A few decades ago, it was unimaginable for most of us. Would you have believed that even regular old middle-class people would have a device like the smartphone? It’s about the size of a pack of cards, with hours of battery life, and you can use it in a time of natural disaster to get the latest news, learn about road closings and emergency services, send mass updates to friends and loved ones, and maybe watch TV or play some games. In a pinch, it even makes phone calls. Yes, as long as cell towers are still up and you can charge the battery, a phone is an ideal companion in a natural disaster. The Red Cross confirmed that this week, releasing a survey of American adults that shows more of us are getting our emergency information in app form: then, presumably, playing Angry Birds. [More]
smartphones
I Get A Replacement Phone, Verizon Fakes My Death
Douglas has been a customer of Verizon Wireless and its ancestor companies for more than 20 years. He’s an executive at a company that cuts Verizon a five-figure check every month for employees’ devices. You’d think that they would be interested in making sure that he’s always happy, but not so much. When his phone stopped working, they didn’t send him to smartphone replacement purgatory: they killed him. Well, they suspended his account in a way that made it look like he had died. [More]
Verizon Must Pay FCC $1.25 Million Fine, Let Android Users Tether For Free
Good news for people who enjoy tethering their smartphones, but dislike having to pay their phone company extra for the privilege. Well, as long as those people are customers of Verizon. Who have Android devices. And aren’t grandfathered onto an unlimited data plan. Yesterday, the Federal Communication Commission announced that Verizon Wireless has to allow customers access to third-party tethering applications. Verizon insists that they totally never told Google to withhold tethering apps from their customers in the Android Market/Google Play. But they’re “voluntarily” paying a $1.25 million fine as a result of the investigation, and have agreed to train all employees on why they can’t block users from downloading any (legal) apps. [More]
Can A Smartphone App Diagnose Your Ailing Car?
With Tom and Ray Magliozzi, hosts of NPR’s “Car Talk,” hanging up their coveralls and retiring from the radio this fall, there will be a serious void in car diagnostics for ordinary people. We will no longer be able to imitate (very poorly) the sounds that our cars make and get help over the air. So where can we turn now, short of visiting an actual mechanic? Our colleagues a few parking spaces away at Consumer Reports Cars discovered and tested a free Android and iPhone app called Car Trouble that supposedly helps diagnose, well, car trouble. Is it of any use? Yes and no.
Perhaps The 8th And 9th Replacement Phones We Send You Won’t Be Defective
Garland and her husband have the same Android smartphone from Virgin Mobile, the Motorola Triumph. It’s supposed to be a pretty nice phone, and wasn’t cheap, but both of their phones had some issues. So get a warranty replacement and be on your way, right? Only it wasn’t just one replacement. Garland is now about to receive her fourth replacement phone, and her husband his third. That’s a total of seven defective phones so far. The phones suffer from a variety of problems, ranging from random reboots to poor reception to–worst of all–not recharging at all for no clear reason. They’d like Virgin to perhaps consider sending them a different, less crappy phone next time. They won’t. [More]
Fixing Your Own Electronics Is Fun And Almost Easy
Last year, I bought a used iPhone 3Gs that is now well out of warranty. Not a big deal. Only the battery didn’t stay charged all day anymore, and I wondered whether it was time for a new phone, even though mine is otherwise in great shape. Too bad I couldn’t just order a new battery online and snap it in like with previous phones. Except…I could. I just needed a tiny screwdriver, a few other tools, step-by-step instructions, and a lot of patience. [More]
Can I Game Verizon's System To Get An Awesome New Phone?
Robert has his eye on a shiny new smartphone, and he’s eligible for an upgrade. He’s on a family plan, and has devised a scheme to take advantage of some promotions. These promotions are intended for new Verizon customers, so his plan is to discontinue one of the lines on his account, and start a new one in order to get the discounts and perks that come with a “new” line. He wonders: has anyone else out there tried this and succeeded? [More]
Make Your Own Screen Protector
Since you know you’ll be smearing your greasy mitts all over your smartphone’s touchscreen, you’re better off protecting it with a layer of plastic. You can bypass pricey protectors sold by manufacturers with stuff you’ve probably got around the house. [More]
Report Links Increase In ID Theft To Rise In Smartphone Use, Social Media
While smartphones have given millions of Americans something to do on the train instead of staring blankly out the window while wondering where that smell is coming from, they may also be leading to an increase in ID theft. [More]
4G Phones Are Fast But Spotty Service Is A Real Drain On Your Battery
With Verizon’s 4G network covering a good chunk of the country and AT&T gaining ground, more smartphone users have access to the fastest wireless service available. But because 4G coverage isn’t truly continuous in many locations, users’ batteries are taking a big hit. [More]
Do You Use Your Mobile Phone In The Bathroom?
We’ve all got that person at work who just yakkety yaks away on their phone in the bathroom, and it’s probably the same guy/gal who uses their shoe to flush and opens the door with a paper towel (so inconsistent, germaphobes!) Hey, maybe that’s even you, because as a new survey says, lots of us use our mobile devices in the john. No judgment! [More]
Verizon Rolls Out Phone Trade-In Program In 11 States
In what seems like a pilot program meant to gauge public interest and cost effectiveness, Verizon Wireless recently started handing out as much as $300 in credit for used cell phones from prospective customers in some middle-America and southern states. [More]
Price Comparison Apps That Help You Save On The Go
Your smartphone certainly costs enough in monthly service plans and data fees, so you can make it earn its keep by using price comparison apps when you’re shopping. Mobile apps help you pit retailers against one another to help you save money on your purchases. [More]
Study: College Students Have No Idea What To Do With QR Codes
In spite of the fact that every bit of marketing targeted at teens and college students seems to come with some sort of QR code for this smartphone-happy demographic to scan, a new study says that most college students don’t know what to do with the codes and have no interest in ever scanning them. [More]
Amazon Unloading All Non iPhone Smartphones For $.01 (With Some Catches)
If you’re willing to sign a new two-year contract, from now until Cyber Monday, Amazon is selling all non-iPhone smartphones (read: Androids) for the low low price of $0.01. Yes, one penny. That’s also 99 cents less than $1. Though in most cases, you need to be a new customer for whatever carrier you choose. [More]
Is Amazon Working On A Cheap Smartphone?
Analysts at Citibank report that, based on their “supply chain channel” research, they believe Amazon is following up on its low-priced Kindles with a smartphone, which could be released next year. They speculate that Amazon could sell the phone at a loss, and presumably make up the difference by selling e-books, music and other digital media to mobile customers. [More]
Android Reigns As King Of The Smartphone Hill
Apple may be the media darling that grabs most of the headlines, but the sprawling monolith that is Android is the phone of the 99 percent. Or at least the 52.5 percent. Android devices garnered the majority of global market share in the third quarter, while the iOS market slipped from 16.6 to 15 percent in that span. Quickly-fading Symbian — the operating system for Nokia phones — plunged to 17 percent from 36.3 percent last year. [More]
Deciding Whether Or Not To Insure A New Phone
There are some hard and fast rules about what is and is not worth insuring. Blackjack hands in which the dealer is showing an ace — no. Cars — yes, as is required by law. Health — only if you don’t want to go bankrupt. It’s a trickier proposition when it comes to smartphones. [More]
