Windows Phone 8 to become third platform on Verizon, Galaxy S III makes cameo appearance in Vietnam?

Smartphone Briefs

by Chris Coleman| @PhoneKnack

After garnering some additional attention from carriers for Windows Phone 7, Microsoft is teaming up with Verizon Wireless to help promote Windows Phone 8, which is due out later this year. Verizon’s Chief Financial Officer, Fran Shammo said that Verizon is looking to make Windows Phone their third platform behind iOS and Android.

“We’re really looking at the Windows Phone 8.0 platform because that’s a differentiator. We’re working with Microsoft on it”

While the Windows Phone platform continues to grow it will be interesting to see what other interest they can garner as time gets closer to Windows 8.0 holiday release.

Rumors are constantly flooding the web, its part of the technology world. But what we just stumbled upon may be more then just a rumor. A Vietnamese site has just posted a video of them playing around with the new Samsung Galaxy S III.

Filed under: Android, General technology, Hardware, Windows, Windows Phone 7, WP7, Android, fran shammo, iOS, Microsoft, Microsoft Windows, Verizon, Verizon Communications, Verizon Wireless, verizon wireless chief financial officer, Windows, windows 8.0, Windows Phone, windows phone 8, windows phone 8.0, Windows platform, YouTube

Google Drive launching next week for Mac, Windows, Android and iOS will include 5GB free storage

by George Heymann | @techeadlines

technology-headlines.com

According to a recent The Next Web (TNW) report, Google’s rumored “Google Drive” service will launch next week @ http://drive.google.com for Mac, Windows, Android and iOS and will include 5 GB of free storage.

I can’t wait to see how the service will integrate with “Google Docs” and how we will interact with Google Drive. TNW is reporting that  Google Drive will work “in desktop folders” on both Mac and Windows machines.

I’ve been a long time Dropbox user, but may replace it with Google Drive as my virtual storage of choice depending on its implementation.

Do you intend to use Google Drive when its released next week?

Filed under: Android, Breaking News, General technology, Google, Media, Services, Software, Android, Dropbox, Google, Google Drive, iOS, Mac, Macintosh, Microsoft Windows, Next Web, The Next Web, TNW, virtual storage, Windows

Keeping your information safe/private online.

By George Heymann | @techeadlines

technology-headlines.com

I wanted to share an interesting info graphic containing online security tips, and fun facts regarding security. The graphic was provided to us by Jim Borland of reversephonelookup.org.

As an example here is one of the tips, citing NASA guidelines, it is recommended that all passwords be at least eight characters, and contain a mix of four different types of characters. A safe password should include:

1. UPPER CASE LETTERS
2. lower case letters
3. 1234567890 (numerals)
4. !@#$%^* (special characters)

The info graphic in its entirety is available after the break.

Filed under: General technology, Services, Character encoding, George Heymann, info graphic, Infographic, Jim Borland, keeping your information safe online, Letter case, NASA, NASA guidelines, online privacy, Password, Security, Shareware, Windows

AT&T outlines data throttling, Windows 8 consumer preview available

Smartphone Briefs

By Chris Coleman|@PhoneKnack

After losing in court to an angry customer who’s data was throttled, AT&T has decided to outline their unlimited data throttling process to its customers. Customers lucky enough to be grandfathered in for the unlimited data plan and using 3G or 4G (HSPA+) smartphones, your data will be throttled after 3GB of usage. Customers who are using 4G (LTE) smartphones, data throttling begins at 5GB of usage.

Filed under: General technology, Media, Microsoft, Services, Software, 4G, AT&T, Chris Coleman, consumer preview, data throttling, HSPA+, live tiles, LTE, metro, Microsoft, Microsoft Windows, Mobile World Congress, Smartphones, throttling process, unlimited data plan, Windows, Windows 7, windows 8, windows 8 consumer preview, Windows Phone 7, windows phones

Screenshot It for Android allows you to capture, crop, draw and annotate your screenshots.

by George Heymann|@techeadlines

technology-headlines.com

Screenshot It is a Android application developed by Edward Kim that enables users to take a screenshot of their phone’s screen. Once the screenshot is captured you can crop, draw and annotate screenshots then save as a .jpg or .png to the phone or share on your favorite social media site.

The application works on all rooted Android phones and many phones and devices including my Honeycomb HTC Flyer tablet without root access.

Other features include:

• Screen shot status bar button
• Screenshot widget button
• Shake to screen shot
• Delayed screenshot timer
• “Share” menu integration
• Custom save directory

Filed under: Android, General technology, Google, Media, Quick look, Services, Software, .jpg, .png, Android, annotate screenshots, Annotation, crop screenshots, draw on screenshots, Edward Kim, JPEG, No root screenshot, no root screenshot it, Portable Network Graphics, Root, Screehshot It, screen shot capture, Screenshot, Shareware, status bar, trial version, Windows

iOS 5 tethered and untethered Jailbreak now available for iPhone 4S and iPad2, Seidio Extended battery for Galaxy Nexus available for order.

Smartphone Briefs

By Chris Coleman|@PhoneKnack

On January 20th, Greenpois0n released their tool to jailbreak (unlock) the iPhone 4S or iPad 2. The jailbreak will support iOS 5.0 and iOS 5.0.1 according to Greenpois0n, however the tools were only available for the Mac. The Greenpois0n team has now released the Windows version, which can be found by following this link.

Whited00r , a well known iOS community modding site has come forth with a way to get some features of iOS 5.0 on your older generation iPhones and iPods. For those who have an iPhone 2G, iPhone 3G, and iPod Touch and are interested in basking in the glory of i0S 5.0, Whited00r has your back. Make sure to follow this link and from there, simply pick your device. Sound off in the comments after the break with what you think of iOS 5.0 being on old-generation Apple products.

Filed under: Android, Apple, General technology, Google, Hardware, iOS, Ipad, Iphone, Media, Services, Software, 3800mAh Super Extended Battery, 5.0, Android, Apple, Google, Greenpois0n, iOS, IOS 5.0, iOS jailbreaking, IPad, iPhone, iPhone 2G, iPhone 4S, IPod, iPod Touch, JAILBREAK, mA, Mac, mAh, Microsoft Windows, Near Field Communications, NFC, OLD GENERATION, OLD-GEN, Samsung, Samsung Galaxy, Samsung Galaxy Nexus, SEIDIO, Seidio Innocell 3800mAh, UNTETHERED, updates, Verizon, Verizon Wireless, WHITED00R, Windows, WIRELESS PAYMENT CAPABILITIES

Temple Run to land on Android, Instagram coming to WP7? Motorola will perform live magic show to highlight RAZR MAXX battery life

Smartphone Briefs

By Chris Coleman|@PhoneKnack

The hit iOS game, Temple Run will be making its way to Android this year, says creator, Imangi Studios. The game developers took to their Facebook page  posting a simple status saying, “On a (Samsung) Galaxy not-so-far away. Temple Run Android coming February 2012. We’re so excited to announce this and appreciate all of our fans’ support across both platforms!” The post has accumulated over 1,000 comments and over 6,000 likes showing that Android users are more then ready for Temple Run to make the jump. Temple Run will be debuting in the Android market in February. Now all we need is for Instagram to reveal a set date to join the Android Market and we will be set for the year.

Bil Simser has been working on an unofficial  Instagram program for Windows Phone, titled Metrogram. If you do not know, Instagram is a popular photo app exclusively for the iOS (iPhone, iPod, iPad, etc) that allows you to take pictures and add filters to them. You can then share them with your Instagram followers as well as upload them to Twitter or Facebook. It is unknown if Instagram will accept the development of the Windows Phone app as Bil Simser’s Metrogram program is an unofficial version of the original Instagram application.

Filed under: Android, Hardware, iOS, Services, Software, Windows Phone 7, WP7, Android, Android Market, Battery, battery life, BATTERY POWER, BIL SIMSER, Chris Coleman, CRISS ANGEL, DAVID BLAINE, Droid, Droid RAZR MAXX, Facebook, FEBRUARY, Imangi Studios, Instagram, iOS, IPad, iPhone, IPod, LIVE SHOW, MAGIC, METROGRAM, Microsoft, Motorola, TEMPLE RUN  IPHONE, UNOFFICIAL, Windows, Windows Phone

The Humble Indie Bundle 4: $100 retail value game bundle for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux, You set the price.

by George Heymann

Technology-Headlines

Looking for a great deal for the gamer on your holiday list? Then you need to check out www.humblebundle.com. The bundle includes seven new cross-platform DRM-free games for Linux, Mac OS X and Windows a $100 retail value and you get to set the price.

Let me explain how the Humble Indie Bundle works, Initially the bundle includes five games, Super Meat Boy, Shank, Jamestown, Bit.Trip Runner and Nightsky. Pay what you think is fair, if you pay more than the average price for the bundle, $5.30 as of the writing you will receive Cave Story+ and Gratuitous Space Battles for a total of severn games.

Filed under: Gaming, Linux, Mac, Media, Services, Software, Amazon payments, American Red Cross, Bit.Trip, Bit.Trip Runner, Cave Story, Charities, Child's Play charity, Digital rights management, DRM-free, feature, featured, games for linux, Gratuitous Space Battles, Humble Bundle, Humble Indie Bundle, Humble Indie Bundle 4, Jamestown, Linux, Mac, Mac OS X, Meat Boy, PayPal, Shank, Super Meat Boy, Windows

10 words that describe my home internet service

By Christine Kane

internetserviceproviders.org

Boiling down the description of an internet connection to a single word means distilling thought and emotion to bare essences. It is much easier to convey negative feelings, which our language makes easy, with it’s plethora of interjections. Good feelings, on the other hand, are more difficult to express. Below are some examples of terse commentary as they apply to the nebulous world of internet connections.

Filed under: General technology, Media, Services, 10 Words, Access, air card, Awesome, Christine Kane, Dial-Up Networking, dial-up service, http://technology-headlines.com, interjections, Internet access, internet connection, Internet service provider, ISP, New York City, Shareware, Smurfs, technology headlines, United States, Windows, www.internetserviceproviders.org, ZZZZZ

Lytro’s revolutionary light field camera captures ‘living pictures’

by George Heymann

Technology-Headlines

Lytro’s new light field camera may revolutionize the way photos are taken and shared. Unlike conventional cameras, light field cameras are able to capture light traveling in every direction through every point in space simultaneously.

The ability to capture the entire light field enables you to focus and re-focus anywhere in the picture. You can refocus your pictures at anytime, after the picture is taken, go to Lytro’s ‘living pictures’ gallery and try it for yourself.

The Lytro blog offers an explanation of the science behind the light field cameras “Recording light fields requires an innovative, entirely new kind of sensor called a light field sensor. The light field sensor captures the color, intensity and vector direction of the rays of light. This directional information is completely lost with traditional camera sensors, which simply add up all the light rays and record them as a single amount of light.

Filed under: General technology, Hardware, Preview, Services, Software, 11 megaray resolution, Camera, Camera 3.0, dpreview, focus and re-focus picture, George Heymann, http://technology-headlines.com, Image, LCD display, lens cap, Light field, light field camera, light fields, Liquid crystal display, Lytro, Mac OS, Mac OS 10.6, Megarays, Ren Ng, RoHS, technology headlines, USB cable, Windows