Tennessee Sports Radio, former Vols visit Cellular Sales
Posted on 12. Apr, 2013 by Jay Witherspoon in Cellular Sales, Cellular Sales News, Events
On March 28, Tennessee Sports Radio, a Knoxville sports talk radio station, broadcast a live remote of The Swain Event from Cellular Sales’ Bearden Hill location in Knoxville.
Many former University of Tennessee athletes, who now host shows on TSR, were available to meet fans and sign autographs. Former UT and New York Jets quarterback, Erik Ainge, was even on hand to challenge fans in games of NCAA Football on Xbox 360. In addition to Ainge, Jayson Swain, Chris Treece, Gerald Riggs, Jr., and Steven Pearl all made appearances.
“We had a great time at Cellular Sales,” Ainge said. “The turnout was amazing, and everyone had fun playing video games and learning about all of the awesome products and services from Verizon that Cellular Sales offers.”
It was a fun event for all who participated, as those who came by were able to munch on some delicious food catered by Calhoun’s and pick up a free Tennessee Sports Radio t-shirt. And who doesn’t love a free t-shirt?
“Any time I can hang out, talk to, take pictures with and engage with my fans is time well-spent,” Ainge said. “Cellular Sales gets that. Their entire business model is completely built around taking care of and engaging their customers. This event was another example of how they do things differently, and they do it very well.”
We really enjoyed hosting the guys from Tennessee Sports Radio, and we were glad to be able to bring this kind of event to our customers. It was really fun to get to see people meeting their sports idols for the first time.
Top Road Trip Apps for Kids
Posted on 05. Apr, 2013 by Jay Witherspoon in Apps, Cellular Sales, Media
The Oregon Trail (iOS, Android, Windows)
The game that has entertained elementary school students in computer labs for generations is now available on smartphones. This timeless classic is sure to keep the kids occupied for a couple of hours as they get to experience the daunting journey across the Oregon Trail in 19th Century America. Besides, it has become a rite of passage in modern times to realize how treacherous fording a river is, where so many good oxen have been lost.
Wheels on the Bus (iOS, Android)
The in-car sing along is a road trip staple, particularly with young children. Wheels on the Bus can serve as your maestro. Aside from just holding a cache of children’s songs, the app provides other fun features to keep the kids entertained. It can sing in different languages, provide different musical instrument accompaniments and record your in-vehicle performances.
Toca Boca Hair Salon 2 (iOS)
This creative app is bound to hold your kids’ attention for at least a hundred miles. Toca Boca Hair Salon 2 gives users the creative freedom most hair stylists can only dream of. It lets players use their own creative devices to cut, style, shave, curl and accessorize the hair of several different characters. Just be mindful that it might inspire your child to test their hair-styling prowess on an unsuspecting parent or sibling.
Dr. Seuss Beginner Book Collection #1 (iOS)
Bring the magical storytelling of Dr. Seuss to your iPhone or iPad with the Dr. Seuss Beginner Book Collection #1. This app puts five of the iconic author’s works onto your mobile device and adds interactive options to the reading experience. It can follow along as you or your child reads the story. It will highlight words when a picture is touched and add sound effects, among other features. This is a bit pricy when compared to other apps at $14.99, but considering you get five books with it (The Cat in the Hat, The FOOT Book, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, Mr. Brown Can MOO! Can You? and Fox in Socks), it is a bargain. Also, the collection is not available on Android or Window devices, but you can buy Dr. Seuss books individually in the Android store.
If your kids are going to be traveling, they might as well learn some geography, right? Kids Maps presents the U.S. map as a puzzle game. Aside from having fun and learning where the states are located, this tablet app also teaches children fun facts about each state.
New Features on the Samsung Galaxy S4
Posted on 26. Mar, 2013 by Jay Witherspoon in Android, Smartphones, Wireless Industry
Samsung has unveiled its much-anticipated new smartphone release—the Galaxy S4.
The handset, which is slated for a late-April release, has numerous new features Samsung put on display during an introductory press conference. Here’s a breakdown of some of the new features for one of the premier brands on the market.
We’ll focus less on the features one would expect from a new smartphone model (i.e. 4G capability) and stick to those which aren’t available on just any phone in the store.
- Camera – One of the most talked-about topics after Samsung’s press conference was the S4’s camera. The rear camera has an incredible 13 megapixels. By comparison, the iPhone 5’s lauded camera is 8 megapixels. Beyond the high quality of photos it can take, the S4 also allows users to take photos simultaneously with the rear and front cameras. This gives you the option of taking two pictures at the same time and super-imposing one over the other.
- Smart Pause – The front camera (the one on the same side as the phone’s screen) incorporates eye-tracking technology to figure out, for example, when you’re looking at your phone and when you aren’t. Say you’re watching a video, and you look away. Smart Pause will pause the video when you glance away and restart it when you look back at your phone.
- Smart Scroll – In the same spirit as Smart Pause, the new S4 will also have Smart Scroll. This gives the user the option of scrolling (such as when on the web) by tilting the handset.
- Group Play – This is a type of sharing feature that can have some neat uses. For instance, you can share your music with your friends who have Galaxies and turn each device into a different speaker, allowing you to create surround sound using smartphones. This is a feature that could be expanded even further once app makers incorporate it.
- Air Gesture – This feature allows you to execute commands on your phone by using gestures. You can set your gestures so that, say, waving your hand in front of the screen will exit an app or making a check mark with your finger will lock the screen.
There are many more new features on the Samsung Galaxy S4. Feel free to stop by a Cellular Sales location and ask a wireless expert to learn more.
Top Apps for Business Travelers
Posted on 15. Mar, 2013 by Jay Witherspoon in Android, Apps, Cellular Sales, iOS, Media, Phones & Devices, Smartphones, Tools/Resources, Windows
The serial business flyer knows that where you sit on the plane can be the difference between a pleasant flight and a horrible one. SeatGuru is a smartphone app that lets you book flights, and even select your seat on the plane. It also provides information that will help you make decisions by showing where on the plane the power ports are, how much the seat reclines, as well as user reviews.
TripIt (Android, iOS, Windows)
In online travel-booking, there is a never-ending onslaught of confirmation and reservation numbers: for flights, hotels, car rentals, etc. TripIt, available for smartphones and tablets, organizes these numbers for you in one convenient app. All you have to do is forward your confirmation emails to a TripIt email address. TripIt then puts them in the app, allowing you to have them all in one place.
Simply Declare (iOS)
Recording expenses is a necessary part of business travel, and for those who are on a company expense budget, an app like Simply Declare can be invaluable. This iPhone app lets you put in your daily or overall budget. As you input expenditures, Simply Declare keeps track of how well you are doing at staying on budget. In addition to helping users keep track of expenses, one can also take photos of receipts and email them (to yourself or someone else), and for international travelers, there is a currency converter.
If you’re on a business trip in a big city, chances are you’re probably going to need to get a cab at some point. Taxi Magic will bring a cab to you, and you won’t have to dial a single number. Instead of having to flag one down or search for local companies, the app will use the GPS on your phone to send a cab directly to you. It even allows a customer to pay for the cab using the smartphone app. Taxi Magic works with cab companies in 43 U.S. cities, as well as London and Vancouver.
One thing smartphone users dread the most—losing their phone. Since people traveling for business are often using their phones for work, this can be more than just a slight inconvenience that can be fixed with a trip to the mobile store. Lookout allows you to track your phone, sound an alarm/page it if it’s lost or erase the memory remotely. This way you can either find your lost device or make sure any sensitive information doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.
Tips for cleaning your smartphone’s screen
Posted on 05. Mar, 2013 by Jay Witherspoon in Android, Cellular Sales, Equipment, Phones & Devices
Smartphones and tablets have altered the way we think of phones and computers over the past few years. They have enabled us to have a mobile computer and internet connection with us at all times while taking up a fraction of the space.
One aspect of these amazing devices that is a pretty common denominator is the touchscreen. Touchscreens save space on the device, since a tangible keyboard isn’t necessary, and they also increase the range of functions a smartphone or tablet can perform.
As great of a technological advance as touchscreens are, they are still pretty delicate. And with all the touching they endure, day in and day out, they are bound to get dirty. So the question is: How does one properly clean a smartphone’s screen?
Many smartphones and tablets are packaged with a microfiber cloth for cleaning the screen. If you, like a lot of people, have lost this cloth, don’t worry. Microfiber cloths are fairly easy to come by and are a staple of eyeglasses-cleaning kits.
Be sure to turn your smartphone or tablet off when cleaning the screen. Wipe the screen in one direction with the microfiber cloth, as opposed to just using circular or back-and-forth motions.
If your screen is particularly dirty, add a small amount of water to one of the edges of the cloth. Add just enough water to make one of the corners of the cloth damp. If there is a troublesome patch of dirt or oil on your phone, you can employ some circular motions. Afterwards, use the dry portion of the cloth to wipe off the screen using the aforementioned technique.
Now that we’ve gone over the dos, here are some don’ts for cleaning your smartphone or tablet’s screen:
DO NOT use any chemicals.
DO NOT use paper towels, cotton rags or other abrasive cloths.
DO NOT apply water directly to the screen. You don’t want to risk having that water mistakenly finding its way into your phone or tablet’s interior.
Top 5 Apps for Shopping
Posted on 05. Mar, 2013 by Jay Witherspoon in Android, Apps, Cellular Sales, iOS, Media, Phones & Devices, Smartphones, Tools/Resources, Windows
RedLaser (Android, iOS, Windows)
At the end of the day, shopping is a price game, and RedLaser can be your trump card at winning that game. This app allows you to scan barcodes with your smartphone’s camera and see how those prices compare to other stores. After a scan, you can see what the price of that particular item is at several nearby retailers, as well as online retailing giant, eBay, which publishes the app.
GeoQpons is made for the coupon-conscious consumer. It delivers coupons from thousands of retailers, restaurants and other businesses directly to your smartphone. These coupons aren’t just for big-box stores, either. Local businesses can use GeoQpons to send their own discounts to their customers. In addition to providing the coupons, GeoQpons will also send you notifications when your coupons are about to expire so you can make sure you get the deal before it’s gone.
Ibotta is a smartphone app which acts as sort of a reverse coupon. The app sends you offers on products, and after viewing a small promotion for that product (such as a video or product fact), you get rewards for that item. When you purchase those items at one of several national retailers, simply snap a picture of your receipt and Ibotta gives you money back using PayPal. Another cool feature is that instead of taking the cash, you can choose to donate the money to any school in America.
For those who crave a social approach to shopping, there’s Wrapp. This smartphone and tablet app allows you to give gift cards to your Facebook friends. Some of the gift cards available are free, too, meaning you can send a friend a $5 gift and pay nothing for it. Since it connects through Facebook, Wrapp can show you when your friends’ birthdays are coming up, allowing you to send them a nice little gift without having to remember when their birthday is.
Amazon (Android, iOS, Windows)
Amazon is the largest online retailer and a go-to source for online shoppers. This app does a great job of translating the Amazon website to a mobile platform, making it easy to use on a smartphone or tablet. You can do everything on the app you can do on the website—update your wish list, buy things and look at the daily deals. Additionally, the app comes with a barcode scanning feature that allows you to compare prices at brick-and-mortar stores with those on Amazon.
Remember When: Video Discs The Size of LP’s
Posted on 18. Feb, 2013 by Jay Witherspoon in Technology
Every now and then, it’s good to stop and look back down the technological roads we’ve traveled. As more of us move our digital assets to the cloud, it might create a wave of nostalgia for the tangible media of earlier days. Remember LaserDisc? Many have never seen one. Check out CNet’s historical write-up on the technology…
Years ago, long before the dawn of the DVD or Blu-ray formats, consumer video was strictly all-analog, from the very first broadcasts right up to the introduction of the LaserDisc. The 12-inch, double-sided LaserDisc looked like a giant CD, but the video was analog encoded on two single-sided aluminum discs layered in plastic. The discs that debuted in 1978 had analog audio soundtracks, but later discs featured stereo digital sound. Millions of players were sold in the U.S., but LaserDisc was, even during the height of its popularity, a niche format that appealed mostly to videophiles. It had much greater success in Japan, and was used in 10 percent of all households. LaserDisc video quality was a big step up from VHS and Beta tapes. Pioneer’s LaserDisc players, starting with the VP-1000 in 1980, dominated the market, but in 1981 RCA started a minor format war with its analog CED video discs (an LP-like grooved video disc), but the inferior system faded quickly.
Full Story >> Remember When Video Discs Were The Size of LP’s? – CNet.com
Apps To Help You Keep New Year Resolutions
Posted on 02. Jan, 2013 by Jay Witherspoon in Android, Apps, iOS, Smartphones
Here are a few smartphone apps to help you keep those New Year’s resolutions.
(from Brian Molina, news.verizonwireless.com)
The Fit Zip Wireless Activity Tracker calculates distance and calories burned during everyday activities or exercise while monitoring progress made. Keep track of calories with the Calorie Counter: My Fitness Pal app, which also features nutritional information, more than 350 exercises and the ability to set goals.
Quitting smoking can be extremely difficult, but with the Time to Quit Smoke app, achievements are displayed to help users stay strong. The app informs users of how long it has been since their last cigarette, how much money they have saved and how many cigarettes they have not smoked.
The Windows Phone 8X by HTC and Nokia Lumia 822, the latest Windows Phone 8 devices, are able to assist users in staying organized while on the go. Live tiles on the home screen allow users to select which apps, bookmarks and contacts they want to be able to access quickly. Built-in Microsoft Office and SkyDrive integration let users be productive and access documents right on the device.
Another popular resolution is to find a better work-life balance in the New Year. A great way to step away from the office and spend time with your family and friends is to take a weekend road trip. To ensure a relaxing car ride, parents can pack a tablet to play movies, TV shows and other video content for the kids with viewdini. If a family is taking a trip abroad and needs to stay connected to life back at home, they can purchase a global data plan to use data while traveling outside the United States.
This New Year, achieve your resolutions with the help of the latest technology and have a successful 2013.
Samsung Galaxy S3 Giveaway
Posted on 05. Nov, 2012 by Jay Witherspoon in Android, Cellular Sales News, Smartphones
This is a shameless plug for our Samsung Galaxy S3 Sweepstakes, held in partnership with Samsung. We’re giving away two (2) Samsung Galaxy S3′s between now and Thanksgiving!! Sign up by November 13th!!
app.snapapp.com/gs3giveaway
Top Apps For Travel
Posted on 22. Oct, 2012 by Jay Witherspoon in Android, Apps, iOS, Smartphones, Tools/Resources
Hotel Tonight (Android | iOS)
This app allows you to book last-minute hotel rooms as late as 2 o’clock in the morning and at a big discount to boot (up to 70 percent off, according to the app makers). Hotel Tonight is great for people who travel a lot for business. If your flight is cancelled, you are no longer stranded at the airport with no hotel options. This app currently has hotel listings in almost 50 U.S. states, as well as nine international cities, and growing.
Yelp (Android | iOS)
Yelp is an app that has user reviews for all kinds of local businesses, such as restaurants, shops and salons. If you’re visiting an unfamiliar city, Yelp can help you decide where to eat by showing you restaurants close to you to go along with other people’s ratings of those establishments. With reviews for everything from florists to jewelers to dentists, Yelp has reviews for just about every type of business. If you decide you want a haircut while on vacation, Yelp can help you figure out which local salons and barber shops are the best bets to get a good cut.
HearPlanet (Android | iOS)
HearPlanet is like having a tour guide in your pocket. This app offers guided audio tours that can provide facts and history of nearby landmarks. If you want to learn about the Golden Gate Bridge while you walk across it, just open the HearPlanet app and throw your headphones in to get an audio-guided tour. This app can also send you push notifications to alert you when you are near a spot of interest. For those who like to take a more laid-back approach to travel, this can allow them to wander the city and have the app inform them of nearby points of interest. For those keeping an eye on how much data they use, this app allows you to download any audio tours you might want while connected to WiFi and listen to them later.
Gas Buddy (Android | iOS)
This app is for the road trippers out there. Gas Buddy allows you to see gas prices at stations around you so that you can find the cheapest places to fill up. You can also search for gas prices in other cities, so you can find inexpensive gas in cities that are on the way to your destination.
Packing List (Android)
It’s something we’ve all experienced at one time or another—forgetting to pack something. Whether it’s socks, a razor or a hair dryer, we’ve all been stranded out of town without a crucial item and been faced with the choice to tough it out and go without or break down and buy something we already own. Packing List allows you to create checklists so that you’ll always have everything you need. This app doesn’t just cover the typical clothing and toiletry items, either. There are options for documents (you wouldn’t want to drive to a port for a cruise without your passport), medicine and other necessities.
Top Music Apps
Posted on 26. Sep, 2012 by Jay Witherspoon in Uncategorized
MOG (Android | iOS)
MOG is Spotify’s less popular cousin. It’s got paid subscription and free versions, just like Spotify. But MOG has some tricks Spotify doesn’t. For instance, MOG has an artist “slider” that lets you select whether you ONLY want to hear music from that artist, or from similar artists as well. You control how confined the playlist is. Here in our office, we’ve also found quite a few tracks that are available on MOG but not on Spotify.
Pandora (Android | iOS)
If you haven’t heard of Pandora, ask your grandkids. Or, try to get out of your cave more often. Or… welcome to 2012, from your state of suspended animation.
Shazaam (Android | iOS)
What’s that song that’s playing? Now you know because you can Shazaam it. Shazaam will also display song lyrics if they’re in the Shazaam database. Shazaam is also trying to work its way into live tv content as well. They had some live stats and interactive features during the US Open (tennis) this year. Could be some interesting tie-in’s coming with that technology.
SoundHound (Android | iOS)
Same sort of animal as Shazaam. But this one is a hound.
TuneIn Radio (Android | iOS)
There are dozens of tuners out there that allow you to listen to just about any radio station out there. Can you imagine what someone from 1912 would say? Other than “where are the jetpacks?”
Top Science Apps
Posted on 19. Sep, 2012 by Jay Witherspoon in Android, Apps, iOS, Smartphones
From VZW’s Smartphone Apps Illuminate Science of Space, Earth and Sea
Google Sky Maps (Android)
To provide lessons in astronomy, the Sky Map app uses GPS and the Android accelerometer to project an augmented reality of the night sky. In addition to showing constellations, stars, and planets above, Google’s search capabilities will help find a particular celestial body and a universe of information about it.
Vibrometer (Android | iOS)
Vibrometer aids student seismologists by using the phone’s sensors to measure a real earthquake, a simulated temblor for research or any other vibration. An especially interesting feature of this app is the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (MMI), which is a key measurement in earthquake research.
Barometer HD (Android)
Smartphones and tablets with a barometric sensor can run the Barometer HD app to make meteorology fun. Users see real-time barometric pressure in various scientific units to help predict the weather. The app also indicates the altitude Standard Temperature and Pressure.
NOVA Elements (iOS)
For chemistry-lovers, the NOVA Elements app includes a full two-hour video of NOVA’s Hunting the Elements. The app also features an interactive periodic table of elements to learn fun facts about every element from hydrogen to ununoctium.
Frog Dissection (Android | iOS)
When it comes to biology, Frog Dissection is a great alternative to cutting up an actual frog on a lab table. The realistic app mimics the actual procedure using step-by-step instructions, 3D imagery and virtual dissection tools.
Expedition White Shark (iOS)
For something a little more intimidating than frogs, the Expedition White Shark app from the Marine Conservation Science Institute includes numerous features, including the ability for users to track satellite-tagged great whites in real-time as they swim the seas. There is also a “meet our sharks” section that provides photos and data on all of the tagged sharks.
Top Apps For Men
Posted on 10. Sep, 2012 by Jay Witherspoon in Android, Apps, Food, iOS, Smartphones
Grill-It! (Android | iOS)
Grilling ability has long been a measure of manliness, and while not everyone can be an expert, Grill-It! gives you access to enough recipes and tips to make you feel like one. The app gives you specific instructions along with professional photos of the completed dishes so you can see how yours match up. You can browse the recipes by meat types, key words or ingredients. Don’t know what temperature to cook a certain meat? Grill-It! provides you with a list of the correct internal temperatures for cooking every kind of meat. A new recipe is added every week, so you’ll never run out of new meals to try.
ESPN Scorecenter (Android | iOS)
No man wants to be caught not knowing the score of a game or the latest sports news. Stay informed 24/7 with ESPN Scorecenter, an app that provides scores, news and standings from hundreds of different sports leagues around the world. The feature myTeams allows you to select your favorite teams and creates an individual page for each one. You can even subscribe for alerts to be sent to your phone for the start of your teams’ games, scoring plays, end of period/quarter/half notifications and final score updates. No matter how hectic your schedule is, ESPN Scorecenter lets you stay up to date on everything sports.
Fitness Buddy (Android | iOS)
Personal trainers are expensive, but that’s no longer an excuse for not getting a great workout. Fitness Buddy features over 1,700 exercises and 1,000 HD videos to provide you with the best personal training app available for your phone. It provides detailed exercise instructions, as well as full workout plans, so you can get your body to its prime condition. The app also tracks your progression, so you can make sure you’re getting the most out of your workout.
SkyDroid – Golf GPS (Android | iOS)
Say goodbye to expensive GPS devices for tracking your position on the golf course. This $0.99 app provides you with a satellite view of the course you’re playing on, as well as distances to greens and any hazards. There are currently over 22,000 courses mapped on the app, but you can map any course you want to online.
Mixologist Drink Recipes (Android | iOS)
If you don’t want to have to deal with the crowds at your local bar, Mixologist Drink Recipes will provide you with your own personal bartender. With almost 8,000 drink recipes and 1,300 ingredients, this app gives you access to the steps to make any drink you could want. If you only have a limited selection of alcohol, you can tell the app what you have in stock, and it will give you recipes featuring only those ingredients. Or, if one of the drinks that you don’t have the right alcohol for catches your eye, the app will find the nearest liquor store to your current location.
Top Apps For Women
Posted on 05. Sep, 2012 by Jay Witherspoon in Android, Apps, iOS, Smartphones, Tablets, Tools/Resources
Out of Milk (Android)
While women often get stuck with the unceremonious task of grocery shopping, there are ways to make the process simpler. Out of Milk is an app for your phone or tablet that allows you to create a shopping list, pantry list and a to-do list all in one app. Make a grocery list, and then scan items as you pick them up to cross them off. Have trouble remembering what to put on your list? The app allows you to scan and save what’s in your pantry, and it saves your purchase history, as well. You can even group items by category, helping you to get all items on one trip through the store.
Daily Yoga (Android)
Looking for a productive stress-reliever but don’t have time for the gym? Daily Yoga provides full yoga classes designed by certified yoga instructors, available on your phone or tablet. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a beginner, a yoga veteran or somewhere in between, as Daily Yoga provides different levels of difficulty for the user. The app even provides you with HD videos and step-by-step instructions for all poses. Daily Yoga divides the sessions into four categories (Abs, Back, Butt, Chest), for which you’ll have to download the appropriate plug-in.
My Pregnancy Today (Android | iOS)
If you’re currently expecting, or even considering it in the future, My Pregnancy Today is the perfect app to help make your experience as easy as possible. Once you enter your baby’s due date, the app will provide you with daily instructions, including nutrition tips and a checklist of activities. A particularly interesting feature of the app is a series of images that show fetal development. This lets you get an idea of what your child looks like at different stages of your pregnancy. Also, if you’d like to get in touch with other mothers-to-be that have similar due dates, My Pregnancy Today offers birth clubs for you to join.
Womanlog Pro Calendar (Android | iOS)
Keeping track of your menstrual and fertility cycles is a hassle, but it doesn’t have to be. Womanlog Pro Calendar is a convenient and user-friendly calendar app that lets you track your menstrual cycle, ovulation forecast and fertility forecast in one place. All functions of the calendar are accessible from one screen, making it simple for you to view all of your schedules at once.
Beauty Product Reviews (Android | iOS)
Want to know the difference between two anti-aging creams before you buy one? Is one make-up remover really better than another? Beauty Product Reviews will tell you everything you need to know. Featuring 45,000 products and over 280,000 customer reviews, this app will help lessen the chance of buyer’s remorse from your purchase. Products are organized into easily navigable categories and subcategories based on intended use, as well as their brand. There are also pictures of all of the products, so you can be sure that you’re researching the correct item. And since the reviews are posted by real customers, you can trust the information on the app to be up to date and honest.
Apps For New Smartphone Owners
Posted on 27. Aug, 2012 by Jay Witherspoon in Android, Apps, iOS, Social, Wireless Industry
Temple Run (Android | iOS)
One of the most popular smartphone games of all time, Temple Run utilizes all of the technology of your smartphone. As you run away from the Evil Demon Monkeys, you swipe the screen and tilt your phone to maneuver through the course. An easy and intuitive game to learn, Temple Run is truly enjoyable for everyone. It’s free on both Android and in the Apple App Store, so it’s a great app for new users to learn the gaming capabilities of their phone.
Facebook (Android | iOS)
In many ways, the mobile version of Facebook is sleeker and more efficient to use than the traditional version. There are also great features that just aren’t available on the computer, including taking pictures on your phone through the Facebook app and “Checking In” to your current location. Facebook also does a great job of updating the app regularly, which keeps minor problems from becoming major issues.
BBC News (Android | iOS)
Possibly the best news app available for smartphones, BBC News provides the award-winning content of the international news company, conveniently in your pocket. With this app, you get the latest national and regional news, from business to politics to science, arts and everything in-between. The layout of the app is simple and easy to use, and you’re also given the option to personalize the page, allowing you to see only the content which interests you. A great feature that sets it apart from other news apps is its access to BBC World Service Radio. This app truly can serve as your main source of news.
Pandora (Android | iOS)
The best free internet radio website is also available on your smartphone. Pandora is a personalized radio app that lets you listen to your favorite artists, genres and songs, while also finding music that you may like based on your preferences. When you first open the app, you’ll be prompted to create a “Station” by entering the name of your favorite artist or genre, and then Pandora will play songs based on what you enter. This app gives you access to music no matter where you are, but because of its significant data use, we recommend that you use Wi-Fi where you can.
Urbanspoon (Android | iOS)
One of the more popular apps of all-time, Urbanspoon, is the most convenient restaurant finder available for your smartphone. This app makes deciding where to eat a simple process. Enter preferences such as price range and food type, shake your phone and Urbanspoon will give you a random suggestion on where to eat. The app also gives you directions to and reviews of all of the restaurants it suggests, helping to make your planning process that much easier.
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