Google, Motorola enters the fray with Maxx, Ultra, Mini Droids

While the new iPhones frenzy was going on over the past few weeks, they were not the only games in town. At least three of my pockets had one of the Motorola Droids trio that certainly deserve some attention.

Verizon Wireless sent a box full of Droids just as the the iPhone mania was heating up and I have been exploring and enjoying these Google and Motorola-branded devices so much that I haven't had a hankering for the new iPhone 5S.

My FedEx box contained the Motorola Droid Maxx, Droid Ultra and Droid Mini. Let's just say I was surrounded by droids, which represent the newest creation from Google and Motorola since they agreed to join forces in August 2011 after Google put $12.5 million on the table.

I think we all knew that something big would come out of this partnership, with Google's Android empire and Motorola's reputation for quality hardware.

The Droid Maxx is certainly the flagship out of this trio and it has the features to prove it. Right off the bat, the most impressive attribute is the whopping 3500 mAh battery, which Motorola lays claims to 48 hours of mixed use. I can only think only of a few other smartphones that could come close to the Maxx's battery specifications, with one being the LG Optimus G Pro, with a battery rated at 3140 mAh.

The Maxx also didn't skimp on memory, with 32 gigabytes of storage space, compared with 16 GB for its siblings, the Ultra and Mini.

Aside from the usual collection of Android apps and more available in the Google Play store, one of my favorite features of the Maxx is the VZ Navigator global positioning app. I played lost coming from the office and the Maxx didn't miss a turn in getting me home before sundown. I especially like the conversational tone of the directions, such as "Get ready to turn right at the next traffic light." Or "drive about seven miles, then get ready to take Exit 7B, on the right. The GPS turn-by-turn directions on the Maxx are as simple as a doughnut.

The five-inch AMOLED display of the Maxx is a perfect fit in my ash tray in landscape orientation while in GPS mode. The audio is loud and clear. With a windshield mount or the official Navigation Dock from Motorola, the Maxx really could function as your main GPS unit, as the maps and directions are quite good.

Another area where the Maxx stands out among the competition is the Qi wireless charging module that doesn't require a USB cable connection to your computer or wall outlet. The feature, backed by the Wireless Power Consortium, also supports the Hydro Elite, and Droid Mini. You can take your pick of wireless charging accessories for the Maxx, such as a Nokia JBL Power Up Speaker, Nokia Fatboy Charging Pillow and a LG Wireless Charging Pad.

Motorola is making good use Kevlar, with the back of the Maxx sporting a textured appearance with a soft-touch feel. You also find a thin layer of Kevlar under a glossy plastic covering on the Ultra and Mini Droid devices. I like the Maxx's use of the Kevlar the best.

The Droid Ultra is almost identical to the Maxx, except for 16 GB of storage versus 32 GB in the larger sibling and a 2130 mAh battery, compared with the Maxx's 3150 battery. The Ultra is also slightly thinner, due to the larger battery in the Maxx.

The deciding factor might be in the cost, as the Ultra is $100 cheaper than the Maxx's $299 sticker price. For less money, you get the same five-inch display, a 1.7 GHz Dual-Core processor and a 10 MP rear camera. The size of the Maxx and Ultra is similar to the LG Optimus G Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S4.

That's not a bad deal, if you don't mind the glossy, plastic back on the Ultra that has a tendency to show fingerprints more than the Maxx textured back.

As for the Droid Mini, it's a handy device that might feel more comfortable in your hands, because of the more traditional size that is similar to the such as the iPhone 5 devices and the slightly-larger Nokia Lumia 1020 and HTC One.

For even less money than the Ultra, the Mini rings up at $99 and you'll get a smaller 2000 mAh battery than the Maxx and Ultra, but the same Dual-Core processor and camera megapixels as the big guys. Although the Mini is the smallest of the bunch, it's also the thickest by two to eight millimeters.

The bottom line is that the Google and Motorola union have produced a trio of devices running Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean that are certainly contenders in the smartphone arena. For Android fans, you'll be quite familiar with the features, the apps available and the overall form factor.

Once you throw in wireless charging, touch control, impressive batteries and Kevlar, I don't think you can go wrong with either device. If you're shopping for a larger size and impressive battery life, the Maxx is what you'll want to bring home. For budget conscious shoppers, the Mini at $99 will be appealing with good specs and lots of Androids goodies.

So, just look in your wallet, count your money, and pick one of the three.

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Samsung Galaxy S3: How to Use Camera Best Face Mode

Upgrading your Samsung Galaxy SIII to the Android Jelly Bean will bring some features inside the phone, including with the Camera apps which also get some new shot mode. One of which is low light mode which will allow you to get a better picture while you use the camera to take a picture in low-light condition.

See also: How to Use Camera Low Light Mode on Samsung Galaxy S3

In addition with the

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Samsung Galaxy S3: How to Use Easy Snap Feature

Talk back mode is one of the feature available on Samsung Galaxy SIII, either with the Android Ice Cream Sandwich or Jelly Bean. Enabling this feature will make the phone provide the spoken feedback for whatever the user do. But, you should remember while in this mode, you need to use double tap instead a single tap to make selection and use two fingers instead one finger to swipe or to scroll.

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And the HTC One give-away winner is...

I'm very happy to announce, that the winner of the HTC One Giveaway #RevolutionChange is...

Nefty Aguirre

Congratulations Nefty!

Have any questions or comments? Feel free to share! Also, if you like this article, please use media sharing buttons (Twitter, G+, Facebook) below this post!

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Samsung Galaxy S3: How to Set and Clear Default on Certain Apps

Once upon the time, one of this blog's visitor named Kelly was send me an email. She ask me how to bring back the "Complete action using" menu because she was accidentally made a wrong selection when her Samsung Galaxy SIII prompt her to choose between the stock Internet browser and Mozilla Firefox browser when opening a URL of website.

See also: How to Use Browser App on Samsung Galaxy S3


How

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Samsung Galaxy S3: How to Fix Couldn't Sign In Error in Gmail Applications

Gmail app is one of the stock apps available inside Samsung Galaxy SIII that you can use to send or receive email messages. The username and password of the Gmail account also can be use to login and using another Google services, such as Google Play Store, Youtube, etc.

See also: How to Send Email Messages Using Gmail Apps on Samsung Galaxy S3

However, in certain condition you may have to

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Samsung Galaxy S3: Five Easy Ways to Install Applications

Samsung Galaxy SIII has come with some useful pre-loaded applications--you can said Messaging apps, Phone apps, Contacts apps, etc-- that you can use directly without having to install them first. But, as with other Android phone, the Samsung Galaxy SIII also allow you to install another apps, either from its official market or non-official sources.

1. Google Play Store App
This is the official

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Samsung Galaxy S3: How to Use AirDroid App to Sideload Applications

Samsung Galaxy SIII allows the user to install applications from another sources outside the Google Play Store or Samsung Store by sideloading apps into the phone or users usually refer it as install .apk file. To make it works, first you should enable Unknown sources option under security settings. Once you've enabled this option, now you can download .apk file from your phone's browser app or

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Samsung Galaxy S3: How to Install Apps Remotely from the Computer

As we all know that the Google Play Store is the official market of the Android phone, including with the Samsung Galaxy SIII. From there, you can find lot of apps that you can choose which best suit you. In order to allow you accessing the Play Store, make sure you have activated a Google account on your Samsung Galaxy SIII.

See also: How to Activate Google Account on Samsung Galaxy S3

Once

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Samsung Galaxy S3: How to Stops Ads Appears in Notification Bar

Generally, lot of Android users said that they feel annoyed with the ads from certain apps appears on their devices, even when they're not using the apps. Luckily, if you already upgrading your Samsung Galaxy SIII to the Android Jelly Bean, then you can easily set the apps not to send you a notification or ads.

See also: How to Block Notification on Certain Apps in Samsung Galaxy S3 with Android

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Samsung Galaxy S3: How to Block Notifications on Certain Applications in Android Jelly Bean

The easiness to download and install applications through the Google Play Store sometimes make you end up with installing lot of applications into your Samsung Galaxy SIII. Lot of installed apps that not managed well of course will give you some problems later, such as low internal storage, error when save or read saved files, etc. One of the solution that you can do to fix this problem is by

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Samsung Galaxy S3: How to Add Contextual Tag in the Photo

Once you've upgraded your Samsung Galaxy SIII to the Android Jelly Bean, then you'll find some new features inside the phone. One of them is contextual tag feature. This features is similar with the face tag to allow you to tag each face in the photo. The difference is the contextual tag not only allow you to tag the face with the name but also allow you to tag the weather, date and location.

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The Meenova Micro-SD Card Reader for Android

A few months back I decided to pledge $12 US to a Kickstarter Project for a miniaturised USB card reader for Android smartphones. The idea looked promising, and I had a spare $12, so I took the gamble, and this week it paid off. Through the post I received the dividend on my 'investment'. I'll follow up this mini-review with some details on performance once I can get hold of a class 10 card, but for now here are some first impressions and opinions.

The concept of USB OTG (on-the-go) storage is a good one, especially for the increasing number of us of us whose favourite phones don't have an SD card slot. However, one of the big issues with the regular arrangement for OTG is the need to carry a male-female adapter cable and a card reader or memory stick around in addition to the telephone. Doing away with this inconvenient clutter was really what attracted me to the idea of the Meenova reader.

I knew that a tiny, almost weightless device, which clips to my keyring, but which can take exchangeable micro SD cards at least up to 64Gb, would be worth $12 to me just for the convenience. The Meenova reader ticks all those boxes at around 2cm square by 8mm thick and weighing in at only 3 grammes.

Unboxing the Meenova

The reader arrived by mail, safe in a protective envelope, direct from the manufacturing facility. US customers receive theirs via USPS, the rest of the world via Hong Kong Post. Inside the envelope the reader was neatly packaged, and the pack included the reader, a USB adapter for lap/desktop connectivity, and a keyring clip.

 

All the items were well made and well finished. The only exception was the tiny split ring for the keyring adapter, which was quite flimsy, but that was such an insignificant part of the package that I just replaced it with a better one for five cents. The cap clips onto the reader with a satisfying and tight click, and the reader is securely held. 

That led me to thinking that instead of hanging the reader from my keyring, I should hang the cap from the ring and clip the reader in/out of it as I used it. I punched a small hole in the cap, threaded the tiny keyring through it, and I am very happy with the modification. 

N.B. - Later Edit 

Do NOT hang the reader on your keyring as I described above. My reader came unclipped twice today and I almost lost it !! Use the tag provided on the body of the reader and pass the spring clip through that. Only use the ring to hang the cap from the clip when the reader is in use.

Getting To Grips with the Meenova

Having got it all ready to use, my next step was to rummage in the spares bin. Luckily I found an old 8Gb class 4 SD card to use for the first test. I slotted it into the reader, plugged the reader into the USB adapter and plugged all that into my trusty iMac.

Partitioning and formatting the card was quick, easy and there were no issues.  A nice touch is that USB connector on the reader is mounted in a raised, transparent, plastic "plinth" and from inside the casing a blue LED flashes to indicate any activity.

The Meenova is actually much smaller than it appears here

My first test was to load up my entire photo library from iPhoto to see what would happen. 2 Gb was a heavy enough load, and during the loading process I also deleted around 400 of the photos from the card during the load to see if that caused any issues. The process took a while, but there was no noticeable slowdown during the deletions and no data dropouts or corruption.

Following the successful upload I unmounted the device and plugged it into the USB port of my HTC One. The One immediately reported "Preparing USB storage, Please Wait" and then "USB storage is ready" which popped up almost too quickly for me to take the screen shots.

ES File Explorer, showed me that the USB was mounted automatically by the OS at the mount point /mnt/usb. On opening, Explorer already had the USB folder open and I was able to examine the contents just as I would any other part of the file system.

The next step in this little test was to open Gallery and look for the photos I uploaded. They had already been found by the Gallery app and the app was in the process of making them available. Once the photos folder had been opened in Gallery, the photos themselves did take some time to appear, but until I can get hold of a faster card I can only speculate on whether this was caused by the cheap, slow card, the reader, or the OTG/USP processing in the phone OS.

Gotcha !!!

After playing with it for a while I was ready to hang the reader back on my keyring and drop my One into it's slip case ... That was the only point at which I had an issue with the setup. In my haste, I just pulled the reader out of the USB socket and immediately received the notification "USB Storage unexpectedly removed" ...

Oops ... My Bad ... I had forgotten to unmount before removal!

I was only reading from the card so on this occasion it wasn't a painful experience, but no excuses ... some cards can be very sensitive to superblock corruption so it's never a sensible thing to just pull them out without first unmounting, and definitely not advisable following a write to the card.

Just to make sure I knew what to do in future, I reinserted the reader and went in search of the unmount action. I have to admit, I was naively expecting a bar in the notifications or settings pull-down with some obvious wording such as "USB/OTG storage - Click to unmount" ...

No such luck ... I eventually found the action buried in the basement !! ... It's actually in Settings->Storage->USB Storage->Unmount USB Storage.

For the sake of user convenience, I think there is a good case for smartphone manufacturers to do some rethinking about where that action should be placed. In my opinion, it belongs in a much more prominent position.

Third-Party Apps and the Meenova

Because of that one thing, I went in search of an OTG/USB third-party app to see if I could make the unmount a little more convenient. I tried two (see *** footnote) and both worked well. However, both of them were designed to manage the mount and unmount themselves. That is, they are set up to create a mount point and mount to/unmount from that point. When using these apps on the HTC One, the OS native mount is maintained in addition to the ones set up by the tool, so a final unmount will still need to be done from within the settings page.

If you have a phone with an OS which automatically mounts the OTG/USB storage, then don't bother with third-party apps. Just be sure you know how to unmount the device. If, on the other hand your OS doesn't automount the storage, but you have an OTG-aware kernel, then these third party apps can make your use of OTG devices easier.

OTG Compatibility

There is a list of known compatible devices on the Meenova web site, but in this rapidly changing world, the list may not be complete. In hard terms, the device is only a micro card reader, and the chipset is the same one that can be found in many regular readers, so the rule of thumb is that if your phone works with a cable and memory stick, either with native or third-party software, then the chance is good that it will work with a Meenova Reader as well.

On the general subject of OTG compatibility my advice is for you to research your phone carefully before buying anything. Not all versions of Android support OTG and manufacturer support can also very variable, even between model ranges from the same company. Don't just assume that because your phone is fairly new and your Android is 4.x then it will have OTG. Check it out.

Conclusion (for now)

Overall I am already satisfied with my $12 investment, and at this point I feel that I can recommend this device to anyone looking for a compact, handy, OTG/USB storage solution.

In Part Two (coming soon) I will take a closer look at the Meenova reader's performance with music and video files, and I will try to run a set of timing comparisons using Class 4 and class 10 Micro SD cards.

Have any questions or comments? Feel free to share! Also, if you like this article, please use media sharing buttons (Twitter, G+, Facebook) below this post!

---

*** The OTG Storage managers I tested were:

USB Storage Manager by Goprasoft
USB OTG Helper (Root) by Ray of Light

As for Meenova the company, the Kickstart project seems to have been a great success. Plenty of cash was raised to get the project onto a stable footing, and I have yet to read a negative comment about either the Meenova reader or the guys who set it all up. The initial seed stock has now been dispatched to all the original backers, and the company are now taking pre-orders for the next batch of devices.

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Samsung Galaxy S3: How to Adjust Sound Balance

As we all know that the Samsung Galaxy SIII support with the stereo and mono audio. That's why you can use two earphones when in a stereo audio and use one earphone when in a mono audio. To switch between stereo and mono audio, you can head to the accessibility settings then switch between both of them by using mono audio option.

See also: How to Enable or Disable Mono Audio on Samsung Galaxy

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Samsung Galaxy S3: How to Enable or Disable Smart Rotation

If previously in the Samsung Galaxy SIII with the Android Ice Cream Sandwich inside, you may already be familiar with the feature called auto rotate. This feature will allow your phone to automatically switch the screen according to your phone's position.

See also: How to Enable or Disable Auto Rotate on Samsung Galaxy S3

Now, if you have upgraded your Samsung Galaxy SIII to the Android Jelly

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HTC Sense 5.5 busted! True screenshots of the incoming HTC UI

It's been some time since we have had HTC Sense 5.0 on the market. In the past few weeks this, considered by many as the best Android UI, also has been released for HTC One X and HTC One X+.

We already know for a few months, that HTC has already been working on the next version of their famous UI - HTC Sense 5.5. Some of the Sense 5.5 features are already present in the latest HTC One Android 4.3 build, however they are currently disabled in the framework.

Today, we present to you the first screenshots of the incoming HTC Sense 5.5 interface. If you are going to share this great news, please don't forget to include the source link too!

Home screen - now you can disable or enable HTC BlinkFeed easily.

Android Quick Settings - now you can re-arrange the content of the QS panel.

Improved HTC keyboard with possibility to add more emoticons.

Improved camera - "Dual capture" and "Panorama+", Storage and Recent Apps panel.

New HTC BlinkFeed categories, custom topics tab and minor changes to alarm clock.

Many more changes are of course under the hood, so expect improved performance and overall UI smoothness. Many bugs are also fixed, so the incoming HTC Sense 5.5 should bring a lot of joy for all HTC fans!

Have any questions or comments? Feel free to share! Also, if you like this article, please use media sharing buttons (Twitter, G+, Facebook) below this post!

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Samsung Galaxy S3: How to Use Camera Low Light Mode

When you already have upgraded your Samsung Galaxy SIII to the Android Jelly Bean then you'll noticed that your phone has equipped with some new features inside it, such as multi window feature which will split the screen allows you to open two apps that support with this feature at once.

See also: How to Use Multi Window Feature in Samsung Galaxy S3

You can also find another new features that

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Samsung Galaxy S3: How to Use Reader Mode in Browser Apps

Internet Browser apps is one of the pre-installed application that you can find inside the Samsung Galaxy SIII. You can use this apps to meet your Internet needs, such as to browse the webs or read online magazine, etc.

See also: How to Use Browser Apps in Samsung Galaxy S3

While you use this apps to view web page and read its content, usually you'll see another web's components, such as

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HTC One vs. Apple iPhone 5s - comparison: part 2

The HTC One has received high praise in recent weeks, including the honors of smartphone of the year. For many, the One defines what a smartphone should be. It has a beautiful 4.7 inch 1080p display, elegant aluminum zero-gap build, loud and clear dual front facing boomsound speakers and user friendly Sense 5. The handset has dealt with stiff competition in recent months, with the iPhone 5s garnering a ton of hype.

Regardless, the One has stood on its own, as we delve into both handsets in part two of our two part comparison between the two handsets.

Check out more no nonsense tech at Technibility.com!

Have any questions or comments? Feel free to share! Also, if you like this article, please use media sharing buttons (Twitter, G+, Facebook) below this post!

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Samsung Galaxy S3: How to See Downloaded Applications in Google Play Store

As we all know that Samsung Galaxy SIII has the ability to manage multiple email accounts, including with the Google account. You can add multiple Google account inside this phone and use each of them to access another Google services available in this phone, for instance you can Switch and use each of the added Google account to download or purchase content in Google Play Store.

See also: How

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Samsung Galaxy S3: How to Add Multiple Google Account via Google Play Store

Samsung Galaxy SIII has the ability to manage multiple email account you've added into this phone, including with the Google Account. You can easily add the new Google account or activate another existing Google account through the Gmail apps.

See also: How to Add Multiple Google Account via Gmail Apps on Samsung Galaxy S3

In addition to add another Google account through Gmail apps, you can

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Samsung Galaxy S3: How to Change Gmail Signature

If you're the same with me, you may have more than one Google account for any purpose, for instance you may use one of them as your private account and another one as the account use to work. Luckily, the Samsung Galaxy SIII allows the user to add multiple Google account and able to manage them well. You can add multiple Google account through several methods, one of which is through the Gmail

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Samsung Galaxy S3: How to Switch Between Google Accounts on the Google Play Store

The ability to manage multiple email accounts, including Gmail account owned by the Samsung Galaxy S3 is one of the reason why the user choose this phone as their device. By using this phone, you can add more than one of your Google account. You can do this easily through the Gmail apps.

See also: How to Add Multiple Google Account via Gmail Apps on Samsung Galaxy S3

Once you've added another

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Samsung Galaxy S3: How to Enable or Disable Keyboard Swipe

Samsung Galaxy S3 is a great Android-based smartphone that comes with a large touch screen without a physical keyboard. Due to this reason, Samsung has pinned inside this phone a virtual keyboard to facilitate the user typing activities, such as when compose an email or text messages.

See also: How to Use Virtual Keyboard on Samsung Galaxy S3

You can find several options available under this

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HTC One won "Gadget of the Year" by T3

Since the release date, the HTC One has won almost every smartphone contest. It's won awards on many sites because of its unique design and great performance in conjunction with my favourite Android custom UI - HTC Sense. Now, months after the launch event in London, the HTC One has won yet another slew of awards - T3 Gadget of the Year, T3 Phone of the Year and finally T3 Design Award 2013! We are not hiding the fact that we are not surprised!

"The HTC One is a product designed to save a company in financial trouble – and it seems HTC’s design and engineering team work well with their backs against the wall.

This Android phone is the best product HTC has ever built, with a gorgeously thin, reassuringly rigid aluminium body bonded to the 4.7-inch screen by a technique that doesn't leave a single gap. And speaking of the screen, it’s eyeball-piercingly sharp, with a 1080p full HD resolution and Retina display-spanking pixel density of 468ppi. It’s one of a handful of phones that can be mentioned in the same breath as the iPhone when it comes to looks and build quality.

Performance is no less impressive, with the quad-core processor blazing through tasks with nary a trace of lag and the 4MP Ultrapixel camera serving up some of the finest snaps we've ever seen from a smartphone."

Source: Awards T3

Android Revolution HD in courtesy of HTC is giving away brand new HTC One to the lucky winner of the giveaway #RevolutionChange contest. Don't miss it!

Have any questions or comments? Feel free to share! Also, if you like this article, please use media sharing buttons (Twitter, G+, Facebook) below this post!

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Samsung Galaxy S3: How to Use 3x4 Keyboard

By default, Samsung Galaxy SIII use Qwerty keyboard type to facilitate the user while compose the text message, email or else. When viewed from its shape, the this keyboard type is similar with the keyboard that you usually see in the PC or laptop. Aside from the Qwerty keyboard, this phone also has the option to switch between Qwerty keyboard and 3x4 keyboard when you hold the phone in portrait

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Samsung Galaxy S3: How to Switch Between Qwerty and 3x4 Keyboard

Samsung Galaxy SIII has its default keyboard which will facilitate you when you want to compose a message, email or do anything else which need to use the keyboard. This Samsung keyboard also equipped with some options, such as auto capitalization that will automatically capitalize the first letter of sentence.

See also: How to Enable or Disable Auto Capitalization on Samsung Galaxy S3

Another

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Samsung Galaxy S3: How to Add Multiple Google Account via Gmail Apps

Google Play Store is the official market for Android phone, including Samsung Galaxy SIII. In order to make you be able to download and install apps from Google Play Store or accessing another Google services, such as Youtube, Google+ , etc, then first you need to create new Gmail account or activate an existing Gmail account into your phone.

See also: How to Activate a Google Account on Samsung

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Samsung Galaxy S3: How to Add the New Email Sender to Contacts

As we all know that Samsung Galaxy SIII allows the user to retrieve contacts from several sources, such as from social media account, from another phone, from Gmail contacts, etc.

See also: How to Import Contact in VCF File Manually from Gmail to Samsung Galaxy S3

Aside from adding saved contacts on your Gmail account, you can also add the new email sender to the contacts apps as new contacts

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Samsung Galaxy S3: How to Delete Saved Wi-Fi Network Profile

Nowadays, there are lot of activities that you can do through the phone that use internet connection to works, from open your Facebook account, send email messages, download and install apps from the Play Store, etc. One way that you can do to obtain internet connection to your Samsung Galaxy SIII is by connecting to the Wi-Fi network.

See also: How to Connect Wi-Fi Network on Samsung Galaxy S3

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