Author: BrothaTech

AT&T Gets Aggressive and Offers iPhone for $49

by BrothaTech

“Money Talks” is what I would presume AT&T is thinking by aggressively reducing the cost of an 8GB Apple iPhone 3GS down to just $49 online and at more than 2,200 U.S. retail stores.

“We want to deliver the best, most complete package for our customers – from price, to speed, to worldwide access and more…” explained the chief marketing officer at AT&T.

The offer is available for current and new customers, and you will have to sign a two-year agreement, but $49 bucks for a 3G smartphone, specifically an iPhone…designed by Apple; is a good deal. Time will tell if this new offer is good enough to divert just some of the attention that existing and potential customers might be giving AT&T’s major U.S. carriers in the next couple of weeks.

Samsung MobilePrint adds Mobile Printing from Android and iOS Devices

by BrothaTech

HP was first to build AirPrint capabilities into select HP printers for mobile users who want to print directly from their iOS devices. Now Samsung has unveiled its MobilePrint app for Android and iOS devices that allow direct printing all WiFi and network-enabled Samsung printers. The MobilePrint app allows users to print emails, web pages, maps, photos, and Microsoft Office and PDF files faster when traveling for business, working remotely, or visiting with friends and family.

Announced at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the MobilePrint app will detect and connect directly to Samsung wireless printers in the area via WiFi or a network link. Samsung Mobile Print/Scan app users can then print directly from their devices with the click of a button, eliminating the hassle of driver installations and network configurations.

The MobilePrint app will also allow for mobile devices to see images that were scanned by a local Samsung Printer. Users can quickly review and edit documents that have been scanned into a local Samsung printer. Using this feature, mobile devices can detect documents scanned to a local multifunction printer or, alternatively, be sent the scanned document by the MFP user.

The Samsung MobilePrint app is available for Android smartphones, Android tablets and iOS devices and can be downloaded from the relevant application store or marketplace.

Three New AT&T 4G Phones Announced at CES

by BrothaTech
left to right: Samsung Infuse, HTC Inspire, and Motorola Atrix

This post is more of an update to my earlier post about the HTC Inspire 4G phone and the addition of the Motorola Atrix 4G and the Samsung Infuse 4G that will be available for AT&T customers sometime in the first quarter of 2011. Both are 4G phones and will run on the 4G HSPA+ network as AT&T starts to deploy it’s 4G LTE network in mid 2011.

The HTC Inspire 4G is a Single-core 1GHz Snapdragon processor; 4.3 inch 800×480 resolution screen; front and back cameras with 720p playback; and will be running the Android “Froyo” 2.2 OS.

The Motorola Atrix 4G will be one of the first smartphones to boast a dual-core Tegra processor; with a 4.1 inch 480×854 resolution screen (back down to human-size); with 1080p playback and front and back cameras (pretty much the standard nowadays)

The “Big Daddy” in terms of sheer size is the Samsung Infuse 4G with it’s hefty 4.5 inch screen. The Infuse will have a 1.2GHz processor and and will features a Super AMOLED screen with new technology that is supposed to cut down on glare in the sunlight. The Infuse will also run Android 2.2.

There you have it, AT&T wants to win over the Android folks (just in case “Big Red” does pick up the iPhone) with its announcement of three new 4G phones at CES. We will have to wait and see how smooth they work over AT&T’s HSPA+ network.

Rolling Stone Magazine Outs AT&T 4G Phone, 4G Network Soon To Follow?

by BrothaTech
We see you back there

[photo credit: Android Central]

Yeah, you heard me – It looks like Rolling Stone Magazine got the drop on all of the geeky, tech, sites where you would normally expect info like this to come from.

If you’re a smartphone addict like me, then you should be aware of all the current and upcoming HTC Android OS 4G phones depicted in the Rolling Stone ad:

– HTC EVO (Sprint)
– HTC G2 (T Mobile)
– And the recently announced HTC Thunderbolt (Verizon).

The “new kid on the block” (showing my age) that appears in the back of the other phones in the ad is the HTC Inspire from AT&T. If AT&T is willing to let Rolling Stone of all publications drop tech goodness like AT&T’s first 4G phone, then AT&T’s 4G network couldn’t be too far behind….Right?

All My 2011 CES attendess, keep an eye on HTC and AT&T and let us know (via the comments section) if they announce anything during the conference.

Update: the folks over at BGR have the details on an AT&T LTE (4G) announcement at CES today. (Now that makes more sense)

Scan QR Code and Make Payments with Mobio App

by BrothaTech

If you haven’t seen on of these…

Then you haven’t been paying attention to the internet over the past year or so. They are called QR Codes and simply put, they give users access to the information encoded on the image by simply scanning the image using your smartphone’s camera and a QR Code reader app. Instead of typing a long url or manually adding a new contact, just create a code and other mobile users can scan it and automatically gain access to the encoded information quicker than typing on a tiny smartphone keyboard.

The Mobio QR Reader app not only gives users the ability to scan the codes automatically (no taking a picture first), but now you can make mobile payments to anyone who accepts “Mobio” by simply scanning a code that corresponds with your purchase.

Once you download the app, create a profile, and enter your financial information, Mobio organizes all of your transactions through one trusted device. No more credit cards or wallets, data entry or passwords. Mobio is not just smartphone user-based, businesses and organizations can reach out to a broader “mobile” audience by offering Mobio payments to patrons. Using easily (and securely) encoded and scanned QR code technology, Mobio makes identity management and protection simple and convenient for both individuals and organizations, resulting in increased value from purchases and better management of all interactions.

The Mobio QR Code Reader app is a free download for both iPhone and Android mobile devices. For more information, visit the Mobio Website.

myPhoneDesktop links your Desktop to Your iDevice

by BrothaTech

As good as mobile technology is getting these days, it’s still quicker and more efficient to access the web, data, files and other content via a laptop or desktop. The faster processor, full keyboard, the WAN or WiFi connection and the larger screen make it the best way to get what you need.

But what do you do when you actually need to send something from your computer to your mobile device. Surprisingly, items like pictures, website addresses, and other information is still being sent via email to be opened up on a mobile device. Sure with online services like Dropbox and Evernote, and Instapaper, you can synchronize these items across your devices. But you still need to mess with your mobile device to make a call, or send a text message.

That’s where myPhoneDesktop fills the gap and offers a way to quickly send data from your computer to your iDevice (iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad) and handle other tasks that would otherwise keep you tied to your phone. With myPhoneDesktop, you can:

– Call any telephone number from any application or web browser…

– Send complicated url with Map’s location or route to your iPad or iPhone in seconds…

– Simplify sending a long SMS to your friend, colleague or a client…

– Bring your notes or large amount of text with you in seconds…

– Send Images or Photos to your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch from any application or web browser…

By downloading the myPhoneDesktop app to your iDevice and the desktop client to your computer, you can link your devices together to quickly send content to your device and increase work flow. If you are on-the-go or not at your own computer (Hotel, Internet Cafe or Local Library), you can use convenient and full-featured myPhoneDesktop Web Client that works in numerous browsers.

I do a great deal of app reviews, and there are times when I come across an app on my laptop that I want to download to my iPad, but don’t have a way to connect my iPad to my computer to sync the app in iTunes. With myPhoneDesktop, I can send the iTunes link to my iPad and go directly to the app in the App store without a bunch of fuss.

So quit emailing stuff to yourself and download myPhoneDesktop ($4.99 in iTunes App Store, OS 3.0 and up)

Android Owners Can Now Forward App Purchases to AT&T Bill

by BrothaTech

The problem with allowing users to download apps from anywhere is there is no centralized way to bill customers for their purchases. So if you ever did run across a paid Android app (is there such a thing) that you needed, you had to whip out your wallet and enter your CC information using the tiny phone keyboard – Swipe or not, that can get tired real quick.

The Android Market and AT&T has stepped their game up and announced the availability of AT&T Direct Carrier Billing for Android users on the AT&T network. AT&T Android users can now easily charge their Android Market purchases to their monthly accounts with only a few clicks.

From the Android developer’s blog:

We strongly believe carrier billing is a great way to make it easy for users to purchase and pay for applications. In addition to the availability of AT&T and T-Mobile US carrier billing, we’ll continue to partner with more carriers to offer carrier billing options for their subscribers.

This is especially advantageous for Google because it could solidify The Android Market as the sole location for apps in the minds of users, if they can purchase and download apps easier than from any other location. That in turn could give Google more resources to, I dunno, create an actual online Android Market where users can view, learn more about, and send apps to their phones from their big computer/laptop monitors?

*Just a suggestion*

Motorola Tablet Teaser Video

by BrothaTech
Motorola Tablet Rear View?

Word on the street is that our very own Mario Armstrong will be reporting live from Vegas at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show

(Jealous much?)

If I could add one request to the many devices, gadgets, and products that Mario has on his “I must demo this” list for CES, It would be the new Motorola Tablet that will be unveiled during the event. Right now, all I’ve have been able to dig up about the Tablet is that it will have the new Android Honeycomb OS that is tailored specifically for tablets, and will have a 10″ screen – That should put it in DIRECT competition with the Apple iPad that even with some of the latest tablet releases (Dell Streak and Samsung Galaxy Tab) STILL sits alone at the top of “Tablet Mountain”

Motorola hopes to change that, and has released a down-right sexy teaser ad that goes right at the iPad…and pretty much every single type of tablet in recorded history in order to create some buzz.

Check out the video and tell me what you think

Stay tuned to SmallBizGoMobile as more details surface!

Official WordPress app for Windows Phone 7

by BrothaTech

WordPress for WP7 Actions ScreenAny brave bloggers out there grab the first iteration of the Windows Phone? If so, WordPress has released an official app for WP7 devices that from the images, looks pretty sweet.

Looks aside, WordPress for WP7 doesn’t bring anything extraordinary to the table outside of now being available to WP7 users. So heavy mobile bloggers should be able to add their blog and navigate the new app with no troubles. But just in case there are some newbies to mobile blogging with WordPress, here is just a short list of the options available for mobile users:

– Create/edit posts and pages
– Manage multiple blogs
– Add Media to library
– Moderate comments
– View stats

Whether you’re blogging as a personal hobby, to get more exposure for your business, or blog as a business, you want access to your WordPress site while your on the go just in case you’re inspired to post a pic, video, or quick story to your site as soon as the moment presents itself. With the WordPress app now available for WP7 devices, the Microsoft faithful can join the “Big Three” (Apple, Android & BlackBerry) users who can share and exchange valuable information with WordPress blog subscribers…whenever and wherever.

Create a Mobile App For Your Business with No Coding with Majoobi

by BrothaTech

With the Majoobi application platform and HTML5, “developers” can create visually appealing, functionality rich applications that run on different devices – No coding or middle man App Stores required. Since Majoobi is HTML5 based, iPhone & and Android users can visit your app’s url and bookmark your app on their device.

The Majoobi App Builder is an online tool that enables publishers to easily build and customize their applications without any coding. You can use RSS, Photos, Twitter & Facebook feeds, YouTube videos and other sources to stock your website with content in a matter of minutes (make sure the content is yours or you’re approved to use it). With the App Builder template, you can customize your app with colors, fonts, etc. to make it an original app that exemplifies your business in mobile fashion.

With Majoobi, you can create multiple apps and anyone can create an app. You can even submit to an App Store for more exposure, but it is definitely not a requirement. With Majoobi, you can develop and distribute your app on your own terms. Since there is no real download and the app uses HTML5, your visitors will need a data connection to use your app, versus a traditional app can make use of offline content to function. But hey, who uses a smartphone without coverage?

Majoobi also offers detailed analytics and statistical reports that allow you to track and analyze how people use your app. Geo-locations, visitor reports and many others are available to better measure effectiveness and optimize performance.

Majoobi is free to use, but there is a pricing schedule if you want to take your app to the next level with your own domain name for example. This an other features are available if you decide to upgrade, but with the free version, you can be up and running in no time with only minimal “sweat equity” invested.

For those who want to reach out to the “always connected” user that lives on their smartphone but are intimidated by the ideal of app development; Majoobi can get on your business on the radar of mobile users regardless of the device the are using with no coding needed.