected with friends playing the same games and challenge their scores, receive new episode information regarding a favorite TV show, being alerted about a new eBook or movie release. Yes, yet more notifications.

   As a nerd, the fact that these types of notifications can be accomplished in an overall basic and efficient manner on such small devices is nothing short of amazing to me to this day. But then came the downside(s) to it all.

   What first started off my notification-lees lifestyle actually had nothing to do with the actual number of notifications I was receiving. It actually had to do with my once favorite cell phone, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. Launched originally as the flagship for the Nexus line, this phone had one extremely bad flaw - extremely pathetic battery life. The best way to to squeeze out at least a halfway decent day of usage on the Galaxy Nexus was to download and install a "battery saver" app and disable notifications on basically every app installed on the phone because, for those of you who may not know (especially you Android users), notifications adversely affect battery life.

   And my phone was quiet. At the time I felt it was too quiet, so I found myself checking my social media apps for new posts, checking email, etc. Looking back on it now, I really had no logical reason to do so. Sad to admit it, but I was basically brainwashed into to thinking that I just had to.

   Today, I no longer own the Galaxy Nexus. I no longer worry about battery life. However, I still keep notifications turned off for all my most used apps / tools. Why? For a few simple reasons:

1. My social media engagement isn't even half of what it used to be. I keep my personal Facebook profile for what I believe is the most important reason anyone should: for sharing pictures and family updates with friends and relatives. I don't tend to engage in "conversations" there as much as I used to, but I still believe it's an excellent platform for simply "staying in touch". I do engage more in Google +, but I feel I get more direct engagement and content about my favorite nerd stuff there. As for Twitter - I was never a heavy user as it were, so having no notifications from there really had zero impact.

2. As for email - not really sure why I thought I ever needed email notifications in the first place to be honest. I've never really been in a situation where I was so eagerly awaiting an email that I just had to know the very instant when it arrived. In fact, from a common sense standpoint, I look at it this way - did I ever in my life hang around my mailbox at home waiting for mail to come, that I had to know arrived as soon as it got there? No. So I made to conscious decision that I check email only at a certain time in the day. If I'm expecting something from someone, I usually know anyway - they tell me they are sending something.

3. I do keep one notification active - my calendar. In my opinion, this is really the only important notification on my devices. From appointments, to meetings, birthdays and other events - my calendar is probably the most important tool on my devices.

   But above and beyond those reasons, the most important reason why I stopped being a slave to notifications is because I am a husband and a father. Over the years I've seen how the "cell phone evolution" has made much of the public become heads-down day walkers, with me being among them as well. And watching movies like Her (which I loved and highly recommend) helped hammer-home the point:

  I don't want my children's main memory of me being that of my head buried in a mobile device

   And with all these notifications turned off, guess what I've found? I am no less informed, up-to-date, or otherwise "connected" than I was with them all enabled. Don't worry - I still love all things tech. I'm still a Nerd through and through. But I'm far less distracted by countless notifications. 

 

Safe At Home - Simple Solutions For Online Family Safety Part 1

   A few months ago, I was invited to participate at a Families & Technology seminar.The goal of the seminar was to help families with the sometimes daunting task of keeping all members of the family safe online.

   I was happy to hear the seminar hosts hammer home a couple key points that I always try to convey to those who ask me for help with their home networks -

1. Take ownership and learn - don't be fearful of the internet and technology in general.
2. Don't waste your time telling you kids what they're "not allowed to do" while online.

   Those 2 key points withstanding, one of the first things I tell parents is never let your teen set up your home network. Sure, there was a time when setting up a router all but required a Network Engineering degree, but those days are long gone with today's super-simple router user interfaces (more on that in Part 2).

   But if you already have your network setup, and don't want to be a "helicopter parent" while your kiddos are online, there is simple, very effective, and FREE tool you can use on the front line of your network. Nerds the world over like myself have been personally using and suggesting to others the cloud-delivered internet security network OpenDNS for years. So for those of my fellow Nerds who fit into that camp, this post will be of little benefit to you. But for those who may be unaware, OpenDNS is a must-have in my book when it comes to effective online safety and security without completely bogging your network down with Fort Knox - type overkill.

   Without going into a mind boggling, tech - heavy explanation, I'll give a quick and commonly used analogy for what DNS is (it was the same analogy my professor used in my Cisco lab while pursuing my Network Engineering degree):

  DNS stands for Domain Name System. Think of it as serving as the phone book for the internet by translating human-friendly computer hostnames into IP addresses. For example, the domain name www.example.com translates into the IP address 93.184.216.119 (IPv4). and 2606:2800:220:6d:26bf:1447:1097:aa7  (IPv6). Unlike a phone book, the DNS can be quickly updated, allowing a service's location on the network to change without affecting the end users, who continue to use the same host name. Users take advantage of this when they use URLs and email addresses without having to know how the computer actually locates the services.

   With that basic definition in mind, think of OpenDNS as your "phone book customization service", in that you can tell it what content of the "phone book" you do and do not want delivered to your location. Setup is fairly simple - the only thing that may be of any difficulty is knowing how to log into your router and enter the DNS address that OpenDNS will provide to you (again - more about that in Part 2). Once you've created your OpenDNS account and entered your provided DNS address, you will have access to your very own network dashboard with which you can set your security level and check valuable statistics about your network.

   As you can see, I personally choose to use the Custom settings. You may want to choose some of the preset levels here - it all depends on what you feel would work best for your family!

   And as mentioned, the Stats screen offers a wealth of information about activity on your network.

   You may note that I haven't gone into great detail about setting this up. Why? The folks at OpenDNS have truly made the process so pain-free that it's literally a waste of time for me to explain it here. Simply sign up, log in, and follow the on screen prompts (there are only a few!). 

   There are a few options available, including a Home VIP service for $19.95/yr, though I've found the Free service to be flawless! And for you business owners, there are business services available as well.

   When it comes to worry-free solutions for keeping your family safe online, I highly recommend OpenDNS as your first line of defense!   

Roku 4

   If you've read any of my past blog entries, it should come as no surprise to you that I love Roku. Simply put, it made the Cord Cutting transition in my home simple and easy. Of course there are other streaming devices available as this market continues to expand. Of those other offerings I also have Chromecast, which is good in its own right at its price point, but it simply doesn't pack the same "punch" as Roku.

   Speaking of Chromecast, Roku has also entered the stream stick arena with its own $49.99 offering. I don't have the stick, but it looks to have the same robust selections behind it that make the Roku Player rock.

   When Google announced the Chromecast, I knew it would only be a matter of time before others (Roku included) would tap into the streaming stick market. No biggie - it's business. But Roku lovers such as myself have been wondering, "Will there be a Roku 4? If so, when?" And, along that line of questioning, I began to think of things I think should be included to make the next generation of Roku more awesomer!

The Interface

   When I first purchased a Roku box, the interface left a lot to be desired. The channels were great, but if you added many of them you had to side-scroll to get to them all.

   This was a bit frustrating to say the least, but Roku eventually released an update that brought us the all-too-familiar grid style. And that's just it. You see, I don't think there is necessarily anything wrong with the grid style, but I feel it's getting a bit stale because it seems that everywhere we turn this is what we see. And let's be honest with ourselves here - it was Netflix who set this standard.

   I believe it's time for something new. Something fresh. An all new approach to the streaming interface, and I think Roku should be the ones to set the new standard. As they are the leader in the "streaming pack", I think they should be the ones behind the new way we look at browsing our streaming content.

   What should this new interface look like? Honestly, I don't know. But it should be intuitive, it should be fast, it should be great on the eyes, and it should be simple to navigate. Just as Apple literally set the standard for cell phones today, Roku should lead the charge of the future of the streaming interface.

The Device

   

   Ask either of my sons what my favorite car is, and they will tell you without hesitation, "Corvette!" As far as the Roku 3 is concerned, I consider it the Corvette of the streaming device world. Sleek and shiny with curves in all the right places.... Oops! Let me get back on track here.

   In all seriousness though, there isn't much I would consider changing about the form factor when considering version 4. Under the hood, a faster processor would of course be a welcomed addition (I had an ad pop up recently from Amazon boasting that its Fire TV has a faster processor than Roku). I think this is true of any next step version of any hardware. Again, going back to Apple - what is true hardware-wise of an iPhone today isn't the same as it was 5 years ago. 

   One addition I would like to see that I think would add further distance between Roku and the rest of the pack would be an RF Connector to allow users to directly connect an HD Antenna. Roku could then create its own live TV channel with DVR functionality, provided the user supplies their own external hard drive. 

   I'm not trying to step on any toes here - I absolutely love simple.tv. But if this could all be integrated into one small powerhouse, I think Roku 4 should be that powerhouse. And with more and more consumers joining the Cord Cutting culture, combined with the recent public demise of Aereo, I think more and more people are going to be looking for ways to have their streaming channels as well as their live over-the-air channels available in one simple device. 

Parental Controls

   As I mentioned, Roku helped make Cord Cutting a very easy transition in my home. Perhaps too easy. My kids have no problem picking up the Roku remote and browsing their little hearts out among the channels I've added. Some of those individual channels have their own forms of parental control - for instance, Netflix introduced separate profiles - while the vast majority of them do not. 

   In the Roku 4, it would be great to see a prompt for separate user log ins upon waking the device out of screen saver mode or after rebooting. In that way, an admin profile could be created that controls the available content of all other added users. This admin profile should also be able to change the preferences regarding when the log in prompt would appear, as well as the idle time before a user is prompted to log in again. Not that I've seen much in the way of "bad" content in the Roku Channel Store, but at least having this extra layer of parental options regarding security would be a much-welcomed addition.

   That's it! Just 3 tweaks that I think would make the next generation of Roku the go-to streaming device. What about you? Have any suggestions that I may have overlooked? Please be sure to share them below!

Live TV On Your Roku? Simple.

  One of my Cord Cutting goals has always been to make our TV viewing experience streamlined and simple. As a nerd, I personally have no problem with fumbling through this and that just to get something to work. But that gets annoying after a while. Aside from that, my wife (the most non-nerd person I know) just wants things to simply work. And honestly, I can't blame her.

   After I got our Roku boxes set up, my search began for a channel that would allow live TV streaming. Sure - it's simple to switch from HDMI to TV and vise-versa, but I couldn't help but think about how awesome it would be if all viewing could be done from the Roku alone. In my opinion, that's one advantage the cable and satellite providers have: you use 1 box, and simply change channels.

   There are several options out there and I believe this market will continue to grow. The first option I came across was the much talked about Aereo.  As it wasn't initially available where I live, I waited (somewhat) patiently for it to arrive. When it did, it unfortunately wasn't the experience I had hoped it would be.

   Another option I tried out was NimbleTV. However, Nimble TV isn't as much live TV streaming as it is quite simply a satellite service provider. In fact, upon signing up for the service, you will receive an email from Nimble TV telling you to expect an account letter from Dish (which I did) that they tell you to simply ignore. On top of that, Nimble TV's lowest priced plan is $29.99. There is a free plan, but the channel offerings are lack-luster to say the least. My Spidey Senses immediately began to tingle - if I'm going to pay at least 30 bucks a month for a service that's merely streaming satellite television, why wouldn't I just pay for satellite television?

   This week, I decided to give simple.tv a try. I had seen it before while searching other options, but for some reason I kept saying to myself, "I'll get back to that one." I have to say, I'm glad I did. Simply put, I literally saved the best for last.

   Quite frankly, what the folks at Simple have done is nothing short of genius. As there is no way to directly connect your over-the-air HD antenna to your Roku, simple.tv provides the "bridge" to make it possible. And to add extra icing to the awesome cake, simple.tv gives you DVR functionality by having you connect
an external hard drive. And this is the full DVR functionality you expect from cable and satellite - you can pause, rewind, fast forward, schedule recordings of upcoming shows, or an entire series of shows.

  ALL from the simple.tv Roku channel, the Android app, or the IOS app! Or, if you don't happen to have your mobile device handy at the time, you can always simply schedule your recordings from the simple.tv website. Not only can you schedule shows from the apps or the website, you can watch YOUR shows as well - either your recordings or live TV being picked up by your HD antenna. Like I said, nothing short of genius!

   As I wanted to tread lightly to give it a test drive, I picked up the 1st generation simple.tv unit (pictured above and left). It's a single tuner unit, meaning that if anyone else wants to tune in while I'm watching, they either have to watch what I'm watching or they will change the channel and interrupt my viewing. This really isn't a big deal in my house though - we all tend to watch the same things at the same time. Simple.tv has since partnered with SilliconDust to offer the dual tuner pictured below.

 The Pros:

   My experience with simple.tv has been exactly what I expected from this type of technology, even slightly above my expectations. The picture quality is perfect - there appears to be no signal compression so the picture looks exactly as it would if my antenna was directly connected to my TV. The unit I'm using also has a pass-through output, so on the possible occasion that I would need to simply switch back to "TV", the signal is available. The DVR functions as expected as well. I scheduled a few recordings, they recorded, and I watched them. Simple. Watching remotely delivers the same experience - I watched from my Nexus 7 tablet as well as my Moto X while away from home, as well as from my PC in the office. 

   One drawback that I noted about Aereo was that it listed almost less than half of the over-the-air channels I can receive from my antenna. Since my antenna is directly connected to the simple.tv unit, it makes available all 36 channels I receive otherwise. I even experimented a bit, as suggested in the user manual, and moved the unit upstairs where all the channels come in stronger and clearer. 

The Cons:

   The biggest negative I experienced was the initial setup. Simple.tv isn't necessarily "out of the box" ready, which is understandable. It of course has to scan for and set your available channels. Also, if you decide to give it a try, be warned about the external hard drive you connect - simple.tv will completely format it upon setup. You may want to purchase a new one to dedicate to the unit, or if you're a nerd like me, use an extra one that you may happen to have lying around (I happened to have a 500GB Western Digital in my hardware closet). I'm not 100% sure why formatting is necessary, but at least you are given a warning about it during setup. Overall, the setup time was extremely long. Granted, part of the extra time I experienced could be attributed to the fact I'm running the 1st generation unit that had to download an update, but I felt the drive formatting and channel scanning process were a bit excessive time-wise.

   Requiring Microsoft Siverlight for desktop viewing is also a bit of a con, especially for us Chromebook owners.

Another thing that may be considered a "con" to some is the channel load time. I personally understand that this type of streaming requires a little patience, but you channel surfing types may be a bit turned off by the "Please wait while we tune into channel ___" screen. Simple.tv does a great job explaining this in the owner's manual that comes with the unit as well.

The Verdict:

  Overall, from a Cord Cutting perspective, I give simple.tv a solid 5 out of 5 stars. I've only seen one slight hiccup in which the live shows that simple.tv was displaying were at one point almost 15 minutes behind what was actually being aired live. And when I changed the channel, then went back to the original broadcast made it start over. I emailed support and got an almost immediate response - another one for the "pros" column. However, a simple reboot of the unit appears to have cleared up that issue.

   If you're looking for a simple solution that lets you watch live TV through your Roku, mobile devices, and computers, I highly recommend simple.tv!

Roku Channel Review - Aereo (Beta)

 

 One of the first things I thought about when I first Cut The Cord was, "it would be awesome if there was a Roku channel for live, over-the-air channels." After all, you can pick up many HD channels (many with better display quality than if you were to view them via cable or satellite) with an inexpensive antenna. How cool would it be if you could keep everything centralized, with everything available through your Roku, without having to flip back and forth? Sure - it's really not that big of an issue: on our family room television, we simply select "HDMI1" for all things Roku, and then "TV" for over-the-air broadcasts.

   As is the case whenever I have such a curiosity, I began to scourer the inter-webs looking for said awesomeness. My first thought was to simply look for Roku channels created by individual local stations. Some stations do have their own Roku channels, but the vast majority of those channels only carry the station's news broadcasts due to licensing constraints. And that's when I stumbled across a news story about something called Aereo that was causing a legal stir in New York.

   Without going into the complete history of it all as that's not the purpose of this post, long story short is that the cable giants and networks have been fighting Aereo in an attempt to shut them down but thus far they have been unable to. Why? Because of the simple genius behind Aereo. As you may know, you can buy a simple antenna and hook it up to your TV and pick up free broadcast HD channels (some older TV sets will require you to buy a low-priced HD converter box). The genius behind Aereo is that they house your "antenna" for you. They do this with "Antenna Farms" that are simple, tiny antenna on circuit board arrays.

   I don't know about you, but when I first heard about this and saw it my mind was literally blown! I've often thought throughout my life that the answer to most issues, or the best ideas, are born out of simplicity. So, I HAD to have Aereo! But, it was not available for my market yet (Cincinnati), however I was able to send a request to be alerted as soon as it was available. I did. And I waited....

   Aereo skipped over Cincinnati and headed west, continuing to grow. So, I kept sending requests. I had already installed the Roku channel in anticipation of the remarkable day when it would be available. And then it happened. On January 13, I received notification that I was invited to join the beta community for Cincinnati. I created my account and was off to log into the Roku channel with excitement and anticipation! But unfortunately on that day, I happened to be at work when I received the email so my initial log in was done online via PC. Roku viewing would have to wait until I got home later that evening.

Functionality - 

   When I logged in on my PC, I was impressed with the video quality of the channels. Crisp, clear live TV broadcasts of local stations. And what's this? A record button? That's right - with the basic $8/month plan you get 20 hours of remote DVR storage. You can set up future recordings - either single shows or series - as well as record what you are currently viewing. You also get 1 antenna (more on the significance of that in a bit). So far so good. I could hardly wait to get home to start viewing live TV channels on my Roku players via Aereo.

   

   When I first got home and logged into the Arereo Roku channel, the first thing I noted was the initial screen. Pretty simple (which I like) and easy to navigate. No extra frills, ads, or other useless mumbo-jumbo. So, I selected the first option on the list - "Guide". The next screen gives you the option to select by time or channel - I selected "Channel" out of curiosity as to what was available. Quite frankly, I was immediately disappointed. With the HD antenna I have hooked up to my TV, I receive 34 over-the-air broadcast channels. Aereo listed 22. No big deal? Well, many among the 22 are channels I have absolutely no interest in, but at least 3 of my favorite local channels are there.  So I selected one and received the typical "loading" screen one gets from any streaming channel. The loading time was a bit on the long side and once the dialogue box went away, another one popped up on the lower left hand side of the screen that displayed "35%" for a few seconds, counted down, then went away.  Finally, it was happening! I was watching a live, local channel stream through my Roku! Was this the solution I was looking for? Well, maybe not so much.

   I assumed the excessive load time was maybe due to initial setup. Unfortunately, this never went away. Whenever I launch the Aereo Roku channel, and select something to watch (whether it's by channel or show time), the same thing happens - very long loading followed by the "35% countdown". I provided this feedback, along with my network speeds and viewing environment to the support team (who happen to very responsive) but it seems this condition still persists. Maybe it's just a beta thing, but I'm not sure at this point. 

Picture Quality - 

   During my initial viewing experience, I received notification that there was an Aereo Beta app for Android available in Google Play. I downloaded it onto my 2013 Nexus 7, logged in, and was completely blown away by the sharp video quality, and (oddly enough) nearly no loading time and no video time-outs. I've even used it to watch local weather updates while at the office during this crazy winter we just lived through.

   

   Sadly, I can't say the same about the picture quality on the Roku channel. It is riddled with pixelation, general blurriness, and the picture often blacks out momentarily as if watching satellite television during a heavy storm. In fact, at one point my wife and I were watching a show (she had no idea that it was on Aereo) and she asked, "what in the world is wrong with the picture? It looks horrible."

   Again, I informed support and received an obligatory "thank you" and insurance that this would be addressed. To date, it has not but again I chalk this up to (hopefully) the fact that we are still in the beta phase.

Other Things To Note - 

   Keep in mind that Aereo isn't a free Roku channel offering over-the-air broadcasts. The base package, as I mentioned above, is $8 per month and gets you 1 antenna and 20 hours of remote DVR service. So what does "1 antenna" mean? This means that if you are watching TV through your Aereo channel on, let's say, your Nexus 7 and someone else in your family wants to watch on your Roku, they will receive a message indicating the antenna is "busy" broadcasting to the Nexus 7. You would either need to stop viewing on the Nexus 7 or upgrade your Aereo account to obtain at least 1 more antenna. I personally upgraded to the $12/month plan which lets you record 2 shows at once, watch on multiple devices simultaneously, and save 60 hours of programming on a remote DVR.

My Personal Rating - 

   Overall, I was not too impressed with Aereo. I say was because as of May 11, 2014 I allowed my account to expire. It was the end of my beta period, which meant I would need to start paying the $12 monthly bill to keep it. Quite frankly, I didn't see the value in it. From the extremely long load times to the horrific picture quality, I simply couldn't justify paying for what would only amount to a remote DVR service for me. I do applaud Aereo for this concept, and I am one of their biggest cheerleaders when it comes to their court battles with the "big boys" as far as cord-cutting is concerned. But my initial experience with this Roku channel has been sub-par. Hopefully once the beta dust gets blown off all of these things will improve. At which point I will be more than happy to re-activate my account. Until then, if I had to give a rating using the 5-star system, I give the Aereo Roku channel a 2.5 at best. 

   Do you use the Aereo Roku (or other device) channel? Do you live in a "fully live" city, or are you also beta testing? If you are using it, please share your thoughts below!

   

Must Have App - Coursera

   One of the most important and fulfilling things I've cherished all of my life is the gift of learning. I literally love to learn. A philosophy I live by and hope to pass on to my children and all those I meet is simply this -

"Never stop learning!"

   Regardless of anything I may even be considered an expert at, I know that I can always learn more about it and actively look for more. Fewer things in life are more exciting to me than discovery and learning. In all that I love, I look for more ways to learn more. Have I stressed learning's significance enough?

   In steps Coursera. Coursera is a for-profit educational technology company offering Massive Open Online Courses (MOCC's) funded by computer science professors Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller from Stanford University.  They partner with top universities and organizations worldwide, offering courses online for anyone to take for free! The heart of the Coursera mission statement reads:

"We envision a future where everyone has access to a world-class education. We aim to empower people with education that will improve their lives, the lives of their families, and the communities
they live in."

   As far as I'm concerned, Coursera has made that future a present reality, offering 400+ courses from universities all over the world - from Stanford University to The University of London. The course catalog itself is truly remarkable considering all courses are free - from the Arts, Engineering, Humanities, Medicine, Social Sciences, and of course (my personal favorites) a host of IT courses.

      Courses are taught in modules, ranging anywhere from 2 to 8 weeks in length, with some courses continuing at later dates upon completion. And most, if not all, offer certificates upon completion. Lectures are of course done via online video. But, don't be fooled - theses are not fly-by-night, YouTube "how-to's". These are actual university professors conducting actual lectures. There are quizzes, assignments, and tests. Simply put, this IS SCHOOL. FOR FREE!

   Of course, you can complete your courses via the Coursera website, but seeing as this posting is about the mobile app I encourage you to check it out via Google Play for Android, and via iTunes App Store for IOS.

   The app is laid out simply, free of ads and useless clutter. In other words, exactly how I prefer apps! The courses you are enrolled in show up under "Current", upcoming courses under "Upcoming" and courses you've already taken (care to guess?) under "Past". There's also "Search", "Browse" "My Downloads". as well as the ability to send feedback and an FAQ selection. Clean. Simple. To the point.

   When you sign up for a course you receive a welcome from the course's professor, along with a syllabus and any other needed course materials. You also receive notifications of assignment and test deadlines - again, this is truly school. 

   One word of caution though. If you are data conscious, care should be taken when viewing course videos as they are streaming. I would suggest always viewing them via WiFi only if at all possible. I personally view my course videos on my Nexus 7, partly because of the bigger screen and also because it's WiFi only.

   I can't stress enough how important I feel education is. And in this day and age with student loans eclipsing the cost of a modest home in some cases, what the people at Coursera have put together is truly remarkable, and a blessing beyond measure. 

   In fact, Coursera is beyond simply a "must have app". It is one of the most significant apps I currently have installed.

   Now if you'll excuse me, I have an R Programming quiz due!

Featured App - Timehop

 

 Both Facebook and Google Plus have given us reviews of our past activity. Google Plus was first with it's Year In Review offering, with Facebook following suit with a bit more vast review of your entire Facebook experience. Twitter recently joined in (somewhat) by giving us the ability to see our first tweets.

   Day by day on the Google home screen we get "today in history" lessons from their Doodles - some cool, some funny, and some are actually interactive games. Wouldn't it be cool if you had a way to see the same type of "today in history", but have it be about you?

   Now you can with a cool little app called Timehop! Timehop brings together your posts and photos from Facebook (Facebook is required to log in at the moment), Twitter, Instagram and Foursquare from 1, 2, 3 and 4 years ago today. It also displays pictures that are stored on your device from the corresponding day, provided you still have them on your device. Thus, every day you get your very own 'today in history" about yourself! Also, at the very bottom of your daily display, Timehop also provides you with a Google-type "today in history" (for example - at the time of this post, Timehop is informing me that 15 years ago today, the first season of Futurama begins airing on Fox).

   As is possible with any app, Timehop isn't without it's own share of hiccups at the moment. For example, some users have reported issues with the Twitter log in, although I had no issue with it. However, I have noticed that although I'm logged into Instagram it has yet to show me any of my historical posts from there. I'm not sure if it's just coincidental, in that I may simply not have posted anything on Instagram on any of the past 2 days that I've been running the app.

   I wouldn't necessarily categorize Timehop as a "Must Have App", but it is a pretty cool app worth checking out!

Timehop is available for Android via Google Play, and in the App Store on iTunes for Apple devices.

A Message To Developers: Flappy Bird Is Dead

 

   Some say that copying is the best form of flattery. You know you've done something really well when others try to be like you. However, I don't think this is true in the case of application development.

   If we look at some of the powerhouse success stories like Facebook and Twitter as guidelines, and the countless other social media wannabes that have come and gone that have tried to copy them, it's easy to see that in the tech world, copying is often a sad and pointless endeavor. Simply put - there is already a Facebook and a Twitter, and there will never be another social media outlet that will see the same successes they've enjoyed.

  True - there is my current personal choice, Google Plus, which has grown and continues to grow. But in all honesty, this can be attributed to the fact that it was created by an already established, thriving company - Google. But as for a from-nothing, ground zero start up social media site? Again, there will never be another such as Facebook or Twitter.

  A little while ago, the world was graced with a wildly successful and equally annoying little bird that flew threw Mario Brothers type pipes. There were many videos, jokes and postings. And then, its creator killed it. What has followed in subsequent weeks has been nothing short of pathetic in my opinion. When I visit the Play Store (which I do daily) I find countless Flappy Bird copy cats. With goofy names and often different main characters, these rip offs are nothing more than cheap copy cats. Are these being developed just for laughs? Just to have some sort of goofy fun? Maybe. But, even the joke has worn out long ago.

  Enough already.

  If you are a developer, or currently striving to become one, do us all a favor -

Make your own app. Be original. Flappy Bird Is Dead.