Category: Mobile Technology

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Bug | Android | Error 111 (net::ERR_TUNNEL_CONNECTION_FAILED)

Quick one… After spending far too much time I figured it out an issue where I was getting the following error in Chrome on Android when trying to access a SSL website I hosted at my home on port 2000..

“Error 111 (net::ERR_TUNNEL_CONNECTION_FAILED)”

Some extra details… this was on my Nexus 4 on AT&T running first 4.2.1 then 4.2.2.

The real issue, Android for some unknown reason will not allow you to use unstandard ports for SSL (i.e. only port 443 works when using https)

I confirmed this by trying a SSL website on port 2000 using my wifes iphone on AT&T. Sure enough it worked fine. So its not AT&T. Also worth pointing out it works fine on wifi.

Hopefully this is just a bug and will be fixed in the future. The only thing I could do was move my SSL website to the standard port 443.

There was zero info on this on the net so I wanted to get it out there. Hope it sheds some light on it for you. If it did leave a comment so I know.

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Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook vs Apple Macbook Air | Day 1

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Hey everyone, you may have seen the marketing hype in the last few days for the Dell XPS 13″ Ultrabook. Professionally, I have been using a first generation Macbook Air with Bootcamp running Windows 7 on it for a while now. Yes I know many Mac users might be upset by this. Too bad, Windows 7 is fantastic and far greater then OSX (let the comments begin).

History

Windows 7 on the MacBook Air:

Windows has never had a good notebook like the MacBook Air to run on (other than the Air of course.) The experience has been fantastic other than a few things that I can’t stand.

1) The FN key is where the Control key should be. It drives me nuts although I am just about used to it now.

2) The ALT key and the Windows Key (the command key for you Mac users) are swapped and in the wrong position. Thankfully I was able to reprogram Windows to swap them back. I wish I could have done the same for the FN and CRTL keys.

3) No backlit Keyboard. I could have used it many times. Apple has put this in newer MacBook Airs.

4) No grip on bottom. The Air slides all over the place, not unmanageable but not perfect ether.

The fact is I LOVE the experience I got from the MacBook Air. However I have wanted to get a non-Apple notebook for some time now. I work as a Windows IT Manager and I hate the elitist feel I get from owning the Air. Additionally, I don’t like the looks I get when I go to Microsoft Conferences. I also want to support the Windows OEM’s. I want to believe that freedom of choice yields better options.

Did Dell come through?  Read on………..

Unboxing

Packing

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First, I got to say my hats off to Dell. They finally got the packaging right. The outer box leads to an inner box that is high quality and even opens at a hinge.

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First Impressions

Well, its pretty nice. I was worried it would have a plastic, not so solid feel to the unit but thankfully it feels like a rock (that weighs almost nothing). The Aluminum edging gives it a very solid feel to the touch.

The keys are slightly rounded in the corners, I haven’t decided if that’s a good thing or not. But what is really nice is the plastic / rubber area around the keys. Its has a very nice feel to it.

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The touch pad seems perfect to the touch.

The carbon fiber bottom is really nice and in my opinion perfect. It’s a very nice touch and it has rubber strips that keep a nice grip on whatever its sitting on.

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Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook vs. MacBook Air

I will not be covering everything each notebook has. Instead I will be covering items of high contrast between the two. If I didn’t mention something it is likely because they are very similar.

Screen Resolution

The Dell has a smaller height and this smaller size means it had to lose some rather important screen real-estate vs. the MacBook Air.

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Due to its reduced size, the Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook only has a 1366 x 768 screen resolution. The MacBook Air has an impressive 1440 x 900 screen resolution.

1366 x 768 puts this unit firmly in the Netbook consumer range not the pro-sumer Ultrabook range. In fact, Windows 8 minimum requirements will be 768. It is the lowest possible resolution that will be supported with the up and coming release of Windows 8.

Display Quality

One of the things that made me think Dell was focusing more on quality was the screen was covered in Gorilla Glass. That would be the same stuff on the iPhone, iPad, and other mobile devices.

Unfortunately though, the display behind that glass is awful. To a uneducated consumer I would think it would be fine, however anyone that truly enjoys or works in computing will notice the display is low quality. Image reproduction is terrible.

The Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook at any angle other then dead center is hard and almost impossible to see. Even then the colors are just okay.

The MacBook Air has a simply beautiful screen. The colors and contrasts are perfect at any viewing angle.

Additionally the Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook has a much higher glare then the MacBook Air. Many people noticed it while sitting in my office which has dimmed lighting and tinted Windows. I can only wonder what outside in the light will look like.

Look and Feel

As I have said the Dell is smaller. I guess that could be a good thing. The only reason I can think why they did this was to make it less expensive (smaller screen) and to make it easier to use on a airplane (although I never had a problem with the MacBook Air).

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Here is a little side by side. Notice the additional length at the top and bottom of the units.

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Perhaps the Dell feels a little fatter on its underside.

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Accessories

The power adapter is kind of junky too. Maybe I am just spoiled by the MagLock adapter from Apple but given Dell had to create a new adapter for this form factor I was hoping they would come up with something a little more useful. At least provide a way to wrap the cord around it. However all we got was this:

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Battery Meter

I should point out there is a button on the side of the unit you can press to get the power level of the battery. This was a nice touch, good job Dell!

Speed

Not going to spend too much time on this but the Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook with i5 and 256GB SSD is blazing fast. It is a pleasure tinkering on it. Things load just as fast as my i7 desktop with 8GB of RAM and a SSD.

Conclusion

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It kills me that Dell has taken so much effort to make this a quality notebook then turns around and dumps an inferior display in it. I am not just talking about screen resolution, the quality of image reproduction is just awful.  Maybe if you are used to Dell displays its not that bad but if you are coming from a MacBook Air (or any MacBook really) then you are in for a real shock.

Its also sad that Dell didn’t do more with the power adapter. It could have been much more functional.

Its not all bad though.  The rest of the unit really looks promising. I will mention that I am running into a lot of issues with finding drivers for Windows 8 (blog post about that to follow) but that shouldn’t be used when trying to decide to make the move.

The Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook has a good solid feel to it. I am going to use it over the next week and see if I can live with the few things I thought were not up to par. If not, however, its going back. Check back to see if I switch back to the MacBook Air or not.

Net Net…

If you can deal with the less then eye popping image reproduction, then this might be the right notebook for you. The price is great for what you are getting and its very fast.

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Can not connect to Lync Mobile Client | Access is Denied

So I am so happy Microsoft finally released mobile clients for WP7, Android, and yes even iOS!!!

I was a good admin and installed CU4 and the Mobile Connectivity add-on however it wasn’t working.

First thing to know about troubleshooting is to enable logging on the CLIENT. Its in Help –> About or near it depending on platform. Microsoft did a great job with the logging. One easy button emails everything you need to a email address of your selection.

Second thing is to do a basic test. Using a desktop browser, can you get to https://lyncdiscover.domainname.net (replace domainname.net with your SIP domain) and be offered a download OR does it give you access is denied message?

If you get accessed denied then you had the same problem I did. Turns out if you don’t use the bootstrap install method for the mobile connectivity pack IIS doesn’t get configured correctly.

While I am not totally sure I “think” what’s missing is in the web.config file this section:

<rule name=”autodiscover rule 1″ enabled=”true” stopProcessing=”true”>
<match url=”(.*)” />
<conditions logicalGrouping=”MatchAll”>
<add input=”{HTTP_HOST}” pattern=”.*lyncdiscover.*” />
<add input=”{REQUEST_URI}” pattern=”Autodiscover/AutodiscoverService.svc/root” negate=”true” />
</conditions>
<action type=”Rewrite” url=”Autodiscover/AutodiscoverService.svc/root” />
</rule>

See access denied isnt for lync, its for you trying to browse the root directory of IIS. Without the above rule it delivers you to the root.

So anyways thanks to Matthew C. Evans from the comments on this excellent post on how to install Mobile Service: http://blog.schertz.name/2011/12/deploying-the-lync-2010-mobility-service/

If that is your problem then just uninstall the mobile component from add / remove programs (its headless don’t be scared when it just vanishes) then follow that post above for using the bootstrap to install the client. Like magic everything started working for me.

I had followed “most” of Microsoft’s directions but I think I hit page down one two many times and skipped the bootstrap method of installing the mobility service. Just IMO the installer should be fixed OR blocked from installing without being done via the bootstrap.

Hope it helps others, I couldn’t find any good posts about this one issue.

Please leave comments if you know anything additional about it.

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Microsoft Office Communication Server 2007 Client for BlackBerry 6.0 / BlackBerry Torch

UPDATE: RIM released a new version that works with 6.0, simply go to their download section to get it.

Hey I just got the torch and I am loving it! Sure it’s a little laggy now and then and sometimes it doesn’t play nice with my WiFi but all in all, BEST BLACKBERRY EVER! The two things I mentioned I believe will be fixed with soon upcoming future releases of the OS.

However there is one problem, BES isn’t push my OCS / Communicator Client to the phone. I did a little Google Searching and didn’t find anything. Here is how I fixed it.

Special Note: If RIM releases a new version please don’t follow these directions anymore, this is just a work around for now and I am not responsible if you toast your torch 😉

 

1) Download the desktop version from RIM’s site: https://www.blackberry.com/Downloads/entry.do?code=24E01830D213D75DEB99C22B9CD91DDD

2) Extract the following files to your desktop
– \oc2007\For_5.0.0\net_rim_bb_qm_oc2007.cod
– \oc2007\For_5.0.0\net_rim_bb_qm_oc2007_resource_en.cod

3) Download BBSAK 1.7 (if you don’t already have it) from here: http://rimgeeks.com/viewtopic.php?f=62&t=56

4) Open BBSAK (if no start menu short cut its here: C:\Program Files\BBSAK\BBSAK.exe)

5) Put in your device password (if you have one) then go to the Modify COD’s tab

6) Click on “JAD Maker”

7) Add the two files on your desktop, Name the App “Enterprise Manager”, give it a description, Version “2.5.20”, and Vendor is Research in Motion”.

8) Finally click Create JAD

9) Once its created click the INSTALL JAD button and select the newly created JAD file. NOTE: This may reboot the device, scared me a lot but it came up just fine after the boot and application works.

Thanks and let me know if you have any problems!

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Eric’s List of Best Must Have BlackBerry Storm Applications

I have seen a lot of these app lists in the past but they are never complete.  Since I seem to rebuild my Blackberry all the time I thought it would be nice to share a complete list of what applications I install for the BlackBerry Storm each time.  They are all free unless otherwise noted. Also a lot of these applications will work on standard Blackberries as well.

 
Must Have Applications for the BlackBerry Storm:

  

  • FaceBook
    • Actually made by RIM, it’s a clean, very deeply integrated client for the BlackBerry.
    • With version 1.6 you can do everything you need right from your mobile device.
    • http://www.blackberry.com/facebook  (from your wireless device)
        
  • BlackBerry App World
  • Pod Trapper
    • The #1 application on the BlackBerry Storm, period.
    • Allows for automatic download of Podcasts to your BB, will delete old ones automatically.
    • Great to have Audio and Video on BB for those times you have nothing to do.
    • Some really good Podcasts out there (will post a list of some of the good ones soon).
    • Paid Software ($10 and worth every penny).
    • Free 30 day trial.
    • http://www.versatilemonkey.com/ 
       
  • Visible Vote
    • A must have.
    • VV will show you all pending legislation and allow you to vote on it.
    • Once you have voted it will show you your state legislators and how many voted with you or against you.
    • Has some FaceBook integration too if you dare bring politics to FaceBook
    • Best part, when you vote it emails your senators letting them know how you would like them to vote.
    • http://visiblevote.us/blackberrybetainfo.php 
       
  • Slacker Radio
    • At work I use Pandora but on the road you have to use Slacker.
    • It has offline cache of up to 25 radio station for free (great for slow BB’s on t-mobile)
    • Advanced UI, easy to use.
    • http://www.slacker.com (from your wireless device) 
       
  • Google Maps
    • Google always knocks it out of the park.
    • Best app for maps and directions.
    • Also great for looking at local traffic.
    • http://m.google.com/maps (from your wireless device) 
       
  • YouTube
    • Another great app for the BlackBerry Storm from Google.
    • It’s a really rich full featured application for watching YouTube videos. 
       
  • Mobi Pocket
  • CoinToss for BB
  • Weather Bug
    • Uses GPS to tell you local weather without having to type in where you are.
    • Get it right off the App World for Free. 
       
  • Staples Easy Button
  • StormSketch

Honorable Mention Applications: 

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YouTube App for BlackBerry Storm

Not new news but I wanted to post a link to the BlackBerry YouTube application that was developed by Google. For some reason people (including me) have a hard time locating it.

This client is awesome, full rich UI (not the mobile web pages.) It’s the most iPhone feeling app for blackberry.

Direct your Blackberry over to http://m.google.com/youtube and it should offer a version 1.6 or greater.

Also you can check out more by visiting there product page:

http://www.google.com/mobile/default/youtube.html

Only works for the BlackBerry Storm.