So I made the move from Motorola’s Droid to Droid X
A little over a week ago, a new Motorola Droid X was given to me. While I was pleasantly surprised, I was not looking forward to the time and effort I thought it might take to move all the data and applications from my current Driod my new Droid X. Also, I had been very satisfied with the Droid and so was not too sure I would like the Droid X any more than the Droid.
I did a little research and quickly found what seemed to be a quick and effective way of making this transition. I found a backup and restore app called MyBackup Pro. It was only around $5, so I made the purchase and backed everything up. Then I hooked up the Droid to the computer and transferred the backup files and my other files on my phone to my computer. I then activated the Droid X, associated it with my Google account (along with some of my other email and social networking accounts), hooked it up to my computer, transferred the backup files over to the Droid X, found and installed the MyBackup Pro app and then hit restore.
Everything at this point had all gone quite smoothly and quick, but I was unaware that one of the steps I mentioned above would really give me a headache. Can you guess which one? So I started using the phone and everything was working pretty smooth, except for certain apps would take forever to load and sometimes just close on me. The one app in particular that was stalling or freezing up on me the most was the text messaging app. It got to the point where I could not stand it. So I started looking into it and found quickly that I was not the only one with this problem. Others had experienced it and the two solutions I kept seeing were to either do a factory reset and install everything one at a time or try removing the social networking accounts that I had initially set up. I figured this may have been the case as when I linked those accounts with the Droid X, I chose at the time to link those contact with my phone and so all of the sudden my phone’s contacts were in the thousands.
I did take the advice and removing my Facebook and Twitter acounts, then did a soft reset of my phone. However, that still did not do the trick. So about a week after having the Droid X, I backed up files and copied to my computer again and then reset my Droid X to its original factory settings. I then set up everything manually at this point one app at a time and was very careful as I added email and social networking accounts to make sure only certain contacts were pulled in by my phone. This actually went pretty fast as well. It has been three days now since I have done that and the new Droid X has been working like a charm.
While it has been easy to get used to and I am really liking it, I am still keeping my old Droid around for a while just in case. Some of the main things I have noticed between the two devices is that the Droid X has a bigger screen that is brighter and a bit clearer than my old Droid. The phone also seems to be a bit lighter. I did not know if I could get used to not having a keyboard any more, but the new Swype keyboard option that comes with the Droid X has been extremely nice. I cannot say enough about that feature, it really makes typing on the device much easier and very fun. The camera and video camera also seem to be a bit better quality than the old Droid.
I may have more feedback and experiences to share about my switch later, but this is it for now…
The Best Time Management Tool I Have Found to Date
I have been into time management and planning for years now and throughout that time have struggled to find a tool that worked just right for me… until now. I was introduced to the FranklinCovey method of planning over ten years ago and have used many of their different planner types, sizes and styles, but none has ever really ‘stuck’ (heck, I even worked there for five years). I am sold on the planning principles taught by FranklinCovey and finally found one of their tools that works just right for me. It is the Flex-Dated Month, 2 Pages Per Day. I prefer the classic size, but it comes in Monarch size as well. What is nice about this particular day planner is that it is thin (and wirebound) so I am not carrying around something too big or heavy, it still allows me space for a big task list, also a spot to track things I want to track on a daily basis, an appointment schedule (use this for time tracking as well), and then a big notes page for each day (which I use at work often). It also comes with a month at a glance page (2 page spread), and then some note pages in the back as well. Because it is flex-dated, I do have to fill in some information (day, month, year), but that is no biggie. Also, one thing that is nice is that you can get a page finder (clear plastic bookmark looking thing you can slide paper into) for it. This is where I have customized things a bit to work for me. As a project manager / web developer / internet marketer at my day job and then basically the same for my side business at night, I have a lot of daily, weekly and bi-weekly recurring tasks. So I created a word document where I list these, my goals, and some cool quotes, print it off, cut it down to size and slip it in.
Anyways, you cannot find this particular time management tool online anymore (unless you order from the FranklinCovey Canada website), so if you need one, let me know. I have a couple stashed here at home and can always go into a local store and pick some more up.
[update – 11/23/2010] I did just find this product on Franklin Covey’s website tonight. You can view it here: Metropolitan Wire-bound Daily Planner. It looks like you have to get this particular one in packs of 12 (so an entire year’s worth), but it would be cheaper that way anyway.
How to filter Internet content on your Motorola Droid
The other day I was looking for an Internet filter app for my Motorla Droid, but couldn’t find anything. My kids use my phone more than the computer right now, so figured I better get something on there as well. I kind of gave up last week looking as I really could not find much, but today while logged into my Verizon Wireless account online, I came across a section that allows you to set parental controls for Internet access on the Droid! I am sure an Internet content filter app will eventually be available for Android devices, but this solution looks like it will work just fine.
If you came across this article and know of an app or another solution, feel free to leave your comments below.
Top 9 free Android apps & games for young kids!
I have spent a lot of time browsing the Android market for just the right kind of games and apps that I think my kids will enjoy. I have installed and uninstalled a lot of different apps and will list for you today the ones that have remained on my Droid for my kids. My kids are all under 5 years old, so while there are some other cool games and apps out there, these ones have shown to be the best thus far. Note: when I say best, I mean the ones that have held their attention the longest. 🙂
Basket Ball Lite
So this is a cool game for adults as well, but my boy has a good time trying to get the ball in the basket.
Kidroid Demo
This app lets you match images, text and audio. Since it is a demo, you are limited to the items you can match, but it lasts about as long as my kids attention span.
Light Racer 3D Basic
This one is another game that is great for adults, but my kids like playing this one. They crash almost immediately, but I think they like the cool sounds.
Raging Thunder Light & Wave Blazer Lite
This is another game that is cool for both adults and kids. Great for the kids though as they can play it by just holding the phone and tilting to steer.
Solo Lite
A cool little virtual guitar. My kids love just opening it up and making music!
Trace Blast FREE
Another demo app, but is really cool. This one lets you trace letters, shapes, pictures or you can create your own template to trace. This is great for helping my kids learn how to write their letters and numbers.
Whiteboard
This app doesn’t hold the kids attention for long, but is a place they can go and draw stuff in different colors and erase.
Zebra Paint
Saved the best for last! This one has been the favorite by far. This is basically a coloring book. Your kids can pick the picture they want to color, then pick a color from the color palette, and then touch a shape to fill in that shape with the chosen color.
If you know of any others that you have found that you would like to share, please list them below in the comments section.
How to connect your computer to the Internet using your Droid or Android phone
Last night I finally tested out one of the tethering apps for my Motorola Droid. If you don’t know what tethering means, no worries, it is just a term used to describe using your phone and its Internet connection to access the Internet on your computer. So your cell phone basically acts like a modem. So lets get started.
What you will need:
– a PC with Windows 7/Vista/XP
– a smartphone with Internet access
– a USB cable to connect your phone to your PC
– USB tethering software from mobile-stream.com
Steps:
1. Go to the Market app on your phone and then search for the keyword tether, a list of apps will pop up. There are a couple available, but the one I chose to use and that worked well was the EasyTether Lite app by Mobile Stream. And this version is FREE! Install this app. After installed, open the app and follow further install instructions.
2. Install the USB tethering software on your PC from mobile-stream.com mentioned and linked to above. Follow install instructions.
3. Connect your phone to your PC with your USB cable.
4. Right click on the new icon you see at the bottom right of your computer screen and click on connect.
Now you are ready to surf the net on your PC via your mobile phone’ Internet connection!
I may try some other tether apps out or purchase the full EasyTether app and will post more if I do. If you have tried any others or this one and want to comment, question, or whatever, please do so below.
Heard of Google Remarketing Yet?
I was just made aware of Google’s new ‘remarketing’ advertising this morning. Not quite sure what to think yet. This seems to be great news for those businesses or individuals advertising online, but not so sure from a consumer stand point.
Here’s a quick explanation of how it works from both points of view. From a consumer’s point of view, say you visit a web page about a particular product. You do nothing more than browse that web page and then move on to another web page outside of that site. If the next site you go to is running Google Ads on their site, there is the potential that you will see an ad for the product you were just viewing. From the advertiser’s side, if you have a Google AdWords account, you will set up a ‘remarketing campaign’ within your AdWords account, add some code to the page where you are selling your product, then when the visitor leaves your site, Google can now show that visitor ads related to the product that visitor saw on your site when they visit other sites showing ads from the Google Content Network.
Want to read more about Google remarketing? Check out Google’s post here.
How to listen to music downloaded from amazon on your Droid?
So this article is straying a bit from the realm of Internet marketing and web development, but I recently got a Motorola Droid and thought I would write about it from time to time. What prompted me to write tonight was because I downloaded my first mp3 to it yesterday via amazon’s little app. Everything went super smooth, but then when I went to my media player to listen to it, it was no where to be found. I did a little digging online to see if others were having similar issues and did find a couple forums where this was talked about, but never a solid answer. I assumed if I could connect the Droid to my computer, I could find where the mp3 was located and move it the the appropriate folder, but I was at work and so could not connect tom my computer. Luckily I stumbled across a free app called OI File Manager. Once I installed it, I opened it up and it showed me all the folders on my Droid and on the SD card. There is one folder called amazonmp3 and that is where I found the mp3 I downloaded from amazon. Then all I had to do was touch it and the song started playing. Simple fix for now.
Affiliate Genie – New Tool like WordPress to Help Build an Affiliate Website
Just got an email this morning from Chris Rempel announcing his new affiliate website building tool called Affiliate Genie! The best way to see what this can do and how it works it to watch the demo videos, but I will try to explain it a bit here.
First thing you need to know is that this tool helps build sites that follow the model Chris has found to be successful for his affiliate marketing and that is ‘facilitating the inevitable sale’. Chris explains this more in his video, but basically this means you are going to attract those to your site who have already done research on the product you are promoting and are now ready to buy.
Some key features to note:
- Requires no database
- Build as many pages as you want
- SEO ready
- Automatically generates RSS feeds & sitemap
- No software to install, web-based
- More…
Learn more about or purchase Affiliate Genie here.
Note: The owner of this site may earn a commission if you purchase any product mentioned on this page via its link.
Benefits of Using Confirmation Pages Effectively
Are you leaving something on the table after someone purchases your product, signs up for your newsletter or uses your contact form? I think we all have done one of those things online before and after doing so are usually taken to a simple page saying something confirming what we just did. If you have a website and use confirmation pages, have you ever thought of putting something on there to either upsale something or to gather additional information? This would be a great place to put an affiliate offer or related products. I use this technique now a lot when creating landing pages where visitors enter in their information. On one particular confirmation page, I show other related websites the visitor can then visit (that I market for as well) and when looking at the analytics for those sites, I have found that that confirmation page is one of the top referrers to these sites!
I would love to hear what you think of this technique, if you have tried it, what kind of results you have seen, etc. Feel free to comment below.
Google Social Search is Now Live to Experiment With
The news came out yesterday that Google’s new social search is now in labs and ready to be experimented with. You can join the experiment here.
It looks like to get the maximum benefit of this upcoming tool, you will have to have a Google account and be signed in when performing your search. For Internet marketers, advertisers, promoters, etc. who have been using social media or plan on using social media, this could be huge. As long as you are posting relevant and useful content, your social media contacts should start finding you when they are looking for answers related to your niche.
I have signed up to start experiencing this in my search results and am excited to see it progress. Not sure if you have a Google profile yet? Create one or update yours here.
Watch this brief demo video to see how it works.
