RichC | April 19, 2013
Sometimes the iPhone or iPad will get stuck in updating mode from the App Store and no matter how many “kills” of the app or rebooting of the device the app continues to show a stuck progress bar or “waiting” message. Often an easy fix: On the home screen, tap the icon until you see […]
RichC | April 2, 2013
Apple shareholders have a lot to grumble about when it comes to stock price and a lack of immediacy in addressing investors. Some are questioning if “they still know what they are doing” and I can’t help but be a little bit disappointed with rumors that next quarter’s iPhone release will maintain the “smaller” form […]
RichC | March 27, 2013
Glad to see updates for SlingPlayer, but considering I have the “350” and my biggest complaint has yet to be addressed — no “audio-only” — I’m still disappointed. Not everyone lives in 4G or LTE land! Even the original Slingbox had support for audio on all devices including my Palm Treo!
RichC | March 19, 2013
Occasionally I make one of those spur-of-the-moment impulse purchases that doesn’t give me buyer’s remorse. I have been wanting a bluetooth speaker to improve the sound coming from my iPhone or iPad without resorting to plugging in the 3.5mm cable or using earbuds. I thought, “hmm, this will work great on the desk and even […]
RichC | March 14, 2013
Automatic’s online video and marketing phrase, “save hundreds on gas every year,” seems a little bit hokey, but the idea of a device which connects your smartphone to your vehicle’s OBD port by bluetooth is pretty smart. For a pre-order price of $69.95, the tech gadget should be able to give you plenty of diagnostic […]
RichC | January 25, 2013
OpenSignal.com offers a free online tool that compares cellphone networks in given markets. Obviously my choice of Sprint isn’t giving me the best service in south-western Ohio, but does improve when I drill down to my exact location … although I question the tested download (.81 Mbps?) and upload (9.03 Mbps?) speeds (below)? I’m still […]
RichC | January 11, 2013
Here’s a helpful “Tech Friday” post that is really just some smart advice – it has nothing to do with the photo of Tootsie above except that it was taken with the iPhone 5. Anyway, a client of mine regularly upgrades his high end phone (and now his iPad) every 2 years as permitted by […]
RichC | January 4, 2013
Up and coming shoe technology that charges gadgets could be one of the more interesting inventions this year. I suspect we’ll see more wearable charging in the future. "This charger works using pressure, as you walk you generate pressure that in turn generates energy, once you have arrived where you were going you can now […]
RichC | November 26, 2012
Mobile smartphone and tablet devices are closing in on replacing at least our portable notebook and laptop computers (story link), but according to early “Cyber Monday” sales numbers, laptop/notebook computers are the number one sellers. I’m personally not ready to eliminate the notebook or desktop computer, but mobile OS devices have improved dramatically and I […]
RichC | November 19, 2012
Upgrades, discounts, sales, coupons … way too much temptation. There is yet another reason to ignore email advertising or online marketing. Unfortunately I’m not taking my own advice and caved in to SlingMedia’s offer of a discount to upgrade my device either of their newer Slingboxes – 350 or “melted and warped” 500. I’ve opted […]
RichC | November 2, 2012
I found an excuse to use the Apple iOS Passbook app on the iPhone 5 yesterday while adding tickets to a Romney Ryan Real Recovery Road Rally being held tonight just north of Cincinnati in my hometown of West Chester Ohio. The ticket distribution site EventBrite makes easy checkout and automatically adds the QR coded […]
RichC | October 27, 2012
It was a cool and rainy morning as I waited to meet with a businessman from China interested in talking with me about homebuilt airplanes, and so I experimented with the new iPhone5’s panorama feature to kill some time … this time trying a close up panorama. I was more curious to see how it […]
RichC | October 19, 2012
After receiving plenty of election oriented phone calls this year, it is time to purge all my phone numbers from the public roles … something I thought I had been doing for years — obviously not! An area overlooked my some is the increasingly popular way to share address and phone number data with contacts […]
RichC | October 8, 2012
Last week I started testing the new wireless Internet being offered by FreedomPop.com. The service is interesting because light data users can connect and use the Internet basically for “free.” Higher data use plans are available for those needing more, but requires paying for it, helping to build out the user base or completing offers […]
RichC | September 26, 2012
The Internet was down for a while yesterday (might have been my network issue) and realized I could no longer tether to my Palm Pre. Now that I have the iPhone 5, I’ve lost the emergency wifi connection that had come in so handy. Hmm, next best thing was to connect my Kensington bluetooth keyboard […]
RichC | September 22, 2012
The Apple iPhone 5 camera makes for a substantial improvement over my previous smartphone’s camera and so I was anxious to experiment with image quality and play with a few of the hyped features. Since I’m upgrading from the nearly “extinct” Palm Pre, running a rooted webOS install, any modern smartphone camera would have been an […]
RichC | September 21, 2012
While waiting for delivery of a new 4G LTE phone, it made sense to compare carriers who currently have markets offering these higher data rates (currently Verizon, AT&T and Sprint). For many in the U.S. and overseas who are locked into existing contracts or not near LTE metro areas, buying a 4G LTE phone will […]
RichC | September 19, 2012
Ahead of the “hopeful” Friday delivery of a new gadget, the iPhone 5, I figured I’d give the new Apple iOS 6 a try on my iPad2. The download was made available this afternoon, but was a bit slow … which is no double due to it being 561 MB and that a “couple” other […]
RichC | September 18, 2012
Call me anxious or just curious to know if I should be keeping my eyes open for an iPhone 5 on Friday. Hmm … what does “shipped and/or” mean in checking the Sprint status page? If it is shipped, how about a tracking number?
RichC | September 14, 2012
I’m not sure when my new iPhone 5 will arrive, but ordered the smallest 16GB version as an upgrade to replace my aging … but much loved … Palm Pre. Unfortunately the Apple website wouldn’t take my order this morning so switched to the Sprint.com site. Unfortunately Sprint also has a glitch in their online […]
RichC | September 12, 2012
I followed the Engadget liveblog and listen to the Leo Laporte’s TWIT gang during Apple’s launch of the iPhone 5, and it only seems appropriate that I chime in (I tweeted too much already). I’m sure there will be a few other blogs commenting today (chuckle, chuckle) and some will offer far more intelligent insight […]
RichC | September 9, 2012
After Samsung’s recent lost to Apple in federal court, Android users will start to see a few changes to the look and feel of their phones and tablets and those being designed by Apple. One would assume that the individual manufacturer’s tweaks to Google’s Android — skins –will be modified from the current attempt to […]
RichC | September 4, 2012
I do enjoy the hype and speculation surrounding a new gadget release in the tech world … and few do it better than Apple. Last year’s iPhone 4s announcement was expected by most of us to be the iPhone 5, but it was not to be. This year everyone again expects them to adopt the […]
RichC | August 25, 2012
It’s no secret that I’m a long time Apple user and have done my part in supporting the company as computer and gadget buyer and as an $AAPL shareholder, but I’m also rebellious when their eco-system boxes out competitors. I dislike Apple telling me what software I can and can’t install on my computer devices […]
RichC | August 23, 2012
I’m still amazed at the notable improvements in cellphone cameras since my Palm Pre was release a few years ago. Here’s an attempt (after a slight crop) to see how images look when a close up was taken with my wife’s new Samsung Galaxy S II Epic. I can see Brenda and I are not […]
RichC | August 19, 2012
Ah yes … Brenda is working night shift hours this weekend so it gave me a chance to monkey around with her new Samsung Galaxy S II Epic … purloined it while she was sleeping today. One of her ploys to keep me from playing with her new smartphone was to add the new protective […]
RichC | August 18, 2012
It seems like I’m driving a bit more than usual this summer and am working to pay more attention to the road than to my gadgets inside a the car. This is not to say I’ve been a terrible driver, but I certainly have been prone to using technology way more than is safe. Driving […]
RichC | August 14, 2012
Still pondering the new Motorola Android phone for Sprint’s LTE 4G … obviously no rush since this phone is not available yet, nor has the LTE service been rolled out. http://www.sprint.com/landings/motorola_photonq/index.html Posted via email from RichC’s posterous
RichC | August 13, 2012
If you really want an iPhone, this could be the time to buy … although prices could go even lower towards the end of the year? It seems the older iPhone 4 and 4s are selling slower than most retailers (and by assumption, Apple) would like and so retailers are doing what they can to […]
RichC | August 9, 2012
We were (well “I” was) planning to let our Sprint wireless contract expire without signing up for another 2 year contract, but my son’s dead Blackberry encouraged a quick look around. While contemplating what was available, we decided to stick it out and decided on the Samsung Galaxy S II Epic. We were not satisfied […]
RichC | August 5, 2012
Internet security was again in the news last week with Gizmodo’s Twitter account getting hacked and although we are all vulnerable, many of us figure it will happen to someone else. I use to be concerned that “one” of my accounts or logins would be hacked, but after realizing just how interconnected things have become, […]
RichC | August 1, 2012
I’m keeping my eyes on replacements for my Palm Pre and it is interesting to see what is being offered by Sprint. I’m also contemplating what the new iPhone will be like and if it will be worth the money. That said, I do like what I’m seeing from Motorola, as the physical keyboard does […]
RichC | June 12, 2012
As our five phone Sprint plan nears the anniversary date, I’m continuing to look around at what others have to offer. I’m not anxious to re-up for 2 more years with any particular company, but not sure I’m ready to purchase five new phones just to be free of Sprint either. After a little reading, […]
RichC | June 8, 2012
Like many long time Internet users, I have signed up and used my share of free client based and online email services over the years. One from back in the 90s that American Express offered was free to small business customers, but ended up spun off and turned fee based a decade ago. Since I’m […]
RichC | June 7, 2012
I’m sure I’m not the only one noticing the growing number of drivers texting and driving distracted (and ‘yes’ I have unfortunately done my share). Of course it is not just messaging, but also looking at dashboard information displays and GPS devices … and even watching movies on video screens … but soon doing it […]
RichC | April 28, 2012
Airlines say they are warehousing hundreds of iPads and other tablet computers and e-readers left behind by travelers. Carriers try to reunite the devices with their owners but are often thwarted by the lack of ID tags, password protection and Apple Inc.’s reluctance to track down owners based on serial numbers. — WSJ Scott […]
RichC | April 20, 2012
http://www.getpocket.com ReadItLater.com is/was one of the better services for saving web pages for later reading or archive research. I’ve used a couple different services over the year on the computer, but have found the new ReadItLater better than most — and the free services is excellent. It is now called Pocket (getpocket.com) and has an […]
RichC | March 8, 2012
Apple introduced their highly anticipated “new iPad” and although most of the specs were as expected, CEO Tim Cook didn’t reference it as the iPad3 … just the new iPad (although it is the third generation). A few leading features are the new 9.7 inch retina display with 2048-by-1536-pixel resolution, a class leading 10 hour […]
RichC | February 16, 2012
Although I’ve stayed with Sprint for mobile service for over a decade, I’m constantly irritated with their tweaking. Just when I was starting to calm down from the last couple go-arounds over a discount structure and then AirRave billing, the monthly invoice increased again. Not by much mind you, but enough to increase my bill […]
RichC | January 31, 2012
After hearing an employee at Sprint talking about the iPhones substantial impact on activations last week, I pondered the value of the carrier to Apple. With Sprint buying 30.5 million iPhones worth $20B to the cash rich Apple (AAPL) and the Sprint (S) trading at uncomfortable lows, there are rumors that Sprint needs to return […]
RichC | December 14, 2011
A real hot button topic is being discussed after the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended banning portable electronic devices such as cellphones from being used by drivers of automobiles. Distracted driving is fast becoming the seatbelt or drunk driving issue of the day. As someone who spends a significant amount of time on the […]
RichC | December 13, 2011
With the “in the news” section of Anorbit a bit quiet, the rumor that Apple may be buying the company makes the story a bit more interesting. There might be a good reason for cash rich Apple to begin acquiring a few more of the parts they need to assure production continues for their hot […]
RichC | December 11, 2011
The big news from HP’s CEO Meg Whitman this past week is that the operating system they acquired when purchasing Palm last year will remain alive … just in a different form than originally intended. WebOS will soon be “open source to its Linux core.” Some see that as a good thing in hopes that […]
RichC | December 8, 2011
A few days of travel away from decent Internet connections has me appreciating my questionable home cable Internet connection (either Time Warner OR my internal network isn’t perfect). I ran a few tests of both the marina BeaconWi-fi and my tethered Sprint Palm Pre and have come to the conclusion that I need to treat […]
RichC | December 6, 2011
I’ve been following the Carrier IQ story after it was pointed out that they have been spying researching for carriers on some Android phones. The Verge did a follow up story that give all smartphone users reason to pause. … Carrier IQ has been around for six years and has been installed on over 141 […]
RichC | November 25, 2011
My daughter tested the Glympse app on her Android phone on her way home to Cincinnati for Thanksgiving this past week. She sent the link to my phone and shockingly I was able to open the moving map based web page perfectly on my aging Palm Pre smartphone. As her progress closed in on home, […]
RichC | November 22, 2011
After Asus introduced its Padphone prototype in the spring of 2011, additional phone/tablet Padfone information was leaked yesterday regarding the specifications (below). According to several tech sources the new Android phone will use the Snapdragon SoCs chipset and Adreno 225 GPU. The new chip supports global frequencies including the HSPA+ and LTE offering very impressive […]
RichC | October 31, 2011
Since HP’s new CEO, Meg Whitman, reversed course on spinning off their PC division (link), many who use and appreciate Touchpads and Pre smartphones have been hoping the same thing might happen for the webOS division. Some believe (or believed) that there was new hope for webOS devices like the Touchpad and Palm Pre smartphones […]
RichC | October 26, 2011
Had an interesting conversation with one of my clients who handed me his new Sprint based iPhone 4s today … and he doesn’t like it. That’s a rarity for those who love all things Apple. To be fair, his gripe has more to do with the Sprint 3G service problems being reported than the iPhone […]
RichC | October 13, 2011
If you were a Sprint users and were tempted to upgrader to a new Apple iPhone4s, but demanded a physical keyboard, would adding on a bluetooth slider be worth it? It would sure makes the slick iPhone a less attractive device to slip into a pocket, but if it worked well might be a nice […]
RichC | October 9, 2011
As the autumn weather takes hold in my part of Ohio, we’re seeing a few more hot air balloons drifting by in the evening. This past weekend we had one a bit lower than usual which in turn set the dogs off in the neighborhood … especially when the gas burner roared. I happened to […]
RichC | October 5, 2011
I wasn’t alone in paying attention to Tuesday’s much publicized Apple event which showcased a new an updated iPhone. Perhaps the enthusiastic hype isn’t Apple’s fault as “we” have reason to anxiously wait, considering the the cool new stuff that comes out of Cupertino California. Unfortunately the “updated” hardware and new software integration wasn’t as […]
RichC | September 22, 2011
Here are a few “probable specs” from SprintUsers regarding the assumed mid-October iPhone 5 release on Sprint: World Phone with a SIM-less Design Curved Glass Display A5 Chip with a clocking speed in the range of 1.2 or 1.5 GHz with 1GB RAM Wireless Charging as well as Sync & Back Up of data 4G […]
RichC | September 6, 2011
Looks like Sprint and Apple are gearing up for the iPhone5 … Sprint may have begun installing signal boosting equipment in and around Apple retail stores ahead of the rumored iPhone 5 launch on the carrier in October, according to a new report. “One thing I can tell you is that the electrical contractor that […]
RichC | September 1, 2011
Good grief … when will the Sprint “nickel and diming” end? Yet another subtle increase coming to Sprint customers thinking about upgrading their phones. SprintFeed is reporting that we should brace ourselves for yet another hike in one-time charges on September 9th. This time, it’s the oh-so-beloved Upgrade Fee that’s the victim of inflation, getting […]
RichC | August 31, 2011
Just as we thought consumers were getting a break with the U.S. DOJ blocking the AT&T and T-Mobile deal, Sprint looked to be increasing their ETF by a pretty healthy percentage. Ouch, if you’re thinking about switching carriers before your contract is over. Sprint today confirmed to Phone Scoop via email that the company plans […]
RichC | August 29, 2011
As the news from HP/Palm sinks in for me in regards to a webOS Pre3 option (although rumors persist), I’m keeping my eyes on what new Android models might interest me. One of the new release from Samsung coming to Sprint (my carrier) looks pretty interesting from the surface – Samsung Galaxy S2. It is […]
RichC | August 19, 2011
I was disappointed to hear that HP lost its way as a productive technology company in this economic downturn and was caught off-guard in their decision to say “so long” to webOS. (business story LINK) As a longtime webOS Palm Pre user (a “longtime” is a relative term for smartphones), I’ve been wondering just what […]
RichC | August 17, 2011
From the start, it wasn’t that hard to predict a slow go for HP in releasing their Touchpad. As a Palm Pre webOS user and sometimes enthusiast, the slow-motion releases in handset, webOS and tablet products have left existing users wanting and contemplating buyers asking “Why?” Couple that with the largest users base (Sprint) feeling […]
RichC | August 12, 2011
In the tech and gadget world, few devices are attracting buyers like smartphones and their grown-up counterparts the “touchscreen” tablets. Besides deciding on which carrier offers the best price/service, consumers chose a mobile OS and the manufacturer of their device. One of the most confusing decisions we make is “4G” — a loosely defined higher […]