App of the Month: Amazon Mobile

November 11, 2011   /   by phoneandwireless   /   in Android, App of the Month, Blackberry, iPhone

Shopping for a New App? Amazon Mobile is your new personal shopper!

Shop ‘til you drop may be a thing of the past. Amazon mobile makes it so easy to search, browse, compare prices, read reviews, and make purchases you could do it while…lying on the couch? Getting a pedicure? Eating a sandwich? Sitting in a massage chair at Brookstone…but wait – you’d have to go to the mall for that.

Holiday season is around the corner and this is the shopping companion you can’t do without.

Who hasn’t thought of the perfect gift for [loved one’s name here] only to lose it down the same memory vortex where the capital of Croatia bit the dust? Here’s a great fix. When genius strikes with the perfect gift idea, search Amazon mobile, add it to your wishlist, or go ahead and buy it right at that moment. You can even click “gift wrap”. The app links to your web account quickly and easily, enabling one click purchases.

Maybe you’re minding your own business, and you see something that inspires “the best gift idea ever.” That woman sitting next to you at the café…wearing shoes that your sister would kill for! Snap a photo and Amazon will search for that product or a similar one. The “Remember this” feature files it away for recall if you still want to shop around.

If you’re not quite ready to abandon the brick and mortar experience, a collaborative approach could really work. Scan the barcode of an item in a store to read product reviews, compare online pricing to in-store, or check availability.

Amazon customers have full access to their existing cart, wish lists, payment and shipping options, order history and tracking, just as they do on the web. All purchases made on Amazon Mobile are routed through Amazon’s secure servers.

Amazon Mobile packs a mighty punch with tons of great shopping features! All while using a simple, clean interface that’s easy to navigate, even on a smaller screen. Download it FREE for iPhone, Droid or Blackberry.

App of the Month: Google Maps

July 1, 2011   /   by phoneandwireless   /   in Android, App of the Month, Blackberry, iPhone, Mobile Phones, Verizon Wireless

Never Carry a Paper Map Again!
Most of us have used Google Maps online to locate a business or get directions.  But if you have a smartphone and haven’t used this app yet, check it out! While you are out and about, use the app to find, rate, and get recommendations for places. Then use the free voice-guided GPS navigation to get you to your destination.  If you want, you can even see your friends on the map, and check in at places using the “Latitude” feature.

Type an address or business name into the search bar at the top of the screen, and the map screen will zoom in on the location and plop a marker on the spot.  Search for business types, too. You can then zoom in using a variety of view options, such as map or satellite. If you want to step beyond the pinpoint location, you can get directions, which are offered via three options: by car, by public transit, or walking (a particularly interesting choice if your trip includes a transoceanic route).

Users with a Google account can also partake in the My Maps service, which provides users with simple drag-and-drop tools to chart their own customized maps and share them with others via a customized link or email message.

Google Maps’ biggest claim to fame is Street View, a view level of the map that lets you see a 360-degree view of a street at eye level. Users can explore a photograph of their local streets if they live in one of the cities that has been mapped by the service.

Check out this video for a look at the cool 3D walking maps!

A couple things to watch for? The app does use your data allowance, so make sure to watch your usage – Verizon users hit #DATA (#3282) then send. It can also be a drain on your battery life because it is constantly interacting with satellites.  Making a conscious effort to turn the GPS feature of the app off when you are not using it, and exiting the app when you are through, should help with both of these issues.

Google Maps is available on Google’s Android platform, and on Apple’s iPhone, and with limited features for Blackberry and Windows phones.  For more information or to download: http://www.google.com/mobile/maps/

Source: Cnet’s Editor Review of Google Maps App, Android Market’s posting of Google Maps App

App of the Month: Phone Halo

June 14, 2011   /   by phoneandwireless   /   in Android, App of the Month, Blackberry, Mobile Phones

Your New Little Angel?
Whether you’re a person who misplaces your keys each day, or you’ve been through the major inconvenience of permanently losing your phone or wallet, this app may be for you.

Phone Halo is a complete method to find lost keys, purse, phone or other valuables. The system locates, and helps you recover your misplaced stuff using software and a Bluetooth device that work together.

Here’s what it can do:
The Phone Halo Android app is used in combination with the Phone Halo Protect Bluetooth device to help you find important items you can attach the dongle to. The app helps in 3 major ways:

Loss Prevention
Once the app is installed, it works like a Bluetooth leash. The phone will vibrate and ring while the device chimes alerting you that you may have left either.  The separation distance is set by the user, not predetermined.

Example: you’re late for work and rush out the door with your keys, leaving your phone on the kitchen table. The Bluetooth device attached to your keys begins to chime, telling you that you’ve left the phone behind.  You’re able to run back in and get it before you get in the car and drive away.

Find in Proximity
You can send an alert from the phone to sound off the dongle as well as send a signal from the device to make the phone vibrate and play a ringtone.

Example: phone in hand and ready to leave, you can’t find your keys, but you know they’re in the house.  Simply sound the alert on the dongle and your keys will chime until you can follow the sound and locate them.

Track via GPS and Social
If you actually do lose either dongle or phone while the app is connected, the app marks the last place your phone was within range of the dongle via GPS so you can track it, finally answering the age old question – “where did you last see it?”

One notable quality of this functionality is that it does not continually use GPS, which is known to drain battery, like some comparable apps, such as Find My iPhone. Phone Halo only takes a snapshot when out of range.

There are options to blast out various types of alerts with GPS location information should you enable them; via SMS text message to contacts, email, even Twitter. If you truly lose your phone, the app features a lock mechanism with a passcode to unlock.

Where can I get it?
The application is free, and the Bluetooth device is $59.95. The features, plus the time and money saved in the event that personal valuables are lost, seems to make this investment worthwhile, especially for those prone to misplacing their items.

Available for Android, iPhone and Blackberry (For Android version 2.0 and higher). Find it at www.phonehalo.com.

Blackberry 6 Now Available for Curve and Bold!

February 8, 2011   /   by phoneandwireless   /   in Blackberry, Mobile Phones, Verizon Wireless

Great news! A software update to enhance the performance and experience of the Verizon Wireless BlackBerry Bold 9650 and BlackBerry Curve 9330 smartphones is now available! The new BlackBerry 6 OS software update includes loads of new features.
Read on for instructions on how to upgrade…

Exciting New Features in BlackBerry® 6 OS:

1. Intuitive, fluid design – Sleek visuals, easy multitasking, and smart organization. It’s easier than ever to use your smartphone.

2. Simple setup – Power up for the first time and see a short video, then go straight to setting up and personalizing.

3. Social feeds and views – See all your social and RSS feeds in one place. Type an update once and send it to one, all or select networks.

4. Fast, rich web browsing – Pages load fast and there’s tabbed browsing so you can have multiple web pages open at once.

5. Engaging multimedia – Get a streamlined experience with album art, new camera modes, sharing, a built-in YouTube® app and more.

6. Universal search – Now you can search everything on your smartphone at once – and even reach out to the web, too.

Two Ways to Update to BlackBerry 6:
1. Connect your phone to your PC and go to www.blackberry.com/updates and select “Check for Updates”, and follow the on-screen instructions.

2. Alternatively, you can update wirelessly from your smartphone by selecting Options -> Advanced Options -> Wireless Update, and follow the instructions.

For more information on BlackBerry 6 visit www.blackberry.com