Roseville, Rocklin, Lincoln, Loomis, Granite Bay - Placer County, California - Real Estate Blog - Souza Realty

Yahoo! Terminates My Blog Log on May 24, 2011

I just got the news that we will have to say goodbye to the nifty My Blog Log "Recent Visitors" widget that appears on many ActiveRain blogs, as Yahoo! announced that they will be terminating it on May 24, 2011.

I enjoyed seeing my recent blog visitors, so I'm sad to say see My Blog Log disappear. :(

Does anyone know of any other similar offering that we could replace the My Blog Log "Recent Visitors" widget with?

Fair Use In My Blog Log

Though this image is subject to copyright, its use is covered by the U.S. fair use laws because:

1. It illustrates an educational article about the entity that the logo represents.
2. The image is used as the primary means of visual identification of the article topic.
3. It is a low resolution image, and thus not suitable for production of counterfeit goods.
4. The logo is not used in such a way the a reader would be confused into believing that the article is written or authorized by the owner of the logo.
5. It is not replaceable with an uncopyrighted or freely copyrighted image of comparable educational value.

My New Lexmark Pinnacle Pro901 All-In-One Wireless Printer Saves Me $16.35 Per Black Ink Cartridge!

I bought a Lexmark Pinnacle Pro901 All-In-One Wireless Printer from Costco.com 7 weeks ago and just purchased a 2-pack of black ink cartridges to have on reserve. The price? $9.49 - for TWO...WOO-HOO! I was used to paying $42.19 for a black ink 2-pack, so I'm now saving $32.70 with each purchase. :)

Although Lexmark has their own "Lexmark Rewards Program" where they offer you a free black ink cartidge after you buy 5 -AND- after you return 5...Staples offers a better deal because you don't have to pay $5 shipping (you do through Lexmark) and you can get 2 black ink cartridges after you return 5.

So far, here is my list of pros and cons with the Lexmark Pinnacle Pro901 All-In-One Wireless Printer:

PROS

• Low price for black ink cartridges (78% less than my last printer)
• Touchscreen is easy to navigate and great for use in the dark
  
• Ability to scan and e-mail documents without using the computer
• You can store e-mail addresses for easy scanning and e-mailing of documents
• Compact size of the printer (it's much smaller than the Brother MFC-6490CW I used to have)
  

CONS

• Wireless issues with scan-to-email after 2nd netbook was connected (need to call tech support, haven't done that yet)
  
• Price for cyan, magenta and yellow ink cartridges (at $20/each, it's no cheaper than my last printer)

iPhone 4 Available on Verizon Wireless - February 3, 2011

If you're a Verizon Wireless customer, you will be able to pre-order Apple's iPhone 4 (previously only available with AT&T) on Thursday, February 3, 2011. Everyone else willl be able to pre-order the iPhone 4 one week later, on Thursday, February 10, 2011.

Prices from Verizon Wireless:

• $199 - Apple iPhone 4 (16 GB)
• $299 - Apple iPhone 4 (32 GB)

When it comes to smartphones, did you know that despite the iPhone's vast popularity...it is not the #1 ranked device, according to ComScore. Here are their smartphone rankings as of January 6, 2011:

1. RIM BlackBerry - 33.5% of market share
2. Google Android - 26% of market share
3. Apple iPhone - 25% of market share

AT&T is notorious for dropped calls in places like the San Francisco Bay Area and the Greater Sacramento Area in California. Since Verizon Wireless is known for its overall excellent reception in the major metropolitan areas throughout the USA...perhaps the iPhone may now eventually surpass the popularity of the Android or BlackBerry?

I've heard many say that they would not get the iPhone because of its exclusivity with AT&T...I wonder who will be switching phones next month? What say you? Will your next smartphone be the BlackBerry, Android or iPhone?

Cool Text Graphics Generator - Thanks, Bob Stewart!

The Cool Text Graphics Generator is one COOL TOOL that I snagged from Bob Stewart's comment #54 on his "Local Events Challenge" blog post...not only did I use Cool Text in a few of my own "Local Events" posts, but I plan to use it regularly for my future blog posts. Cool Text will sure come in handy for those blog posts that really don't inspire photos or graphics of any kind! :)

Here are a few examples of Cool Text Graphics that I've generated so far (if you click on them, you can see how I integrated them into my blog posts):

10/22/2010 Free Phone Friday - Samsung Fascinate, BlackBerry Bold 9700, Sanyo Zio (Best Buy Mobile)

Best Buy Mobile is currently featuring "Free Phone Fridays" during the month of October. This Friday, October 22, 2010, Best Buy will offer the following mobile phones for FREE (with 2-year contract, of course):

• Verizon Wireless - Samsung Fascinate, a Galaxy S Android phone
• T-Mobile - BlackBerry Bold 9700
• AT&T - Sanyo Zio
• Sprint - Sanyo Zio

The "Free Phone Friday" special is only valid at Best Buy stores or online at http://bestbuy.com/mobile (note: the link will work when they are actually offering the phones, which is on Friday, October 22, 2010.)

(Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Best Buy and I do not receive compensation from them in any way.)

QR Code Generator - QR Stuff (QRStuff.com)

If you're looking for a QR Code Generator that has more options than the average website, check out QRStuff.com (btw, I do not receive any benefit for referring anyone to this website, nor do I have any interest in the company). Here are a few things they offer to make your QR Code creation just a little easier:

• Text
• Website URL
• Telephone Number
• SMS Message
• Emaill Address
• Email Message
• Contact Details (VCARD)
• Google Maps Location
• Social Media
  • Twitter Profile
  • Facebook Profile
  • Facebook Like
  • MySpace Profile
  • LinkedIn Profile
  • LinkedIn Share
  • FourSquare Venue

One more pretty cool feature is the fact that they offer QR Codes in different colors. Check out some of the ones I've made:

Twitter:

Facebook:

LinkedIn:

ActiveRain:

Verizon Wireless Android Phones - Samsung Fascinate vs. Droid 2

After a week of experiencing the Samsung (Galaxy S) Epic 4G and Samsung Intercept Android phones on the Sprint Network, we switched back to our iPhones on AT&T because of the increasing number of dropped calls. Anyway, we did love the Android phones...but we will probably be switching to Verizon Wireless after deciding which model we want. Looking at the Android lineup, here are the key differences between the contenders we're considering:

SAMSUNG FASCINATE - $99.99

• Lighter at 4.16 oz.
• Thinner at 0.39 in.
• International 2G data roaming and SMS
• FM radio

One particularly annoying feature about the Samsung Fascinate is that its stock search engine is...Bing. Apparently, you can't even change it to Google, which is a complete surprise for an Android phone! It also doesn't have a slide-out keyboard, which I really enjoyed having on the Samsung Intercept.

DROID 2 - $49.99

• Android 2.2 OS
• Slide-out keyboard
• Longest talk time - 385 min.

The Droid 2 seems to have the edge right now, with its combination of price, Android 2.2 platform, slide-out keyboard and approximately 85 minutes longer talk time. Besides, it doesn't come "stuck" with the Bing search engine like the Samsung Fascinate. Not that I have anything against Bing (which I don't), but I'm just more used to Google. It's all about Google Juice, not Bing Juice!

Anyway, if anyone has a Samsung Fascinate or a Droid 2, I'd appreciate your input! :)

From iPhone to Android Phone - Week One

We've had our Android phones for a week now...Bob has the Samsung (Galaxy S) Epic 4G and I have the satin pink Samsung Intercept. The transition from the iPhone 3G to the Android phones has actually been very smooth and learning how to navigate the Android has been very intuitive and EASY. Here's a basic overview of our iPhone-to-Android experience so far:

• Phone: For me, the smaller size of the Intercept is a WINNER! Bob's Epic 4G is similar in size to the iPhone. It's very cool of the Android to display the photo of the person you're talking to while you're on the phone with them, instead of only when the phone is ringing on the iPhone. Hey, it's the details that count! :)
  
• Display: The Epic 4G is SUPERIOR to the iPhone in every way; the Intercept is noticeably smaller and also not quite as sharp as the iPhone. I'm okay with it because the pink Intercept is just so much PRETTIER than the iPhone. ;)
  
• Keyboard: I am SO loving my slide-out keyboard; Bob likes using the horizontal virtual keyboard.
• Reception: Lincoln and Loomis seem to have better reception with Sprint than AT&T, but Bob did drop a call on Cortina Circle in Roseville. Other than that, they seem about equal.
• Real Estate Apps: Android doesn't have Foreclosure Radar, Redfin or Trulia, but they have Zillow. Not a deal-breaker, but I would like Foreclosure Radar and I already told them. :)
• Other Apps: Craigslist Notification is great! Don't know if it's available on the iPhone, but I found it for the Android. Facebook on the Android is better; Solitaire on the iPhone is better.
  
• Browser: I just started using the Dolphin Browser and I like that all Google-stuff (Gmail, Picasa, Blogger, etc.) is readily available from the "Google" menu...I find it very convenient and like it better than the standard browser!
• Contacts: Android has an AWESOME contacts list!!! Not only is everyone's avatar displayed when you scroll through the contacts, but Android LINKS their Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Google accounts...and each contact has a History, Activities and Media tab!
• Camera: Our Androids have camera (Epic has 5MP and Intercept has 3.2MP) and video capabilities...the iPhone 3G only has a camera. Here are a couple of photos I took:

iPhone 3G - Photo taken with the Samsung Intercept Android Phone

Samsung Intercept Android Phone - Photo taken with an iPhone 3G

We're still on a 30-day trial period with Sprint, but so far, the Androids are keepers...especially when we're saving $80 per month AND getting 1600 minutes with free mobile-to-mobile (any carrier) and nights starting at 7pm vs. AT&T's 1400 minutes with free calls to AT&T mobile phones ONLY and nights starting at 9pm.

Sprint Android Phone - Samsung Epic 4G Review Video

This is a video review of Sprint's Samsung Epic 4G Android phone, which was released for sale on August 31, 2010. The Epic 4G (a Galaxy S phone) is Sprint's latest and greatest powerhouse Android phone and it has the most spectacular display I've ever seen...they call it their "Super AMOLED" screen.

The Samsung Epic 4G was Bob's choice of phone, when we decided to take advantage of the EPRP plan savings by switching over from AT&T. Since Bob has been using an iPhone 3G for the past couple of years, I think it should be somewhat of a smooth transition to an Android. We'll see...we just received our Android phones this afternoon! :)

Sprint Android Phone - Samsung Intercept Review Video

This is a video review of Sprint's Samsung Intercept Android Phone, which was released for sale on July 11, 2010. It is an affordably priced phone compared to other Android phones offered by Sprint, like the HTC Evo and the newly released Samsung Epic 4G. Yet, it still has features like a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, a 3.2 megapixel camera, video capabilities and the ability to upgrade to the Android 2.2 platform (when it becomes available from Sprint).

Until I watched this video, I didn't realize that Android's home screens can be customized with ADW or Launcher Pro...and the reviewer also recommended the Dolphin browser in lieu of the stock browser. I definitely have a lot to learn about the Android...my Satin Pink Samsung Intercept should be arriving next week! :)