Shamil's Blog. Software Engineering Processes, Android, CI, Devops.

Last week I downgraded Google Play using "Uninstall updates" button (on android ver 2.3.4), so I got fast Market app back (v. 2.3.4). Old Market app worked good and installed apps without problems, but when I needed to test In-app-billing, it for sure did not work :-) (Google requires ) So I tried to force it autoupdate (usually Market and Play apps updated automatically). I even installed all-hated Google Services Framework and Play Services, hoping that they will help Market to autoupdate. They did not. I followed recommendations to clear Market cache and data, but it only cleared list of "My apps". $%$#$&!

So the only way was to manually update Market to Play. As this is original apk signed with Google keys, all went OK. IAB working now.

Labels: android, autoupdate, downgrade, evil, framework, google, market, play, services, update, upgrade

In new version of text editor of GDocs it's very hard to maintain aspect ratio of drawings to keep text readable. Drawing is rendered at server side and the aspect ratio of drawing when rendered in document now does not correlate with its content size. Renderer tries to calculate the text scale from drawing aspect ratio. But size is not correlated to drawing content. So anytime you insert or change drawing you have to manually adjust its size just to make text readable (which is very hard, because text is not rendered in a stylish way for any scale incompatibility).
It's impossible to use previous version of drawer with new version document, but you can create documents in old version of editor. Also, It's impossible to copy drawing from new version to old one via web clipboard.
In comparison to GDocs tricks MS Office is just as solid as stone. Just checked: 2007 Word has almost same cool drawings editor.
I need solution to simplify sharing of DOCs (svn seems to me very heavy for such an easy task, cause it's impossible to use web interface to share or publish one document). Do you know one?

Labels: docs, evil, google, ms, office2007, question

We actually have confirmation why Google needs to destroy our privacy by making those who use their services online enabling 3rd party cookies: yesterday they announced that they are "...making ads more interesting":

...we can make online advertising even more relevant and useful by using additional information about the websites people visit.

- so, combining this fact with grasp at and only at the 3rd party cookies when using their services (even blogger logging in now require it) one can understand that this is a public announced total recording of the browsing and interests of internet users.

Labels: 1984, evil, google, save our souls, total control

Discovered several days ago that in order to use GMail Google requires that the 3rd party cookies is enabled in browser! As often said, it hurts the online provacy, but why does google require this? The answer is very simple: to track you by its adsense/doubleclick engines! They can track your path in web only if you enable the 3rd party cookies.
What to do to save your privacy?
1) Use different browsers for web browsing and working in GMail (i.e. Opera for browsing/Firefox for GMail)
2) Use "Enable 3rd party Cookies" setting for all these sites: gmail.com, google.com, google.*/, *.google.*. (You can do this in Opera AFAIK). The default setting for Cookies should be "Accept cookies only from site I visit" (=no 3rd party cookies).
Take care!
PS Do you believe in "Don't be evil" anymore?

Labels: cookies, evil, google, privacy, security