The Spam Thread!

[cpd2009]

Just realized that I need to re-enable the Play Store and stuff so I can run benchmarks and whatnot. Wifi alone should be okay. I will continue to research the file.

I also got a response from QVC. Too early to tell if it's getting anywhere, but it wasn't an automated response, and they forwarded my concerns to the appropriate department. We'll see what happens next...

[huckleberrypie]

If you do get an appropriate response from them, it'll be golden, and they might as well end up either pulling out the device, issue a recall or have Kphone provide an amended firmware for existing owners.

[cpd2009]

If you do get an appropriate response from them, it'll be golden, and they might as well end up either pulling out the device, issue a recall or have Kphone provide an amended firmware for existing owners.

I would guess either a recall, or a firmware update. The Kphone does have a firmware update feature that appears to work. Since the phone was just released, the firmware is the latest version apparently and no errors come up.

There is hope... The Kphone so far has been wonderful, which would be a shame if the APK is found to be a trojan. Kphone could just remove the offending file from the ROM, compile a new image, and push out an update. It's very easy to do.

[huckleberrypie]

If you do get an appropriate response from them, it'll be golden, and they might as well end up either pulling out the device, issue a recall or have Kphone provide an amended firmware for existing owners.

I would guess either a recall, or a firmware update. The Kphone does have a firmware update feature that appears to work. Since the phone was just released, the firmware is the latest version apparently and no errors come up.

There is hope... The Kphone so far has been wonderful, which would be a shame if the APK is found to be a trojan. Kphone could just remove the offending file from the ROM, compile a new image, and push out an update. It's very easy to do.

Let's just hope that they'll be accomodating and issue a fix for this. It'll be as simple as a single edify line to delete the offending APK and bump up the build number, or they could blow it up to 11 and issue something chock full of bug fixes and user-facing changes.

[cpd2009]

Let's divert attention away from the Kphone for a little while. Today is the death of competent and real cable TV news in America. Al Jazeera America will go off air at midnight eastern time tonight.

I have essentially watched AJAM for my daily news fix righ from when they signed on in August 2013, and they were really a breath of fresh air in the news department. While the other big three cable networks were obsessed with celebrities or the hottest political "scandal", AJAM covered stories that mattered to Americans, and were overlooked by the big three. They also covered international news far more in depth and without sensationalism.

As with all good things though, they don't last. AJAM's launch timing wasn't perfect, right as the digital news revolution began. People are moving to smartphones and tablets for their news fix. Consumers are cutting their cable/satellite subscriptions for streaming options. AJAM had internal management issues. AJAM had a name that cable operators wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole, all thanks to the War on Terror in the early 2000s. To paraphrase one of the AJAM employees in a news article, the journalism was there, but the audience wasn't. The final nail in the coffin were falling oil prices, causing the government of Qatar (backer of AlJazeera as a whole) to cut off funding for AJAM.

Right now, they are running very little news beyond the international AJ English simulcasts. They are showing "best of" compilations and reruns, and it will culminate tonight with a live farewell special, a repeat of the special, and the final sign off. I plan on being there when it happens.

Where will I go after AJAM signs off? There's the AJ English app, and it's likely Americans can once again stream AJ English TV on the internet. AJ English began blocking that stream when AJAM launched, but that won't be necessary anymore. I could watch MSNBC, I guess, but they aren't the best and like the other two big news networks, they sensationalize the news and focus on what's trending, not on what's important.

Perhaps the future of real journalism is online...

[huckleberrypie]

What adds up to the problem are those "news" or "truth" sites formed by fringe freaks who are deluded by this mean-world mentality of theirs. It makes the likes of mainstream media seem competent or pedestrian in comparison. :/

[Blackberry Bun]

I'm on thesis semester now so you can get the idea.

But if any of you message me on Facebook, I guarantee that I'll read it within the day.

[cpd2009]

I don't really know what to think about the eighth generation of video game consoles, especially Nintendo's offerings, the Wii U and 3DS.

I only had my Wii U since last August, and overall, many of the games being released for it are failing to pique my interest. The newer Yoshi platformer games are becoming far too cutesy for their own good, the Mario platformers are getting stale, and many third party games (which there aren't many of course) are also failing to get my attention. I rarely turn on my Wii U or 3DS, and I'm not that interested in keeping my Animal Crossing town in shape.

The only real game this year that genuinely interests me is StarFox Zero, coming out on April 20th. But will it be ported to the upcoming NX? There are rumors that some Wii U games will get ported to the NX. If I get StarFox Zero now, will I be burned with a possible re-release on the NX?

There is also the plague of free-to-play and the emphasis of online play. I'm not a fan of playing games online simply because the other players can be trolls or just plain cruel. Plus, many so-called "AAA" publishers are releasing games in intentionally broken states to meet deadlines, and patching them later on.

Lately, I have been playing more and more retro games for the NES, Super NES, so on. I just feel games from the past have far more substance and charm than the watered down and stale games that tend to get released now. A lot of modern games have watered down challenge, such as StarFox Zero's "no death" mode, the Super Guides in the SMB platformers, and the constant on screen reminders on how to do certain actions.

Perhaps I'm getting burnt out by modern gaming....

[cpd2009]

Hmm... not sure why I was thinking that way. I planned on selling my Wii U and 3DS, which I forgot to mention in the original rant.

I decided to play a bit more of AC New Leaf, and this time, I found it relaxing. I admit, there are times in AC games that I do get bored, yet other times it's relaxing. It lead me to think about all the downloaded content I already purchased for it. It's not a whole lot, but mostly simple casual games and Virtual Console titles.

I think the problem lies in time management. At times, it feels that I have far too many games for my own good, and I have a hard time deciding when to play retro games or quick casual fare like AC or Tetris.

I do hate how some modern games really milk money from players. Nintendo doesn't seem to be abusing free-to-play just yet. And even though the latest Mario games can be a bit stale, I do like playing them from time to time. Super Mario 3D Land on 3DS is actually rather good for what it is, and actually updating the gameplay style for once.

StarFox Zero really looks fun, and I hope it gets good reviews despite it's optional no-death mode.

Rather than sell the systems, I will go through my existing collection and just get rid of the games I never play. Sonic Boom Rise of Lyric is one of them. It's alright, but not something I would ever play again.

[huckleberrypie]

StarFox Zero seems promising, though the no-deaths mode seems way too much of a giveaway imo.