Android blogger app - minor issue & fix

I have an Android tablet I use for email, Facebook, Twitter and light blogging.  The App I use is Blogger from Google.  I like it as it is simple and fast and normally very stable.  Today when I was syncing up my latest blogs I got an error with the account and it wanted me to add one.  I tried to add back in my current Google account, but, it wouldn't let me.  The fix was to uninstall the app and reinstall.  When it is reinstalled it will ask me for what account and I selected my main Google account.  Once that was done I got my blog and posts back.

I like the app as it allows me to do a quick backup to my Android device and I can quickly compose a blog when traveling and don't have network access.  I don't need all the bells and whistles, just be able to compose the basic text of the blog.  When I have access to a network I use my Linux laptop to clean up the blog and add any images required.  The images are stored in my Google Drive so I have the images where ever I go even if I don't have my laptop.  When I get the laptop I then run my Linux Bash script to sync the local drive with Google drive.

Next up is to do more reading about Blogger and see if there is a way I can script a backup of my blogs to the Linux machine so I don't lose my work.

Update:  I found there is a backup option.  Google has a post on how to do this.  It worked, but, it is a massive XML file.

Update 2:  There is a facility called Google Takeout.  It allows you to backup more than just blogger. You pick off what you want to backup and then it builds a ZIP file that they will send you a link to download the file.  Time to test this out.

Starting to build the backup

Waiting for that email, USB stick is ready!

Received the email that the backup is ready.  It is two files and several gigs for each.  This is a nice tool that allows you to backup your data.

Microsoft - Did you really test the latest release?

I have one and only one Windows based machine and everything else is Linux.  When Microsoft offered the update to Windows 10 I did the upgrade.  I wasn't worried as I could revert back to 8.1 and my work machine is Linux so if things gets messed up I still have a computer.  When I did the upgrade from Win 8.1 to Win 10 I lost the ability to use the scanner.  The scanner was only a couple of years old, but, the manufacturer didn't have a driver and the manufacturer isn't making a driver for that model in Win 10.  That wasn't a problem as my Linux machine could use the scanner so I didn't have to go out and buy a new supported scanner.

The big thing that pisses me off right now is the anniversary update to Windows 10.  I don't know what they tested, how they tested or even if they tested.  The machine right now is so unstable at times it is almost unusable.  Part of the time it will 'hang' and then I get a black screen or blue screen and have to do a hard reboot.  Most days I want to use the machine I end up rebooting 2 to 3 times before it runs.  This isn't an old machine, this is a fairly new and HIGH end Dell laptop that I use for one of the online games.  I also use it for storing all of my digital images and videos (1 Tb drive).  I also use it for photo editing and video editing and before the update it was rock solid and fast.  Now when it does work it takes minutes to boot, slow for the first several minutes and takes over 2 minutes to shut down.

I patched everything for drivers to the most current and it still locks up on a regular basis.  What I want to know is how does Microsoft test their software as I am not the only person having this problem and there isn't one common fix for everyone.  This suggests to me that there is something in a Microsoft software component that is causing the problem and we don't have the ability to be able to see what it is and disable that piece (if possible).

Upside right now is I have a backup of all of my images, videos and documents so that is safe.  Microsoft says they are looking into it and may have a fix, but, this is why I am using Linux.  When there is a major issue I can quickly roll back to the prior kernel or package and continue on with my work.

I wonder how many were not prepared for that power outage

On Canada day we had an interesting severe storm roll through the Ottawa area.  Where I live we lost power at the start of the storm.  Not a problem here as we have prepared for that ahead of time and the house was lit with solar lamps.  When I looked out and around the neighborhood I saw that only a few places were dimly lit and the majority of houses and apartments were black.  The power did come back on, but, we were without power for over six hours.  I will admit we may not be totally prepared, but, we have enough to easily get through almost a week with no power.

• Radios:  We have a battery powered radio and two solar/windup radios.
• Batteries: With all of our various devices I have over the last several years invested in almost 36 rechargeable batteries.  I keep them charged and an excess of 12 are ready to replace those devices that need them.
• Lights:  Two windup flashlights and almost three dozen solar lamps in our backyard can be re-purposed to lighting the house.  We also have several dollar store puck lights and several small flashlights.  I check the lights on a regular basis and when they get low I swap out the batteries for freshly charged ones.
• Food:  We normally keep the pantry filled with canned and dry goods that need little cooking.  We also have to manual can openers so no problems opening the canned good.  We use them everyday and get continuously replaced so the stock isn't that old.  There is enough to allow us to go over a few weeks without a problem.
• Water:  I don't keep a stock of water, but, I keep a five gallon and two one gallon collapsible jugs on hand that can be filled.  I also keep old plastic detergent jugs and an old five gallon container in the basement we would fill for water to be used in the toilet.  Several years ago we had to use this when we had a water main break.  Once they were filled we can go several days without worrying about water.
• Cooking:  In our backyard we have a BBQ.  We do a lot of grilling year round so I bought a second tank that I securely store away from the BBQ.  With the two tanks we can go well over a week cooking two meals a day without a problem.
• Medicines:  I keep all of our medicines in a plastic container.  It makes it easy for me to keep organized and they are all in one location.  A hard copy of the medicines, when to take them are in the box.  An electronic copy of the medications and doctor list is kept on multiple electronic devices.
• Papers:  I have a fire resistant safe with all of the important documents in one secure location.

When the power went out I

• Turned off all of the power bars to our electronic devices.
• Shut down all the laptop computers, tablet and cell phones (except one cell phone).
• All lights switches to off.
• Left the fridge and freezer alone to keep them as cold as possible.

If you want to know more the Government of Canada has a good site for emergency preparedness.  We may not be totally prepared in an emergency, but, we have the basics to last at least a week.