With today’s updated iPhone app, the team at Buffer has officially announced their support for the iPhone device.  This helps round out platforms that support the service.  Buffer’s blog states “The great thing is that we have completed our full range of mobile products with the iPhone App.  Our Android App, that has been out for a few months, has received some great responses, sending close to 15,000 updates every day.” (source) 

Buffer allows you to schedule tweets for release at certain times of the day so you don’t flood your followers at any point.  It was great if you were browsing the web and working at a computer.  However, if you were working or reading on your iphone or ipad, it was not as easy to schedule and manage your buffered tweets from those devices.

Where to get it - App Store.

Do you use buffer or any similar tweet scheduling service?   Please share in the comments.

Lance

If the computer breaks, the network won’t connect or a cell phone is acting funny, the family calls me. I’ve worked in and around technology development for nearly 20 years. I’m a tech, information and football fanatic with a short attention span who is always trying out new things and sharing information about them with others. In my “free” time, I enjoy drawing, photography, writing, watching anime and spending time with my family. Follow me on Twitter | Facebook

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Two of the world`s biggest smartphone manufacturers are having to deal with battery-related woes this month, earning the ire of owners and struggling to push out updates that will solve the issues.

The first firm to come under fire was Apple, whose iPhone 4S handset has only been on the market for a few weeks. The iOS 5 software platform which launched with the 4S and was also rolled out for older iPhone models is said to cause a significant drop off in battery longevity for many users.

Apple attempted to tackle this problem with an update to iOS 5 but according to some sources this actually worsened the battery performance rather than making it better.

Apple had reportedly been rushing out another iOS 5 update due to land before the end of the month, but industry insiders have been quoted as saying that delays have hit this patch because the creators are not convinced that it has been put through testing that is thorough enough to ready it for official launch on an international scale.

Battery life is a concern for all smartphone users and the latest technology is unavoidably energy-draining. However, with iOS 5 making last year`s iPhone 4 more power hungry without altering its hardware it is easy to see why users are angry.

Thankfully there is more than one company in the firing line over battery problems. Nokia recently refreshed its smartphone line up by launching the Lumia 800 handset, a mobile that stands out as the first from the Finnish firm to use Microsoft`s Windows Phone operating system. However, since its release there have been several reports of unsatisfactory battery life on the Lumia 800, which has led to Nokia announcing its own round of updates.

Two software augmentations will be dished out by Nokia to help out Lumia 800 owners who are experiencing the issue. These will address the efficiency with which the smartphone uses power and will also ameliorate the way in which the phone is charged.

Nokia has said that the first update will roll out in December, followed by a subsequent release in January. It has even gone so far as to say that the power output of the internal battery of this handset will actually jump up to 1450mAh from its current level of 1300mAh.

Windows Phone is well known for its ability to use battery power more sparingly than some of the other smartphone operating systems on the market at the moment and so it does seem odd that Nokia Lumia 800 users are experiencing complications. Whether or not it is a software bug remains to be seen, but hopefully the updates will counteract the complaints and allow the Lumia 800 to handle its battery in the same way that the best BlackBerry Torch deals with energy efficiency. With dual core processors featuring in high end Android phones and quad core chips on the horizon for 2012, higher capacities and higher outputs are vital for batteries of the future.

[image via]

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Contributing authors on the cutting edge of technology reporting.

THE Tech Scoop - Your World and the Technology That Goes With It

It’s been a while, but I thought we should publish a round-up of the day in mobile phones…

Check the post links below for all your current mobile phone news.

James Hicks

James is the Founder and Chief Technologist of HicksNewMedia, a technology consulting and digital publishing firm providing effective and relevant solutions to individuals and businesses looking to utilize all things on the interweb. Follow him on Twitter | about.me | Facebook | Google+

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Ballmer and AT&T made the official announcement that the world now has a Windows Phone 7.

Available in Europe on October 21 and then in the U.S. on November 8 – this phone is actually pretty…pretty !!

Check out the official press release video below:

Probably the best ad I’ve seen thus far is the one below, aptly titled Really?

The goal for Microsoft’s latest smartphone is an ambitious one: to deliver a phone that truly integrates the things people really want to do, puts those things right in front of them, and either lets them get finished quickly or immerses them in the experience they were seeking.

“When you first get the phone, the stuff that’s more obvious makes you smile,” says Andy Lees, Microsoft’s Mobile Communications Business president. On the phone’s Start screen, “live tiles” show users real-time content, such as social media updates and contacts. “The features sort of scream out at you,” says Lees. “But the other thing that is even deeper for me is the elegance of the experience, which you only appreciate if you’ve used the phone for some time.”

As people use their phones, they’ll discover lots of thoughtfully designed features and perks. Holding down the camera shutter button, for example, lets the user take a picture even if the phone is locked – as Lees says, “unlocking your phone can sometimes mean the difference between missing the moment or not.”

The phone’s interface features Hubs for categories such as People, Music and video, Photos, Games and Office. These Hubs are never more than a few screens away, no matter how deep the user navigates within the phone. The People Hub, for example, pulls in Facebook status updates from friends as well as providing the more obvious contact information and phone numbers. Users can take actions like responding to updates or sending a text message right from the People Hub rather than having to find and launch a particular app. The Hubs also update live, pulling in pictures and information so that in many cases a glance and a couple of clicks will be all that users need to bring themselves up to date with phone messages, e-mail and what is happening with friends and colleagues.

“We think people want to get updates from their social networks, they want to get contact information, they want to get e-mails from a variety of different places, they want to share music — but they want control over it,” says Lees.

Plus, says Lees, “They want one thing that they can access their work e-mail on and then put in their bag and go to the party, and they want it to be easy to use. That’s exactly what we’re delivering.”

Applications will be available for the phone as well via a Hub called the Marketplace. But, unlike other smartphones, they won’t be required for the majority of everyday tasks.

Terry Myerson, corporate vice president of Windows Phone engineering at Microsoft, led the development group for the new phone. “We had this list of things we knew we wanted – e-mail, a browser, games, a music player,” says Myerson. The team knew that they wanted the phone to be versatile and deliver exactly what the customer wanted out of a phone. But its greatest asset is something less tangible than a single feature or access to a program. “Using this phone is truly a delightful experience,” says Myerson.

Creating this ease of use was one of the design team’s primary goals. “We talked a lot about smart design when we talked about this phone,” says Joe Belfiore, corporate vice president of Windows Phone program management. Belfiore joined the project shortly after Myerson and oversaw, among other things, user experience. “We wanted this phone to be able to anticipate what you want and give it to you before you ask for it.”

New phones in a variety of hardware designs will be available from Samsung, HTC, LG and Dell.

Microsoft is so committed to the new phone that it has arranged for every full-time employee worldwide to be able to switch to the new phone as soon as it launches in their market. And while executives say they are thrilled with the final product, they also acknowledge there is a lot more to be done. When the phone is released, they plan to enjoy the moment – but not for long. “There’s so much more of Microsoft we’ve got to bring out in the phone,” says Myerson. “We’ve got a lot of work to do.”

[story via Microsoft]

James Hicks

James is the Founder and Chief Technologist of HicksNewMedia, a technology consulting and digital publishing firm providing effective and relevant solutions to individuals and businesses looking to utilize all things on the interweb. Follow him on Twitter | about.me | Facebook | Google+

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If I wasn’t going to the Game Developers Conference in Austin, Texas I would have definitely been at CTIA Enterprise & Applications – arguably one of the top wireless technology trade shows, happening this week in San Francisco.

What I’ve seen from the media backchannels is that Android, Verizon, and Motorola are pulling the covers off many very intriguing products and service offerings.

Case in point, Verizon Wireless and Motorola today unveiled DROID PRO.

Targeted as a new, powerful, stronger and faster solution designed to meet both business and personal needs. This is the first Android-based smartphone optimized for business use.

DROID PRO is also a global-ready Android smartphone from Verizon Wireless, allowing customers to enjoy wireless voice service in more than 220 countries and data coverage in more than 200 countries.

Sales Pitch

DROID PRO meets employers’ and employees’ needs by addressing the productivity tools businesses require, including corporate connectivity and security; full push corporate e-mail with corporate level security; unified calendar with additional work features; pre-loaded Quickoffice Mobile Suite, a powerful 1 GHz processor; 4 GB of memory (2 GB internal; and 2 GB removable) and a QWERTY keyboard designed for speed and convenience.

“DROID PRO combines the feature-packed, high-level user experience that customers look for in an Android smartphone plus the security that enterprises require, all with the reliability of Verizon Wireless’ 3G network,” said Mike Lanman, president – Enterprise and Government Markets for Verizon Wireless. “DROID PRO builds on our commitment to deliver the best Android experience to the marketplace as well as to our enterprise customers.”

“The DROID PRO is an advanced business-ready solution that provides users with the full smartphone experience, redefined by delivering the power of a DROID,” said Sanjay Jha, chief executive officer of Motorola Mobility. “The DROID PRO consolidates users’ work and personal needs. This is just another reason the DROID PRO is setting a new standard for enterprise, allowing users to enjoy all the benefits of a smartphone with full push delivery of corporate e-mail and corporate level security.”

Key features and specifications:

• Support for both Exchange e-mail and Gmail for business
• Corporate directory look-up, unified calendar for Enterprise and sync with Google Calendar
• PC-like browsing with Adobe Flash Player 10.1 on a full, multi-touch, 3.1-inch brilliant display built on Android 2.2
• View, edit and share documents, including Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint  presentations and Word documents
• Built-in security features, including AuthenTec IPSec multi-headed VPN integration, remote wipe of device and SD card, and complex password support. Device and SD card encryption will be available in early 2011
• 3G Mobile HotSpot capabilities – Allows customers to connect up to five other Wi-Fi-enabled devices and laptops
• Live widgets that stream e-mail messages to the home screen; customers can filter the widgets to separate work and home e-mail
• 5-megapixel camera with auto focus and dual LED flash as well as DVD-quality video
• 3G diversity antennae provides customers with enhanced data speeds and range
• Wi-Fi-enabled DLNA connectivity
• Android Market – Provides customers with access to more than 80,000 applications
• My Verizon and Backup Assistant support – Allows customers to manage their wireless accounts or their contacts from their phones

Pricing and availability:

DROID PRO will be available at www.verizonwireless.com and in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores in the coming weeks. Pricing will be announced closer to launch.

One statement in editorial – Watch out for this one Blackberry !! This one may cause you even more fits than the iPhone.

James Hicks

James is the Founder and Chief Technologist of HicksNewMedia, a technology consulting and digital publishing firm providing effective and relevant solutions to individuals and businesses looking to utilize all things on the interweb. Follow him on Twitter | about.me | Facebook | Google+

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Verizon Wireless and Motorolatoday unveiled Motorola CITRUS. Powered by Android 2.1, Motorola CITRUS delivers an affordable, entry-level, customizable smartphone experience in a compact design that is designed specifically for those new to the whole smartphone experience.

Key features and specifications:

• Curved design
• Easy-to-use, on-screen QWERTY keyboard (available in landscape and portrait modes) for quick messaging
• Full HTML Web browser — Preloaded with Bing Search and Bing Maps and delivers a PC-like Web browsing experience with quick access to Web apps and services such as Facebook Google services such as Gmail, Google Talk and YouTube
• Equipped with BACKTRACK, a touch panel located on the back of the device that enables users to navigate and scroll through websites, home screens, e-mails, music and more without obstructing the display
• Full capacitive touch screen display delivers fluid flick, swipe and pinch-to-zoom navigation
• Seven home screen panels that can be tailored with an array of available shortcuts; applications; and pre-loaded widgets such as sticky notes, weather, messages and calendar
• Android Market — Choose from thousands of downloadable apps, many of which are free
• CITRUS has a housing made from 25 percent post-consumer recycled plastic, is certified CarbonFree through an alliance with Carbonfund.org, and is PVC and BFR free. The packaging is made from 80 percent post-consumer recycled paper, and the user manual is made using 100 percent recycled paper and soy-based ink.

Pricing and availability:

Motorola CITRUS will be available at www.verizonwireless.com and in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores in Q4 2010. Pricing was not immediately made available during today’s announcement.

James Hicks

James is the Founder and Chief Technologist of HicksNewMedia, a technology consulting and digital publishing firm providing effective and relevant solutions to individuals and businesses looking to utilize all things on the interweb. Follow him on Twitter | about.me | Facebook | Google+

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THE Tech Scoop - Your World and the Technology That Goes With It

Gizmodo posted the following infographic today showing, plain and simply, a decision tree for the latest Android phones and which mobile carrier goes with each phone.

It’s worth a look at if you’re considering the Android.

[hat tip Jason - thanks for putting this together]

James Hicks

James is the Founder and Chief Technologist of HicksNewMedia, a technology consulting and digital publishing firm providing effective and relevant solutions to individuals and businesses looking to utilize all things on the interweb. Follow him on Twitter | about.me | Facebook | Google+

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THE Tech Scoop - Your World and the Technology That Goes With It

zGames, the mobile game division of Softeq Development Corporation, recently announced the launch of its innovative matching game zMatch for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. zMatch is available immediately for $0.99 from Apple’s App Store.

“The concept for zMatch originated from the imaginative minds of our Minsk Mobile team. Once we saw the demo concept and how much fun people were having while playing zMatch, we simply had to release it as a full game,” stated Chris Howard, CEO of Softeq. “With zMatch, you match three or more of the same objects using the accelerometer, while also playing with burning match sticks. So yes, you’re literally playing with matches — in more ways than one!”

In zMatch, match sets of three or more shapes, and touch to burn or explode them. Burn bonuses or draw a matchstick to lengthen your time fuse, but don’t let the fuse reach the top! Light a matchstick to double your points while the matchstick is burning, or light several matchsticks to really get a high scoring run. zMatch supports OpenFeint for shared leaderboards and achievements. Achieve your own Towering Inferno or play long enough to Burn, Baby, Burn!

Key Features of zMatch include:

• Accelerometer-based matching play
• Innovative matching and matchstick gameplay
• Quick to learn yet fun to play again
• Adaptive difficulty stages
• Achievements and Leaderboards

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• GV Connect app for Google Voice now available (tuaw.com)
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James Hicks

James is the Founder and Chief Technologist of HicksNewMedia, a technology consulting and digital publishing firm providing effective and relevant solutions to individuals and businesses looking to utilize all things on the interweb. Follow him on Twitter | about.me | Facebook | Google+

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THE Tech Scoop - Your World and the Technology That Goes With It

The Windows Phone 7 launch is coming soon – expect to see many many ads from Redmond, Washington touting the glory of Windows 7. Microsoft is expected to spend over $500 million on marketing at launch. Windows Phone UK is partnering with Secret Cinema to bring “a new level of connectivity” to the Secret Cinema experience and raise awareness of Windows Phone 7.

Check out the quick teaser video below.

You interested ? How about Xbox Live on the Windows Phone 7 platform? Check it:

[via windowsphone7.com]

James Hicks

James is the Founder and Chief Technologist of HicksNewMedia, a technology consulting and digital publishing firm providing effective and relevant solutions to individuals and businesses looking to utilize all things on the interweb. Follow him on Twitter | about.me | Facebook | Google+

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THE Tech Scoop - Your World and the Technology That Goes With It

The Xperia X10 by Sony Ericsson was the company’s first Android handset. The Xperia x10 is packed with many high-end features including: 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, a 4-inch display, 8-megapixel camera, in addition to all the connectivity one would expect in a smartphone.

The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 has a large 4-inch screen, making it easy to view and watch content. There seems to be a continued trend towards the huge screens. If the X10 is too big for you, there is a smaller form factor available in the Sony X10 Mini.

But the big selling point of the Xperia x10 is the big, bold screen. It is not as big as the EVO 4G display, but it does provide ample space.

Xperia X10 also comes with a 8-megapixel camera. The camera is very good at capturing shots in nearly any light level. It is not quite DSLR quality, but there are many other sub-par camera versions out there today.

Sony Ericsson had the goal to make their software be a key feature and the company did put a lot of hard work into their customized UI.

For example, part of the phone’s software is Mediascape, which can access images, video and music content from the web, as well as from the device, for a more integrated viewing and sharing experience. Users can “view photos taken on the device as well as [their] Facebook and Picasa web albums,” reads a statement about the device. “Or, when listening to a favorite song on their phone[s], [users can] press Sony Ericsson’s infinite button to access related content about the artist pulled from the phone’s memory as well as albums, songs and video content from YouTube and search results from Google,” it explains.

Another software feature is Timescape, which creates a chronological interface for social updates and actions. It draws data from Facebook, Twitter, photo sites, e-mail accounts, SMS messages and more. Items can be viewed in a scrolling menu, or the user can see a screen of all updates and communications from a single user or source.

x10 Pros:

• Stylish overall design with a nice looks and feel
• Solid battery life for a smartphone with a large screen size
• Jam packed with many high-end features such as the 8-megapixel camera
• Custom UI is quite visually appealing. The camera and other multimedia are top notch as well

x10 Cons:

• Android 1.6, (that’s right folks, an update to 2.1 or even Froyo 2.2 is not expected initially)
• Not a fan of needing to remove the battery to swap out the microSD card
• Custom UI software causes device to be very sluggish

Before the time of the iPhone I used to be completely entranced by the quality and functionality of Sony Ericsson smartphones. This Xperia X10 is seriously peaking my interest…

The Xperia device will be available beginning August 15 and will cost $149.99 with a two-year AT&T service agreement and data plan.

[image via | summarized via]

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• Unboxing the AT&T Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 (mobilecrunch.com)
• Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Launching on AT&T August 15th (androidcommunity.com)

James Hicks

James is the Founder and Chief Technologist of HicksNewMedia, a technology consulting and digital publishing firm providing effective and relevant solutions to individuals and businesses looking to utilize all things on the interweb. Follow him on Twitter | about.me | Facebook | Google+

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

THE Tech Scoop - Your World and the Technology That Goes With It