3D Printing functional parts

Since August 2017 I have jumped into the world of 3D printing. Started with a Monoprice Maker Select Plus ready to go.

Well, it was a while before I was able to get good at it. Many iterations later I replaced the hotend with all stainless steel, so I could print PLA with Carbon Fiber. When done I had replaced almost everything but the frame and stepper motors. Prints much better now.

I had not written about this as I had nothing I could share that others had not done far better. Now I will start sharing my experiences and create links to all the people who have provided me the most useful and entertaining information.

Updated Android Apps list

OnePlus One phone since December 2014

Currently running Android 6.01
Cyanogen OS 13.0-ZNH0EAS2JK

  • 1Weather – Weather App
  • Alarm Clock – Needed to install due to broken Clock app in current version of Cyanogen.
  • Albertsons – Grocery Store App
  • Amazon – King of online shopping
  • Amazon Kindle – Ebook reader
  • Amazon Music – Music player
  • Amazon Video – Only way to watch Prime free movies and TV
  • Android Pay – Never used this
  • Appstore – How to get Amazon versions of apps, usually updated much later than the Google Play store
  • Arcus – Nice weather App
  • AudioFX – Helps with my reduced hearing in the mid range.
  • Barcode Scanner – Basic
  • Barnett – Wholesale shopping app for plumbing parts
  • Bashas – Grocery Store App
  • Battery Doctor – Desperately trying to get back the battery life I used to have.
  • Calendar – Google calendar, use this all the time.
  • CameraFi – Use with the plumbing Endoscopes I sell to see inside pipes and walls.
  • Cartwheel – Target Store shopping App. A bit of a pain to use, makes you prioritize what you want to save on.
  • Chick-Fil-A – Fast food store app, new update and changes coming.
  • Chrome – Google Web Browser, use it all the time.
  • Clock – Built in app
  • ConnectBot – SSH terminal App, Used it for years, reliable.
  • Contacts – Google contacts
  • Culvers – Fast food App. Only really good to see what flavors are at each local location.
  • Docs – Google Docs, use it regularly
  • Drive – Google Drive, use it regularly
  • Earth – Broken under current Cyanogen
  • Ebay – Check on purchases and bids.
  • Email – Use it all the time
  • English – Dictionary
  • Evernote – Been using this since it first came out. Basic version is all I need, great tool for keeping information at my fingertips.
  • Facebook – Need I say more?
  • Flipboard – Nice place to see articles, don’t go there often enough.
  • Fractional Calculator – When dealing with plumbing measurements it is actually handy.
  • Frys Food – Grocery Store App, harder to use since the latest update.
  • Gallery – Pictures on phone and Google photos.
  • GasBuddy – best way to save on Gas
  • Gmail – Use all the time.
  • Google – Switch to it to see local stuff and time delays to work.
  • Google Tasks – Not really using it right now.
  • Google+ – Still use it, Google seems to be trying to kill it.
  • GoToAssist – in a pinch I can use this to trouble shoot a client PC.
  • Hangouts – Great tool to message people.
  • IMDB – Great to figure out who was in the movie I just saw.
  • Inbox – New Gmail app, not sure I like it. I keep going back to Gmail.
  • Insightly – Tried to use this to track customer orders, too much trouble.
  • Keep – New Google notes App, have not tried to use it yet.
  • Keyring – A backup for all the rewards tags on my keychain.
  • Magnetic Stud Finder – Just what it says.
  • Maps – Cannot live without this.
  • Messaging – SMS / MMS App
  • Messenger – Facebook Messenger.
  • Metal Detector – like stud finder
  • MySolarCity – Track my solar panel usage
  • Package Buddy – Great way to check on package delivery status
  • Photos – Google Photos
  • Play Books – Google Ebooks
  • Play Games – Google Games (I don’t use this)
  • Play Movies – Google Movies
  • Play Music – Google Music
  • Play Newsstand – Google news reader (Don’t use it)
  • Play Store – How to get Apps installed
  • Quora – Where to ask unusual questions, and get answers.
  • RealCalc – RPN calculator
  • Register – Square reader App
  • Roku – WiFi remote for my Roku
  • Safeway – Grocery store App
  • Sheets – Google Spreadsheet App (Use this a lot)
  • Speedtest – Test network performance
  • Starbuks – Pay for Coffee
  • Swift Key – Great Android Keyboard App (use this a lot)
  • Torque Lite – Monitor your Car status (Great for trips)
  • Translate – Useful language translator
  • Tucson News Now – Local news App (could be so much better)
  • TV Guide – Know what is on TV the rare times I get to watch TV
  • TweetCaster – Twitter App (use this a lot)
  • Voice – Google Voice App (Key use in my retail business)
  • Wish – Shop for cheap China goods
  • Word – Microsoft Word App
  • WordPress – Remote editing of WordPress
  • WRPN 16c – Exact replica of the HP-16C Programmer calculator (I still have mine)
  • YouTube – No explanation needed.

Latest Android Apps

Since the beginning of the year I have been running a stock HTC Inspire on AT&T (yeah I know, don’t beat me up). This gave me the freedom to update my HTC Hero on Sprint  to Cyanogen (mod 7). Wiress tethering works great, it runs faster, there is still too little RAM and when that gets low it gets slow.

On both phones I am using the Amazon App Market and have had fun trying free versions of paid apps. Since there is a new one each day, it keeps you coming back to see what is there. Smart move, and one they are also using in their MP3 store.

Hero:

  • Advanced Task Killer Free
  • Alarm Clock Plus
  • Amazon MP3
  • Amazon.com
  • Angry Birds
  • Amazon Appstore
  • Google Books
  • Bubble Level
  • Business Calendar
  • Facebook
  • Fandango
  • FCC Test
  • Fring
  • GasBuddy
  • Gmail
  • Google Voice
  • Google+
  • Groupon
  • IMDb
  • Listen
  • Maps
  • Quickoffice Pro
  • Sense Analog Clock
  • Skyfire
  • SMS Backup+
  • Sound Meter
  • Soundhound
  • Speed Test
  • Street View
  • SwiftKey
  • TV Guide Mobile
  • TweetCaster Pro
  • Twitter
  • WiFi Analyzer
  • Wireless Tether
  • Wolfram Alpha

Favorite Android phone apps

Google Voice – For me the “Must Have” application. It allows me to send and receive free SMS from my phone and do Voice Mail to text conversion, totally integrated with the phone.

Listen – A wonderful Pdcasting application, I use it every day.

Tricorder – It actually works and looks like the display on Star Trek Tricorders.

Bubble – Make your phone into a bubble level, handy if you need it.

Fandango Movies – A great way to see what movies show where in your city. I don’t actually use it to buy tickets.

TaskPanel – A great tool for monitoring and kill tasks on Android.

Aurora Universal Search – lets you search the whole phone for Contacts, Calendar, Applications, Meda, SMS/MMS messages and files on the SD card.

Compass – A really nice Compass program.

WiFI Analyzer – A nice tool to see what WiFI networks are near you and how strong the signal is.

Issuu Mobile – a fun tool to read over a million different magazines for free.

Battery Widget – A nice widget right on the screen to show the real state of your battery.

Tip Calculator Widget – A stupidly simple and easy to use tip calculator that even includes the ability to split the bill after adding the tip.

RealCalc Scientific Calculator – A great RPN or infix calculator.

Facebook for Android – A handy way to update your Facebook status.

Windows 7 Launch Party

Well I had my Windows 7 Launch Party on the 25th of October. I chose Sunday afternoon as I thought it would have the fewest conflicts with peoples schedules. I was both right and wrong. There were fewer conflicts, but they were all so worn out from the work week they could not drang themselves out the door. SIGH!!!

The good news is I cleaned up my workspace and can actually move around again. I will post some pictures here soon.