Galaxy S II Review and Temple Run Android Update

March 30, 2012 at 1:11 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment
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Upon first impression the Galaxy S II seemed like another impression of the IPhone, but internally it could probably beat it. The body is .33 inches, which is thinner than most. On a 4g network things are sure to go a bit faster, but it’s a disclaimer because I’m aware of T-Mobile’s crappy network, as I am one of those customers  that literally inherited my phone line when I disconnected myself from my mother’s account. As you saw in my LG Thrill post, AT&T could rip T-Mobile’s speed any day.

It is smaller than most dimension wise and it weighs 4.09 ounces, which isn’t pretty bad. Another thing I love about this phone is the 8 megapixel camera. The average smartphone only has a 2 or a 3 megapixel versus the Galaxy S II. This phone gives you a touch of quality and professionalism while shooting high definition pictures and videos.

In addition T-Mobile fans will be delighted to hear that this phone has a talk time that’s appeasing to all, with almost three times the talk time of your standard device. Imagine having a phone that lasts 18.3 hours of your day, without a single charge, or having a standby time of almost 30 days (that’s a freaking month)! That’s not all folks, it gets much better. The internal memory is 32 gigabytes, not 16 or 4 like those other phones, but enough memory to download hundreds of apps and music, without the hassle of an SD card.

This phone has the best of everything: high definition camera, super amoled display ( lighter display with less reflection), more than sufficient amount of memory, a light weight, and a 4g network (disclaimer).  AT&T has faults as well, with a number of dropped call complaints. Every phone and every company has its faults, but this phone is one of the best out there on the market, not that I agree with the carrier. Let’s just say it’s the right phone but it happens to be with the wrong company.

So Temple Run released a few days ago on Droid, and I like other customers have had a series of problems with the app. There have been complaints of glitches and other technical issues. When you search for the app itself it takes time to sort through fan apps and things of that sort. I was a bit incorrect on my prior post and I would like to thank my friend from  Just Reboot!, another wordpress site.

HTC Status and Facebook App Review

March 22, 2012 at 8:45 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
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The HTC Status also known as the ChaCha is the phone revolutionized for social networking, with a button on the bottom right that connects you directly to Facebook. With this phone you have the standard 5 megapixel camera on the back, facetime on the front, an 800 megahertz processor, and the latest OS operating system 2.3.3 Gingerbread. The weight of the phone is 4.23 ounces, which is rather light compared to the average. This phone reminds me of a pocket sized calculator, the portable version of a TI-83 if there were ever one this small.

The overall form of this phone reminds me of the Motorola Charm, with a full touch QWERTY UIOP keyboard, and without the rear touch pad, but with a slight curvature that fits the face perfectly. The buttons are a reasonable size and they are spaced as so you will not encounter too many typos if any at all. There’s a bit a futuristic feel with the slim call and end buttons, which is one of the features that adds to overall aesthetics, but if its touch screen it’s kind of pointless.

While on the subject of this screen, its 2.6 inches wide. Although it’s not the biggest of screens, it’s a decent size for phone to screen ratio. One of the features that I failed to mention in prior posts is the Gorilla glass that the newer smart phones have. Gorilla is just another way of saying scratch proof, resistant to those constant slip ups when you drop your phone, water proof, nearly invincible (if you can think it your screen can probably resist it).

The Facebook share button enables users to instantly share pictures, view feeds, post status updates, and comment on Facebook friends’ statuses. Along with the Facebook button feature, you can view your friend’s picture and status when receiving a phone call.

There’s no need to download an app to Photoshop pictures with hardware already installed (talk about convenience). That makes me want to buy it. I was sold at the Facebook share button. Now if only there were a phone with both Facebook and Twitter share buttons.

Of course the app of the week is Facebook. While we are on the subject of social networking, Facebook has  845 million monthly users, with 425 million monthly users who use the mobile app. Facebook connects you with friends, family,  celebrities, fan pages, music, games, events posted by friends, and much more.

Iphone Schmiphone

March 16, 2012 at 4:39 am | Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments
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By: Carlissa Robinson

Everyone is raving about the Iphone 4s, better yet the expected Iphone 5 this summer. What is it about the Iphone family that makes it so popular? I honestly don’t see whats all the fuss about. As a previous Iphone 3gs owner, I was not ecstatic when I discovered that everything needs to be synced to the phone. You would think that when you get a new phone everything is automatically imported, but no that’s just not the case.

There are a few qualities that deem the Iphone prehistoric (hence similar designs in newer models), like the difficulty in creating ringtones (explaining why every owner has the same default tone), or syncing data from your SD card. Oops, I forgot, Iphone is not SD card accessible. What drove me to get the Iphone was due to the fact that I had an Ipod Touch at the time and I had grown tiresome of constantly totting two devices, but once I made the switch, I had poor service, and realized that GSM is a gimmick. The only feature that I enjoyed was the music library, something that I could’ve enjoyed with my Ipod, and without having to spend unnecessary money.

The biggest load of crap that I discovered was that I could not send nor recieve picture messages unless I bought an app that enabled me to. Every phone on the market, even the simplest of non-smart flip phones have the capability to send picture messages. What the hell is that about? Furthermore, Apple consumers have had issues with flash support for years because of Apple’s choice to be different from other phone companies.

Now before I continue my tirade, I will admit that the Iphone has evolved in overall appearance, and syncing with the Ipad or Macbook is a resourceful feature, but the biggest issue is the app market. The Apple Store versus the Play Store (newest name for Android market) is in no way competition. Long time Apple customers may not see a problem with buying an app if they’re not willing to jail break, but there are thousands more of apps on the Android market, that are free. I have tested every major feature on the Iphone and I can honestly say that every one of them can be out staged by an Android, even the high quality video that everyone boasts about. Frankly, I see Iphones as more of a trend. It may sound absurd but it seems like people buy phones just for the Apple emblem. Please correct me if I’m wrong.

This is where you the readers come in. What is it that you absolutely love about the Iphone 4s? Have any of the major features changed in the latest model? Do you prefer Iphones or ever owned one? If so, I would like for you to leave your responses in the comments below.

LG Thrill and Twitter Review

March 16, 2012 at 3:24 am | Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments
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Check out my video review here or click on the picture of the phone.

 

By: Carlissa Robinson

This week I am reviewing the LG Thrill. Now this phone is anything but ideal in terms of height. It’s what I call a surfboard, due to its eyesore length, at 5.07 inches. But what I call a surfboard, phone companies describe as candy bar form (a bit of exaggeration on their end). The LCD display follows suite to the dimensions of the phone, at 4.3 inches.  While the display is a bit on the larger side, it would suit the visually impaired just fine. On the plus side, the width is reasonable, at nearly half an inch.

The coolest feature on the LG Thrill is the 3D capability, the latest craze in smartphones. You can watch, record, and play back videos in high definition 3D, all without actually wearing 3D glasses! The weight is just a tad above average, at 5.9 ounces. While standby (idle) time is 13 days , a day of talk time will only give you six hours to gossip. That’s not even half of a day! There’s so much to cover in the course of twenty-four hours. But if you’re used to smartphones, you most likely have a car charger, a work wall charger/USB cord to plug in while your boss isn’t looking, and anytime charger for your daily outings.

The internal memory enables room for 8000 megabytes. There are  1000 megabytes in a gigabyte so that’s 8 gigabytes of memory, like your standard flash drive. With that kind of space you won’t need a SD card unless you have a ton of songs you want to listen to or assign to contacts. An overall grade for this phone would be a B-. It’s acceptable, I guess.

The app of the week is Twitter. Now Twitter may be the pinnacle of change for the younger generation, but everyone should get involved. Tweets are statuses of 140 characters or less that Twitter users post to let the world know how was their day or what are they currently doing. Twitpics are pictures uploaded to Twitter. The Twittersphere is the Twitter universe of users and their acts. While Twittter may seem irrelevant to older generations, it is the newest way that professions like journalism are evolving in a unique light. Nowadays professionals use Twitter for things like self-promotion and breaking news. While business is just one way to utilize Twitter, fellow Twits, or Twitter users also mention popular topics like global issues that trend and that can affect change when Twits unify and become the voice of change.

Blackberry 9900

March 1, 2012 at 1:18 am | Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments
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By: Carlissa Robinson

Have you noticed that every major celebrity has a Blackberry? From Chris Brown to Jake Gyllenhall and yes even Beyoncé, the ever popular Blackberry Curve has swept the celebrity scene. Being a former owner I would have to say that the reason why the Blackberry franchise is the number one phone for business oriented people is due to its simplicity.

Due to issues all too common with Blackberry devices, the coined term “crackberry” arose from crackberry.com. Despite technical difficulties, Blackberries continue to sell like any other phone. Issues that I had with my Blackberry Curve 8520 are as follows: random phone resets, phone freezes, ear jack outlet shortage, issues connecting to email after factory reset, and no Words with Friends app (the ultimate deal breaker). The limit of downloadable apps I what really catapulted my move to Android. In addition, with Android you can customize your own ringtones versus starting from the beginning of the song.

Unlike Androids, Blackberries give the owner the option to update applications, has a user friendly interface, and you can assign personal ringtones for every contact so you know what calls to ignore (something I miss about Crackberries.)There is no Android market and few free applications to download from Blackberry App World, yet somehow its popularity has skyrocketed over recent years.

The standard structure for a Blackberry is the touch sensitive button centered beneath the 640 x 480 screen, with two call and menu keys on the opposing sides. The newest to the Blackberry family is 2.6 inches too thick and weighs nearly 4.6 ounces. While the newest twist introduces a stainless steel plate on the sidings of the Blackberry 9900, it seems as though RIM (trademark name for Blackberry) is imitating an Iphone 4s. One thing I would like to see on a Blackberry is of course compatibility with the Android market and I would be a happy camper. Face time would be a great feature as well for business calls.

Previously, scrolling on web pages was once a headache, but now the mouse icon is easier to use with the new touch screen feature. Call quality, the overall price, and phone improvements get an extreme of reviews from great to horrible but that’s with every phone. Android is not for everyone, but Blackberry is a start if you’re just a bit technologically inept or prefer to keep it simple. If it’s good enough for Queen B it should suffice for anyone, unless you’re a Droid addict.

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