How would you change Samsung's Rugby Smart?
2:51 AM Edited by Blony
Samsung's beefy Rugby Smart is probably the best rugged smartphone it's easy to lay your hands on. However, its preoccupation with being able to take a beating means there's not much going on in the specs department -- with performance that's not pedestrian, but infuriating. The question we're asking you, however, is does its super-cheap price and build quality make up for being straight-up nasty to use? Would you have stumped up an extra fifty bucks to get a better CPU (or just to banish TouchWiz from the device?). Mobile phone companies want to know what'd compel you to buy this device, over all the others in the world so why not tell them in the comments below?Via Engadget
Stitcher updates its iOS app with offline mode for data-free radio
2:48 AM Edited by Blony
Stitcher is all about giving the people what they want and, only days after introducing its popular lists, it's back with an offline mode for its iOS apps. Despite boasting one of the smallest data footprints in the streaming game (0.2MB per minute), you can now download over 10,000 radio shows for unconnected listening. Beware -- the app will automatically update the shows on your custom stations, so if you plan on using it to save that precious data for other things, make sure to set it to only pull over WiFi. Along with that major enhancement, there's a new comments system and other improvements in Facebook sharing, searching and AirPlay compatibility. The PR says the update is live, but iTunes disagrees, so you'll have to wait a little longer before going off-grid.
Apple’s new iPhone 5 won’t rely on Samsung components as much as older models
2:43 AM Edited by Blony
Samsung has been a key component supplier to Apple throughout the years, manufacturing parts for basically all iPhone models until now (although the latest iPhone 4S doesn’t use Samsung-made NAND flash, like the previous models do).
But Apple’s new iPhone, expected to be unveiled on September 12 in San Francisco, might not rely that much on Samsung components.
According to Reuters and The Korea Economic Daily, Samsung will not supply DRAM and NAND chips for the first batch of new iPhone 5s. Instead, Apple will use chips manufactured by Toshiba, Hynix, and Elpida.
Even so, Reuters reports that “Samsung is still in the list of initial memory chip suppliers (for new iPhones). But Apple orders have been trending down and Samsung is making up for the reduced order from others, notably Samsung’s handset business.” The publication further notes that Apple didn’t reduce Samsung orders because of the two companies’ ongoing patent disputes, but because it wants to widen its supply chain in order to avoid shortages.Via UV
How to tell if your company is monitoring you at work
2:41 AM Edited by Blony
Businesses are typically well within their
rights to install software that monitors company-owned computers and reports
back to IT with details on exactly what employees are doing on the company’s
dime. There’s nothing wrong with spending a few minutes here and there checking
out the latest status updates from your Facebook friends or the latest tech
news here on BGR, but some employers might not agree. Of course the safest play
is to keep personal browsing and chats on your smartphone, but there are also
several ways to determine whether or not your computer is being monitored.
Heading over to your IT department and
asking if your computer is bugged might raise a few eyebrows, so Yahoo News
assembled a few more subtle tactics to help you find out if your company is
spying on you.
For Windows users, digging through your
start up and programs folders for entries like VNC, Shadow, Web Sleuth and
Silent Watch is a good first step for catching lazy IT workers who didn’t
bother covering their tracks.
If that doesn’t work out, the next step is
to snoop around in your Windows Firewall settings to see if permissions have
been granted to any suspicious programs. Windows Task Manager is a big help as
well, but be prepared to search Google — or Bing, or Yahoo — for every process
you don’t recognize, and there will likely be dozens.
If you’re on a Mac, Yahoo News says the
best thing to do is check out Activity Monitor and search the Web for unknown
process names to see if they might be spying software.
Remember though: Depending on the solution
your company is using to watch you, your IT department may be able to figure
out that you’re hunting for monitoring software pretty easily. Search the Web
for application and process names on your phone if possible, and definitely
don’t try to delete any suspicious software you find. Instead, use that
knowledge to your benefit by performing personal tasks on your phone. Or, Yahoo
News notes that a VPN service will allow you to surf the Web securely, thus
hiding your traffic from the corporate network.
How to Get Phone Numbers on Facebook
2:31 AM Edited by Blony
If you need to contact long lost family
members, or even just to ask someone out on a date, a tool like Facebook is a
quick way to locate a phone number. Finding a recent phone number is as simple
as locating the person's Facebook info page.
1.Go to the Facebook home page and type
your email address and password into the corresponding boxes at the top of the
screen. Click "Login."
2.Type the name of the person you are
looking up into the "Search" box at the top of the window. If the
person is already in your friend's list, a drop-down box will appear showing
your possible matches. Click the name of the person. If the individual is not
in your friend's list, click "Enter" to bring up a list of possible
matches and click the person's name in the list.
3.Click the "Info" link on the
left side of the screen to access the person's information page. Scroll down to
the "Contact Information" heading to find the person's listed
address, phone number and other contact details.
Via ehow.com
Via ehow.com
How to Get Info About a Phone Number Free
2:27 AM Edited by Blony
There are a variety of reasons why you might want to get information about a telephone number. You may have been receiving hang-ups or harassing calls, or perhaps you found a phone number and have no idea why you kept it. There are many ways to get free information about any phone number, including its location and owner.1．Use a reverse search service to see if name and address information is available about the telephone number through a free online directory. There are many to choose from, and one is listed in the Resources section. This is the easiest way to get free information about a phone number unless it is unlisted.
2．Visit a phone call tracking website to see if others have reported receiving calls from the same number. If the number is a business, others may have reported getting calls in an online database such as 800notes.com or whocallsme.com (see Resources). Sometimes the only information will be that the number is known for making hang-up or harassing calls. Often, however, other visitors to the site will have additional information on the caller's name, company and address.
3．Narrow down the area code and prefix. If you cannot find information on the exact telephone number, you can often pinpoint its place of origin by doing some research on the area code and the first 3 digits of the number. There are many online sources for looking up area codes, one of which is listed in the Resources. To find the location of a prefix, search the area code and prefix together in Google (for example, for phone number (312) 555-1234, you would search 312 555). You will see a list of individual and business results, including addresses, which will tell you the number's probable location.
4．Call the number and ask for the information directly from the person who answers. This direct approach is especially good if you have a solid reason for wanting to know, such as receiving harassing calls or hang-ups from the number in question. Even if the person at the other end refuses to give out the information, he will be on notice that you are gathering information and may stop calling you. If the number you're investigating is a business number, you may not even need to ask because the person at the other end will probably answer with the business name.
Via eHow.com
How to Get Info About a Phone Number Free
2:26 AM Edited by Blony
There are a variety of reasons why you might want to get information about a telephone number. You may have been receiving hang-ups or harassing calls, or perhaps you found a phone number and have no idea why you kept it. There are many ways to get free information about any phone number, including its location and owner.1．Use a reverse search service to see if name and address information is available about the telephone number through a free online directory. There are many to choose from, and one is listed in the Resources section. This is the easiest way to get free information about a phone number unless it is unlisted.
2．Visit a phone call tracking website to see if others have reported receiving calls from the same number. If the number is a business, others may have reported getting calls in an online database such as 800notes.com or whocallsme.com (see Resources). Sometimes the only information will be that the number is known for making hang-up or harassing calls. Often, however, other visitors to the site will have additional information on the caller's name, company and address.
3．Narrow down the area code and prefix. If you cannot find information on the exact telephone number, you can often pinpoint its place of origin by doing some research on the area code and the first 3 digits of the number. There are many online sources for looking up area codes, one of which is listed in the Resources. To find the location of a prefix, search the area code and prefix together in Google (for example, for phone number (312) 555-1234, you would search 312 555). You will see a list of individual and business results, including addresses, which will tell you the number's probable location.
4．Call the number and ask for the information directly from the person who answers. This direct approach is especially good if you have a solid reason for wanting to know, such as receiving harassing calls or hang-ups from the number in question. Even if the person at the other end refuses to give out the information, he will be on notice that you are gathering information and may stop calling you. If the number you're investigating is a business number, you may not even need to ask because the person at the other end will probably answer with the business name.
Via eHow.com
How to Get Info About a Phone Number Free
2:26 AM Edited by Blony
There are a variety of reasons why you might want to get information about a telephone number. You may have been receiving hang-ups or harassing calls, or perhaps you found a phone number and have no idea why you kept it. There are many ways to get free information about any phone number, including its location and owner.1．Use a reverse search service to see if name and address information is available about the telephone number through a free online directory. There are many to choose from, and one is listed in the Resources section. This is the easiest way to get free information about a phone number unless it is unlisted.
2．Visit a phone call tracking website to see if others have reported receiving calls from the same number. If the number is a business, others may have reported getting calls in an online database such as 800notes.com or whocallsme.com (see Resources). Sometimes the only information will be that the number is known for making hang-up or harassing calls. Often, however, other visitors to the site will have additional information on the caller's name, company and address.
3．Narrow down the area code and prefix. If you cannot find information on the exact telephone number, you can often pinpoint its place of origin by doing some research on the area code and the first 3 digits of the number. There are many online sources for looking up area codes, one of which is listed in the Resources. To find the location of a prefix, search the area code and prefix together in Google (for example, for phone number (312) 555-1234, you would search 312 555). You will see a list of individual and business results, including addresses, which will tell you the number's probable location.
4．Call the number and ask for the information directly from the person who answers. This direct approach is especially good if you have a solid reason for wanting to know, such as receiving harassing calls or hang-ups from the number in question. Even if the person at the other end refuses to give out the information, he will be on notice that you are gathering information and may stop calling you. If the number you're investigating is a business number, you may not even need to ask because the person at the other end will probably answer with the business name.
Via eHow.com
How to Get Info About a Phone Number Free
2:26 AM Edited by Blony
There are a variety of reasons why you might want to get information about a telephone number. You may have been receiving hang-ups or harassing calls, or perhaps you found a phone number and have no idea why you kept it. There are many ways to get free information about any phone number, including its location and owner.1．Use a reverse search service to see if name and address information is available about the telephone number through a free online directory. There are many to choose from, and one is listed in the Resources section. This is the easiest way to get free information about a phone number unless it is unlisted.
2．Visit a phone call tracking website to see if others have reported receiving calls from the same number. If the number is a business, others may have reported getting calls in an online database such as 800notes.com or whocallsme.com (see Resources). Sometimes the only information will be that the number is known for making hang-up or harassing calls. Often, however, other visitors to the site will have additional information on the caller's name, company and address.
3．Narrow down the area code and prefix. If you cannot find information on the exact telephone number, you can often pinpoint its place of origin by doing some research on the area code and the first 3 digits of the number. There are many online sources for looking up area codes, one of which is listed in the Resources. To find the location of a prefix, search the area code and prefix together in Google (for example, for phone number (312) 555-1234, you would search 312 555). You will see a list of individual and business results, including addresses, which will tell you the number's probable location.
4．Call the number and ask for the information directly from the person who answers. This direct approach is especially good if you have a solid reason for wanting to know, such as receiving harassing calls or hang-ups from the number in question. Even if the person at the other end refuses to give out the information, he will be on notice that you are gathering information and may stop calling you. If the number you're investigating is a business number, you may not even need to ask because the person at the other end will probably answer with the business name.
Via eHow.com
Apple goes for Samsung’s jugular, adds the Galaxy S III to its injunction hitlist
2:44 AM Edited by Blony
Even though Samsung (005930) wasn’t happy to get slapped with a $1 billion verdict in the recent Apple (AAPL) patent trial, the company could at least take some comfort that its top-selling products from this year weren’t part of the suit and weren’t likely to face potential sales bans. That may be about to change, however, as AppleInsider reports that Apple has added both the Samsung Galaxy S III and the Galaxy Note to a separate complaint that it filed this past February that asserted eight utility patents against 17 different Samsung products.
The request for injunction against the Note and the Galaxy S III doesn’t mean Samsung will have to stop selling either device anytime soon since the complaint in question hasn’t yet led to any significant sales bans of Samsung products. But it does show that Apple is not satisfied with the $1 billion the jury awarded it last week and will continue to go after Samsung as long as it continues to “flood the market with copycat devices,” in Apple’s words. Samsung had better hope that the patent talks between Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google (GOOG) CEO Larry Page produce results, and quickly.Via BGR
New Motorola phone goes all-screen, ditches bezels
2:39 AM Edited by Blony
Bezels? Motorola doesn’t need any stinking bezels! According to Bloomberg, Motorola and Verizon Wireless (VZ) may surprise the tech world next week by unveiling a new smartphone featuring “an edge-to-edge screen” that would completely eliminate the black bezels that line the edges of most smartphones. Motorola is banking that the all-screen display, along with unique features such as its location-based Smart Actions multitasking app, to set itself apart in an increasingly crowded smartphone market. Both Motorola and Verizon declined to comment.Via bgr
How to Improve Your Phone's Battery Life
2:36 AM Edited by Blony
Mobile phones have grown incredibly sophisticated, with a growing number performing many of the functions of a full-size computer, as well as some things a desktop computer can’t do, such as navigating with GPS or starting a car. A 2011 Pew Internet Project survey found that 25 percent of smartphone owners do most of their Internet browsing on their phones.
The dilemma is that the more you depend on your phone, the faster you’re going to drain its battery. While screen, processor and storage technology has advanced significantly, lithium-ion batteries haven’t changed much in 15 years. Incremental improvements in battery efficiency have been far outpaced by processing power and screen size and brightness, as well as 3G and 4G radios, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth antennas, HD cameras, GPS and a variety of other hardware, all of which require power.
To conserve battery life on your phone, turn off what you don’t need, optimize what you do and perform a few tasks manually instead of automating them. You can both increase the time between charges and add to your battery’s usable life.Via eHow.com
Purported HTC Accord Windows Phone schema leaked on Twitter
2:33 AM Edited by Blony
While certain other manufacturers claim a lot of the Windows Phone column inches, there are other players in the game. An image that recently popped up on Twitter reminds us that HTC is also a supporter of Microsoft's mobile OS. The picture above claims to be a possible schema for a forthcoming handset, which the poster believes to be the HTC Accord. The account belongs to a prolific XDA-Developer user with a history of Windows Phone ROMS, so it's entirely possible this was found somewhere along the way. Likewise, though, we'll have to take this with the requisite amount of salt. There's not much in the way of specification to be gleaned here, either, but at the least we can get a sense of what the design style might be like going forward. We just need to wait now for the official product launch event to join the ever-growing list.Via:Football4PDA (Twitter)
How to Pair a Cell Phone With the iPad
2:57 AM Edited by Blony
Bluetooth wireless technology is a standard feature on the iPad and many cellphones. According to Bluetooth.com, the technology allows you to pair two devices over small distances of up to 33 feet. Once you pair the devices, you can transfer information from one device to another using applications on the iPad that support Bluetooth transfer. The steps to connect your iPad to a cellphone is straightforward and can be completed in a few minutes.
Via eHow.com
How to Remove Airplane Mode From an iPhone
2:49 AM Edited by Blony
Via eHow.com
Transfer Your Contacts on Smartphones
2:44 AM Edited by Blony
The GigaOM website estimates that people with cell-service contracts replace their phones every 18 to 24 months, but manually entering your contacts with each upgrade is both tedious and time-consuming. If you've synchronized your smartphone and other devices to an account such as Microsoft Exchange Server, you can relax: Your contacts will migrate to your new phone when you connect. Another option, if both phones have the right hardware, is to use the SIM card holding your old phone's data to transfer your contacts. Some phone vendors also offer transfer software, such as Verizon's Backup Assistant app, but even if none of these methods applies to your situation, you still have alternatives to typing in every single name and number. YouTube for Android 4.0 ends buffering on your favorite videos with precaching, adds remote
2:40 AM Edited by Blony
As Google I/O 2012 rolls along, the YouTube team is updating its Android app to v4.0 with a load of new features, but you'll need Android 4.0+ to take advantage of them (at least for now, see below). Available in 47 countries, the new app brings a brand new UI with support for channels that reflects the redesign rolled out on the website last year (not the circle-centric look that it is testing with a select few), and it can precache videos from your favorite channels for viewing later. All you have to do is select "preload" in the setting menu and it will pull down videos from your subscriptions and Watch Later queue when plugged in and on WiFi. To actually view them later you will still need to be online, but they'll load instantly from the device's storage instead of streaming.
Another new feature is integrated remote functionality to control playback on connected TVs and other devices. This apparently extends to more than just Google TV, as we're told to "expect more updates later" on how this feature will become broadly available. If you're not rocking the latest Android software don't freak out yet, as the team indicates these features will come to more devices later. Developers should be excited too as there's a slew of new YouTube APIs available, hit the source links below to check them out or download the app yourself.
Via Engadget
Apple changes App Store search without warning, costs developers sales
2:35 AM Edited by Blony
Waze, the popular mobile application that offers turn-by-turn navigation, will soon make the jump from smartphones to cars later this year, according to the company’s CEO Noam Bardin. The executive revealed that his firm is working with most major automakers, although he failed to disclose which ones. “The same innovation that’s happening in the smartphone is going to tip into the car,” Bardin said in an interview with Bloomberg. Waze, which is available for free on both the iPhone and Android devices, has some 19 million users, all whom have the ability to share traffic information and earn different rewards. The company’s foray into the automobile industry comes as both Apple and Microsoft have revealed plans to greater integrate their ecosystems into upcoming vehicles.
HTC’s Windows Phone 8 roadmap reveals three new handsets
8:14 PM Edited by Blony
HTC, one of Microsoft’s key mobile partners, has big plans for Windows Phone 8 according to a purported device roadmap obtained by The Verge. The troubled Taiwanese manufacturer is planning three Windows Phone 8-powered smartphones, the entry-level Rio, mid-range Accord and flagship Zenith. The Rio will reportedly feature a 4-inch WVGA display, a Qualcomm MSM8227 processor and a 5-megapixel camera with 720p video capture support. The Accord will include a larger 4.3-inch Super LCD 2 display, an 8-megapixel camera with 1080p out, HSPA+ connectivity, NFC, 1GB of RAM and a dual-core processor, possibly a Qualcomm MSM8260A. HTC’s most interesting smartphone, the Zenith, will reportedly be equipped with a massive 4.7-inch Super LCD 2 display, an unnamed quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and the same 8-megapixel camera found in the Accord. The Rio and Accord are slated to be released in October according to the roadmap, while the Zenith will launch sometime in the fourth quarter.Satechi introduces Portable Energy Station to add some power to your travels
8:07 PM Edited by Blony
Peripherals maker Satechi has introduced the Portable Energy Station, a 10,000 mAh battery that'll solve some of your power woes on the go. The 1 Amp USB port will recharge nearly all of your smartphones and PMPs, while a second 2 Amp port will maintain pace with your iPad or other hefty tablet. Despite that capacious battery, it's a slender 7.4 ounces and should tuck neatly into your bag -- once you've picked it up for $50, that is. 
