Month: August 2014

TommyLog TECH – First impressions – HTC One (M8) #vzwbuzz #AD

For today’s TommyLog Tech I welcome the new HTC One (M8) to the fold and wanted to give my initial reactions to this new device.

I have to say it and say it loud, this thing is just gorgeous. Do not pass go, do not collect $200– drop dead gorgeous! The 5-inch screen is crystal clear in all its amazing glory. I’m darn near speechless at the fit and finish of this handset. HTC has knocked it out of the park on this and if Steve Jobs were to have made an Android handset, this would be it!

The all aluminum case is just so smooth and curved to fit in your hand perfectly. The phone is noticeably bigger than my daily driver iPhone 5S, but not as huge as the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 I also use. You’ll notice that there’s no removable battery on the One (M8). Many manufacturers poked fun at the iPhones lack of removable battery –mums the word from HTC on that issue. ☺ After you get past the stunning screen and case, you’ll notice the dual front facing speakers.  I can’t comment on sound quality yet as I have not fully tested it but my initial reaction was good.

On software side of things, both the HTC One (M8) and Samsung Galaxy Note 3 run similar versions of Android 4.4.3 vs. 4.4.2 respectively. But to be fair, you wouldn’t know they were so similar when you use the different devices. HTC’s Sense vs. Samsung TouchWiz have many differences. Little things like moving the back button from the right to the left side, swiping down to get settings to HTC’s own BlinkFeed. The user experience device to device is very different and will take some getting used to.

One thing I like about the HTC One (M8) is the “Kid Mode.” Similar to the multi-user mode on the Galaxy Note 10.1 2014, put the phone into “Kid Mode” and then hand it to your kids. In this mode they can take photos and videos and play just the games you want. No more dinking with your settings, deleting your contacts or worrying about them resetting the phone.

Stay tuned as will be spending much more time with the HTC One (M8) and give my full review on how it fits into my busy tech lifestyle.

At first glance, the HTC One (M8) is totally Tommy Approved!

For more information on how to get your very own HTC One M8 from Verizon, Here’s a link http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/device/smartphone/htc-one?&zipRdr=y

[DISCLAIMER — I’m one of the cool kids who has been asked to play with and test technology for Verizon. They asked me test and share my thoughts. All my words are original and my own.]

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TommyLog – Paying it Forward – Blue Harbor Style

Spent the past weekend on a mini vacation with the whole family at Blue harbor Resort in Sheboygan, WI. What a treat to be away with my most favorite people in the whole world.

For today’s TommyLog I want to focus on what happened last night.
While eating dinner, we were approached by this elderly gentleman holding some hand crafted wooden toys — he gave one to Drew. Drew was just so excited to see this wooden helicopter. I could see this man had a red gym bag and it looked to be full of wooden toys. He proceeded to go around the restaurant handing out wooden toys to all the little girls and boys in the place. WOW oh WOW! This guy was just awesome.

Because Emma was in the bathroom when Drew got his toy, Emma thought she had missed out… But No way–the elderly man had his eyes on and knew when Emma returned and walked over to give her a bunny rabbit toy. How cool is that?

After some research we found a newspaper article on the names Jack Brill and how he gives out wooden toys wherever he goes. Stunning!

Well the coolest part was what my son Tommy said next. He leaned in and said in a whisper, “We should pay for their dinner.” What an excellent idea and one that we followed. I love that Tommy had the “Pay it Forward” spirit and knew when the time was right. What a blessing Tommy is to our family!

TommyLog TECH – Samsung Galaxy Note 3 vs Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Ed. #vzwbuzz #AD

OK kids, for today’s TommyLog Tech I take a look at the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 edition in a non-techie side-by-side comparison.

The first big difference you will notice between the 2 devices is the screen. The Note 3 has a 5.7” inch screen with Note 10.1 having a, you guessed it, 10.1 inch screen. Both screens are just amazing. The Note 3’s screen is a super AMOLED 1080 x 1920 vs a “Super Clear” LCD 1600 x 2560 for the Note 10.1. I have no idea what Super Clear LCD really means, but if it means gorgeous, then that’s spot on. Both the screens are just bright and awesome!

The cameras on each device are a bit different too. The rear-facing camera on the Note 3 is 13 MP while that of the Note 10.1 is 8 MP. Both have nice flashes and have 2 MP front facing cameras perfect for video chatting like Skype. The Note 3 does allow you to take amazing 4K video while the Note 10.1 is limited to 1080p video. I’m not a big camera buff, so telling the difference between the 2 cameras wasn’t that obvious.

Of course, another huge difference is the weight and battery size. The Note 3 weighs in at less than 170 grams while the Note 10.1 maxes out at almost 550 grams. All that extra weight is screen hugeness and battery. The battery in the Note 10.1 is over 2.5 times the size of the Note 3, which is needed to illuminate the screen in all its glory! I can get a full days worth of usage out of the battery from the Note 10.1. With the Note 3 I just can’t seem to get that much time out of it. I get 7-8 hours max and that’s on a good day. I do have plenty of notifications going on, your mileage will very.

Both the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Note 10.1 share the exact same CPU, graphics processor and RAM. Both models came with Verizon’s signature 4G LTE service for browsing and internet access anywhere, anytime.

While both devices share the exact same version of Android OS, v 4.4.2, one feature that’s missing from the Note 3 is the ability to create user accounts. The ability to create users accounts has really been a huge deal. I can safely give the Note 10.1 to Emma or any of the other kids with out fear that they will goof up my settings, read emails or sent social media postings behind my back.

Both the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 are totally Tommy Approved!

For more information on how to get your very own Samsung Galaxy Note 3 from Verizon, Here’s a link http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/device/smartphone/samsung-galaxy-note-3-black
For more information on how to get your very own Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 edition from Verizon, Here’s a link http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/device/tablet/samsung-galaxy-note-10-2014-edition?&zipRdr=y

[DISCLAIMER — I’m one of the cool kids who has been asked to play with and test technology for Verizon. They asked me test and share my thoughts. All my words are original and my own.]

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TommyLog – Just a Simple Hug @homedepot

TommyLog – Just a Simple Hug @homedepot

Went to Home Depot to get a second load of mulch for a landscaping project this past weekend. Met a super nice guy named Israel. he offered to help me load the mulch in the back of my car. While doing that, another co-worker came to say hello. I introduced myself and said Hi my name is Tommy. He greeted me with the biggest smile and said Hi I’m Andrew. After shaking his hand, he held his arms out as wide as could be and asked if he could give me a hug. You bet I gave him a hug. It was so awesome!!!

Andrew was a special needs young adult and he just warmed my heart. Thank you @homedepot for hiring such an amazing person and letting him shine! our grand Chute location is so better off with him on the payroll!!