An Alternative to the iPod Touch- the Samsung Galaxy Media Player Review

I check my reader stats from time to time and what strikes me as one of the most interesting factoids is that several of my older blog posts always seem to be in the top five for number of hits per month. Time after time, the articles that start with the phrase "An Alternative to..." always seem to be of consistent interest to people seeking out something else, something past the mainstream other don't consider.

If you read the title of today's post, you'll see that I'm no fool (usually) and today's alternative product is a legitimate contender for the title of "iPod alternative". The Samsung Galaxy 4.0 Media Player. It looks just like a standard Samsung smart phone without the phone part and that's pretty much what it is. The Media Player sports a 4" screen, dual cameras and even GPS(!) as well as the Android operating system (but only runs Gingerbread, a three year old OS).

The Samsung Galaxy Media Player
(Samsung.com)

However, the best part is the price. Ipod Touch's can easily run north of  $250 for the 32G model while the Samsung starts at $150 (street price) and can be expanded to as much as 64 gigs by adding a 32 gig micro SD card to the 32 gig version.

So, how does it work? Based on the thousands of reviews posted online, it seems others agree that the player is an ideal "other choice" for those who have had it with the bugs and self-imposed limitations of iTunes. The reviews state the player is easy to use- especially with Google Music- and others also report using the player a type of poor-man's cell phone when paired with Skype (free calling!). There's is also the 100,000+ apps in the Google Play store with games, video players and other applications available to anyone with an Android OS system.

The pros are:

- Decent battery life
- A micro SD slot to expand memory up to 32G
- dual cameras
- uses Flash to play videos
- 100,000+ apps
- good external speakers
- GPS
- Also available in 5" and 5.8" sizes
- Price! Less than $150 online.

Cons:

- Older Android issue OS
- far fewer accessories
- screen not as sharp as iPod (ok, but not great)
- Bland styling
- Plastic construction
- Managing MP3 files not as intuitive as iPod

But nothing says as much as the opinions of others and hundreds of those regarding the Samsung Media Player can be found at Amazon.com by clicking here and at Ebay.com by clicking here.

If my stats are telling me anything, they say consumers are starting to seek out choices beyond the mainstream that deliver just as much satisfaction as the most popular one and if Samsung can update the player with the latest software- at least the Jellybean OS- then Apple better start working overtime with an iPod Touch replacement.

The Google Map App for Apple and Android Phones- Find Yourself, for Free!

When I first started in TV news, we went to unfamiliar addresses every day- a fire here, a bank robbery there, ribbon cutting somewhere else. And in the back seat of every station car I ever drove was the same thing: An old, dog-eared map book of the town with the most-used pages missing. So, if we wanted to go to 123 Elm St., we had to regularly refer to the appropriate page again and again.

After 2007 or so, GPS came into affordable use and, as a manager, I saw to it that each news car had one on the dash. But this presented a theft and obsolescence hazard as the units aged and was only a temporary solution. A few years later, we were issued new cell phones (Androids) and it didn't take too long to discover the phones had GPS built in! Now, we could find not only numbered addresses, but simply names was often enough to obtain the correct location of where we needed to be, i.e., "Find Chicago City Hall".  The app came from Google was was imaginatively called "Google Maps"

Simple, clear, easy
(google.com)

Apple thought this was a great idea too and eventually banned the Google Maps App from iTunes and introduced their own version for the iPhone and it failed badly.

Really, really badly.

Users were sent to the wrong location, often to remote locations, far from the intended destination. See one man's story here. And the trouble was not just random. It happened to people all over the world. And no one was happy.

Apple was slow to respond, although they did allow Google Maps back into iTunes and since then, the Google app has been a runaway hit. At no cost, Google maps offers the following features:

• You can search by voice ("Find Candlestick Park")
• You can pick either graphical or voice directions or both
• When you arrive, a street view of your destination pops up, so you can confirm the correct location
• You can use Google Earth to see a satellite view of your spot
• Traffic jams are highlighted so you may avoid them

Although most of these features also come with just about any GPS device, let's remember that Google Maps is FREE, not $125-$250. It's also updated reguarly and customizable to your unique needs and preferences. 

When you arrive, you get a photo of what you're
supposed to see outside your car window.
(google.com)

So what's not to like? Well, you must have a cell phone signal to obtain the directional info  and images for the phone (not true of dedicated GPS devices) and the app is something of a battery hog (because of the constant data stream) so I recommend you plug your phone into your car's power supply all of the time- Monoprice.com has inexpensive ones here.  

To see what others think of the app, Edmunds.com has posted an article where they use Google Maps and provide a short opinion piece on it. Click here to see it. 

To see Google's home page about Google Maps, click here. 

And don't get lost doing it!

Amazon Kindle Fire vs Google Nexus 7. Which is better?

Last year, Amazon shocked the gadget loving world when they debuted the Amazon Kindle Fire, small form factor computer tablet with a 7" screen, 8G of storage and the ability play games, read books and playback movies on demand. Amazon offered all of this for the small form factor price of less than $200(US).

Kindle Fire- Not bad at all.
(amazon.com)

At first, Amazon barely broke even on each Fire sold and made a bet it would make a profit from apps, movies books and other items purchased from Amazon itself. Now, the parts used to make the Fire have dropped in price and Amazon is actually making a modest profit on each Fire it sells plus the app store money it banks every day.

The Nexus 7- Looking good.
(pocket-lint.com)

Not to be outdone, Google has now put its Nexus 7 on the market to compete with the Fire. Same size screen, but with the guts of its more powerful, and larger (10.1") competitors that allows it to process video, audio and other data more quickly. The Nexus 7 also has a better screen with higher definition and uses the latest iteration of the Android operating system called "Jellybean". Plus, Google sells the Nexus 7 for the same low price as the Fire- $200.

Uh-oh. two competitors for the exact same price? This looks like a battle royal of 7" tablets! How do you, as a consumer, make a smart buying decision when choosing between these two mini-tablets? Which one is the better choice? Which one is best for you and finally, which one should you buy?

Wired.com has compared these two tablets and has the scoop on both and what they offer to customers looking for a quality experience in the smaller tablet form.
Go there now to read the article and decide for yourself.

Oh- one more thing...

Rumors are strong in the computer world Apple will soon introduce a 7" tablet of their own. A mini-iPad would really cause a ruckus and turn the market on its ear.

Things are heating up! Stay tuned...

Google Nexus 7- The Kindle Fire starts to feel the heat.

In the beginning, there was the Kindle Fire. It cost $200 and delivered the kind of experience that made it a runaway bestseller. It could do all kinds of light duty computing- more than enough for most people who weren't looking for the high-zoot power of an Apple iPad (or the high-zoot price either).

Well, it took awhile but competitors are starting to appear in the marketplace to challenge the Fire for a prime place under the tree next Christmas. This week, Google introduced the Nexus 7, a small form tablet sized like the Fire and priced like it too- a mere $200 for a 8G version ($250 for the 16G). The screen is 7" inches across and is as thin as an iPhone.

If my wife is reading this, here is my hint for Christmas.
(google.com)

The Nexus 7 can do most of the things other tablets can do like display ebooks and magazines, play movies and install more than 600,000 Android Apps from the Google Play market of apps. But, The Nexus 7 comes with the next generation of the Android operating system called Jellybean that boasts features like Google Now and 10 hours of e-reading and web browsing (but "only" 8 hours of HD video).

But does it seems that 8G or 16G may not be enough to store books, music, apps and the other ephemera required to make the tablet experience satisfying? No worries- the Nexus 7 uses "tons of free" (Google's words) cloud storage to hold most of your data so you never have to worry about running out of space for all of your Grateful Dead bootleg tapes or having to pick only a few of your favorite Scooby Doo episodes. Now, you can keep them all ready, as much as you want, whenever you want.

The good news is you can preorder now and get $25 of Google Play credit to add the apps of your choice and be the first on your block to get what looks to be the start of a beautiful friendship. Go to Google's announcement here for a better look at all the specs, accessories and the preorder page so you can get your Nexus 7 by the end of July.

Want to read a review of the Google Nexus 7? Cnet.com has both a video and text review here. 

The ball is now in Amazon's court. We know there's a new Fire in the works and you can be sure the next year is sure to be interesting for the winners.

Winners? Sure. You know, people who buy these things like you and me. 

Lost your Android phone? Find it with the free "Where's my Droid?" phone app!

Last time, I wrote about Siri alternatives for your Android phone. This time, I want to talk about security for your investment. That is, keeping track of exactly where your phone is and how to find it should you lose it or it happens to "walk away" in someone else's pocket.

Dude- Where's my Droid?
(source: wheresmydroid.com)

Turns out, there are many options for finding and recovering your baby, but as I did the research I kept finding users were referring again and again to a certain app for the Android phone that helped them to retrieve their phone from all manner of places and, failing that, they were able to wipe the lost phone's memory of potentially expensive data (credit card numbers, addesses, etc.) contained within the device.

Called "Where's my Droid?", this free app sits quietly hidden on your phone until needed. There are a couple of scenarios available that would make this app invaluable:

- One reviewer stated she couldn't find her phone anywhere in her house although she knew it wasn't stolen or seriously lost as she had just used it a few hours before- she had simply misplaced it somewhere nearby, but searching the usual areas turned up nothing and she had set it to silent so calling the device did no good. She went on the Where's my Droid? website, entered her phone number and "told" the phone via text commands to start ringing at it highest volume. The app turned the ringer back on to "loud" and started to sound off. She soon found it under some dirty socks in the laundryroom.

- Another reviewer left his on the roof of his car and drove off. After arriving home, he remembered, much to his horror, what he had done. He went on the website, told the phone to locate itself (he texted "GPS my droid") and within seconds, the phone responded with a Google map of its current location 15 miles away. He drove to that address and found the phone on the side of the road, a little scratched, but still working.

- One particulary relieved user said she had only purchased her Android phone that afternoon and had promptly lost it two hours later. She had no information on the phone at all and had installed no apps either (not even the Where's my Droid? app). She was devastated. But a friend simply went to the WMD? website, gave the WMD? site her friend's cell number and installed the app remotely from her house. They were then able to see the phone was at a restaurant she had visited that evening. They locked the phone remotely and sent a message to be displayed on the screen with her friend's cell number and a request to call. The restaurant did (the busboy found it under a table) and they were able to pick up the phone within a few minutes.

Did I mention this app was free? Also, despite the name, the app works with almost all Android phones. It also has the amazing ability to track its location even if someone steals it and replaces your sim card with an entirely different one. You can also lock the theif out of the phone and demand, via the now locked screen, that your phone be returned.

Or, just call the cops and enjoy a little justice Android style.

Find the Where's my Droid? site here and download the app at the Andoid Market app store located here where more than 68,000 reviewers rated it the best app of its kind. Lifehacker also reviewed the app at their website here.

Now, where did I put that phone...?  While I look, enjoy this video demonstration via Lifehacker.com:

Apple Siri not in your phone? SIx Siri-ous alternatives for your Android.

"Call Allison Miller!"
(source: Google.com/mobile)

Siri, the voice command app on the Apple iPhone4S, has become one of the most talked about tech subjects for 2011. And for good reason- it seems that Siri can understand simple, casual conversation and doesn't require awkward, precise language to work properly. For those people who actually own an iPhone4S, Siri seems to be an ideal program that can make their life much easier.

But for the other half of the phone buying public, there is no Siri. But, all is not lost as the free market has many competitors for Siri's absence from the Android marketplace (sorry Windows Phone!) . To be honest, at this point, most of the "same-as-Siri" apps for the Android world aren't. They can do most of what Siri can, but may not do it a elegantly or cleanly. But, you can be sure that the developers are working hard to bring their products up to snuff.

One of the stories the press seems to have missed in this Siri love-fest is the fact that Android has had a voice-command system in their phones long before Siri became the media darling of the tech world. Voice Actions does much of what Siri can do, but not all. It's standard in all Android 2.2+ versions of Android and can, simply because you asked it to, look up websites, call phone numbers or send e-mails and more.

There are other apps from 3rd party developers that, to a greater or lesser degree, emulates Siri. Most are free (with ads) or cost just a couple of dollars in your favorite Android app store. The website Extremetech.com has a list of five Android based Siri alternatives you might consider along with an explanation of each. It' surprising how different each offering can be and what each can and can't do. Go to the site here to see the article.

There is another newcomer on the scene called "Iris" (that's Siri spelled backwards). It was created in eight hours after Siri hit the streets and is being constantly improved with new, better versions every few days. It has real potential, but is still in its infancy, tech-wise. To learn more, read the article at tomsguide.com, a slightly geek-centered website. I know I'll be keeping tabs on Iris.  

If you really want something as powerful and sophisticated as Siri. You have two choices: One, buy an iPhone4S or simply wait about 90 more days. As I said, developers are putting in some late nights to make sure their voice-control offering perform so much better than Siri and three months will produce far better versions than exist today. But, if they're free anyway, why not get one and play with it until then?

From the looks (sounds?) of it, 2012 appears to be an interesting and fun year for apps like this.

Stay tuned.

Ten great FREE apps for the Android phone.

Oh, I love free.

Free, free, free!

Go get 'em... The price is right!
(credit:unknown)

If you are like millions of others and just bought an Android based phone, here are ten FREE apps for the Android phone you can use to make your experience and your life easier.

There are apps that help you with money, buy groceries remotely, read a book on your new phone or even exchange contact info simply by tapping two phones together (I kid you not).

Andriodapps.com has the skinny on these apps that you can enjoy FOR FREE!

Go here to see. After all, it's free!

The EVOlution of Android phones.

Ever since the Apple iPhone hit the shelves a few years ago, other cell phone makers have been scrambling to catch up and to get some of that (profitable!) smart phone pie.

Palm tried and got swallowed whole by Hewlett Packard, who bought them out after the Pre sunk like a stone on the unforgiving river of the cell phone marketplace. Microsoft tried and died and are reloading with the upcoming Windows Phone 7. Others have come and gone with the fickle whims of the buying public.

Android was introduced by Google less than two years ago and has gone through numerous updates, tweaks and improvements. Finally, the app store has exceeded 50,000 applications, the software has matured and the phone hardware can now do the heavy lifting required by savvy users.

One of the latest phones to hit the market is the HTC Evo. A smartphone in the mold of the iPhone, the Evo takes advantage of the 4G ("G" means generation) wireless phone system in place in many major cities across the country (but not all- some towns are still making due with the "old" 3G system).

It still works just fine with 3G, however and the screen, functions, apps and all of the other bells and whistles promise to provide consumers with a legitimate option to the iPhone, which has taken its lumps as of late.

For some, an iPhone is all they'll ever need. For others, an iPhone is not an option- whether due to personal choice, work requirements or cost. For those folks who choose to take another path, the HTC Evo is a good place to start shopping.

PCWorld has a review of the Evo here.