Archive for the ‘Smartphones’ Category
Monday, August 9th, 2010
How many people download software such as tip calculators? How many of these people are aware that simply by downloading that program, they may have been compromised?
With the proliferation of texting as a primary method of communication, software writers have developed programs which can look like harmless games or utilities such as tip calculators, yet are devious. Once loaded, these programs send out copies of all SMS text messages to another person.
Many are offered as a means to track a spouse or significant other who may not be faithful. Some are promoted to track what children are doing. One partner or the other involved in a divorce could load the software on their unsuspecting soon-to-be ex-partner.
One of the safest preventative measures is to create a password and always keep your phone locked when it is not in your possession. While some may see this as an inconvenience, what would the cost be if the wrong person or people had access to your personal information?
Tags: Business and Economy, Mobile, Mobile Computing, Network Specific, Short Messaging Service, SMS, Telecommunications, Wireless Data
Posted in BlackBerry, Life Management, Privacy, Smartphones, Software, cell phone, email | No Comments »
Friday, July 16th, 2010
The latest Windows Mobile device tested on Verizon Wireless, is the Samsung Omnia II, running Windows Professional 6.5.3.
The Samsung Omnia II uses an AMOLED display. AMOLED stands for Active-matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode. A benefit to using an AMOLED display is that the screen can be seen without having the backlight on. This saves quite a bit of battery life for other functions. The backlight does need to be turned on in order to see the screen in bright sunlight. The display size is 3.7″ with a resolution of 800 x 480. Images, photos and videos are all very clear and vivid.
The Omnia II measures 4.75″ high by 2.38″ wide and .53″ deep, and weighs 5.08 ounces with the standard battery installed.
Input is done via a resistive touch screen. While many resistive displays do not work very well, the one used in the Samsung Omnia II is exceptional. The options include landscape and portrait qwerty keyboards and swipe. Swipe is an extremely fast method of entering text. It can be done via a finger or the built-in stylus. Getting use to swipe is easy.
Call quality with the Omnia II is very good regardless of the number of bars displayed. Bluetooth integration works well. One consistent hiccup has been the first time a call is attempted via Bluetooth, it is lost. Once the second attempt is make all further connections work flawlessly. The Omnia II features a proximity sensor which turns the display off as it nears the face. Sound level is decent for hands free, speaker and headset. The Airplane mode is quick to activate.
Based upon recent calls made, the estimated batter life with consistent phone use is about 240 minutes. A nice feature of the Omnia II is the ability to swap in spare batteries when recharging is not an option.
Key for our business use is integration with Microsoft Exchange Server and here the Omnia II performs extremely well. Calendar entries, tasks, email and contacts are all synchronized wirelessly. Connecting the device to a notebook with Microsoft OneNote also allows synchronization of OneNote files, once configured.
Browsing on the Omnia II using either Microsoft Internet Explorer or Opera Mobile is just fair. The speed is good but the viewing experience is not the greatest.
Overall, the Omnia II by Samsung is a very good smartphone for people who need integration with Microsoft Exchange and are looking for an alternative to a BlackBerry.
Incoming search terms:
- hitman for windows mobile
Tags: Microsoft, Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft Exchange Server, Microsoft OneNote, Samsung i8000, Samsung Omnia 2, Samsung Omnia II, Samsung SGH-i900, Touchscreen, Verizon Wireless, Windows Mobile
Posted in BlackBerry, Business, Smartphones, cell phone | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 7th, 2010
The second Microsoft Windows Mobile phone I tested was the Fathom by LG. This is powered by Windows Mobile Professional 6.5.3 and has a slide-out keyboard.
The Fathom lacks Verizon’s V Cast Mobile TV of the HTC Imagio but does have access to Verizon’s VZ Navigator.
The qwerty style slide-out keyboard works well. One design flaw is the keyboard requires pressing a function key in order to get a period. This is a major oversight in my opinion. LG does include a stylus for input, but it is too short to be of much use.
The LG Fathom uses a resistive display , which does not work very well. When scrolling, programs start to run because the display interprets the users intent incorrectly. A benefit of a resistive screen is that they do allow for use of a stylus.
The size of the Fathom is pretty good and it has a nice display. The display size is 3.2″ with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels.
Call quality was good. We tested the Fathom throughout the Clifton Park area up to Saratoga Springs and down to Latham. We experienced no dropped calls during the test.
The LG Fathom also has a proximity sensor which locks the screen when the phone is near your face. Likewise, Bluetooth connections were good in the different vehicles we tested it in.
During the short time of our test, we found battery use to be below what we expected. But since the battery is removable it is possible to carry a spare.
Overall the poor screen sensitivity made the LG Fathom not a good choice.
Incoming search terms:
- fathom screen sensitivity
Tags: Clifton Park, Clifton Park computer repair, Saratoga, Saratoga Springs New York, Verizon Wireless
Posted in Smartphones, cell phone | No Comments »
Thursday, July 1st, 2010
During the past several months I have been testing Verizon Wireless’ smartphone offerings for Windows Mobile phones. The units tested have all had version 6.5 of the Windows Mobile operating system installed.
The first smartphone I tested was the HTC Imagio. This phone had the additional feature of being able to view TV broadcasts such as Fox News, although at an additional cost of $15.00 per month. The video quality is very good.
The HTC Imagio offers options for either Microsoft Sync or Microsoft Windows Mobile Device Center in that the user is able to select the time period for look back of calendar entries. For those who have been using smartphones or PDAs for a while, this is a very nice feature.
Syncing with Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft Outlook works very well as one would expect from a Windows device.
The device has sufficient memory to hold close to 20,000 calendar entries along with a couple thousand contacts, hundreds of notes and over a thousand tasks.
The main issue with this phone is the display sensitivity is very poor. It is too easy for applications to run while simply trying to scroll through the options.
As a business class device, this is definitely not my first choice.
Tags: HTC Corporation, Microsoft, mobile phone, Operating system, PDA, Personal Digital Assistant, Smartphone, Verizon Wireless, Windows Mobile
Posted in BlackBerry, Business, Smartphones, cell phone | No Comments »
Friday, April 9th, 2010
During the past week I had the opportunity to take a couple of out of town trips and decided to use my BlackBerry Storm 2 for my GPS.
In preparation I ordered an Amzer Gooseneck vehicle mount. The suction cup on this bracket is extremely strong and placing the Storm in it easy and is held very securely. Attachment of the power cord is also convenient.
There are several areas within the Town of Clifton Park, New York which have very poor cellular reception. Even in portions of the Town which are weak, the Garmin never lost reception.
Over the past years I tested GPS software from Verizon Wireless, Telenav and Garmin. There are pros and cons to each. The system I settled on is the Garmin for BlackBerry. While it may not have some features of the VZ Navigator or Telenav, there is a one-time cost of about $90.00 vs. $10.00 per month for the others. The Garmin has been precise and has acquired a satellite signal 100% of the time. Additionally, the directions have been accurate, something I can’t say for the VZ Navigator.
My vehicle is equipped with Sync, which works exceptionally well. While making and receiving calls changes the screen from navigation to phone, it is easy to get the navigation screen on, while still talking on the phone. The only time an incoming call created an issue, was when the unit had been on for over an hour with no input. When the system reverted back to the navigation screen after the call was completed, the phone went into lock mode as that is the default I have setup. If the call had not come in, the navigation would have continued to work even without any input to the screen.
For those seeking a one device solution while traveling, the BlackBerry Storm 2 with Garmin software loaded is an effective solution.
Tags: BlackBerry, BlackBerry Storm, BlackBerry Storm 2, Clifton Park, Clifton Park New York, Garmin, Global Positioning System, GPS, Navigation, Smartphone, TeleNav, Verizon Wireless
Posted in BlackBerry, Smartphones, Technology | 1 Comment »
Monday, March 29th, 2010
Part of my job at HITman Services is researching software at our Clifton Park office.
Over the weekend I was trying out some new BlackBerry apps. One which I thought was very interesting was Visible Vote. I signed up for an account and started using the application.
Shortly thereafter I received an email from the company with my user name and password in the email. I was under the impression that the practice of sending passwords in emails ended years ago, but obviously I was wrong.
When I sign up with companies I am not familiar with or whose security procedures I am unsure of, I use a throw-away password. Which in this case turned out to be the right thing to do.
I sent the company an email regarding their antiquated security methods, and have yet to hear back.
Tags: BlackBerry, Clifton Park computer repair, E-mail address, HITman Services, Password, Security, Shareware, User
Posted in BlackBerry, Business, Privacy, Security, Smartphones, Software, Technology, email | No Comments »
Friday, March 12th, 2010
Interesting article from National Terror Alert
The Cell-All initiative may be one such savior. Spearheaded by the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate ( S&T ), Cell-All aims to equip your cell phone with a sensor capable of detecting deadly chemicals at minimal cost—to the manufacturer ( a buck a sensor ) and to your phone’s battery life. “Our goal is to create a lightweight, cost-effective, power-efficient solution,” says Stephen Dennis, Cell-All’s program manager.nationalterroralert.com, Cell-All: Super Smartphones Sniff Out Suspicious Substances, Mar 2010
Tags: cell phone, chemical detection, Homeland Security, National Terror Alert
Posted in Security, Smartphones | No Comments »
Thursday, March 11th, 2010
It seems we’re all looking for ways to trim expenses. We routinely review communication and technology expenses, looking for possibilities to reduce costs for our clients.
One of the more recent reviews dealt with BlackBerrys and Microsoft’s Exchange Server. We focused on this because the additional cost for moving from the BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) to the BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) is roughly $200 per year, per device.
By using the BlackBerry Internet Service and performing manual sync’s throughout the day, saves the above mentioned $200 per BlackBerry.
The downside to this is that the BlackBerry user needs to remember to synchronize before they leave the office. Also any changes made to their calendar if they share it, will not be sent to the BlackBerry.
Similarly, additions and/or edits made on the BlackBerry will not be reflected on the Exchange Server until a manual synchronization is performed.
Email is delivered almost instantaneously when using the BlackBerry Enterprise Server and typically between 5 and 10 minutes when using the BlackBerry Internet Service.
Tags: BlackBerry, BlackBerry Enterprise Server, BlackBerry Internet Service, Exchange Server, reducing costs
Posted in BlackBerry, Business, Smartphones, Technology, email | No Comments »
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010
For the moment I’m back to using a BlackBerry Curve. The BlackBerry user interface is so very well thought out. Using this Smartphone it is very easy to be productive while not in the office. After time spent with other devices, it is great to have a BlackBerry back. A friend recently asked for my opinion on a Smartphone for him and as he is on a budget I suggested a new Curve from Verizon Wireless. At just under $30.00 it is hard to go wrong with this choice for business purposes. The one caveat is I am unable to use TeleNav for my GPS navigation, I had to go back to VZ Navigator. For the heck of it I did a dry run from a trip I made this past weekend and the directions from the VZ Navigator were off. While I would eventually arrive at my destination, it was not the fasted route by any stretch of the imagination. Oh Bold where are you?
Tags: BlackBerry Curve, Smartphone, TeleNav, VZ Navigator
Posted in Smartphones, Technology | No Comments »
Thursday, February 18th, 2010
Let me begin by providing you with my background so you have a basis upon which to base my reviews. My time using (Personal Digital Assistants) PDA’s dates back to the HP OmniGo, one of the original devices. I have owned about ten different Palm devices, along with smart phones from BlackBerry, Qualcomm, Motorola and Nokia. I am a very heavy user of calendar, tasks, notes and contacts and have tens of thousands of entries. In all the time I have used PDA’s I doubt I have played an hours worth of games. I do rely on reading PDF’s, Word documents, some Excel spreadsheets, and am a heavy user of email, texting and the Internet.
Recently I tried an HTC Imagio running Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional. I found the screen very touch and the time to complete a task dramatically longer than when using a BlackBerry device. I couldn’t take more than about 10 days of using it as my productivity dropped and the phone just doesn’t cut it for business purposes, in my opinion. The only positive to the device was the ability to manually set how far back I wanted the calendar to go. Syncing with Microsoft Exchange worked as expected with no issues.
This past weekend I purchased a Palm Pre. The form factor is very good. Once you get the hang of the gestures, the user interface works spectacularly. While the keyboard is small, I found it easy to use and the accuracy very good. When typing, the Palm Pre does not automatically add a period when pressing the space bar twice as BlackBerry’s do.
The Palm Pre does not have the ability to set items as private, so if you are synching to an Exchange Server and others have access to your calendar, everything typed into the Pre calendar will be available for all to see. Memos and tasks do not automatically synchronize with Exchange.
While reading PDF documents on the Palm Pre works, it requires a fair amount of scrolling.
The multi-tasking is fantastic. I had Verizon’s VZ Navigator, the calendar, Opera, the weather and several other applications running simultaneously. Very cool.
Overall the Palm Pre is a very nice device for those who do not require a heavy duty business PDA.
Tags: BlackBerry, HP OmniGo, HTC Corporation, HTC Imagio, Microsoft, Nokia, Palm Pre, PDA, Personal Digital Assistant, Smart Phone, Smartphone, Windows Mobile, Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional
Posted in Life Management, Smartphones, Technology | No Comments »
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