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Verizon Touchscreen Jukebox

Posted by Alan Buckingham at 12:50 AM on February 8, 2012

This year at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas Verizon unveiled something cool and unexpected – a touchscreen photo jukebox.  This isn’t what you would expect from the words “Verizon touchscreen”.  It’s actually a touchscreen jukebox with karaoke and a photo booth. all rolled into one large LCD screen.  The whole thing runs on the Verizon 4G LTE network so there are no wires involved in this setup.  It’s a plug-and-play setup.

TPN’s own Jeffery Powers stopped by the Verizon booth and got a first-hand demonstration of how it works.  The touchscreen allows for seamless scrolling through all of the music, but even better, you can snap a photo and immediately upload it to email, Facebook, or other locations.  The photo editor has multiple filters to allow the user to choose the exact photo they want.

Users may or may not like the fact that their video is also captured during karaoke, but that aside, the device is available right now, although it’s probably more for the bar than the home.  Users can even access the device from their phone, so there’s no need to walk over to the touchscreen.  Head over the Verizon Innovation site for more info.

Interview by Jeffrey Powers of Geekazine.

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Android 2.3 Gingerbread May Finally Reach the Droid X

Posted by Alan Buckingham at 10:00 AM on May 7, 2011

motorola droid x

It looks like the Motorola Droid X may FINALLY get the latest and greatest Android – 2.3, also known as Gingerbread.  Supposedly Verizon received Motorola’s build about a month ago, but rejected it.  Now it’s rumored that Motorola’s second try has been given the green-light by the wireless overlord.  This news hasn’t been officially confirmed or denied by either Motorola or Verizon.

If it’s true then the rollout would likely begin in the next few days.  So far no users have reported receiving the update.  The Droid X currently runs Android 2.2.1 and system version 2.3.340 and still claims it is up to date when asked to check for updates.

For those users who have rooted their device and are running an unofficial version of 2.3, you can find instructions on an upgrade path over at MyDroidWorld.  Those running stock devices should begin making periodic checks for updates as it may available that way before being pushed.

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Posted in Android, mobile, verizon

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Flixwagon Mobile Video Broadcast and Social Networking Platform

Posted by tomwiles at 5:11 PM on February 2, 2011

Arie Offner and Roy Ginat present Flixwagon (http://www.flixwagon.com/), a mobile video broadcast and social networking platform. The product is aimed at business and corporate users. Verizon will be soon launching the Flixwagon Android application for selected Verizon Android phones.

Interview by Esbjorn Larsen of MrNetCast.com and Jeffrey Powers of Geekazine.Com.

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Posted in Android, ces, google, Info, Information, Interview, mobile, Special Media, verizon, video, videocast

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The Verizon 4G LTE HTC Thunderbolt

Posted by Alan Buckingham at 1:32 AM on January 26, 2011

At CES 2011 Verizon was showing off the brand new HTC Thunderbolt, which will run on their 4G LTE network – the next generation network that is currently being rolled out.  With this new super fast network the device will be capable of such things as real-time multi-player online gaming.  The Thunderbolt will feature an 8 megapixel camera, a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, 1 GHz processor, 40 GB of internal storage, a 4.3″ screen (the same size as the Droid X), and it even features a kickstand (like the HTC EVO).

Like many things seen at CES, pricing and launch dates are not yet available.  In the video they also mention a couple of duel core mobile devices which will be coming out soon.  Exciting stuff.

Interview by Jeffrey Powers of Geekazine.
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Verizon And HP Introduce 4G Notebooks

Posted by Alan Buckingham at 7:54 PM on January 6, 2011

Today Verizon partnered with HP to announce their new 4G LTE laptops – HP Pavilion dm1-3010nr Notebook PC and the Compaq CQ10-688nr.  They are claiming that customers can expect download speeds of 5 to 12 Mbps and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps in 4G Mobile Broadband (LTE) coverage areas.

The Compaq CQ10-688 will offer a 10.1 screen, an Intel Atom N455 CPU, digital card reader, webcam (undisclosed resolution), and a veriety of connection options (presumably USB and HDMI).  It also boasts an 8.5 hour battery life.

The HP Pavilion dm1-3010 comes with an 11.6 inch screen, HP CoolSense technology (which they claim “combines advanced hardware and intelligent cooling software for a notebook that feels noticeably cooler”), a 1080p display, a 320 GB hard drive, digital media card reader, HDMI port, Dolby sound, GPS, and battery life of a stunning 9.5 hours.

Both the HP Pavilion dm1-3010nr and Compaq CQ10-688nr can be turned into mobile hotspots to allow other WiFi enabled devices to connect to their integrated “Internet Connection Sharing application”.

Like many things on display at CES there is no pricing or release date as of yet.  The HP certainly grabs a lot more attention than the Compaq, which seems completely average except for it’s LTE connectivity.  The HP is the real powerhouse here, but it’s likely there will be a noticeable price difference.  I don’t expect it to be too long before these are on the market – my guess would be mid-2011, but that’s just a guess.

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Posted in HP, verizon

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Verizon’s Android Problem

Posted by Alan Buckingham at 7:05 PM on December 29, 2010

With the release of the Motorola Droid and HTC Droid Incredible in early 2010 Verizon became the US leader in Android phones.  Later they came out with the Droid X, Droid 2, Droid Pro, and Samsung Fascinate to solidify their front-runner position.

But there’s a problem with how they are doing business now.  They are positioning themselves as PC makers have done, but with one major exception.  PC makers have a long history of installing “extra” software, what users have termed “crapware”, onto their PC’s – things like trial versions of antivirus.  But there has always been a way to uninstall it.

Now Verizon is trying the same trick, but without any uninstall option.  All Verizon Android phones come with a Blockbuster app and recently an update for the Droid X installed a trial version of Madden NFL 2011.  The kicker here is that these apps take up precious space on your phone and Verizon has ungraciously provided NO WAY to remove them.

I have not rooted my phone, but I have heard mixed messages regarding uninstalling these apps after rooting.  Some people have said it’s possible and some have said it isn’t.  But, rooting is complicated and certainly not for the casual user.

So Verizon finds themselves in a position where they really don’t want to be.  Yes, they are releasing the phones people want, but they are also angering their core users.  By not allowing any type of uninstall option they are going to drive away the base of users that has made the Android phones such a hit on their platform.  Really Verizon…Blockbuster?!  There may still be a user out there, but do you think the majority of your customers want this?  Do you think they want to pay $9.99 to get the full version of Madden?  Do you think Samsung Fascinate buyers want Bing for their search and maps as opposed to Google when they bought a  Google phone?

No Verizon doesn’t think any of that.  What they are thinking is only about the dollars they can earn from these deals.  But those dollars go away when users go away.

Posted in Android, verizon

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The Verizon Refund Debacle

Posted by Alan Buckingham at 5:00 PM on October 5, 2010

In case you missed the news yesterday and today, Verizon Wireless is refunding approximately $50 million to about 15 million of it’s wireless customers.  This stems from incorrect billing that the company did over the past few years.  In a statement posted to Verizon’s website they stated:

“We have addressed these issues to avoid unintended data charges in the future. … When we identify errors, we remedy them as quickly as possible.”

However, the FCC investigation into this is still ongoing.  According to FCC rep Michele Ellison:

“But questions remain as to why it took Verizon two years to reimburse its customers and why greater disclosure and other corrective actions did not come much, much sooner.”

The question still remains if the FCC will fine Verizon (Ellison did not rule that out).  They are still attempting to determine if Verizon “intentionally” charged a $1.99 per MB data charge to phones that did not have data plans.

Obviously the ramifications if Verizon was knowingly charging people for the data they didn’t use would be disastrous for the company.  At this point we can’t even speculate if that was the case, and honestly, we may never know.

But here’s what I do know.  I (and my wife and daughter) are Verizon Family Plan customers.  I have a smart phone and pay a $29.99 monthly data plan.  However, my wife and daughter do not have smart phones (they both the LG Cosmos).  My daughter just recently got her first phone so there has not been a problem with that, but my wife, periodically, over that past year or so noticed a data charge for her phone on our bill.  It wasn’t there every month, just a few times.  It usually ranged from $2-4.  A couple of times she called and inquired, but never got a satisfactory answer.  And, let’s face it, the charge was too small to put much effort into pursuing.

I can’t say that Verizon did this intentionally and I want to believe they didn’t because I really am happy with the service.  I can say that if I were going to set up a scam I would certainly think that billing a lot of people a little bit would be the best way to do it and not get noticed.  But that proves nothing.  I will withhold judgement and continue with our service with them.  But what I am a bit upset about is the settlement amount – between $2 and $6 per customer.  First, I have no idea how they have determined who the affected 15 million customers were and if we are even on the list.  Second, I calculated the total amount we were overcharged to be a good bit more than the refund that may be coming.  Granted it’s still a small amount of money, but it does leave a bit of a bad taste behind.


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Posted in verizon

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Amazon Kindle E-Books

Posted by tomwiles at 3:55 AM on July 27, 2010

Shortly after getting my HTC Evo phone, one of the initial apps I downloaded from the Android Marketplace was the Amazon Kindle app with the idea I’d probably check it out at some point. Weeks went by, and I pretty much ignored the app.

Yesterday I was talking to a good friend that is in the process of formatting e-books for an author friend of his, including formatting the books in the Kindle format. During the course of our conversation, I mentioned to him once again that I needed check the Android Kindle app out. He pointed out that there were free e-books available in the Kindle format on the Amazon website, including many books from 1922 and before that were now in the public domain, so after I finished his call I went on Amazon.Com with my computer and started digging around in the Kindle Store area of Amazon. Sure enough, there seemed to be plenty of free e-books available, so I started adding them. To get the Kindle app on my phone to synch with my Amazon account couldn’t be easier, I simply entered in my email address and Amazon password into the app. Any books in my Amazon storage area are quickly updated to the app.

Sure, some of the free books weren’t exactly my taste, but I was able to open them on my phone and finally see how well the Kindle app worked. Hummm, not bad – not bad at all. To make a long story short, I ended up finding a current book I really liked and purchased it for $9.99.

What a pleasant surprise I was in for. Reading a Kindle book on my HTC Evo is actually a good experience. The text is quite legible. The surprising part is that twice now I’ve carried the phone with me into restaurants and was able to easily read using the phone while eating. Of course, the HTC Evo has a handy built-in kick stand that allows the phone to sit on its side at an angle. I can eat and then periodically lightly touch the right side of the screen in order to make the Kindle app advance to the next page. The Kindle app even synchs the latest page I’m on back to the server, so if I open the book up again either on my phone or on my laptop, it opens up right at the exact page where I stopped reading.

At this point I have no plans on buying an actual Kindle, however I suspect I will be buying more Kindle e-books in the future. I often carry my phone around with me wherever I go, and because of the way the Kindle app works across all Kindle apps associated with my account, I have instant access to every Kindle e-book in my Amazon account storage area on every associated Kindle installation. There are often times I end up having to cool my heels waiting on something, and it’s incredibly handy to be able to use that otherwise often wasted waiting time reading. Ten minutes here and twenty minutes there really do add up over time.

All of this talk about, “Oh, the iPad has killed the Kindle” is bogus. Amazon has been very smart to put Kindle apps out for as wide a variety of devices as possible. Even if they don’t sell that many Kindle readers, the Kindle format e-book is a huge Amazon win, both for Amazon and for consumers like me.

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Posted in amazon, Android, Apple, application, book, Droid, ebook, geek, Geek Culture, geeks, HTC, internet, IPAD, review, smartphone, Software, sprint, storage, verizon

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Does The Cloud Have A Dark Side?

Posted by tomwiles at 2:41 PM on July 25, 2010

Does The Cloud Have A Dark Side?For some time we’ve been hearing about the virtues of cloud-based computing.

Certain functions seem to lend themselves to the cloud. Online word processing, spreadsheets, etc. can seem to make sense in some situations, such as collaborating with others.

In everyday use scenarios, does the cloud really make sense in more traditional private computer-use situations? I contend that it does not.

Right now I’m typing this into Microsoft Word on my MacBook Pro. At the moment I have rather lousy Sprint and Verizon connectivity, even though 12 hours ago at this very same location I had really good connectivity from both. The only thing that changed is the time of day. If I was currently limited to using Google Docs chances are I would be unable to write this. Network demand constantly fluctuates depending on the time of day and location.

Is there enough bandwidth available? With the tsunami of smartphones that are on the immediate horizon, will the carriers be able to keep up with the average five-fold bandwidth demand increase that the average smartphone user pulls from the network? Can carriers keep up with a smartphone-saturated public all trying to pull down data at the same time?

However, for the sake of argument let’s say that mobile Internet connectivity isn’t an issue.

What if the Internet is turned off due to a declared cyber attack and all of your documents are online? What good would the network appliance approach to computing be then?

Can e-books be revised after the fact? If government can simply decide to turn off the Internet, then it’s not that much of a leap to imagine laws and regulations being passed banning certain types of blogs or even books that have been deemed dangerous or seditious. There have already been books sold such as “1984” by Amazon that were deleted from Kindles after the fact by Amazon when it was determined that Amazon didn’t have the legal right to sell it in e-book form. What if instead of banning books, they were simply rewritten to remove the offending parts? What’s to stop instant revision of e-books that have been declared dangerous?

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Posted in amazon, blog, blogger, bloggers, blogging, blogs, content, internet, Microsoft, smartphone, sprint, verizon

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Prove it: Challenge to Modders, Make Me a CDMA iPhone 4

Posted by Jeffrey Powers at 10:10 PM on July 22, 2010

Rumor, rumor, on the wall. Apple rumors talk abound. Are they true or are they not. Rumor, rumor fill my pot.

Thought I would make a nursery rhyme on this. After all, rumors seem to be Mother Gooses best yarns.

Some rumors come true. Others, not so much. No clam shell phone, no mini version either. But will that one rumor that has been around since the 1st generation iPhone finally happen? Will Apple switch to Verizon?

Apple and AT&T, sittin in a tree…

There is a lot of “Love – Hate” relationship information on these two. Apple jabs at AT&T at WWDC. AT&T jabs at Apple antennaegate. Yet, they still have an exclusivity with each other.

Is it all about the money? Is there something special about the two? Are they both good kissers?

Verizon iPhone Mock

Verizon iPhone Mock

Little Boys Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint want an Apple bad

No doubt that Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint would gain instant market share if the leader in Smartphone technology was to jump to another carrier.

Of course, T-Mobile would be the easiest, since they are also GSM. I have no doubt in my mind that in some deepest, darkest room somewhere in Apple, there is a CDMA iPhone just sitting, waiting for it’s chance.

R&D, cost of production, Return on investment. Would it be worth it? Maybe if the architecture is easy to switch between the two carriers

Challenge, challenge, to you all – convert the iPhone for the call

I throw this challenge out to anybody who’s an engineer. If Apple is even thinking about a CDMA iPhone, then they would design it to easily swap out the GSM chip with a CDMA. Unplug one board, plug in the other, fix some code and start talking.

Maybe someone has already done this. We have people taking apart iPhones with the express need to find out what’s inside. Rip apart, inventory and plan for the rebuild.

Let’s prove Mother Goose can step out of the book and say “Hi”. Let’s put the childish games aside. Let us eat our Green Eggs and Ham. Let’s just do it to say we can.

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Posted in Apple, iPhone, verizon

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