Page 11 of Taylor Martin articles, videos, reviews

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Have you found a use for NFC in your life?

Android When most people use the term "NFC", they are generally referring to an up-and-coming mobile payments system such as Google Wallet or the Isis efforts. However, NFC as a mobile payment option is actually threatened by various security...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 18

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I'm beginning to lose interest in everything Research In Motion does

Blackberry Os There was a point in time where I followed BlackBerry news almost religiously. I was a proud member of the CrackBerry Nation and followed every little tidbit of new and leaks from the Waterloo-based handset firm. I obsessed over...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 69 44 Reactions

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Despite so few details, are you already planning to buy the next iPhone?

Ios This industry has sped up tenfold since the pre-smartphone era, and because of that, it's difficult to stay content with a single device for more than a few months. We all are constantly looking to the future to see what it may bring and...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 263 179 Reactions

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Would you use a mid-sized tablet in lieu of a smartphone?

Android Earlier this month, I asked how many devices it takes everyone to get the job done. The question was originally asked by Google's own Tim Bray, who was asking because it seems we have so many different devices that overlap one another that...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 21

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Have you ever been the victim or recipient of a text messaging mishap?

Android In an attempt to smooth the rough transition from tactile, physical keyboards to the on-screen, soft keyboards of modern smartphones, developers implemented auto-correct software. In many cases, auto-correct can help weed out common...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 18 10 Reactions

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When paid apps go free …

Android I have the habit of compulsively buying a ton of apps and games. Most of the time, I buy them on impulse because I know I will change my mind if I give any consideration, and I may miss out on a fine application that could quickly find...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 3

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Do you splurge for devices with more storage?

Android Storage space on your smartphone, or lack thereof rather, isn't something many people lose sleep over at night. Unlike a computer or an external HDD, most people don't plan on storing their entire music and digital movie libraries on their...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 17

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What is the best Twitter client for Android?

Android One of the more common questions I get asked is about what applications I prefer. "What's your favorite Camera app?" Better yet, "What do you use for taking notes?" For the most part, I've answered all of those questions more than once...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 54 42 Reactions

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The predictive keyboard in Jelly Bean is great, but SwiftKey 3 is better

Android When announcing Jelly Bean, Android 4.1, Google's Hugo Barra took the stage to detail some of the new Android versions's most notable features. Among the plethora of new features – such as Project Butter, a refined notification shade and...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 13

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Oddly enough, the Nexus 7 has become my mobile gaming device of choice

Android It's pretty safe to say that I have high hopes for the future of mobile gaming. And as of late, those hopes have only grown. With OUYA, an Android-powered open console and gaming platform successfully seeking funding via Kickstarter, and...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 16

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It's never a bad idea to prepare for a lost or stolen phone

Android Having a phone for any length of time, it's easy to get attached to it, to grow accustomed to it being around and to grow comfortable with storing sensitive or personal information on it. But what if, in the blink of an eye, it were to...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 11

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AT&T's Mobile Share plans are just as bad as Verizon's Share Everything

4g In mid-June, Verizon Wireless announced their fresh and quickly approaching Share Everything plans. Just two weeks later, said plans went live, marking the end of grandfathered unlimited plans (for those who choose to upgrade when the time...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 22

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Do you prefer faster and smoother standard definition video over HD?

Android The large, widescreen displays on smartphones and tablets of today are perfect for watching and streaming media from virtually anywhere in the world, especially video content. Pocket-sized computers now come with radios that connect them...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 24

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I love phablets, but the LG Optimus Vu is atrocious

Android Prior to actually getting some hands-on time with the Galaxy Note, I was determined anyone who wanted a smartphone that size had lost their mind. A 5.3-inch phone? Why would anyone ever want that? Why not just get a small tablet instead?...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 23

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This is what it would take for me to stay with Windows Phone

Windows Phone 8 When Microsoft and Nokia joined forces last year, everyone knew the partnership could amount to something great. Nokia offered the differentiation and high-quality hardware Windows Phone needed to make it in the volatile smartphone market....

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 56

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How often do you switch phones?

Android Most people, when they go into their carrier store with the intention of buying a new cell phone, they plan to keep that phone for the next two years. In exchange for a smaller price tag, otherwise known as subsidization, the majority of...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 240 152 Reactions

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Do you use screen protectors to preserve your smartphone's display?

Android There are hundreds of components within your smartphone that make it run as smoothly and efficiently as it does. But all of that would be for nothing if it weren't for the giant, glorious display. A smartphone's display is easily one of...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 67

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GameTanium is the last thing I want for my Android devices

Android As I've explained several times now, I like to play games on my phones and tablets from time to time. Lately, I've been transfixed on Real Racing 2 HD, Dead Trigger and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 in my free time. I even picked up a copy of...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 10

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Will you be watching the London 2012 Olympic Games on your mobile device?

Android If there is one thing all of our gadgets are spectacular at, it's keeping us up-to-date on quite literally everything: friends and family, local and world news, our favorite sports teams and, of course, the latest phone news and reviews....

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 3

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I would only recommend three Android tablets and they are all made by ASUS

Android Most people dream about crazy, wild and unrealistic adventures. An epic underwater battle against a regiment of mermen riding seahorses, for instance, might be a typical dream for someone my age. Or they might have a remake of Die Hard...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 28

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Can you cope with the somewhat creepy context aware digital assistants?

Android When Apple bought the already fairly popular voice search-based artificially intelligent assistant app, Siri, they integrated it into their own iOS platform and revealed it to the world (a second time) as if we're brand new. Much of the...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 10

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Do you find software or hardware more important?

Android It's not hard to argue that Android is currently the driving force in mobile, both in hardware and software. More so than its counterparts, Android has always moved at breakneck pace. Android was the first mobile platform to utilize...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 36

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New Android phones on old software will become a thing of the past

Android Yesterday evening, Google pushed the official Jelly Bean update to the unlocked version of the Galaxy Nexus by Samsung, finally making the 4.1 version of Android available to non-attendees of the Google I/O 2012 conference. But this was...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 19

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Why do smartphone OEMs face so much adversity when making quality cameras?

Android When people talk or write about smartphone cameras, you often hear them reference the popular saying: "The best camera is the one you have with you." That saying is mostly a half-truth. It's better to snag some picture over missing a shot...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 30

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OUYA could unintentionally turn Android into a serious gaming platform

Android If you compare today's mobile games with those from just two or three years ago, you can see a vast and very clear change in the approach from developers. It's not all about side-scrolling time wasters anymore. With each and every...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 10

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How many devices does it take?

Android As our lives become more enveloped by ever-improving, ever-evolving, ever-more capable technology, extra devices tend to seep into our lives to fill every possible nook and cranny. One might carry a laptop everywhere they go only to be an...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 120 82 Reactions

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Google Nexus 7 Written Review by Taylor

Android Of all the devices we here at PhoneDog have managed to get out paws on, the Google Nexus 7 has to be one of the most interesting and surprising. We had been hearing since the end of CES 2012 in January that Google had partnered with ASUS...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 9

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Jelly Bean for 7-inch tablets is a confused, bipolar hybrid

Android Two weeks ago, I touched on the topic of 7-inch tablets. I had tried three 7-inch tablets as personal devices and found them to be too "in between" or "supplementary" to replace the likes of the iPad or even larger Android slabs. Last...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 32

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Do you prefer a unibody design over the alternative?

Android If you take a broad gander at the current smartphone market and all it has to offer, a lot of the options are beginning to look a lot alike. Most smartphones are large, sleek, black slabs that are often composed of remarkably similar...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 45

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If the Amazon phone is anything like the Kindle Fire, I will gladly pass

Android Following major announcements from Microsoft, Apple, Google, Research In Motion and countless other tech companies, we're beginning to enter the mid-year lull in which rumors abound. A great deal of said rumors focus around Amazon, who...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 5