Author: Maxsons Import_User

In this article, I mentioned one of the big issues I had once my Nexus S upgraded to ICS was poor battery life.  I also said I had fixed that by doing a reset of the phone.  Well, the other day, I was looking at settings and think I’ve figured out the real reason for the poor battery life:  VoIP.

When we moved overseas, I bought a Nokia e65 because I could run an app called TruPhone on it (VoIP).  Combined with Google Voice, it was really convenient.  When we were traveling, I could hook the phone up to WiFI (I couldn’t get data service at that time) and we could call people in the states.  When I got my Nexus S, I set it up as well.  This time, VoIP would ONLY work over wifi–it just wouldn’t connect at any other time.

Last week, I reconfigured the SIP settings on my Nexus S.  Wow!  It connected straightaway and over 3g to boot.  This is really good as I have unlimited data on my phone.  I called my parents in the states.  There was a delay, but it worked!  I went on to game night; however, when I picked my phone up to take a picture, the battery was almost flat.  INSANE!

I’ve since gone in and disabled then re-enabled the SIP receive calls setting and think that is the cause of the very poor battery life.  When it is enabled, the phone just sucks the battery (but I can’t receive calls that come into my google voice number).  When I disable it, batter life is actually better than it was under Android 2.3.2 (what came on it).

Image from deanj via flickr

Last year, I got Cyndi a Nokia e71.  She needed a new phone but wanted one with a physical keyboard (as opposed to a touchscreen).  We found a new one in a pawn shop here for not very much so I got it.  I was able to get it set up with Google Maps, Google Voice, and Google Talk; however, a few weeks ago, Google Talk quit working (I’m actually not sure when it stopped working as she didn’t use it all the time).

I ended up and uninstalled it and redownloaded it.  Now, the Nokia Ovi Chat application won’t let me (her really) sign in to Google Talk.  It ONLY lets you sign in with a Nokia ovi.com account  ARG.

I’d really like to get her an android phone (then this stuff will just work) but she doesn’t want a touchscreen.  Does anyone 

1) have ideas how to get Nokia Chat to work once again with Google Talk?
2) an android phone with a real keyboard? 

Image from makarus via flickr

I’ve written before about how much I like IRIS and how fast it is.  Sure, I had to let them scan my irises, but it doesn’t really matter.  However, I’ve never given much thought to how it may impact spies.  Until I saw this Wired article on the CIA and its secret fear.

In “the old days,” as one put it — that would be before 9/11 — deep-cover CIA operatives could use and discard false passports like hand wipes. “The only way immigration could tell if the passports were fake was to look at the stamps, paper, photo, and so on,” said another recently retired CIA operative, whose worked on sensitive projects under non-official cover. Operatives could land at, say, Dubai, with a passport with one false name, then pick up another from the local CIA station to register at the hotel and conduct a mission. Then the same operative could return the country several times under different names, repeating the process.

Biometrics are making that impossible. Even crossing the border with a real identity, then donning a fake one in-country, presents its own risks. “When you go to check into a hotel room for a meeting with an asset, or even rent a car to drive to the meeting — or hold the meeting in the car — many hotels and car rental agencies upload their customer data, including passport number, to immigration every day,” the former spook notes. “Most countries are looking for visa overstays. But when you show up on the list as never having entered the country … it brings the police around to ask questions.”

I’m surprised they can’t fake the data stored on the passport.

Image from pink sherbet photography via flickr