Want to capture your road trips on film but don't have a video recorder to do so? There is an app for that. DailyRoads Voyager is an Android app that records your road trips the moment the app is activated. Recently this app captured a hit-and run in progress! Having a tool like this could give the police the evidence they need to capture offenders. Here is the video of the accident.
For more info on the app and a QR link, head over to Android Central.
I know that throughout this blog, I have taken great pleasure in bashing the iPhone from here to Krypton. But today I bring you a story that does the device justice. We all remember the horrible earthquake that ravaged Haiti on January 12, 2010. Something that you may or may not have heard was the story of Dan Woolley, an American film director who was trapped for three days under rubble. Using an app from his iPhone, he was able to survive until he was rescued. Here is his story.
One of the biggest problems that has plagued the smart phone world when users decide to hack or "jailbreak" their phone, thus obtaining complete and utter control of the entire phone database and having access to functions that only the service provider was supposed to have. Jail breaking used to be an illegal action that could get you some jail time, but after a federal ruling last summer, jail breaking has become a legal activity that can only be frowned upon. Im pretty sure that providers and manufacturers are not happy that their legit devices are being digitally raped of its innocence, but hey, it's the law. I am a huge customization fan, so it would be uncharacteristic if I didn't support the jail breaking movement.
Now let's get one thing clear. Jail breaking is an iPhone term. Rootingis an Android term. There isn't really a difference between the two processes and the benefits they yield. So now we are clear.
I've heard of jail breaking before the federal ruling, but it was only in the context of making devices available for other providers or "unlocking" the phone, which wasn't even the case. It wasn't until last year that I purchased my first smart phone and last fall that I rooted the device. The controls that I gained were magnificent and included change of fonts, dumping cache files, overclocking the processor and being able to download and use customized roms that included new features and even a new O.S (going from Android 1.5 to 2.1).
Jail breaking/Rooting is mainly for those individuals that want to take the limitations off of their devices and customize settings and appearances if they get bored of stock settings. After the ruling last summer, jail breaking/ rooting apps became legal as well, and opened the door for such rom companies as Cyanogen mod to hit the field.
In this blog I have already showcased some of the cool benefits of jail breaking/rooting phones, here is one of them again.
Here is a video on why iPhone users should jailbreak
And why Android users should Root
Now are there risks in jail breaking/rooting? Yes for a few reasons. There are multiple ways to root and jail break a device. Youtube is the best way to figure out the best way. If the process is done incorrectly, there is a chance that the phone could be bricked, basically turning it into a paperweight. If an incorrect rom is downloaded, it could destroy the programming and brick the phone. Luckily, roms are optional, and not needed to fully experience the customization power of jail breaking/rooting. Also, most devices can now be un-bricked using programming methods. Even though it's a risk, it's worth it!
Yes I am totally for this ultimate customization process. People are not using these methods for evil purposes, but to enhance user quality for their device. There's nothing wrong with unlocking the true power of a smart phone because, sometimes you just wanna see how smart t is.
For this post, we are going to take a trip over to a very prestigious news source: The Huffington Post. Duh Duh Duuhhhhhh! The article in the light argues that Android speeds in terms of web browsing are indeed quicker than iPhone 4 browser speeds. The android device used was a Samsung Nexus S, which is the predecessor of the powerhouse HTC Nexus One, both powered by Google. The results given are described to contradict prior test results and talks about the speeds for both device and tablets. Let it be known that every test was performed on Wifi, which gives an optimal speed boost from the 3G-4G speeds.
The author does a good job of keeping current with updated information considering that the speed test methods were being questioned in an updated section at the bottom of the page. The author has done a good job of doing research on this issue by knowing the exact download speeds, median load times and obtaining interviews from both sides of the spectrum, even though it seems like its more pro-android based on the interviews. The author is thinking partly as a consumer, because those who are true tech minded would want the company with the fastest device. The question that is on everyone's mind is the rightful topic of this article: iPhone vs. Android: Which is faster for browsing the web?
Something else to think about is the speed of the provider. in this video, the iPhone 4 on both Verizon and AT&T were tested with the Verizon device coming out to be the faster iPhone. It also seems that location is an important factor, as stressed in this article. Also, each provider offers different Wifi speeds, as shown here. I know first hand that speeds vary in different parts of Philadelphia, so how much in different parts of the U.S?
I can see the author of the Huffington article not wanting to go that in depth and leaving it as a quick read, but if this were to be a highly substantial article, some of these areas would have to be addressed. As for what the article is right now, I believe it gives readers what they need to know and also may help them engage in research on the updated issue of the speed tests being faulty and who knows, they may do their own speed test and see for themselves which device is indeed the fastest....for now!
These hackers today are something else. Through the painstaking process of jail breaking, they have managed to possess the iPhone 3G with the essence of the Android operating system. Impossible you say?? Well...silly you for saying such things! Here is the proof!
And the iPhone running Android 2.2 (FroYo)
Now yes, there are lagging issues and some features aren't available...yet, but as time goes on, more stable versions will be ready for the masses to upload to their iPhones so that they too, can experience the power of Android themselves :-P
Now I know the burning question in you mind..."does it work the other way around? Can the iOS run on an android phone?"....well...Yes!
To add legitimacy, the phone used is a HTC Mytouch 3G powered by T-Mobile, which is indeed an Android device. So you see, these two power houses don't have to fight all the time, they can be friends too...for now!
A total blast from the past is back. The T-Mobile Sidekick has returned from the grave in smart phone form and put together by Samsung. If we recall, the sidekick was released in many forms in the past. It's been a few years since the sidekick has been on the market, until now. The new sidekick will come stocked with Android 2.2 (FroYo), 3.5 inch display screen with slider feature, front facing camera, a connection to the T-Mobile HPSA+ network at 21 mbps (4G speeds) and a 1 GHz processor. For more on the release, check here, and here is a nice video to showcase the phone.
Recently, the good folks at Apple have been bombarding the happy box (that's television to you) with commercials that illustrate what consumers would be missing if they didn't own an iPhone. Here is an example of a few. Now if you are like me who has watched all of these commercials (sometimes all in the same night), your response will be a resounding "WHO CARES!" Seriously, has the mighty Apple corporation been reduced to making commercials based on the premise of acting like people are actually missing something legitimate if they don't purchase an iPhone? Yes!
As we remember from the early iPhone days, the running slogan that captured the hearts of millions was "There is an app for that". I found myself pretty enamored by the slogan and seeing how many things the iPhone could do through the use of its apps. That, of course, was before I got into the hi-tech cell game. Since then, Google's Android system has greatly advanced into the super power it is now. So now the iPhone slogan has changed to fit it's primary focus since now Android has an "app for that" as well...for almost anything.
Apple prides itself on having the largest app market around. Well according to the graphs and charts from recent app market studies, it comes down to the quality of the market. While iPhone has a larger market, Android is gaining some pretty good ground. Plus, there are a larger number of apps that are free on the Android's market that are free on the iPhone market. As far as the ipod factor, there are apps such as Air Sync that allow for Android users to wirelessly sync all content to their PCs and/or laptops. This also includes iTunes. There are also tons of other apps on the Android market that can do just what the iPhone can do, if not more. But don't take my word for it, let this guy show you!
In closing, Apple's contagious commercials of the past were enough to cause a stir amongst iPhone and non iPhone users. Since that prompted more than a simple response form Android, Apple has now resorted to these attempts to shift the focus to it's more popular features. As an Android users and someone who is up to date on the technology, these features, while being the popular flagships, are weak in comparison to the vast amount of apps on Android that can do the same things, if not more. Let's not even mention that the iPhone cannot use video chat on it's 3G service (WiFi only), has no 4G service, no Data plan, has NO Adobe Flash and lacks customizable options including (excluding wallpapers now) but including live wallpapers. All of these Android can do and does possess. So simply, if you don't have an iPhone, you're not missing anything.
I was taking a stroll on the Apple info site TiPb when I came across this video. Apparently, there is a website called WILL IT BLEND where these fine people take items from plungers to cell phones and toss them in a blender to see if it will blend into complete dust. In this particular episode, the iPad 2 was put up to the test. I laughed hysterically when I saw it, but for those of you who love apple and the iPad..you might want to turn your head! ENJOY!
The predecessor of the Galaxy Tab is here and ready to cause havoc. The Galaxy 10.1 is the next level of android tablets which comes out of the box with the tablet friendly Android 3.0 (codenamed Honeycomb). This video taken in France will give a nice review of the new tablet and hopeful contender for the almost released iPad II.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it's no shock that Android and iPhone are the deadliest of rivals. These two franchises have been duking it out for a couple of years now and their battle has gone....Tablet. Last year Apple saw the release of it's widely acclaimed iPad. The iPad is a tablet device that offers alot of the same technology as the iPhone except with a bigger screen and a killer processor. The sales for the iPad soared into the three hundred thousands in the very first day. It wouldn't be like android if they didn't try to release something that will give the iPad competition. In the latter part of 2010, Samsung released the Galaxy tab, which was based off of the Galaxy S line and came equipped with the then latest android operating system which was android 2.2. Both tablets were stocked with great speeds and incredible features. With both competitors in the tablet arena, it was time to duke it out to see which tablet takes the cake.
Based off of the given information, anyone can make up their mind about which device best suits them. If you are a galaxy fan, welcome to the world of android! If you chose the iPad there is no shame, especially since a pretty interesting predecessor is on it's way.
It's no surprise that while I am a respecter of all things technological and smart-phone-esque...I am an advocate and believer in the power of Google's Android system. The world is full of communities based of of common interests. These communities can manifest themselves in the physical world or in the unique cyber mainframe.
Ten years ago, no one could have foreseen that something as common as a cellphone would evolve into the high tech mini computer it has become today; fully stocked with its own operating system and equipped with features that rival some desktop computers and laptops. With this evolution, a community of people has risen who have a deep interest in these super powered talk boxes. Like me, many people want to know the latest information on new devices and performance upgrades that can enhance currently owned devices. For those who enjoy online access, there isn't any better place for your smart-phone news and discussions than Smartphone Experts.
This site offers access to personalized community blogs designed for each major smart-phone operating system such as Android, Blackberry, iPhone, ect. Each one of these blogs, for example Android Central and TiPb (iPhone), are updated consistently and staffed with hard working bloggers that not only get the top news for devices under those specific companies, but are recognized as legit smart-phone correspondents and given access to attend mobile conferences to get the first scoop and test out newly released devices. Each site also utilizes forums to increase community interaction and offer Q&A pod-casts between consumers and the resident bloggers.
These blogs are next to none when it comes to up-to-date information on your favorite device. They keep customers in the know about releases, news about certain carriers, benchmark tests, performance updates and operating system upgrades. They even offer early release information whether it is a leaked upgrade or a new device. These blogs serve the purpose for this tech community of keeping them in the know. For those who need to constantly be in the know, each blog has their own personal page on both Facebook and Twitter.
There was an article written on YAHOO! News about the ongoing battle between Google's Android O.S and the Apple iPhone O.S. Android and Apple have been locking horns for some time now in a battle for smart phone supremacy. While there are other operating systems out there (Blackberry, Windows), Android has come the closest to gaining a lead on Steve Jobs' creation. The article solely speaks on the similarities and differences between the hardware and software of both company's devices.
The article gives very useful knowledge concerning the similarities of the services each company uses. For example I did not know that Google was planning on launching a music service to compete with the very popular iTunes service. The author does an excellent job of citing his sources through the use of hyperlinks, giving his article much validation. The author also takes an unbiased stance in this article, pointing out the good and flaws in Android and Apple's devices, although it would make the article much more interesting if there was a stance taken for one company or the other instead of turning this into just an informational piece.
While the article gives a non objective view into the pros and cons of these two smart phone monarchs, I think that a little biased action would have done the article more good and indeed would have sparked more of a conversation and debate. It doesn't take much, even adding in something like: "The iPhone has reigned supreme for years and has helped AT&T gain many valued customers, but now here is a multi-carrier company that, not only has helped all four major U.S carriers gain customers, but has dished out 40+ more devices than the iPhone and has caught up to and in some areas surpassed the iPhone in light of these certain features." That one sentence not only shows your stance in this tech war, but feeds in alot of truth to the deciding customer because at the end of the day, you have to pick a side.
Besides that, the author does a good job of informing with many good sources. It is enough information to help the customer make a positive decision between the reigning champion Apple, or the up and coming major threat Android.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you the Samsung Galaxy S 4G. This device is the next generation of the Galaxy S line. Last year, Samsung stormed the smart phone world with it's Galaxy S line of devices. Each major carrier was able to carry Galaxy S device under a different name for example: T-mobile carried the Galaxy S Vibrant, Verizon carried the Galaxy S Fascinate and AT&T carried the Galaxy S Captivate. Each device looked exactly the same and possessed android 2.1 (codenamed Eclair), a 4 inch AMOLED screen, 1500 mAh Lithium Ion battery, 16 GB internal memory and a 1GHz Cortex A8 Hummingbird processor which made it one of the fastest phones in the market (most devices at the time carried no greater than a 800 MHz processor). The T-Mobile Vibrant also came equipped with a copy of the hit movie Avatar.
Recently word leaked that a new Galaxy S device was going to be released this month. Leaked posters such as THISrevealed that the new device was the T-Mobile Vibrant 4G. The pictured phone looked exactly like original Vibrant with a few new features.Rumored specs included the device running on T-mobile's new HSPA+ network which gives the phone 4G like speed while still operating largely under 3G, a front facing camera which enables video calling and chat through the android video chat application Qik, android 2.2 (codenamed FroYo) and a copy of the new movie Inception. As time progressed, most of the rumored information became truth. One major change was the name of the phone, simply now being called the Galaxy S 4G.
The Galaxy S still carries the same Hummingbird processor that gives it incredible speed and power. But in this new generation of smartphone that come standard with 1GHz processors, large screens, and 4G speeds, what makes the Galaxy S so special? The Galaxy 4G has some seemingly powerful competitors to contend with in the forms of the AT&T iPhone 4, T-Mobile HTC Mytouch 4G and the Spirnt HTC Evo Shift 4G. Recently MSNBC performed a benchmarktest between these devices to see which device had the faster performance. The Galaxy S blows the competition out of the water with the Mytouch coming in second, which has a 1 GHz snapdragon processor. The Mytouch 4G comes with a 3.8 inch screen, front facing camera (having technical difficulties) and an 8 GB memory card. The Galaxy 4G comes with a 4 inch screen, 16 GB memory card and a front facing camera, although no word on how it performs yet. The only thing that the Galaxy S does not have is a flash for it's 5 megapixel camera while the Mytouch does. If nothing else seals the deal for you on the Galaxy S, a full copy of Inception should do you some good as well as an upgrade to a 1650 mAh lithium ion battery which gives the phone more power time.
The Galaxy S 4G is a top of the line device with new features that makes it a worthy evolution from it's predecessor. The device will be released sometime this month to the T-mobile audience. With so many goodies crammed into this next generation android smart phone, is it truly worthy of your attention?
Just recently, Android added a Dropcam application to it's market. Dropcam is a Wi-Fi home surveillance system that was previously available for the iPhone and PC systems. Android is offering the application for free, although you will have to buy the cams separately. With this application you will be able to monitor your home, inside and out, via your mobile device from anywhere. This is an innovative and safe precaution to take to ensure the safety of your home and personal possessions. Even more information and links to the Dropcam website and QR link to the android market app can be found (here)
There was an article written on YAHOO! News about the ongoing battle between Google's Android O.S and the Apple iPhone O.S. Android and Apple have been locking horns for some time now in a battle for smart phone supremacy. While there are other operating systems out there (Blackberry, Windows), Android has come the closest to gaining a lead on Steve Jobs' creation. The article solely speaks on the similarities and differences between the hardware and software of both company's devices.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you the Samsung Galaxy S 4G. This device is the next generation of the Galaxy S line. Last year, Samsung stormed the smart phone world with it's Galaxy S line of devices. Each major carrier was able to carry Galaxy S device under a different name for example: T-mobile carried the Galaxy S Vibrant, Verizon carried the Galaxy S Fascinate and AT&T carried the Galaxy S Captivate. Each device looked exactly the same and possessed android 2.1 (codenamed Eclair), a 4 inch AMOLED screen, 1500 mAh Lithium Ion battery, 16 GB internal memory and a 1GHz Cortex A8 Hummingbird processor which made it one of the fastest phones in the market (most devices at the time carried no greater than a 800 MHz processor). The T-Mobile Vibrant also came equipped with a copy of the hit movie Avatar.
