Looking Forward to Thunderbird 58.

My favorite email client has been Thunderbird for quite some time, since it really works well for the uses I've and it allows me to check all my email in one place.

The one thing that I've been wanting for Thunderbird ever since the Photon UI was Firefox 57, aka Quantum, was that Thunderbird to make use of it too. For me, the new interface is far better than the one had been used until now. Though I must admit that I've always liked better Firefox's user interface far better than the one used by Google's Chrome.

As such, the news that with the release of Thunderbird 58 it also is going to be using the Photon UI are much welcomed by me. It does make this release one I'm looking forward to.

 

The new use interface makes it look more modern, and clean than it did before. As such, it makes it a welcome change.

Ubuntu and Cinnamon are a match made in heaven for me.

My favorite Linux distro has been Ubuntu, with Linux Mint a close second. For a while, my favorite desktop was Ubuntu's Unity, which has been sadly discontinued in favor of GNOME.

Ever since I heard that Unity was being replaced for GNOME around February, I jumped to Linux Mint. Linux Mint desktop, Cinnamon was my second favorite for quite some time. Yet, when I came back to using with its 3.2 version it quickly became my favorite desktop.

I come to love how you can customize almost every aspect of it, and it integrates rather nicely with all my favorite apps. I've found it to be even faster and more responsive than Unity was for me. And to be honest, Cinnamon feels like a modern desktop should work and aesthetically it simply looks better for me with a few relative tweaks.

Personally, I just change some of the typography and use Numix icons.

When Ubuntu released the 17.10 Artful Aardvark, I decided to give GNOME 3 a try. Though the experience was not all that bad, I simply missed how Cinnamon works for me.

This putted me at a crossroad, since I wanted to stay with Ubuntu, but I wanted to use Cinnamon as my desktop. And here comes one of the best things about Linux, I'm able to do so since I can install and use Cinnamon on Ubuntu. Now more than ever, Ubuntu feels like home for me.

Now, the only thing lacking for me is to have an official flavor of Ubuntu running Cinnamon out of the box.

Firefox Quantum, a great leap forward for Firefox.

Firefox has always been my favorite browser, with Chrome a close second, ever since it was released. I've found that Firefox is the better fit for both my needs and my tastes, its the browser where I feel more comfortable at.

Now, with the release of Firefox Quantum (aka 57) it has cemented its position. Not only I've found it actually a big step forward in terms of performance, I found that the user interface looks a lot better.

While the performance enhancements are really nice, and welcome, the new user interface is what I enjoy the most. One of my favorite tweaks is now I can get rid of the search box altogether, since I stopped using much once I was able to use the navigation box for internet addresses input and for search.

There is also the fact that now there are more options to personalization options to make Firefox look even more like you want it too.

With this release, Firefox has become a truly modern browser and a worthy contender.

Nokia Has Come Back With Some Great Offerings.

When I read the news last year that Nokia was coming back, I felt really happy since Nokia was my favorite mobile phone brand. What made things better, was that it was making a come back using Android, which is my favorite mobile OS, made it all that better.

To be honest, the Nokia/Android combination is one I wanted to see a long time ago. Nokia had been one of the top smartphone manufacturer, and Android seem to be the best choice to keep on top of their game. But, it didn't happen that way and we know how that went. For me it was a sad thing to see Microsoft Mobile being abandoned.

So, when it was announced that Nokia was to make a comeback I felt quite hopeful. Specially since it was making a comeback using Android, I felt that it has a fighting chance depending on the quality of the devices they released.

Then, last weekend I had the chance to get some hands on experience with Nokia 3 device. I didn't want to get my hopes all that high, yet the device managed to leave a great impression on my. It' solid, and in black it looks really good.

The price point in Mexico is of $3,499.00 MXN(about $186.15 US), which is about mid range. And its the sweat spot for me.

A Happy Spotify Premium user...

A couple of months ago I decided to subscribe to Spotify Premium, and I've really pleased with the choice.

The have been several things that I've really liked about Premium account over the Free one. The main one is the ability to listen to my playlists offline, which it's really nice since I don't have to use my mobile data if I don't want to and maintain access to my favorite music. For me it's quite a big deal, since I tend to use the app on my smartphone most of the time.

I mainly use the desktop app at home, where I do use the online features to discover new artists and their music. Spotify has been where I have discovered new music the most for a while now, and while I like the mobile app, the desktop app is the one I feel most comfortable in for music discovery.

Another feature I like, and I've come to really a bit on the mobile app, is the ability to choose with what song I want to begin with and then shuffle the rest of the playlist I'm listing to at the time. It might be something of an idiosyncrasy of mine, but it has enhanced my experience.

I never minded the adds that much, but I've found that I don't miss them that much. It has really helped to have less distractions, either from the music or whatever I'm doing at the time.

One of the things that I personally thought I wouldn't notice much, is the how much better the sound quality is when using the high quality streaming option. I've been proven wrong, since I've noticed quite a noticeable difference and I help to enjoy music even more.

Here in Mexico, the subscription goes for $99.00 Pesos a month, that would $5.46 US Dollars. And for me, it has been quite a good deal. Specially since is one that pays the artist for their work.

Evie Launcher has become my go to Android Launcher...

I've been using Evie Launcher on my Android device for a month now, and it has my go to launcher. I favorite set of icon pack is Numix Circle, and combined with Evie lets me configure my smartphone just the way I like it.

I tried some other Launchers before I got to Evie, but none really gave what I wanted in any way. And Numix icons didn't go along with most of them either, so I ended up jumping back to the launcher my device had and using the icons that came with it.

Yet, since I wasn't satisfied with the look and feel of the Launcher of my current device I decided to look for a launcher I hadn't used before. After some research, I came across to Evie and I had a initial good impression. So, I looked into some reviews and I got convinced to give it a try and installed it.

And I haven't looked back since then, and I haven't enjoyed using my device as much as I do now. Now I feel like it's mine, and it does things how I want it to. What cemented Evie as my favorite launcher, was when I installed the Numix Circle icon pack.

I've used Numix icons on Ubuntu and Linux Mint on my laptop, and it's one of my favorite icon packs. So, I when I install it on my device and saw how well it went with Evie I was sold.

Ever since I made the jump to Android, I've found that there are always more things that make it my favorite mobile OS. And now that I've found Evie, I'm even more an Android fan.

Linux Mint, using Cinnamon, has become my favorite OS...

It has been three months since I came back to Linux Mint, and I've really enjoyed coming back.

I've always had a soft spot for Linux Mint, the distro is one of the best out there and Cinnamon is just really good looking. Cinnamon has gotten better with time, and with the 3.4 version it has become my favorite desktop.

In general, Linux Mint in general worked great for me. But, Ubuntu with Unity did a slightly better job and work a bit better for me. It seemed that Cinnamon just had to mature a bit more to surpass Unity, and become the better fit for me. It truly just works from the onset, and the design of Cinnamon makes it one of the most elegant desktops out there.

There are many ways to configure the way Cinnamon looks, and works, to make it your own. I know there are other distros out there that give the user more options on how to configure it, but Linux Mint gives more then enough options for the average user. And there are ways for advance users to change things, but that up to each user to decide how deep they want to go.

Linux Mint is one of those distros that I can recommend to user of any level; since it's easy to use and configure for beginners while advance users can expand it's capabilities if that what she or he wants.

And for that, Linux Mint has become the way to go for my personal computing.

Geekdom includes many kinds of people.

As a geek, one of the things that personally I find most annoying is that often people tell me I'm not because I don't fit the stereotype of how geeks are supposed to look, or act. Most often this comes from people who don't know me that much, since most of those who do really do see me as one.

It seems that most people don't realize how big the spectrum of interests and passions that geekdom cover, that they might not realize how many geeks they know and are close to. Most often than not, geeks have several interest that we follow with various degrees of interest.

Also, being a geek doesn't equate to social awkwardness. Yes, some geeks are somewhat awkward around people, but many of us can socialize quite easily with several kinds of people. Many actually are quite adept, and they love to, socialize since they pursuits mean they have to interact with people often. While sometimes they are just people persons, and socialize because they actually enjoy doing so.

I'm on those geeks that likes to socialize now and then, even go to have some beers to places not normally associated with geeks. I can enjoy a nice chat with people, though I prefer hanging out with close friends, or reading, much more.

While I embrace my geekdom, as do many of my closest friends, there are many who hesitate to do so because they fear the negative aspects of what being a geek is supposed to be. Don't be afraid, since its up to you how you define your geekdom.

Being a geeks isn't about being better, or worse, than those around you. Its about being yourself, and finding what makes you yourself.

Back to Linux Mint.

After a couple of years I decided to come back to Linux Mint. I was prompted to make the jump back after learning Ubuntu is going back to use GNOME 3 as its desktop environment by the 18.04 LTS.

Though I somewhat like GNOME 3, it doesn't really fit my needs or expectations. And while there are ways to make it work like Unity, personally I rather not do so if I can use another desktop environment that works and feels from the start.

Linux Mint has been, along with Ubuntu, one of my favorite operating systems. I usually elected Ubuntu because Unity had a slight advantage over Linux Mint Cinnamon desktop environment. The main reason for this was that Unity was a better fit for me, and that I simply liked it a bit more. I've always found Linux Mint to be a solid Linux distro, I just felt that Cinnamon had to mature a bit more.

The version of Linux Mint I'm using now is the 18.1 Serena, using Cinnamon 3.2.7. So far, I really would recommend it to anyone who wants a solid easy to use OS. Cinnamon has really come a long way, and has earn its place as my favorite desktop environment. In a way it gives credence to Linux Mint motto that from freedom came elegance.

And it not only helps Linux Mint an elegant OS, it makes it easy to use while it has a lot of ways to make it look and feel like you want it to. You can really make it feel yours easily.

Coming back to Linux Mint really felt like coming back home. And this time I'm planning to stay.

Smartphones, a the computer that we don't take as one...

Most people seem oblivious to that a fact that the smartphone they carry around everyday in their pocket, is in fact a mobile computer. As such, smartphones give us a whole new way on how we can interact with other people and the world in general.

Smartphones allow us to keep in contact with people and share with them, both in real time and asynchronously, in ways that were unimaginable even a few years ago.

Now the real question is what, with who, and how much should we share. Oversharing has become a real problem, as has sharing things with people we never intended in the first place. The fact that we can share any aspect of our lives, and our opinions, so easily makes it harder to make the choice.

As such, our privacy can be compromised if we don't give proper attention to what, and how, we share what we do. As such, one can't be to careful on these two aspects, since the negative effects of not being careful can have a huge impact in our lives.

The fact that we can share everything with everyone who is willing to pay attention to us, means that we should do so. Once we make public something, its almost impossible to take it back.

To be honest, the problem is not the smartphone or the apps that allows us to do so. The problem is that people need to be aware of this, and also of the tools that can help them to manage what they share. There is a need to educate on how best manage our social media.

As many technologies have done before, smartphones are redefining what it means to be human. And its upon us to make sure that the new definition is the best one we can make.

Evie Launcher, one more app why I love Android...

I've been an Android fan for some time now, yet until recently I have used the launcher that came installed on the Mobo device I got.

About 3 weeks ago I decided to try out some new launchers on the Mobo MB405(link in Spanish) I got , since the one it has by default didn't really make it for me.

After looking around a bit, I decided to give the Evie Launcher a try. Ever since I started using it, I fell in love with it. It's design, and just how it works, its very intuitive for me. From the start, it has been the best launcher app for how I use my smartphone.

When I decided to give Evie a try, I did have some reservations about it. Yet, after 3 weeks of using it on a daily basis I just feel in love with it. I've been using Android for at least a couple of years now, and Evie is the first launcher that has made my devices feel as truly mine.

Mixed feeling about Ubuntu switching back to GNOME.

Since I heard the news that Ubuntu is switching back to GNOME by Ubuntu 18.04 LTS next year, I must admit I've some mixed feeling about it.

I do understand the move, yet Unity has become my favorite user interface. Unity just works for me, and though you can make GNOME look like Unity I still would prefer not having to do that.

Back when Ubuntu used GNOME 2, I loved it. It simply it was a joy to use, and it was one of the main reasons why I want for Ubuntu as my distro of choice.

Then GNOME 3 came along, and while I do like it, I made the jump to Linux Mint to try it's Cinnamon user interface. At this time, it was a new piece of software and for whatever reason I hit a lot of bugs that interfered with my user experience. It has come a long way since then, and it became my 2nd favorite user interface.

At the time, I heard a lot of bad things about Unity. But, I decided to come back to Ubuntu and at least give it a try. I just fell in love with it, since it worked for me and the way it looks is just the way I want my desktop to look like out of the box.

To be honest, on the technical side of things I do thing is better for both Ubuntu and GNOME. Both sides will benefit from it, and most importantly Ubuntu users will get a great deal in the process.

Learn to set your pase based on the moment you are in...

It seems that many people has lost the ability to change pase, I mean to slow down or move faster depending on the situation they are at. The worst part of it, is that many seem unable to slow down and enjoy family, friends or just a nice meal.

Let's face it, the pase we are moving at has to go along with the moment we are at. Sometimes we have to speed things up, while in others we need to slow down. The ability to recognize these moments, and set our pase accordingly, is key not only for success, but for our well being. Not being able to speed up at the right moment means lost opportunities.

Yet, being unable to slow down means that we miss creating, or strengthening, bonds with people around us that make our lives a lot better. Also, it means we won't rest and recover physically and mentally to be take opportunities as they present themselves to us.

The key to find balance in our lives, is recognizing what's going around us and them set the pase that we need to make the most out of what is going on.

There isn't one pase on which to live life, the context of each passing moment is what should set the pase the dial in. Haste what needs to be, and linger on those moments that deserve it.

Time is one of out most precious treasures we have, and its one of the hardest to invest wisely.

Streaming services can be a win-win for artists and fans...

Music, TV series, and movies creator have had a thorny with the Internet. Its seen mostly as a enemy rather than an ally, since its easy for people to share media among themselves without the creators getting anything from their hard work.

The real question here isn't how to prevent people from sharing, but how to enable them to do so in a way that its easy and that benefits the creators as well.

Streaming services like Spotify, which I use and personally love, has make it a lot easier to listen to artist I already enjoy listening to and to discover new music. For me it has given me a practical way to enjoy music in a way that the artist can benefit as well, which is the ideal situation.

While I've issues with Spotify being proprietary, and that it uses digital rights management(DRM), I do believe its a step in a good direction to enable artists to receive the income they deserve. I'd love to see Spotify becoming free and open source software, and ditch DRM, its a start. And while there are free and open source options out there, like OBS Studio, none comes close to give me what Spotify does.

We need to give artists more reasons to use streaming services to release the music, and not to use DRM. It can be done, I do see these services as beneficial for the relationship of artists and their fans to connect with each other in a deeper way than ever before.

The question artists should be making is not why should they use streaming services. It should be how can I use it to make meaningful connections with my fans that are beneficial for everyone involved. Embracing it, and actively making it better way to make media available to fans, is way better than trying people stop using it.

The Internet is here to stay, and people will share media on it one way or another. So, how can we make it practical and easier for people to do so in a way that helps creator earn a living. I strongly believe that streaming services are key to make that a reality.

Make Mass Transit An Option...

The importance of public transit doesn't seem to understood by many, both by politicians and the common people as the attack on California's railroad shows.

There is a need to make it easier for people and goods to move around in other ways than cars, both locally and on longer trips. Cars aren't the most efficient or environmentally friendly way to do so, as such there need to be options to help people leave it behind that are as practical and easy as their car.

As cities grow, there is a need to move away from cars to really move as much people as possible in an efficient, friendly, and easy around. We need to make mass transit an integral part of our cities, one that adds value to them and the first option to move around them. In a way, we need to make people feel at home at their communities, not just at their house or apartment.

There need to many reasons for people want to get out and to know that happens around them. What local shops have to offer, and who patronize them. Who are their neighbors, and to make what happens on their community something worth knowing and being a part of it. A bus system, subways and the like can make this happen by allowing people to actually move in a way that allows meaningful interactions with their community and other people.

Mass transit benefits are to many to ignore, and they impact to many different areas of our lives in a positive way.

Only together can we build a better world...

One of the things that Donald Trumps actions as the US president have shown, is how interconnected the world has become. All countries, and their citizens, are connected to each other in some way.

Directly, or indirectly, all what one country does affects all others. The world has really become smaller, and we all can feel the impact of what happens in any other place in some way or another. We all have to face the fact that no country can so things all on its own, and that it's on everyone best interest to continue the integration to be able to improve every person quality of life.

The question isn't if global integration is good, its how to do so in a way that it benefits as many people as possible and how to reduce the negative effects.

Instead of building walls, we should be building bridges and trust. Only through cooperation can we hope to build a better future. Only by bringing people in, and giving them a stake on the future we want to build, there is a real chance that we can actually build such a future.

Dividing people, or trying to keep them divided, will only mean that we won't have the better world we all want and work hard to build. Only by working together, in concert with each other, there is a chance to build that world we want to live in.

The focus should be on making any one country great, but to help humanity as a whole achieve greatness together. Divided we'll fall, together we'll reach far beyond our wildest dreams.

Our data, our property...

The data we produce everyday, can turn out to be much more valuable than we imagine on our hyper connected world. Data is at the core of who we are, and could be used in our favor or against us.

Everything we do on daily basis, generates data that defines us in some way or another. In way, data can be seen as a way that could be used as a lens
through which others can build an impression of who we are.

It shows who we are, what motivates us to act a certain way, what are our philias and phobias. When put in context, that data can be used to reveal things that otherwise we wouldn't share. That's why is of upmost importance to protect it, since it can be used in ways that we don't intend to or are against our interests.

We should be able to decide what data we share, with who, and for what purposes. So it goes with who the data we shared can be forwarded to third parties, and for what purpose.

Even though our data is not something tangible, it should be considered as private property and treated as such. It has to be our right to choose to who we share data, what data we share and for what purpose. Any use of our data without our consent has to be prevented, and it's misused punished.

It should be a given that our data should be dealt with privately, only shared with third parties with our permission. Even how that data is shared should be in a way that we feel comfortable with, and for uses that we agree with.

At the end of the day, that data is an integral part of our identity. Because of this, it should be treated with utmost confidentiality.

A era comes to a close...

The first week of 2017, and Yahoo! decline seems to finally coming to it's end. Verizon is closing Yahoo as we know it, transforming it into an investment company called Altaba.

Yahoo! was acquired by Verizon last year, and it kind of makes sense for Verizon to make such a move. While in the 90's and some fo the 00's Yahoo was a force to be recon with the Internet, it has become rather irrelevant now.

People has moved on to other places, like Google, Facebook, or Twitter. Even the way people interact with the Internet has changed drastically, with many using a smartphone as their main, if not only, way to access it. We even use TV's and tablets to access some of the content on the Internet.

While Yahoo will become Altaba, it does mark an end of an era for some of us who have been around for a while. My second e-mail account was a Yahoo! one, which became my primary one since I didn't wanted to keep using my hotmail one.

I've mixed feeling about Yahoo's demise, since I've some fond memories of my experience using it's services. Yet, I've moved on to other services that better suit my need, like Gmail for my e-mail.

So, it seems time to bid farewell to Yahoo! and move to other things.