Smartphones/Tablets
Amazon’s Tablet Forcing Competition to Offer Deals
With Amazon’s announcement this last week of their new $199 tablet (the Kindle Fire) we’re starting to see the pressure Amazon is applying to the competition, even though the Kindle Fire won’t be available until mid-November.
Best Buy is offering the 7” BlackBerry Playbook for $299, that’s a $200 discount from its regular price. http://bit.ly/TekChic0408
Target has the 1st Generation iPad with 16GB and 3G for $499. An iPad 2 like this is $629: http://bit.ly/TekChic0409
Tiger Direct has the 7” Dell Streak also for $299. That’s $100 off the regular price. http://bit.ly/TekChic0411
You may occasionally see some cheap (in every sense of the word) Android tablets for $150 or less, sometimes even under $100. These are cheap Chinese no-name tablets that are underpowered and don’t have access to the Android Marketplace, so without the Marketplace you’re really limited as to what you can do with the tablet. I would recommend you stay away from them, as tempting as it may be.
It’s expected that early next year Amazon will be bringing a 10” tablet to market, and so we can expect to see similar aggressive pricing from Amazon and price cuts from the rest.
Posted in Deals, Smartphones/Tablets | Tags: deals, Dell Streak, iPad, Kindle Fire, tablets | 
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MagicJack for iPhone Let You Make FREE Calls
I’m sure you’ve all seen the commercials for the “Magic Jack”. Well, if you have an iPhone or iPad you can download the MagicJack app and call anyone you want in the U.S. or Canada over wi-fi or 3G for free.
Basically it feels like a competitor to Skype, but I’m not sure it has the call quality that Skype does.
None the less you can download it for free via iTunes and give it a try.
Go here to MagicJack’s web site for more info: http://bit.ly/TekChic0410
A New Kindle for $79 and a New Kindle Color Tablet for $199 Announced by Amazon
Get ready for a great Christmas present. Amazon announced today 4 new Kindles including a color tablet that is likely to take a chuck of the market from Apple’s iPad. Gone are the little round buttons, the $99 and $149 Kindles are touch based, the price difference is that $50 extra gets you a 3G connection so you can connect anywhere, $99 is wi-fi only. The $79 Kindle lacks “touch” and uses a simple directional pad – perfect if you would like to do your book shopping on your computer, then just let it download (over wi-fi) to your reader.
The BIG news was the expected announcement of the Amazon tablet that is being called the Kindle Fire. OK, it’s not a great name, but at $199 it’s nearly $350 cheaper than an iPad. And although admittedly it’s NOT an iPad, it comes with enough capability and features (like unlimited storage of your music and videos on Amazon’s Cloud service) that the price is likely to see a lot them fly out the door. It weighs less than a pound (14.6 ounces) so it will be easy to hold even in one hand. The Kindle Fire runs a rather locked down version of Google’s Android operating system, but you still have access to Amazon’s app store, and I’m sure it won’t take long before someone figures out how to “root” the tablet so you can access the Android Marketplace and install other apps not in Amazon’s app store. The Kindle Fire can be pre-ordered now and will be available November 15. The Kindle e-readers will be available November 21st.
Posted in News, Smartphones/Tablets | Tags: Amazon tablet, e-reader, Kindle, Kindle Fire | No Comments »
Intuit Rolling Out Mobile Apps for Your Phone
Intuit, the company that brought you Quicken and QuickBooks is now expanding its offerings to your mobile phone. Taking a “mobile first” approach, the apps (available for iPhone and Android phones) also allow you to sync with QuickBooks on your PC or QuickBooks online.
QuickBooks Mobile is designed specifically for QuickBooks, but Intuit is also introducing Online Payroll, GoPayment (a credit-card reader for your smartphone) and Mobile Banking for Intuit Financial Services customers.
PC World Business has a full rundown here: http://bit.ly/TekChic0407
Posted in Apps/Tools, News, Smartphones/Tablets | Tags: Intuit, Quickbooks, smartphone apps | No Comments »
The New iPhone 5 Will Be Announced October 4th
No, I’m not psychic, but the rumor mill has dug up some pretty convincing evidence that Apple’s CEO Tim Cooke will be presenting the new iPhone 5 during an event on October 4th. The location of the event isn’t known yet, and the usual places in San Francisco are already booked by Oracle so right now the biggest secret seems to be WHERE the announcement will be made from. It’s a safe assumption that the phone will be available a couple of weeks after that. AT&T and Verizon will of course get them and there has been strong speculation that Sprint will also be getting the new phone as well, but if they treat Sprint like they treated Verizon they may make Sprint wait a few more months before getting it – we shall see.
As far as exactly WHAT the new phone will be like or even if it will be called the iPhone 5, no one knows for sure. I’ll let you know as soon as I hear more.
Posted in News, Smartphones/Tablets | Tags: AT&T, iPhone 5 announcement, Sprint, Verizon | No Comments »
Find the Nearest Bathroom With Your iPhone or Blackberry With Charmin’s “Sit or Squat” App
Yes, that’s right – Charmin, the toilet paper you’re not supposed to squeeze wants you to tap on your phone to find the nearest public restroom. You probably won’t need to use it when you’re home, but it can sure come in handy when you’re travelling or just not in your own neighborhood but “feel the need”. You can also just go to their web site SitOrSquat.com on your pc or other smartphone to get the same results. The restrooms get rated by other users, so you can have a better idea if the facilities are clean and for that matter, even open. The app is available in the iTunes App Store and Blackberry App World.
Get PrinterShare for Android Free Today
If you have an Android phone and would like to be able to print to your printer at home, then today is the day to get PrinterShare. With PrinterShare you can print to many wi-fi or Bluetooth printers directly when you’re nearby by (as in at home and connected to your home network) but you can also download their software onto your PC or Mac and then you can print from anywhere over the Internet through your computer at home onto your printer (of course your computer will need to be turned on.) This is normally a $13 app, but today you can get it FREE at the Amazon App Store. If you have the Amazon app on your phone already, just open it up and download PrinterShare. If you don’t have the Amazon App Store app yet (and why don’t you?) then go to Amazon.com and get it.
Posted in Apps/Tools, Smartphones/Tablets | Tags: Amazon Free Android App, android, PrinterShare | No Comments »
New iPhone Coming to Sprint (Rumor)
Apple NEVER lets anyone know what they are planning, but they can’t control all the business partners they deal with and according to Bloomberg, Sprint will be offering an UNLIMITED data plan (that would be the best in the business) for the new iPhone due in mid-October. So if you’re a loyal Sprint customer and have wanted an iPhone (but couldn’t force yourself to move to Verizon or AT&T) you may now have a real shot at getting the iPhone. IF it actually comes to Sprint, figure that the phone will cost $200 with a new 2-year contract. It’s not known if the new iPhone will have 4G, so if it DOESN’T, you won’t have to pay the $10 4G tax that Sprint charges its other 4G customers.
Protect Your Android Phone With SeekDroid – Free Today at the Amazon App Store
SeekDroid is normally $.99, but today you can get it free at the Amazon App Store. SeekDroid will let you track your phone on a map if you misplaced it, sound an alarm to help locate it, and if necessary you can lock the phone with a new code and even wipe the phones memory and SD card to protect your data. One cool feature is that it will also show you the most recent calls made on the phone. If your phone was stolen and they made calls you can see the numbers. It’s easy to use and with the price of a replacement phone costing between $400-$600, even $.99 is a no-brainer. If you have an Android phone and you’re reading this the day I post it then you can get it for free.
Posted in Deals, Security, Smartphones/Tablets | Tags: android, lost phone, phone recovery, security, SeekDroid | No Comments »
Get a LOT of Money Back if You Bought an HP Touchpad Tablet
HP announced this last week that is was going to sell off it’s consumer computer division and shut down its WebOS division (the company it bought a year ago that makes Palm phones.) The HP Touchpad Tablet that just came out in the last couple of months is one of the casualties. As a result there is basically a fire sale of all Touchpad Tablets in the stores – only $99. So if you bought one you can try going back to your retailer or contact HP about getting a refund of the difference from what you paid. DON’T go out and buy one at this price unless you’re feeling geeky AND are hoping that someone will someday figure out how to put Android on it. WebOS is an operating system that’s not compatible with iPad or Android apps, so the few apps that exist for it are all you’re likely to ever get.
If you’re in the market for a tablet, even though I’m a total fan of Android phones, the iPad is still the single best choice in the tablet category. The Android tablets with the latest version of its operating system called “Ice Cream Sandwich” will be out in a couple of months and maybe things will change, but until then, stick with the iPad.
Skype for iPad 2 With Video is Available
Skype with video capability is now available for the iPad 2 in the app store. Note that video won’t work on the original iPad because it doesn’t have a front facing camera.
So if you’ve been waiting for Skype – it’s here. Just go to the app store and you’re off and running.
Free Golf Rangefinder App in Amazon App Store
If you have an Android-based phone and like to play Golf, Amazon’s free app of the day is Golf Frontier GPS. Some of the features are: Calculate carry and reach distance from anywhere on the map, approach the next hole and the Auto Hole Transition adjusts with you, measure using yards or meters, choose to download from a library of nearly 15,000 courses and you can add a course using the online map editor. This is normally a $5 app, but today’s the day to get it for free, so don’t wait. Here’s more info at the Amazon site: http://amzn.to/TekChic0389
10 Reasons to NOT Buy Your Student an iPad
TechRepublic has an article spelling out 10 reasons why you shouldn’t buy your college student an iPad (in lieu of a laptop.) I thought the best reason of all is that they will soon STILL want a laptop, but go through all ten so you’re prepared when the begging begins. Here’s the article: http://tek.io/TekChic0386
Learn to Play Piano for Free on Your iPad
If you have an iPad and would like to learn how to play the piano, then you’re in luck. The makers of Piano Tutor are offering it for free in the iTunes App Store. Piano Tutor plays like a game, making it fun while you improve your music reading skills. Here’s the link to their home page where you can read more about it but hey, it’s free! Give it a try – you’ve got nothing to lose. http://bit.ly/TekChic0381
Droid 3 Phone Comes to Verizon this Saturday
This is going to a summer full of new Android phones coming out. This Saturday Verizon is getting the Droid 3 by Motorola. What it HAS is a full, slide-out qwerty keyboard that they claim is the thinnest on the market. What it does NOT have it Verizon’s “4G” LTE service – so if you’re looking for fast Internet then there are better choices. Like the newer generation phones it has a dual-core processor, and has a “gorilla-glass” screen to be nice and tough, an 8 megapixel rear camera, takes 1080p video and also has a front facing camera for video calls and video messaging. It also has a 4” screen and comes with the latest version of Android. The contract price is $199, so if you’re looking for something to replace your sluggish Droid 2, this might be just what you’re looking for. Here’s the link to the Droid 3 page on Motorola’s site: http://bit.ly/TekChic0380