Posted by Jonathan Pentecost on Thu, Dec 15, 2011
The last few blogs that I have written, as well as a few in the past, have been about the Apple iPhone. I had been using a Windows Mobile 6.2 device myself for the last few years and only had the pleasure of using friends’ and family’s iPhones. My phone was dying and I was going to see about upgrading to an iPhone (the only reason I hadn’t got one before was Verizon didn’t offer them until this year). After talking with a friend, he suggested I go with an Android.
I was thinking about getting an Android, but because of all the friends and family that have the iPhone, I was going to get an iPhone myself. I liked a lot of the apps that they have and wanted to be able to “play” with some of the features and things I have been writing about for the past few months. So, after seeing the Android first-hand, I knew it was going to be for me. For starters, it had the ability to have Adobe Flash Player installed on it, which the iPhone does not (why can’t Apple and Adobe come to some agreement?????). Next, it had an appealing interface to it. While I was used to going to the “Apple Store” for apps on friends’ iPhones, I was new to the Android “Market”. It was very easy to search and find exactly what I was looking for.
The only down-side to the Android that I have found so far is that my favorite app, Magic Piano, on the iPhone has not been written for the Android. Most of the other apps and other things that I had on my previous Windows Mobile 6.2 device, as well as a few additions I wanted, I was easily able to get for free on the new Android. For the first time, I am able to check my auto insurance coverage anywhere I want, see where I am by using Maps (including directions that rival the TomTom and Garmin) with appropriate GPS, and be able to listen to music using the Pandora app. As these are all free, it is like an early Christmas present.
So, what mobile device do you have? An iPhone, Android, Windows-based, Blackberry (perish the thought!!)? Or do you still have a device that is not a SmartPhone that can do all these fun things? What are your likes and dislikes about your device? Is it easy to use and have all the things on it you wanted? Are you able to do what you thought you could or are you disappointed that you got it and think you would have been happier with another device?
Are you in need of some assistance with the purchase of a new device that could help your business grow by increasing your productivity? Please contact us to discuss our Philadelphia IT Mobility Solutions. Or let us know how we can help you with our many Philadelphia IT Strategy Solutions. We would be happy to help you do what you do best – make your life easier while at the same time advancing your business however you think best.
Posted by Matt Kolowski on Mon, Jun 28, 2010
I find myself using the phone just to gaze at the Retina Display. I don't care what I'm looking at. Whether it be hot new
IT Support blogs,
IT Mobility, or any other hot buzz words I can conjure up. I'd throw some hyperbole in there, such as, "It's like looking at a printed page".But I won't do that. I won't tell you it's the best screen I've ever seen on any gadget. I'll stop short. I won't say it makes my iPad look like a CRT monitor, because that's just crazy.
My iPad sure could use a Retina Display in next years model, though. Sorry, Baby. No clothes this month, we gotta save up for the iPad 3GS!
The new 5MP camera is pretty tasty, not gonna lie. My dogs are in for the longest photo-shoot of their short lives. Doggy handkerchiefs are back. In a BIG way. HD video is certainly a nice plus, though I haven't had reason to shoot anything aside from the pen on my desk. It should be noted, however, that I've told my girlfriend the entire birthing process will be recorded. Possibly broadcast live, shh. (upsetmotherofmychild.net/breakup)
What I should have done was record that girl passing out from heat exhaustion as I left that mall yesterday morning. Can you imagine the YouTube hits? I'd be an internet millionaire, at least. Er, I hope she's OK.
Speaking of yellow fever, I was one of the unlucky few with yellow spots on the corners of the display. Word on the streetz is that it will disappear after a day or two of use. Damn you, accelerated bonding process!
It could be worse, I could be one of the people that loses service when holding it with their left hand. Not to worry, though, Steve Jobs has remedied that issue by simply telling them to use their other hand.
Duh.
Viva Jobs!
Posted by Solutions Center on Tue, Jun 15, 2010
Businesses, just like humans, have adapted to technology. It's the biggest part of our everyday lives and it's interwoven so deeply with how we function that it molds the way we live, and therefore, the way we do business. And working for an IT Support Solutions Company, I see this more and more every day. Last year at this time I had an epiphany - I was going to be a "pioneer" and get rid of my cell phone. I thought to myself, "People who lived 20 years ago didn't need these to get by and neither do I." And while it still holds true that people 20 years ago didn't necessarily need to have a cell phone, my father pointed something out to me; business (and the world in general) has adapted so much to technology, cell phones in particular, that it would be almost impossible to live without one.
Sure, it would be entirely possible to live - but with the way the world is today, if you don't have a cell phone you wouldn't be able to function properly in the business world. For example, let's say have an hour ride to work and your clients want to have an impromptu phone meeting to discuss their new product line. Would they even take you seriously if you told them that you couldn't call into the meeting because you don't have a cell phone? It would hurt your credibility as a businessperson and would be entirely unacceptable - a technical gaffe that would surpass any blunder Joe Biden has ever made. You're expected to have one, and you're expected to be available on demand at all times. Otherwise, you're dropping the ball.
That being said, with the iPhone 4 and all of its new features coming out, will a new standard be created? At what point will it be unacceptable to have a phone that won't allow you to send edited HD video of the overcrowded marketing seminar you're attending to your boss? Or when will it be common practice that you attend a face-to-face client meeting over your phone? The iPhone 4 is not just going to change IT Mobility; it will reinvent the way we do business as a whole. Working in IT Support, sure, we see new products popping up all the time allowing for better mobility and the ability to multitask better than one already can. The iPhone 4 is going to take that a step further, raise the bar, and allow for an entirely modified way of doing business - just as the cell phone did.
Posted by Matt Kolowski on Tue, Jun 08, 2010
Let's be honest here, who cares about video chat?
Not I, said the pig. Well, that's not entirely true. I wouldn't have cared until about 1 month ago, when I found out my boys can swim. If you catch my meaning(babies). Now I care somewhat about video chat. If I'm away from my spawn for a night or twelve I'm sure I'd wanna see the little squirt. Of course, I'd have to buy the mother an iPhone 4 to get the whole thing to work....let's forget the whole subject for now.
HD video is where it's at, right? Who wouldn't want their own mini RED camera in their cargo shorts? People still wear those, I hope. iMovie looks hella sick. It is odd, however, that it tops out at 32GB. If Verizon gets a 64GB version within the next year I'm going to dropkick someone.
And what about Verizon? I'm not sure how I feel about being tied to ATT next summer when the iPhone 4G drops on what we will all presume to be Verizon. Speaking of which, how sweet is it that we still have to hear Verizon+iPhone rumors for the next x months? Super sweet, I bet you said.
Battery looks to be improved just to the point where it won't be annoying anymore. That's a plus. I can only drag-refresh Twitter for iPhone so many times until I have to switch to EDGE. And nobody likes EDGE.
While reading the live-blog, did anyone else completely forget that Jobs mentioned a front-facing camera at the beginning of the keynote only to make video chat his 'one more thing'? How was that even possible? Doesn't that say anything about peoples need/want for video chat? For that matter, why didn't they call it 'iChat' and allow people to chat from iPhone to Macs. Don't make me say 'game-changer' right now. Don't you make me.
Damn you, Steve. Damn you for making me want one.
Hey, remember the EVO 4G?
Posted by Solutions Center on Tue, Oct 06, 2009
Working for an
IT Solutions Companywhose blog page is predominantly polluted with articles about the iPhone (I have to admit, I enjoy them too), I saw something that I thought should be thrown into the mix. Earlier today, Verizon Wireless announced that it will be dedicating its efforts into developing and selling phones that use Google's Android.
Verizon, who previously announced that it would sell Android based phones, has now implied that it will use these smart phones as direct competition against AT&T's Apple iPhone. Verizon and Google are working on codeveloping Android phones pre-loaded with applications that will be made by major manufacturers.
Motorola Inc will be releasing some Android based phones in the near future, and Verizon has already planned to sell them. T-Mobile, another provider, has been selling Android phones since last year, and plans on coming out with new phones made by Samsung and Motorola. Sales of existing Android phones have been minimal compared to iPhone sales, but now Google and Verizon plan on going head to head with AT&T.
Now, all said and done, you're probably wondering why Trigon Technology, an IT Solutions and Computer Support Company based in Wayne, Pennsylvania - just outside of Philadelphia, cares to blog so much about mobile phones. Well folks, I don't want to turn this blog into a lengthy sales pitch, but it's because we offer Mobile Technology Solutions to small and midsized organizations. If you get a chance, check them out!
Posted by Jon Pentecost on Mon, Oct 05, 2009
According to the Apple Insider website (
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/09/28/apple_announces_app_store_downloads_top_2_billion.html), Apple's App Store has surpassed the 2 billion mark. That's right, over 2,000,000,000 pieces of software have been downloaded since the App Store's initial release to the public in July of 2008.
There are applications that range anywhere from finding out what the local weather is, to turn-by-turn directions, to hundreds of games. Using the onboard GPS and gyros, you can find exactly where you are on the planet and navigate to where you want to go, or you can turn your iPhone/iTouch to turn the wheel of the car you are driving (the one in the game, not the car you are sitting in).
There are over 85,000 applications available from the App Store that can be downloaded, created by the 125,000 developers around the globe. With numbers like that, there has to be something that you will enjoy. A lot of the apps at the App Store can be downloaded for free, many others for only a couple of dollars. Even I can afford that (although, it would help to have an iPhone/iTouch to be able to do the downloads, though).
The website also states that up until April 23 of this year, 1 billion apps had been downloaded at an average rate of 4.1 million per day - 4,100,000 downloads PER DAY. That number has since increased to an average of 4.5 million per day, as almost 6.3 million apps have been downloaded since April 23, pushing the number of downloaded apps over the 2 billion mark. I don't care who you are, that is a lot of data right there!!
Posted by Chad Weaver on Thu, Oct 01, 2009
On Friday September 25, 2009 the time was finally here, the date all iPhone users had been waiting for. What is so important about this date you might ask? Well, it was the day that MMS or picture messaging finally broke through on the AT&T network. The iPhone itself had been capable of this functionality from software update 3.0 forward, but the cell phone carrier would not allow it on their network, for fears of all the new traffic it might cause. To get this feature turned on, all you need to do is plug your phone into your computer, fire up iTunes, and check for an update. You will then be notified that a carrier update is available. After installing the update and restarting your phone, you will then have the ability to send a picture, video, and even location if you are so inclined, through a text message. Now, this is nothing new to almost all other smart phones out there and this feature has been around for ages, I remember sending picture messages on my old Motorola phone. So the big question is, why couldn't the iPhone send these messages, it does just about everything else there is to do, heck I wouldn't be surprised if it can't make me a grilled cheese sandwich. Well, for most of the summer AT&T wasn't sure that their network could handle anymore traffic and wanted to get ready to allow the iPhones to eat up any more of their precious bandwidth. I think their fears were completely unjustified; we will have to wait and hear their official word on the topic - if there was any substantial increase in bandwidth usage. Speaking as an iPhone user, though, I had always used a workaround to send a picture, sending an email with the photo attached, and the fact I can now do it in a text will probably not change the amount of photos I send. Since the go live date, I think I have sent a total of 2 MMS messages, really, just because I could more so then any other driving factor. I guess we will have to wait and see if this new feature finally melts their equipment, but from and iPhone user standpoint, the fact that I can do it doesn't mean I will.
Posted by Matt Kolowski on Tue, Sep 29, 2009
If AT&T were a regular human being, they'd be that sleazy car salesman that talked to you into buying a car you don't even need.
AT&T has begun testing Microcells in two states. You hook one of these babies up in your house and you'll piggyback onto your internet connection to get a better AT&T signal in your lead box of a house. How much would you expect to pay for such a great service, free? Wrong, stupid. Get ready to pony up $150.
Sure the thing looks like a large modem built in the 70s, but you'll get some sweet coverage inside your crappy apartment! BUT, if you want unlimited calling, get ready to ALSO throw down $20/mo. Hey man, this is AT&T's world of crappy reception, and we're just living in it. Way back when I had the original iPhone, I pretty much had negative service. I might as well have lived in an underground bunker. But as soon as I got the 3G and now the 3GS, I don't have to worry about that, apparently my podunk town is a hotspot of 3G connectivity, who knew?
Anywho, it's pretty funny that a phone company wants you to pay so that you can use your own internet to get a better signal. And what's even funnier, is that a lot of people will pay up when this rolls out to the masses.
We am dumb.
Posted by Matt Kolowski on Mon, Aug 03, 2009
It was a good ride while it lasted.
Google CEO Eric Schmidt has resigned from Apple's Board of Directors. Schmidt's company has started to come into conflict with Apple's more and more with Android, Chrome and Chrome OS and even Google Apps debuting. Therefore it was in both companies best interest for him to no longer be involved in their top secret meetings.
Gone are the days where Schmidt and Jobs would skip down the street happily for Ben & Jerry's, slapping each other 5 after using the iPhone Maps application to find the nearest Starbucks and giving each other pounds, laughing hysterically while they see someone using a Zune to listen to music. Yes, those touching heartwarming moments are over, friend. But it's not like they were going to last even without this Board resignation.
Remember that amazing blog that was on this very website about the Google Voice app? (It was the one with amazing writing and rapier like wit.) It turns out there is a slight update. The FCC is investigating Apple, AT&T and Google as to what the deal is with the application approval process. They want to know exactly what happens when an application is submitted, and just who has say in the whole thing. The only one to come out of the investigation unscathed looks to be Google.
As Apple and Google distance themselves even further, prepare to hear the phrase, "Going Google" a heck of a lot in the next few months. Think Apples old school ‘Switch' ads for a new, nerdier generation.
Is that even possible?
If so be afraid, very afraid.
Posted by Matt Kolowski on Thu, Jul 30, 2009
Ok, maybe not.
But they sure give that impression.
Ever heard of Google Voice? Pretend for one second that you're a very busy professional and you have an office, home and cell phone. And it's very hard for everyone to get in touch with you at the right place. So you get a new phone number;KL5-867-5309 through Google Voice. You can now give that number out, and have it forward to all of those numbers. You can even set certain contacts and groups to only ring certain phones. For instance, that friendly woman I met at the bar the other week will only ring to my cell phone. But when my boss calls that number, it will ring all 3 of my phones. When the CFO of my client that I spilled the cake on calls me, she can ring my office line(which I never answer). You can also forward text message to different phones too. Cool, huh?
If you want to be able to respond to your friends and co-workers using that number, you can download the Google Voice App for your Android or BlackBerry phone. That way you can send texts from your Google number and even make calls too. All over your existing network.
Want to be able to do that on your iPhone? Tough marbles. The app was out for a day or so and then Apple decided to pull the plug. There was even a third party app that was approved by Phil Schiller himself that was yanked after a few days. Sadface.
If you dig deep enough on the internets, it looks like AT&T is to blame. It's not the first time that the phone company has cut down a perfectly good app. They told Apple that the Slingplayer app, which streams television, could only use Wi-Fi, and not AT&T's 3G network. It looks like they're not that keen on another company coming in and copying the company that Apple partnered with. (They seem to be fine with it on their other AT&T phones, just not the one that is the face of their company.)
But lets say that it wasn't AT&T's doing, and it really was Apple's decision. Lets also say that instead of Google Voice, it was Microsoft Voice. Would you really approve an app from your main competitor that replicated features on your own phone? I'd give that a swift kick in the pants too. While I'm at it, I would complain about those pesky ads they've been showing bashing my laptop prices. Oh wait, they did that already.
Suck it up people, this is AT&Ts world and we're just living in it.