Cheap solutions for 2nd p2p phone

short link http://j.mp/1suyDK3
Now that Uber released their driver app for Android and Iphone, some drivers have commented that they still prefer two phones and were looking for a cost effective way to provide service to both phones.

Cheap / free mobile calls over voip

short link http://j.mp/1f2Dsmz
Previously, I had used Talkatone to make free outgoing calls over Google Voice via xmpp. On May 15, 2014, Google is dropping support for third party xmpp access. After some research and experimentation, I found this workaround. Perhaps it's cumbersome, but it's a one time setup for ongoing free calls.

Hotmail custom From addresses, unknown mobile workaround

For completeness, I researched how to configure Hotmail to use custom From addresses. Hotmail's implementation has gaps that make it the least desirable of the three email services I reviewed so far (Gmail and Yahoo Mail being the other two).

Mobile Yahoo mail custom "From" addresses

Previously, I posted a workaround for using Gmail's custom "From" feature in nonstandard views. Here I discuss setting up and using Yahoo Mail's custom "From" feature.

Mobile, nonstandard Gmail custom "From" addresses

If you use Gmail, you may be familiar with its custom "From" feature. This feature lets you use your Gmail account to originate mail with an alternate From address, say a business address.

This is great when composing mail on your desktop, but I found this feature is not directly available in "basic HTML", "mobile web", or from the Android client. Here is a workaround I discovered.

HP laptop surgery – it lives!

Part 3 in the continuing saga of the broken trackpad button.

Thanks to my friends Phillips the screwdriver, a very well written and illustrated HP service manual, outstanding HP design, and my HTC Hero phone (serving as camera), I succeeded in near total disassembly, replacing the top cover, and restoring my laptop to working order. Total surgical time: 1h 40m. I didn't lose any blood or otherwise injury myself, and ended the procedure with no extra screws, wires, or other parts.