Getting Android

Android App Deal: Electrum Drum Machine/Sampler

2013-05-19T22:59:00.000-04:00

It's not that often that I find myself using a drum machine, but sometimes I can't pass up a good deal. Today, a normally $4 app is on sale for $1. It's a neat app to mess around with. It doesn't beat mixing on my computer with professional audio workstation hardware/software, but this is professional for being on a mobile device! For $1, I'd recommend you try it out and make some of your own beats - it's a lot of fun.

I know I said it's a dollar, but it's really 99 cents. Here's a picture of my receipt. More importantly, though, here's a link to the Play store where it's (as of this post) still 99 cents. Get it before it goes back up to $4!

Review of the Looxcie Handsfree Video Cam

2013-04-28T13:27:00.000-04:00

I took the Looxcie 2 for a test drive for a couple of weeks; It is available on Verizon's website as of this writing. Is it more convenient to just pull out your phone and record video than having a device mounted on your head? That was the question I had before I decided whether or not this would be a great device to purchase. Read on to see my conclusion.

Madness in the Comment Section...of an Android App

2013-04-26T00:00:00.001-04:00

Today there was an update for the Samsung Push Service app in the Google Play Store. Because I can safely say that many people probably think of this as a useless app, I think it is definitely worth it for you to take a moment and go read the comments on this newly-updated app.

The Galaxy Note 10.1 4G LTE Tablet on Verizon

2013-03-30T23:16:00.000-04:00

Just when I thought things couldn't get any "beastly-ER" than the Verizon Galaxy Note II that I recently reviewed, I was lucky enough to trial the brand-spankin' new Note 10.1. A couple of weeks back, Verizon sent me this device to let me see if liked or disliked it - Indeed, they were nice enough to send this low-traffic site the hottest, newest device on the market. Read on to see if it's worth the price tag.

Review to Come: Verizon's 4G LTE Galaxy Note 10.1" Tablet (VIDEO)

2013-03-13T22:38:00.003-04:00

Oh, how beautiful this lovely device is. It's so nice to power on a tablet, being greeted with constant connectivity. What I mean is that, upon booting up this tablet, I'm not having to connect to wifi to bring this thing to life: Whether you plan on using it in a home or business environment, it's ready to rock. And that's where I'm at on my first day using this tablet.

Over the next few days, I'll put the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 to use and draw some conclusions. In the meantime, prepare to send me your questions. Thanks for Getting Android!

--Random Randy

TuneIn Radio for Android - Kickin' Ass All Day Long

2013-02-26T20:10:00.000-05:00

I love this app. The updates just keep TuneIn Radio for Android in place as one of my favorite all-time apps.

I remember when it was so easy to record the radio during my childhood: pop a tape in and record a song to bring to band practice - or to play "DJ" and make my own mix tapes. TuneIn radio allows you to listen to over 70,000 radio stations and record any of them. Put all that aside though, because TuneIn has already been doing all the above for a long time. Today they've added more:

As you can see in the "What's New" screenshot I took from Google Play, TuneIn Radio Pro now supports sign-in from Google+. You can also add events to your Google Calendar! What this means is that you can setup an alert of your choosing to remind you when your favorite radio program is about to begin. Lastly, if you drive a Chevy vehicle that has MyLink, you can "access TuneIn directly from your dashboard".

If you're thinking about getting a radio app, whether it's internet radio, or for listening to your local radio's online feed, I highly recommend TuneIn Pro! Get it in the Google Play Store now.

The Galaxy Note II on Verizon

2013-01-06T19:42:00.000-05:00

I really enjoyed my two weeks trying out the Galaxy Note II on Verizon. Really, it doesn't feel much bigger to me than the Samsung Galaxy SIII. Also, I know that Samsung is normally great at paying attention to detail, so read on to see how well they did with the Note II.

MOGA Game Controller Quick Review

2012-12-16T22:52:00.001-05:00

Of the two weeks I spent with the MOGA Gaming Controller, I didn't really find myself playing a lot of video games. I played a few, and they played well . . .when they played.

Samsung Galaxy Note II on Verizon (video)

2012-12-12T23:04:00.000-05:00

Over the next couple of weeks, I will be sampling the Samsung Galaxy Note II on Verizon. Sometimes I like to make a prediction after opening the box and just inspecting the phone. I'm going to guess that I'm really going to like this device, granted it has decent battery life.

Feel free to ask questions about this device as I'm always happy to answer them. Thank you for getting Android.

Game On.. Anywhere with MOGA

2012-11-29T21:12:00.002-05:00

I will be taking the MOGA Mobile Gaming controller for a ride for the next couple of weeks. This device turns your phone into a true video gaming system. Just when you're about to smack somebody for telling you that they only want their phone to work "as a phone", you can instead become their friend and hand them a video-gaming phone, persuading their closed, outdated mind.

The phone I will be testing this Gaming controller with will be the Droid Razr HD. Heck, maybe I'll try my Galaxy S3 and the Nexus 7 for comparison and I'll report back with my findings. I'm going to be looking at the responsiveness, battery life, and ergonomics of the controller. If you have any questions, as always, feel free to contact me. Thanks for getting Android.

The LG Intuition - 4G LTE - on Verizon

2012-11-11T19:15:00.000-05:00

I had a full 2 weeks with the LG Intuition on Verizon. It was an interesting 2 weeks, mainly because of the looks I received while carrying this phone. The looks did not at all influence my decision/review regarding this phablet (Phone Tablet) - read on to hear my conclusions.

The Motorola Droid Razr M - 4G LTE - on Verizon

2012-10-21T20:33:00.002-04:00

I had a fun 2 week trial of the Motorola Droid Razr M. It was pretty neat when a football game was on a couple of weeks ago, and the Verizon-sponsored event advertised the Droid Razr M. One of my friends even looked over at me and said, "Hey isn't that the full-screen phone?" I'm going to get to the details to let you know if I think this phone is worth your $99.

Motorola Droid Razr M on Verizon

2012-09-29T09:42:00.002-04:00

Over the next few weeks, I will have my hands on the Motorola Droid Razr M - the most compact 4G LTE smartphone; It is so amazing when a device this small can be so big in display and speed, both data and processing-wise.

Quick things to note about the Incredible 4G LTE is that it has a:

"

4.3-inch Super AMOLED™ Advanced display. Customers

Significantly shorter and narrower, yet includes the same size display, making it the most compact

The DROID RAZR M’s SMARTACTIONS™ feature maximizes battery efficiency with every charge, allowing customers to browse the Web and watch videos without worrying about draining their device’s battery.

"

I will test these claims to the full extent and, ultimately, will give you a full review in the next couple of weeks. Here is a quick video clip of the Droid Razr M. Thanks for Getting Android!

Get Android Deal: Get it Fast - Nexus 7 Case 9.99 free Ship!

2012-09-17T20:28:00.000-04:00

I love browsing Buy.com's daily deals each and every morning. Today, I spotted an awesome deal on a case for the Nexus 7 Tablet. This case can rotate 360 degrees (swivel) to enable your tablet to stand in an upright position. The case comes in Dark Blue, Black, Red, or White.
Impulsive as I am, I couldn't pass this one up. Now it's your turn to see if you think this case is worth the money. Here's the link.

Thank you for Getting Android.

Gnotes - Getting Android Quick Overview

2012-09-10T23:57:00.002-04:00

Would you like to try a great note-taking app for your Android smartphone or tablet? I suggest you give Gnotes a try. Let me tell you why this note-taking app stands out to me.

First off, as of this writing, Gnotes is constantly updated. With Android spanning different OS's across many devices, it becomes important to have a developer that listens and responds to the changes across all of these devices.

The second reason I recommend this note-taking app is that allows you sync your notes into your gmail (not forcing you to use their service for cloud functionality) and they will appear nice and neat under a "notes" label. Gnotes is like a front end, note-skinned version of Gmail.

From the App Description:

GNotes lets you take notes, capture photos, create to-do lists, shopping lists, record voice memos, create handwriting, paint and so on, and you can search the note easily.

After I read this description, tried the app, I then deleted Evernote; I'd rather have my Gmail's storage than what Evernote gives me. I don't know what the current Evernote space limitation is, but last year it was like 60MB or so. If you want more than that, you could pay $5 a month. No thanks.

Setting reminders in Gnotes is simple - look at the interface. I find Gnotes much easier to use than Evernote. The notes are displayed like little stickies with snippets of information on them. The difference between Gnotes and other note apps is that you can attach the content I listed above, such as drawings, memos, voice recordings, etc, all within the note. To the left of the 'stickies" the little notebook tabs (which are collapsible).

Since this isn't a full review, I can't list all of Gnote's features. Try to find some time and check it out though. I think this is a great app that deserves a test run on your Android device(s). Here is the link to the Google Play page for this Android app.

Have great week and thanks for Getting Android!

Review of the Samsung Galaxy S3 on Verizon

2012-08-26T22:56:00.000-04:00

I'll go ahead and make a bold statement to start off this review: This is my new favorite smartphone. The only part I regret while reviewing this device was having to send it back. The S3 did not earn a 10 out of 10, but read on to see why this is my favorite smartphone yet.
Read more »

Review of the Motorola Droid 4 on Verizon

2012-08-19T22:44:00.003-04:00

If you're thinking that there aren't many Android smartphones that have a decent keyboard, please keep reading this so that I can help change your mind. The Droid 4 may not be anywhere near perfect, but if you're sold on a great keyboard, and a bit of muscle under the hood, this may be the smartphone for you.

Read more »

The Galaxy S3 Thus far: (Quick Video)

2012-08-11T14:02:00.000-04:00

It has been nearly a week since this brand new Galaxy S3 arrived at my door for me to test and I have a few simple things to note:

Great Battery Life
I don't care for S Voice
It's still the best Android Device I've reviewed yet

I have another week to go before I send this lovely device back to Verizon; Thanks to them for letting me use their awesome network to take it for a test drive. I'm having a great time testing it to it's potential. If there are any questions you may have about the S3, send them my way in the comments, or via email. Thanks for getting Android!

4G LTE Samsung Galaxy S3 and the Following Weeks (video)

2012-08-07T20:52:00.001-04:00

The Galaxy S3 (Verizon) arrived on my doorstep today. Although I have to send the device back when I'm finished testing it/compiling my review points, I still felt like a little kid during Christmas, opening up some presents.

I will be taking photos with the S3, of the S3, and answering any questions you may have about the device. The initial impression I have from just looking at the device and powering it up: It's beautiful from every angle, fast - very fast, and is very light-weight. After having the device on for a few minutes, I hit record on my video camera and gave some initial impressions. Feel free to ask me some questions. Thank you for getting Android!

Upcoming Review: Verizon Galaxy S3

2012-08-03T15:10:00.001-04:00

I'm pleased to inform Getting Android readers that I will have a Samsung Galaxy S3 (Verizon) In my hands over the course of the next two weeks. Just reading up on this device, It sounds like the Verizon version of the S3 "wins the gold", as far as the extra features it boasts, such as inductive charging (wireless charging!).

Be sure to send me any questions you may have about this beautiful device. As always, thanks for Getting Android.

How Do you Like Your Nexus 7 Thus Far?

2012-07-30T21:57:00.000-04:00

I have posted a rather uppish title for this blog entry. Why? I am referring to the Nexus 7 as "your tablet" because I believe it's priced so competitively that nearly anyone can afford it. Better yet, if you're looking for a budget-friendly tablet, I believe you can't afford not to have it.

I've had the tablet for nearly 2 weeks now and I will confirm that I absolutely love it. The Nexus 7, and all of the apps I've purchased for it thus far, run as smooth as butter. The butter-like operations of this tablet are a direct result of "Project Butter". If you have not yet heard about project butter, I recommend that you check out the Google IO Full Keynote that took place on June 27th, 2012.

I would like to add that I personally prefer the 7" tablet form factor. This little power house fits in my back pocket, has great battery life, and offers OS encryption. I've decided that the Nexus 7 is stable enough to use it for my daily driver at work. Because Jelly Bean introduces Vsync/Triple Buffering (as you'll learn in this video), typing on the keyboard is awesomely responsive. I dislike nothing more than a keyboard lagging behind my finger taps when I'm only typing at a moderate speed. Throughout the entire Jelly Bean OS, I have not once noticed keyboard lag!

So far, the above is my take on my Nexus 7 running Android Jelly Bean. I have only mentioned a few of the Android Jelly Bean improvements over the previous version of android. Listing them all, for me, is not going to happen because there is this page, where it is laid out nicely.

So are you enjoying your Nexus 7? Is there anything you'd like to share with us? Send us your comments.

Thank you for Getting Android, now go get a Nexus 7.

Got Your Nexus 7? Ways to Use $25 from Google

2012-07-18T22:42:00.000-04:00

If you are among the lucky group of pre-orders for the Google (Asus) Nexus 7 that received your tablet in the mail this week, congratulations. I must say this is by far the best tablet for the money that I've ever seen. On top of the great price, Google added $25 to my account where I can buy things from the Play Store. As a Nexus 7 owner (or future Nexus 7 Owner), how do you plan on spending your $25? I'll share my ideas.

I'd like to spend my free money on items that I feel I can "keep". Movies, for example, are something that you typically rent, and there is Netflix for that anyway, in my opinion. Here are the 3 things I'm most likely going to spend my free $25 Google Money on:

DRM-Free Music from the Google Play Store.
Google Music stores your music collection in the cloud in very high quality. Google Music also has music available (and very competitively-priced albums) for purchase. Once you buy the song, you own it, and you can do what you like with it.
Apps That Hold Their Value
What am I even talking about? Well, many apps on Android devices work flawlessly between phone and tablet - none of that resize (2x) nonsense that I've seen on the ipad for quite some time. (I must give the iPad credit on tablet version of Google+ - it's actually very nice).
I also feel that Google has, since the beginning days of "Android Market", made it clear that you've purchased an app. It's not like the Apple Store where you have to think to yourself: "Lets see. . .Did I purchase this $5 app or not? I don't know, let me just click 'purchase' again".
Books that Read Nice on a 7-Inch Tablet - Yes, This Tablet.
So holding up the ipad to read a book isn't my favorite way to kick back. The Nexus 7 is much smaller than an iPad and is obviously lighter as well. A 1280x800 resolution is packed into this budget-friendly tablet's display, so text shows up crisp and clear. My hand does not get tired from holding the 7" tablet in front of my face for a while.

So have you purchased a Nexus 7, or are you going to wait for the next iPad?

It's a Blackberry. It's a Palm. No, It's Android!

2012-07-17T14:47:00.004-04:00

I love the Blackberry form-factor. Better yet, I just love having a keyboard, period.
Today it was announced by Motorola Mobility that Rogers Communications (Canada) will be releasing the Defy Pro this summer.

I'll cut to my my favorite part of this device: It's rugged. The Defy has Gorilla Glass, and has " resistance against scratches, spills and dust." The screen is only 2.7", but that's what the keyboard is for - not taking up screen area. I hope we see something like this in the rest of the world.

Again, the Defy Pro will be available this summer in Canada, but to stay on top of the status on the device, you can visit Motorola.ca.

source: Motorola.ca

HTC's Droid Incredible 4G LTE on Verizon

2012-07-02T13:10:00.000-04:00

Over the next few weeks, I will have my hands on the DROID Incredible 4G LTE device running on Verizon. This device is brand-spankin' and is running ICS right out of the box. Just weeks ago, Verizon brought 4G LTE to my small town and I'm excited that I get to test these 4G devices to their full potential.

Quick things to note about the Incredible 4G LTE is that it has:

"
Lifestyle features:
• Authentic Sound: Customers will benefit from Beats Audio™, an enhanced auto tuning
technology that allows users to hear music the way the artist intended. Beats Audio is
incorporated across the entire experience for richer, more authentic sound and whether
watching a video or playing a game, customers are sure to be impressed with the sound
quality.
• Read Later: Active readers who are constantly on-the-go can use the Read Later feature to
save online content, such as news articles and website pages, to view later, even when they
are offline.
• Android Beam™: Sharing YouTube videos, Google Maps locations and more with others is
faster and easier than ever with Android Beam. Android Beam is as simple as tapping two
compatible phones together for users to instantly share information.

"

If you have any questions about this device during my run with it, let me know.

Get Android App: Mp3 Search and Download Pro V2

2012-06-30T11:48:00.001-04:00

A big thing I love about Android is that many of the apps, we all know, would never be approved in other App Stores. Even if an app is not approved for ~~android market~~ Google Play, Google Android makes it easier than ever to side-load an apk (installer). Once a week, I'm going to plan on introducing an app that is new or not yet popular.

I have downloaded dozens of different "mp3 downloader" apps for Android. I sort of noticed a pattern with them, however, and it sort of goes like this:

Great Downloader app that can find any song, has clean and simple interface.
App gets an update from the Play store and starts to have ads.
App sucks

Last night, I downloaded an MP3 app that seems to have more robust functions right from the get go such as Playlists, Albums, Songs, and Artist categorization. It's an improved version that the dev describes as: "Better than the First Version". The MP3 Download app is called Mp3 Search and Download Pro V2.

I threw a few odd-genre songs at it, and it found them, and I could download them in high quality. Please note that this app does have Ads, but they're not ridiculous, in my opinion. Mp3 Search and Download Pro V2 is available in the Google Play Store for free and it's under 1mb in size. Go. Get Android!