Tasker and Secure Settings

I was having problems when introducing new %Variables passing between Tasker and Secure Settings.

I had to clear the cache on Tasker each time to get it to work. Keep in mind that if you have Tasker set as a device administrator, you'll have to disable Tasker being a device administrator before you can clear the cache. Then reapply administrator privileges.

More Tasker - Ping an IP

Ever have a server or PC go down that you're counting to have running?

Have Tasker tell you if it's down so you can get it running again.

Here's what you need:

Two android devices, one of which stays home.  I have this running on a tablet at home.
Tasker
Secure Settings
AutoRemoteLite

I'm guessing you already have Tasker running, that's no big deal.  Secure Settings also isn't hard, download and install.  AutoRemote is a bit different though.  It has to be installed on both devices.  Each device will have it's own unique URL and you can add each devices URL to the "devices" list to allow intercommunication.  I pretty much just lucked into it working after messing with it for a while, none of the instructions were too clear on that bit.  Classic tech instructions starting at step 7.

Super Important: In Tasker, go to Preferences > Misc > Enable External Access, or none of this will work.

Start a task and set it up like this one.  I'm a little overzealous about clearing variables, probably not necessary.



This is what your AutoRemote setup will look like, chose your own variables.  You can't have mine.  I changed the ping count to 5 to avoid false positives due to WiFi not firing up right away.



I added this to a profile so it pings every 30 minutes between 8:00 am and 10:30 pm.  If my PC goes down, it fires off a notification to my phone.  Pretty nifty.

Next step is to add a counter so if my machine is down I don't get notified continuously if I can't fire it back up for a couple days.

Scheduled Wake On LAN with Tasker

I've run a bunch of WOL setups, and this one works pretty well.

Ingredients:

• Android Phone with Tasker
• WOL app
• PC that you want to wake up
• MAC address of said PC
• IP address of same

I recommend having a static IP address for the computer that you're going to turn on, really the only way to go for this.

Set up your WOL:
In your new WOL app, press the "Add New" button to create a new WOL profile.
Name it something memorable and descriptive, and add the MAC and IP.  Leave everything else the same except for the "Send as Broadcast" check box.  Check that, it's given me the most success.  I recommend testing this bit to make sure you can WOL at all before you start messing with Tasker.

Then, in Tasker, create a new "Send Intent" task.  Here's the details:

• Action: com.benfinnigan.wol.widgetlaunch
• Cat: Launcher
• Extra: CPATH: /mnt/sdcard/WoLANWAN/YourWOLProfileNameHere.dat
• Target: Activity

Now you can add the task to whatever trigger you want, or just run it on demand.

Glad I've written this down now.  I had to resurrect my poor boot-looping Nexus 5 to get retrieve this info.

Not all there: The new Pixel and Pixel XL from Google

Google has taken android and the nexus program a direction different than I'd like to see.

Rather than affordable and fully equipped developer's devices, these are ultra premium iPhone lookalikes missing features that now are things of the past.

Introduced the Pixel and Pixel XL, featuring: Mono sound, and No Wireless Charging. Luckily, it has a headphone jack.

I don't get it, the phone costs nearly ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS (fully loaded).

At least these phones' USB type C ports support USB 3.0, unlike the also overpriced Nexus 6P and 5X. The 6P is STILL starts at $500 for the base model.

The pre-event leaks were true, and unfortunately these are no longer developer devices, they're budget busters.

Google-less Update

Almost a month in, and I'm hanging in there. Getting a little antsy for updates. I miss a few things, mostly remote desktop and hangouts.

Updating my contacts is a multi step, multi device process. I'll try to sideload some new apps this week, and maybe update CM (though I read some people had issues with the 3/3/14 nightly build).

We'll see how much longer I can last.

I think the phone is definitely more responsive without all that Google junk on there bogging it down. It's still super snappy.

Life Without GAPPS - or - Android without Google Play Services

I'm giving it a shot.  We'll see how it goes.  A whole day into it now and it's only minorly inconvenient.

That's right, I'm running an android phone without a Google presence.

No Gapps, no Play store, no Google Play Services, no Google Account.

To be more specific, I'm running a nightly build of Cyanogenmod CM12 (Android 5.0.2 [Lollipop]) for the Nexus 4.  It's stable and relatively bug free.

In CM 11, I could use Privacy Guard to turn off some of the Google annoyances.  But so far in CM12, blocking location reporting to the Play store, or disabling even the smallest privilege to Play Services causes it to force-close uncontrollably.

I'm just getting tired of the Play store and Play Services waking my phone literally HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF TIMES.  The same with my location.  There is absolutely no reason for the Play Store to query my exact location on the planet HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF TIMES.  I'm not exaggerating.  This is not hyperbole.  That's how close of an eye Google is keeping on you.

So I'm doing something about it.

I switched from:
Browser: Chrome to Firefox
App Store: Play to Amazon and F-Droid
Email: Gmail app to IMAP email app
Maps: Google Maps to Sideloaded Google Maps (not attached to my Google account)
Messaging: Hangouts to built in Messaging app
Calendar: Google Calendar to GooCal (a few bucks from the Amazon App Store)
Contacts: Google Contacts to vCard export (my contacts change little enough to not be synced)

As you can see, I'm still using Google services.  I haven't cut that cord and probably won't.

But I'm probably less monitizable and trackable.

The biggest thing I'm going to miss (in order of pining):

• Chrome Remote Desktop
• Hangouts
• Google Maps linked to my account
• Google Music
• Google Keep
• Probably some other stuff that hasn't come up yet

These Google apps run fine without Google Play Services (albeit without account integration)

• Chrome
• Google Maps
• Nest (no Google account necessary)

I can always run some of the stuff I miss in a browser anyway.  Also, I'll probably start leaning on Microsoft services more since they've (finally) got their act together in a good way.  We'll see how long I last, and if I go back.

Kindle Fire CM11

Amazon finally allows prime video streaming on a standard android device! I'm pumped!

That means that I can run CM11 M10 on my first generation Kindle Fire with impunity!

I might still be a little restricted with the Kindle lending library, but most of those books aren't that great. It was the streaming video keeping me on MoDaCo.

Part of the problem with that setup was that it looked like the stock carousel rom, was still a little locked down. Also, it couldn't run Chrome. Also, also, it would crash sometimes because I had an old dual boot FireFireFire bootloader and TWRP recovery on there that would wakelock my battery into oblivion.

So now, it's a fresh start, I redid the thing right. From the ground up! It's awesome so far!

Though I did have to sideload an older version of Chrome due to some recently developed bug.

Google Reader Again

Everyone is making a big deal about Google Currents disappearing. But Google Newsstand has an RSS reader built in, AND it's primed to take over your reader feeds. Enable them and you're ready to go.

Cyanogenmod

I can't believe all the negative comments about CM these days. Especially CM11. Sure, sure not every device is supported. That's why I dropped LG and HTC phones to go with a Nexus 4. I'm looking forward to flashing the M2 release when I get a chance.

But come on, almost every custom ROM is based at least partly on CM!

And the complaints about spyware and CM being in Google's pocket. Well, yup, Android is Google's baby. So it makes sense that the developers who make the best, most stable custom ROM out there (in my opinion) would have a relationship with Google.

CM is hands down, bar none, the best custom ROM. Everything works. I don't know how many other rooms I've tried on multiple phones, and it's always the same story: sms doesn't work, 3D doesn't work, texts don't receive, wifi doesn't work, 4G doesn't work, on and on. Sure, maybe it's not bleeding edge, but most enhancements are cosmetic right now anyway. I need my phone to work! Every time! That's why the original Windows smartphones were so locked down. It's for safety and reliability.

Spyware? Please. There is only the illusion of security on electronic systems. If you want security, drop off the grid. Besides, why does anyone put anything on the Internet if not to have it looked at?

This post included.

Google Reader

Everyone is making a big deal about Google Reader disappearing. But Google Currents has an RSS reader built in, AND it's primed to take over your reader feeds. Enable them and you're ready to go.