For many years I enjoyed surfing the ‘Net using web site StumbleUpon (no link provided – keep reading).  The site was a combination of web site aggregator, social network and randomizer.  One could specify topics of interest, and click a “Stumble” button and a random web site of that topic would be displayed.  You could vote up or vote down your opinion of each, if you so chose.

I found an enormous number of interesting web sites through StumbleUpon.  For example, one of my interests was Linux, and many sites I found had tutorials, explanations, tips, hints and advice on Linux-based topics.  Far easier (and more fun) that using Google to search for “Linux.”

StumbleUpon is gone. The company “shuttered” its doors in June, 2018.  Replacing it was a new site, Mix.com. From the beginning, Mix has been a confusing plethora of snippets, and noise.  There is no instruction on how it works, so the user is left to guess.  Once an account is created, you can plug in your interests, but the “mix” of sites presented often have little or no bearing on those interests.  I have no interest in baking, so why do I get items that show me how to bake tasty cakes, cookies, torts and such?

There seems to be no way to limit the results to items of a specific interest.  So if I want to restrict my results to only photographic web sites (as I could with StumbleUpon), I cannot seem to do so.

I signed up for Mix when StumbleUpon was shut down.  But I find using it frustrating and irritating, and may soon be sending it to the big bit bucket in the sky. It seems the emphasis on Mix – moreso than with StumbleUpon – is on the “social networking” side.  In other words, it’s designed to show you things your online friends find interesting.  The trouble is, I’ve already tried that, and I have no interest in a lot of the things my online “friends” do.  I prefer to seek my own interests.

Back to the drawing board?

As a computer professional for the past 35 years, I’ve worked with a number of computers and operating systems.  That I prefer Apple Macintoshes for my personal use does not mean that I find Apple completely flawless.  Still, Apple and its variety of OSes (Mac, iOS, WatchOS, tvOS, etc.) seem to do their work well.  Most of the time.

A few years ago I purchased a Google Nexus 7 tablet.  I did so because I wanted the experience of Android OS.  If I’m going to comment or criticize something, I should at least be familiar with it, no?  So, yes, it was an impulse buy; nothing I needed for work.

But what a disaster it’s been.  Shipping with version 4.3 (Jelly Bean), I have upgraded the Nexus as OS versions and updates were released.  It is currently running 5.1.1 (Lollipop).  And I think the Nexus does not support anything newer, which means I’m stuck in the past, with an unsupported OS just four years after buying.  Contrast that with my Macbook Air, which I bought in 2012, and is humming along on MacOS Sierra (10.12.1), the latest.

I wouldn’t complain about the Nexus being obsolete if it only worked.  But it doesn’t, and that’s the problem.  For the past couple of years I have found that every application and system process freezes, crashes, and renders the device unusable.  I might want to check the weather, and the weather app locks up.  I might want to check my Gmail and the Inbox crashes.  I’ve pretty much decided it’s not usable for anything except playing a game or two.

Strike that.  It doesn’t even play games without crashing.  Candy Crush Soda Saga and Bejeweled Blitz are the only two games that I waste time playing, and even they don’t run well.  Did I say “run?”  When they work (and that’s a big WHEN), they often crawl, become unresponsive, and crash.

I don’t think I got a fluke.  And, since the device is out of warranty and not updateable, about the only future I see for it is as a range target for one day when I want to take my .45 out for some practice.  The mental image of my glass-and-plastic device exploding into shrapnel continues to give me pleasure.

Some day.  And after that day, Android will never exist within my sphere of computerdom.

It must have been nearly six years ago that the “netbook” craze came into vogue.  This was before the iPad and tablet computing.  As one who travels frequently, I bought into the craze, looking for something lightweight but powerful enough to carry with me and allow me to check email, browse the web, review work, and generally keep me online.

So I bought an Asus Eee PC 900A.

Asus Eee PC 900A

Admittedly, it was underwhelming.  Powered by a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270, 1 GB RAM and a meager 4 GB SSD, it was plain from the beginning that this machine wasn’t going to replace even a bulky laptop in the long run.

It ran a custom version of Ubuntu Linux called Eeebuntu.  At the time, it was a serviceable OS on a miniaturized laptop.  The keys were tiny (even for someone whose fingers aren’t that large to begin with), but everything worked.

Then the death knell began to toll.  The first sign of the end was that Eeebuntu was discontinued. Well, there was an attempt to evolve it into something called Aurora OS, but to my knowledge, a finished product (even an alpha or beta) never saw the light of day.

As tablets came into prominence, I relegated the Eee PC to storage.

About eight months ago I came across this little machine while I was renovating my home office.  After doing some research on DistroWatch and other sites,  and having a plethora of USB sticks, I decided to use the thing as a ‘sandbox’ to try out light, nimble Linux OSes.

By this time, even most Linux distros had become large (bloated, some might say?) and would not install on the meager 4 GB internal drive.  Fortunately, I came across Puppy Linux.  It was perfect!  It installed entirely on the internal SSD (Asus included 3 USB ports and a SDHC card reader for additional storage).  It was loaded with utilities, links, and features.  However, it was not without bugs:  many windows would not size to the somewhat abnormal screen dimensions (1024 x 600), and while useful, some of the programs and utilities were just downright ugly!  Help was also confusing.  So, while I used Puppy for a while, I always felt there must be something “better.”

I let things rest to let life get in the way, and just recently returned to this “project.”  Once again, I searched and researched.  I downloaded numerous 32-bit lightweight Linux distros, such as Lubuntu, Bodhi, LXLE, Mageia. Manjaro and Peppermint OS.  None of them quite fit—they either didn’t load, or the interface just wasn’t to my liking. Finally, I came across Simplicity Linux, which is a Puppy derivative.  What makes Simplicity Linux appealing to me is that

1. It’s currently being developed and supported (Puppy’s original creator discontinued work on it)
2. It has an interface I like.  In some ways, it’s Mac-like, in that it has a configurable “dock” on the screen that contains shortcuts to frequently used programs.

The version I’ve been using is a beta:  15.7.  As such, there are still some rough edges and bugs.  But it too, installs on the internal SSD, loads into RAM (for faster execution), and may just keep my Eee PC alive for a while longer!

One of the key topics I like writing about is technology.  I like using and playing with it even more!  So, I have added two new products to my technology portfolio this week.  Neither of them is revolutionary; rather, they are evolutionary, in that they add to existing capabilities–but do so in improved ways.

The first item I added is a pair of Bose QC20i in-ear noise-canceling earphones.

Bose QuietComfort 15

Ever since I purchased the QuietComfort 15 over-the-ear noise-canceling headphones a few years ago, I won’t go on an airplane trip without them! My co-worker refers to such headphones as “kid-canceling,” and that’s a pretty good description, albeit not “politically correct.” The effect of wearing a pair during a flight is almost like being transported into a “quiet zone”

Bose QC20i earphones

I have three trips coming up in the next few months, and I am looking forward to spending time aboard a plane now instead of dreading the prospect.

I should also mention that not only is the noise-canceling feature top-notch, but the sound quality is superb.  When the name Bose is on a product, one can expect high-end sound reproduction.  I used to think Bose leaned a bit too much toward the bass spectrum, but these days, at least with headsets, I’m quite happy with the sound.  For my home audio I still rely on my trusty Bang & Olufsen system, and I’m not about to give that up!

The other product I picked up the other day solves a problem I’ve been encountering more and more often: the inability to connect to a customer’s network with my laptop so that I can publish/share documents I use when giving a training class. The product I bought is

SanDisk Connect Wireless Flash Drive

the SanDisk Connect Wireless Flash Drive.  This little beauty (I bought the 32 Gb model; a 64 Gb version has just been announced) works like a typical thumb drive, but once fully charged via USB, can generate its own wi-fi network that up to eight devices can access concurrently.  It even publishes its own web server so that users can simply point their browsers at it and download media published there.  Can’t connect to a customer’s network? Problem solved: create your own and have customers connect to it.  Sweet!

I’m off to California in a week. I’m sure I’ll have plenty to ruminate on as a result.  I do need to keep this site a bit more active than I’ve let it be.  See ya!