In case you haven't heard...

Hurricane Irene is making a trek up the eastern seaboard and has scheduled a date with the New York Metropolitan area. Although everything is expected to be OK for the most part as it makes landfall as a Category 1 or 2 storm. However common sense should prevail for those living in coastal and low lying areas. Please take measures to get yourself to higher ground now before conditions start to deteriorate. Stay indoors on elevated ground. Please be sure to stock up on enough food and water to last from Saturday afternoon until Monday morning. Please do not attempt to travel between Saturday afternoon and Sunday night. Public transportation is being shutdown entirely for the first time since September 11, 2001. Please make travel arrangements that allows you to reach your destination before noon tomorrow. The following statement from the MTA:

The MTA will begin an incremental suspension of its subway, bus, and rail Long Island Rail Road, and Metro-North Railroad service beginning approximately eight hours prior to sustained 39 mph winds reaching the area. Subway and bus lines will begin shutting down after 12 noon.

Having said all of that, it leads us to the very point we seem to be making a lot lately, especially if you remember Tuesday and Wednesday's postings regarding mobile technology and emergencies in relations to the earthquake that affected the New York Tri-State area.

Please only use your phone during the storm if you absolutely must get in contact with someone for anything relating to an emergency. In case of an emergency dial 911 and please only do so if you a genuine emergency relating to life threaten activity, fire or anyone in need of medical assistance. Please take care of yourself and your loved ones in your immediate presence and expect to remain in the same location until the storm is over.

We'll be posting all weekend keeping you informed on mobile and the situation with the storm as it relates to the subject.

MetLife Rocks!

Well thanks to this picture above. I am currently bared from my midtown lunch time office for today. In order to celebrate the purchasing of the naming rights to the Meadowlands Football Stadium to the tune of $400 Million for 25 years, MetLife decided to throw a party Bryant Park. I'm not happy about it, but what are you going to do. Posting will be a little slow today but since most of you in the Northeast will have very little to nothing to do because Irene says so, expect some activity from us here at DigitalSolace. You can find me back in Bryant Park on Monday if the weather permits outdoor activity.

Also just as a reminder, the grand relaunch of the blog is coming soon. The blog itself will be moving to it's home website and it will be a fun story filled week. Stay tuned!

More Tips to Come

I know some of you are in need of some healthy how to tips for your devices. We haven't forgotten about this fact. A majority of us here at DS are avid Android fans. Soon we'll pull an iPhone into the fold.

Unfortunately, Android doesn't allow for taking screen shots within the device without rooting. We are for rooting here at DS, but only when having spare devices to toy around with. The main issue for not rooting the main device is the fact that we would like to explore the capabilities of a device while not in root. It enables us to answer your questions and help you troubleshoot your own device with a sense of confidence. Rooting no doubt allows you to help your device run more efficiently but a majority of you out there are either not into phone rooting, fear doing so or don't care about things like that.

We understand this, which is why we try to maintain a position that gives us the best vantage point of your perspective.

Having said that, a rooted device will make it's way into our grabs in the coming months as we pull more devices online. When that happens we will bring to you DSTips. DSTips will go over some of the basics and more advanced features of your phone all while providing a visual tutorial that will guide you through each step.

DSTips - Coming Soon!

Sorry Charlie: Office Closed Today

The picture is fitting. Just ironic how I wasn't thinking about Charlie Brown at all and I somehow dug up this picture. Go figure.

Unfortunate I will not be in my DigitalSolace office today at Bryant Park for those of you who are still unaware. Yeah, I know. I'm disappointed as well. Weather calls for rain all afternoon. However tomorrow should be a better day. I will return if the weather allows. Stay dry and no bragging about the weather if you're in a rain free area.

Steve Jobs Resigns as CEO of Apple

In some news sad news today. It is being announced that Apple CEO Steve Jobs will resign his duties as CEO. Some words from Steve to follow:

I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.

I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.

As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.

I believe Apple's brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.

I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.

Steve

This will be the end of Steve's second run with Apple effectively ending an era in which Steve would return to Apple in 1996 allowing him to oversee the revolution of the desktop commuting division as well as changing the way millions listen to music with the highly popular iPod. Following that act with the iPhone and iPod Touch and walking away at the height of success with the wildly accepted iPad. It is well known that his health has been causing him problems these past two years after his initial battle and recovery from pancreatic cancer. Company COO Tim Cook will take over duties as CEO and Steve will continue on as Chairman of the Board.

More to come as it develops...

Tips: Some handy mobile how to in case of an emergency

Motivated by yesterday's minor quake in New York City. We have decided to put together a little helpful list of tips that might help guide you through the next eventful situation we may encounter. There's nothing like being prepared because it's not a matter of if, but more when.

Yesterday's 5.8 Northeast US quake was an obvious reminder that our mobile networks are clearly not prepared and probably won't be for some time in cases of emergencies as we discussed in yesterday's post. So what should you do to help alleviate the communication gap between you, your loved ones and emergency personnel?

1. Think land line phone first: Typically the first thing for most people is to grab their cell phone and try to find out what's going on. It's an impulse that can't be helped most of the time. Understandably so we all have family and friends who become our immediate concern in any stress filled eventful moment. Mobile tends to be the first thing that goes. Especially in this generation of mobile technology. More and more people are relying mobile to communicate and dropping hard wired phones in the process. Mobile can't handle the rush of simultaneous use by hundreds of thousands towards millions. The crush and strain on a in the wall telephone is likely to be nonexistent as we continue forward into the every growing world of wireless. So when the chips are down and if one is available, go grab the nearest desktop phone. You're chances of connecting will be heightened by the move.
2. Use WiFi if available: Data is no different. The more we use together and simultaneously, the more it's likely to fail us. Especially on the mobile end. Same rule applies here as when attempting to make a phone call. We all want to know exactly what's going on and sometimes the phone is all we have, but if you are near a public space with WiFi access. Turn the setting on your device and connect to the WiFi hotspot and use the free data provided while it lasts.
3. Don't congregate with large crowds in public areas: This is important for two reasons. First, that mobile device you're using has to connect to a nearby tower. In any given area there could be a few dozen to a few hundred or even thousand when you're thinking of NYC. More than likely, somewhere in that large crowd a person exists like you, with a phone similar to yours. More importantly that device is likely to be running on the same network. You being near one another decreases the efficiency of the signal both phones use to communicate with the tower. Now multiply that number by dozens or even hundreds. Now your service is next to gone. The phones do not have the ability of knowing when to switch to the next tower until you move into the next tower's service area. Second, it's just not wise to congregate in a large crowd during an emergency and near the emergency situation. I'm not Emergency Operations Planner, but in the age of terror it's best to keep it moving as far and as fast away from the situation as possible. I'll let the EOP personnel explain why.
4. Only dial 911 in cases of genuine emergencies: Believe it or not, a lot of people resort to dialing 911 when information is hard to come by in situations of emergencies. It's wrong and it's dangerous. 911 switchboards, no matter how efficient have been terrible at standing the test of mass simultaneous calls in an emergency. Yesterday was no different for mobile. The network that forces your call through a congested network when calling 911 was rattled. Please keep in mind when using your phone. There are other people in true need of assistance. If you are hurt or near someone who is hurt. Please dial 911. If not please resort to other means of attempting to acquire needed information.
5. Please help your fellow man or woman: In an emergency please consider your neighbors. Some may have the capacity to call for help but others may not. When things go bad please think of the person next to you and help out. Also please use your device with extreme consideration in times like these. There may be a person who is in need of making that phone call more than you. A less strained network allows us all to get help to those who badly need it the most.

As always be safe in good times and bad.

Commercials in the mobile industry: Effective?

As much as we hate commercials, they have a point and for the most part serve their purpose. Let's face it. Network television shows need a break. Some of the shows put on TV today would lose their usefulness fast without commercials. That's just the fact. If any company has conquered the concept of attracting your attention it has to be Aflac. Let's face it, break dancing ducks that give you cash are in! Pigeons who put their wings out and say "where's the doctors boooyyy?" are in! Really in this day and age that's all you can ask for. The Superbowl is notorious for attempting to do just that. Some hit and most miss. Dogs the size of a Louis Vuitton hand bag kicking in screen doors pretty much get that message across, but what about the mobile scene?

Hit the jump and we'll talk about it...

AppWatch: NYC Train Status

Courtesy of Albert Rosa

If you live in the NYC Tri-State area and have the pleasure or lack thereof to use the subway system of this mass city then you are no stranger to missing information. Missing announcements, missing line updates, missing construction updates. Plain and simple the MTA's NYC Transit Division can be a perfect example of communication gone wrong. One thing that the MTA is doing right is providing the tools necessary for developers to help everyday riders like you and me get around these hurdles with some sense of simplicity.

That's why this 2nd edition of AppWatch comes with a distinctive honor. NYC Train Status developed by DigitalSolace's own Albert Rosa.

Using development tools accessible via the MTA website NYC Train Status gives you a simple, quick and easy way to find out what's going on with your train line before you step out of the door or walk down the stairs into the trenches. As soon as you access the app, the main screen gives you a list of all subway lines grouped by their main Manhattan Avenues of service. Listed directly to the right of each line grouping is the overall status of service, whether it's Good Service, Delay or Planned work. When you tap the status, you will be able to view the details of the delay or planned work along with details about which line in the grouping is affected in the same exact format as it's presented on the MTA.info website itself.

So if you find yourself in the New York City region whether you live in/around town or visiting. NYC Train Status is an App to Watch.

Earthquake in NYC today & that's not the only thing that's shaky

Courtesy of nyc24.org

So I made it to my office in Bryant Park today. I made it on time actually but finding a seat has caused some grief. I'm running a little late into my lunch hour with this story and for good reason. Mass panic. I don't want to exaggerate. It wasn't a major panic but enough of a panic to cause a few shaken nerves and some broad evacuations of office buildings across a swatch of the NYC Tri-State area. Go figure when you experience the first moderate earthquake in the northeast in quite a number of decades. But we're not here to report on geology. We'll leave that to the United States Geological Survey and I'm quite interested in seeing the final numbers. Just as important we are here to talk infrastructure, but not any infrastructure. Mobile infrastructure. How did it hold up in yet another major test of wits?

You'll have to hit the jump to find out my perspective...

The Nexus 3/Nexus Prime

If you've been following us on our Facebook fan page for the past several months, you might remember us posting a link to a story about the at the time rumored Nexus 3 prototype device. It was a huge story about the time and for good reason. It meant the likelihood of an actual 3rd generation Google Nexus device creating excitement for those of us who keep track of things like this. Am I excited? You bet your last dollar on it and I'll tell you you're a winner! Just don't because I don't have any cash to pay you.

Anyway with the time I have left during this fine afternoon I want to tell you a little more about the story from months back.

More after the jump...

Late, but....

...Well it's not exactly my fault. As those of you who read yesterday's post may already know. I promised to show up at my DigitalSolace Office in Bryant Park between 2 pm and 3 pm. Well I didn't get here until 3:15. So for that I must apologize. I was held up at the office that currently pays me. (wink, wink) Plus it doesn't really matter since my usually seating area is closed today, so that gets me off the hook.

However I will be here tomorrow at the scheduled time. If the main area of the lawn is closed, I will post my location upon my arrival.

If you came to say hi to me today already and didn't find me, well I apologize once again. I will be here tomorrow as long as the weather is nice.

Now back to the regular schedule!

You can find me at my office

Courtesy of pps.org

Writing for DigitalSolace is a joy, but it's also a task I am allowed very little time to explore. What little time I am able to find I try to spend it wisely writing the next story. All last week I found myself in Bryant Park on 42nd Street. Same time daily and now I can say Bryant Park will be my DigitalSolace office for the remainder of the summer. So if you find yourself in the midtown area of Manhattan and would like to stop by and see me.

But definitely not when the sun is highest in the sky.

You can do so between the hours of 2 pm and 3 pm. I will be seated in the southwest corner right next to the lawn.

You can stop by to ask questions regarding mobile, have a regular conversation about the latest devices or if you need a recommendation for your next device. I will be there and if you need no help and just want to stop by to say hello, well that's OK too. Just keep in mind, I will only be there if the weather permits. Rain is definite out of the question.

I'm open to suggestions for an office space in midtown for the late fall and winter. Preferably indoors!

Tell everyone!

Courtesy of afrobella.com

Before we jet out for the weekend I would like to take the time to let all of you stopping by to read the DigitalSolace in our brand new week of writing know how much we appreciate the support. If we go on to grow into a big time player in this game then just let it be know that we have you to thank and we sincerely thank you!

Now we need your continued support in order for us to keep building on the little momentum we having going for us now. We need you to support the DigitalSolace Facebook fan page. Support the @digitalsolace Twitter page. Coming soon is the DigitalSolace Google+ page and let's not forget about the website. It's still under construction but when complete we'll all pack up and move into the new digs! If you are already supporting these sites then please spread the word. Tell your friends and family members that you come to us for the latest in mobile tech news, stories, ideas, recommendations and so much more. Make sure they click those like and follow buttons. Feedback is always welcome and we'll start dropping some contact links soon. Pretty soon we'll start looking into bring on some additional contributors to the blog.

Thank you so much once again and have a great weekend!

Google, Motorola and You

After all the discussion about what the Google, Motorola merger means to the industry, the manufacturing competition and the carriers. The most important question yet to be asked is what's in it for me? Me, you, us yes the people. That's what we want to talk about today. Will there be more Motorola devices that get a better bang for your buck? Legitimate question. Will it take out the trash? Mow the lawn? Paint the living room? Take your kids to school? Pay your bills for you? Go to work in your place when you call out sick? No, no, no, no, no & no. However a better device can always help you to better construct your day to day activities.

Read on after the jump...

Android Gingerbread 2.3.4 Update for HTC Sensation Ready

Now that was fast! For those of you who have been picking up the T-Mobile flagship the HTC Sensation since it's release in mid-June. Rejoice as the latest Android software build for the phone is being released. The front facing camera device will now enjoy the Google Chat with video feature that critics have been raving about along with a host of battery and stability improvements.

Get the official company statement after the jump

Do the carriers object to Google and Motorola getting hitched?

Courtesy of droidmatters.com

I believe the line goes a little something like this. If there is anyone who object to these two being wed, please speak now or forever hold your peace. Now take it from someone who is married. The forever hold your peace part is rarely followed. Most marriages today would probably have a lot more civility in them if others practiced forever holding their peace, but this is not about people and marriages good or bad. This is about joining in matrimony on the corporate end of the stick and I can tell you there are at minimum four wireless carriers who are currently NOT holding their peace whether you hear them or not. The following is the order in which they refuse to hold their peace from most hostile to least hostile.

More after the jump

What does Google owning Motorola mean to the industry?

Courtesy of comScore

When people think of handsets today, a majority of the handset owning bunch will think of information. The information they need to retrieve from the device they own. How much information you're able to pull from that device mostly depends on what type of device you own and the types of applications the device is capable of running plus or minus some fragmentation here and there. That leads us directly into our main point here.

What really does Google owning Motorola mean for the device industry?

Hit the jump to read more...

A personal take: Google + Motorola = Good Business

Courtesy of PC World

Almost 2 years ago the words smartphone and myself did not belong in the same sentence. As a matter of fact the concept didn't register as a thought to me until sometime in the fall of 2009 when I decided that I needed to make the transition from feature phone user to smartphone guru. Now mind you fall was not too far off from the Google, Motorola and Verizon Wireless partnership, but for whatever reason I completely forgot about the day that the big three would peak my initial interest in purchasing a smartphone. As September turned to October I would come to decide that I would look into purchasing a Blackberry. Well it didn't happen, the purchase that is and you may or may not wonder why. Well, I'll tell you anyway. It's because RIM did not have anything in the pipeline that would remotely cause a tingle of excitement. At that point even the Blackberry Storm 2 was rumored to be pushed back and rumor eventually turned into reality. Too bad because it only took one commercial to completely steal my attention away from finding a sufficient Blackberry device. That's right, it was the coming of the DROID.

Hit the jump for more

AppWatch: Google Maps

Today's edition of AppWatch is an ole reliable. Google Maps and now available for download in the Android Market is version 5.9. Obviously some of the updates barely ruffles a feather but this one might make your pup's ears stand on end when it hears about this drop.

The most notable feature in this release? Transit Notifications! If you're living in a sizable city with solid mass transit, then you might want to give this version a lap or two around the track. Of course and as with most of Google's offerings this is in beta testing mode. The notifications feature voice and ringtone options for your convenience. So go try it out and see what you think. I know I will!

Market link

Google & Motorola: A marriage made in heaven?

Courtesy of PC World

By now Google's "pocket change" $12.5 Billion dollar purchase of Motorola Mobility is well known throughout the tech blog world is well known. It may or may not be realized by some of you who follow us here at DigitalSolace. Well, honestly it wasn't realized by myself until late last night even though the announcement as well as leaks were picked up by pretty much everyone on Monday morning. It doesn't really matter. This was rumored and speculated on for quite some time and even more so since Google badly lost out on the Nortel patent auction several weeks back. But enough on that stuff! There's a lot to talk about. A LOT, and coming later today and beyond we are going to pick the deal apart as well as analyze what it means to the industry and more importantly you? This deal comes with some great benefits but also some serious consequences that cannot be denied or ignored and this is the week to find out what's likely to happen when the smoke clears.

Stay turned!

First QNX Based Blackberry Phone Due In 1st Quarter

For those of you familiar with DigitalSolace are well aware of, we have a heightened fascination with mobile manufacturer RIM and their Blackberry products. Not because we feel that their device are especially well made because at the moment they're not. I know it, you know it and even RIM knows it, which is why we have been especially critical at every opportunity provided to us.

This device plus 

this software

may end up with a sum of this device.

However there's hope. According to BGR.com RIM is preparing to release a QNX software based Blackberry phone called the Colt. Blackberry devices currently run on Blackberry OS 6 with newer releases due to run OS 7. The software is arguably ancient in comparison to other mobile software. QNX is the software currently running on the Blackberry Playbook. When you compare the two, it's like suffocating one moment and breathing fresh oxygen the next. QNX is a lot more smoother and more stable than the current offerings on Blackberry phones. Whether this change of direction is going to work or not depends on one major factor. Is it too little too late or did the other players in the mobile game fail to hammer the final nail into RIM's coffin?

Source

A little something new

For those of you who are currently fans of the DigitalSolace Facebook page or following us on Twitter, you know it's been both a long and a short year. It's been a short year because for those of us who have been following our transitions since March and April, you are well aware of the strides we've made to establish more of a physical presence on the internet. It's also been a long year mostly due to the behind the scenes activity most of you are unfamiliar with, such as the hard work put in by 5 other guys in their attempt to bring a better tomorrow to DigitalSolace so that DigitalSolace may bring a better tomorrow to the masses.

Yes that's me at the party table holding a beer! It's pretty typical of me.

For those of you who don't know me. I'm Rahiem Graham. I'm the Director of Creative Services here at DigitalSolace and tying the loose ends of our social networking structure is one of my responsibilities here at DigitalSolace. Finding better ways to communicate our message is another, but more importantly. Attempting to create a dialog about mobile technology is how you will identify me.

"A little something new..."

That's exactly what this day is all about. The new! I'm excited to introduce to you our attempt at a new and hopefully more effective way of communicating. The blog experience. What you see may not turn out to be the final design, but we are going to try this out for the immediate future. We might make some more changes, tweaks and adjustments, but the experience should be the same which is an improving one. We are not where we want to be yet, but we are where we are because we know we have your support. You! The person reading this right now.

This is the first message of many and we still have a lot to do. We have to introduce a website and a host of ideas that help promote our business agenda. On behalf of all of us here at DigitalSolace I would like to thank you! Any feedback is welcome and having said that welcome aboard and hang around. We have a lot more to do.