What It Really Means To Unlocked A Smartphone?

An unlocked cellular phone indicates one of two things; you can use it on any network provider or you can setup any application on it. With the expense of current smartphones running to several hundred dollars, mobile phone makers and the network carriers have to present some tempting options to get folks to upgrade their mobile phone. The most widespread technique is to give the mobile phone for free or with a deep discount and in return you agree to a contract where you will pay a minimum amount every month. The downside is that even though you get the hottest mobile phone valued at hundreds of dollars, it's locked to the service provider you took the contract with. As a result, if you want to switch providers or move to a pay as you go plan when the plan ends you will have a tough time taking your smartphone with you.

The easiest way to find out if the device is locked to a network provider is to put in a sim card from a different service provider and see if you get a signal and are able to make and receive calls. If you're unable to then you most probably have a locked device. The 'lock' is not a physical lock but an application inside the operating system? This software checks that the network provider is valid and inhibits any effort to hook up with another service provider.

It's possible, but to some degree risky, to unlock a device either by entering a series of numbers through the keypad or connecting it up to a personal computer which has software to replace or reprogram the core operating system. You'll not come across any retailers supplying this service but certainly small, individually owned mobile phone stores will offer this service for a fee if you request. Nonetheless, be warned when you do attempt to unlock your phone to be used on some other carrier it probably nulls the warranty. There's always the chance it could erase the system memory completely and then you'll now own a lump of plastic about as useful as a brick.

A primary reason you may want to get the phone unlocked, and 1 of the driving factors numerous folks attempt to do so is when you are traveling abroad for any period of time you may want to keep your mobile phone but use a local sim card to save on costs on calls, texts and data. A locked phone will not offer the option to accomplish this therefore the sole option is to get the phone unlocked.

An additional form of locking is the restrictions put in place by the producer of the unit. Apple iPhone is famous for this due to the fact Steve Jobs made the decision that he doesn't want customers playing with the OS or setting up unapproved applications. This has given rise to the expression 'jailbreaking' for the iPhone. Numerous folks attempt to break free and unlock their iPhone by means of jailbreaking it. However, performing this voids the warranty and support.

In contrast, Google's Android mobile phones are open source and offer the freedom and flexibility to customize anything. Developers have the freedom to create and install any sort of application which many argue makes the Android a remarkable operating system since there is no need to unlock it, jailbreak it or circumnavigate limitations that have been applied. Regardless, many network service providers will certainly lock the device to their network and you may want unlocking services from a neighborhood cellular shop.

For additional information on Android tablets and smartphones and if they ought to be unlocked look at the various reviews online. If you search for Android tablet reviews you'll discover an abundance of info on this topic.

10 Must Have Android Apps

You'll find numerous Android apps available in the various marketplaces. As a result, deciding on just ten of the greatest apps is a very difficult task. Even so, we have dug through a huge selection of various applications and put together these top 10 Android apps you cannot do without.

Handcent SMS - The default Android SMS app is alright, however Handcent SMS is much better. You'll be able to modify the layout of your messages, see the messages in conversation format, password protect your messages and spell check messages before you send it. This ought to be the very first app that you install!

BetterKeyboard - Just like the Android texting application, the keyboard app is likewise alright, but BetterKeyboard lives up to its name by being way better. Together with true multi-touch capability and proximity correction, BetterKeyboard has countless skins available both free of charge and paid. As soon as you try BetterKeyboard you will never go back to the default one installed with your unit

Snap Photo Pro - boot out the preinstalled Android camera app and shell out 99 cents on this bag of bits. Snap Photo Pro enables you to take multiple shots with a click which is best for catching natural expressions, a digital stabilizer which is useful for those who have shaky hands, digital zoom and many digital filters you can add to the photo.

RingDroid - On the subject of pimping out your Android a unique ringtone is crucial. RingDroid enables you to edit MP3 files and slice out that snappy chorus or perhaps the really cool intro. Jim Croce, Operator anyone?

Launcher Pro - The greatest dashboard management application. Launcher Pro provides 7 home screens to populate with widgets and customize to your delight. It offers super easy scrolling between screens and even handle 3D graphics for that extra cool look.

Norton Mobile Security - It is a alarming world these days, but Norton acts like your own digital body guard defending your unit from intrusions and trojans. In addition it can also remotely disable and delete data in case your device is swiped or lost. This way those no good crooks are not able to acquire any personal data from it.

Angry Birds - We realise that everybody is going loco about Angry Birds and there's a good reason ! This simple game will lure you in and before you realize it your morning commute is not going to last nearly long enough while you play the harder levels to defeat the greedy piggies.

Amazon Kindle Reader - Get Amazon's Kindle Reader without getting a Kindle. This app will let you read 1000s of gratis ebooks on your Android phone or tablet. Great for when you want a rest from Angry Birds.

Google Maps with Navigation - Download this app and you will then wonder how you ever survived without it. You can giveaway your Tom Tom since everything you should need is now in this free application. Merely key in or speak where you want to go and it will locate the best direction via car, bus or foot for you.

Financisto - Take control of your money with this pocket sized financial tracker. Keep tabs on all your checking, savings and credit card accounts. Discover the reason why you appear to have no money left at the end of each month. Invaluable if you're ever overspending.

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Amazon's Kindle Fire, What Are Its Shortcomings?

The Kindle Fire entered the market with predictions by analysts that it would be a direct competitor to the Apple iPad. There are even rumblings that Apple plans to answer by way of a smaller iPad with a similar cost. The Amazon Kindle Fire as a tablet does offer rivalry to more pricey Android tablets in particular. As the price of the Amazon Kindle Fire is hard to beat, there's one area where the Fire falls horribly short.

So, what are the shortcomings? Connectivity! As soon as first generation Kindles hit the market as an e-readers, one of the major selling points was totally free 3G service from AT&T. You purchased the Kindle coupled with the ability to surf Amazon's e-book market place from anywhere you were able to pick-up AT&T service which is most areas throughout the United States. Earlier Kindles also shipped with a cable that connected it to the computer, therefore, you could download books and move them manually.

This service flew out the window as soon as the Fire became available. Giving 3G for the Kindle Fire would mean data overload for AT&T. And of course, 3G speeds would not begin to support the capability of the Kindle Fire's dual core processor. Hence, users are tied to wi-fi service only on the Fire. This implies in order to use the net on the device at all, you require access to a wi-fi hotspot or your home wi-fi.

The Kindle Fire on Lockdown. It seems that Amazon is so uneasy that users might get access to an app market other than their own, that they have left out all other sources of connectivity from the Kindle Fire. The Kindle fire has 2 ports. The first is an ordinary headphone jack and the other is the micro USB to charge the device. Amazon will not even include the USB cable to connect the Fire to your computer like with their other Kindles. To be able to connect the Kindle Fire to your computer, you must buy the cable separately. Only a conventional charging cable is included.

Just why the Kindle Fire may not stand up to its competitors. Actually more cost effective budget tablets ship with more connectivity compared to the Kindle Fire. These devices are generally full of options such as an SD card slot, USB port and a High-Definition Multimedia Interface interface. Including this connectivity would make the Fire unbeatable. Including a USB port, users would have the choice of using a mobile broadband plan to increase connectivity. A USB port additionally allows expansion of the 8GB memory space available on the Fire as would an SD card interface.

Solutions to the connectivity issue are very limited. The only way to gain full accessibility to Kindle Fire's whole potential is usually to root the unit. A task which is not for the beginner and is somewhat of a gamble that would void your warranty. Nonetheless, once the device is rooted, you then have the choice of adding in more app stores and expanding the ways the Fire could be used. Besides that, there is no way presently to expand the cabability to connect the device to the Internet. A good number of apps are pointless without connectivity except for downloaded games and standalone productivity apps and tools.

If rooting is not an option, then users can buy the connection cable and side-load applications onto the gadget. It isn't too hard to locate app files, download them to your computer, and then drag and drop the file onto your Fire. The Fire will perform the rest.

With new tablets hitting the market regularly targeting the less expensive prices, the Kindle Fire will rapidly lose its edge. Currently you can find tablets on the market which are $30 more than the Kindle with all the current features in addition to the connectivity options mentioned above. Do not forget Bluetooth. Bluetooth adds a whole new dimension of connectivity to your device. Think of a Fire with a real keyboard, not the virtual onscreen variety. It's a waiting game to find out if Amazon will step-up with a tablet that really has the user at heart as opposed to their pocket book.

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Amazon Kindle Fire, Are You Ready to Upgrade?

Chances are, if you are reading this article, you're thinking about purchasing the Kindle Fire. You are likely a Kindle owner wanting to upgrade, or maybe you are looking into the Fire as an e-reader and tablet. In terms of pricing, it doesn't get better than the Kindle Fire. Amazon introduced their custom Android tablet in Nov of 2011 at a cost just under $200. It truly was a calculated move before Christmas. Before you knew it, it was on Amazon's top sellers list.

The very first Kindle was released in 2007. The device was about the size of a medium paperback book created specifically for reading. When Amazon released the third generation of Kindle, which fundamentally mirrored the original with the same E-Ink technology for sale in black and white only, Barnes and Noble introduced the Nook Color. End users began customizing their Android powered Nooks not only to read books, but to play 3D games and run applications in color. The Nook Color totally changed the 7-inch tablet market.

It truly was a no-brainer for Amazon to reply to Barnes and Noble with the Kindle Fire. The Kindle Fire runs a customized version of Google's Android Gingerbread os. The very useful and user-friendly interface, known as Carousel, makes it a straight forward gadget for anyone. The Kindle Fire is the 1st Kindle which has a fully functional Internet browser. It's not just any browser either. It's called Silk and offers users a very computer-like Internet experience.

Since Amazon happens to be an internet retailer of books and music, they've utilized the Kindle Fire to monopolize entertainment. Together with the Fire, they offered a free month of membership of their Prime program allowing users a chance to access well over 20,000 videos and television shows. Users can get just about any kind of content for the Kindle Fire among them Android apps. There is a large selection of this content that's available totally free, consequently it fits any budget.

The Kindle Fire downloads content within seconds using a Wi-Fi connection. It includes ample storage capacity, but any limitation is quelled via free cloud storage available through Amazon. All the content downloaded to your Kindle is protected online with your Amazon account. The focus on reading hasn't faded. Kindle books are now full color, and you do not need an external light to read the display.

You may be wondering "what's wrong with the Kindle Fire?" Why is it so cheap? Amazon designed the Fire to compete with the big boys like the iPad as well as other popular tablets. The price tag alone causes it to be a competitor. The functionality is superb. The negative would have to be in the restrictions put on by Amazon. Consumers can only get apps from the Amazon App Store unless you sideload them by linking the Fire to your personal computer. Amazon conveniently does not include the cable required to do this with the Fire. The good news is, if you own a third generation Kindle, the cord provided with that device will work or you can get one separately on, that's right, Amazon's website.

The number one provider of Android apps, the Google Android Market, will not work on the Amazon Kindle Fire without some major manipulation that will void the warranty. Additionally, people who have used an iPad will see the lag in the Android Os. Then again, the performance has been drastically improved in the Android 4.0 OS. Many will determine that it makes the Kindle Fire a lesser device. Others will decide that such small things make it well worth its low price. If you're able to get around those few things, then a Kindle Fire could be the device for you.

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Can My Kindle Fire Function As An Android Tablet?

Kindle Fire Review

To use your Kindle Fire to its maximum potential like a tablet would require that you root it. Rooting is often a tedious process that can make your Fire a worthless “brick”. However, rooting provides you administrative rights to the Kindle Fire that you cannot get without going through the process.

When you remove the focus from your Kindle as an e-reader, you are able to really start looking at it as an Android tablet. A tablet is basically a netbook without a keyboard. Tablets put the emphasis on the content and allow users to interact physically with that content. The Kindle Fire as a tablet isn't any different. It's multi-touch screen allows users to input commands through touch. This makes the Kindle Fire an incredibly personal experience. As opposed to clicking a link with your mouse cursor, you simply touch it lightly using your finger.

Android, Windows and other tablets vary  in price. Lower end models start well below $100 whilst the high end models surpass $500. The Kindle Fire provides a high-end experience at a price tag under $200. Competitors are finding it challenging to compete with the price. Utilizing the Kindle Fire like a tablet means that you can create your own experience. Whether you're into games, music or business apps there's an app for you. Amazon even offers a Free App of the Day.

The Kindle Fire's screen is excellent for games and videos. The brightness is completely adjustable and it's stereo speakers  bring the subject matter to life. There's a headphone jack if you have to keep it on the down low. The Fire falls short of some of the benefits of Android tablets like ports, SD card slots, and on board storage. Amazon makes up for the shortcomings with its 5GB of totally free cloud storage.

The Kindle Fire has what it takes to multitask with its 512MB of RAM and a dual-core processor. It is going to run your favorite music app in the background while browsing the web. Switch very easily between productivity and game apps. With tons of apps made to sync information between your Android device and your pc, all your most crucial data is at your fingertips.

Conclusively, the Kindle Fire can make an excellent personal tablet which you can use to absorb any type of content available on the internet. Save your favorites to "The Cloud" and access it whenever you have a Wi-Fi connection. The Kindle Fire as a tablet is one of the most cost-effective products currently on the market.

Before selecting the ideal tablet for your needs, take a peek at Android Tablet Reviews HQ. Also, check out the latest Amazon Kindle Fire Review before making your choice.

Gorilla Glass Makes Dropping Your Phone...Not Such A Big Deal

Mobile computing equipment are common place. They're the new necessity for being connected. It's as standard as having a television or calculator. Wait! Almost all phones have calculators. Part of this new common place for these devices will include a few mishaps. When I dropped my smartphone, before it hit the floor I was already imagining how much it would cost to replace. Nonetheless, to my surprise the smartphone’s glass screen hadn't been smashed. I knew there must be something special about the material in the screen cover. As it turns out, it's made from a material referred to as Gorilla Glass developed by Corning.

Today’s cell phones, tablets and laptops take a beating. While being shuffled around through our daily lives we require the screens to be crystal clear, resists scratches and not shatter from drops, bumps and mishaps. It should likewise be thin and light-weight. Corning’s Gorilla Glass achieves this.

Gorilla Glass is made from an alkali-aluminosilicate. It's about thirty times harder than plasti, about as hard as sapphire crystals and not as hard as diamond, but close. In addition it has a the cabability to resist fracturing from an existing crack or chip.

Gorilla glass can be made to be as thin as 0.5 mm. This makes it an excellent cover for touch screens. Because the material can be built to be thin it can transfer the pressure or change in electrical current, based on the technology used by the smartphone designer.

On January 9, 2012 Corning revealed Gorilla Glass 2. This next generation glass can be produced 20% thinner and retain the same robustness as its predecessor. Corning has made available on their website a couple of videos demonstrating the strength and durability of Gorilla Glass. In the first video a 4.0 Lbs ball is dropped from a height of approximately 3 feet onto a 1mm thick piece of glass. In the 2nd video a baseball is launched at 50 MPH at an 0.8mm sheet of Gorilla Glass. Of course in both cases the sheet of glass doesn't break. Amazing!

A number of the Windows and Android Tablets are currently using Gorilla Glass. These include but are not limited to: Acer Iconia Tab, Iconia Smart, Asus Transformer Pad Infinity; Motorola Xoom, Xoom2 and XYBOARD and Samsung Galaxy Note.

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Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwhich) Now With Bluetooth HDP

Imagine you're a physician and have a patient which has a heart condition. The individual is presently at a friend’s residence and is having issues. Your Android cell phone notifies you of the potential issue. You open up the alert and are capable of seeing in real-time your patient’s heart rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen levels and other vital statistics that will help you determine next steps. You decide that your patient is in distress and call for an ambulance using the touch of a button and call up your patient. Your patient’s location is also known as a result of GPS inside their smartphone.

This scenario is quickly becoming a reality with a recent advancement in technology: Bluetooth Health Data Profile (HDP). Bluetooth HDP is a new layer overlaid on the Bluetooth protocol stack that describes a standard set of instructions for health-related devices. The Bluetooth HDP hardware would safely connect and transmit data to a smartphone or other receivers. The information could then be transmitted to a primary health management software application utilised by the doctors, nurses, homecare providers, etc.

The truth is you can find hundreds and hundreds of medical products which are currently Bluetooth enabled. Nonetheless, until recently there's not been a standard set of instructions to exchange data. This means that each device must have a unique proprietary application to communicate with. Bluetooth HDP devices will be able to communicate with applications designed to support the new standard. One significant advantage to consumers is the opportunity to buy a heart monitor from one vendor and a blood oxygen meter from yet another. Each of these devices may now communicate with your health care providers chosen health management system. This is great for the customer since it gives us choice and is not going to lock us into a single vendor’s solution. We can also pick the best of breed hardware and software in addition to purchase at competitive prices.

Why do we need a standard set of instructions? What if the web failed to use a standardized set of protocols and technology to present webpages? This would mean you would require a particular browser to view a website built with technology X and another for one built with technology Y. One web browser, like Firefox, may or may not operate with that one website. Because of standards we are able to use just one browser to surf the web.

Medical device companies and health management software developers will be the largest users of this modern technology. Simply because we have a growing aging citizenry, healthcare companies need to figure out better methods to provide high-quality care to their clients and scale with the increasing number of cases. Nevertheless, there are others that can also make use of this technology. For example, cardio exercise equipment manufactures could possibly use Bluetooth HDP to acquire data from a heart monitor worn by the consumer and transmit it to the treadmill they are running on. The speed of the cardio equipment could be accelerated or diminished based on data received from the heart monitor and according to the routine type. The heart monitor can be used on any cardio equipment at any other gym as long as it is a Bluetooth HDP enabled piece of equipment.

Some Devices Currently Supporting Bluetooth HDP

• HUAWEI MediaPad
• uzHealth HDP Weighing Scale
• Nonin oximeter
• Android 4.0 Devices, and many others...

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