Gift Ideas for Teenagers - Prepaid Cell Phone

Christmas and Birthday Gift Idea - Tracfone Prepaid Cell Phone

While many teenagers might already have a cell phone, those that don't (and even 11 and 12 year old's) really want one.

Cell Phones - From Microsoft

Cell phones give a sense of freedom for teenagers. It also makes them feel more grown up because they are responsible for the phone.

Many parents face a problem; contract cell phones are expensive, and if the teenager somehow breaks or looses their phone, the parents are often stuck spending hundreds of dollars to get a replacement.

While unlimited call, texting, and data is fun, no teenager actually needs an unlimited plan. And while an iPhone or other smartphone is fun to use, few teenagers even need that.

Which is where prepaid cell phones become an inexpensive, and beneficial option.

Prepaid Cell Phone's have Several Great Benefits:

Giving a prepaid cell phone as a gift for a teenagers first phone has several valuable life lessons which many parents might not think of.

It teaches kids to manage prepaid minutes, be more responsible, and it is inexpensive.

A Prepaid Cell Phone Teaches Management Skills

With Tracfone, you buy minutes for the phone using minutes cards. The phone then has a certain number of minutes remaining on it.

As the teenager uses the phone for calling and texting, the balance of minutes will slowly be reduced. If the teenager calls all of his or her friends in the first few days of owning the cell phone, then the phone will likely run out of minutes very quickly.

This is where the learning happens. The teenager must learn to manage the minutes remaining on the cell phone, or be willing to buy extra minutes.

This management skill quickly transfers to managing money because it is the same principle. If the teenager gets $50 in their bank account for the month, but uses it all in the first few days then they will have to find a way to make more money, or just suffer being penniless for the rest of the month.

Cell Phones Teach Responsibility

When a teenager owns a cell phone, it teaches them to be responsible for it. They must make sure not to lose it, not to break it or drop it. If something happens to the phone, they must know it is up to them to fix the phone or get a new one.

Cell phones also tend to make a young kid feel older because they recognize the extra responsibility they are receiving when given a cell phone.

Prepaid Cell Phones are very Inexpensive

The final benefit of giving a prepaid cell phone as a gift to teenagers is that it is very inexpensive compared to other cell phone companies.

A good Tracfone cell phone is $10-$30 and available at many stores. Enough minutes to last a month can be purchased for $20 in store, or even online.

It can cost as little as $10 a month to own and sue a prepaid cell phone. And the great thing is, if more minutes are used, one can simply buy another minutes card.

Conclusion - A Great Gift Idea for Teenagers, or Anyone Else

Obviously contract cell phones have certain benefits for those who use their phone often or want certain features. But a prepaid cell phone makes a perfect gift for a young teenager, or anyone who doesn't have a cell phone.

It will teach them several valuable skills and help them stay connected with friends and family.

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Great iOS Apps.

Well I sure am glad we are out of February, it was ridiculously cold!  Hopefully that didn't stop you from checking out the great apps I highlighted last month on The MacMentor's Weekly posting on Facebook for the App of the week.  My goal with the app of the week postings is to make you more aware of the great tools out there for your iOS devices.  Then at the start of each new month, give a more in-depth review of those apps with these blog posts.

Ok, so the 1st app highlighted this past February was a cool note taking App that is a nice companion to Evernote.  The app is SwiftKey.

SwiftKey uses what it calls predictive technology, to advance the keyboard by learning how you write to better provide autocorrect and smart next word predictors or predictions.

SwiftKey Note gives you a cool new way to capture your thoughts, in an easy to use, beautiful app.  

SwiftKey is like Artificial intelligence for your iOS device.  The more you use it, the smarter it gets.  Even better, it connects with your EverNote account to further personalize your experience by making predictions based on your EverNote archive of notes.  Below you see screen shots from the SwiftKey app.  Under the +, you see the Elephant Head icon, which is the EverNote icon.  So you can create a note using SwiftKey, and store it in Evernote.   

One of the best features of SwiftKey is that it gets smarter as you use it more, and learns to adapt with you over time.  You can track your typing stats in settings, and watch your typing and productivity get better and better!  

Ok, for the week of February 9th, I choose the new app from Facebook, Paper as that weeks App of the week.  Facebook has been one of the top 50 iOS apps since it came out some six years ago.  But honestly, the app is tired and has needed a facelift for quite some time.  Well Facebook finally gave itself that needed facelift, sort of.  The Facebook app hasn't changed, but they did create a new one, called Paper, that is fantastic, and provides a much better user experience.  

One of my favorite features in Paper is the ability to Edit Sections.  Sections provide you with the ability to view things that the original Facebook app did not offer, sort of like news sections from different Sections of life.  The different Sections offered range from Pop Life, to Flavor, to Planet, to Family Matters.  

To get to Edit Sections, from the your page, or section (which is your home page, screen capture 1 below) take your finger, and swipe down on the screen.   That takes you to the Facebook Section (2nd screen cap below).  On that page, take your finger and swipe down

 Now you are taken to a page that will look similar to the one below.  

Next, you'll click on the Edit Sections field which takes you to a screen similar to the one below.  The lower portion of that screen let's you pick what will be displayed on your "Paper".  It's a cool concept, and adds some much needed life to what was an incredibly dull, boring Facebook experience on your iOS device.  

Once you've added the sections you wish to view, you click done (upper right corner of your screen), and you are taken to what is your Paper home screen.  From there you swipe along the lower portion of your screen to view the posts of your Facebook friends.  If you wish to view a post, you tap on it.  Notice below, the post in the middle that reads "Happy Independence Day".  I tap on that, and it full screens (2nd screen cap below).

So, all in all, Paper is a very cool, much needed update to the Facebook App.  If you visit the Facebook App on a regular basis, I highly recommend downloading and using the new Paper app instead!

Next up, an App that I use regularly to keep track of my to-do's.  It's called, Wunderlist.  

Wunderlist is flat out awesome!  It not only tracks your to-do's, but lets you create numerous to-do lists.  It's super easy to use interface lets you get up and going very quickly, and it's companion apps for the Mac and PC make it that much more lovable (not to mention, Wunderlist can also be accessed via the web!).  

When you open Wunderlist on your iOS device it looks like the screen cap below.

If you want to add a list, notice in the screen cap above the "+Add a list...", simply tap that and you can create a new list.  To create a new to-do, simply tap anywhere on the right side of the screen, and it brings you to a screen that looks like the one below.

Next, type in the name of the new to-do (I've typed "Create new blog" in the field).  Next, click the Done button.  It brings you to an editable screen (like the one below).  

From there, you set your to-do's Due Date.  If you wish to be reminded by Wunderlist, you can have it Remind you.  You can add a subtask, and finally any notes you wish for the particular to-do.  I've added screen caps below to take you through the process.  

All in all, Wunderlist rocks.  Oh yeah did I mention its FREE!  That doesn't hurt either...So if you want an App that gives you a bit more than the Reminders app that comes with your iOS device, go and download Wunderlist.  It's ease of use, and cloud syncing make it an A-list App!

The last App that I highlighted in February is "Keeper Password and Data Vault".  I've had many many clients and friends say to me, "how do I keep track of my numerous passwords, it's getting overwhelming"!  I absolutely agree.  Most of you probably have anywhere from 5-20 different passwords (maybe even more) to access everything from your AppleID, to your email, to your bank account, to countless other sites you access on your iOS device as well as on your computer.  There are endless App options out there to store your passwords, I choose Keeper because it gets fantastic reviews, it's works across platforms, it's easy to use, and its free!  

For obvious reasons I'm not going to show screen caps of my Keeper.  Some important things to know are:

Keeper uses work-class encryption technology, including 256-bit AES data storage.  PBKDF2 encryption keys (what are those you ask?   It's really great encryption technology is what you need to know!).  They also use Double encrypted syncing, and what's called Two-factor authentication.  If you don't understand that, just know it's great technology to keep your passwords safe!  

So, I hope you enjoy checking out and using the Apps that I highlight each month.  If you have a suggestion for the App of the week posting, by all means, don't hesitate to share it with me.  I love finding new apps to share!  

Till next time, best to you and your devices!

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What is an AppleID?

Getting to know your AppleID

What a lovely spell of cold weather Mother Nature has dumped on us here in Chicago-land, or as we are now known, Chi-Beria!  Thankfully the cold hasn't stopped me from blogging!  Today's blog is inspired by my workshops.  At some of these workshops, I cover what I consider the "Basics" of your iOS Device.  I start in settings, and spend a good deal of time discussing the Apple ID.  Reason being, so many people just don't get it's importance.  So I thought I'd write about it in this edition of The MacMentor's blog, and how it ties into what I call, The Apple Ecosystem.

Apple has created quite a wonderful system for all it's device owners.  It started some 14 years ago with the introduction of the iPod and iTunes.  In order for the music you purchased to be tied to the correct device(s), Apple created the Apple ID.  Then a few years later along came iPhone and iPad,  all tied together using your Apple ID.  All part of the Apple Ecosystem.

Apple’s ecosystem consists of  your devices (Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) as well as iTunes, iCloud, iMessage and FaceTime.  The key to the Apple ecosystem is the Apple ID.  Your Apple ID is an email address that Apple uses as a pointer to what I call "Your Apple locker".  Your locker of content within the Apple ecosystem.  Your Apple ID  is what you will use to sign in to the iTunes Store, Mac App Store, iCloud, iMessage and FaceTime.  When purchasing content through iTunes, your Apple ID tells Apple who’s “locker” the content should be assigned to, as well as what devices your content can be shared with.  It's how Apple knows not to assign my purchases to someone else's device(s).  With iCloud, your Apple ID is what Apple uses to push or sync your non entertainment content (Notes, Reminders, Calendar events, Contacts) to all your iCloud enabled devices.   

Another great part of this ecosystem, and a feature that I love is iMessage. 

I'm sure you've all texted from your iPhone.  Did you know you can text to and from your iPad, iPod Touch and your Mac using iMessage?  Oh yeah, did I mention it’s FREE!  That's right folks.  Take a quick look at your Message App on your iPhone.  Click on any message.  It's either Blue or Green.  Do you know why that is?  The green texts are texts that are not going through iMessage.  The blue texts are being sent through iMessage.  I can see you all shaking your heads going, ah that explains it!  How's this for fun.  Apple is basically giving the phone companies the "Bird" (middle finger) with iMessage.  A free way to text.  Of course it's only free to those on Apple devices, but if your whole family is on them, you can get rid of your texting on your cellular bill.  Nice.  

Now let's discuss FaceTime.  FaceTime is the video chat feature of Apple’s ecosystem, that got a great update with iOS 7 and Mavericks and now has what's called FaceTime Audio. 

FaceTime Audio let's you make voice calls through the Apple Ecosystem.  Really?!?!  Do you see what Apple is doing here?  Providing you with ways to no longer have to pay for cellular calls, or texting.  Go Apple!  So how does FaceTime work?  Simple, you sign into FaceTime with your Apple ID and you use the FaceTime App to video chat with anyone else who has a FaceTime capable device.  Real life story.  Last summer, my daughter was in Israel.  From a Kibbutz, she used her iPhone to FaceTime me.  Do you know how much it cost?  NOTHING!  It was completely FREE.  A video call from Israel to Deerfield and it was Free!  Can't beat that with a stick...

Ok, that’s a high level of what your Apple ID does for you within the ecosystem, now let’s break it down further first by iTunes, and the Mac AppStore, then iCloud and iMessage.  

iTunes is the heart of the Apple Ecosystem.  It came to life Thirteen years ago, in January of 2001.  iTunes is where you purchase entertainment for your Apple Devices.  What started out as a cool place to buy and store your music has evolved into an incredible online entertainment store, where you can not only buy music, but movies, TV shows, Apps for your iPhone/iPad/iPod touch and much more.  You can even take classes from many of the top Universities around the world through iTunes U!  Whichever device you choose to purchase entertainment content from, you are required to enter your Apple ID (and password).  This allows Apple to correctly share that content to the proper devices.  The Mac App Store works the same way as iTunes, only it’s content is specific to Mac computers, where iTunes content can be used on all Apple devices, and on PC's.

Now on to iCloud.  The iCloud service is Apple’s latest attempt at cloud storage and syncing, and it blows away its predecessor, MobileMe.  What iTunes is for entertainment content, iCloud is for your personal, non-purchased content.  The iCloud service is available on all Mac’s running at least OSX 10.7 and all iOS devices running at least iOS 5.0 (I hope you are all at iOS 7!!).  To enable iCloud on your Mac computers, you’ll go into system preferences, click the iCloud preference, and login in with, you guessed it, your Apple ID! 

On your iOS device, you’ll tap on settings, and scroll down to the iCloud setting, tap, and sign in with...your Apple ID!  Then you’ll choose which content you desire to sync and backup through iCloud.  

Now what some people don’t realize is that iCloud can and should be used to back up your iOS device(s)!  Wirelessly!  How does one go about that you ask?  Good question!  All you’ll need is the white cord and power supply that came with your device, an electrical outlet and a wireless network.  Plug the appropriate ends of the cord into the iOS device and the power supply, plug the power supply into the outlet, put your device to sleep ( or let it go to sleep on its own), and if you are connected to a wireless network, iCloud will find your device, when the last backup was initiated and if it was over 24 hours ago, it will back up your device.  Once a day, iCloud will back up your non-purchased content (mail, if you have an iCloud account, Contacts, Calendar events, Reminders, Notes).  

A couple of other great features of iCloud are Photo Stream, Documents and Data and Find my iPhone.  Photo Stream let’s you share pictures, wirelessly, between all your Apple devices.  Now, on your Macs, you be have the appropriate version of iPhoto (which comes on all Macs circa late 2011 and forward).  If you are running an older Mac with OSX 10.7 or later, and have yet to upgrade iPhoto, you will NOT have Photo Stream on your Mac.  Upgrading iPhoto is simple, go to the Mac App Store and download it for $14.99.  Photo Stream will house up to 1000 pictures at a time, for up to 30 days.  Here’s how it works.  You take pictures with your iOS device, and when you get to a wireless network, those pictures get pulled up to iCloud and will be available in your Photo Stream.  So after a day of picture taking, you can come to your Mac and see those pictures in iPhoto, without having to do anything!  Just click on the Photo Stream option in iPhoto and your pictures are virtually there.  If you use the iWork suite of tools (Pages, Keynote and Numbers), iCloud can be used to sync your content from those applications between your devices.  So you can create a Keynote presentation on your Mac, save it to iCloud, and open it on your iOS device, very, very cool!  The Find My Phone service of iCloud is indispensable.  If you’ve misplaced your iOS device, or sadly if it gets stolen, you can log into iCloud.com (with your Apple ID!), and locate it!  That is awesome for those of us who quite often forget where we leave our devices!  It works using the GPS on your device to locate and display that information to a Map on iCloud.com, very cool!  I once had a customer who had her phone stolen, and we were able to track it on iCloud.com.  We called the police, informed them of where it was, they tracked down the perpetrator and got my client her phone back!  Technology at work!

That friends, is a high level overview of your AppleID, the Apple ecosystem and it’s benefits.  For more in depth help, please contact me to set up an appointment!

Enjoy your day, and until next time...Best to you and your devices!

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The new HTC One M9 Full Reviews Techradar

The new HTC One M9 Full Reviews Techradar, HTC flagship phones are typically among the most beautiful models launched every year. Often they are also slightly smaller than the increasingly large phones Samsung and LG put out. Now it seems that HTC could break with tradition and offer a large badge with the One M9. It's here. The new HTC One M9 has been announced, and it's already going to vying for the title of best phone in 2015, such is the combination of design and high power specs. 

The new HTC One M9 release date, news and features Techradar

While loads of the mooted specs didn't actually appear, the new phone has finally been launched following loads of leaks all over the internet, and it doesn't disappoint, with upgrades in nearly every area.

HTC One M9 release date

HTC sent out invites to an event on March 1 at MWC 2015 in Barcelona, and that's where we saw the new phone.

The Taiwanese brand has confirmed that the phone will be launching in mid-March for Taiwan and Europe, with the US slightly later towards the end of the month. There's no news on cost at the moment, but it seems very likely to be the same price as before - £549 / $649 / AU$849, with contracts starting at £36 in the UK.

Design HTC One M9

It's another full metal uni-body on the HTC One M9, after near universal praise for the One M8's distinctive design. The design was one of the key reasons we voted it TechRadar's Phone of the Year 2014, and it's back again.

The HTC One M9 features a 5-inch 1080p display, set inside a body with 144.6 x 69.7 x 9.61mm dimensions, making it a little shorter than the One M8 but also a little fatter.

The added thickness is as much about ergonomics as it is about the upgraded battery, which has been boosted to 2800mAh.

The phone will be coming in three colours: the 'hero' colour of silver with a gold band, gunmetal grey and all gold.

HTC One M9 camera and battery

The HTC One M9 has finally ditched the Ultrapixels... at least, on the back of the phone. On the front the largely misunderstood dual 4MP UltraPixel has been moved to the front of the HTC One M9, to offer improved low light performance for selfies. 

The battery pack is also more impressive: that 2800mAh power unit is one of the biggest HTC has ever packed into a phone, and with the lower power screen that's going to help keep your phone chugging along for (hopefully) longer than a single day.

HTC One M9 OS and power

It's official: the HTC One M9 will be powered by the 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 810, as Qualcomm first teased and then confirmed as much earlier before it appeared on the official spec sheet. That's good news, because as well as being powerful and efficient it brings improved 4K support.

The new chip should help improve battery life as well, with improved efficiency, plus less interesting but useful things like carrier aggregation and VoLTE are included as standard.

In terms of actual specs, the HTC One M9 will have 3GB of RAM and an octa-core 64-bit Snapdragon 810 processor, with four cores running at 2.0GHz and four at 1.5GHz, allowing it to switch between them depending on what it's doing, using the slower cores to conserve battery when the extra power isn't needed.

Beyond that the One M9 is obviously running Android 5.0 Lollipop with its own Sense 7.0 UI interface over the top, which offers new tricks like a contextual widget that will display different apps depending on where you are - it's pretty cool.

You'll also be able to make your own themes - simply take a snap, the phone will analyse the image and use that colour palette for apps and icons.

HTC One M9 other features

The HTC One M9 supports dual band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 4.1, giving it improved Wi-Fi performance over the One M8.

Rumors pointed toward both 32GB and 64GB internal storage options accompanied by a microSD card slot, but while the expansion is here there's no 64GB option - it's just 32GB, with 21GB available to install stuff onto.

There will also be some HTC One M9 related accessories including a DotView 2 case as well as a clear protective case, that can be turned into a stand for watching media and a waterproof cover with an IP68 rating.

HTC One M9 rivals

HTC's big flagship has some stiff competition. The iPhone 6 is a big rival for the handset and has already staked its claims as one of the best looking and strongest performing mobile phones ever.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 is heavily rumored to launch with a metal uni-body, making it even more similar to the HTC One range than ever before. Expect some similar level specs but quite a different design when both are announced.

Then there's also the likes of the LG G3 and the Sony Xperia Z3. Both phones have been on the market for over six months now but it's going to be a little way off until we finally see the next iterations of both handsets meaning these will be some of the main competition for the One M9 for quite a while.

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OSX 10.10, Yosemite.

Wow, Apple keeps inching OS X and iOS closer and closer together, and they keep incrementally making OS X (and iOS) better as well.  Where Microsoft failed at completely revamping Windows (8), Apple has hit a home-run with OS X 10.10 (Yosemite).  Now don't get to frightened, though the look of Yosemite is slightly different than Mavericks (it's a flatter look and feel, akin to iOS 8), the emphasizes translucency, more streamlined dock and toolbars, as well as smarter controls.

Yosemite brings improvements to most of the major Apple Apps.  From a new streamlined Safari toolbar and "Favorites" view, to numerous upgrades to the Mail app.  The Messages app now has the ability to send SMS messages (a first), which will allow you to keep track of all your messages from you iPhone (not just iMessages).

Apple is touting what they call "Continuity" as one of Yosemite's major breakthrough features.  The Handoff feature of Continuity allows you to begin something on one device and pick it up and complete it on another.  Another awesome feature of Continuity is the ability to answer phone calls on your Mac!  That's right, you can answer a call made to your iPhone right on your Mac.  All you need to do is make sure your Mac and iPhone are signed into the same iCloud account.  Then your Mac is able to grab the call (through iCloud).  Now your iPhone doesn't have to be tied to your hip, or glued to your hand...:).

Spotlight has been improved.  For starters, it looks and acts much more like a search engine now.  When you click the Magnifying glass icon (top right of your Mac), Spotlight Search now appears like this.  You get a search window in the middle of your Mac, start searching for something and the window expands nicely to show items that match your search.

The Mail App has some great new features.  Along with a cleaner design, the mail app now supports Markup, which allows users to annotate attachments directly from Mail, without having to open any other apps.  

Another fantastic new feature in Yosemite is iCloud drive.  Apple finally has successfully joined Google, Dropbox and other cloud vendors, vying to be your cloud drive of choice.  With iCloud drive Apple has a winner on its hands.  

Now you can easily move files to and from iCloud drive using Finder.  See below:

iCloud drive can also be accessed from iCloud.com (as well as your iOS device running iOS 8).  I have found it very easy to use, and love it's direct integration with Finder.

Those are just some of the awesome new features to come in Yosemite.  I will post additional info on Yosemite in the coming weeks.  

I'd love to hear your thoughts, what you like, even dislike.  I highly recommend downloading if you haven't, it doesn't take long, and is well worth it!

Until next time, best to you and your devices!

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Acer Iconia Tab A110: Android 4.0 ICS, Quad-Core, Price Under 200 USD

Acer has recently launched a new tablet, Iconia Tab A110, at Computex Taipei trade show event.

Tablet with 7-inch format screen resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels it will come equipped with quad-core processor NVIDIA Tegra 3, 1 GB RAM, microSD card slot, a camera on the front, HDMI connectivity, and will run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich as a system operations.

Interestingly, as quoted in The Verge, although present to the specifications made ​​by Acer's slick new tablet that will be priced at less than 200 USD.

Iconia Tab A110 would seem to be one of the first tablet that will be part of a strategy of low-priced high-power of NVIDIA. This tablet will be released to the market in the third quarter of this year.

<<<Acer Iconia Tab A110: Android 4.0 ICS, Quad-Core, Price Under 200 USD>>>

<<<REVIEW: Samsung GT-S5300 Galaxy a.k.a. Pocket with Ginger Bread Taste>>>

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How to Sync Your Computer, Smartphone, and Tablet PC

Several years ago the business community used laptops while working outdoors, or used desktop computers while in the office, and used similar PCs while at home. Perhaps the rich had BlackBerry too. Today almost everyone carries a smartphone, regardless if it runs iOS, Android, Windows Phone 7, or even the BlackBerry's OS. On different occasions you could carry a tablet PC that runs a different operating system than your smartphone. And you could also have an ultralight MacBook Air to your Windows-based PC at home or in the office as well.

To manage these critical devices, plus their assorted OS, applications, including their connectivity alternatives, can be challenging. But of course with the correct blend of software and services, handling numerous platforms and mixing your data can be painless.


What to Sync? 

Before you download a cluster of cloud-related apps, ensure you lay out your needs. For instance, if you often operate at home, and you don't attend meetings frequently, it won't be necessary to sync your calendar through multiple devices. But if you're a promising writer or a creative type, you'd consider ways to log your regular stream of ideas electronically. But if you're carrying on a joint project, it would be necessary to share a selection of documents with your coworkers.

The other vital thing is to know which of your platforms necessitate sharing of data, and what types of data are to be shared. Such as, a Wi-Fi-only iPad 2 that you use solely as an email and a browsing tool; you don't access work data with it, though you use it occasionally as a note-taking device.

However if your activities are within a corporate environment, your company's IT policies have to be taken into consideration. IT supervisors would normally give directions on what sort of information the firm wants left in the cloud as opposed to its own servers. Ensure that you consult your IT department if you are about to share possibly sensitive or proprietary data across platforms.

The outcome is that your integration wants will differ depending on what your activities are, how often you travel, and which devices you carry with you.

Syncing Browser Data 

Sometimes you don't create a load of documents, but you browse a lot. Luckily, you can now sync bookmarks, passwords, including other data through platforms with all major browsers. One of the most transparent browsers is the Google Chrome, and with a Gmail account- you just need to enable sync at Chrome options panel under the'Personal Stuff' tab.

Firefox is bit difficult to sync: You are required to enter a special passcode on all platforms you'd want to enable Firefox Sync. It's a sufficient amount of an annoyance that's why it's generally unpopular.

You can also sync Internet Explorer bookmarks, however the task requires you to have Windows Live Mesh downloaded and installed. Gainfully, Live Mesh also allows you to share additional settings: such as sync Office templates across PCs, including also sync vital folders with Windows Live SkyDrive, cloud-storage service by Microsoft.

<<<How to Sync Your Computer, Smartphone, and Tablet PC>>>

<<<Acer Iconia Tab A110: Android 4.0 ICS, Quad-Core, Price Under 200 USD>>>

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Smartphones, What Is a Smartphone?

Chances are you have probably heard about the term smartphone, and to many, this term is somewhat a mystery. What was once only showcased as a prototype in 1994 has now become a phenomenon in the wireless cell phone industry. To learn more about smartphones and what they are, read on below.

So what is a smartphone? If you have held an iPhone or Android phone in your hands, you have held a smartphone. These popular devices are taking not only the wireless industry by storm, but even starting to outpace laptop and desktop computers in sales combined at a phenomenal rate. Yes, even computers.

Smartphones first and foremost are cell phones. They make and receive calls like any other cellular device, however there is one main distinction that separates them apart from the rest of the pack of our handy mobile devices. They can run full operating systems (OS). If you were ever familiar with the term PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), then a smartphone is a cell phone/PDA on steroids.

An operating system is exactly what is on your current computer right now. Like Windows XP/Vista/7 for PC or the MAC Snow Leopard for Apple computers, a smartphone runs off of an OS. While the brand of operating system may be varying from the brand names mentioned above, a smartphone operates much the same as a computer. As a matter of fact, you might as well call them a computer phone.

So with these phones you essentially can email, instant message, go on your online social sites, make online searches, edit text documents, take pictures, shoot video, and more all while on the go. The main big fad though that goes beyond these functions is what are called apps.

What are apps? Well apps first off are an abbreviated and lazy term for applications. Apps basically are small versions of software compatible with smartphone operating systems. These apps can be anything from a daily weather update, a photo editor, document creator, all the way to a multilevel game.

Currently every cell phone manufacturer has a their version of a smartphone. Some of these phones for 2010 include BlackBerry Torch, Motorola Droid, Samsung Intercept, Sony Ericsson Xperia X10, HTC Aria, and more.

Common attributes with a smartphone usually include a touchscreen phone and/or a QWERTY board, large display screens, multimedia capabilities (video, music, etc.), USB plug in, bluetooth (wireless talking), Internet access (Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G WiMax, etc.), a still shot and/or video camera, memory card slot, and sometimes even more.

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REVIEW: Motorola Fire XT, Android Middle Class

Smartphones have become an important part in the personal lives of its users. This was the underlying smartphone offers access to the world of entertainment and practical features with an economical price. Motorola saw this opportunity to launch a Motorola Fire XT. Gingerbread flavor, 5MP camera and full multimedia features, later became a magnet for smartphone users. So here's the review ..

Design

Dimensions: 114 x 62 x 12 mm Weight: 114 g

Motorola Fire XT has an ergonomic design. Four corners rounded and impressive elegance. Casing made of solid plastic material. On the back, covered with a layer doff comfortable in the hand, not slippery. On the side of the body covered by a steel material. In addition to the dominance of the touch screen, on the front you will find 4 softkey headed back, home, Google, and setting. Not many buttons provided on this HP, only the power key, camera key and volume keys. On the other hand there is a microUSB port and 3.5mm audio.

Screen

Touch-sensitive controls; Display: TFT capacitive touchscreen; 320 x 480 pixels, 3.5 inches (~ 165 ppi pixel density), multitouch: Moto UI Switch;

Fire capacitive touch screen Motorola XT, capable of providing an enjoyable experience as you explore the various menus in it. The screen has a wide 3.5-inch (320 x 480 pixels / ~ 165 ppi pixel density), convenient to browse through each page. The interface is carried by Motorola Fire XT is a combination of interface and interface Motorola's Android OS, namely Switch Moto UI. There is a Friend widget that displays the phone book with all the updates of his activities. While on the main page, there are 4 default icons to the All Aps, Camera, Message and Call. You are used to press the soft key to access the page menu, would be a bit awkward because there was access to the menu on the homescreen.

Hardware & Benchmark

OS: Android OS, v2.3.4 (Gingerbread) Chipset: Qualcomm MSM7227T-1: CPU: 800 MHz; GPU: Adreno 200;

Motorola Fire XT equipped with a kitchen runway ARMv6 processor Qualcomm MSM7227T-1 with a clock speed of 800MHz, Adreno 200 GPU and 512MB RAM. Armed with this big processor, enabling HP is a smooth and stable when opening various sites.

When tested using the CPU performance benchmark Antutu, Motorola Fire XT acquisition score is 1450. This position puts Motorola XT Fire slumped at the bottom of the rankings, just below the Sony Ericsson X10.

Connectivity

Data: GPRS: Class 12 (4 +1 / 3 +2 / 2 +3 / 1 +4 slots), 32 - 48 kbps / EDGE Class 12 / HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 384 kbps Browser: WAP 2.0/xHTML , HTML; Connection: Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g / n, Wi-Fi hotspots, Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, EDR, microUSB v2.0;

Pleasant enough when we opened a variety of sites, given Motorola XT Fire multitab up to 8 tabs. As supported by the flash, you do not have to worry when opening various sites such as Youtube videos loaded. In the sector of connections between devices, Motorola Fire XT equipped with a means of connection is fairly comprehensive, ranging from WiFi, WiFi Tethering, Bluetooth v2.1 + EDR, microUSB data cable to the 3.5mm audio port. The process of data transfer between devices running smoothly and quickly. Tethering on the phone that supports HSDPA, capable of connecting up to five devices.

Dual Camera + Qik Video Connect

Camera: (Primary) 5 MP, 2592x1936 pixels, autofocus, LED flash; (Secondary) VGA, 640x480 pixels; Geo-Tagging: Video: 480p @ 24fps, MP4/H.263/H.264/WMV player

Motorola Fire XT has 2 cameras with different resolutions, on the back of a 5 MP (2592x1936 pixels), while at the front of the VGA. The camera is equipped with HP in various settings, such as LED flash, autofocus and geo-tagging. The picture is sharp and detailed. Differences in the color detail is quite good, with the brightness of the color photographs. As a function of the video, with a maximum resolution VGA video recording quality is quite good, and not broken. There is an application Qik Video Connect, which allows to create videos and share them to friends, through social networking favorites. Via Qik Video, you can also make video calls and video chat with friends.

Integrated Audio

Audio: MP3/WAV/AAC + player, Stereo FM radio with: RDS;

As with other Motorola phones plumpness, Motorola Fire XT audio also give priority to the sector. When you get to the music player, you will find an interesting audio display. There are TuneWiki application, that where possible you can search for song lyrics and profiles the current song via internet. Strong audio quality and does not break when positioned on the highest volume. Not only that, the audio entertainment was furnished by the presence of FM radio supported by RDS. Powered by Shoutcast Radio, in which there is a favorite station setting, top stations, genre, and automatic search of radio Streaming abroad. Do not forget to plug the 3.5mm who served as an antenna.

Conclusion

The presence of Android phones is increasingly prevalent. The price range on offer is vast, from which USD100 up to USD600. Now an American vendor, which wants to try his luck in the Motorola Android phone entry-level class. Motorola Fire XT is a mobile phone at an affordable price that represents the needs of users of a high quality smartphone.

(+)

• CPU performance and stable browser to surf

• A complete connection

• Reasonably priced

• The audio quality is sharp and the camera

(-)

• Virtual keypad small

• Not support hotswap microSD Slot

DETAILS SPECIFICATION:

GENERAL

Network          : GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 ,3G HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100

SCREEN

Type                : TFT capacitive touchscreen

Size                 : 320 x 480 pixels, 3.5 inches (~165 ppi pixel density) Multitouch,Moto Switch UI

DIMENSION

Type                : 114 x 62 x 12 mm / 114 g

AUDIO

Fixtures           : Vibration, MP3 Ringtones

Output             : 3.5mm jack audio

Speakerphone  : Yes

MEMORY

Internal            : 512 MB RAM, 512 MB ROM

External           : Slot Micro SDcard up to 32GB

DATA

3G                   : HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 384 Kbps

EDGE             : Class 12

GPRS              : Class 12 (4+1/3+2/2+3/1+4 slots), 32 - 48 kbps

WLAN            : Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n

Bluetooth        : v2.1 with A2DP, EDR

Infrared           : Unavailable

USB/Port        : v2.0 microUSB

CAMERA

Primary            : 5 MP, 2592 / 1944 pixels

Secondary       : VGA

Video Record  : 480p@24fps

BATTERY

Type                : Standard battery, Li-Ion 1540 mAh

Standby           : (2G) / Up to 672 h (3G)

Talk Time        : (2G) / Up to 8 h (3G)

FIXTURE

OS                   : Android OS, v2.3.4 (Gingerbread)

CPU                : Qualcomm MSM7227T-1, 800 MHz, Adreno 200

Browser           : WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML

GPS                 : A-GPS support

Messaging       : SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email, IM via Java MIDP emulator

Other               : SNS integration, Google Search, Maps, Gmail, YouTube, Google Talk, Document viewer, Photo viewer, Organizer, Voice memo/dial, Predictive text input

OTHER FIXTURE

Multiple SIM  : Unavailable

Video Player   : MP4/H.264/H.263 player

MP3 Player     : MP3/WAV/eAAC+ player

Audio Record : Yes

TV                   : Unavailable

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Gigabyte Introducing 4 GSmart Smartphone at Computex 2012 Taipei

Computex Expo held annually in Taipei. Computex 2012 is one of the largest computer and technology event in the world. This annual event not only focus on the tablet, laptop and hybrid, but also on smartphones.

Gigabyte announced at the show had 4 smartphone OS Android 4.0 and the dual SIM capability which is the line up GSmart ICS. The fourth product is the GSmart M1420, M1320 GSmart, GSmart GSmart G1362 and G1342.

GSmart M1420 has a 4.3-inch screen with WVGA resolution, 1 GHz processor, 8 MP primary camera, secondary 1.3 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi b / g / n, Bluetooth support and use the Cortex A9 Mediatek MT6575 chipset.

GSmart M1320 with a slightly smaller-sized 3.5-inch screen with 480 x 800 resolution. This smartphone uses a 1 GHz processor, 4 GB of storage media with 512MB RAM, 3 MP camera with Wi-Fi connectivity and Bluetooth.

While GSmart G1362 has a 4.3-inch touch screen and 1.2 GHz processor is supported. This product has 4 GB of internal storage, 512MB RAM and a 5-megapixel rear camera equipped with a VGA front camera. Of course, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 3.0 are also available.

Last model is the most cute, the GSmart G1342. The handset is a dual SIM Android 4.0 with a 3.5-inch screen, 800 MHz processor, 1GB of internal storage and 512MB RAM. For the main camera has 5 megapixel camera and VGA front camera. With a thickness of 12.5 mm and weighs 127 grams, the device uses a Qualcomm MSM7225A CPU. available WiFi connection and Bluetooth 3.0 as well as battery powered Li-Ion 1300 mAh. Unfortunately, there is no certainty about the price or launch date for the four models.

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