Steve Jobs had vowed that he would spend every penny Apple had to “destroy” Android. Before Steve Job’s passed away he had started this War by suing several phone manufacturers that use the Android Platform including larger manufacturers like Motorola, HTC, and Samsung.

While many of these lawsuits have not made it past the accusation itself many manufacturers are now keeping a much closer eye on how they design their devices as well as what Android features to avoid using when releasing a new device.

And I quote:

“I’m going to destroy Android, because it’s a stolen product. I’m willing to go thermonuclear war on this.”

Another quote that turned out to be true is:

“I will spend my last dying breath if I need to, and I will spend every penny of Apple’s $40 billion in the bank, to right this wrong.”

Prior to Android taking off the way it did Apple and Google had a very close relationship. Google’s CEO Eric Schmidt actually sat on Apple’s board. Schmidt later resigned from the board of Apple in 2009 stating that he couldn’t stay on the board anymore.  While we aren’t sure for the real reason Schmidt left Apple we can assume it was a conflict of interest of some kind.

Google has proven to be a huge hindrance to Apple’s growth slowly working their way into Apple’s Market share but are they taking enough of Apple’s business to warrant all of these lawsuits?  And if it is Android that is the “Stolen” product why hasn’t Apple gone after Google but the manufacturers themselves?  Well to be quite honest our thoughts are that Apple truly would spend its last dime fighting a company like Google but the smaller manufacturers are easier to take out weakening the legs that the Android OS sits on.

No matter how this pans out we are getting tired of all the lawsuits and little to know real innovation from the company that once held the entire smartphone market in its hands.  If they would put this energy into new products they would likely be able to keep themselves one step ahead of the competition all the time.  This being said with the loss of Steve Jobs (who we rightfully look at as one of the greatest minds in history regardless of how we feel about Apple as a whole) Apple will surely see a huge decline in productivity.

We have heard a lot about NFC (Near Field Communication) over the past year although haven’t really been able to figure out how it would be used until now. We did however know that it was primarily for making payments with your mobile device but there is so much more to this new little technology.

NFC has been brought to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich in the form of “Android Beam” allowing people to not only make payments from their enabled device but also transfer information. All you have to do is simply tap two NFC enabled devices to share almost any information on the device. Some of the items that can be shared are youtube videos, contact information, maps, websites, and even apps.

When using the Beam features there are a few things that you have to keep in mind.  The most important thing to remember is that both of the devices have to be unlocked, if either the device you are sending from or sending to are locked the transfer will fail.

How to Use Android Beam:

1. Make sure both devices are unlocked
2. Touch both devices back to back
3. Wait for a sound notifying you that beam is connected
4. You will then see “Touch to Beam” on your device
5. Touch the item on your screen and it will show on the other screen

Keep in mind that when lining up a phone and a tablet you will need to move it around a bit to find the exact spot they need to be “back to back”, just touching them is not enough if the connection is not close enough.

With Android Beam’s use of near field communication we can easily use many of the features that we have had to activate bluetooth to use without the battery drain.  We are excited to test out this new feature and are glad that Google also released the SDK (software development kit) along side this feature to allow developers to get creative with it from the start.

A recent update to Verizon’s Privacy Policy shows that they are using data collected by your data usage etc. and giving it to 3rd parties. They are collecting information like the websites you are visiting and device location information. They say this is being used strictly for marketing and your name and phone number will not be shared.

We personally feel its none of Verizon’s business what we do and where we are with our devices. We surely don’t think that third parties should get their hands on any of this information. The worst part is that they are opting you into this automatically. By default your account is set to collect data and send it to Verizon per the terms you signed when you started a contract with them.

One redeeming factor is that you can opt out of the data collection (so they say) from your account online. You can login to your account and opt-out, just look for “Don’t use my information”. Se below for more information on the Notice:

Why am I getting this notice? Your privacy is an important priority at Verizon Wireless. Our Privacy Policy (available at www.vzw.com/myprivacy) informs you about information we collect and how we use it. Today we want to tell you about some important updates relating to two new uses of information. Verizon Wireless will begin using the information described below for (1) certain business and marketing reports and (2) making mobile ads you see more relevant. If you do not want us to use this information for these purposes, you can let us know by using one of the options described in the “Your Choices” section of this notice. This supplements our Privacy Policy. What information are we talking about? Under these programs, we willnot share any information that identifies you personally. Verizon Wireless will use the following categories of information: Mobile Usage Information: • Addresses of websites you visit when using our wireless service. These data strings (or URLs) may include search terms you have used • Location of your device (“Location Information”) • App and device feature usage Consumer Information: • Information about your use of Verizon products and services (such as data and calling features, device type, and amount of use) • Demographic and interest categories provided to us by other companies, such as gender, age range, sports fan, frequent diner, or pet owner (“Demographics”) Is my information shared? Under these new programs, we will not share outside of Verizon any information that identifies you personally. HOW INFORMATION WILL BE USED DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE To create business and marketing reports. We will combine Mobile Usage Information and Consumer Information in a way that doesnot personally identify you. We will use this information to prepare business and marketing reports that we may use ourselves or share with others. A report might state that 10,000 mobile users visited a sports website in a month and 60% were men. For other companies to create business and marketing reports. We may also share Location Information with other companies in a way that doesnot personally identify you. We will allow these companies to produce limited business and marketing reports. The data we provide could be combined with data provided by other wireless carriers to create a report on the number of mobile users who take a particular highway during rush hour. To make mobile ads you see more relevant. When you use your wireless device, you often see ads on websites and apps. Using certain Consumer Information (such as your Demographics, device type, and language preference) and the postal address we have for you, we will determine whether you fit within an audience an advertiser is trying to reach. This means ads you see may be more relevant to you. We will not share any information that identifies you personally. A local restaurant may want to advertise only to people who live within 10 miles, and we might help deliver that ad on a website without sharing information that identifies you personally. Your choices. If you do not want us to use your information for any of the purposes described above, please let us know at any time by: • Visiting www.vzw.com/myprivacy  Or • Calling 1-866-211-0874 You will receive mobile ads whether you participate or not, but under the advertising program, ads may be more relevant to you. If you have a Family SharePlan® or multi-line account, you must indicate your choice for each line. If you add a line or change a telephone number, you will need to update your privacy choices.