What Do You Use Your Phone For?

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If you asked someone this question twenty, fifteen or even ten years ago they might look at you strangely.  ‘What a daft question’, they may respond.  ‘To make a phone call, of course.’

Yet nowadays phones are mobile, they come in all different shapes, sizes and colours, and they have such a wide variety of uses.  Phones are no longer designed to simply make phone calls.  And, if you were to ask the younger generation you would probably find that they hardly ever use their phone to make a call.

English: Motorola V66 mobile phone (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Five Ways To Get More Out Of Your IPhone

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Many fans of the iPhone have been busy searching for ways that they can increase the utility of their iPhones and there really are a lot of different ways you can go about this. With the range of features and apps on most iPhones these days there are tons of creative and clever ways to extend the life and functionality of your iPhone. And with the recent release of iOS 7 the usefulness only increases. Here are five of my favorites.

iPhone Original/3G/4/5 (Photo credit: Yutaka Tsutano)

Have A Dreamy Old Time With These Smartphone Sleep Aid Apps!

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Can you remember the last time you were able to count those little sheep as they struggled over that tiny fence in the deepest depths of your subconscious mind? Sadly, getting a good night’s sleep is something that millions of us struggle to achieve. Okay, you can get some instant results from sleeping tablets, but they only seem to work for a few days. You end up getting just as little sleep, and then they kick in just as you are supposed to wake up. This is not to mention the other side effects associated with this area of medicine. If you suffer from Insomnia, you are better off visiting your GP and asking for some medical advice. They will probably tell you that you need to maintain a healthy lifestyle including your dietary intake. Regular exercise and stress avoidance are also great for getting some quality sleep. In the meantime, why not check out these cool sleep aid Apps on your favourite Smartphone?

Check-in-and-pay: Turn You Smartphone Into Wallet

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Would you like to make electronic funds transfer (EFT) payments for every purchase you make? What prevents you from doing it? If this process is like a piece of cake and there is no need even to take your phone out of a pocket  would you use it everyday? I believe you would say yes. According to the latest survey in UK 35% of interviewed people would choose their smartphones instead of a wallet and keys in case they can take only one thing with them going out. 

BlackBerry Crumble – Are We Seeing the End of an Icon?

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It’s been yet another busy week in the world of BlackBerry and one that by all accounts would be preferable if wiped from memory altogether. It’s becoming all-too apparently that we’ve all been given a front-row seat to watch the slow and agonising death of what was once one of the world’s favourite and more important brands – BlackBerry’s clock is ticking and it’s only a matter of time before it’s all over.

BlackBerry Z30 Launch 21 (Photo credit: vernieman)

Infographic: Smartphone User Around the World

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Coupon Audit  has created a very informative and educational infographic with regards to smartphone user around the world. Feel free to share this infographic with your friends.

Identify That Hideous Bug With These Super Smartphone Apps!

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 With the recent introduction of warmer summers we are starting to experience a new influx of tropical bugs in our homes and gardens. Some of them are quite stunning but also more than a little scary, especially those flying critters. So how do we differentiate between the safe and the not so safe insects? Okay, you may not be at risk of a life threatening bite, but it always pays to be on the cautious side. It would be great if we all had a degree in zoology, but sadly we don’t. So, how about the next best thing? Your Smartphone may just have the answer, there are several Apps that allow us to identify these bugs and check out how bad that sting or bite really is. This article takes two of these and offers an unbiased review of each for your perusal- Enjoy!

8 Highly Recommended Free Video-Editing Apps for IOS and Android

Magisto 

 

If you’re not a savvy video editor yet wanna a good try, this magisto is probably your choice. It is capable of editing your videos and photos automatically and especially for who wanna make some interesting things on home videos or phone videos. So if you have not enough time, expeciences and patiences in editing videos, just take this one and you’ll get lot fun. The APP both support IOS and Android devices.

iMovie

what iMovie flaunts is the HD movies that you can make with it. This app developed by Apple can make the videos you shoot by your iPhone into the gorgeous home videos and edit some video clips with a selections of built-in themes to beautiful HD movies and then along with sharing fuction too. While a special feature of iMove is support picture animation which indicates that you can have a transition from one photograph to the other. That’s really cool to make it look animated. But apparently it is exclusive for IOS devices.

Facebook Brings VoIP Capabilities to Android Messaging App

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Facebook is the most popular social networking site that recently announced that the its data base of users had crossed the 1 billion mark. The site is so popular that it is used in almost all the countries in the world. Signing up and creating an account is very easy and one just needs and email ID, which serves as the username and a password can be created on the spot and the account is ready to use. It is a great medium to interact with friends and family. You can exchange photos and videos or upload them on your timeline for friends to view. Any new event like an engagement or a wedding, addition of a new member in the family and many other social events are reported on Facebook and can be instantly accessed by the people you are close to, provided they have a Facebook account.

What Is A Smartphone?

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The Smartphone devices are popular among the cell phone users all over the world. The question is: what is a Smartphone, and how it is different from the traditional cell phones? A Smartphone device is actually a cell phone which has various, additional features. A Smartphone is built on an operating system which has the ability to perform advanced computing functions and Internet connectivity. The Smartphone was introduced to the concept of combining the functions of the cell phone and a personal digital assistant. The recent models of Smartphones go beyond that and have some additional features which are neither available in the traditional cell phones or in the personal digital assistants such as built-in media players, cameras, and GPS navigation.

Basic Features of the Smartphones

The recent models of Smartphones also include a touch screen feature, a high-resolution, built-in camera, various browsers that also display the standard Websites besides opening the mobile versions of the Websites. With the compatibility for WiFi and mobile broadband, the connectivity of the latest Smartphones is also included in some of the brands of Smartphones. There are various operating systems used in the different brands of these Smartphone devices. Some of the common operating systems are: Apple’s iOS, Android from Google, Symbian from Nokia, BlackBerry from RIM, Windows from Microsoft, Bada from Samsung, and WebOS from HP. The Smartphone market becomes an extremely attractive place for the developers as the interest of people is increasing in these devices.

The Operating System

One of the main features of the Smartphones is the “apps” which is the shortened form of “applications.” These apps are actually a small software that is developed to perform certain tasks such as playing popular games and other professional tasks. The popularity of Smartphone apps is increasing as people want to download an app for any reason such as getting the information of the local weather, or knowing the prices of your favorite stocks. Some of the recent models of Smartphones have the ability to connect to the Internet via 3G which is a high-speed, Internet connectivity service. Keeping in mind the dependence on the Internet is increasing, the developers of Smartphones are also providing different options on Smartphones that are based on the Internet.

Importance of the Memory

Some of these Smartphones have the option of a memory card slot to increase the memory of your device. Some other Smartphones, such as the iPhone from Apple, has a massive, internal memory so you can store movies, music, and large files without buying a memory card. Some of the Smartphones have the ability to support the push email feature which enables the users to send and receive emails in real time. Some other Smartphone devices provide you the facility to sync various email accounts in one service.  Choosing your Smartphone is extremely important as you need to be sure which brand suits you best. The needs of every person are different when they go to buy a Smartphone device; therefore, you need to know why you want to get the Smartphone.

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Written By Aaran, S, who has contributed several articles on technology and gadgets to various websites. Currently he is freelancing for MobileRookie.com

Blackberry Z10 Vs Apple iPhone 5

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The BB 10 smartphones have been the topic of discussion for a long time. So when the Z10 was released, a large number of tech geeks got their hands on this killer handset. The keyboard-less BlackBerry is will remind you of another popular smartphone: the iPhone 5.

Let’s face it. Apple has apps that are quite frankly the most superior to anything else on the market you could ever find. But suppose you don’t care much about iOS and most of your friends and colleagues use BBM? That’s when the Blackberry Z10 will begin to look a lot better than the latest iPhone.

Let’s see how these smartphone giants stack up against each other.

Display

The 4 inch screen of the iPhone 5 comes with Retina Display that makes everything look bright and sharp. With 1136x640 resolution, the handset offers users 326 ppi. This is pretty great for any smartphone.

The Z10 has a slightly larger screen at 4.2 inches and comes with an LCD display. With 356 ppi,this handset offers higher density than Apple’s latest. Though lacking the sharpness of the Retina Display, the 1280x768 resolution is pretty neat.

With regard to display, both the smartphones are nearly at par with each other.

Processor

Apple’s A6 chip powers its latest smartphone while the iPhone 4S has the A5 processor.

Camera

It is common knowledge that the iPhone 5 smartphone cameras are absolute wonders. We’re not just talking about the megapixels here. The 8MP camera comes with a host of wonderful features,especially the panorama shot (28 MP).

The Z10 has an 8MP camera too, but it has a separate set of features that you can play around with. One of the best is Time Shift. Enabling it will allow you to take burst photographs, detect the faces and swap them around so that everyone has their best smile in place.

Operating System

Apple’s iOS 6 is a joy to behold because of its killer interface and plethora of app choices. There is no denying the fact that Apple has created a near-perfect ecosystem for its iPhone customers.

The Z10 is not far behind with its spanking new Blackberry 10 OS. Corporate management and seamless messaging is just the tip of the iceberg here. BB10 users can access over 70,000 apps already in place. However, the absence of some large names might be a downer.

At the present moment, you don’t have much of a choice. The Z10 will not be available in stores till March, 2013. If you have the patience to wait, it might just stand you in good stead. If BlackBerry manage to smoothen out the OS and add more apps to its store, then the battle could get interesting.

Moreover, the Z10 is superior if you look at battery performance. It offers 10 hours and 54 minutes as compared to the iPhone 5’s 8 hours and 40 minutes. This could be a defining feature that Z10 could benefit from.

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At the end of the day, both are high-end phones that anybody would enjoy using. Put side by side, the iPhone 5 might just come up on top. This is mainly on the strength of its app store and superior camera capabilities.

This is a guest post by Nathan Brown of buyatt.com, a site that offers savings and current information on what is uverse as well as att.com services.

YouTube Capture App for iOS Updated with New Options

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The latest report from the world of technology is that Google has updated its YouTube Capture iOS app. This has brought cheer to many users who will find that thanks to this new application, 1080p High Definition uploads are now possible as against an earlier 720p HD. Besides this fact there are other advantages and upgrades seen in this new application. Due to updated YouTube Capture, audio synchronization has also been greatly enhanced along with upload speeds which are now greater than ever experienced before.

This new application is backed by full High Definition support, enabling not only faster upload speeds but also more superior files to be transferred in double quick time thanks to Google’s highly efficient and well organized servers. Sharing of photos and videos with friends and family is now possible with no waste of time either.

This new YouTube Capture iOS is being offered on iPhone5 besides the iPad and iPod Touch. Customers wishing to avail of this, can get a free update from the App Store. It also enables sharing of videos through social network sites of Twitter, Facebook and Google+. Where music is concerned, the app offers the facility to add music to videos, edit them with the use of shade modification and picture stabilization prior to sharing. 

YouTube Capture update ensures the following:

• Quick record – YouTube Capture has been designed with only one objective in mind and that is ‘speed’. It is this enhanced speed that has ensured it has received instantaneous recognition. It enables the strategic capture of photos and videos in lesser number of clicks and with use of reduced lag time.

• Automatic enhancement – Videos can be uploaded with automatic color modifications, enhanced stabilization, quicker speed and with assistance of music tracks which can be added for extra effect, if so desired. 

• Easy sharing facilities –YouTube Capture enables upload to YouTube, Google+, Facebook and Twitter all at the same time while enabling private sharing with associates and close contacts. 

YouTube Capture is available at the App Store and it is entirely compatible with the following:

• iPhone 3GS
• iPhone 4S
• iPhone 5
• iPod touch – third generation and later
• iPad

The application is optimized for display of iPhone 5 and needs the iOS 5.0 or later to be compatible.

Best part of YouTube Capture update is the fact that users can now shoot photos or videos in landscape mode by default. YouTube Capture also enables iPhone users to share these photos and videos to a host of social network sites through the use of Instagram.

Though YouTube Capture update has been introduced and the record and upload option in 1080p video is now available, there may be a problem in case you are not situated in a Wi-Fi enabled area or have a stringent date plan. In this case you can still choose 360p or 720p in the settings.

If you have an iOS gadget, what are you waiting for? The update is waiting for you to take advantage off at your nearest App Store.

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Author bio: 

Patrick Hudson likes writing articles related to Technology News, Gadget Reviews and How To. He also does guest posting for buycharter.com - a site that offers savings and current information on charter cable.

Smart Phone Users, By The Numbers

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This infographic shows how many people in the world are fond of smartphones and this shows a figure of 1 Billion active users among the 7 Billion estimated populations. As time goes by, the demand of consumers are getting higher and continuous creation of different operating systems are also very competitive. Android’s 25 Billion downloads was reached by Apple and 6 months later, Android reached the same number. This shows how these devices are influencing the present generation. In the age group of 16-29 years old individuals, 95% of them have phone and only 85% are from age group 30 plus. Among these results, smartphone owners in America have higher percentage rate for age group 25-44 years old and the lowest are from 13-17 years old. When Android and iOS operating systems were not out yet, RIM was highly used in EMEA as well as in Japan, NoAm and ROW but not in China. Next to this is the Microsoft but is not used in Japan. Symbian was also highly used in EMEA and ROW but lower in Japan and China. The number of smartphone users can easily get higher with all the new and hi-tech operating systems available and it is not impossible to double the number of active users in few years. 

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An infographic by the team at CouponAudit
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The New Apple Maps App

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So there has been a lot of words about the new Apple iPhone Maps application. Some seem to be completely enamored by the product, while others say that the cool technology doesn't quite make up of the antiquated maps. Most of the criticism isn’t coming from users of the IPhone 5, where product satisfaction is still very high. iPhone users do show some sign of apprehension, but overall the app does not seem to be hurting sales or the iPhone, which was released almost 2 weeks ago.

Apple recently released the iOS 6, which incorporates the new map functions, as well as slight changes that you can imagine come with software updates. While the numbers of satisfaction are similar, a small .1 dip occurred, going from a 7.75 user rating with the iOS 5, to a 7.65 with the iOS 6. Those numbers aren’t dramatic, but a drop is still a drop. Some speculation is because of the flawed maps application. This is also the first time Apple has used its own map function, having previous operating systems using a Google based mapping system.

The fact that Apple stopped using the Google based has not gone unnoticed either. The higher ups at Google have noted that Apple probably would have been better off not changing to it’s own mapping system, and sticking with Google. That is a good point, considering that Google Maps has become one of the widest used and trusted GPS based applications. Though, in a time in the digital market where everyone is trying to stay self sufficient, that would be a hard sell to Apple developers.

It is fair to say that Apple has also done something cool with the Apple map application, and can maybe take some of the pressure off. The new app does feature a 3-D view option, and while it might not be super useful, it does have a pull with users. Apple does have a history of being on the cutting edge, and this might be a rare miss for them, but until sales dramatically drop, specifically due to this issue, there is no need to panic

So is there any real need for the folks at Apple to start worrying? Steve Wozniak sure isn’t worrying, admitting that there is an issue, but nothing that they think will affect the sales of iPhone and Apple products. There are also other navigation apps available and in the pipeline for Apple, so there is a fix out there for Apple users. Though the map application should not be overlooked.

Apple will continue to be a mobile tech giant, and there is no need for them to panic. We will see how quick Apple will put out an update to this app, as there are definite fixes that need to be made. Regardless, sales for the iPhone 5 have skyrockets, and there is no need to think that will stop anytime soon. 

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Peter is a tech enthusiast, mainly being an Apple fiend. On top of that, he is a media blogger, often writing about the best options in Direct TV entertainment packages , as well as entertainment reviews.

Summertime & The Reading Is Easy

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What, where and how are digital magazines making summer even more fun? Zinio shares some of the latest insights and reading trends.

by visually. Browse more data visualizations.

Infographics: The New Ipad

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The New Ipad has been presented to the clamoring public. It may not be revolutionary but still it boost some very hefty feature. For a more clearer information regarding the New Ipad from Apple Inc. Have a look at the beautiful infographic below.

by javianmuniz.

Apple Unveils The New iPad

The rumor mill has finally come to a halt as Apple CEO Tim Cook announced the release of the much awaited 3rd generation iPad. At a “Special Event” hosted in San Francisco, all conjecture and rumor was either quashed or confirmed to an audience of keen tech-bloggers and industry VIPs.

The first thing you may notice about the “new iPad” is the subtle name change (if any); although many were expecting the “iPad 3”, the “iPad HD” or the “iPad 2S”, Apple officials have anointed the third in the series of iPad as simply; The new iPad.

Crystal Clear HD Resolution

The main hardware upgrade on the new iPad is the inclusion of a super hi-res screen and ultra HD capabilities. The high resolution screen on the new iPad model, similar to the Retina Display found on the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, will give the user a resolution of 2048 x 1536 with 3.1 million pixels across the 9.7 inch display. This will allow for crystal clear, sharp images and vibrant colors, equivalent to 1080p, which is a huge improvement in comparison to the previous iPad 2 resolution.

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Major Software Updates and iPhoto for iPad

New iPad owners will really be able to take advantage of the fantastic high resolution screen when it comes to photography and video, as the new model features a 5 mega pixel iSight rear camera and 1080p HD video capture. Add to this the addition of iPhoto and upgrades to both GarageBand and iMovie for iPad, this tablet is slowly transforming itself into a something more akin to a desktop computer.

iPhoto for iPad will support photos up to a huge 19 mega pixels, and the software includes new gestures, photo editing and effects (brushes and filters much like Photoshop and Instagram), and better compatibility for sending photos to other devices more easily.

Introduction of the A5X Processor

The next major change in hardware is the addition of the faster quad-core ARM-based Apple A5X processor. This upgrade in processing speed means the new iPad will be capable of instant play back of streaming video content and the ability to run more system-challenging software, not to mention better gaming opportunities and a smoother more reliable iOS experience.

The development and testing stage of the beta iOS 5.1 is now also over, and Apple announced that iOS 5.1 will be available for public release on all new iPad models to be shipped over the coming weeks. The release of iOS 5.1 is also good news for owners of previous iPhone and iPad models already running iOS 5, as Apple stated a software upgrade will be made available via update immediately.

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Pre-orders and Pricing

With many customers waiting anxiously to purchase their own new iPad as either an upgrade to their previous iPad 2 model or simply for the first time, Apple have announced that the new iPad will be made available to ship from 16th of March, with pre-orders for the US, Canada, UK, Mainland Europe and the Eastern Hemisphere starting forthwith. The new iPad will be available with the same storage capacities as the previous iPad 2 models (16GB, 32GB and 64GB). The starting price for the 16GB Wi Fi new iPad will be $499, again the same pricing as the previous iPad 2, as Apple have chosen to hold the prices for the new models. However, Apple also announced a significant price drop of $100 on the old iPad 2 models, which they intend to keep on the market for the immediate future.

Now that the new iPad specifications have finally been revealed, the tech savvy public and Apple fanboys can breathe a sigh of relief in the hope that this new iPad model will sate their technological needs and live up to their expectations. The next session of speculation will occur in the lead-up to the release of the iPhone 5 and Apple HDTV, most likely to be announced in mid 2012.

Apple New iPad Spec Summary:

• iOS 5.1
• 2048 x 1536 / 3.1 million pixels resolution
• Retina Display
• 1 GB RAM
• A5X quad-core processor
• 4G LTE internet
• 1080p Video
• 10 hours battery
• 9 hours 4G
• 9.4 mm thick
• 1.4 lbs weight
• Available models will be 16GB, 32GB and 64GB, with a price fix.
• Voice dictation, iPhoto, updates to major software including GarageBand and iMovie

Amy Westrock loves her iPad 2 and it follows her from the bedroom to her recliner sofa and even to her office where she works as a professional writer. There probably are some people more excited about the new iPad than Amy but you'll struggle to find them.

Infographics: Smartphone and APP Growth Soars

A smartphone is a mobile phone built on a mobile computing platform, with more advanced computing ability and connectivity than a feature phone. The first smartphones were devices that mainly combined the functions of a personal digital assistant (PDA) and a mobile phone or camera phone. Today's models also serve to combine the functions of portable media players, low-end compact digital cameras, pocket video cameras, and GPS navigation units. Modern smartphones typically also include high-resolution touchscreens, web browsers that can access and properly display standard web pages rather than just mobile-optimized sites, and high-speed data access via Wi-Fi and mobile broadband.

The most common mobile operating systems (OS) used by modern smartphones include Apple's iOS, Google's Android, Microsoft's Windows Phone, Nokia's Symbian, RIM's BlackBerry OS, and embedded Linux distributions such as Maemo and MeeGo. Such operating systems can be installed on many different phone models, and typically each device can receive multiple OS software updates over its lifetime.

Apps is a software that is use for different application. The infographics below shows how the smartphone and Apps growth has been this several years.

VIA: Columnfivemedia.com and blog.mylookout.com

Infographics:The Percentage between Ipad and Textbook

The Ipad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, apps and web content. Its size and weight fall between those of contemporary smartphones and laptop computers. The iPad runs on iOS, the same operating system used on the Apple's iPod Touch and iPhone, and can run its own applications as well as iPhone applications. Without modification, the iPad will only run programs approved by Apple and distributed via the Apple App Store (with the exception of programs that run inside the iPad's web browser).

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The iPad has several uses in the classroom, and has been praised as a valuable tool for homeschooling. Soon after the iPad was released, it was reported that 81% of the top book apps were for children. The iPad has also been called a revolutionary tool to help children with autism learn how to communicate and socialize more easily.[186] Many colleges and universities have also used the iPad. In 2010, Youngstown State University began offering three-hour rentals for the iPad.

Created by: OnlineTeachingDegree.com

Infographic: Mobile OS Battle Android vs IPhone

Two of the most dominant operating system for mobile device, the android and IOS. Both have been battling it out for supreme market share. The Infographics below should give an idea where these two mobile OS stands.

Infographics by socialmediaexplorer.com

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