Technofail

[darkemeralds]

OMG

I was just writing up a rant about the complete technofail of my Android tablet-for-which-I-paid-too-much. I was gonna rage against T-Mobile, and Google, and Android, and the stupid fucking DRM fail that makes it impossible for me to use streaming Netflix on this otherwise perfect-for-lying-in-bed-and-watching-shows device.

(That part's still true. And also? Netflix's streaming TV show selection sucks. Really a lot.)

But that was then. And now: TV show! On my tablet!

Here's what I had to do:

1. Install an FTP client app (SwiFTP) on my tablet
2. Install an FTP client on my Ubuntu laptop
3. Acquire the TV show from sources that stupid fucking DRM limitations will drive me to despite not only my willingness to pay Netflix money, but my actually paying Netflix money, speaking of wasting money
4. Transfer the acquisition, with a vast amount of fiddle-farting around, to my tablet, via FTP
5. Get an app on my tablet that can play said .avi file

This was after trying all kinds of tricks to get my laptop to recognize and give me access to my tablet via a regular old USB cable. Total fail. I overtaxed my geek limitations after about an hour of command-line mumbo-jumbo that didn't work.

Why didn't it work? As far as I can tell because either T-Mobile or LG sent out an un-refusable system update that broke that functionality.

But hey. TV show. On my tablet! Via a workaround that was time-consuming, extremely annoying, mentally taxing, and mostly not very legal.

PS: The show is "Community," which was highly recommended by ravurian. He said it was LOL funny, and let me tell you, after an evening of utterly frustrating geekery, I could use a laugh.

Comments

[writerscramp]

Community! At last! I have been hoping you work your way to this show....

And then to Parks and Recreation. (S1 is weak, simply because it was trying to find its footing, but it's a short season (6 eps). You could probably just start with S2. It starts off with all cylinders firing and never lets up. S1 is easier to appreciate in retrospect once you've had a chance to fall in love with the characters.)

I hope you got the much-needed laugh you were after. Because wow.

[darkemeralds]

I shall report. I seem to be in a half-hour comedy mood just lately. I've been enjoying "Suburgatory" too.

[writerscramp]

I've heard someone else recommend that one, as well. May have to check it out. Is it the one about the dad who moves his teenage daughter to the 'burbs?

Don't forget Arrested Development for your half hour list....

Also, speaking of tablets...I just had to do some rudimentary research today for a work thing comparing the Motorola Xoom (the first tablet running Android's new Honeycomb OS, which was designed specifically for tablets) and the iPad2. I've only had middling interest in a tablet, but the Xoom has piqued my curiosity. Not that you're ready yet to brick your current tablet, but perhaps something to look into if/when you decide to try another.

[darkemeralds]

Yep, that's the one. And Alan Tudyk as the old friend who preceded them to the 'burbs and has been totally assimilated. He's very funny. It's cleverly written. Don't know how long it will stay interesting, but it's been fun to watch.

Now that I've finally figured out how to put shows on my tablet, I'm a whole lot happier with it. But here's the thing--and I know you can understand this--for a full computer experience, I REALLY need a keyboard. I feel utterly befuddled without one, like I can't talk. I don't know how I'll ever circumvent that limitation. I just talk with my fingers.

Have a look at the Amazon Kindle Fire, by the way. I just reviewed the specs today and it looks extremely promising for the price.

[writerscramp]

I did research on the Kindle Fire as part of that same research with the Xoom vs. iPad. For the price, Kindle Fire is indeed promising. Although one of the articles I read about it made the good point that it isn't intended so much as a tablet as it is a media consumption device. (Which, let's be honest, is really what most people want a table for anyway, so that's not a bad thing per se.) More specifically, it's intended an Amazon media consumption device, since it's locked into the the Amazon cloud the same way the iPad locks into the iTunes cloud. Very smart on Amazon's part, and likely to be very successful for them.

[darkemeralds]

It made me kind of twitchy to think about a table-style device that can't connect to Google Maps (for instance), and is probably significantly blocked from other things on the wider web.

From the first time I used a PDA, I've had this dream of a full-service computer with a phone in it, that can fit in a purse or large pocket. (That, or a body-mounted one with a micro-screen on an eyepiece--you known, whatever.) It's not that I mind paying for what I get--obviously, I'm a bit profligate that way--it's that I don't want to carry multiple devices around.

I think I'm beginning to accept and realize that multiple devices will be the future, however. And I guess if they're thin enough, light enough, and cheap enough, I'll get over it.

[writerscramp]

The new Kobo Vox is coming out and might be a good alternative to the Kindle Fire. Dear Author has a nice side-by-side comparison of the two, as well as the Nook Color:

http://dearauthor-com.livejournal.com/1570151.html

I don't like that the Kindle Fire is locked into Amazon; having the Vox as a fully open Android OS is smart, smart, smart.

[darkemeralds]

Wow, the Vox compares very favorably, doesn't it? I'll keep an eye on that one.

Thanks for the tip!

[vampirefan]

omg yes! community!!!

(by any chance, can you watch hulu on your tablet? 'cause community is on there - although only the last 5 episodes and it is in s3. i think if you do hulu plus, you can have access to all seasons)

but i mainlined that show and i love it. especially troy and abed.

we'll discuss!

[vampirefan]

and actually, wow... you really get your geek on figuring these things out! ;)

[darkemeralds]

I know, right? Sometimes I just get irritated enough to say no to the corporate overlords and go get a solution from the open source mob.

[darkemeralds]

Troy and Abed are wonderful! Well, they all are. What a terrific ensemble cast.

I think I can get Hulu videos to play on my tablet. It's tied up FTP-ing episodes of Community S1 right now, but I'll check later.

[tehomet]

TBH, that amount of installs would make me prone to chucking the gadget out the window.

[darkemeralds]

If the stupid thing hadn't cost me so much, I'd have set it aside by now, but I feel I must try to make it do what I bought it for, at least for a year or so. It's crazy.