• 0 No Menthol Sunday

    • Apps
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 05/16/2025

    Did you know that there is a national USA push for a law to remove menthol from tobacco products? This year, Sunday May 18th is a nationwide day of action led by The Center for Black Health & Equity. No Menthol Sunday Do you support organizations that provide resources for you, your family, or your friends struggling with a tobacco or vaping addiction? If you do, you'll want to learn more about this positive grassroots effort at https://nomentholsunday.org Our own resource to open your ears about smoking is the Quit Smoking Audio Book App for iOS and Android we developed. I've written a lot about this subject. Here are just a few posts: The Great American Smokeout Smoke Free, Fresh Air Motivation Blowing Cigarette Smoke During A Pandemic Quit Smoking App Ignores Doctors Nicotine Knowledge Quit Smoking Audiobook

  • 0 Black History Mobile App Feedback

    • Feedback
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 05/07/2025

    I always appreciate your support when leaving feedback about any of the mobile apps we've developed. Your ideas and thoughts contribute to ongoing tweaks and updates. Both of the opinions below are in the Google Play store about Black History Express knowledge base, and R&B and Hip Hop Quiz Game. These reviews are automatically forwarded to me when verified by Google. You can always contact me directly with your questions and feedback. iOS fans, yes we appreciate your App Store feedback too!      A User has written a new review for Black History Express       

  • 0 Skype Sails Away

    Have you used Skype recently? The app started with voice, expanded to video, then embraced file-sharing during its fourteen year run with Microsoft. Some app developers that I've worked with in the past, have insisted on using Skype for two-way communication. This is one of the reasons why I had to jump onboard. When I learned Skype was going the way of MCI, I immediately deleted Skype from a couple of PC's to regain hard disk storage space. Note, the long-gone MCI Inc. was a telecommunications company. During their day, MCI was the second-largest long-distance telephone company in the United States behind AT&T. In recent years, Skype usage has dramatically dropped. Occasionally, you'd still see a live Skype video connection on a podcast or television interview. Skype seemed to always present technical problems when using the app on a smart phone. Now that Skype is out as of May 5, the preexisting Microsoft Teams app will be pushed as a replacement. Update as of May 5 Here's what you'll see if you try to open Skype Now...

  • 0 Rooting Out Bad Streaming Audio Actors

    They were amusing to listen to. They popped up from who knows where? Their invasion happened about nine years ago. You've heard them in English, but maybe have not had the experience of relishing these audio sounds in Spanish! What do you do when you boot up your laptop / PC, switch on speakers, and out comes non-stop ads for U-S American branded fast food chains and soda pop? Please don't say "you turn off the audio!" This happened to me. I was lucky. The offending intruder didn't do anything more malicious. Did I mention that all of the ads were spoken in Spanish? I wasn’t in Spain or Mexico. I was in Alexandria, Virginia. It was humorous entertainment for about 5 minutes, but the interloping audio could not be silenced. I'd restart or turn off the PC, cycle it on again, turn on the speakers, and get assaulted one more time by more hideous audio ads. How this 'app' got through the firewall, malicious software removal tools, and the defender antivirus I will never know. A high performance power wash After trying several hard drive cleansing solutions over several days without success, I gave the Malwarebytes app a try. The company Malwarebytes currently bills its software as the "#1 malware removal and protection software." They claim to provide "Cyber protection for everyone." Using their tool, a rootkit was discovered on my drive. The company says "rootkits are a kind of malware that can give a threat actor control of your computer without your consent or knowledge. Rootkits are particularly dangerous because they are designed to hide their presence on your device." Even with my experience, I was not able to detect the rootkit without using the Malwarebytes solution. Malwarebytes did its job, removed the rootkit, and put the serenade of Spanish language audio ads to bed. Their software is one tool I've been using ever since this event occurred. Trust, verify, or pass on online file converters? Here's another tip. I never use online file converters. You should be very careful with them. Pieter Arntz, a Malware intelligence Researcher with Malwarebytes Labs unpacks all of this in his article a Warning over free online file converters that actually install malware. (You'll go to the Malwarebytes website).

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    0 Goodbye Amazon Appstore for Android devices

    Wow! I am not surprised. Early this morning, I received an email from the Amazon App Developer folks with some sad but expected news. Before this news is fully explained, back on February 16, 2022, these good Amazon App Developer folks sent this note: "Get ready to reach new customers on Windows 11." The Android system on Windows 11 was a nightmare. On March 20, 2024 I wrote "An Android Flirt with Windows 11." Read my thoughts. So, three years and three days since the first Android on Windows 11 notice, Amazon has announced that "the Amazon Appstore on Android devices and the Amazon Coins program will be discontinued on August 20, 2025."  That's the lead! Note, we never participated in the Coins program. Honestly, the vast majority of our app downloads come from Google Play and the Apple App Store. Despite that fact, we still get a significant number of Amazon App Store downloads. In the past 365 Days, here are our top five apps in the Amazon App Store ranked in order by downloads: Thanksgiving Retro Match 3  Game Always Thanksgiving Match 3 Game Black History Quiz Black History People Video Poker Jacks or Better Game I've had the best experience working with the Amazon engineers who evaluate and test apps before they are admitted to the store. Google has been the most difficult to work with. I believe that is due to AI doing most of their heavy lifting. Apple is somewhat easier to work with than Google. As of February 19, 2025, app developers can no longer submit new apps that target Android devices to the Amazon App Store. Updates for current apps will be allowed until service is discontinued on August 20, 2025. I want to thank you, who have Fire phones or Kindle tablets, for supporting us on the Amazon App Store platform since October 23, 2013 when the original Black History Quiz app was added (to Amazon). We've had other apps in Amazon's Android store before 2013, but Black History Quiz was our first popular app in their store. Amazon adds this warning: "Starting August 20, 2025, any apps downloaded from the Amazon Appstore will not be guaranteed to operate on Android devices. Amazon Appstore, however, will continue to be available on Fire TVs and Fire Tablets."

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    0 Celebrating 7 Black History Inventors

    Alice Parker, Sarah Boone and Valerie L. Thomas may not be familiar household names. When you go to sleep, you may not think about Sarah Goode.  There are a lot of Black women who have received U-S patents for their ingenious inventions, as have the three mentioned above. We've included seven of them in the 54 person collection of Black History Inventors mobile app for Android and iOS with audio profiles included. Dive right in, and watch my short video to discover more.

  • 0 3 Black History Mobile App Winners

    Year in and year out, Black History Express, Black History Quiz, and Black History Quotes Express are three of our most popular mobile apps. It's always fun to share your authentic thoughts about our apps with the focus on which titles you love the most. Here are just a few comments directly from Google Play. Black History Quiz and Black History Quotes Express are both Android and iOS. Black History Express App    Black History Quiz App            Black History Quotes Express App     How to get them You can go to the highlighted individual app pages at the top of this update in the first paragraph.

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    0 National Puzzle Day, Lunar New Year, and Black History Month

    • Puzzles
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 01/29/2025

    If you didn't wrap your brain around National Puzzle Day or Lunar New Year on January 29, here are two different puzzles for you to tackle on your mobile device at any time going into February's Black History Month. The apps Black History Picture Puzzle for Android has over 40 mind teasers you can take on in both easy and hard modes. Touch the game pieces to build the pictures. Zodiac Signs Jigsaw Puzzle for Android and iOS features 150 total levels across easy, medium and hard gameplay. Solve the puzzles by moving the jigsaw pieces into the correct position. Grab the games now! 

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    0 Run Fun Mobile Game App

    • Games
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 01/10/2025

    Here's a quick video of a new mobile game app we are just finishing up. Run Fun is not the name, and you won't see mouse pointers in it when it's complete.  Ha Ha. I'm developing the game for Android with Unity, the real-time 3D development engine. If people like it, then we'll quickly add it to iOS. 

  • 0 7 Day Cyber Week Always Quikthinking Shop Special

    • Shop
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 12/02/2024

    25% off everything and free shipping is always a great deal. Seven days only. Go to the Always Quikthinking Shop, touch the button "Redeem," and select from hoodies, tees, mugs, magnets, and more. Get your Red Capped Holiday Sweatshirt available for a limited time only. Electrify your party time! Watch the quick video for my personal message to you. Seven days only!

  • 0 Bluesky Social Media

    I hope you'll join me hangin' with the butterflies. @kingsleyhsmith.bsky.social so stop by to see what condition my condition is in. You'll like Bluesky.

  • 0 The Great American Smokeout

    Almost every day of the week, your calendar has a special event. In November, The Great American Smokeout targets the third Thursday, encouraging smokers to think about a healthier life. The high cost of a highly taxed product  How can I tell that smoking in my community is diminishing? Not one empty cigarette box was tossed on neighborhood streets in recent years. Did the citizens suddenly quit litterbug habits? Not exactly. These empty cartons used to be a big problem. In New Jersey where we are, according to the SalesTaxHandbook website, an average pack will cost you $7.66. New York tops the list with an average cost of $10.45 per pack. When prices go up, demand for the product may change. Luckily, I have never smoked, but some family members have. A healthier community is a happier one. Watch this short 29 second video, showing you with audio the valuable resource we created: Quit Smoking Audiobook for iOS and Android. You'll hear sample excerpts from three of the twenty-five chapters. Bonus. Don't miss these three important updates in the blog: Smoke Free, Fresh Air Motivation Blowing Cigarette Smoke During A Pandemic Quit Smoking App Ignores Doctors Nicotine Knowledge

  • 0 Tears for X

    On November 14, 2024, I deactivated all three of my Twitter - X accounts, including the one for Quikthinking Software. The link to this account across this website will eventually disappear. I haven't posted to Twitter - X since February, 2023. The decision was made at that time to no longer support the platform. Why now have I chosen to deactivate the accounts? X changed their terms of service Effective November 15, 2024, this was added to their user legalese...  “By submitting, posting or displaying Content on or through the Services, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to make your Content available to the rest of the world,” which includes the right to analyze any of that content “including, for example, for use with and training of our machine learning and artificial intelligence models, whether generative or another type.” Essentially, users must agree that X can use anyone's data to train its AI models. I can't go for that. See ya! More Thoughts on AI See these other two posts: * Will AI Create Your Next App? (Quikthinking) * When do you and ChatGPT cross the Milli Vanilli Line? (Powerhouse Radio - our sister website)  

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    0 Thanksgiving Game App Feast

    • Games
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 11/13/2024

    No, the turkey is not really in our crosshairs. Some fun for Thanksgiving is! Jump onboard any of the following mobile game apps, even if you don't celebrate this iconic holiday as Americans, Canadians, and citizens of some other countries do.  Thanksgiving Game App Feast Thanksgiving Retro Match 3 is our people's choice, Android favorite. You'll see the gameplay in the video, followed by the iPhone - iPad version, Thanksgiving Match 3 Game. (Follow the link to go to the App Store). Always Thanksgiving (follow the link to go to Google Play) for Android is the most advanced of these three holiday games. Always uses swipe to score action with more levels for you to enjoy.  Development Details Thanksgiving Retro Match 3, created with Libgdx in Android Thanksgiving Match 3, created using Swift for iPhone - iPad Always Thanksgiving, created using Unity for Android The games were created in the same order as you see above. Play them anytime of the year, on the go, or while relaxing. History Speaks For a deeper, 'tongue and cheek' historical perspective about this USA holiday, check out my production of "Thanksgiving Story: No Game for Native Americans and Pilgrims," also on this blog.

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    0 Always Quikthinking Shop for Gifts

    • Shop
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 10/30/2024

    Do you need some classy threads for yourself or for a timely gift? Did you miss our Holiday Cheer Sweatshirt last year? How about some mugs, magnets, or stickers? Choose from among the items in the Always Quikthinking Shop. Here are just a few I show you and talk about in this quick 28 second video! Enjoy. Touch "Quikthinking Shop" above to view the merch.