The OC Technophile

WordPress 3.3 Released. Updates and Updates

David Amodt — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 07:54:19 +0000

The ever so popular WordPress which this site is powered by, has been updated with tons of new updates and enhancements. New dashboards, toolbars, security updates, and an iPad optimized display has been integrated in this latest update. Full updates to the latest release are available on the WordPress.org site your review. One of the best updates available is a full screen mode which allows writers to do what they do best, write.

Testing Blogsy from iPad (Review)

David Amodt — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 01:56:17 +0000

Mobile blogging is something that is becoming more and more popular with the advent of apps on the Android and iOS platforms. Android has numerous tablets available with the most popular blogging platforms including WordPress and Blogger offering programs for those tablets and devices.

For the mobile professional and blogger, we have become more fascinated with programs that offer media integration and visual enhancements versus a standard text editor. Blogsy is one of these applications for the iOS and iPad platform. Visually, Blogsy is very entertaining and allows very custom text editing and tweaks that the standard apps don’t offer or allow. In addition, Blogy offers the services of Flickr, Picassa, Youtube, and others in a simple separate window pane. Need to include pictures or videos in your post, no problem, just swype over and add them. No more need to grab the browser and find out how to download the picture and make it embeddable. We are very impressed with the performance and quickness of this app. Blogsy was recently mentioned by The Technologizer by Harry McCracken as one of his top tools as well.

Blogsy is available on the iTunes store for $4.99 throughout the US.

Review: the Kindle Fire

David Amodt — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 02:34:57 +0000

The Amazon Kindle is easily the worlds top selling dreaded for books and the Amsazon marketplace for Kindle books one of the best. Amazon has taken the Kindle to new heights with the release of the first color Kindle, The Kindle Fire. The Kindle Fire is a 7″ color reader that does so much more than books. It is built as a consumption device for the Amazon marketplace that includes books, music, movies, apps, magazines, and of course Amazon.com itself.

The Kindle Fire is built on the Android platform but you wouldn’t know that by using it. When you first open the device, your Amazon content is just there. Your books, music, and tv shows load up and are just there, with no syncing to iTunes or other programs needed.

The electronic of the classic Kindles is gone as a more digital approach is taken with the Fire. The Fire features 8GB of memory which allows for music, apps, and videos to work like a gem. You. Can login to your Amazon video on demand and just start watching movies and tv shows. Amazon is giving one month of Amazon Prime away so you can test the waters of their service and if you like it, a $79 charge covers you for the year.

I really enjoyed the compact size of the Kindle Fire and the ability to fit it into a jacket pocket or pants pocket. The books appear even more beautiful as ever and the Kindle Lending Library allows for one rental a month of a top selling book, currently Moneyball on mine.

Does the price of $199 appeal to you? The Kindle Fire costs $300 less than the iPad but is a different machine than the iPad. It isn’t a creation machine, it’s a consumption device. If you use Amazon and it’s products you’ll love this product. Apps like Netflix, Hulu, and others load on the Fire and hundreds of games like Angry Birds are on the Amazon AppStore.

We like it and highly recommend the Kindle Fire. 9.5/10.

Sprint ending unlimited 4g on hotspot accounts

David Amodt — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 16:48:43 +0000

Sprint has updated its policy effective 11/1/11 for its hotspot users to nix unlimited 4g data. With various reports on Engadget and Sprintfeed, data used on hotspot accounts will now be used in standard usage buckets. Changes like this do allow users to terminate their contracts with no ETF though. Unlimited 4g is appearing to go the way of the dinosaurs.

Galaxy Nexus Revealed

David Amodt — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 03:26:00 +0000

Samsung yesterday revealed one of the worst kept secrets phonewise with the Nexus Prime. The Nexus Prime will be the latest Google flagship phone with a high resolution display, dual cameras, 1080p video shooting options, Android 4.0 and a Verizon Wireless carrier arrangement when it launches next month. Plenty of hype and leaks filled tech blogs before the announcement by Samsung yesterday.

Updated 10/21/11: Proper phone title given.

Ice Cream Sandwich Revealed

David Amodt — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 19:47:39 +0000

Google yesterday revealed their latest Android operating system labeled Ice Cream Sandwich. The latest updates include face unlocking, revamped music and social integration, and a bevy of overall system enhancements.

Apple iPhone event tomorrow. What do you expect?

David Amodt — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 01:15:18 +0000

Tomorrow is the big event for Apple as the media gathers at the Cupertino campus to see the unveiling of the latest iPhones from the consumer giant. Various rumors have spread regarding carriers, models, prices, and specs. Will it be a single phone, a iPhonr 4s, an iPhonr 5, or all of the above. At 10am tomorrow, the event begins and we will see what happens. What do you think?

Sprint Getting iPhone 5?

David Amodt — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 01:09:57 +0000

The Internet and tech world has been buzzing about the possibility of Sprint grabbing exclusive rights to the latest iPhone from Apple. According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, Sprint has outlaid multiple billions of dollars to gain rights to the latest iPhone which will have unlimited data, 4g and wimax speeds, and faster processor and camera resolutions. By doing this, Sprint is looking to gain additional new subscribers, gain current customers with the addition of added lines, and more. It proves a large gambling for Dan Hess and the Sprint board, but can prove a huge win if played right.

Amazon Kindle Gets Fired Up

David Amodt — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 06:47:33 +0000

Amazon this week launched their latest edition to their Kindle lineup. While minor revisions to the existing Kindles were made, the most dramatic overhaul was the Kindle Fire. The Kindle Fire is a $199 7″ android based tablet which will let users consume the entire Amazon ecosystem which includes music, movies, books and more. Priced $300 less than the iPad, the Kindle Fire will be an initial loss leader according to initial reports. Preorders are available now with a launch in mid November.

Netflix or Quikster? Which Will You Use?

David Amodt — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 01:09:02 +0000

Netflix, the king of mail order dvd rentals, recently announced that they’ll be splitting their company into two divisions. One division will handle online streaming and the newly formed Quikster will spin off and be the traditional mail order division. Each division will operate on its own merits and run by different CEO’s and profit centers. With Netflix moving to more of a streaming methodology, their separation of the dvd mail order model seems odd. Why would a company with this much marketshare and power separate its company into a name that no one has heard of or use? Have you heard of Quikster before this? Which one will you use? Let us know in the comments.