Part II: Choose a Smartphone Smartly

The first part tackled about the first three things you need to consider. And those are: 1. Mobile Operating System, 2. Brand; and 3.Budget. Once you have taken care of those first three, you are ready to roll up to the next guides.

Have you been in a cliffhanger with the first episode—er, I mean—part? If you are thirsty for more, here goes another quick guide for you to get the best on choosing the right smartphone for you:

#1: The Apps you’ll need

Evidently, as you buy your all-new pristine phone, it lacks the apps you need. As it has been said, apps are the lifeblood of smartphones. Fortunately Google’s Play store and Apple’s App store include plenty of add-ons. You have a need to be connected socially? Try out social media apps like Facebook, Twitter, and *insert social media sites here* as they are the platforms to go to. Surely, some apps come with a price, but there are also apps that don’t require you to spend a penny for your phone to be loaded. Be sure to have replacement batteries or a charger as apps are a great deal of battery drainer.

#2: Wide or wider screen?

If you’ll think of it, bigger screens are far better. But I guess there’s a need for you to think twice. It doesn’t always mean that when the screen is bigger, it’s better. More often than not, its resolution is compromised as the screen widens. If you’re digging in to budget phones but wider screen, you’ll definitely be suffering a little with its resolution. Better be a size-wise instead so you would be impressed with the crisp display of your screen.

#3: How fast can you go?

Alright, we are done with the apps installed and the screen size, but can your processor “process” it? If you are going to bombard your phone with apps and tasks, then you’ll likely need a quad-core processor. But if you are still considering your budget, you may resort to cheaper devices that offer dual-core processors. If you aim for the speed of light (exaggerating), go for Samsung models that offer super fast 8-core processors—good luck on finding one, though.

#4: Are you a photo-holic?

You might want to raise your hands if you do! As guilty as I am, I love taking pictures. Not to say that I aspire to be a photographer or something, but each of us has their own hobbies—and I find taking pictures interesting. Whether you are a professional photographer or just love snapping shots randomly, you should buy the best handy camera there is. Pick smartphones that offer an optimum quality camera. If dough isn’t that big deal, then I don’t see any reason not to go for it!

Well, those are the important things you need to consider on choosing the perfect handset. Have fun choosing!

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Part I: Choose a Smartphone Smartly

Part I: Choose a Smartphone Smartly

After the countless years that your phone has faithfully serviced you, it finally gave in. Some good things just never last, and that’s just one of the bitter truths we need to accept. You have hardly even seen that this is coming. Sadly and unfortunately, no replacement parts could salvage your phone as it has reached its end.

But then again, why don’t you just look at the brighter side? I’m sorry for your loss, and that may even include those important data that you can no longer recover, but you now have a chance to replace your phone! Considering all the innovated phone models available online and in-store, you will drop your jaw in no time! But here’s the catch: because of a lot of choices, you may get stuck in rut on choosing which smartphone will suffice your needs. If you’re having hard times on choosing the handheld device that will win your heart, you better try out these quick guides so you could decide which gizmo makes it worth for putting your money on:

#1: Choose the right Operating System

There are four mobile operating systems that are available out in the market currently. But of course, you must choose which one you should bet before you regret. Not to say that one of them isn’t worth a try, but they just have their own pitfalls. The two dominating mobile operating systems that I can pinpoint right off the bat are Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android. The former runs for iDevices only, while the latter runs on literally hundreds of different devices. Not wanting to be left out, the other two mobile operating systems are Microsoft’s Windows Phone and BlackBerry’s BB10. When you are making your mind up on choosing the right platform, it’s important that you consider your personal needs or preferences so you’d know how to settle with what these mobile platforms can offer.

#2: Select the best Brand

When you’re done choosing the platform, you are now subject to twist your brain on choosing the brand. There are several brands out there that might indeed leave you brain-twisted. If you like iOS, there’s only one brand; ergo, iPhone versions are your only options. Android gets a little tough since it is being run on lots of devices. HTC struggles to make ends meet and is said to produce this year’s outstanding handset in the HTC One. You want something different? Try out Lumia phones from Nokia and experience the Windows Phone breezily. You might want to make your options open with LG’s improving hardware.

#3: Consider your budget

Evidently, these nifty gadgets come with a price. And so, it’s your call if you would make a big deal out of it so you won’t spend the money you don’t have. Bear in mind that not all those which are trending are worth trying—especially when you aren’t really in need of them. As you consider practicality, let not your needs be compromised if that’s what you are really after. But if you really yearn for high-end handheld gadget, wide screen with high resolution display, and lightning fast processors, then you must prepare yourself in spending a pretty penny.

These are just the first three things you need to consider before heading on buying mobile phone accessories. Stay tuned for more!

The Right Operating System for Your Tablet

A lot of people—especially if they are just having the idea of buying tablet PCs—tend to buy a tablet without really having a review on the tablet. They just buy it most of the time because of aesthetics and because the salesperson is just outright a great speaker. But trust me with this one: more often than not, these people are just “sugar-coating.” They tend to tell you everything good about the tablet, and they zip their mouth about the tablet’s drawback. Would it hurt if you would review the specs of a tablet so you could enjoy all its features? Certainly not! I bet it would hurt only if you are not satisfied with your tablet, and you have spent a real pretty penny down there.

Some people might even think of buying extra tablet accessories—thinking that these would maximize their tablets potential. But, here’s the thing: If you don’t know how to communicate well with your gizmo, you’ll end up being frustrated, to the point that you would demand to give your money back. If only you knew how to understand your tablet. Hmm, the only way to communicate with your tablet is to learn its language. In this gizmo, the language is their operating system. Do you know any of them? I’m sure you do. But, let’s take a rundown with each OS so you can justify your taste:

#1: Android

Who haven’t heard of this OS? Android is very popular not just on tablets but also on smartphones. It is designed by the search giant, Google. It is by far the closest competition to Apple iOS. The two main versions of Android were the older Gingerbread Android 2.3.x and the now outdated Android 3.x, which is also known as Honeycomb. The former was specifically designed for smartphones and can be deployed to older or cheaper tablet models, while the latter was specifically deployed to tablets, and it has numerous advantages, too. The latest version of Android is called Jelly Bean Android 4.1+, which is an evolution of the previous Ice Cream Sandwich Android 4.0. If you are keen enough to notice, every version of the platform is named from an alphabet order of sweets. This OS is highly flexible as you can install apps from third-party market places. What’s even greater about it is that you can tweak the entire interface. Of course, since Google made it, Google services are at the heart of Android, which is indeed highly polished. The only downside here is that it doesn’t have consistency with its design, making it harder to learn the interface.

#2: Apple iOS

The iOS for iDevices sure is real slick! Who wouldn’t know Apple iOS? They were the first one who made the wave of touchscreens. Thus, when it comes to touch interface, it is very responsive. If Android managed to tweak and tweak its interface, Apple maintained its design so it would be easy for users to learn.  What’s unlikely with this OS is that you are stuck with iTunes store and nothing else. Hardware for Apple is also limited as well that comes with a real pretty penny.

#3: BlackBerry Tablet OS

This OS, as evident with its name, is developed for its Playbook tablet only. It enables you to do multi-tasking with tablet as it allows you to run multiple apps at once and browse the web with nearly all the features you’d expect. If you’re a sucker for BBs, then you’d definitely love this OS. But, now that BlackBerry 10 has been released, things would definitely turn around any minute now, as it is said that this current tablet is a dying platform.

#4: Windows

First known on PCs, now it’s on smartphones and tablets! Windows 8 is now popping fresh as it has been a dedicated tablet OS. Windows had it all revamped as they cannot use their previous versions to touch interface. With its newly revamped OS, it is said that there’s a lot of hype behind it. And this could be a real interesting one. But do bear in mind as well that it’s going to take time for users to learn its interface.

So before pumping your tablet with energy through your USB chargers, make sure that you know your tablet inside-out. In this way, you’ll know how to communicate with your tablet.

Have You Heard of Google Music?

Google Music is a digital application distribution platform for Android. It is also an online electronics and digital media store that is developed and maintained by, evidently, Google. What is it for? It is basically for users to allow them to browse and download music. But what else could we get from it? Does it do anything good?

Well, it’s more like an online mobile store for music. And like most other app stores, some can be downloaded for free, and the others evidently, come with a price. To get yourself kicking up with the beat with your Android smartphone, you need to install the Google Play Music app. It’s needless to worry about the installation since its file size is only under 1MB and so with the cost since it is absolutely free.

Halfway through installation, you’re going to need to upload music files—you can upload as much depending on your liking. But, you have to download the Google Music Manager software and install it first to do so. Sounds a lot of download, huh? You must select the file where you keep the music you want to add, which is usually ‘my music’ or ‘iTunes’ if you are using an iDevice.

Have you located your music already? If so, let Google Music Manager take care of the rest as it begins to upload the songs to the cloud. By the way, the maximum number of tracks you could add is 20,000. I am real certain that you won’t even be near the exceeding bar, unless you have a karaoke list of songs! Hah.

You are going to need a Google account as well since—hello—this is Google Music. But if you are using Android phone, then you will be setup already.

If you want to access your tracks, you can go through the Google Music Web Player or just go straight to the Google Play app so you could start rockin’ anywhere in the world, provided that you are connected to the internet via wireless or not—perhaps a speedy one.

Anyway, its better if you have stored some music files into your device since streaming your music from the cloud can eat up heavily into your monthly data allowance—like what was stated. You can download other music files by simply loading up the Google Music Manager and select the ‘download’ tab. From then, you can download everything from the cloud, or you can be selective with the songs you want to download.

How is it better than the traditional transferring of files through a USB cable? Well, with just some toggles and taps, you can have all your favorite songs playing without the hassle of finding the cable and waiting for files to be transferred. Not that it’s too much of a work, but this one is pretty much easier.

You think you have to be fully connected so you won’t experience the annoying music blackouts? Not to worry, since Google has built in a solution. The recent songs that were played are cached so that they will just keep playing as your Android phone finds its way to be connected once again.

Well, that’s just only some bits and bites of Google Music. So, make use of your mobile earphones, and get rockin’ with the Google Music!

Odd yet Totally Practical Smartphone Accessories

The fun and excitement never stops once you have taken hold of your brand-new smartphone; there’s more in store for your really awesome device. And one way is to secure some of the cool, bizarre, and unique accessories that are practically useful as well. Innovations don’t just simply end with the device itself. As time passes by, more and more inventors with brilliant and creative minds come up with add-ons to your smartphone to make it even worth the experience. Find out what these accessories are by checking the list below:

1.       The iPhone Lens Dial. With smartphones out on the market, featuring almost everything, including a camera, why buy a separate Single-Lens Reflex (SLR) camera to capture your precious moments? However, we can attest that no other device infused with an image-capturing apparatus can outperform a “real camera.” This is what led a group of innovators to come up with this accessory. It lets you take optimum quality photos with just your phone. Just snap it on your device, and choose among the unique lenses that let you capture images that are to die for.

2.       TaskOne Multi-tool iPhone Case. Smartphones are considered the modern day Swiss Army Knives since they are equipped with capabilities that enable you to do anything with them. And now that there is a back case incorporated with all the essential tools a Swiss Army Knife has, your smartphone will just be as redundant as ever. Introducing the TaskOne Multi-tool iPhone Case that lets you get more things done with your smart electronic device. It is packed with 22 tools in its slim contour, which is also designed to protect your iPhone. So, whether you’re out having a drink or venturing the wildlife, you need not worry anymore with opening bottles and whatnot with the help of its many tools.

3.       Paul Cocksedge Volume Vinyl Amplifier. Brilliant is the best adjective to describe this innovation. Though it may look just like a big, vanity bowl, it can house your device to greatly amplify the sound that it produces. There’s no need for any wires or any chargers to connect it to because this is completely non-electric and portable. It’s so cool, isn’t it? 

4.       Aiptek MobileCinema i20. Aside from being a portable battery pack for your device, this one-of-a-kind accessory is also a projector. It allows you to show any content from your iPhone in a very large projected display. Just place it against a flat surface, and you’re ready to show what you have to show. You need not worry of your battery being drained because as I said earlier, this is a battery pack that leaves you with more battery life for your iPhone to spare.

5.       Optrix iPhone Adventure Suit. Frustrated because your smartphone isn’t waterproof yet? Whenever you’re reminded of the coveted experience you wish to have—capturing images underwater, it just kills you that you can’t submerge your phone in water to capture the wonders it holds—I’m talking about the marine life here, not the babes in swimsuits. Then, get yourself one of these, and you can be able to take your smartphone with you as deep as 15 feet.

Too bad for you Android, Blackberry, or any non-iPhone users because most of the cool accessories listed above are only meant for the Apple device—well, that’s for now; who knows, they might even be available for other brands and models as well in the near future. Just keep in mind that these unique accessories come at a price; they’re not the same as cheap mobile accessories that you find anywhere. With the smartphone, the possibilities are endless.