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  • Jelly Bean for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 in this century?

    Samsung does not have a great track for providing platform upgrades for Android or Windows Phone devices. However, I had a slim glimmer of hope that my Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 tablet might get Jelly Bean when I saw this update screen appear a few days ago. Alas, it was only some kind of minor stability update from Samsung.

    So, I tweeted a question to @SamsungMobileUS asking them about an update. You can see their response to me in the screenshot below: @toddogasawara We don’t have any information on this update just yet, but stay tuned for news!

  • New T-Mobile unlimited data plan does not include tethering

    The new T-Mobile unlimited 4G data plan that starts on September 5 appears like a great deal for $20 or $30 a month when paired with a matching voice plan.

    However, if you want to tether a WiFi device to your T-Mobile 4G phone, you should be aware that the new unlimited plan does not include tethering. In fact, you need to fall back to one of the existing 3G/4G plans if you plan to tether. The good news is that tethering is available at no extra cost with the current limited 3G/4G plans. Here’s what T-Mobile USA’s public relations firm told me when I asked about tethering and the new unlimited plan.

    No, the Unlimited Nationwide 4G plans don’t allow tethering. Customers who want to connect multiple devices to one data plan can opt for one of T-Mobile’s existing 5GB or 10GB Classic or Value plans, which include the Smartphone Mobile HotSpot (tethering) feature at no additional charge.

  • App updates for my iPhone or iPad in the past week: 48


    Forty-eight (48) apps were updated for my iPhone or iPad in the past week. Here’s a summary of the updates I found interesting.
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  • Nice Nexus 7 case with magnetic sleep/wake & tip of the hat to BSCstore

    The $13 MoKo(TM) Slim Cover Case for Google Nexus 7 (left in the photo) is nice case at an amazingly low price. The only disappointment was that it did not have the advertised ability to sleep and wake the Nexus 7 because it lacked the magnet to work with the Hall Effect Sensor in the tablet. However, within 24 hours of receiving the case (which worked fine otherwise), I received an email from the vendor BSCstore (sold through Amazon) acknowledging the problem and promising to ship a replacement case free of charge. I received a second email a few days later asking me which of several cases I would like to get as a replacement. I chose the MoKo(TM) 360 Degree Rotatory Detachable Cover Case for Google Nexus 7 (right in the photo) which, I learned later, is a $16 case.
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  • 8,000,000+ steps on my Fitbit

    I just passed the 8 million step mark on my Fitbit activity monitor (3622 miles). I also just passed the 5500 floor mark (5510 and, uh, climbing). The total step mark is based on using both the original Fitbit and, later, the second generation Fitbit Ultra. Only the Ultra model measures floor counts.

  • Thumbs up! 1st gen Intel-based MacBook battery still at 79% capacity

    I still fire up my first generation 13-inch Intel-based MacBook now and then to update software (it is now stuck forever with Snow Leopard as its OS, however) and check its battery – the original one. At age 75 months (6 years, 3 months), it still is (a) working and (b) has a respectable 79% of its original charge capacity according to the coconutBattery meter. The MacBook itself is still surprisingly useable for something with a “mere” 2GHz CoreDuo processor, 1GB RAM, and a 60GB hard drive.