Category: Technology

My Phone is Getting Android 10!

We all know that phone and device manufacturers like to cycle out to the ether of “obsolete” devices that are not terribly old. Well, I was excited when my phone got Android 9, but today I got the notification –just a few minutes ago actually– that there was a pending update to Android 10. Now I was impressed…mainly from the point that the S9+ that I have could get it, but moreso that Verizon did let it get it OTA.

I waited a few minutes to post until after the update to be absolutely sure it worked, and it seems like it has.

Here’s to a positive change with devices for once in a long time.

Host PC upgrade to Windows 10 TP

Over in my original Windows 10 Technical Preview post I had mentioned I was downloading and testing Windows 10. Well, I did download it and install it in Virtual Box. 

 I’ve always been a firm believer that custom-built computers are better than pre-built computers in so many ways. My main pc is indeed custom-built but is honestly dated now –going on 7-8 years. You can gain more than the average 6-/8-mo to a year functional lifespan of a computer if you custom-build so I can surely say I have.

The tangent above does give back-story to this post. Anywho, while I did have W10TP loaded in VBox it was deathly slow because even though I have a 64-bit processor I, back in the day, was still pro-x86 (“32-bit”) and I chose to install x86 XP Pro and then x86 W7 Pro. Fast-forward looking back x64 is so much better, of course! So, my host system has 4GB of RAM (sad, I know, but it only had 2 for years!), but my system can only use 3GB due to the x86 architecture limitations. So, I’m installing the W10TP x64 version over my host system (bye bye Win 7).

You might ask “Why are you installing a potentially unstable beta/test program on your main computer?”. I answer that my use, and probably yours as well, have evolved and expanded from the traditional desktop PC. Don’t get me wrong, I prefer the ol’ mouse n’ keyboard anyday because I’m use to it and faster, but I use my laptop or phablet (haha) more. It’s rare that I login to my desktop. Also, another good reason is the advent and wider adoption of cloud storage. I thrive on Dropbox and Google Drive so the majority of my important work is stored in the cloud now but don’t worry, I’m savvy enough to keep backups!

All in all, my pc is really up for an evolution! I’ll report back [hopefully] soon with how W10TP is going!

-Andrew

Windows 10 Technical Preview

As a member of the Windows Insider Program I get to test various Operating Systems (OS’s) from Microsoft. I was actually on a later beta group for Windows 8 a few years back! 



I’m in the process of installing the Windows 10 Technical Preview (“TP” for short). I am installing it as a virtual operating system within VirtualBox. At first I received a few errors, which were resolved by using the recommended fixes in the 3rd reply here.


I’ll report back in after it’s installed to give a quick first-impression review.

Certifications

Well, it’s another discussion about Cisco and CompTIA. Cisco is one of, if not the most, prestigious  computer networking companies in the world. Also, CompTIA is in its own way respectable (not necessarily prestigious) in that they basically set the benchmark for I.T. certifications. If you’ve followed one or both of my blogs you’ll know that I’ve tried my luck at pursuing a both companies’ certifications and am in the process at school in obtaining my CompTIA Net+ and A+ now. I was a student in the Cisco Networking Academy in my high school but never finished (which I could have had my CCNA!) 😦

Anyway, I got away from networking because of the math and overwhelming amounts of definitions, terms, and acronyms involved. However, it’s not all about that because the math is masked by the concepts, theory, and application of networking itself, and the terms/acronyms will actually fall in place if you substitute the acronym for the full word (such as DHCP, rather jus say Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol). Anyway, I’m again going to attempt at the Cisco certs after I finish Net+.

Cisco pyramid

With Cisco, preferably, I’d love to obtain a full track from Entry to Architect, as depicted in the revised Cisco pyramid below. I’m yet again going to pray and try to strive towards obtaining a Cisco certification…all the way to the top. Yes, VERY expensive and VERY long and hard work. BUT it is doable because people have passed it obviously. So, if it be in the Lord’s will for my life to obtain one, many, or all of their certifications, then I’ll pray and work hard at it and hope you’ll pray with me, too!

You can follow along with me on a webpage to notate which certifications I’ve completed and those I’m pursuing.

In Christ,


Andrew



New Phone

I gotta new phone yesterday. My old one hasn’t been working too well so it was due time for a new one. I also got my mom a new phone (she’s out of the stone age and sent her first text message yesterday, too, haha.)

Anyway, it’s a Samsung a437 model.

Have a great rest-of-the-week,

Andrew