Tag Archives: phone

The “Woz” Said What?

Posted on January 17, 2012 by JMarsden| Leave a comment

I have moved through many different types of phones over the past many years.  The Android OS is by far the best that I have worked with.  I have played with an IPhone a few times, but never was impressed with it.  Reading the various sources that I do I ran into this very interesting piece.  Check it out and then tell me what you think.  I smell the eventual downfall of the IPhone.

I never thought I would hear the day when an Apple exec would ever say anything of the sort.  It just goes to show that executives actually do have a mind of their own.

The co-founder of Apple,  Steve Wozniak said in an interview this week with The Daily Beast that his main phone is an iPhone, but also said the Android does more!

“My primary phone is the iPhone,” Woz says. “I love the beauty of it. But I wish it did all the things my Android does, I really do.”

androidflickr user renatomitra

Wozniak said that while the iPhone is simpler to use, the Siri system has problems with tasks the Android’s voice command system has no problem handling.   He points out these Android advantages: “Getting directions to a restaurant; placing phone calls; getting more life out of a battery charge.”  Says Woz;  “if you’re willing to do the work to understand it a little bit, well I hate to say it, but there’s more available in some ways.”

iphoneflickr user renatomitra

Wozniak says he’s been a user of Apple’s voice-recognition software, Siri,  for a long time,  before it was a built in app in the iPhone. He said in the Daily Beast article that he used to love it when it was an independent application.  But ever since Apple bought Siri and built the software into the iPhone 4S, it doesn’t work as well as it used to.

Posted in Android Stuff

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MagicJack Plus Second Week Review

Posted on November 6, 2011 by JMarsden| Leave a comment

Around my house we have been going through almost everything trying to cut bills.  One of our most recent cuts was our home phone service.  We were paying Verizon @$35 per month for a phone number with NO long distance.

First I checked out the Sprint phone system that goes onto your Sprint cellular account.  After finding out that there was a $20 charge monthly I quickly decided against it.  I recently heard the quality of this service while talking to someone.  I am very glad that I didn’t go that route.  It sounded like the other party was talking through a tin can.

What I did was I went online and did some research on the NEW MagicJack Plus unit.  The first thing I did was to make sure that my home number could be ported over.  Yes.  The next thing was to confirm faxing capability.  Yes.

magicjack

Let’s talk about savings…

The cost for MagicJack Plus service is $29.99 per year.

Installation was a snap.  Plug the MagicJack Plus into the computer, and register the unit.  Then take the unit and plug it directly into your router.  No other work needs to be done.  After that you can go to the My MagicJack site to configure anything else you need.

With that being said I must forewarn everyone so that they avoid aggravation later.

Magicjack Plus is capable of faxing.  The hitch is that the fax machine needs to be capable of auto speed changing.  This is common with most run of the mill fax machines.  I have a Magicolor 4690MF that will probably work, but being I haven’t found the correct sequence of changes to the TX settings I had to put my old fax/printer online just for faxing.

With all the money we are trying to save we should be able to keep living the way we are, but the difference is that the economy isn’t going to make me a statistic.  Maybe this year I will even get to send out holiday cards because I can actually afford them this year.

I will update everyone again in a few more weeks after I have tried it out a bit longer.

Posted in Economy

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No Way Sprint. Keep Your IPhone.

Posted on October 20, 2011 by JMarsden| Leave a comment

Now that Sprint has released the IPhone we have toying with the idea of allowing our daughter to change out her phone for one.  What I didn’t know was a lot of information that my mother gave me the other day.  From my understanding the IPhone requires a special protection plan, and on top of that when something goes wrong with one then you need to take it back to a Apple store.

This has caused me to rethink the entire situation.  I have enough nightmares with the Sprint store in Brick, NJ.  I don’t feel that I should be getting a phone from Sprint, and having to take it to another retailer for servicing when necessary.

This is direct from the Sprint site…

$99 for 2 years Applecare.

-Includes 2 accidental repairs & $49 service fee on top of each of those 2.

The original situation came because my daughter wanted a IPod Touch 16gb.  This was only because her friends have IPod Touch units.  She has an Android phone.  It does everything that an IPod does.  I just don’t understand the mind of my child.

Posted in Children

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