Tag Archives: Google

Samsung Galaxy S II

Posted by Steven Swafford on October 18, 2011

The Galaxy S II is a phone that any Android fan would love to own.Features include an 8-megapixel camera with Full HD 1080p video capture, 16 GB internal memory, microSD memory expansion to 32 GB, Bluetooth 3.0 connectivity for hands-free devices and stereo music streaming, DLNA wireless streaming capabilities, GPS for navigation and location-based services, access to over 200,000 apps in the Android Market, and up to 3 hours of talk time (see full specifications below).

The Brightest, Most Colorful Screen

With an incredibly colorful 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display, the Galaxy S II delivers 50 percent more sub-pixels than the previous generation display for better contrast. The display also offers unmatched outdoor viewing quality, even in the brightest sunlight.

Super Sharp Photos and Videos Plus Video Chat

Amazon ImageThis Galaxy S II also captures sharp photos with its 8-megapixel camera with flash, and it records videos in stunning Full HD 1080p resolution. An additional 2-megapixel front-facing camera gives you the power to connect with your friends and family face-to-face via video chat with preloaded Qik Lite over Wi-Fi. And with Google Talk, you can video chat with all of your Google Talk contacts, whether they are on a mobile phone or a computer.

Mobile Entertainment

Samsung’s Media Hub enables you to rent or purchase movies and TV shows within seconds watch from the convenience of anywhere. With Media Hub’s progressive downloading feature, you can start watching your content almost immediately as the rest of the file downloads to the Galaxy S II. Plus, all Media Hub content can be shared among five Media Hub-enabled devices on the same account.

Intuitive TouchWiz Interface

The Galaxy S II features Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface, providing superior multi-tasking and customization for an enhanced visual and intuitive smartphone experience. Live Panel features provide immediate access to weather, social updates, e-mail, news and photos, which can all be customized on any one of the seven home screens.

All of the widgets can be positioned and re-sized to create unique home screens and one-touch access to the services and apps you use the most. The Notifications Panel allows one touch access to a separate menu for managing Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and Flight Mode settings.

Vital Statistics

Amazon ImageThe Samsung Galaxy S II 4G weighs 4.3 ounces and measures 4.96 x 2.6 x 0.35 inches. Its 1650 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 8 hours of talk time, and up to 400 hours (16.6 days) of standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies as well as AT&T’s dual-band 4G network (850/1900 MHz; HSPA+/HSDPA/UMTS) plus international 2100 MHz 3G networks.

Review

I have been waiting for this phone for some time now and once it hit T-Mobile I immediately picked up one. I must say that the first week of using this phone it is everything that I anticipated and then some.

The battery life has been amazing thus far but I must say that I am not the type of person who loads up my screens with widgets, I personally tend to keep my screens organized and clutter free.

It is a large phone and I was also extremely surprised just how lite the it is. I suppose the only complaint I have, which even goes back to the MyTouch 4G is the bloat-ware. I’m fine with providers providing applications out of the box but is it to much to ask for when it comes to allowing the consumer to uninstall apps they do not use?

I think not! It is also important to note that while Android voice commands is core to the operating system, Samsung’s voice is also very slick, check out this video:

Product Review: AndroXplorer

Posted by Steven Swafford on March 18, 2011

AndroXplorer is an essential application for everyone who owns an Android device. Its natural process is the way for Android users to explore folders and files proficiently. While there are numerous file explorers on the market today each falls short in its own way when it comes to measuring up to AndroXplorer.

The fine folks at the AndroXplorer has graciously provided five FREE licenses of AndroXplorer v3, just continue reading for details on how to win.

Editions

There are two versions available and depending upon your needs they provide two very different feature sets.

Version 2 is the free light version which does not support data encryption or compression and compared to version 3. That being said if you have no need for these then you would be just fine running version 2. However, it is well worth stating the obvious and as mobile devices are becoming more and more part of our daily lives the ability to encrypt your data becomes much more important.

Features

  1. Protect your sensitive data on Android phone by activating the app. with “state-of-the-art” technology of encryption.
  2. To manage your installed applications, AndroXplorer provides My Programs. This feature aggregates all installed applications within a single folder. Tap on an application within the folder to activate, to see the properties or to get more information from the market. Options also available to uninstall and performing backup where it is applicable.
  3. Another key feature of AndroXplorer is the sliding drawers for file sorting, navigation and toolbar. File sorting has never been easier with this approach. Pull down the pertinent drawer for sorting, tap on the sort type to sort, tap again for ascending or descending sorting. These uniquely designed sliding drawers also provide fast navigation within a view, making it a very smooth flow of operation from folder to folder and subsequently performing file operations easily within the destination folder.
  4. Shortcuts feature in AndroXplorer is very convenient to use, it enables you to create shortcuts to files and folders from any folder within a view. The shortcuts are then saved in a folder for future references.
  5. Selectable color theme.
  6. AndroXplorer supports advanced multiple-views file browsing. View-to-view navigation is as easy as swiping left or right. Each view has a self-contained folder with full file manager functions.

Review

I must admit that I was surprised just how easy it was to use this application once I took the time to configure it to my needs. I’m probably the worst person when it comes to reading instructions and upon stumbling my way around I turned to the instruction material on the AndroXplorer web site and it no time I was creating my key files.

The interface is very intuitive and with the slide features makes accessing features a snap.

Ask yourself the following question. How often do you search for a file whether it is a PDF document, image, or even your favorite music track? The search feature within AndroXplorer is second to none and with the addition of regular expressions your search will never be the same again. In fact you will very quickly find that you have located what you’re looking for.

The most notable feature in my opinion is around security.

I enjoy that I am able to create a key file that I can securely house my user names and passwords to web sites that I may need to access while I am away from my primary computer.

AndroXplorer

Many of us use or mobile devices for so many reasons which may include work and personal reasons. Have you ever stopped for a moment to consider that the document your about to attach to an email really could pose a number of problems should it fall into the wrong hands?

You can quickly and easily encrypt and password protect files and then confidentially fire up your email and send it off. Should it then fall into the wrong hands then you have nothing to fear.

Summary

While there are other good file explorers out there none can close to matching the robust features and the sense of security that AndroXplorer brings to the table. While this application is a much more expensive than every other application I have ever purchased as an Android device owner it is well worth the cost for the peace of mind.

Bottom line is try out version 2 for yourself in order to experience the interface for yourself and should you also wish to address the security vulnerability that is starring you in the face then by all means purchase version 3 today!

Rating: 4 out of 5

Name: AndroXplorer

MSRP: $15.00 for v3 and Free for v2

Contest Rules

Entering the contest is simple. All that is required is to follow @raddevelopment and leave a comment on blog post titled Product Review: AndroXplorer as to why your deserving of the free copy. Do you have a horror story surrounding security on your Android device? If so, share with others. Don’t have a story? Well that is okay also, just leave a comment in your own words why you want AndroXplorer and be creative. A short sentence just will not cut it.

At the time of the drawing, April 1, 2011, Radical Development will select five random winners so be sure to follow the rules to win!

Summary of Rules and Regulations

To enter to win a AndroXplorer v3, $15.00 retail value of prize, no purchase is necessary. Contest closes at midnight of March 31, 2011. If you’re selected as a winner, you must have a valid email address in order to claim the prize.

Complete Rules and Regulations

  1. This contest is open to residents of the United States of America, except employees of Radical Development who is sponsoring the Promotion and their affiliates.
  2. The chance of being selected will depend on the total number of eligible entries received. If the selected entrant cannot be contacted by the email address provided in the comment within 10 days of being selected, he/she will not be eligible to win the prize and an alternate entrant will be randomly selected.
  3. The prize is not transferable or convertible into cash or otherwise and must be accepted as awarded.
  4. The right is reserved to terminate or withdraw this contest at any time without prior notice.
  5. This contest is subject to all and Federal, State and Municipal laws and regulations. Void where prohibited.
  6. Radical Development and its affiliates accept no liability or responsibility in connection with injuries, loss or damage of any kind arising out of this contest or prize. Entries not meeting the guidelines or irregular in any way will be considered void.
  7. Good luck.

Is Facebook’s Facial Recognition Going Too Far?

Posted by Steven Swafford on December 30, 2010

digital faceThe facial recognition feature is technology you may take for granted when you upload images on Facebook.

The point of view that I take is technology is only as good as those that use it. What am I saying you may ask? All technology has good and bad points and the individual behind the use of the technology makes the difference. For example, just because I have the freedom to publish my thoughts that does not give me the right to do so should it cause harm to another. Using common sense should always be the focal point and as technology rapidly changes it is more important that ever that you understand the services you’re using.

If you’re concerned with you face being tagged then you will want to pay close attention. According to Facebook, for any reason you don’t want your name to be suggested, you will be able to disable suggested tags in your Privacy Settings.  Just click ‘Customize Settings’ and ‘Suggest photos of me to friends.’ Your name will no longer be suggested in photo tags, though friends can still tag you manually.”

Currently, you have the option of untagging photos you’ve been tagged in by friends. To accomplish this just go to the photo and click your name. There is no sure fire way to prevent friends from tagging you in photos, but you can prevent others from seeing the photos via your tagged name.

  • From the Account menu in the upper right corner of your profile, chose Privacy Settings.
  • Underneath the list of your current privacy settings, click “Customize settings.”
  • Scroll down to “Things others share” section.
  • Next to “Photos and videos I’m tagged in” click “Edit settings.”
  • From the “Edit settings” prompt that appears on your screen, use the drop-down menu to choose “Customize.”
  • In the “Custom Privacy” prompt that appears, you will see a drop down menu next to “These people.”
  • From the “These people” menu, you have the option of choosing who can see photos via your tagged name. You can set it to “Only me” or you can add specific Facebook friends who are permitted see those photos via your tagged name. Here, you also have the option of preventing specific Facebook friends seeing photos via your tagged name.
  • Save this option. As with other Facebook privacy settings, you can change it at any time. You just have to do it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kHGsKnf3_I

I personally have seen a great deal of conversation concerning Facebook’s facial recognition technology, but I simply do not understand what all the concern is about. I do agree with Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at security vendor Sophos comments that Facebook should make this feature an opt-in rather than and opt-out. If you’re a fan of Google Picasa this technology was implemented back in 2009 with Picasa 3.5 and unless you have been living under a rock more and more of our lives is becoming digital.

Client Interface

picasa client interface

Web Interface

picasa web interface

My question to you is simple; does Facebook’s facial recognition go too far? What are your main concerns with this type of technology and how the companies we engage with each and every roll out such technology?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iREJiSgIxAk

Is this the future?

Google SideWiki: Good or Bad

Posted by Steven Swafford on March 13, 2010

Have you heard of this Wiki from Google? I had not and thought I would look a little closer at this product as it initially looked very intriguing to me. This wiki allows anyone to to comment on content as they bounce around on the internet which sounds like a great way to enhance discussions on a given topic but what control do you actually have over the comments being made? Unlike the measures you may have put into place on your own website to control and monitor readers comments this wiki does not allow you a mechanism to block comments on your website. This is what I do not care for. I realize the benefit of this wiki however there is just so much spam and negativity on the internet that many website owners such as myself want a handle on the comments being made.

Do I believe Google is evil and trying to take control of comments, absolutely not. I am a long time consumer of Google products and I will continue to be so however one does have to consider when and how products such as this are beneficial or detrimental. Granted there is no way one can control comments in an environment such as this and on a positive note only readers who have the SideWiki installed will be able to see and make comments in this manner.

Privacy Concerns

Google has taken a great deal of heat recently when it comes to the subject of privacy. Take Google Buzz for example. When Buzz first was released to the public there were little to no options available to the consumer to exact any mechanism for control as to you could pick up on your Buzz which disturbed a great number of people to include myself. In fact according to The San Francisco Chronical a class action complaint filed in San Jose federal court alleges that Google Inc. broke the law when its controversial Google Buzz service shared personal data without the consent of users.

We’ve heard your concerns loud and clear, and we’ve already taken steps to address them. On Thursday we made some improvements to Buzz so that privacy controls are more visible and useful. And yesterday afternoon we announced further changes that we’ll be rolling out over the next few days — including modifying the start-up process so that you review our suggestions for people to follow (rather than automatically following them from the get-go), and adding a Buzz tab to the Gmail settings page so that privacy controls are more easily accessible.

Over the last decade Microsoft has always taken a lot of criticism on releasing products that were not ready for the mainstream consumer market and now it seems Google is now different. Now I want to be clear that I do not condone pushing out software for the sole purpose of reaching the market when it is known there may consequences in the area of privacy. The digital age is unlike anything many of use has even seen in the past and it will continue to grow and as it does vendors must be much more sensitive to their products and those of use who may use them. By doing so we can all reach a happy medium while at the same time protecting both the vendors interest and the consumer.

Conclusion

While I see value in the SideWiki itself I have chosen not to install this product at this time. If I can not have a measure of control then I do not want it. I know what you may be thinking, what about someone writing a article or comment elsewhere then linking directly to your website. Well in that case I have not complaints as the content is outside of my control and they are doing me favor by providing a direct link back to my website. Again I am not under the opinion that Google is evil so what say you?

Other Resources

[rss feed="http://feeds.feedburner.com/GooglePublicPolicyBlog" num="5" excerpt="false"]

Is The Apple iPhone Dead Or Just Dying

Posted by Steven Swafford on March 3, 2010

Is the Apple iPhone losing its market place and is Apple beginning to feel the pressure from other vendors? According to data that I have read as recent as January 2010 Apple has 0.12% of the market share whereas HTC has 0.24%. I find these numbers extremely interesting for a number of reasons. First, nobody can dispute that Apple hit a home run with the iPhone since it came to market. I am sure because of this reason other vendors have been paying much more attention to their own products and determining what they can do to gain ground on Apple. Second, Apple seems to be feeling the pressure in this competitive market. In fact according to AppleInsider on 2-Mar-2010 Apple filled a lawsuit against HTC. Now I do not pretend to understand the merit behind this lawsuit but it is clear to me that Apple has decided to go after the competition in a court of law in hopes to prevent the consumer from obtaining another mobile device that Apple feels is exploiting their technology. According to the December 2009 U.S. Mobile Subscriber Market Share Apple is second only to RIM.

I will say that a number of my friends and colleagues have an iPhone I have never really considered buying one myself. In my opinion is is a tough pill to swallow that Apple wants to maintain so much control over the device after the sale.

There are two things to know about the app. First, it’s awesome. It’s quite possibly the greatest thing I’ve ever installed on my jailbroken iPod touch. Second, there’s just no way Apple would ever have approved Grooveshark the way it was released. As much as I enjoy the ability to make single songs and entire playlists available offline with the push of a button, it’s not the kind of functionality Apple wants on its devices. via: Grooveshark’s iPhone app is unbelievably awesome, but totally unapprovable.

I can only speak from what I have heard but I seem to recall that Apple does not look to kindly upon those who perform jailbreaking. Seems to me like big brother is watching and if you upset him then prepare for the wrath.

On the other hand, my Android device which I rooted shortly after purchase has had no problems nor has Google or HTC tried to slap my hand. Until Apple backs off on what a consumer can and can not do to a device I will never purchase one. In fact I am just waiting for the day when Apple takes their policy on mobile applications and applies it to their line of notebooks and desktops (sarcasm here). Think about this for a moment and let me know what you think. I find it amusing when I run across articles where other point out the lack of practical applications on the part of Apple.

Now, if Google would just bring this app to the iPhone. It would not only make ordering at restaurants easier, but we wouldn’t have to be embarrassed by asking locals (or Android owners) for directions on vacation. via: Google Introduces Translation Feature to ‘Goggles’ App

Google recently worked with HTC and released the Nexus which did in fact have it’s fair share of problems. The individuals I know who made the Nexus purchase overall are happy with the device. The one thing I hope Google does is to work closely with HTC and make the Nexus the best phone it can possibly be rather than turning out a new device every year. By doing so, I believe Google can definitely gain momentum in the mobile market. Before I forget to mention Microsoft it is important to address the Windows Phone 7 Series which is due to hit the market the end of this year. I have not seen this device first hand but what I have seen in the press is very intriguing. It’s clear Microsoft is serious about the mobile market and this device shows that. The fact that such a mobile device integrates well other Microsoft products will most likely help sales. Recently I ran a poll asking, Will you purchase a Windows 7 Series phone and 80% said yes with only 20% saying no.

In closing, I believe Apple’s days are numbered and the market is beginning to demonstrate this. So I ask you, is the iPhone’s days numbered or am I dead wrong?

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