Tag: phone

TommyLog TECH – 4 Tips to Protect Your SmartPhone From Disaster #VZWBuzz #AD

 

Hey kids, for today’s TommyLog Tech, I need to start with a story. It takes place about 4 years ago…

The place is downtown Chicago. I was there attending a print related convention and it was almost dinner time. I was walking around Michigan Avenue and had just stopped to take a panoramic picture with my brand new iPhone 4 that I had purchased 3 days prior. So imagine this- I had just taken the picture and was sending an email to my oldest kids:
Dear Kids,
I Love Yo…

…and some kid snatched the phone out of my hand and ran. All I could see was the red on the bottoms of his sneakers… and that’s it. A few nice bystanders took off after him, but that was the last time I ever saw my beloved iPhone 4.

Protect Your SmartPhoneSo many things run though your mind as you chase after your $600 technology investment, least of which was “oh no–my personal information… when was my last backup?”

Here it is 4 years later, I have a new DROID Turbo by Motorola and I want o give you my top 4 tips to keep your phone and data safe when disaster strikes.

TIP#1 – Screen Lock. Always use the screen lock feature. The DROID Turbo has the ability to set a numerical code, an alphanumeric password, you can set a pattern or you can use your face recognition. I found the facial recognition to be sketchy at best and rarely recognized the face of yours truly. Few things are worse than getting locked out of your own devise.

TIP#2 – Backup. In this day and age there is absolutely zero excuse for not having your data backed up. Cloud storage is plentiful and the process is super easy to implement. Just set it and forget it. Verizon Cloud backup, which I have talked about before, is super easy to set up and with a More Everything plan you get 25GB of storage.

TIP#3 – Remote Lock & Wipe. The new DROID Turbo has deep integration with Android Device Manager, which allows you to access certain functions on the phone from any web browser. During the setup and install of the Turbo, you get asked if you want to enable built in protection functionality. You should answer YES! If you answered NO, simply go to Settings > Security and Screen Lock > Device Administrators and select a devise administrator. This will allow you to remotely lock and wipe your phone from a web browser.

TIP#4 – Insurance. Having all your data backed up is one thing, but not having a phone to put that data on is another. After my iPhone was stolen, and because I was under contact, replacing it cost full retail value– OUCH! Verizon has insurance plans that cover lost, stolen, and even damaged phone. You can get more info from Verizon Wireless here. https://totalmobileprotection.verizonwireless.com/public/all-products

So there you have it, my 4 top tips to protect yourself before disaster strikes. Take it from me, I’ve been there, done that, and I even have a t-shirt. It really rots to have a prized possession loaded with personal data taken from your bare hands, but had I followed all these tips, I promise you, a lot less tears would have been shed.

For more information on how to get your very own DROID TURBO by Motorola, Here’s a link http://www.verizonwireless.com/smartphones/droid-turbo/

Verizon Wireless More Everything Plan http://www.verizonwireless.com/landingpages/more-everything/

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

VZWBUZZ Badge

TommyLog TECH – DROID TURBO by Motorola – Unboxing Video #VZWBUZZ #AD

Hey gang for today’s TommyLog Tech, I would like to introduce you to the “hot off the presses, you’ll see it first here” – DROID TURBO by Motorola. This yummy tech goodness was provided by my good friends at Verizon!

There are just so many tasty morsels to talk about here I don’t even know where to start. Before I dig into the features, I want to show you what’s included in the box and give this latest piece of tech a visual walk through.

Stay tuned to my next TommyLog TECH as I set up and play with the DROID TURBO lets see if it’s Tommy Approved!

For more information on how to get your very own DROID TURBO by Motorola, Here’s a link http://www.verizonwireless.com/smartphones/droid-turbo/

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

VZWBUZZ Badge

TommyLog TECH – Setting Up The HTC One (M8) Is A Breeze! #VZWBuzz #AD

In a previous edition of TommyLog TECH, I raved about the beautiful HTC One (M8) with its curved lines and aluminum goodness.  For today’s TommyLog TECH I want to show you how easy it is to set up your new phone. This has to be the simplest setup I have ever encountered in an Android OS phone.

HCT One (M8)_2As you well know, I’m a huge IOS fan and have always thought that IOS was the gold standard for ease of setting up devises. Well my solid foundation has shaken a bit after seeing how easy the HTC One is to set up…truly amazing.

Once you open your new phone, you will be asked to login or create a Google account. Next step, you will want to connect to WIFI as there are loads of updates to download. You can download them too over your mobile plan, but be prepared as it will eat up a lot of data. What happens next takes configuring to a whole new level. You will be presented with a website www.start.htc.com and given a code. Go to that site and enter your code. You will then be able to configure your phone from the comfort of your web browser. You pick the phone and the carrier then you pick an interest category like sporting, photography, social media, gaming or others to begin tailor the phone to your liking. From there you are given a host of news and information categories for your BlinkFeed. Next you’ll be given the option of preselecting apps to add to your HTC One. You are now given options to select ringtones and notification tones to give your HTC that personalized feel. and even upload custom ringtones if you have any.

This is such a cool feature! How many people get a new phone, set it up and then say ”Okay, now what?” Well HTC has an answer for that. A few button clicks and bam! The apps you just chose and selected start downloading to your HCT One…just like that its all set up to your liking, background screen, ringtones, bookmarks and all.

HTC has really thought this one through. They made it super simple to setup and customize your HTC One, what a pleasure. Setting up the HTC One (M8) totally 100% 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 to test and share my thoughts. All my words are original and my own.]

VZWBUZZ Badge

TommyLog TECH – HTC Dot View Case – HTC One M8 #VZWBuzz #AD

In my last installment of TommyLog TECH, I introduced you to the beautiful HTC One (M8) with its all aluminum curved body and awesome 5” screen.  For today’s TommyLog TECH I want to show you how to protect that investment with this great case. It’s called the HTC Dot View™ case. It’s a match made in heaven and just rocks!

HTC Dot View™ I put cases into to very distinct categories.  Cases that are light duty to help protect from scratches and dings and ones that protect against major drops and abuse. The Dot View™ case fits the first. It’s made of lightweight plastic and protects not only the back, but the front facing glass of the smart phone as well. The front cover door is perforated with small round dots all over it. This allows the image on the screen to show through, similar to a coerce screen of sorts. The effect is pretty slick and really works well.

But this is much more than just a pretty face. The HTC Dot View™ case is beautifully integrated into the functionality of HTC One as well. When you open the case, the HTC One turns on, close the cover and it turns off. Pretty neat. Double tap on the front cover when closed and the HTC One lights up and displays the time and any notifications you may have missed. While it’s closed and sitting in view on your table or desk, the screen will light up for any notifications, messages, calls or emails. HTC has a cool app that can be downloaded from Google Play to set preferences for the HTC Dot View™ case. There you select different background themes. Don’t like what they offer, take your own picture and make it a background if you like.

HTC Dot View™ case totally 100% Tommy Approved! GET ONE NOW!
Want your own HTC Dot View™ case http://www.verizonwireless.com/accessories/dot-view-for-the-all-new-htc-one-m8/
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.]

VZWBUZZ Badge

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.]

VZWBUZZ Badge