Tag: Samsung

TommyLog TECH – Surfing Safely with a Verizon Mobile Hotspot #VZWBUZZ #AD

WIFI SecureHey gang, for today’s TommyLog Tech, I want to talk about being safe while on the traveling on the road. For those who are frequent travelers by air, you know there are many safety checkpoints along the way. Make sure sure that all your gels and liquids are in a clear zip-lock bag, please empty your pockets, take off your shoes and belts and put your laptops in the bins. You all know that TSA security checkpoint drill.

But how many of you are as safe on the road when it comes to surfing the web? Free public WIFI is available wherever you go from the airport, to your hotel rooms to the local coffee shop. While this Internet access is free and plentiful, it may not be without prying eyes. You need to always play heads up ball when using public WIFI and follow these 6 simple rules found in this article from Verizon Wireless:

1. Protect yourself by avoiding credit card transactions while using unencrypted Wi-Fi hotspots—such as those offered free in many businesses and restaurants.
2. It’s recommended that you send personal information only to web sites that you trust and that are fully encrypted (indicated by an https at the beginning of the address).
3. Log out of the sites you visit, and turn off Wi-Fi connections when not in use.
4. Yes, it’s a pain, but be sure to create a unique password for every site you use. In the event that a hacker does obtain your login credentials, this practice will limit their access to only one of your sites, not all of them.
5. For added safety, install browser security add-ons or plug-ins on your device, and consider using a virtual private network (VPN) that adds encryption between your device and the Internet—even over unsecured networks.
6. Finally, make sure your computer has the latest firewall software, security patches and software updates.

Surfing the Internet safely while on the road by using the Verizon mobile hotspot on my Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is totally Tommy Approved!

Verizon has more information on how to stay safe while using WIFI on the road. HERE

[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.]

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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 TECH – Keeping Safe When Storms Hit #VZWbuzz #AD

TommyLog TECH –  Keeping Safe When Storms Hit #VZWbuzz

I love living in North East Wisconsin where we have 4 beautiful seasons. Along with those awesome seasons comes some not so great extreme weather. Floods, blizzards, severe thunderstorms even an occasional tornado or 2 can be the order of the day. Thanks to my Samsung Galaxy Note 3 from Verizon along with 2 great free apps, severe weather doesn’t catch me by surprise.

Storm Team 5Today I want to share with you 2 mobile apps that can keep you informed and alerted 24 hours a day.

The first one on my list is a simple text only alert mobile app called Simple Weather Alert. This one is for Android only, sorry IOS fans. Simple Weather Alerts is a text only application that allows you to set your favorite locations and get text-based weather alerts based on those locations. You can even set the severity of the notifications as well as override a muted phone. I like that feature… who hasn’t put their phone down while it was silenced and missed an important call? One cool feature not seen in any other app I’ve tested is the ability to email an alert to friends or send via text message, so they can know of the danger as well. Simple Weather Alert is just that, simple, no fills, does what it says, no more, no less.

Now if you want an app that gives you much more information and can be used as your daily weather app, then look no further than the Storm Team 5 weather app for both Android and IOS. This app was created by WFRV5, a local TV station in Green Bay, WI, but works wherever you are. This app builds on many of the features of Simple Weather Alert and adds local radar, hourly forecasts, and 10-day outlook. The Storm Team 5 app lets you save multiple locations as well as a home location. One cool feature hidden in the preferences is the ability to overlay a compass.

Zooming out on the radar gives you a big picture of the inclement weather on the map. The radar even overlays watchs and warnings so you stay safe when trouble’s headed your way headed your way.

You can download Simple Weather Alert from the Google Play Store here https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.globalcanofworms.android.simpleweatheralert&hl=e

Look for the Storm Team 5 app for IOS here https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/storm-team-5/id382465013?mt=8 and the Android app here https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wfrv.android.weather&hl=en

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

[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 TECH – Never Get Lost with Waze #VZWBuzz #AD

Do you remember those over-sized, folded maps of days gone by? When was the last time you actually unfolded one? Traveling has gotten so much easier with the advent of GPS. The tool I think I use almost every day to help me navigate is a app called Waze by Google. Using Waze on my Samsung Galaxy Note 3 with the 5.7″ screen is just a dream come true. The huge screen makes navigation just a breeze.

Waze take GPS navigation up a HUGE notch. It links you to other “wazers” in the area to share the happenings on the road. “Real time reports of traffic slowdowns, police presence, accidents, road hazards even gas prices can all be communicated using Waze. You can even report inaccuracies in the map to get them fixed.

**NOTE** Please be safe using Waze by only accessing it while you are stopped or by a passenger in your vehicle.

Using Waze to never get lost on my Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is totally “Tommy Approved”!!

Waze can be downloaded from the Google play store or from the iTunes store and I was wrong, Waze is available for windows phone.

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

[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.]