Why my "Have You in Circles" number is not shared

The first reason dates back to when I started using G+.  Two of my first three circlers were, and still are as far as I can tell, bots.  Out of vanity, I decided not to display that number until the percentage of real circlers increased.

The second reason, and the reason the number remains blocked, is that it doesn't matter.  It may reflect on the quality of my posts, but it has no relationship to me as a person.  

This second point was brought home when I read a tweet from a well known figure in which he belittled someone's opinion based on the number of followers that person had.  He was equating a person's value with their popularity; and that is shortsighted.

I'll let my posts and comments stand on their own, without a circle count to give them validity.  It's simpler that way.

Review: Isotoner SmarTouch Stretch Leather Gloves

Isotoner SmarTouch gloves incorporate conductive thread in the tips of the fingers.  The thread conveys electrical impulses from the fingers to touchscreens.  There is a "small print" note on the packaging that states: "Fingertips must reach end of glove to properly engage conductive thread.

I decided to try these as the temperature started dropping a few weeks ago.  I had started walking (OK, playing Ingress ) during my lunch break, and didn't want to have to stop just because it was getting too cold to operate the phone.

These gloves are the same design as the regular isotoner leather gloves I have been using for the better part of a  decade.  I expect that if you have used Isotoners in the past, you can find a conductive version somewhere.  I suggest going to a retail store and trying them on for size.

The Stretch Leathers have conductive thread in the tips of the thumbs and forefingers.  The thumbs seem to work better than the forefingers, but they all work.  In general, you are looking at two-handed operation; both when holding the phone in one hand and tapping with the other and when using both hands for two finger operations.

The patches of conductive thread are on the large side; if your fingers reach the end of the glove they should work.  One issue I had was that the lining interfered with the contact in one finger.  It turns out that the lining, in the fingers, is not secured to anything. In the fingers with the patches, the lining is just folded back upon itself.  All I had to do to "fix" the glove was invert the finger and tuck the lining out of the way - since then... no problems.

Using the gloves is not foolproof. The pads have less accuracy than your fingers as they are stiff and have a sizable surface area. Sometimes it takes a few attempts to register an input and at least twice I have had to curse to get them to work.  Some patience is required and it can get a bit frustrating at times.

I am happy with the gloves and will continue to use them.

tl;dr They work, but it takes a bit of practice to figure out their limitations.

Griffin Moto X Vehicle Dock - Review

First Impressions in no particular order:

1) The phone plugs into the dock; and the charging cable plugs into the back of the dock.  One end of the cradle has a micro-USB plug which mates with the phone.

2) There are better mounting arm designs out there.  If you have to mount it on the dash, the display is going to be at an angle.  My current dock has a better suction cup, this one will work with glass or with a provided disk that you can attach to the dash.

3) Putting/plugging the phone into the dock activates car mode.  If you are on Verizon, it initiates Verizon Navigator - until you disable it.  (Disabling apps is super easy on the Moto X - unlike my previous phone.)

4) The cradle appears well designed.  It does not interfere with access to the control buttons.  While the micro-USB should hold one side in place, whether the other end will survive a bumpy ride is up in the air.  (They just repaved my commute route.  We'll see what happens after the winter when the road gets beat up a bit.)

5)  Car Mode ... who knew.  It isolates the icons for voice search and Google Now on the left side of the screen. It also puts the display in landscape mode; that's a plus.

Now to figure out where to mount it.