The Galaxy series of devices ( 3 cellphones and a tablet) are using the ARM A8 1GHz Hummingbird processor. So what you may say, big deal. Well it is a big deal because this processor is wiping the floor with the TI OMAP 3630 and the snapdragon on benchmark tests. (TI OMAP 3630 = Droid X, Snapdragon = HTC Incredible). And here is the biggest surprise, it have a front facing camera. Yeah, thats right. Front facing camera.

This changes a lot of things for me personally with an upgrade coming up in 9 days.

Here are the general specs,

Lets start at the top, the processors are the same. Other android phones like the HTC incredible and the EVO have the snapdragon 1GHz processor (don’t you love that name for a processor) they are built by Qualcomm. I have a HTC eris that has a Qualcomm MSM7600 @528 MHz and I have over clocked it to 720 MHz with no issues running Froyo 2.2 check here for details.  The word is the Ti processors also can be over clocked easily. I have seen benchmark tests on the old Motorola Droid running 1 GHz with no issues. So that is a big win.

But that is not all, the TI processor can turn the phone into a hotspot and has the amazing new technology of DLNA. Check it out here from Motorola. The DLNA will allow seamless connectivity from PC to Phone to DLNA enabled devices like PS3, Xbox and some newer TV’s. So pictures, movies, video can all be accessed and played from and to multiple devices. This feature added with the mini HDMI out on the Droid X is a tipping the scale for me personally. The Droid 2 does not have a HDMI port and hence I do not know how much of this feature will be enabled/used in the Droid 2. Frankly I don’t know if I will use it but hey wouldn’t you rather have it?

The rest of the specs are pretty standard. Larger screen = more battery consumption so that is a given. I am not worried about the Droid X shipping with 2.1 Android. I will be running some rooted version anyway.

Like most of you, I have also wondered the answers to these questions. The answer is Yes, they look out for us and yes, they reward us if we work towards maintaining good health. When I found out that I was pregnant with my son, I contacted my insurance company, Anthem BCBS to learn more about the maternity benefits available. After congratulating me, the first question my benefits representative asked me was “Are you enrolled in the Future Moms program sponsored by the Commonwealth of Virginia (COVA) ?” I said No, and started gathering more information. She told that it is a free prenatal program included as a part of the health plan. The enrollment should be completed by the first trimester to ensure all the requirements are completed. The purpose of the program is to waive the $300 maternity stay copayment if I completed the program successfully. Isn’t that enough trigger to get motivated ? I immediately enrolled and provided more information about my health and my OB contact information. Within a week, I received a letter explaining the requirements which included, First and Third trimester Assessment administered to the patient, Health assessment administered to the OB, and basic dental cleaning to be completed by the patient by week 28. The assessments were very straightforward with questions involving my pregnancy progress, family history, eating habits and other general health related questions. The assessment to my OB was also a simple one page questionnaire where she had to provide more information about my pregnancy. By week 24, I made an effort to make an appointment to my dentist to get basic cleaning done. After I completed my requirements, I called Anthem and informed them. It was as simple as that. Well, yesterday in the mail, I received my copay waiver letter, hooray!!! I felt that I was rewarded $300 for maintaining good health during my pregnancy. I am motivated to share this with viewers so you can also know that there is definitely a prize for this. If you are pregnant and if you have your insurance with Anthem BCBS, please call Anthem at 1-800-828-5891 to enquire more about the Future Moms program. For more information, you can visit their website at http://www.anthem.com/member/va/f5/s4/t0/pw_ad087719.pdf?refer=ahpculdesac&na=cova

But all is well with the world now. Arjun has a two year exemption on the PGA Tour, He can plan his events and made a solid run for it. All the very best Arjun.

Before you start, the official OS on your Motorola Droid is probably 2.1 and here is the deal there is no root I know of for OS 2.1 so the rooting process is now a three step process.

Step 1: Downgrade your OS 2.1 to OS2.0.1

Step 2: Root  the phone

Step 3: Upgrade the phone to OS 2.1 or do the right thing and go to a Froyo 2.2 ROM

With the steps being laid out, my suggestions is to use AGreen BHM’s rootkit found here to combine steps 1 and 2. And by using the root kit you can flash or install any custom ROM available out there even a Froyo 2.2 ROM on your Motorola Droid. I have not used the rootkit myself but my source tell me its the best thing out there for this purpose. If you want a more traditional method please follow the instruction from IncredibleAdministrator on mydroidworld.com how ever if you do this method you cannot flash a Froyo 2.2 ROM but will only have to go to the stock 2.1.

And the piece de resistance, the Froyo ROM is from Droid Life (These guys rock) Here is are the instructions to get the ROM and flash Froyo 2.2 on your Motorola Droid. Enjoy.

First impression, Love it. Very snappy not to say the 2.1 leak was slow but it suffered when you were trying to make a call and there was a browser running in the background. So far this ROM clocked at 710MHz is doing well. It will take a few days for me to get a good feel for this ROM and Froyo as a whole on the Eris so hang tight for a follow-up.

Here is how you get to Froyo 2.2 on your Droid Eris

1. Do some research and pick a Froyo ROM for the droid eris. XDA-developers.com is the best place to do that.

2. Follow the tutorial here.

3. After you have a seen the screen from Fig 32 ( I am referring to the tutorial in the previous step) know that you are doing good and have root access.

4. Continue with the tutorial and when you reach fig 39, select the KaosFroyo Rom you have downloaded on your SDCard.

5. Follow the instructions for the install – You have 2.2 Froyo on your Eris.

Update: After 48 hours here are my impressions on 2.2 on the HTC Droid Eris

Best improvement – This is a tie between the phone application and the native browser. The phone application is not as buggy as before. It responds faster and switches between call log, contacts and dial pad quickly. You will remember with the Sense UI, the phone will keep ‘thinking’ between tasks. But thats a thing of the past and its looking good. The browser i cannot say enough about. Its quick and responses well to pinch to zoom etc. The page rendering is also faster than on 2.1.

I using KaosFroyo version 30 as my ROM so i am experiencing some quirks due to the build but I am personally happy int he direction Android is going. My biggest guess for the reason for all this speed improvement is the ‘Dalvik just-in-time’ compiler. I can only imagine the improvements when this technologies goes through its iterations.

I am out.

I am sorry Steve Slater had to quit his job. The 38 year old resident of Queens was later arrested in his house for criminal mischief and reckless endangerment. I travel quite a bit and fly at least half a dozen times a year and I have seen passengers react in the worst possible way to attendants.  Looks like Steve was the wrong attendant to mess with.

There is also reports of a bottle beer involved in this tangled mess. Some say, Steve was asking the passenger to put it away some reports say he took the beer with him on the way ‘out’. Can everyone say, 30 seconds skit on Jon Stewart with a senior airport exit analyst.

Good luck with your life Steve. Hope it all blows over soon.

Some reason that the networking and social capital earned by the drinking habit is the cause for the ‘success’. I am not so sure. My theory is the drinkers have a rewarding system that seems to work for them. They work hard all day, with the price of beer at the end of the day. Or a big blow out at the end of the week to celebrate their achievements keeps them motivated to stay on their game. Just a theory no data to support it.

People who have no business being married are getting into these commitments and reducing the value of the institution for the rest of us. Its like the large volume day trader, they creates the market volatility and gain/loose money on it, but the larger casualties are the stable disciplined investors. Similarly its people who come from broken homes and divorced homes who never educate themselves on what marriage is and what it is not who repeat the cycle they are accustom too. I do not think its the peoples fault, but there is some responsibility to be taken by someone but who?

A lot of marriages end due to selfish behavior, any relationship will end if there is selfishness in the participants. Marriage is no different. I cannot help but laugh when i read articles like these, that are so focused on feelings and the person that they loose sight of the promise and commitment the person made.

Because this type of ‘Me first’ attitude is the seed for destruction in any relationship. Imagine a young man in his 20′s finishes school now wants to serve his country. He enlists in the Marines, 3 months into the boot camp he realizes its tough. People are shooting at him, he has to run 20 miles, only sleep 5 hours a day and the food rations are less than appetizing. The young man stakes it out, now is sent overseas to fight. He sees the heat of the battle. This is real, blood and tears. Now imagine what if this young man has the choice to quit and catch a plane and go home? Does that even make sense? Because, if he does quit he is quiting on the army, quiting on the people he said he would protect, quiting on his fellow soldiers who need him to succeed, quitting on the mission and country.

Now how is marriage any different? I think people would be lot better off if we remind them of what they promised rather than what they feel. Feelings are important, they have their place but a promise is much more important than a feeling. A promise or the word that you gave is more important than anything else.

This seems to a never ending cycle, divorce – broken homes – broken children – marriage – divorce

Jesus have mercy on us.

NY Times article: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/01/fashion/01Undivorced.html