Here’s how to win. First, watch the episode below, then fill out the question at the bottom of the page. Everyone who correctly answers the question will be entered to win an iPad mini prize package which includes an iPad mini, an invisibleSHIELD, and a case. One of those entered will be randomly selected as the winner. You have until May 27, 2013 at 11:59 p.m. MDT to enter.

The press release was made sure to note that these were unique purchases and not re-downloads or updates. Apple’s app popularity is skyrocketing as the Cupertino company ran its 25 billion app download contest a little over a year ago in March of 2012. The store shows no signs of slowing down as the rate of downloads is currently at 20 billion app downloads per year. It is worth noting however that Google’s Play store is not far behind it’s rival with about a 1 billion deficit of reaching the 50 billion mark themselves. It is worth noting that the app downloaded was a free app. Way to stick it to “the man” Brandon.

Last summer, 400 on foot NYC patrolmen were outfitted with Android smartphones that cannot make or receive calls, but rather, send and receive data from the force’s criminal databases. Officers can now access criminal records, photographs, license plate numbers, and even pull up the location of security cameras pointed at a determined address while on foot. The need for the technology came from officers not being able to access the same information that their counterparts in patrol cars and laptops could. Any requests for information requested over the radio was spotty and brief.

Officers seem empowered with the quick access to the information in the Android app. One officer noted, “They don’t realize we have this technology. They can’t tell me a lie because I know everything.”

While there is concern of officers defaulting to ’rounding up the usual suspects,’ the technology offers great potential in public safety and more efficient policing.

The space is dominated by apps like Nike-Plus Running, Runkeeper, MapMyRide, Strava, and others, but one of the big players in the fitness tracking realm — Runtastic — is upping its game by introducing hardware to support its applications.

The big introductions in Runtastic’s hardware lineup are Bluetooth-enabled monitors, one for tracking your heart rate, and one for attaching to your bicycle near the wheel to allow your smartphone to act as a type of bicycle computer.

Runtastic’s apps (available for iOS, Android, Blackberry and Windows Phone) have always done common fitness app things like offering GPS tracking of routes, social network integration, and keeping a log of historic workouts. One of the problems with this type of tracking, however, has always been the accuracy of the data. A 20-mile bike ride, for example, might have an app reporting that 1500 calories were burned, but without adding heart rate data, or incorporating additional things such as the height and weight of the user into the calculation, that calorie burn number is nothing but an estimate. While a heart rate monitor that can sync to the phone is not a novelty, Runtastic’s line comes in at a fairly low price point (just about $100 U.S., when converting from their €79 price point for the Bluetooth heart rate monitor.

Where the heart rate monitor will allow users to get a more accurate picture of the amount of energy they burn during exercise, the bike monitor that mounts near the wheel on a bike will give more accurate reporting on the speed and cadence riders are using on rides. As it is with most apps, like MapMyRide, speed is tracked solely by GPS, which while offering ballpark accuracy, leaves room for error.

Runtastic’s apps will remain available (with free versions available for download and upgrades to Runtastic Gold subscription service also sold) on the Apple App Store, Google Play, and other app stores.

While on tour, OK Go plays a game called Say The Same Thing. They like it so much they turned it into a free app. It’s available on iOS as well as Android.

You already know about the new Samsung Galaxy S4, which is now available on most carriers in the U.S. What you probably haven’t heard of yet is the Google edition of the phone, slated for launch June 26, directly from Google. It’ll be available in the Google Play Store for $650, fully unlocked (16gb model).

The Google Edition Galaxy S4 will appeal mostly to Android enthusiasts and those who avoid carrier contracts with month-to-month service. Since it’s sold unsubsidized, you’re free to take it to AT&T or T-Mobile (or a myriad of prepaid carriers), as well as anywhere around the world you may travel. It’s also bootloader unlocked, which lets you “root” the device and install your own custom ROMs like Cyanogen.

While the Google Edition of the Galaxy S4 isn’t being sold or branded as a Nexus device, it’ll office a Nexus-like experience, getting Android updates directly from Google right as they’re available, instead of months later. It’ll also ship without TouchWiz, Samsung’s skin for Android, and without any carrier-installed apps like the dreaded VZ Navigator.

If you’re interested in the Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Edition, you’ve got just over a month to wait (and save your pennies) before it’s available from the Google Play Store.

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You should follow Mike on Twitter for more great tech insights and good conversation. Be sure to say hello! You can also keep up with Mike on his personal blog: MikeBeauchamp.me, on Facebook, or on Google+.

The above image is a rendering of what Apple’s new flagship store in San Francisco will look like when completed. Apple is shutting down their current flagship store on Market and replacing it with this one in Union Square a few blocks away.

There hasn’t been an official announcement as to when construction will begin (or when the store will be open), but it’ll be a beauty when it’s finished.

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You should follow Mike on Twitter for more great tech insights and good conversation. Be sure to say hello! You can also keep up with Mike on his personal blog: MikeBeauchamp.me, on Facebook, or on Google+.

Let’s face it: our phones aren’t really phones anymore. Think of all the things your iPhone or Android replaces in your daily life. Things like your alarm clock, a digital camera, an MP3 player, a day planner, stopwatch, GPS for your car — the list could go on forever. And the latest trend adds one more thing to that list: your wallet.

Lemon Wallet is an app for iPhone that lets you digitize all the cards in your wallet. From your driver’s license to your insurance cards, to store loyalty and reward cards. It keeps them all secure on your phone so if you forget (or lose) your wallet, you’ve got a backup. More importantly, you’ve got the phone numbers on the back of the cards to call to report them lost or stolen.

I took a few minutes and digitized all the important cards in my wallet. It was about as easy as easy gets. Take a picture of the front and back of each card, confirm the information, add a few notes, and save.

If you link your cards to their respective online accounts, you’ll even get interactive functionality, like current balance amounts and recent transactions, all in one place.

If you opt for the premium version of Lemon Wallet, you’ll get some added features including enhanced security, receipt tracking and expenses, and more.

Check it out in the App Store and download for free, here.

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You should follow Mike on Twitter for more great tech insights and good conversation. Be sure to say hello! You can also keep up with Mike on his personal blog: MikeBeauchamp.me, on Facebook, or on Google+.

I found this great trick over on TmoNews this week. If you have the iPhone 5 with T-Mobile, some intermediate computer skills and a few minutes to spare, you can practically double your upload/download speeds without adding any extra fees to your bill. This trick works for both jailbroken and non-jailbroken iPhones.

From TmoNews:

Non-jailbroken users:

1.       Plug your iPhone 5 into iTunes and backup the device so you won’t lose anything, just in case. ;)

2.      In the device itself, tap the “Settings” app and navigate to “General >Reset  > Reset Network Settings”

3.      Once you have done that, the iPhone will auto reboot.

4.      Download the hacked carrier update here:http://www.4shared.com/file/WF0uqJL-/TMobile_US_iPhone_Hack.html

5.      Now you’ll to go ahead and enable iTunes to except custom carrier bundles, if it’s not already.

6.      Windows users, you will need to open command prompt and type the following and enter it in:

64 bit: cd “C:\Program Files (x86)\iTunes” then type: iTunes.exe/setPrefInt carrier-testing 1

32 bit: cd “C:\Program Files\iTunes” then type: iTunes.exe /setPrefInt carrier-testing 1

Mac users you will need to open terminal and type the following and enter it in:

Mac: defaults write com.apple.iTunes carrier-testing -bool true

7.      After this has successfully been entered in restart iTunes

8.      Click on the tab for your iPhone 5 and click “Update” or “Check For Update” while holding down the Alt / Option key for Mac users and the Shift key for Windows users. Navigate to where you downloaded the hacked carrier update file named “TMobile_US_iPhone.ipcc,” and select it then click Open.

9.      The carrier update should now successfully be installed. Restart your iPhone 5 for any changes to take effect.

10.   If you encounter any problems or wish to revert back just download the file below and repeat the above steps only with the default file instead.

Default File:http://www.4shared.com/file/M3vMO7Pe/TMobile_US_iPhone_Default.html

Jailbroken Users:

1.       Download the file to your device through iFile here:

http://www.4shared.com/zip/OF1KKmyt/TMobile_US_iPhone_Hack.html

2.      Unarchive the files and copy the file name “overrides_N41_N42.pri” then navigate to var/mobile/Library/Carrier Bundles/TMobile_US.bundle and paste it into the folder replacing the original .pri file.

3.      Reboot your device for changes to take effect.

4.      If you encounter any problems or wish to revert back just download the file below and repeat the above steps only with the default file instead.

Default File:http://www.4shared.com/zip/zoXpN_ce/TMobile_US_iPhone_Default.html

Here’s one more before and after screenshot of a speed test from a user who applied this trick. Quite impressive results!

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You should follow Mike on Twitter for more great tech insights and good conversation. Be sure to say hello! You can also keep up with Mike on his personal blog: MikeBeauchamp.me, on Facebook, or on Google+.

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[source: tmonews]

By now, you’ve probably heard of Square, the mobile payments platform that enables you to accept credit or debit cards from your phone or tablet. It works by plugging a small card reader attachment to the headphone jack of your device, then transmitting the data (securely, of course) over the Internet and processing the payment. It’s been wildly popular with small businesses, freelancers and mom and pop shops who cringe at the idea of the usual upfront cost of credit card processing systems. Square has no upfront cost and charges a modest 2.75% per transaction, with no monthly minimum.

Now, they’re taking things to the next level with the Square Stand, which transforms an iPad into a cash register. It includes a built-in card reader for swiping cards, and swivels so your customer can sign for the purchase, right on the iPad’s screen. What’s more, the Square stand can be connected to receipt printers, barcode scanners and cash drawers, transforming your iPad into a full-fledged cash register.

The Square Stand is available for pre-order ($299) from Square and will be shipping soon. You can find out more, here.

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You should follow Mike on Twitter for more great tech insights and good conversation. Be sure to say hello! You can also keep up with Mike on his personal blog: MikeBeauchamp.me, on Facebook, or on Google+.