Aviously

Motorola Replaces – A Year Later

@iAmAviG

September 1, 2015

I’ve had my Moto X (2014) since late October of 2014, and it’s one of the best phones I’ve ever had.

In recent weeks the battery has started to die quicker — meaning when I’d hit 11% it would just suddenly drop to 1% and then die.
Taking their suggestion I performed a factory reset, and the battery seemed to be fixed.

That is until the next day when the Bluetooth would randomly start falling out. I’d be connected to my 360, my car, my Automatic, etc. and suddenly the phone would start pinging “____ requests to connect to Bluetooth”.
And no matter how often I reconnected them, they’d keep dropping off.

Motorola to the rescue though. They sent me a brand new phone (EXACTLY like my current one, with proper bamboo backplate and my name emblazoned on it) at no charge to me, and I sent them back my phone.

Talk about going above and beyond and keeping my life simple!

PS. Thanks to Android backups, the new phone was out of the box and fully operational (to how my old phone had been…apps and all) within an hour.

The End of iTunes Festivals

@iAmAviG

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August 31, 2015

Last year I happily wrote about the iTunes Festival and how I looked forward to it every year.

This year, as part of Apples rebranding through Apple Music, they have cut it down to just 10 days, and renamed it the “Apple Music Festival” still at the Roundhouse in London.

The lineup isn’t that impressive to me, but it may be because most music these days is junk and that’s who they are pushing (*ahem*One Direction*ahem*).

Other artists so far announced include Pharrell Williams, Disclosure, and Florence + The Machine.

A Family Stands Together #WeStandWithWDBJ

@iAmAviG

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August 27, 2015

People stand with groups and communities all the time. But in this case it’s different for me. This time it’s personal.

Media and TV Stations are a unique group that I am proud to be a part of, and when something like yesterday happens, it ripples through our control rooms in a sad way.

While these people are “talking heads” and “field reporters” to most people who turn on their TV, to us they are co-workers, friends, and sometimes even family.

Because of how the industry is, a lot of people move between markets (especially the smaller ones) and you meet a lot of people who end up working across the country, and this makes the “Six Degrees of Separation” a lot smaller.

Rest In Peace to two people who were just doing their job, just trying to bring the viewers the news, and got blindsighted by someone looking for 15-minutes of fame with a social media video.
Thankfully Facebook and Twitter did the right thing and immediately pulled it before it gained traction.

Getting My @Paramore Fix

@iAmAviG

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August 26, 2015

Recently I’ve been listening to a lot of Paramore, and I don’t think it’s possible to get too much of them.

From their early stuff (such as the ever popular Misery Business) to their Grammy-winning Ain’t It Fun they constantly put on a great show.

One of the videos I’ll throw on in the background is their iTunes Festival show from 2013 which is always a great way to spend an hour+!

Madden NFL 16 – Review

@iAmAviG

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August 25, 2015

Thanks again to EA Access for allowing me to review it as the game comes out today, and Madden NFL 16 is a decent game, better than last years, rating it as an 8 out of 10.

PRESENTATION

Continuing on last years spectacular presentation, the game continues to have great graphics, from the players through the stats packages.

GAME PLAY

A step up from last year, as EA rolled out all new options on both sides of the ball. Great new options on how to catch the ball (Possession vs. Aggressive, etc.) really helps you on offense break out that really big play, and on defense lets you step in and pick the ball off…or make the wrong choice and give up the huge pass.

Also the off-the-snap defensive options have been tinkered with, and if you don’t time yourself just right can get called for the “Neutral Zone Infraction” for making the Offense jump a bit.

MODES

The new Draft Champions mode is very cool, allowing you to draft players from all over, to add to a randomized team, making it like an ultimate fantasy draft, and play up against the CPU or other users…
While the idea is great (and I love being able to use Legends (Hi John Elway!)) the game mode is all of 3 games and then you are finished Round 1!
Make it a little longer and more challenging?

The other cool mode is Tutorials, which literally teach beginners everything from who each position is, and what their role on the field is — to how to use each player to their potential — and how to put it all together to have the best game possible.
This makes it very easy for someone completely new to the sport to hop right in and play!
And if I remember correctly, I think they are adding that to NHL 16 this year as well.

COPIED FROM LAST YEARS REVIEW…BECAUSE IT STILL ISN’T FIXED!!!

COIN TOSS

Sure, I may sound like I am getting picky…but why did Madden GET RID OF THE COIN TOSS?!?! It seems so minuscule, but personally, I like to start off on defense when I play, and they’ve taken that option out of my hands. Whilst I am uncertain if my team won or lost the coin toss in each game I played, I was always the receiving team off the top, which is an option that should be simple enough for me to make myself.

FINAL THOUGHTS

While I likely will buy this game at some point (as I always do with Madden), I am holding on for now to my purchasing options as I wait to buy NHL 16 and maybe even FIFA 16, both due out in September.

TVs Hottest Show

@iAmAviG

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August 24, 2015

I may have been late to the party, but I finally started watching, and upon completing Season 1, I gotta say this show really has it going!

Top notch actors.
Alcohol and Drugs.
Powerful female singers.
Strong political men.
Corruption.
And of course: Fresh music.

The music was new, and very catchy, so naturally I have added all the music to my Rdio playlist already.

Did I mention that it isn’t Empire that I’m talking about?
Nope. Lovin’ me some Nashville over here!

Back 'Em Up

@iAmAviG

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August 21, 2015

With most people having converted over to smart phones, it’s very important to remember to back your contacts up.

It wasn’t too long ago that people would be posting online: “Lost my phone! Send me your numbers.”

Thankfully we have evolved from that since the cloud has emerged, but not enough people have the correct options turned on to back up those contacts.

For starters, using “Verizon Backup” or any other Carrier cloud seems like a good idea, especially when they give you free space…but what happens when you want to switch to a new provider? Now you have to deal with someone at your original carrier to get your items moved.
Similarly you have “Motorola Backup” and other handset companies offering their clouds…which leaves you with the same problem if you switch to a new device.

The simple answer is to go with Google backups. Android devices are generally set to back up to your Google account, IF you save your contacts to the account, instead of to the phone.
If you get a new Android device, simply log into your account, and it’ll pull your contacts in. This works also with iOS (pulling from a Google account) if you choose to go to iPhone.

Don’t forget to back up your contacts, photos (Google Photos) and anything else that you’d cry over if you lose. Don’t say “I’ll just take care of it tomorrow” since you never know when a device will stop working/break!

Back ‘Em Up

@iAmAviG

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August 21, 2015

With most people having converted over to smart phones, it’s very important to remember to back your contacts up.

It wasn’t too long ago that people would be posting online: “Lost my phone! Send me your numbers.”

Thankfully we have evolved from that since the cloud has emerged, but not enough people have the correct options turned on to back up those contacts.

Rabbi Yehuda Friedman ZTL/”Uncle Ernie” Passes Away – BDE/R.I.P.

@iAmAviG

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August 20, 2015

To some he was Rabbi Yehuda Friedman, to others he was Dad, yet to me and my family he was always “Uncle Ernie”, as my Grandmothers Sisters Husband.

Uncle Ernie was a great man. Always there when someone needed him and lead a great life, constantly learning and striving for more.

My fathers dad passed away when he was 2, and Uncle Ernie stepped in and became his father figure, and for that I will always be grateful.

Every seven years Jews around the world gather for the completion of Gemara (Talmud), at an event known as the “Siyum HaShas”, for those that learned a page of Gemara a day (hence the seven year cycle).
Uncle Ernie participated in seven of them, teaching it for many, many years.
At the most recent Siyum they showed a video on the big screen at Met Life stadium, and streamed around the world, and they featured him as a Torah Leader.
Uncle Ernie also spent many years helping out in shuls around Washington D.C.

As I sat there yesterday watching a LiveStream of the funeral (below) I couldn’t help but feel such a loss for the world.
http://livestream.com/accounts/369387/events/4007047/videos/96695545/player?width=480&height=270&autoPlay=false&mute=false

Those that knew him will surely miss him. And those that hadn’t had an opportunity to meet him, believe me when I tell you you couldn’t meet a nicer person.

He now rests side-by-side with his wife, Aunt Chana, whose lovelingness (and cookies) are missed every day.

Hamakom yenachem etchem b’toch she’ar aveilei tzion v’yerushalayim — “May G-d comfort you, together with all mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.”

Fall Movie Outlook

@iAmAviG

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August 17, 2015

Here are a few of the movies I am looking forward to this fall:

Sleeping With Other People — September 11 — Your typical love story where the girl meets her ex and has to figure her way through life.
Starring: Alison Brie, Adam Scott, Jason Sudeikis

The Intern — September 25 — A senior intern takes an unexpected role in a boss’ life.
Starring: Robert De Niro, Anne Hathaway, Andrew Rannells

Pan — October 9 — The origin story of Peter Pan featuring an amazing Blackbeard.
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Garrett Hedlund

Bridge of Spies — October 16 — Tom Hanks starring as an American lawyer who exchanges a Russian spy for an imprisoned American pilot.
Starring: Tom Hanks, Amy Ryan

Jem and the Holograms — October 23 — The potential for this movie to flop is very high…or it can turn into the next big thing (ala Pitch Perfect)…Live-action based on the 80s animated show.
Starring: Aubrey Peeples, Molly Ringwald

Spectre — November 6 — 007. Bond, James Bond. That’s enough to get anyone in a theater.
Starring: Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz

Spotlight — November 6 — The Boston Globes investigation to the Massachusetts Catholic sex abuse scandal.
Starring: Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 — November 20 — Nothing more needs to be said about the finale to this tri(quad)logy.
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth

Star Wars: The Force Awakens — December 18 — One of the most highly anticipated movies in years, this movie is sure to break almost every record in the books.
Starring: Harrison Ford, Adam Driver

Sisters — December 18 — It’ll be tough for anyone to debut the same time as Star Wars…but if anyone has a chance it’s one of the strongest comedic duos today.
Starring: Tina Fey, Amy Poehler

Joy — December 25 — The story of the women who created the Miracle Mop. Loaded with great talent and an amazing Director (David O. Russell {American Hustle, Silver Linings Playbook}).
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro

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