Get the Beat–HTC Rezound

Posted on 04. Nov, 2011 by dfloyd in Phone Review

HTC unveiled Rezound 4G LTE yesterday, and it’s music to our ears. Literally. HTC Rezound rocks the airwaves with Beats Audio DSP (digital signal processing) chip designed to let us “studio-crisp” sounds. Jimmy Iovine points out that, “Artists spend millions of dollars to make their records sound a certain way, but [mobile] technology moves so fast, sound got left behind” (see Forbes).

With the included lightweight Beats headphones incorporate users can call hands-free (using built-in microphone) and control audio tracks (pause, advance, rewind or answer calls).

It not only sounds great, it’s a real looker. The Rezound delivers true HD 720p on a 4.3 inch display. Enjoy distortion-free movies in 16 x 9 format with the super fine quality of HTC Watch™.

While the Rezound is being shipped with the Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), an Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) update will be available early 2012. The Rezound is built for speed and packed with a powerful dual core, 1.5 GHz processor. It comes with 16MB of internal memory and pre-installed 16GB microSD memory card. Plus, it offers hotspot functionality for up to 10 devices.

The HTC Rezound is equipped with an 8-megapixel camera featuring autofocus with dual LED flash, a f/2.2 and 28mm wide-angle lens. Users can capture low light scenes, Panorama, high action and slow motion. Rezound also comes with a 2 MP front-facing camera for up close and personal face shots.

The Rezound is slated for release on Nov. 14 exclusively on Verizon Wireless for $299.99 with a new two-year contract.

Common Sense Strategies for Smartphone Security

Posted on 07. Jul, 2011 by Cellular Sales in Equipment

Just about everyone can use a smartphone to make their lives easier, and while there have been some scary reports in the media about smartphones being hacked and personal data being compromised, it really isn’t that difficult to keep your phone and your data secure.

As Smartphone use continues to rise, so does the need for using common sense strategies for safeguarding information. In the RSA 2011 Cybercrime Trends Report, the RSA (The Security Division of EMC) reported that the growing tendency to use smartphones as computing devices subjects them to similar security challenges as computers.  RSA identifies several smartphone usage trends:

• Explosive growth of mobile devices as computing tools
• Number of downloaded applications (25 billion in 2011)
• Use in smartphones in every day functions such as emails, web surfing, accessing online accounts, storage of personal data
• Introducing personal computing devices into the enterprise

Since your smartphone is used as a personal computing device, it is important to protect your investment. Here are five simple common sense steps that could safe you loss and worry:

Read On: Common Sense Strategies for Smartphone Security

Microsoft Throws Down $8.5 Billion for Acquisition of Skype

Posted on 10. May, 2011 by Scott Sutton in Uncategorized

In a press release Microsoft has announced that it will purchase Skype for $8.5 billion in cold hard cash.  With around $55 billion (pre-purchase) in cash, Microsoft can easily afford to part ways with that kind of dough.  Microsoft sought out the acquisition to use Skype’s technology for their Xbox, Kinect and Windows Phone offerings.

Where does this leave Skype users that don’t use Microsoft products?  Under the direction of Steve Ballmer, Microsoft promises that they will, “Continue to invest in and support Skype clients on non-Microsoft platforms.”  Of course that means taking this guy’s (Steve Ballmer) word for it: YouTube video of Ballmer (Notice ankle twist and subsequent attempt to walk it off at the 21 second mark).

Smartphone producers aren’t exactly shaking in their boots due to the fact that Skype lacks video calls on mobile devices.  This void has already been filled with FaceTime on iPhones and Tango on Android devices.  As far as cheap international calls go Google Voice, found on Android and elsewhere, has stepped up to challenge Skype in the VoIP category.

Read on here.

Will HP Become A Player In The Smartphone Game?

Posted on 06. Oct, 2010 by Jay Witherspoon in Equipment, Wireless Industry

Leveraging their purchase of Palm earlier this year, HP is on its way to getting in the smartphone game.  Fans of Palm’s WebOS will be happy hear of the recent announcement that HP will be launching multiple handsets in early 2011, according to a press release out today.

Reuters: HP to launch new webOS phones in early 2011

Facebook Not Working On A “Facebook Phone”

Posted on 27. Sep, 2010 by Jay Witherspoon in Wireless Industry

It’s not like people can’t get enough Facebook already.

From BrightHand.com:

Facebook Denies Building a Phone, Admits Work with INQ Mobile

Garmin Ponders Future in Smartphones

Posted on 13. Sep, 2010 by Jay Witherspoon in Wireless Equipment, Wireless Industry

Garmin stepped gingerly into the world of smartphone production after it saw the writing on the wall that smartphones would soon replace the need for most handheld GPS units.

Here’s an interview from Reuters with the CFO of Garmin on the company’s future in the smartphone industry:

Garmin mulls future of smartphone unit

Smartphones Could Soon Replace Your Wallet.

Posted on 06. Aug, 2010 by Jay Witherspoon in Wireless Industry

When I was a kid, I thought when you needed money, that you wrote a check.  There was a time in my young life when I couldn’t grasp the concept of a bank holding someone’s money until they wrote a check.  To me, the “magic check” was all you needed to get money.  That seemed like a good set-up to a 5-year-old.

That was before the dramatic rise in the use of credit cards, which further complicates things for young people trying to understand value and currency.

Now, for better or for worse (there are reasons to think it’s better), smartphones may begin to replace credit cards as a method of payment for many businesses (BusinessWeek).  Using a smartphone may be better, because, unlike a credit card, a smartphone could tell you what your balance is before and after the transaction.  And I am sure there will also be integrated apps to help you categorize and analyze your spending habits, perhaps even control them… I’m picturing an app you could set to “lock yourself out” from spending at a certain location, like the neighborhood bar.  The app could have varying degrees of complexity to unlock paying at that location.  So, you might not go down to the bar if you know you have to solve a crossword puzzle first!

One large hurdle must first be overcome: merchants don’t want to pay for new mobile payment equipment until there are enough consumers using the technology, but consumers don’t want to absorb additional cost in a phone if not enough merchants have systems to accept mobile payment!  If this Catch-22 can be overcome, I for one, like the idea of paying with my phone even better than paying with my magic debit card.

-Jay Witherspoon, Director of Advertising, Cellular Sales

Verizon Smartphone Customers Use 25% More Data Than iPhone Users.

Posted on 26. Jul, 2010 by Jay Witherspoon in Wireless Industry

This data usage report came from Validas, a wireless billing data analysis firm (interesting company!).

And a follow-up to our announcement about adding jobs to the Knoxville area, from WBIR.com:
Cellular Sales sees huge amount of applications since announcing new jobs

BlackBerry: Remember Those Guys?

Posted on 28. Jun, 2010 by Jay Witherspoon in Wireless Equipment, Wireless Industry

Seems like iPhone (Apple) and Android (Google/Verizon) are hogging all the headlines, and meanwhile, BlackBerry (RIM) continues its reign as the #1 smartphone in the country.  But RIM feels the heat.  BlackBerry’s devices have always been incredibly useful, especially to business users, but not always so user-friendly.  User-interface is one of the most attractive features of both the Droid and iPhone platforms, so RIM is nearing its next move, and anticipates a big splash with its new BlackBerry OS 6 (coming in “a few weeks” according to RIM), for which a goofy promo video is embedded below.

-Jay Witherspoon, Director of Advertising, Cellular Sales

Smartphone In’s And Out’s

Posted on 28. May, 2010 by Jay Witherspoon in Wireless Industry

Here’s a good article explaining the difference between the iPhone OS and Android, and the in’s and out’s of the battle for smartphone supremacy.  Marketshare for advanced devices is nearing 40% of wireless users in the US.  In related news, my mom got my dad an iPad this past weekend, which is either a sign of the end of days, or a sign that ANYone can embrace technology.  I’ll optimistically assume it’s the latter.  And that your grandmother will soon be updating her FB status: OMG, I luv these precious LOLcats!!

Excerpt from “What Makes Android Tick” on TechNewsWorld.com:
Oddly, Android’s primary strength might be Apple’s exclusive agreement with AT&T. This deal forced Verizon, which is in its own fierce battle for market share, to search for an alternative to the iPhone. The first offspring of the Verizon-Android alliance, the Motorola Droid, showcased the ever-improving capabilities of the Android platform and solidified its place as a player in the smartphone ecosystem.

-Jay Witherspoon, Director of Advertising, Cellular Sales

Android Surpasses iPhone in Smartphone Marketshare in Q1 2010

Posted on 10. May, 2010 by Jay Witherspoon in Company News, Wireless Industry

iLove Apple products as much as the next guy, but if they’re on a bad network, they’re not at all reaching their potential.  I currently carry the new HTC Droid Incredible (on the nation’s best wireless network), and I am here to tell you the iPhone 4G (assuming it makes it to Verizon in 2011) will have to be one bad shut-your-mouth to make me want to leave the Android platform.  Apparently consumers agree with the points above, because Android handsets just overtook the iPhone’s #2 position behind RIM/BlackBerry in smartphone sales during Q1 2010.

Also, here’s an interesting article stating that Verizon users have iPhone envy.  Likely to very likely, I admit.  But I imagine just as many iPhone users have Verizon network envy!

-Jay Witherspoon, Director of Advertising, Cellular Sales