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Vonage Mobile� Call Video Text - Android Apps on Google Play. I have unlimited call minutes on my Note 3 with Verizon. More phone manufacturers are metering data instead of minutes, and it is pretty easy to get an unlimited phone and messaging plan. So, why would I need, or want, to make WiFi calls anymore? Or, for that matter, make calls using metered data on an LTE device? Well, I have been known to leave my phone in the dock at the office. And, sometimes, the phone isn't handy. And, well, I like watching people cringe when I hold a 7 inch tablet to my ear, and start talking. Seriously, this free app from Vonage joins a crowded space, with Skype and others; but, it has one advantage. During setup, it will use your cell phone number to set up your calling, and, when you use the tablet to call someone over LTE or WiFi, your regular cell number shows up on your correspondent's device. You can link your device to a paid Vonage account if you use the service, and get cheap worldwide phone rates. Yak on.
Samsung introduces Gear Fit fitness band with curved AMOLED display | Android and Me. Samsung, in a stroke of marketing insanity, has finally introduced a product that the FutureLawyer doesn't want, and won't buy. I really don't need to have a computer strapped to my wrist that tells me I am an aging blob of flesh that will never see six-pack abs again. Okay, I never saw them in the first place; but, I always had dreams. It is bad enough that the original Gear has a fitness app. I don't use it. Now, if they introduce an app that will call the EMS guys when I have a health emergency, I'm in.
Huawei unveils the MediaPad X1 %u2013 the world%u2019s smallest 7-inch tablet | Android and Me. The convergence of smartphones and tablets is coming, and the Huawei (pronounced Wa-Weigh) MediaPad is evidence. Marketed as the smallest 7 inch tablet, the company says it is LTE capable, which means it can be used as a phone if the carrier wants to. In addition, it has a huge battery inside the small chassis, which will give it superior battery life. I still think 6 inches is the outside size limit for an effective smartphone, and I won't be trading in my Note 3 anytime soon. And, if you ever put one of these up to your head to take a call in my presence, I will not be responsible for my actions.
LawComix Blog Lawyer Cartoons by Charles Fincher, Esq.: Deposition ... No Videotape. Charles Fincher is at it again. He puts his finger on lawyers' frustrations, doesn't he? Failing to make a video of some depositions can be a big mistake. Go to his website to see more of the great stuff there.
Samsung drops Android for Tizen in new Gear 2 smartwatches | The Verge. The first version of Gear only worked with a couple of Samsung Galaxy phones. This lack of compatibility with other manufacturers was a stumbling block for sales. The new Gear 2 watches will run Tizen, a simpler OS which Samsung says will be compatible with "dozens" of Samsung products. As far as app compatibility with Gear 1, that remains to be seen. I am still happy with my Gear, even though it is thicker and bulkier than the new ones. And, my battery life is great, since I keep it in the charging dock overnight. So, I may wait a while to buy a new one; but, if any of you want to buy me one, I will be happy to try it out. They will be available in April.
Samsung Electronics Reveals Samsung Gear 2 Smartwatch - Wall Street Journal - WSJ.com. Samsung announced two new versions of the Gear SmartWatch today at Mobile World Congress. One will be less expensive and won't have a camera. On the other, thin and sleek is in, and the camera is now in the watch body. The watches use the Tizen OS, and will hopefully work together with the Samsung Android products. No pricing yet, but a sub $200 price point is likely. Those of you who predicted the demise of the SmartWatch had better pay attention. As these things become more popular I will be wanting some told you so payback.
Google Glass advice: how to avoid being a glasshole | Technology | theguardian.com. If you wear Google Glass in public places, and stand there like a Zombie staring for long periods of time without acknowledging your companions...you could be a GlassHole. If you wear Google Glass to a meeting and surreptitiously record the other person, in addition to violating Florida law (and some other States)...you could be a GlassHole. If you...well you get the picture. Boorish behavior is much worse when wearing a piece of technology that screams arrogance. Get a good SmartWatch instead. Then, your surreptitious activities are covered by people thinking you are checking the time.
Off The Base | A space for active duty military members, veterans and their families.. Forgive me for bragging about SWMBO; but, as the Florida Department of Veteran's Affairs Veteran's Preference Administrator, she is the State's leading expert in the matter of the Veteran's Preference statute, and is a disabled Army veteran herself. (She is also a beautiful human being, inside and out). She is serving as a panelist for the Women Only Veterans Conference on March 7th, and will be trying to get women veterans to understand the benefits of laws passed to help them. She wants women vets to know that the Government of Florida wants to help them. All they have to do is ask.
