Merry Christmas! Courtesy of my favorite comic strip

Merry Christmas!!!

Santa says, “Merry Christmas and thanks for being a Doc’s Tech Notes reader this past year!”

Check iPhone Message and Data Usage

Today I am proud to present Doc’s Tech Notes first guest post. And this one is from none other than Katherine, my daughter. This is a proud day for Dad!

Ever wonder how many texts you’ve sent, or how much of your mere two gigs of data you’ve used? Don't you wish there were a way to check your messages and data usage without calling AT&T or going through the hassle of finding it online? Hit the link below to read more.

SketchUp Model: Ross Administration Building

{This post is still in draft status and will be updated/corrected soon} Among my many hobbies, I also like to revisit my original vocation: drafting and design. For several years I was heavily involved in the use of AutoCAD and 3D Studio. I even co-authored several books. My career took a detour about 10 years ago and I have since forgotten many of my AutoCAD skills; however, I still like to revisit and dabble in 3D modeling.

When Google SketchUp was released, I was elated. Finally, a powerful, free (pro version available) and easy modeling package that both hobbyist and professionals can use. I dove into the software, purchased a couple of books and viewed all the online tutorials I could find. When it comes to 3D modeling, there is no easier package than Google SketchUp.

As I identified potential hobbyist models, a goal was to create a model that I would submit to the Google SketchUp 3D Warehouse. I also wanted that model to be accepted into the Google Earth 3D Building Layer. The Ross Administration Building on our campus seemed to be the perfect model.

View the rest of the Tech Note to learn more and to see more images of the model.

Over 100,000 served

This morning, while reviewing comments, I noticed that Doc’s Tech Notes has now served over 100,000 page views. I understand for many blogs this number is just a drop in the hat; however, as a single person operation, I am very pleased. I am even more pleased that several readers have taken the time to drop a comment of thanks or to add to the Tech Notes.

“Thanks Readers!”

See view the most popular posts, hit the link below.

Holiday Flurry of Deals

I started to add this post to Google+; however I decided to post it here instead. Amazon’s Holiday Flurry Deals have begun at the Amazon AppStore for Android. There are many good Android app deals available for Kindle Fire and Android phone users.


This is a good time to try out some apps that may have seemed a bit costly at full price. While you review the apps available, check out my new favorite addition to the store, Plex (which is 60% off for a limited time). This app ties in nicely with my Mac mini Media Center project. I’ll write more about this app in a later post.

You can check out all the deals by clicking, Amazon AppStore for Android and selecting the Holiday Flurry Deals on the right-hand side of the screen. If you see an extra special deal or an app that didn’t make it to my recommended Kindle Fire app list, please consider dropping a comment below and adding to this Tech Note. I’ll be sure to do the same. Let the app downloads begin.