Posts by Henry

Amazon Kindle for Android

Monday, August 16th, 2010

There is much talk about e-books and now there are so many e-book store fronts. Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders and even Apple have all jumped into the digital media and books distribution business. Personally, I love E-Books. I love the idea of being able to download a book in a matter of minutes. I’m one of those early-adopters that wants things right away. I can’t wait for UPS to deliver it.

That being said, my e-book storefront of choice is Amazon. Why? Glad you asked. Amazon has a really nice platform that allows their customers to read their Amazon-purchased books on many devices. I often will buy an E-Book on my desktop and need to take it with me. That’s where my HTC Hero comes in. Using the Amazon Kindle for Android app, I am able to read all my purchased books right on my phone!

Sounds great right? BlackBerry Tour users can download the the Kindle app for free as well. For more information go to: http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000468551

Happy Reading!

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Android Market apps get better and better

Monday, August 2nd, 2010

I love apps, I also love app updates. It’s very common for Android developers to put out an app and later update it with new features, bug fixes, levels, challenges etc..

This is what makes the already great Android Market even greater! Take for example the Facebook app. The latest Market version is 1.2, if you haven’t already – go and download the update. 1.2 brings new functionality such as being able to browse your inbox without having to access it through the  browser.

To check and see if any software updates are available:

From within the Android Market, press the Menu Button -> Tap Downloads. Here you will see a list of your downloaded apps. If an update is available, you will see “Update available” to the right of the app name.

Tap on the app with the update available.

Tap Update to begin the update process.

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Open Spot, Google’s latest app

Monday, July 12th, 2010

There are many things I love about Google. One of the biggest ones is their dedication to the Android Market. They’ve launched apps like Google Goggles, Maps with Navigation, Sky Map and now they’ve announced Open Spot.

Open Spot is a very clever idea that can help users find open street parking spots. Using your HTC Hero’s GPS capabilities, Open Spot is able to locate you and show available parking spots in your area. When looking at the map you will see 3 different pins representing available parking spots.

  • Red pins are freshly-marked spots.
  • Or ange pins are spots marked over 5 minutes ago.
  • Yellow pin s are spots marked over 10 minutes ago.

You can help your fellow Android community by marking available parking spots when you make one available. Sharing is quick, easy and can earn you “karma points”.

I’m very excited about Open Spot especially since I’m in downtown San Francisco all the time. Parking can be a bit difficult to find – especially on the weekends. Instead of driving around the block many times , I can now tap into the Android community for help.

“Start helping others find parking, and together we’ll all save time, save gas, and reduce pollution.”

**To download Open Spot with your Credo Mobile HTC Hero, press the Home button -> press the Menu button -> Tap All programs -> Find and tap Market -> Search for Open Spot.

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Foursquare?

Monday, May 31st, 2010

You may have heard of it or maybe you’ve have heard of the idea. “Foursquare is a cross between a friend-finder, a social city-guide and a game that rewards you for doing interesting things”. At the moment it appears as if this could be the next big thing (in the social networking world that is).

Using it is simple, you check-in when ever you go to a business or event. Using you phone’s GPS, Fousquare will only show you businesses that are nearby to keep us all honest! You can add your Facebook and Twitter friends in on the fun, and whenever they check-in – you know.

So what’s in it for you?

First of all, badges. You earn badges by performing certain tasks.

Second, you earn points. Currently, Foursquare is experimenting with point redemption. Recently, Fousquare had a promotion where they actually donated money based on points earned to CampInteractive. (read more here http://mashable.com/2009/12/07/foursquare-charity-drive/)

Third (and my personal favorite), more and more businesses are using Fousquare to promote themselves. In example, last month I went to a restaurant in the Bay Area that offered a 10% discount to anyone who checks-in there during dinner hours.

Foursquare is fun and it seems like more and more of my friends are using it everyday. For those concerned with privacy I would recommend going to http://www.foursquare.com for details on how your location data is used.

Foursquare is available in the BlackBerry App World and also the Android Market.

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Planning a trip? Consider Kayak.

Sunday, May 23rd, 2010

Travel season is slowly creeping up. For those like me that are already looking to go home for the holidays, consider using Kayak. I’ve had great luck in finding low priced airfare right on my BlackBerry Curve 8530. The app is free and available in the BlackBerry App World.

I’ve actually spent some time comparing the prices that Kayak offered with their online competitors. I found that Kayak was very competitive, often cheaper but never more expensive. The app is well made, easy to use and has additional features such as a list of Airline companies and their fees. Beyond that, the Kayak app is also available for the HTC Hero :)

I recommend Kayak for all the reasons I’ve listed – let me know what your Kayak experience is like.

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Public transportation goes mobile.

Monday, May 10th, 2010

Many of us use public transportation to go to work, school and events. A convenient tool for checking schedules and maps is right on your CREDO Mobile phone! If you are like me and you live in the Bay Area, you can access BART’s mobile website by going to http://www.bart.gov/wireless/ on most mobile devices.

If you don’t live in the Bay Area, check your local Transit Authorities website since most of them also support a mobile version. In example, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority can be accessed by going to http://www.wmata.com/mobile/ .

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Green is the New Red this Valentine’s Day

Friday, February 12th, 2010

Valentine’s Day is one of those holidays that you either embrace … or try to forget about. For me, it means that my daughters need to produce an exponential number of handmade Valentines each year.

According to a survey just completed by ICR/International Communications Research, 68% of Americans plan to send greeting cards this Valentine’s day. While this outpouring of sentiments may be good news for the greeting card industry, you can imagine the carbon footprint left in its wake. Here are a few alternative ideas:

Hallmark Mobile Greetings. Create an account and send greetings from your mobile phone to other mobile phones. When you send a greeting, a $0.99 charge is applied to your monthly wireless bill. (The first one’s free) Data charges also apply, so I’d recommend signing up for a data plan if you don’t have one. Hallmark has many greetings to choose from. For more details go to mobile.hallmark.com

Godiva Chocolatier. Order Godiva chocolates and other gifts directly from your BlackBerry. The free app allows you to scroll through an impressive selection of chocolates, truffles and other tasty gifts. I couldn’t resist sending my daughters the Limited Edition Pink Cupcakes.

Order movie tickets with Fandango and take your Valentine to see Valentine’s Day from Warner Brothers. Sustainable practices were encouraged throughout filming, including the use of reusable water bottles, solar-powered generators and supplying the stars with hybrid cars. “Warner Brothers really wanted to see our film as changing the culture,” said Diana Pokorny, the film’s executive producer. “We tried to push what we can do and what we can do better next time.”

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Let it Snow! My-Cast Weather Keeps You Informed.

Thursday, January 14th, 2010

Two new feet of snow in Tahoe this week and more on the way. With the My-Cast Weather app on my BlackBerry, forecasts are always at my fingertips, and I can dial-in timing for trips to Tahoe.

My-Cast is easy to use and has lots of useful information including advisories from the National Weather Service and predicted storm paths. Under the Forecasts tab, you’ll find:

  • Currents – great for checking if there’s fog or high winds (increasing the chance of lift closures)
  • Health Index – Includes the UV index (and reminds me to pack sunscreen)

    • mc7-fcst

  • Almanac – Will there be a full moon for night skiing?
  • Hourly Forecast
  • Daily Forecast
  • Forecast Text
  • Forecast Graph (for the analysts among us)

The latest version includes a weather quiz, which I have to admit put me to shame. So what if I scored in the 5th percentile? I learned that a tropical cyclone in Australia is called a willy-willy. Check out My-Cast in BlackBerry App World. I’m sure you can beat my score and pick up a little weather trivia as well.

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Green Tech and CES 2010

Thursday, January 7th, 2010

CES, one of the largest consumer electronics shows is being held in Vegas this week, and Green Tech is one of this year’s big themes. The 2010 International CES will feature the Sustainable Planet Spotlight, the largest exhibition of green products ever on the CES show floor.

I’ve been following the CES green product announcements with interest. There are netbooks made from recycled CDs and plastic bottles, home energy management systems to monitor and reduce your energy usage, and one I found rather exciting, the MiniPAK portable electronic device charger from Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies.

“The MiniPAK portable electronic device charger is designed to meet the needs of users who want more portable energy in one package, at a lower cost than existing rechargeable battery-based options,” as described on Horizon’s site.

minipak02
The MinPAK uses refillable, eco-friendly hydrogen cartridges, and it can power a variety of devices including mobile phones, gaming devices and GPS systems.

But here at CREDO, green is nothing new. We have always been committed to protecting the planet. We are the only U.S. phone company that has donated over $10 million to groups like Greenpeace, Rainforest Action Network and Ocean Conservancy, and we were the first carrier to offer solar powered phone chargers.
solio_silver_125x125

Solio Solar Chargers are a greener way to power up your phone, and they’re also convenient extra battery packs to keep my kids’ ipods charged up on long flights – and me sane. You can order one from the Credo Mobile website.

I resolve to reduce my carbon footprint in 2010 – what are your New Year Resolutions?

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edocrab – How to Limit Landfill

Thursday, December 17th, 2009

During this holiday crunch, anything to ease the shopping nightmare experience is a bonus in my book.

edocrab (”barcode” spelled backwards) is a new BlackBerry app that allows you to shop right from your BlackBerry. It’s currently in beta and available from BlackBerry App World.

Say you are at the store, and you find the perfect gift for that someone special on your list, but you want to be sure it won’t end up as landfill. All you do is aim your BlackBerry’s camera over the barcode and voila! Edocrab shows you reviews, price comparisons and even pics and videos of the product. Easy.
Happy Shopping!

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