Black Friday Shocker - My Plans Averted

MY 2012 BIG SHOPPING FEVER LETDOWN

This has been a crazy year for gadget shopping and Black Friday. I had somewhat of a clear plan of attack, and it was derailed.

As you know, I've been salivating over the Samsung Galaxy Note II phablet. I was eligible for an upgrade in October (or so I thought). Once the price of $299 was unvelied for the second generation Note, I decided to wait it out for a while.

But something happened that forced me to change my plans. My daughter lost her Samsung Galaxy S2 smartphone on the day before our family vacation. So I decided to go for the Note 2 now, and hand off my current Galaxy S2 to my daughter because she wasn't due for an upgrade.

I was really excited about getting the Note 2 even though I wasn't ready to part with the money. So I perused the web for Black Friday deals. The lowest price I found was $249 through Amazon.

Before ordering the phone, I decided to make a quick trip to the AT&T store in Ohio where I was spending Thanksgiving. I wanted to hold it in my hands for the first time. I had tested a first generation Note before, but I wanted to see how the new form facctor would feel.

Right off the bat, my first thought was "this smartphone is way too big". I was shocked that I had such a reaction. I've been wanting a humongous smartphone since the first generation Note was released. This was the moment I had been waiting for, and I didn't have that "magic feeling" that I was expecting.

The store did not have a working model, and I was disappointed that I wouldn't be able to try out the new S Pen and all of its features. I thought that maybe my mind would change and I'd feel better about the size if I had a chance to test drive the stylus.

I played around with a few other smartphones, including the Galaxy S III, the HTC One X, and the Nokia Lumia 920. I was most impressed with the Lumia 920, and started having thoughts of making a switch in my game plan.

Even though the Lumia 920 with Windows Phone 8 was clearly the most intuitive and impressive operating system of all, I admitted to myself that I'm not ready to ditch Android and make such a big switch. So I stayed focused.

I fondled the Galaxy Note II one more time, then I left the store more confused than when I had arrived. I went back home to drop the dough on a new phablet.

When I logged into my AT&T account, I was met with a surprise: I wasn't eligible for an upgrade!

Apparently, AT&T changed the rules on early upgrades for the primary account holders of family plans. The old rule was that you could do an early upgrade and new 2-year contract at the end of a year. But the new rule is 18 months minimum time before you can do an early upgrade.

At first, I was frustrated and angry. But afer I settled down, I was actually relieved that this happened. I wasn't ready to pull the trigger, and I'm finding that I am undecided on what I want with a smartphone.

By the time I am eligible for an upgrade, I probably won't be getting a Galaxy Note II. I will have had enough time to make a well-informed decision, and I'll have a better gadget strategy.

I'm leaning towards going back to Gadget Strategy B, which is having a smartphone that is actually a phone, then a 7" WiFi tablet, and my laptop. Who knows... maybe I'll get my stylus craving settled with a Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9.

In the meatime, my money will be staying in my bank account.

Carlton Flowers
Frustrated Gadget Addict

Lowest Priced Top Notch Anroid 4.0 7" Tablet Ever?

POLAROID ANRDOID TABLET - HIDDEN GEM OR HUNK OF JUNK?

I was perusing Walgreen's yesterday and I stumbled on something in the front of the store where they place impulse items. It was a 7" multi-touch Android 4.0 tablet made by none other than Polaroid.

My first thought was that it must be a complete piece of junk, like similar "Walgreens tablets" that have been introduced in the past with resistive touch screens and older versions of the Android operating system.

But curiosity got the best of me after looking at the list price of $129.99, so I picked it up and flipped it over to see what crappy specs the device might have. What I found was quite a surprise.

This little booger not only had Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich pre-installed, but it had a capacitive multi-touch display, 800x600 screen resolution, 4Gb of internal memory, an SD card slot, a front-facing camera, support for 3D games, plus native Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube apps.

I thought it was too good to be true, so I looked at more details on the device and found it to have 512Mb of RAM and a 1GHz cpu under the hood. The actual manufacturer is Southern Telecom, a name I had not heard of.

After discovering all of these details, I started to wonder, "how has this not been drawing any media attention?" Perhaps it's a buggy device. Maybe it can't push video well. Or maybe it has low-end construction with poor QA/QC.

But what if it is actually a good device? At this price, even having moderate functionality would make this a best-seller. At least in my mind it would be. I mean, it hasn't been too long since the world sat and waited for the first legitimate color touch screen tablet to break the $199 barrier.

But that's not the end of the story... apparently, if you register for free as a preferred customer on the Walgreens website, you can buy the device for only $89.99. How can this not be worth the risk, for such a cheap price?

Will this unit sell out rapidly? Will it become a smash hit for the holiday season? Or will people buy truckloads of these tablets only to return them to Walgreens the next week because they are junk?

I read lots of reviews on Amazon.com about this device, and the opinions vary widely. It seems like there are more positive ratings than average to low ratings. After digging in deep and reading as many ratings as I could stand, I'm still befuddled about this thing.

I am personally going to give myself 7 days before I break down and buy one, just to find out if it is a legitimate tablet. If I can read eBooks and blogs, watch videos on Youtube, and stream Netflix without problems, I would call this the best value for a tablet on the market today. And a good buy.

Stay tuned, you might be hearing more about this. And if you actually own one of these and have an unbiased review to share, please shout it out in the Disqus comments section below and stop me before I blow $89.99!

Carlton Flowers
Tablet Gambler

Five Bucks That Might Save Me $299 For Three Months

THE WALGREENS ADD ON THAT SAVED MY SAMSUNG GALAXY S2 FROM RETIREMENT

Today I made a bee-line to Walgreens after work to spend five bucks on something that will save me $299 and a new contract... for a little while, anyway.

While at work, my fellow engineer and good buddy Deronn Williams was poking around on his Sprint Samsung smartphone with a brightly colored stylus that caught my eye. With a big grin on his face, he showed off the little $5 capacitive touch stylus that he purchased from Walgreens.

Upon inspection, I noticed right off the bat that it was 100% better than the box of 100 styluses that I bought directly from China that I thought would make me rich a couple of years ago.

Surfing the Alibaba site one night, I discovered the rubber-tipped stylus that I had my sights set on for a seriously low price. Instead of the going rate of $15, I was able to land a whole case of these little wonderful things at fifty cents apiece. I planned on selling them for $5 each and making a handsome profit.

Big mistake...

When I got the box, the styluses had a rubber ball-shaped tip that skidded across the screen of my then-iPhone 3GS, and the performance was less than crappy. The way they were made caused them to skip, and made using them nearly useless.

Fast-forward a couple of years and the new and improved rubber-tipped smartphone styluses started popping up that had a thinner hollow tip. They worked perfectly, but were priced at around $20 each. I wanted one, but was too cheap to buy them at that price.

Today, after trying out my buddy's stylus and discovering that they actually glide smoothly across the screen of the display while working perfectly with no skipping, I decided to rush to Walgreens and get my own.

I arrived at the store and went straight for the jug of $5 brightly-colored styluses and picked up a florescent orange one that would give me the best chances of seeing when placed within the piles of junk on my desk.

While using it, I was so pleased with the performance and how it made using my Samsung Galaxy S2 so much easier. Pecking on the keyboard was a snap, and gliding through apps and screens was almost flawless.

If you haven't noticed, I've been salivating over the new Samsung Galaxy Note 2 through AT&T Wireless for months on end. I've lost sleep dreaming of the day that I would pick one up for $299 on an early 1-year upgrade, to enjoy the magical and highly advanced S Pen stylus. But I don't have a spare $299 sitting in my pockets to be the first in line (iPhone commercial joke) to get one.

But with this wonderful cheap $5 Walgreens capacitive touch smartphone stylus, I think I can survive a few more months with my beloved Samsung Galaxy S2 while I wait for my wallet to fluff up to the tune of $299.

Using my Samsung Galaxy S2 with a docking station, bluetooth keyboard, and fantastic day-glow orange rubber tipped stylus is pure smartphone enjoyment. It's so easy that I use my laptop a lot less. Writing emails is super easy, and gliding through my apps is seriously fun with the stylus.

Don't get me wrong, I would still like to have all of the amazing features of the S Pen stylus on the Galaxy Note 2. Namely, the ability to have a pressure sensitive effect that has 1,200 levels of sensitivity. Plus, the hovering effect for previewing content and the ability to crop out screen shots would be fantastic.

But this little five dollar wonder will definitely hold me over for at least a few months. I don't care if it only lasts 2 or 3 weeks before wearing out. All I would have to do is make a Walgreens run and pick up another one, or buy one on Amazon for a buck.

The good thing is, this might help me to extend the use of my current smartphone and slow down my upgrade fever, thus giving me more value for my money.

If you haven't tried the newer soft-tipped hollow rubber tipped styluses for your smartphone, I would highly recommend that you give it a try. Sure, they don't have the accuracy of a pointy tipped S Pen, but they certainly have a great amount of functionality for the money.

I would even recommend these lovely little things for iPhone users, especially since you won't be seeing anything like an S Pen (or shall we call it and iPen?) anytime in the near future.

If you are bent on using a stylus like I am, go grab one and tell me what you think. Or if you currently have one, tell me if you are a fan of the new and improved capacitive touch styluses in the comments section!

Looks like I will be able to spend an extra $299 on Christmas presents this year!

Carlton Flowers
Stylish Stylus Enthusiast

Samsung Galaxy Note II Launch Date Announced For AT&T

GALAXY NOTE II ARRIVAL IS NEAR! OFFICIAL DETAILS & PRICING ANNOUNCED

As you all know by now, the Samsung Galaxy Note II is the smartphone/phablet I have been salivating over since the rumors first broke this summer. Today, we officially know when the Note II will be available for my favorite carrier, AT&T.

You will be able to pre-order your Galaxy Note II on October 25th, 2012, and the super-sized phablet will hit the shelves in AT&T stores on November 9th, 2012. The price has been announced at $299, which is similar to other carriers.

I'm excited about finally knowing the exact date that I'll be able to get my hands on this ginormous device with its quadcore 1.6GHz Exynos cpu. With that kind of power, I will be able to push this device to the limits as if it were a laptop or tablet.

I'm also excited that Samsung has decided to pre-load Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with this device. No need to worry about an over-the-air update in the future. You're getting the best operating system available at the time.

Yes, it will be fun to try out the new S-Beam feature for sharing videos, pics, and maps with other Samsung devices that have this built in, along with Share Shot for picture sharing among friends. But I am most excited about having my beloved S Pen Stylus. I think this is going to liberate me! No more taking paper notes!

The Galaxy Note II will be thinner than its predecessor, and it will have a slightly larger display within the same outer dimension. But the new 5.5" HD Super AMOLED display will have a 16:9 aspect ratio. That's similar to the iPhone 5, except a lot bigger. This will probably motivate me to catch up on all the movies on Netflix that I have missed over the years.

The AT&T version of the Galaxy Note II will be equipped with an LTE radio, but people in areas that are not served by LTE at this time will be able to enjoy surfing the net on the improved HSPA+ version of 4G service. That's fine by me, because I will mainly be using the device within WiFi areas and enjoying the tremendous display.

Are you in the market for an upgrade? What is your level of comfort with the size of the Galaxy Note II? Too big, or just right? Does a phablet hit the sweet spot for your gadget desires? Shout about it in the Disqus comments section!

Carlton Flowers
Phuture Phabet Phreak

2 Things That Take the Samsung Galaxy 2 Over The Top

GADGET MAXIMUMIZATION DONE RIGHT - MY SGS2 ACCESSORIES

All it takes is a couple of tweeks and your gadget can become a portable computer! Check out the video to see what 2 small things take my smartphone experience to the stratosphere.

This is part of the reason I absolutely love my Samsung Galaxy S2 and will be sad to see it go when I upgrade to the Galaxy Note 2. But I must evolve!

Do you have a favorite accessory that makes your smartphone a force to be reckoned with? Share it in the Disqus comments section!

Carlton Flowers
Gadget Accessorizer Extreme

New Nexus 7 Throws Wrench Into My Gadget Game Plan

DOES THE $99 NEXUS 7 CHANGE THE GADGET UPGRADE GAME PLAN?

Just when I have finally settled down with a firm gadget game plan, Google tosses in a huge wrench. Well, a rumored wrench to be truthful.

Word on the streets is that Google will be releasing a $99 base model Nexus 7 tablet during the 4th quarter of 2012.

They would accomplish this by using a Chinese-made single core processor and an HUVA front panel made by HannStar Display of Taiwan. The manufacturer is said to be Quanta Computer.

But let's get to the point of this post. If this rumor happens to pan out, it could derail my upgrade plans. Why? Because I would consider getting a smaller smartphone and a cheap tablet for my perfect gadget combination.

It would be very tempting to get a Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini with a 4" display that would fit in my small hands. My verticle-screen-stretching-challenged thumb would certainly appreciate it.

Plus, the Galaxy S3 Mini is promising some seriously impressive updates like a quad core processor and Android "Jellybean" operating system.

I could actually use the mini as a smartphone, and have access to all my favorite apps. Portability would be great. And my poor aging eyes could enjoy the more jumbolicious size of the Nexus 7 tablet for my tech blog reading pleasure.

As good as a scenario that this would be, there's one thing that could keep me from following through on changing my game plan. And that happens to be...

The S Pen Stylus.

I've been waiting forever, since the days of my Palm Treo 650, to have another smartphone that uses a stylus. I have sorely missed it. With all the fantastic magical things the new S Pen stylus brings to a smartphone experience, I'm not so sure I could pass up the chance to return to my ways of old.

To be honest, I'm still leaning towards going with the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 phablet and phorgetting about the whole tablet phrenzy.

But I could see myself buying a $99 Nexus 7 at Christmas time for the wife...

Carlton Flowers
Gadget Extremist

Fall 2012 Mid-Missouri Wireless Service Coverage Status – What Route Should You Take?

THE LTE ROLLOUT RACE RAMPS UP – WHICH IS BEST?

With the LTE coverage race looking like a singular and lopsided win for the big red cellphone carrier, many people in Central Missouri  are trying to make the tough decision on whether or not to make a switch, or hold fast.

In our state’s capital of Jefferson City, the only LTE service currently available comes from Verizon Wireless. The timetable for the rival competitors of AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile (snicker) is unknown at this time. So for a person considering what the best provider for this area would be, it looks like an easy decision. Or is it?

A good friend of mine, Scot Nichols, owns 2 Droid RAZR smartphones for he and his wife on Verizon Wireless. He’s pretty pleased with the service thus far. We did some testing, and the results were pretty impressive for Jefferson City.

The download speeds for the Droid RAZR under Verizon’s LTE coverage ranged from 10 to 20Mbps. The upload speed was even more impressive, running between 13 and 19Mbps for our tests. That looks clearly better than the HSPA+ speeds I usually get on the AT&T network ranging from 1.5Mbps to as much as 10Mbps with uploads going from 500Kbps to 2Kbps.

But after Postal Jim Stuckey sent me screen shots of his Speedtest results while sitting in the Cardinal’s stadium in downtown St. Louis, I can tell you that this paints a different picture. His Samsung Galaxy S3 was averaging 20Mbps upload and 49Mbps download.

I don’t know what is documented as “typical” from the AT&T company, but several users in the STL area have reported the same speeds using Samsung, Apple, and HTC devices that are equipped with an LTE radio. 50Mbps down and 20Mbps up is quite typical with newer technology.

Back here in good old #CentralMO (Twitter hashtag), I don’t know what the timeframe is for LTE expansion. There aren’t any published reports on a timetable. It could be better than a year out. But I’m not swayed on switching services, knowing what potentially super high speeds are coming to my devices.

The choice to #CentralMO users is simple. Go with Verizon Wireless for LTE speeds right now, and slower CDMA 3G speeds when off the LTE map. Or stick with AT&T for a while, with respectable HSPA+ “4G”, and blazing fast LTE speeds at some point in the future. Or, you could go with T-Mobile that is running on the blazing fast EDGE network, with blinding speeds upwards of 5Kbps (more snickering).

Something else to consider is the plan for Verizon to drop all of the current 3G CDMA network in order to fully go with LTE service. AT&T will continue to have the HSPA+ backdrop as they expand LTE coverage.

My choice and recommendation is for sticking with AT&T. I don’t think you can go wrong with Verizon, it’s a good service. Sprint is not something I recommend for #CentralMO until we know what their future direction is, and T-Mobile gets a flat-out FAIL for our area (they have much better service in STL, however).

In the long run, I think I’ll be better off sticking with my AT&T service to have the widest range of options. But what are your thoughts on the choices of carriers in #CentralMO, or in your area of residence? Shout me out a holler in the Disqus comments section!

Carlton Flowers
Techno Craver

All Quiet On The Gadget Front - October 2012

THE SILENCE OF THE GALAXY NOTE 2 WAITING PERIOD

If you haven't noticed, my blog activity has been close to dead for the past 30 days. Why? Because nothing excites me except impatiently waiting for the Galaxy Note 2 to arrive in the US, namely with AT&T Wireless.

My impatience and anticipation has caused me to turn a deaf ear to any and all gadget talk as of recent. At first, I thought it was writer's block. But it's not. It is clearly the fault of the upcoming brontosaurus-sized smartphone that Samsung has yet to release into my awaiting hands.

We should see a grand event on October 24th, 2012 in New York City. Whether or not this means the Galaxy Note 2 will be on the shelves in my local AT&T Store is another question. But I'm sure it won't be long until it will be stocked.

I've had a lot of mixed feelings this month regarding my Samsung Galaxy S2 smartphone. It has been my most favorite beloved device of my entire life, and I don't know if I will be sad to see it go just yet. Will I long for the 4.3" size after I get my new Galaxy Note 2 that practically requires a backpack to haul around? I don't know.

The prediction that I have for myself is that I will not mind the huge size, because the Note 2 will replace my need for a tablet. I will probably be more than satisfied thanks to all of the new features, the larger display, and the functional S Pen stylus that comes with the unit.

But I truly hope that the larger 5.5" size doesn't become a burden. I already have a situation on my hands, literally. The 4.3" display of my Galaxy S2 is big enough that I can't reach the upper left corner of the screen with my thumbs while using the device one-handed.

But will this be an annoyance with the Galaxy Note 2, or a blessing in disguise? I mean, let's look at it this way... if the display is more than an inch greater in diagonal size, maybe I won't even attempt to use the smartphone with one hand. This could cut down on a lot of uneccesary acrobatic handling.

Who knows... maybe this will encourage me to only pick up my device when I truly need to peck out an email, important text, or surf the net. That could make me more efficient in other activities I need to be doing without having one hand and half of my brain tied up in my device.

I'm also predicting that my office desk will become a lot less cluttered with papers and sticky notes. With the Galaxy Note 2 and the handwriting recognition software, I shouldn't have any reason to be hoarding paper notes any longer. We'll just have to see if this becomes true once I get the phablet in my hands.

Overall, I'm looking forward to jumping on the Galaxy Note 2 upgrade as soon as I am elible with extra cash in my hands for the down payment of what I would think will end up being $200.

Until then, I'll see if I can kick-start the creative process and actually pay attention to the hot topics in the tech sector. Your comments and suggestions are welcomed!

Carlton Flowers
Lazy Note 2 Anticipator

Galaxy Note II Official Release Date For US!

GALAXY NOTE II ARRIVAL TIME SET FOR US MARKET

There's nothing I love more than official Samsung announcements for new smartphones, er, "phablets" that I want to own! The Galaxy Note II will come to the US on October 24th, 2012, and I will glued to the screen with heavy anticipation!

This will be my next smartphone purchase, as you probably are aware. I am willing to try the gigantic new 5.5" gigantic screen size for this hybrid smartphone device that will end my need and desire for a tablet. For me, this will be the device to end all devices.

It will be hard for me to part ways with my beloved Samsung Galaxy S2. Actually, I'm not going to part with it. I will probably keep my S2 as a viable backup device should something happen to my phablet. I have loved the service that I've gotten with my Galaxy S2, but I will be ready to upgrade.

I've got my heart set on the new induction capacitance stylus and the huge screen. I will be using a bluetooth keyboard along with the stylus in an attempt to do as much work possible on my smartphone without needing to get out the laptop.

If I can possibly do some blogging and writing with the Galaxy Note II, I will be fully satisfied. I'd like to be able to lean more on this device and less on my laptop. We'll see how that goes.

I would also like to eliminate as much paper in my life as possible. At my work desk, I tend to get overrun with sticky notes and business cards. I also have papers everywhere with notes from meetings. I see the Galaxy Note II as a way to remedy that problem and un-clutter my business life.

I will be purchasing the AT&T version of the Galaxy Note II, and I'll patiently wait for 4G LTE service to hit Central Missouri. As I would love to have the super fast download speeds of LTE, I think I will be okay with the wait thanks to all of the new uses that I will get out of this smartphone.

We will watch closely as the story unfolds, and I'll keep you posted as to when I expect my phabulous phablet to arrive!

Carlton Flowers
Phuture Phableter

First iPhone 5 Found In The Wilderness

IPHONE 5 SURPRISINGLY SIMILAR, SLIGHTLY SLIMMER

Here it is, folks! The first iPhone 5 that I have spotted in the wild! This one belongs to one of my cohorts, fellow blogger Tim Largent.

When I first saw it, I didn't know I was looking at an iPhone 5. He had it sitting on his desk, downloading his apps from iCloud. When I saw his iPhone 4 sitting on the other side of his desk, I was confused, thinking the iPhone 4 was an iPod or something.

I asked him what the heck he was doing, and he told me he was loading his new phone. That's when it dawned on me (I'm not that bright) that the device I was looking at was in fact his iPhone 5.

Picking it up, it was noticeably thin. He had it in a cheaper rubber case, but even with the case on the device, you could tell that it had a couple of millimeters shaved off. Otherwise, it looked exactly like the iPhone 4, only stretched out a bit.

If someone had plopped that phone in front of me on a table and asked me to identify it, I would have guessed it was an iPhone 4. But after you pick it up and try to access the top left corner of the screen, and can't reach it with your thumb, you reaize it has increased in height.

The new data connector is quite a bit of a switch, about 1/4th the size of the older standard connector. But it's not the magnetic type that you see on the Macbook Air. This has a few iPhone fans a little disappointed, but the new connector is an improvement at least.

The display looks about the same, but with the added pixel height. The new aspect ratio of 16:9 is set up for optimal movie viewing. It looks like the standard iPhone display with an extra row of icons added. That might help for jamming more favorites onto the home screen.

So the bottom line is, for me, that the iPhone 5 is shockingly similar to the iPhone 4/4S form factor. It is a great-looking phone with the newly designed thinness and slightly taller display, but it's more of the same. Apple did not take chances on shaking up the entire design.

The iPhone 5 is not something that would draw me back from Android devices, but I do see this out-selling all previous iPhone models. I think Apple is smartly sticking to what they know works best, and we may not see a radical shift in design for quite some time.

Do you have an iPhone 5, or are you considering getting an upgrade? If so, what carrier is your choice host? Let me know in the comments section below!

Carlton Flowers
iPhone Watcher

CZ Tech Talk - Upgrade Fever Fries My Brain

UPGRADE FRENZY AND INDECISION CAUSES MENTAL INSTABILITY IN GEEKS

Hey guys & gals. This is one of those posts where Carlton just speaks his mind. I'm not writing this post to win a Pulitzer. I'm just writing it to dump a few thoughts from my mind at the present moment.

Today, I have upgrade fever. It's official. I can't hold it in any longer. I am conflicted. Deeply conflicted. Hopefully you will understand the fullness of my conundrum by the end of this rambling post. Maybe you can even relate.

I have a Samsung Galaxy S2. I love it. It's my beloved smartphone that freed me from the controling confines of the Apple walled garden cult. I will never look back. This is probably one of my most beloved favorite gadgets since the Commodore 64. I'm serious.

But the upgrade frenzy has hit me, and I don't know what to do. I have had a chance to have the Samsung Galaxy S3 for 2 weeks, thanks to AT&T St. Louis, and it was a most wonderful experience. Plus, Postal Jim owns one, and I have had the opportunity to test drive his and compare it side-by-side with my Galaxy S2.

But now the Galaxy Note II is set to launch on AT&T this October. And it is a wonderful, amazing device. It will feature a quad core processor and a newer capacitive induction S-Pen stylus that is even more amazing than the first rendition.

The Galaxy Note II will have a physical home button just like ths Galaxy S III, plus it will have an even bigger display. It's going from 4.8" on the S3 to 5.3" on the Note 2. That's tremendous. This will erase any need for a tablet, that's for sure.

But what truly distresses me is the news that Postal Jim sent me earlier in the week. There are rumors swirling that Samsung will be releasing a Galaxy S4 in February of 2013. Of course that all hinges on the world not ending with the close of the Mayan calendar in December of 2012, but we shall see.

If the world does not implode, what will happen if I have a Samsung Galaxy Note II in my hands, and then the Samsung Galaxy S IV comes available from AT&T with a six-core CPU and more extras than any smartphone has ever seen before?

I really don't know what I would do. I guess that's just the speed of technology. Since making the big switch from the World of Koolaid (Apple iPhones) to the Land of Freedom (Android), I have not gotten used to significant updates on devices within short periods of time.

I'm used to Apple taking baby steps and spending at least 2 years before making a new device that would even wake you up and make you stop and take note. I'm not used to having a new breakthrough cutting edge device thrown in my face every six months.

But I guess that's the price you pay for freedom. Well, unless Apple sues the pants off of Samsung in the near future and they win, and stop them from making devices that are FAR better than their own. What a shame that would be.

So my current thought is that I should go ahead and pay the $199 (or whatever it may be) to upgrade my line as soon as it is possible, and get my grubby hands on the Samsung Galaxy Note II in October. Then when February rolls around, Postal Jim will buy the Galaxy S IV with the six core CPU and a huge 5.0" display, and I will at least be able to play with it and drool over the features until I can get the Galaxy Note III.

That really sounds silly. But I can live with it! Meanwhile, I'm sure Apple will have a phone that comes out giving the Samsung Galaxy S2 a run for it's money... by 2013.

Carlton Flowers
Upgrade Infected Geek

Droid Or Android? The Most Confusing/Successful Marketing Campaign Ever

THE SAD FACT ABOUT THE POWER OF THE DROID MARKETING CAMPAIGN

This has puzzled me for years on end. The majority of smartphone users, no matter what brand they use, don't know the difference between a "Droid" and an "Android" phone. Most of you have no clue, and may just now realize there is a difference.

Motorola coined the term "Droid" for the first true competitor to Apple's iPhone. The first generation Droid smartphone ran the "Android" operating system. It was a clunky, heavy, clumsy smartphone with a slideout keyboard. It launched in October of 2009.

The big pitch for the Motorola Droid smartphone was "whatever iPhone doesn't, Droid does". It was a brilliant marketing campaign. So successful, that the masses automatically assumed that all Android devices were "Droid" phones.

The big red robotic eye, the robot arm tapping on a smartphone screen on commecials, and the Star Wars sounding Droid voice made a huge splash and an almost permanent impression with people. But few people realized that these trademarks were only associated with the Motorola device running on the Verizon network.

The Motorola Droid smartphone was followed up with Droid 2, Droid X2, Droid 3, Droid Bionic, Droid RAZR, Droid RAZR 2, and Droid 4. The Droid 4 still sports the slideout keyboard while the Droid RAZR models have gone to 100% touchscreen operation.

Today, the Droid marketing campaign has seemingly lost its steam. Previously, it was in our faces almost constantly. You couldn't turn on the television without hearing the Droid robot sound. Now that the damage is done, it is quite possibly irreversible. The masses of people now associate the trademark "Droid" with any Android device.

That sort of marks the overwhelming success of the marketing campaign. But it also exposes a huge flaw in the outcome. Any advertising for the "Droid" brand is basically free advertising for the balance of Android-powered smartphones by other manufacturers and carriers.

Looking back, I think it was a huge mistake on behalf of Motorola to coin a brand name so close to the name of the operating system created by Google. It's ironic that Google is now in the process of buying out Motorola.

Instead of using a term so closely releated to the general brand name for the operating system, they should have given their flagship smartphones a brand name that would set it apart from all others. Sadly, the term "Droid" does not allow it to be distinguished as unique by the average consumer.

The longer Motorola rolls with the Droid marketing campaign, they'll be doing free marketing for the likes of Samsung, HTC, LG, and every other manufacturer that makes handsets running on the Android platform. People think they are one in the same.

It's too bad that Google didn't jump on the whole robot theme in the manner that Motorola did. Sure, they use the little green robot character, but it's not nearly as strong as the marketing scheme created by the makers of the Droid line.

It cracks me up when owners of Apple iPhones ask me if I like my "Droid" device. They look confused when I tell them I don't own one.

"I have a Samsung Galaxy S2 running on the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system", is what I tell them. This only leaves them more confused and scratching their heads.

Did you have any idea that there was a difference between a "Droid" and an "Android" device? Or are you a savvy geek who knew the difference? And if you do know the difference, what percentage of people do you think still remain clueless to this brand confusion?

Do you think Motorola made a mistake in creating a brand name so close to the brand of the operating system? Or do you think they should have created a unique, distinguishable name?

Share your thoughts in the comments section!

Carlton Flowers
Non-Droid Smartphone Owner

iPhone 5 Revealed - Breakthrough iPhone Or Catch-Up Smartphone?

IPHONE 5 IS MORE OF THE SAME, YET MOST ADVANCED

The iPhone 5 has been officially announced! Finally, all the hoopla, waiting, and rumors come to a close. The yearly Apple dog-and-pony-show has been quite an experience. But how will the iPhone 5 be viewed? Is it a breakthrough device, or a catch-up to Android?

My prediction did come true. I blogged that it would make no sense for Apple to release a new generation iPhone without a 16:9 aspect ratio. As I indicated, the screen is 4" x roughly 2.2" wide. That's a perfect 16:9 aspect, which will make this a great device to watch movies and television shows on.

The iPhone 5 is slightly thinner, and claims to be the thinnest smartphone in the world at 7.6 millimeters. Plus it is 20% lighter, weighing in at a slim 112 grams. The display packs 1136x640 pixels, and it is an LTE-capable device with a new A6 processor.

Those are the basic big changes. Everything else is really not earth shattering news. For Apple iPhone owners, I would say that this is a significant upgrade that most people would want to jump on for $199 and a new 2-year contract. If I had an iPhone 4, I would most definitely be buying the iPhone 5 on my next available upgrade.

But for Android users, a lot of what we are seeing would be old news. I don't tend to believe the prognosticators that are saying Android users will leave in droves thanks to all the new features of the iPhone 5. I don't see it surpassing cutting edge Android devices. Instead, it's more of a game of "catch-up".

One thing that CZ Blog Administrator and Crack Reporter Jim "Postal Jim" Stuckey reported to me as he was watching the streaming live event was the excitement over being able to upload from the iOS Facebook app. I wasn't even aware that you couldn't do this. I've had this capability for the past year with my Samsung Galaxy S2 with Android Gingerbread (and now Ice Cream Sandwich).

The front and rear cameras of the iPhone 5 are the same as the cutting edge standards of Android devices. The rear camera is still at 8 megapixels, and the front facing camera comes in with 720p capability. They claim the rear camera is smaller, but I don't see that making any difference in usability.

You can take photos in the middle of shooting video footage with an iPhone 5. That's a really cool feature, but didn't we already see this with the HTC One X smartphone a couple of months ago? I think we did. Again, this is great for Apple users, but not a big deal for Android owners.

One feature of the iPhone 5 that I am excited about is the new lightning connector. No more big fat 1" wide power/data connector plug. Now it is 80% smaller, and you can reverse it. They've cut it down to Android Micro USB size, but you don't have to plug it in with the right side facing up. So that is an advantage over current cutting-edge Android devices.

Another huge improvement of the iPhone 5 that I give Apple credit for is the new aluminum backing. My biggest beef with the iPhone 4/4S was the fragile design. It can't be dropped from a height more than 2' without shattering the display, or cracking the back glass. Hopefully the aluminum design will help it absorb the impact of a drop, and redirect the energy instead of shattering the display.

iOS6 has officially been announced along with the iPhone 5. I'm not sure when the next edition of Apple's operating system will be available for download on the iPhone 4/4S, but it will come pre-loaded on the iPhone 5. There are new features with iOS6, but nothing that has given me a case of Apple envy.

That's about all I've got. To wrap it up, I would highly recommend the iPhone 5 to anyone in the market for a new Apple smartphone. I'm sure the price on the iPhone 4S will drop, but why take the older technology when the cost of the newest device is only about 1/20th of what you'll be paying on that lovely 2-year contract for service? I say go for the gusto.

For Android users, this doesn't look like a device that would draw you back or make you switch. Some will, of course, but former iPhone owners/enthusiasts like myself aren't going to give up the higher capabilities of Android devices to float back to a smaller handset.

What are your thoughts about the iPhone 5? Are you going to be pre-ordering one, or purchasing as soon as you have an available upgrade? Are you an Android user that will be making the switch? Does any of this excite you? I wanna know! Comment away!

Carlton Flowers
iPhone Yawner

Mediacom - Great Customer Service But One Achilles Heel

THE WEAK LINK IN MEDIACOM CABLE INTERNET IS...

I am writing this blog post from my smartphone. Why? It's because my cable internet service provided by Mediacom is down.

I don't knock Mediacom, though. High speed cable internet service is not something guaranteed by the Bill Of Rights. There's no way a company can promise uninterrupted internet service.

But the friendly folks at Mediacom have not solved one critical aspect of their service - timeliness of responding to customer outages.

I have stuck with Mediacom over the years, and have preferred it over slower DSL serivce. But even though the DSL in our area is not capable of pumping out mega-fast data througputs, it was more dependable.

For whatever reason, the Mediacom cable internet infrastructure is seriously sensitive. It doesn't take much to knock out the signal.

While we can't control the reason for outages, you would expect the service provider to do the best they can in getting techs to fix the problem.

But in my experience with Mediacom over the past ten years, the average time of response when my service is interrupted for whatever reason has been one to three weeks.

While the company provides excellent customer service, in my opinion, response time is an area that they have a huge opportunity for improvement.

The most glaring evidence of this is shown when you compare the time it takes for an install versus the response time for a service tech. New installs can be taken care of in a matter of days.

But the reason for this, I am led to believe, is that the company utilizes contract workers to help them with new installs. Employees cover service calls.

I have had the most outstanding Mediacom employees come to the rescue when my cable internet is botched up. But their excellent work is overshadowed by the length of time you've got to wait for them to shuffle through the cue.

When you call with a problem, the answer you get from the toll free customer service line is usually, "the earliest we can get a service tech out to your house is 2 weeks from today".

If you have a customer who is depending heavliy on their internet access for business purposes, or for taking collegiate courses online, a two-week wait just doesn't sit well.

Sure, you can always go to McDonald's or Panara Bread and use their free WiFi, so it isn't life or death. But I am not convinced that the company has made the effort to truly improve upon this problem.

Opinions about Mediacom Cable vary from person to person. I still happen to be a fan of theirs. But their reputation for quality of service provided could go from average to great if they made the firm decision to improve in this area.

Burn the boats, Mediacom, and don't look back. Take this issue head on, and get it solved. If you do, the arrival of LTE won't shake your customer base.

What are your opinions about Mediacom, CenturyLink, or other high speed internet service providers? What do you see in the future for internet access? Will the wires survive, or will the wireless rise?

Carlton Flowers
Wired Up Geek

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Revealed - New Features Impress

GALAXY NOTE 2 BREAKS NEW GROUND

The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 specs are out of the bag! I am VERY excited with what has been revealed, and this all but cinches my next smartphone buying decision.

The size of the Galaxy Note 2 will be the same, but the screen will be stretched to 5.5" diagonally, just like the rumors predicted.

The shape of the device is very similar to the Samsung Galaxy S3 form factor. This makes me happy. Quite happy indeed.

They have managed to make the device thinner, coming in at only 9.3mm. That more than makes up for the large size, in my opinion.

Its got a 1.6GHz quad core cpu and a whopping 2Gb of RAM. That makes this a powerful tablet device that should cut through apps and multitask with ease.

It will be packing a rather large 3100mAh battery, which is probably needed for the jumbo sized Super AMOLED display.

What I am most excited about is the improved S Pen stylus, and the "Air View" functions.

Air View allows you to hover the stylus over certain applications and get a preview without interrupting the current display.

Plus it will allow you to create video preview windows over top of running apps. That will take mobile multitasking to a level never seen before.

There are some other exciting things like the ability to notate pictures on the device, and then share them. Plus,  the software will have several new and improved functions.

We'll talk about this and much more soon. But in the meantime, we'll just pray that Apple doesn't find a way to throw a wrench in this gorgeous, beautiful device's future before it hits the shelves.

Do you plan on getting a Galaxy Note 2 phablet, or is this out of your size range? Sound off!

Carlton Flowers
Phuture Phablet Phreak

Samsung Galaxy S3 Review - Part Deux

THE GALAXY S3 IMPRESSES WITH GREAT ERGONOMICS

It's time for part 2 of the Samsung Galaxy S3 review that was provided to me by AT&T St. Louis (THANK YOU!) for thorough testing.

I've got more stuff to say about the hardware of the flagship phone that will now be in the spotlight, since Apple has banned its predecessor, the iPhone 4S Galaxy S2 clone.

The shape, form, and function of the Galaxy S3 is a hit. It is ergonomic. Never would I have thought that a gigantic 4.8" display smartphone would fit so well in your hand. The only drawback is not being able to reach a good portion of the upper left screen with your thumb. But it's worth the sacrifice.

The colors of the brushed polycarbonate body are very pleasing to the eye. The Marble White and Pebble Blue have a sleek look, and the blue looks almost metallic.

The polycarbonate makes for a light phone, and that means you'll always have whiners who say it feels "cheap". But the reason this happens is due to Apple brainwashing people into thinking smartphones should weigh 5 pounds and have thick glass screens that shatter on impact.

If you haven't been mentally programmed by Apple, you will probably think this phone has a high quality build and you will appreciate the lightness.

Something new about the Galaxy S3 is the location of the lock button. With its new super large size, it has been moved to the side instead of the top. It's a whole lot easier to access the lock button with one hand at its new location.

A huge advantage that continues on with the Samsung Galaxy S3 is the removable battery. You don't get that with other brands. The battery cover is easy to remove, and the humongous super efficient battery pops right out. On that note, I must say that the battery life of the S3 was very impressive.

When you pop off the back cover, you'll notice that you don't have to remove the battery to get to the SD card slot or the SIM slot. Other models like to hide these items behind the battery.

The last thing I will mention in this post is the speed of the device. With a quad core 1.4GHz processor and 1Gb of RAM, aplications fly. There's no "glitchyness" in scrolling, loading, or running apps.

From my testing, the cameras have been improved and so has the camera software. It's packing 8 megapixels in the back and 2 megapixels in the front. Plus you have the new picture sharing capability, where you can send pics to other S3 devices in close proximity.

Next we'll talke more about hardware upgrades, and software functionality. I have a lot to share about this phone. I'll admit, it was an instant love affair when I took it out of the box, and my adoration for this device did not end when I had to sadly pack it up and send it back.

Do you own a Samsung Galaxy S3? What are your favorite new features? Talk about it in the Disqus comments section below!

Carlton Flowers
Samsung Tester

Want A Samsung Galaxy S2? Better Get It NOW

LAST CALL FOR SAMSUNG GALAXY 2 IPHONE CLONE

Folks, this is your last chance to buy the unbreakable version of the iPhone 4. It's called the Samsung Galaxy S2. It could be pulled from shelves in the near future.

After a recent landmark court case proved that the Samsung Galaxy S2 is in fact the iPhone 4S in an unbreakable case with a better display, Apple has decided to bench the superior version of their smartphone. This leaves consumers with the more fragile, smaller version of the iPhone 4S.

If you want to get your hands on the higher quality version that costs about $90 less than the original iPhone 4S, you better hit the link below to get your hands on one for as low as $10. It's still available from Amazon Wireless.

But seriously, my friends, I recommend buying the Samsung Galaxy S3 from AT&T first and foremost, then other carriers, versus the Galaxy S2. But if you don't have a need for the latest-greatest, the Galaxy S2 is an amazing smartphone to have at a great price.

Too bad banning the Galaxy S2 will only lead to stronger sales for the Galaxy S3 and the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 2. But time will probably teach the best lesson.

UPDATE: Sorry, but it is GONE! Sadly, the Galaxy S2 is not for sale on Amazon any longer. But you can check out the great deals on the Galaxy S3 by clicking the links below.

Carlton Flowers
Deal Watcher

Grab a Samsung Galaxy S3 now from Amazon.com from $99 to $189 with a 2-year contract! Click the links below to check them out from the AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and Sprint stores on Amazon now!

AT&T Galaxy S3 From $189

Verizon Galaxy S3 From $149

Sprint Galaxy S3 From $99

Solid Proof That Apple Practices Mass Mind Control

UNDENIABLE PROOF THAT APPLE HAS PERFECTED MIND CONTROL

My wife: "Everybody's iPhones are cracking and breaking. They're always brining them to you to fix. How come mine isn't breaking? When is it gonna crack?"

Me: "Honey, you don't have an iPhone. That's why."

Wife: "Huh?"

Me: "You have a Samsung. That's why it hasn't broken."

Wife: "Oh."

There you have it, folks. Not only has Apple mind-washed everyone into thinking that every smartphone is an iPhone, but they've also mind-washed millions of people into buying expensive devices that break.

Plus they've figured out how to make them think it is normal to spend an extra $150 (even multiple times) to replace the fragile screens.

Carlton Flowers
Mass Apple Mind Control Buster

Does Verizon Wireless Have Their Central MO Blog Radar On?

VERIZON WIRELESS YET TO DISCOVER AMAZING CZ BLOG

About a year ago, AT&T St. Louis discovered the best tech blog site in the Midwest, the CZ Blog. They noticed my articles talking about their devices and wireless service. AT&T seems to be on top of all social media activity surrounding their company.

Since I was first contacted by AT&T, I have gladly made myself available to test and review many of their wireless devices such as smartphones and tablets. I don’t get paid to do it, so my opinion is somewhat unbiased.

I say “somewhat unbiased” because I am an extremely happy customer, having had my AT&T wireless account for the past 7 years. I was formerly with Sprint. I enjoyed Sprint for many years, but had to make the switch due to a big dead spot at my new place of employment.

The question I have right now is, how long will it take Verizon Wireless in Central Missouri to discover the amazing CZ Blog? I have written quite a few articles that cover their products and issues, so there should be a blip on their blog radar.

In my opinion, there are only 2 choices for wireless service in Central Missouri: AT&T and Verizon. AT&T provides excellent customer service and good coverage. Verizon has good coverage, plus 4G LTE service in Central Missouri already. Sprint is spotty, and T-Mobile doesn’t even have 3G coverage in our area. how sad is that?

To keep it fair for the top dogs in the Mid MO market, I would love to review Verizon products and report on their usability and service if offered. A lot of my readers want to know how the different providers do in our area, so this would be very valuable.

I’d love to hear a report from T-Mobile concerning the timeframe for expanding respectable high speed coverage in our market.

As of last year, when I broke the contract for my wife’s T-Mobile smartphone, they had no idea when an upgrade would come. That was during the midst of the possible AT&T buyout that did not pan out. Maybe they have new plans. I would love to hear about it if they do.

Until then, I’ll keep reporting on AT&T developments straight from the horse’s mouth, and I’ll fill you in on any worthwhile news from the other carriers concerning our Show-Me state market area.

Carlton Flowers
Avid Gadget Tester

Apple Slams Samsung While Google Sits On Their Can - My Controversial Thoughts

THE TRUTH ABOUT THE APPLE/SAMSUNG LAWSUIT RESULTS AND WHY GOOGLE WILL SUFFER

So Apple won the ridiculous lawsuit against Samsung, claiming they copied all of their products and operating system. This seems to be a big huge deal. Or is it? Who is the real winner here? Apple, Samsung, or the consumer?

On the face, it looks like the whiny Cupertino tech giant slammed the mighty bully who kept stealing their stuff. They get a billion dollars in damages, plus they now own the rights to rectangular electronic devices that have icons.

The result will be that Samsung might have to jack up their prices and pay a royalty fee to Apple, IF they let them continue using the designs that they now apparently own. But one thing I don't understand is why Google sat back on their fat cans and didn't say a word throughout this process.

Samsung is the biggest distributer of smartphones in the world of Android. Google could potentially be hurt if their number one customer, Samsung, cannot continue selling their phones at neck-breaking speeds. I would have thought that Google would be on top of this with their endless cadre of lawyers to help out their Korean brothers, but they did not.... as far as I know.

What does this mean to the consumer? You might be paying $10 more (or so) for your Samsung device so they can pay off the mob boss Apple. You might also see an operating system that doesn't look like iOS. But will the $1,000,000,000 fine really hurt Samsung? Probably not.

I was reading in PC Magazine where they were reminiscing about Microsoft buying Skype for $8,000,000,000. It sure didn't vault them to the top of the gadget pile with their smartphones. They also talked about the huge amount of cash that Google was paying to buy out Motorola.

So putting that into perspetive, $1,000,000,000 isn't really such a bad deal for getting to rip off the design and operating system of the iPhone and land yourself at the top of the pile in cell phone gadgets.

To be honest, the rotten Apple folks have a point. Yes, Android looks exactly like iOS. Rows of icons that you scroll around, on a nice rectangular screen, running apps that are basically identical. This shouldn't come as a surprise, however, because tons of design folks defected from Apple to work for Google.

What I don't get is what difference it will make for Apple. If they shut down Samsung (if their wildest dream came true), people like me still wouldn't buy their products. Why? Because I don't want a heavy, clunky, super fragile device that can't survive a drop 2' above the pavement.

Nor do I want a device that has sticking home buttons, jammed up power buttons, gummed up silent switches, and jacked-up volume buttons. Who needs all of that? I don't. I'm not going to buy an Apple brick phone if I don't have to. But I will eventually, because of my app development company CoMo Coding LLC, and our iOS apps that we are developing.

What do you think is going to happen to the lesser Android handset manufacturers that can't afford these battles? HTC, Haweieee (or however you spell it), Pantech, and LG all have iPhone look-alikes too. If Apple comes up against them now that they own the rights to rectangular touch screen gadgets, they could be toast.

I'm okay with paying an extra ten bucks to keep my Sammy smartphone fresh and new each year. But I would be the first to say that Samsung needs to get away from the fake-iOS-clone-looking Android operating system and do something different. It is possible.

Just look at the Microsoft Windows Phone Mango platform, for example... it looks nothing like iOS. Plus, it's FAR more intuitive and less maddening than the jam-200-icons-on-a-screen concept of iOS and Android.

Step it up, Samsung. You seriously won big by getting to the top of the heap riding the iOS copy bandwagon. Now put your heads together and get away from Apple before they lawsuit you to oblivion.

Just my rambling thoughts.

Carlton Flowers
Crabby Android Fan