photo credit: Battle-Ready Droids

Battle-ready Smartphones are going to war in 2013. The US Army has announced that it will be issuing open Android Dev kits to its soldiers in July. This will allow apps to be written for use by soldiers on a variety of combat handsets and devices. According to an article written by Lewis Page, The A Register, the military Droid framework is known as Mobile/Handheld Computing Environment (CE).

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photo credit: Is Your Teen Sexting?

Is your teen sexting? Sexting is the practice of sending naughty pictures via text message or email. There is apparently an epidemic of sexting going on with teens today. (And for those who feel like they are still teens… LOL) But all kidding aside, it is a major problem among teens today. Many teens today have their own cell phones, and it is considered a violation of their privacy to monitor their texting and calls. (When I was young it was like having your mother read your diary…) And while you may not want to step on your teen’s privacy issues, did you know that in some states the parents can be punished for the sexting that their teen does?

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photo credit: 911 Oral Histories

None of us will ever forget the tragedy of September 11, 2001. We are coming up on 10 years since it devastated New York, and really the whole world. A new app, Broadcastr, seeks to make audio clips available as an oral history of the terrible event. Debuting this month, this app will make those stories available on both the Internet and Smartphones.

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photo credit: It’s a Mobile World

There were 81 million Smartphones sold world-wide in the third quarter of 2010 alone. According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, “Smartphones accounted for nearly one in five mobile phones sold that quarter. The chiefs of Verizon Communications Inc. and AT&T Inc. think Smartphones could account for nearly three of every four phones sold by the middle of the decade. Between the emergence of the iPad, apps, Android Smartphones and the introduction of 4G networks, 2010 was the year the computer truly went mobile.” Welcome to 2011 and the mobile world. Read the rest of this entry »

photo credit: This Alert is Only a Test

The FCC has approved a presidential alert system. This means that starting fairly soon, the Emergency Alert System (EAS) will be testing an alert that may show President Obama coming on your TV screen or mobile phone to warn you about terrorist alert. It will be much like the testing we saw as kids, “This is a test of the Emergency Broadcast System. This is only a test.” And then the screen would go blank or wavy, and a buzzing would sound out for a few moments. Of course this will be a more sophisticated alert, with a broadcast message from President Obama.

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photo credit: Facebook Phone

In late January, FoxNews.com/Gadgets reported there would be a new HTC Facebook phone launched this month. FoxNews obviously didn’t do their homework. Not only did they announce that the new Facebook phone would be launched this month in Barcelona, but the photo they shared was a mock-up of an iPhone rather than the HTC phone they reported would be launched. (See photo.) After doing some more thorough research, FoxNews posted another story the very next day stating the Facebook phone rumors were false. (Guess they had a bit of egg on their face…) Read the rest of this entry »

photo credit: My Mobile Watchdog

Are your kids protected from sexual predators? Do your kids have cell phones? While this is a major convenience for most of us, kids and cell phones can pose many dangers. Are you concerned about a stranger texting your kids? Worried that inappropriate photos being sent back and forth? My Mobile Watchdog may be a viable solution for you and your kids. Read the rest of this entry »

photo credit: Cell Phone Search

Your texting is subject to police search. Earlier this month the Supreme Court of California granted police the right to search a suspect’s cell phone without a warrant. The 5-2 ruling from the Court about the Diaz case stunned the California people. Many feel this ruling is an invasion of privacy and that we are becoming more of a police state reminiscent of Nazi Germany. As reported in the San Francisco Chronicle’s SF Gate, Justice Kathryn Mickle Werdegar noted that the decision permits police “to rummage at leisure through the wealth of personal and business information that can be carried on a mobile phone or handheld computer merely because the device was taken from an arrestee’s person.” I can hardly wait to see what the civil liberty groups make of this ruling. Read the rest of this entry »

photo credit: Cheap Indo-China Cell Phones

Ready for a new cell phone but don’t want to pay the high prices? Whatever you do, don’t get a cheap Smartphone from Indo-China. ‘Indo-China phones’ is a term for those inexpensive phones sold by Indian companies like Micromax, Lava, MVL, Videocon and Karbonn. According to an article by Rohan Naravane, TechTree, these cell phones did not even have an IMEI number, let alone proper warranty and service. Read the rest of this entry »

photo credit: Winter Tips for Smartphone Users

Just how bad is the winter cold for your Smartphone? First of all, lithium ion batteries don’t like extreme temperatures, either hot or cold. Verizon Wireless recommends you keep your battery fully charged in case of emergency. Read the rest of this entry »