Page 13 of Taylor Martin articles, videos, reviews

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Apple, ditch Notification Center for Dashboard on iOS already!

Ios Last June, Apple took the stage for their annual Worldwide Developers Conference and made several new hardware and software announcements to developers and fanatics alike. Updated MacBooks and iPods were revealed, along with an upgrade...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 24

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Would you use your phone to withdraw cash from an ATM?

Android I am all for letting my smartphone do everything it possibly can. I use it for all the typical smartphone stuff like emailing, browsing the Web, Facebook, tweeting, taking pictures and notes, etc. I even use it for mobile banking, paying...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 10

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A Microsoft-built Windows RT tablet may be my next big purchase

Tablets I find it difficult to get excited over Windows-related news these days. Windows 8, for instance, looks pretty nice. It's a much-needed refresh of the aging operating system that is Windows, whose core user interface hasn't radically...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 15

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I hate when great apps and services get bought

Android The mobile industry, much like all other industries, is constantly contracting and expanding. Thousands of startups flood the market, a larger company likes a startup's idea and said startup gets acquired. And so begins an acquisition race...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 5

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Should manufacturers do more to keep new phones under wraps?

Android Rumors and leaks are one of the larger driving forces in this industry. Hundreds of phones are released each year and the prying eyes of the tech journos are searching the far corners of the Internet for any information they can get their...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 46 24 Reactions

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This Apple patent application will make iPhonographers happy

Android Over the last few years smartphone camera technology has come a very long way. It is now to the point that some seriously impressive images can be taken with a pocketable smartphone. Each generation of smartphones is being fitted with...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 4

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Is HTC finally starting to get the gist of how Android works?

Android What used to be one of the most unique aspects of Android was choice. Devices, much to the dismay of manufacturers, come in three tiers that have sort of self-formed over the years: high-end, mid-range and low-end. Name your price and you...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 60 23 Reactions

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Verizon's Share Everything plans are the last thing I want

4g On three of the nation's four largest carriers, unlimited data finally saw its way out last year and was immediately replaced by less-than-desirable tiered data plans. The move was a rather poor attempt at alleviating some of the stress...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 95

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Though still a gimmick, I may actually start using Siri

Ios Around this time last year, Apple announced the current version of iOS, version 5.0. During the announcement, Apple revealed that iOS 5 came packed with over 200 new features, such as Newsstand, Twitter integration and Notification Center,...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 9

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Do you care about interface changes in major software updates?

Android Some would say the actual appearance of a mobile operating system's interface plays a major role in their opinion of it. For most of us who care to take the time to read and/or write about phones, that's probably true. If an phone's...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 25

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Are multi-core processors really detrimental to the Android experience?

Android In light of mobile platforms that operate as smooth as butter, such as iOS or Windows Phone, performance of Android devices has been under constant scrutiny. In the two most recent Android versions and by the hand of chip manufacturers,...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 17

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Is iOS 6 the 'world's most advanced mobile operating system'?

Ios Heading into the WWDC keynote this year, we had a pretty good idea as for what to expect. There has been talk of slimmer and lighter MacBooks with Retina Displays, new Macs and even the possibility of a smaller iPad for some time now. And...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 237 92 Reactions

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I am beginning to miss the universal inbox from BlackBerry OS

Android I'm part of a dying breed; I actually miss the BlackBerry days. While I'm finally starting to get over the waning importance of the physical keyboard, there are quite a few features of BlackBerry OS that I find myself missing more each and...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 10

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Last-minute feature requests for iOS 6

Ios We've been expecting the next major iOS upgrade, predicting new features that may come and anticipating updates or redesigns of existing ones. Many expected the software upgrade, iOS 6, would be debuted at the Worldwide Developers...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 77 50 Reactions

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I might open a third line for the Virgin Mobile iPhone

Ios At long last, Apples ever-popular iPhone crossed a major threshold last month, at least in the U.S. On June 22, the iPhone 4 and 4S will officially be offered as pre-paid devices on Cricket Wireless. So, what's the catch? Instead of...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 36

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I'll take my home screen in portrait, please!

Android Unless you have a smartphone with a QWERTY slider, chances are you spend most of your time using the device in portrait mode. When you're in the browser application, you can squeeze more information on the screen in the same space. And if...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 27

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Will Samsung's strong LTE patent portfolio hurt Apple's next iPhone sales?

Android If you thought the mobile patent wars would quickly subside once Google's purchase of Motorola Mobility was completed, think again. Even with previous patent lawsuits settled, others coming to a close and some even being thrown out, Apple...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 46

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Microsoft's dual module phone concept is awesome

Windows Phone 7 While they wait for Windows Phone to finally gain more traction in the market, Microsoft is hard at work innovating. Or, well, at least filing for some pretty intriguing patents. Specifically, two separate filings with the U.S. Patent and...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 6

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Is the HTC One X better than Samsung's Galaxy S III?

Android In the world of Android, there are two major hardware manufacturers who are constantly battling back and forth for the love and adoration of mobile consumers. Samsung and HTC are easily two of the most recognizable brands when it comes to...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 412 154 Reactions

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I hope the leaked parts for the next iPhone are not real

Ios It's that time again. It's June and rumors of the upcoming iPhone are in full swing; it's almost as if new information, pictures and pieces of the puzzle are making headlines every day. Just last month, we got a first look at what many...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 22

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My need for tactile and haptic feedback is fading

Android Two years ago, if you had asked me if I preferred typing on a touchscreen over a physical keyboard (BlackBerry-style only, of course), the answer would have been simple. Not a chance. No way. Absolutely not. My smartphone journey began...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 9

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Why is TomTom even bothering with Android?

Android Over the years, the internal GPS radio found in smartphones has made navigation capabilities one of my primary, must-have features in a smartphone. And it has effectively removed the need to stow an emergency GPS in the dashboard of my...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 11

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Can we expect a better mobile Drive experience soon?

Android I would assume most people still use tablets and iPads primarily for entertainment. Their big, high-res displays are great for watching movies, casually browsing the Web and even playing a few leisure games. But there is definitely a...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 2

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The Galaxy S III is a major win for Samsung over U.S. carriers

Android Early this morning, official news on release dates of Samsung's latest flagship device, the Galaxy S III, hit the press. Beginning in June, the Galaxy S III will launch on five U.S. carriers. Pre-orders for the Galaxy S III for Verizon and...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 56

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Thanks to my last few gadgets, I'm a snobbish pixel junkie

Android Arguably one of the most important features of a smartphone or tablet is its display. While a device's internal specs and software most certainly make a difference, the display is the part of the phone (or tablet) you will pay the most...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 17

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Why must we wait for data-only smartphone plans?

Android When you walk into a carrier store and purchase a phone, you also purchase a rate plan to go with said phone. If the phone is of the smartphone type, you must also pick a data plan. And if you plan on text messaging with your friends and...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 30 9 Reactions

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I would pay for major application updates

Android Yesterday afternoon, our own Evan Selleck asked a very intriguing question: Are you willing to pay for app updates? He explained that we mobile users have come to expect updates, in both applications and mobile platforms, totally free of...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 10

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Does your mobile tech addiction affect your physical or mental health?

Android Most people don't like admitting being addicted to anything. Addiction implies weakness, a dependence on something, the need of an external force or substance to keep life fun, exciting, bearable, etc. And when we think of the term...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 23

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Do you want a smartphone with a two-sided, transparent display?

Android Let's be honest, what geek wasn't drooling while sitting in an IMAX theather with their 3D glasses on watching Tony Stark answer a video call from the occupant in the elevator in the Stark skyscraper in The Avengers? The phone Stark was...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 62 50 Reactions

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Could the Cricket iPhone foretell a better prepaid device selection?

Android Wireless service isn't cheap, at least not for many postpaid customers. Services start to add up rather quickly when you own a smartphone and want all the bells and whistles (more minutes, unlimited texting, tiered data plans, hotspot...

from 2012 by Taylor Martin 10