The widely popular WebComic XKCD has a great comic today asking the age old question “Where is my flying car?”
No seriously I kinda have to agree, Don’t you?
No its not really news, No its not really Android specific, But we all need a laugh now and then and who doesn’t like the occasional Angry Birds reference
I’ve been hearing a lot of talk about Verizon’s LTE 4G network. And yes, I actually said 4G, because it is, despite what some people have told us. I’ve heard some say T-Mobile’s HSPA+ isn’t “4G” because the speeds aren’t quite up to par yet, as with Sprint’s WiMax network. Well, those two may or may not be, but I can assure you that LTE IS 4G. Why? It’s simple: speed. Verizon has what T-mobile and Sprint lack: the actual speed to back up their “theoretical” claims. Average speeds were clocked at 5 to 12 Mbps download, and 2 to 5 Mbps upload.
Sure, Sprint was the first out of the 4G gate with the Evo, and Tmobile soon followed suit with the G2 and MyTouch 4G. But now it’s Verizon’s turn. They have yet to release an LTE device, although I’m willing to bet that may very well change after CES. All assumptions aside, at the moment, Verizon has the fastest 4G network. There’s just one little problem with that: it won’t last very long. True, LTE produces speeds that blow Tmo and Sprint out of the water, but we have to keep in mind that there’s LITTLE TO NO TRAFFIC on Verizon’s LTE network at the moment. The reason for this is obviously stated above, that there’s not an LTE-capable device out there right now save for Verizon’s 4G USB modem.
After CES, expect Verizon’s speeds to drop, fast. Because after CES, there’s most likely going to be several LTE Android phones available on Verizon, and they will sell like hotcakes dipped in gold.
Once the device become popular, Verizon will learn about this magic thing call “traffic” and how it slows down a network. Are they ready for it? We’ll just have to wait and see. But one thing’s for sure: the 4G Wars are on, and Verizon is in the lead.. for now.
Image Credit: Chang W. Lee/The New York Times
Discover Financial Services has over the last few years conducted consumer holiday shopping surveys to gauge interest in what is being purchased and spending habits. This year has proven to show some interesting results from what I read in their report. Some 38% of respondents said they would be spending less this year which is a 5% drop from last years 43%.
“Consumers are beginning to feel more confident, and hopefully, that should bring some holiday cheer to retailers,” said Dana Traci, vice president of rewards and product management from Discover. “We’re seeing stronger confidence in shopping, but consumers are still looking for great deals and continue to be mindful of their budgets.”
The trend continues where shoppers determine what brands they are shopping for this year as well, in 2009 57% of those surveyed said they would be shopping for cheaper brands as opposed to this years 31%. Thats a pretty significant drop but what that doesn’t tell you is that quite possibly there will be less money available to retailers and OEM’s, for instance if a consumer spent $2000 on gifts in 2009 and primarily shopped inexpensive brands they would have gotten more compared to spending $2000 in 2010 on the high end or more expensive brands meaning less total items being purchased even though the same amount of money is involved! Is this a good trend? I’m not going to speculate on that, just that its happening and could actually mean fewer purchases in the larger scheme of things. What really surprises me is the comparison of 2009 vs 2010 6% of those surveyed said they planned to re-gift items this year down from a whopping 17% last year! There was also a 12% drop in those that planned to wait until the last minute for deals down to 23% from 35%.
Now where actual purchase intentions and what consumers want shows some very interesting data in my opinion, When purchasers were considering smartphones 44% advised they were looking to purchase an iPhone, 42% an Android powered smartphone and third at 34% was Blackberry. Consumer Electronics topped peoples wish lists at 44% while only 32% of those surveyed said they would be purchasing them as gifts, what was tops for purchasers? You guessed it Apparel, I guess Aunt Louise is getting everyone scarves and socks again this year! Take a more in depth look at the data after the break. Continue reading “Discover Holiday Shopping Survey Shows Surprising Results” »
It’s 36 deg
rees on the football field of Havre de Grace High School. The Varsity football teams of the Havre de Grace High School Warriors and the Bohemia Manor High School Eagles take to the field, the winner moves forward to the state championship semi-finals. The air is lung-numbing cold, but that doesn’t stop proud students, players, family and friends from missing the game. Yours truly included.
“Okay, wait. What does this have to do with Android?”
Not a damn thing. As all of our readers know by now, I usually reserve the middle of the week for my op-ed column. But not this week. This week, I dedicate my column to the BoManor Eagles, who have taken this season by storm. The virtual underdogs of their division, the Eagles have shown every team they have faced the will, determination, and overall grit it takes to win. And win they did, from full-range blowouts to variances of a few points. In fact, the Eagles had one of the best records in their division of 12-2. Amongst the leaders of the team were my two boys; the younger, a junior on Special Teams and defensive tackle who can lay a player twice his size out flat, and the older, a senior wide receiver and cornerback with hands made of glue and hydraulics for legs.
A close game throughout, late in the fourth quarter, the score is tied 34-34. With a little more than four minutes to go, the Warriors score on a long pass into the end zone, which sailed just above my oldest sons’ fingertips. Demoralized and disappointed, the Eagles attempted to rally back, but two interceptions on two subsequent drives sealed the deal for BoManor. The second devastating loss of the season, the Eagles lost 40-34.
As the players marched off the field, heads hung in disappointment and sadness, the oldest, clad in red and black Under Armour, walks up to my lady, his mother, drops his gear, and wrapped his arms around her, tears streaming down his face. He then turns to me, wrapping his arms around me, crying on my shoulder. There are very few times that I will shed a tear, much less cry all out; this moment, this time with him at his lowest, was one of them. I looked him in his eye after a moment and told him, “Hold your head up high son. You played a great game, and had a great season. I couldn’t be any more proud of you.”
And so ends another great season of football, and for my oldest, the last for his high school years. The younger still has one more year, and we both hope that he makes the best of it. I dedicate this article and Corona to the Bohemia Manor Eagles varsity football team. Thanks for a great season boys. You deserve this drink…
Great news! AndroidDose.com and Androidfeens.com have teamed up to give you the chance to win a choice of cases! All you need to do is give a caption to the picture posted below. Credit for the picture goes to Clay (@htcclay) for posting to Twitter today. This contest will end at 12:00 a.m. EST, Tuesday, November 16th, right after “Android After Dark”, at which time we will select three (3) winners. So put your funniest thinking caps on, and give us your best caption in the comments! We only ask that they’re clean; keep the bad ones on the back burner.
So what case can you win? A case for the Droid X, the HTC Incredible, the HTC Aria, or the Motorola i1, provided by our friends at Androidfeens.com. Alright already, we’ll stop with the formalities. In the picture below, we have a police officer stopping a Dunkin’ Donuts truck and talking to the driver. Talk about a stereotype!
UPDATE: Well, it seems like we have our winners. Who are they? Here’s the list:
Justin Marden: “Excuse me sir, i’m going to need to inspect your inventory.. to make sure there’s nothing illegal back there.”
Shannon: “Daily quota fulfilled with single traffic stop. Local precinct chief hails officer for keeping his eyes open!”
Michael Kruback: “Sir I think you know “how to get out of this.”
On behalf of AndroidDose and AndroidFeens, we thank you for leaving your comments and captions. Hopefully we’ll be able to do this again sometime soon! We’ll be getting in touch with the winners shortly!
