Back and Forth

Eris With Leaked Android 2.1 v3 Gets OTA Update

My HTC Eris had the 3rd leaked version of Android OS 2.1 (by all rights it was the official release version of 2.1 functionally). There has been some speculation as to whether or not over the air updates would continue to work with the leaked versions. This morning my phone received the most recent official update and is now running build number 2.37.605.4.

While it didn’t really matter and I was fully aware of what I was getting into when I rooted the phone and installed the leaked version, it is comforting to be back official.

Now we just need a leaked version of Froyo!

My New Car – Part Deux

I have been looking for a daily driver and a music gear hauler for a long time (and honestly more vigorously than I had been searching for a job). My heart was more or less set on a 3rd generation 4Runner. Sadly, the ones I had looked at have been absolutely beat to hell. So I expanded my horizon to any generation 4Runner or Land Cruiser. And still nothing in the right price range and quality range.

A friend of mine had picked up a 2008 Subaru STI recently and I fell in love with it. So I got to thinking an older WRX wagon would be cool and suit my requirements (haul stuff, reliable, and all wheel drive). And again, prices and quality just didn’t line up. Until I found this little car:

Apparently Subaru built this ill-fated car, the 9-2x, for a few years for SAAB. The typical SAAB consumer didn’t take to it so they stopped making them. It has all the underpinnings of a WRX Impreza but with a slightly more adult look to it. What this means is I was able to get a fantastically reliable sport wagon with a 2.0 litre, turbo, 4 cylinder, boxer engine producing 240bhp and room for my gear at a very reasonable price.

There’s some light damage to some of the body panels that you might expect from a 5 year old car with 80,000 miles on the odometer but, the rest of the car is in really great shape (not the least of which is the awesome 2 tone leather interior). I’m super excited to have another great vehicle in my stable and look forward to putting many, many more miles on this fine piece of machinery.

It Just Keeps Getting Worse for Net Neutrality

Apparently 74 Democrats signed a letter to the FCC to show their support of the major internet providers. Apparently they forgot to add in the letter how much money each of them received from the telecom lobbyists. When will policy be affected by morality and not money?

Anyway, here is the letter in full with some great notes by the folks at savetheinternet.com:

http://www.savetheinternet.com/node/30594

A Small Voice Speaking Out Against a Large Target – BP

I had abstained from commenting on the dilemma in the Gulf up to this point because, frankly, I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know what I could say that would be relevant. But now, after all that has transpired, I feel that saying anything about it is relevant.

It is truly baffling that after over a month of environmental devastation, the problem has yet to be corrected and, given the attitude toward the situation by the CEO, there is a completely lack of urgency on the part of BP. Here’s where we are so far:

Sad images like this:

Source

Audacious remarks from BP’s CEO:
“the Gulf of Mexico is a very big ocean. The amount of volume of oil and dispersant we are putting into it is tiny in relation to the total water volume.”
Source

Hiring Dick Cheney’s Spokeswoman

An astounding 760 safety fines

All the while making $14 billion in profit in 2009
Source

I urge everyone to abstain from stopping at BP filling stations at the very least but also, talk about it. Spread the word. Express your disdain. One person cannot influence change but millions of small, adamant (and educated) voices can most certainly make a difference.

UPDATE 06/04/2010 – I had to post this photo gallery. These images do a good job of conveying the vastness, the almost absurd amount of destruction being experienced at this very moment.