“HTC has completed the review process with U.S. Customs and HTC devices have been released, as they are in compliance with the ITC’s ruling,” the company said in a statement. “Future shipments should continue to enter the U.S. and we are confident that we will soon be able to meet the demand for our products.”

The two smartphones were put in limbo earlier this month over unresolved patent infringement issues with Apple. Shipments were held up by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency, which had to inspect each model and approve their release, HTC said previously.
The delay stemmed from a decision made last December by the International Trade Commission, which ruled that HTC infringed on Apple’s patent for data detection. The process allows a mobile device to recognize items like e-mail addresses, phone numbers, and addresses in text and automatically move them to a calendar, dialer, or mapping application.

The commission, a federal agency with the power to enforce bans on products shipping to the U.S., said in its ruling that it would impose an import ban on some of HTC’s products if the feature wasn’t removed by April 19, 2012. In response, HTC said it was working to remove the feature.

The Taiwanese handset maker said last week that its phones were slowly making their way into the United States after completing the U.S. Customs inspections process, an announcement that was quickly followed by announcement by Sprint that its customers could expect to begin receiving their Evo 4G LTE on Thursday.

Source: CNet

The Samsung Galaxy S III will soon make its North American debut as Canadian carrier Videotron has confirmed a once rumored June 20th release date. The revelation of a release date follows the debut of a countdown on Bell’s site that may be ticking off the seconds until the carrier is accepting pre-orders. There is a chance that a US launch could sneak in an steal Canada’s thunder, but for the moment this seems unlikely considering the date is only three weeks away. But there you have it: “the new Galaxy is coming June 20th.”

Source: Phandroid

Anyway, I’ll be running Gingerbread on my Samsung Galaxy Note for at least another 3 – 6 months from this most. Oh well, I’m not too worried. I’ve already rooted the phone, installed a custom ROM, and fixed the MAJOR lag that Samsung released on this phone. Seriously, if this is going to be another Dell Streak release, I’m going to be mad. This phone has awesome specs; there’s no reason Samsung should have released this phone in the shape it’s in.

0. You may need Samsung USB drivers. To be on the safe side, I would download and install anyway.

1. Download Odin here.

2. Either download the rooted stock kernel here. Or, download the rooted overclocked kernel here. I personally recommend the overclocked kernel. The choice is yours.

3. Open Odin, click the box next to PDA, and browse for the Kernel you just downloaded.

4. Turn off/power down your Galaxy Note.

5. Hold the volume down button and power button at the same time to put your phone into download mode. Your phone may give you a warning about loading a custom OS. Click the volume up button to continue.

6. Connect your phone to your computer with the USB cable.

7. Odin should state that your phone is now connected. Once that happens, click the Start button and your phone will load the new kernel and your phone will be rooted! These kernels come pre-loaded with root access so this is currently the easiest method so far!

Your Odin should match the picture below:

Warning: This could increase your flash counter which may help Samsung tell who’s phones have been rooted/flashed. However, there have been no known reports yet of warranties being denied. Plus, when anything goes wrong with my phones I call the carriers and they are the ones who replace my phone.

I saw the Samsung Galaxy Note come out on AT&T and I REALLY wanted this phone. It’s a massive 5.3″ display which isn’t for everyone, but if you’re a multimedia whore like me, then you should defiantly be looking at this phone! There were a couple of draw backs for me:

• AT&T network not as superior as Verizon’s (in my opinion.) No AT&T LTE in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. However, AT&T LTE is supposed to be coming by the end of June in Minneapolis. So I’m temporarily having to downgrade from 4G to 3G.
• Pay cancellation fee to Verizon. I had two lines so I’m easily paying a good $550 in fees.
• Give up my unlimited data on Verizon for 3GB on AT&T. I’m now using wifi at work when I stream Pandora all day.

Oh my gosh this phone is beautiful! I read 10+ reviews online before buying the Galaxy Note. I read some of the tech blogs that only gave this phone a 2 star, blah blah blah. I must say, don’t listen to them! Yes, in technical terms the Galaxy Note’s screen isn’t as vivid as the Nexus. Do I notice the difference to the naked eye? No. Using a stylis pen on the Note is a bit stupid. I wish they would have just left it out. I took my pen out once and will probably never use it again.

On top of the phone being great for media, the phone calls are clear! I haven’t had a problem with AT&T (yet) in the twin cities. I used to have MAJOR problems when we had the iPhone 4 but after we got rid of those phones and switched to Verizon, AT&T spent major money upgrading the twin cities network. Also, an AT&T store rep told me the iPhones are the worst phones on their network for coverage. The Galaxy Note is performing very well. No dropped calls and no dropped service yet.

I am not having ANY issues transferring music and photos to my new Galaxy Note. I bought a 32GB Micro SD card, class 10 and everything is working smoothly!

1 issue with the Galaxy Note:

• I’m showing a little bit of “lagginess” when flipping between home screens. I rooted by phone and installed a custom ROM along with a overclocked Kernel. That seemed to help and improve battery life. However, with Ice Cream Sandwich on the horizon, this issue will be fixed.

Again, this phone will not be for everyone. A lot of people notice the size right away when I pull out my phone. However, I browse the web, read the news, and Facebook every single day. The big screen serves my purposes well! After using my Galaxy Note for about 5 days, I help the Nexus in my hand and it literally felt like an iPhone!

Anyways, back to the building of Windows Home Server. At the end of 2010 HP announced it would no longer be building home servers. HP was one of Microsoft’s biggest partners in their Home Server product line. Now, just because HP dropped out, doesn’t mean you can’t still buy HP Home Servers. Those products are just going to be out-dated and running Microsoft’s first version of WHS, and NOT Windows Home Server 2011. At the time when I was looking for pre-built servers I saw quite a few HP servers on NewEgg.com for around $249 – $350 depending on rebates. Again, these were running the old version of WHS. I thought about it, and I figured I could make my own home server for cheap, dirt cheap.

If you don’t have experience building computers on your own, then I’m afraid this article will only help you out a little bit. When building a computer you really have to know motherboard and know how to plug the pins in correctly so when you press the power button on your tower, it’ll turn the computer on correctly. If you take a little time studying the manual that comes with a motherboard, it’ll tell you exactly what to do! We all have to start somewhere, right?

Before I go any further, I also have to admit that some products I did salvage from other computers. Example would be hard drives that I already owned. So items and pricing will not be listed below.

Now here is what I purchased back in November of 2011 to get my server up and running:

1. Thermaltake V3 mid tower computer case – This is a good size since I only needed to fit hard drives and the motherboard into the case. Newegg.com is selling this for $44. However, I got this from my local Micro Center for $27 after mail-in rebate.

2. MSI 760GM-P33 motherboard. This motherboard isn’t top of the line, but for a Windows Home Server it’ll do just fine. Supports up to 8GB DDR3 memory, and a dual-core AMD processor. NewEgg.com has this currently listed for $46.99. However, I was able to get an open-box item on their site for $35.

3. Antec Green 380W power supply. Newegg.com currently has this listed for $45. However, I obtained it for $42.

4. AMD Athlon II 260 Regor 3.2GHz CPU. Newegg.com has this for $69.

5. G.SKILL Ripjaws 8GB of RAM. Newegg.com has them for $40.

6. A copy of Microsoft Windows Home Server 2011. Newegg.com has this for $53.

Products I already own and did not need to purchase for the server:

1. An external CD/DVD-ROM drive. I did not want to add an internal DVD-ROM drive since I have no need for an optical drive within a home server. You could even go as far to install the home server software directly from a USB jump drive.

2. Hard drives. I currently already own four 1.5TB hard drives. I used 1 of them to install the Windows Home Server. The other 3 hard drives I’m using as storage in a RAID configuration. This is where I store all my movies, pictures, music, and more.

With the new parts that I needed to purchase I only spent right around $300. Not bad for building my own server that is way better than an old HP Windows Home Server for the same price.

Windows Home Server 2011 fits into my home computing needs just perfect. I really like the fact that I have a server that runs tucked away in the house that doesn’t require much maintenance. No mouse, keyboard, or monitor is required. If you do need to access the server to give it a restart or install updates, you can login through Microsoft’s Remote Desktop. What does this allow you to do? You can use one of your main computer’s monitor and keyboard to control your server. This way I can be on the laptop downstairs, and login to the server upstairs to see what is going on.

Here are a few pictures of what my Windows Home Server looks like:

First off, I’d like to tell you a few things I like about the phone.

• The 4.65″ display is absolutely gorgeous! I am an app hungry, media streamer, web browsing power user. No way could I still be walking around with a tiny 3.5″ screen, such as the iPhone. When I’m browsing the web on my phone, I need to be able to see what I’m doing on a big vibrant screen. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus has that covered.
• NFC (near field communication). I love that the phone has an NFC chip in it. I doubt I will be using this on an everyday basis until payment by phone really takes off with retailers. However, the NFC chip is really cool, because I had someone look up a website for me on their Galaxy Nexus, and when they were ready to show me the page, I just held the  back of my phone up to the back of their phone, and the webpage was instantly loaded onto my Galaxy Nexus!
• Battery life. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus has a much improved battery life over what I was used to with my HTC Thunderbolt. I bought the extended battery for the Nexus while it was on sale at Verizon for only $25. The extended battery is not noticeable like the Thunderbolt’s was. The HTC Thunderbolt extended battery was like carrying around a brick in your pocket. With the Galaxy Nexus, all my cases have been able to fit around the phone. Again, you can’t even tell there is an extended battery inside the phone. With the phone offering 2100mAh of juice, downloading the app Juice Defender, I’m easily able to get by a whole day without charging the phone. When I get home at the end of the day, I easily still have 50% left.
• I like that there are no more physical buttons (Home button,  back, settings, search) on the bottom of the phone! The buttons are actually built into the operating system and appear when you turn the screen on. When the display is off, the front of the phone looks so sleek with only glass being displayed!

Now, here are the things I do not like about the Galaxy Nexus:

• Transferring files via USB onto the phone simply does not work! I spent a good 3 hours trying to get my music and pictures transferred over onto the Nexus. The files will begin to transfer and then a warning message will popup saying an error occurred, or the process just hangs and never begins the transfer! I honestly have no idea how I got the files onto the phone, but it was the most difficult process I’ve ever dealt with in switching phones. If you Google this issue, many others are experiencing the same thing. I tried installing the official Samsung drivers, PDANet drivers, nothing worked. Tonight I even reformatted my computer, re-installed Windows 7, and just for test purposes, I tried copying a folder full of pictures into the DCIM folder on the SD card and it STILL didn’t work. SAMSUNG, PLEASE FIX THIS ISSUE! Some users even returned their phones after they couldn’t transfer their files. This is a major bug!
• I don’t like how the volume up and volume down buttons are on the top, left-side of the phone and the power button is on the top, right-side of the phone. Seriously Samsung? Whoever placed the buttons there needs to be fired. Every time I go to grab the phone and put it in my hand, I naturally push the power button with my thumb (if the phone is in my right-hand) and then my index finger starts turning the volume down! This bugs the crap out of me! They should have put the power button on the top of the phone and the volume keys on the right side of the phone.

On a side note, that Samsung Galaxy Nexus is a piece of cake to root and start installing custom ROMs. This process is much easier than the HTC Thunderbolt. Overall, this phone IS the best Android phone to date. Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) does take a little time getting used to. However, this is the most appealing Android version to date and it’s well worth the adjustment.

Now if Google can just eventually fix the fragmentation issue so the developers don’t have to keep figuring out which devices are working/not work properly for their apps, that would be great! Currently, Spotify will reboot itself on Ice Cream Sandwich if you start moving too fast within the app.

I will no longer be downloading custom HTC Thunderbolt ROMs and posting reviews on my site. However, I will continue to offer support and guidance for all past discussions to the best of my knowledge.

On top of that, I’m not sure how often I am going to be loading custom ROMs onto the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. I will have to wait until I get it. However, since this is pure Google, I will not have to worry about Verizon’s bloatware on the phone. With that being said, I may bring WireValley back to talking about the latest technology going on in my life. I’m always looking to discuss with people the latest changes in the tech world on a more personal level.

Anyway, I will let you know how I like the Galaxy Nexus! From the reviews, it sounds like I’m going to LOVE it!

I use to use the MagicJack, which plugs directly into your computer. However, the phone quality would often be shady and I’d often get complaints from the end user and I’d end up having to call them back on my cell phone anyways.

With MagicJack out of the picture, I searched the Internet and came up with Ooma! I honestly don’t know how I haven’t heard of Ooma before this. I guess they don’t advertise as heavily as MagicJack. Maybe that’s their issue. Anyways, I’m happy I found it!

Here is a picture of what the 2nd version of the Ooma device looks like:

This device is superior to MagicJack and all other VOIP phone services that I’ve ever used! I honestly can’t even tell the difference in call quality from the Ooma device to a traditional land line. I might add that the box looks very sleek and professional. The Ooma Telo has a built in answering machine, but by default I’m going to continue with my land line’s basic answering machine. Main reason why is because I can check for messages directly from any handset vs. having to go upstairs and check the Ooma box. If you want the same setup, you simply have to log into your Ooma account and turn the number of rings up to 30 seconds or more. This way your regular answering machine will pickup after 4 rings. I also had to enable 10-digit dialing in my Ooma account so I don’t have to keep adding a 1 before the area code.

Ooma advises you to plug your Ooma Telo directly into your cable modem, and then your wireless router (if you have one) directly into the Ooma box. Point being, Ooma can handle the Internet traffic, so if you’re busy downloading/uploading things on the Internet, Ooma will automatically adjust the speed to have your phone call take priority over all other Internet traffic. This service is also known as QoS (Quality of Service). However, please note that most routers have a QoS options built right into their settings.

My home network is setup with 1 Gigabit connections all around. All my computers and cable modem support 1 Gigabit wired connection to ensure I can transfer files as fast as possible. Please note, that if you’re in the same situation as me, then you’re going to want to install the Ooma device BEHIND your wireless router instead of BEFORE. The point being, the Ooma box only has a 10/100 mbps ethernet connection. If you do end up doing this, check to see if your wireless router supports QoS. If so, just create a QoS rule for your Ooma device so that when your Ooma is in use, it’ll get the highest priority over all other Internet traffic. This way you can continue to ensure that your phone calls will still be superior. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, have questions, or need help, please ask! I’d be more than willing to help.

Now that I have my Ooma box, I place all phone calls through the Ooma device when I’m at home for the evening. My family knows what time I get home and they’ve gotten use to trying me on the home phone first.

With the Ooma Telo you only have to pay the necessary taxes such as 911 surcharge fees, government tax, etc. Depending on where you live, your price may be different. However, my cost is $3.47 a month to have unlimited phone calls and free long distance! I haven’t had the opportunity to work from home yet since I’ve only been with the company 3 weeks, but it’s going to come in very handy!

Also, on a side note, faxing has been working just fine for me on the Ooma Telo. You just have to dial *99, wait a couple seconds and then type in the fax number.

I was so happy with the Ooma Telo I purchased a unit for my parents who live out in South Carolina! They were using MagicJack for the past year and half. Every time I spoke with them I always heard this clicking sound and the quality was just horrible. I figured it would just be an early Christmas present That is how bad they needed a better quality VOIP service.

Ooma also gives you the option to port your existing number for a fee. This is a one time fee and costs $39.99. I opted for this option when I purchased my parents the Ooma device. Ooma assured me I’d be able to port their MagicJack number over.  However, you need to be careful with this because your current phone provider (in my parents case, MagicJack) may also charge a fee to port your number away from them! This I did not know, and MagicJack charges $30. So in total, I paid $70  to port my parents number to Ooma! That I did not expect! Since I was purchasing this as a gift, I figured it was only necessary. Plus, I didn’t want to make them feel bad so I just paid for it.

Beware when transferring your number away from MagicJack to Ooma:

When I did this for my parents I ran into major problems! To be completely honest, there were problems on both sides. In order to transfer your MagicJack number to Ooma, Ooma requires the name on the MagicJack account and the account number. When you log into your MagicJack account they don’t list your account number anywhere. I just assumed this what your “MagicJack Subscription Name”. I was wrong. You actually need to log onto MagicJack live chat to obtain your account number. I finally submitted the port request and I ran into a problem. I called Ooma and they said MagicJack is requesting a PIN. I had to go back to MagicJack and request my PIN. MagicJack said that my PIN is just my password I use to get into my MagicJack account. For instance, we’ll just say my password was ‘Demo1′. I gave this information to Ooma and asked them to submit the port request again. They came back and said the PIN cannot contain letters and that it would be numbers only. I went back to MagicJack and they assured me again that my PIN is just the password I use to log into my account. I got creative, and all I did was change my MagicJack password to all numbers After I did that, the port went through. The whole process took about 2 weeks with all the hiccups. I hope this will help someone in the future if they’re ever in the same boat as me. Hopefully you read this article first.

i will say this though, the Ooma Telo is not cheap the begin with. I think that’s why so many people fall into MagicJack’s trap because the price is so appealing. MagicJack starts at $39 and goes all the way up to $69 for the new MagicJack. However, the Ooma is $199 at most retailers (however, I did see a refurbished one on Buy.com a couple weeks ago for only $159). The $200 I spent on the Ooma device at Best Buy was worth every penny. I haven’t had any major issues. Call quality is great and if you do need support, you can actually call a 1-800 number! MagicJack only offers support through a chat service. Half the time you get someone at MagicJack who has no idea what you’re asking and they just tell you to unplug the device, and plug it back in.