Review | SportsCortex

Mobile Dessert, Ice Cream Sandwich on Droid Razr Maxx

by Andrew Mealiff

I recently updated my Droid Razr Maxx to ICS, or Ice Cream Sandwich, and figured an updated post would be necessary as well. This entry is done from a computer however, unlike the first Razr Maxx post which used the talk-to-text feature for the entire post. After hearing, for what seemed like an eternity, from my buddy Eric that I would be able to update to ICS any day now, I was finally pushed the update by Google a month ago. Most posts here at SportsCortex will still focus on sports and social media, but people keep searching “how to take a screenshot on Razr Maxx” (press power and volume down) so an ICS update post isn’t too off base, plus I really enjoy this phone!

Home screen screenshot with new Ice Cream Sandwich

My first impressions were that the user interface was much cleaner, and most of the app icons looked a little smaller while some had been redesigned. The bottom of the screen now held five icons, instead of four, with the contacts or “people” icon being automatically moved down. The phone, apps, and camera icons are different, while the text icon is now green, instead of blue, and the smiley face is turned right side up instead of sideways. Small details, but it does look cleaner, and having the contacts icon readily available comes in handy often.

The notifications up top are smaller as well, and Google has integrated a much needed option, the ability to swipe delete notifications. This was a necessity as those pesky “offers” keep randomly popping up for “local singles” and “a free Iphone”. How Google lets a free Iphone offer pop up is beyond me, but I think these come from mobile app developers of whom I have downloaded an app from, if anyone knows how to opt out or stop them please share!

Slide unlock options on Ice Cream Sandwich

Another cool feature, that I have messed around with but ultimately decided against, was the new face unlock option. While Google warns, that ”Face Unlock is less secure than a pattern, PIN, or password”, it was very easy to set up and unless you have an identical twin out there, is relatively secure, but who lets their phone out of their sights at all these days anyways? Personally I usually go with the “Slide” unlock option which allows me to unlock directly to the camera, phone, or texts messages over just unlocking to the home screen. When receiving a call you can also slide unlock to answer, ignore, or text a message such as “will call you back later”, or another custom message you have set up.

These features are nice, but my favorite redesigned option is the ability to see what widgets are available, what they look like, and what size they are before selecting them for the home screen allowing you to plan out where you want them. You can view the available widgets easily from the apps icon at the bottom of the screen, and it has caused me to shift around the location of my apps and widgets at least three times already. The go to widgets I use the most are Gmail, Twitter, and the Business Calender, while the calender is the only widget I routinely use without tapping into the full application. It is nice to scroll through your Twitter timeline from the home screen, but you can’t search or switch accounts without tapping in. You can however tweet from the widget, which is very convenient and easy.

Available widgets from the app icon on Ice Cream Sandwich

None of these changes where earth shattering, but it does seem like the phone runs smoother, is less buggy, and nearly never crashes. It also seems like the Ice Cream Sandwich update has eaten ever so slightly into the awesome battery life of the Droid Razr Maxx. The Razr Maxx has been great during the Olympics, with excellent live streaming via the Live Extra app, and sharing photos and content on various social networks is beyond easy to navigate. Overall I couldn’t be happier with my decision of choosing this device over the Iphone 4S and every time I see someone pull out their Iphone I proudly declare that I am on team droid.

Have you experienced Ice Cream Sandwich yet on your Android device? What are your favorite additions or changes to the user interface?

Category : Google, Technology, Twitter

Tags : Android, Droid, Google, ice cream sandwich, ICS, Razr Maxx, review, screenshots, update

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The Droid Razr Maxx – Talk, Snap, Screenshot, Blog

by Andrew Mealiff

I’m talking to my phone right now. After months of knowing it was time to move on from blackberry, I finally got around to replacing it, and will attempt to blog about it by talking to it, making edits exclusively from the phone**. The phone being reviewed is a Droid Razr Maxx, which I’ve had just over a week, and was chosen last minute over the IPhone 4S.

*(For those who searched how to take a screenshot, the app I mention has worked fine but thanks to people leaving comments I have learned you only need to press and hold the volume down and power buttons at the same time, works great! Also just updated to Ice Cream Sandwich, and it is awesome, very clean UI along with some subtle yet much needed overall polishing.)

My first impressions were that the screen and the photos look amazing, and everything seemed very customizable. I installed the basic social media apps such as Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Foursquare, HootSuite, and Twitter. Google Play has a huge variety of apps, and it is very easy to navigate around, searching for apps, or just seeing what is the most popular in certain categories.

My next focus was checking out the camera and video features, and a quick search of the new Google Play Store led to to my current favorites, Paper Camera, a special effects generator, and Pano, a panographic application. Below are a couple of shots I took with the Pano, one vertical and one landscape, first of Angel Stadium and second of Next Level Sports Complex. Paper Camera is what I would assume an Instagram for Android of sorts, but I will be sure to check out the official Instagram application when they release their Android version. ^(UPDATE: Still use Paper Camera now and then, but the Android version of Instagram reigns supreme and dominates my photos now: username 3pitchinning)

Pano shot of Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA

Pano shot of Next Level Sports Complex in Garden Grove, CA

I am also experimenting with the photo application Fast Burst, designed for action shots, snapping a series of pictures in a very short time period, both of which are customizable. Without a doubt, this phone camera combined with the available applications is light years ahead of the digital camera I purchased less than two years ago.

The rear/front facing camera combination is fantastic as well, being able to switch views eliminates the struggle of trying to take a picture towards yourself, having to reach out as far as you can with your arm while guessing how to line up the shot. The large screen is ideal for video chats as well whether via Skype, Google+ hangouts, or the Tango app, etc., all of which have similar quality depending on your wi-fi or network connection, and did I mention it is 4G LTE?

As a long-time blackberry user, I am still exploring and discovering applications and am continually surprised at the creativity and variety of apps available. I am going to highlight a few of my favorites, starting with No Root Screenshot It, which allows me to take the following screenshots of my home screen and the WordPress application I am using right now. I have had no issues taking screenshots after quickly finding out that not being able to do so was a key feature initially missing from the Razr Maxx.

Homescreen Screenshot

My personal favorites, excluding camera applications, in no particular order include Google Analytics, Transparent Screen, WordPress, Business Calendar, Google Sky Map, HootSuite and the clock widget app next to Twitter, titled Audio Recorder Machine, allowing surprise, instant audio recording!

Transparent Screen turns the rear camera into a live wallpaper for your phone, allowing you to literally watch your feet or see ahead of you if walking down the sidewalk while on your phone or texting, etc. The Analytics app is great, if you have or use Google Analytics, and Google Sky Map is great when out during the evenings.While I am talking to WordPress now, the talk to text function is also available anytime the keyboard pops up, including text messages, emails, and tweets, etc., and is accurate as long as you clearly enunciate the words.

A benefit, as a sports fan, is having access to team exclusive mobile applications, which are becoming increasingly popular, including the Los Angeles Kings. And after hearing constantly how blackberry had the best email service and features, I have only noticed a slight delay in certain emails which usually contain files or photos.

SportsCortex WordPress Screenshot

Another huge concern with smart phones, and tablets or any gadget really, is battery life, and the Droid Razr Maxx does not disappoint, with excellent battery performance even while running multiple applications. I would also recommend taking the time to set up battery conserving settings, rules and techniques via the Smart Actions or Juice Defender applications.

Well, great talking with you today, thank you for checking out my first mobile spoken blog post, I hope you are as excited about the future of mobile technology as I am.

**I did end up having to make some photo related edits from a computer regarding size and layout.

Follow @SportsCortex Follow @3pitchinning

Category : Google, Reviews, Technology

Tags : Droid, mobile, Razr Maxx, review, screenshots, technology, voice recognition, WordPress

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Google+, Is It Worth Taking the Time to ‘Hangout’?

by Andrew Mealiff

There are quite a variety of opinions regarding Google+, the growth it can achieve, the value it can deliver, and the future direction of the platform. Google claims G+ is their fastest growing product ever, now with 50 Million daily users, while the Wall Street Journal reports it as a ‘virtual ghost town‘ occupied by google employees. Either way, some brands, teams, and individuals are already gaining large followings and racking up +1′s while experimenting with how best to use G+, hangouts, and circles. I took the time to set up my profile but still spend the majority of my social time on Twitter, where my stream has been filled with news and updates about the new Facebook timeline, but G+ has been slowly growing on me and I think it is time to start hanging out.

Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in a social media panel at Biola University, and a question was asked about Google+. If someone is already spending their time building networks with already established profiles on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, is the time investment worth it on Google+? We agreed that creating a profile was a good idea, if only because you could put your mom in her own circle and it was very easy to set-up if already a Google user of Gmail or YouTube. After mentioning how the Dallas Cowboys, NY Giants, and even local TV stations were using the hangout feature, I admitted I had not yet participated in a hangout yet, mumbled something about how I couldn’t do it on my blackberry and decided this needed to change asap.

The following evening I jumped into a G+ chat hosted by Chris Yates and Charles Hogge which runs alongside the weekly #smsports chat on Twitter. Recognizing a few names from the weekly chat, I was within seconds listening to a live acoustic guitar performance as I started to check out the layout, which includes a chat, shared screen, and sharing YouTube videos. Less organized than the Q&A hangouts done by President Obama, David Beckham, or the New York Giants, it was very laid back, with a few participants also watching TV and any topic was fair game. It was a very unique experience, putting faces to names I had only seem on my twitter stream before and is a great way to build your personal network.

After experiencing the hangout on my computer, I wanted to see how it worked and looked from a phone, so I checked it out with the help of my buddy Eric Fleming. The mobile hangout was very cool, and I started imagining hanging out from a plane, a train, my couch, or even a ballpark depending on wi-fi availability. You can invite specific circles or friends, or start a public hangout anyone can join. (I have not been able to join larger hangouts from the Android Razr Maxx, as this type of hangout is ‘not yet supported on this device’)

The networking possibilities are fantastic, combining the hangout and the unique G+ circles feature, allowing exclusive content sharing, and hanging out, with specific groups of people. Getting the most out of this feature would take more of a time investment, but you can invite specific circles to hangout building upon relationships you have built via other social networks by adding a face to face chat. I know I will be spending more time on Google+ in 2012, especially utilizing the hangout feature since sports teams are slowly joining the party as well. I predict many opportunities for fans to hangout with their favorite athletes this year, and would you rather talk to an athlete on the phone or live video chat? Tweeting a phone number is a great idea, but look for more hangouts coming soon.