Mobile Wiseguy
- I liked a @YouTube video Spirit Science 8 ~ Meditation
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Phonescoop news, info and reviews
- BlackBerry Shares Details About BlackBerry OS 10.2 May 23, 2013BlackBerry OS 10.2, which is expected to arrive before the end of the year, was recently detailed by BlackBerry Product Manager Michael Clewley. According to Clewley, BB OS 10.2 will add support for unicode emoji, support for multiple alarms, a timer, and support for level 1 notifications. An SDK for BlackBerry OS 10.2 is expected to arrive in June, with the […]
- AT&T Adds 61-Cent Admin Fee to All Customers May 23, 2013AT&T has added a new administration fee to the monthly bills of all its customers. The fee amounts to 61 cents, which, when multiplied across AT&T's entire customer base, amounts to about $500 million in extra revenue per year for the company. An AT&T spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal that the fee is less than that charged by its com […]
- HTC Says One Is First HTCpro Certified Phone for Businesses May 23, 2013HTC today announced that the HTC One smartphone is its first HTCpro Certified smartphone. Devices certified as HTCpro meet certain security standards that make it more appealing as a choice for business customers. Chiefly, it meets the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 and offers 256-bit encryption. Further, it includes IPsec VPN for acces […]
Archive for the ‘Cell Phone tips and Tricks’ Category
Droid Razt HD
I have been using the Motorola Droid Razr HD for about a week now and I do like it a lot. The battery is great, I can stream audio or videos for hours each day and the battery lasts all day. Today I streamed 4+ hours of videos from YouTube and audio from Pandora and this battery will go till tonight when I go to bed and put the phone on the charge.
The phones processor works smoothly and quick. I like the Google now update which came with Jellybean it makes the voice recognition more accurate. The only complaint I have is the App Foxfi which makes my phone a WiFi hotspot does not work with Jellybean. It did have a number to call for customer service but it also said my carrier did not allow the free hotspots service. I have unlimited data and the hotspot is very valuable to me with that unlimited data. I did not have any problems with my previous Androids. I was using a Motorola Droid Razr and it worked perfectly with Foxfi but the battery life was terrible. I will see if I can have a workaround with the Foxfi but otherwise this is a great phone. I do recommended this phone for anyone who is a Motorola fan.
I would emphasize that this is not the Motorola Razr Max HD that phone would have extreme battery life.
Google releases YouTube Capture app for the iPhone and iPod touch – GSMArena Blog
I downloaded this app on my iPhone 4 on Verizon Wireless and was pleasantly pleased that I could upload a video instantly to YouTube, Google Plus, Facebook and Twitter. The app even gave me a link that I could post directly on my blog and it embedded the video easily. Now my only complaint is why Google would make this app for the Apple iOS first and we have to wait for an Android version to be released.
http://blog.gsmarena.com/google-releases-youtube-capture-app-for-the-iphone-and-ipod-touch/
Motorola Razr broken display and how I am getting it fixed
I purchased a Motorola Razr with a cracked lens for a great price $30. I thought that I would get the lens fix and used the Motorola Razr instead of my Droid Bionic. Little did I know the Motorola Razr is one of the most expensive phones to fix the display. When I called local cellphone repair shops I was quoted between $250 to $300 to fix the display. They said the part is very expensive and that’s why the price is so high, higher than Apple iPhones.
One of the repair shops told me if I get the part they will install for $80. So I did a search on Amazon for the display for the Motorola Razr and the least expensive price I could find was $250 for the part. Boy I was bummed out, I could not believe the display would cost so much.
Eventually it came the time for me to sell my Droid Bionic and use the money from that sale to pay for my replacement lens on my Motorola Razr. The Droid Bionic was sold on Ebay with the Lap Dock and Window mount for $300 enough money to fix my Razr.
I contacted Motorola directly and behold they are only charging me $111 with shipping to fix the cracked display on my Motorola Razr. I thought about starting a business fixing Motorola Razr’s displays and charging $200 and paying $111:-) .
The online submission for the repair went OK I can’t say it was smooth, I should of called them directly but instead I completed the repair request online which stated that my phone would be returned within 5 days after the received the equipment.
I waited a few days and mailed out the phone Motorola received the phone on October 17th and I got a confirmation email.
I waited for another email about my phones shipping status in the mean time I started using an Apple iPhone 4S while I was waiting for my Motorola Razr to get shipped back. I thought it seemed appropriate to use the iPhone because the new iPhone 5 launch date was October 21st and it would help promote the phone like it needed any help.
Today is October 27th and I still don’t have my Motorola Razr back as yet when I called and spoke to Motorola they could not give me a date I could expect the phone phone back. When I inquired about the 5 days they said I would have my phone back I was told that was an estimate and not a guarantee. I had no recourse but to wait at their mercy or have them send my broken display phone back. This is not good business for Motorola and Google which now owns Motorola.
I will keep everyone updated with my progress but in the mean time I am using the iPhone 4S and somewhat liking it which is not good for Google/Android/Motorola because I sell mobile phones and I am the original Wireless Consultant according to a Google search.
I got a email right after finishing this post.
Task Killers on Android is bad for you
The truth is, these task managers and Android work against each other. Task killers are redundant, unnecessary and typically cause more harm than good. Yes, this goes against all that you have been told as an Android user; they seem like they’re helping. This is called a placebo effect. So why are these app managers bad? How do they actually cause harm? Unlike a PC where you must manage memory yourself by closing programs, the Android OS (2.2 and above) is meant to manage memory and processes on its own. Let’s say the user launches an application. This app will then stay in memory until it absolutely needs to be closed. This is done to improve application launch time; the app will “run” in the background – leaving battery and performance essentially unaffected – ready to be launched again at any moment. If a previously launched application is kept in memory, launching it again at a later time will take much less time. Killing the app removes it from memory and will slow down the application launch next time you need it. Android will automatically begin closing applications as needed, starting with the ones that have been inactive for the longest. Now that we have that out of the way, you can kill the app using the “force stop” feature is built into Android itself, effectively making any third-party task managers pointless. This all means that the use of a task killer does, in fact, have a negative effect on your phone’s battery life. If you are constantly shutting down apps manually then the system is never merely putting apps to sleep, but it constantly shutting down and reopening apps. It also means that the system will never be able to properly learn your app usage habits and ultimately your battery life will suffer. If you are using a task killer app then I highly recommend you uninstall it immediately. Once you’ve done that then you will have to wait a few weeks before your phone has learned more about how you use your apps before you will see a noticeable difference in the length of time you can use your phone before needing to charge it. In the end, however, it is definitely worth it. Task killer apps and battery manager apps can also effect connectivity settings/permissions installed by your carrier specifications/software/firmware on the device and can be easily fixed by a master reset or restoring to factory settings. So that’s it – if you’re running Android 2.2 or above then do not use a task killer/battery manager and completing a master reset/factory restore if they were installed will resolve unseen issues . Great link for more info http://android-developers.blogspot.com/
Watch “What is Google Voice?” on YouTube
I have been using services like Google voice for years but google voice is a free service with many features. One feature that I use that is not advertised is that you can call Canada for free.
Verizon data widget must press for usage details
I use the data widget on my Droid Bionic not because I need to monitor my data (I have unlimited data) but to understand what my clients would experience using the widget. What I notice is the widget does not update itself anymore, you must press the widget to get your correct usage details. This was not so until the recent updates. Before the update the widget would tell you your data usage just by looking at it but now you have to press the widget and the widget logs itself into your myverizon account and gives you your current usage including minutes, data, text and billing information.
So remember you must press the widget to get updated usage information and this will work on all plans including the new shared data plans.
Verizon to Allow Third-Party Tethering Apps on Android Phones
I have been using an application called Foxfi from the Google Play store for my hotspot. It is a free application and does not require any technical background to use. The app is very simple to use and works great. I also pay for the Verizon hotspots feature so I could test the performance of both and it seems I get better service from the free application Foxfi. Read the ruling by the FCC
Verizon Wireless response.” We still offer Mobile Broadband Connect, and the fee applies to customers using unlimited data plans. If a usage-based customer wants to subscribe, or continue to subscribe, to Mobile Broadband Connect, they can do so. They get both a high-quality robust tethering app and additional data allowances. On the other hand, a usage-based customer that wishes to tether other devices but does not wish to subscribe to Mobile Broadband Connect can cancel the service, purchase or obtain a third-party tethering application, and simply pay for the additional data usage”.
Cellphone Cramming Gets a Second Look – NYTimes.com
A few months ago I was reviewing the Verizon Wireless bill which I pay for my mom and saw 2 charges for premium messages equaling to $20 a month. You may ask what’s a premium message? It is a charge you get when you think you are getting a free service. When you see an advertisement for a free ringtone, BEWARE , there is always a fine print stating that you will automatically be billed $9.99 a month, although you can always really get a ringtone for free. There are always popups on computer screens telling one to fill out a simple form to find an ideal match..etc. Unsuspecting persons fall prey for that gimmick and that is how the companies get their information, including their number, and then the recurring monthly charges start. When I called my carrier and complained they told me that the person using the phone must have ordered the service. I told them to block it so it won’t happen again but the next month the same charges occurred on my bill, I did not hesitate ,to contact my service again, i was then told to send a text to the billing party., and tell them CANCEL or STOP. Wireless carriers should make it easy for customers to decide if they want a service and what it will cost and an easy way to decline or to cancel. I work with clients daily who have these recurring charges with no explanation. . . We should be aware of these unfair practices by wireless and wireline companies so be aware , read your bills before paying.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/08/your-money/cellphone-cramming-gets-a-second-look.html
Why dont you back up your contacts before you lose them?
My friend Nick from Doyouit reminded our networking group how important it is to backup you computers and that reminded me of a situation I had a few days ago. I had a lady come to me almost crying her phone would not stay on because the charging port was broken and she had all of her contacts in the phone. The phone was a Verizon Wireless LG Voyager and a family member gave her an old LG Env 3 to use. She had spent two hours the day before in the store working with the representatives trying to get her contacts with now luck and that night she called Verizon Wireless technical support but still with no results.
Luckily I was able to rig the phone with an old home charger that fit the LG Voyager and got a little charge in then I was able to Bluetooth the contacts from the Voyager to the Env 3. Their were over 400 contacts that transfer over to the replacement phone.
All of this could of been avoided if they had used Backup Assistance which is a free Verizon Wireless service that backs up your contacts. This service can be used on simple phone and smartphones. There is even an upgraded version called Backup Assistance Plus that backs up pictures and music also. Smartphone owners should always use the services like Google on Android phones, Blackberry desktop manager and iTunes to back up the contacts.
Don’t let your phone die then worry about how you can retrieve your information. Contact the Mobilewiseguy to find out what options you have to backup your data and if you or your company need help with backing up the data from your computers call my friend Nick with Doyouit.
Verizon Wireless has phones that are great for visually impaired customers
Verizon Wireless has phones that are great for visually Impaired customers needs. I recently got a call from a friend of a previous client he wanted me to help him find a phone for the visually impaired. I did a little research and realized a few Verizon Wireless phones have the ability to speak all of the functions. The phone has voice readouts and will speak all the digits when dialing the menu functions and the incoming text messages.
I showed the client two phone models when he met me at a Zephyrhills store. One was the Samsung Haven which is a basic phone without a camera or Bluetooth technology and the other was the LG Octane a phone with a QWERTY keyboard for texting. Both phones did what he wanted but he was a big texter so the LG Octane was his choice.
My smartphone also has the ability to speak all the commands but I never tried the texting part of it to see if it would read the incoming text but I am sure if the phone did not have that capability there would be an application for it.