By Megan Fleet

Motorola has done it again!  Introducing a new Droid RAZR! This one was launched last Thursday by Verizon and has the likely moniker of “DROID RAZR MAXX.” As with any other mobile carrier, the handset is available at a discounted price when a new two-year agreement is signed. The asking price is $299.99. With that kind of out of pocket investment and a signed contract, this writer would highly recommend consumers to shop around for an unlocked cell phone.  These unlocked cell phones empower consumers to break free service provider long term contracts and permit to negotiate a plan that best meets your lifestyle needs at the lowest price.

Leaving your valuable mobile devices unprotected is risky!  Discover the latest innovative protection solutions… stylish top brand bags, sleeves and cases specifically designed to protect your devices from scratches and blemishes.  Tough on the outside, sweet on the inside these brand name protection accessories combine complete device coverage with sleek artistic expression.

Compared to its predecessor, the DROID RAZR, this latest Motorola is housed in a thicker frame (only slightly). After that the differences are nominal. In fact, Droid-Life affirmed rumors that each of these devices runs on exactly the same software. Even the Android versions for both the DROID RAZR and DROID RAZR MAXX are the same kernel, build number, and baseband version. The community forums have some miffed participants that accuse Motorola of simply charging customers for a new battery, but this streamlined user of software should actually make things easier on the manufacturer, carrier, and consumer.

Discover the Droid RAZR MAXX in this insightful video :

Smartphone manufacturers are known for making slight changes and rebranding devices. This allows the newest handsets to accommodate tech changes by tweaking the software versions from the old to the new device. Some examples of this are the DROID 2 and DROID R2D2. The silver lining is that as the DROID RAZR and RAZR MAXX, it will all be interchangeable which permits tech-savvy users to take advantage of a wide range of custom ROMs.

Enhance your mobility and turn your device into a power tool!  Discover select accessories such as; stylus & pens, micro SD memory cards, batteries, docking stations, Bluetooth headsets, data cables and glider gloves all specifically designed to make your devices functionally efficient and performance rich.

Alas, with the slight variation in size, all accessories may not be interchangeable. But with the internal specs unchanged, peripheral devices and more technical accessory purchases should meet the system requirements of both smartphones.

By Aldo Panessidi

For those of you loyal readers who have been following and reading my blogs…. you no doubt noticed my propensity to provide you with industry and market statistics and information.

Keeping with this tradition, I came across a study – IT in the Toilet conducted by 11 Mark “View Infographic“… according to this report, we shouldn’t be surprised if we hear a toilet flush in the background while on the phone with friends or colleagues; as a whopping 3 out 4 in America use their cell phones while in the bathroom.

Approximately the same number of men and women have used the phone in the bathroom, according to a survey of 1,000 Americans… although men seem more tethered to IT in the toilet: 30 percent of men versus 20 percent of women agreed with the statement, “I don’t go to the bathroom without my mobile phone.”

Since only 14% of respondents reportedly cleanse their phones after a toilet session…  I would highly recommend protecting both their devices and ultimately themselves with iSkin protective accessories‘ revolutionary  Microban technology.  Built-in to products during the manufacturing process, Microban antimicrobial product protection inhibits the growth of microbes such as bacteria, mold and mildew that can cause stains , embarrassing odors and deterioration of both cell phones and other mobile devices.

Check out the following video for in-depth information on Microban iSkin protective cases and skins.

More than half the surveyed users (63 percent) said they have answered a phone call in the bathroom, and almost half (41 percent) reported initiating a phone call. That’s not all, however: What goes on behind the walls of the stalls is anything a mobile phone is capable of. Sixty-seven percent said they have read a text, and 39 percent have surfed the Web. Men work more from the bathroom—20 percent said they have participated in work-related calls, versus 13 percent of their female colleagues.

As expected, Gen Y respondents are the pacesetters in the “mobile everywhere” movement, with 91 percent using their phone in the bathroom. Still, older generations are not far behind. Eighty percent of Gen X reported using the phone in the bathroom, as did 65 percent of Baby Boomers and 47 percent of the Silent Generation.

While online, they are doing more than just surfing; 16 percent of Gen Y report they have made an online purchase while in the bathroom.  The study indicates that 87% of Droid users (Motorola Droid RAZR, Samsung Galaxy S 2, HTC Amaze, LG Optimus 2X) and 84% of Blackberry users (Bold 9900 Touch, Bold 9790 , Curve 9370) followed by  77% of iPhone users are particularly likely to browse and buy in the bathroom – 22 percent have made a purchase, versus 10 percent of Americans with mobile phones overall.

“The writing is on the stall,” said 11mark principal Nicole Burdette. “This study confirms what we all know: that the last private place is no longer private.”

By Aldo Panessidi

Kudos to Rogers for scaling its LTE (Long Term Evolution) network to reach 11 million Canadians so quickly. As of today, that coverage has been expanded to include service in major Montreal and of island suburbs including Terrebonne, Brossard, Longueil, Laval, and Vaudreuil. At the moment, the LTE network is available to Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto and their environs.  Discover the latest LTE enabled unlocked cell phones.

According to today’s announcement, the mobile carrier will not stop there. The LTE expansion project intends to encompass twenty-five additional Canadian cities in 2012. The company has decided not to fill the public in on what those cities are, but the end game is to have LTE coverage for 20 million Canadian customers by the end of this year.

Leaving your valuable mobile devices unprotected is risky!  Discover the latest innovative protection solutions… stylish top brand bags, sleeves and cases specifically designed to protect your devices from scratches and blemishes.  Tough on the outside, sweet on the inside these brand name protection accessories combine complete device coverage with sleek artistic expression.

As the company was first to market with an LTE launch for Canada, this continued growth spells competition for Bell Mobility, Telus, Fido, and other up and coming providers who would love to pair that kind of network coverage with the more costly data plans and schnazzy new LTE-enabled smartphones.  Consumer forums indicate that customers have yet to see a high value to this technology that matches the associated cost.

Did you know that accessories are designed to enhance your mobility?  Discover the select accessories such as; stylus & pens, micro SD memory cards, batteries, docking stations, Bluetooth headsets, data cables and glider gloves all specifically designed to make your devices functionally efficient and performance rich.

Consequently, this Rogers network could potentially have peek download speeds of 150 Mbps and upload speeds of 70Mbps. Real-world usage is bound to be slower, but customers seemingly have no cap on their need for speed and new tech. The result is consumption of more data, faster which typically result in shocking cell phone bills.

The flip side is that the 4G LTE data plan costs can result in consumers choosing a 3G handset with a more attractive data plan. Once the major competitors like Bell Mobility, Telus and the others kick in – we should see a drop in resulting in an uptick in 4G LTE smartphones.

Join the movement and break free from long-term carrier service contracts.  Unlocked cell phone empower consumers to select their preferred carrier and negotiate a service plan the at best meets their mobile lifestyle at the right price.

By Aldo Panessidi

Life is indeed good for LG… their LG Optimus cell phone series are extremely popular.  In fact, they recently boasted the sale of over one million LG Optimus LTE  worldwide since the device first launched last year.

The Optimus LTE made its international debut in LG’s native South Korea last October, before its December invasion of Japan and North America – where it is sold under the brand name of Spectrum at Verizon (where it is available for $199 on contract) and the Nitro HD at AT&T, while Canadians recognize it as the Bell Optimus Eye.

Leaving your valuable LG mobile devices unprotected is risky!  Discover the latest innovative protection solutions… stylish top brand bags, sleeves and cases specifically designed to protect your devices from scratches and blemishes.  Tough on the outside, sweet on the inside these brand name protection accessories combine complete device coverage with sleek artistic expression

In short the Optimus LTE delivers the ultimate HD multimedia environment through a 4.5 inch 1280 x 720 (16:9 ratio) True HD IPS display with lightening fast LTE connectivity.  The True HD IS display features an incredible 2.76 million sub-pixels as well as superior color accuracy, clarity, natural color and battery efficiency

The following video provides an excellent review on the LG Optimus LE

‘With brisk sales for a high-end smartphone the Optimus LTE reaffirms LG’s leadership in mobile LTE technology,” said Dr. Jon-seok Park, president and CEOof LG Mobile Communications Company.  “The combination of LTE connectivity coupled with LG’s True HD IPS display has resonated with the public regarding the potential of LTE technology.”

LG also confirms that consumers can enhance their mobility and turn LG devices into a power tool wither select accessories such as; stylus & pens, micro SD memory cards, batteries, docking stations, Bluetooth headsets, data cables and glider gloves all specifically designed to make LG devices functionally efficient and performance rich.

By Aldo Panessidi

Does it come as a surprise to anyone that Absinthe jailbreak for both iPhone 4S and iPad 2 has been installed a million times within three days of it becoming available.  The Absinthe jailbreak application for OS X and Windows versions now sit at version 0.2, and  are said to both be bug-free

The Absinthe program has been updated to fix some faulty issues incorporated with the original program issue.  These issues focused on improperly forcing a reboot on typical iDevice coupled with  causing some icons to show up white on the home screen —otherwise it remains unchanged.  These tweaks were from the iOS hacking “dream team” of pod2g, MuscleNerd and the whole Dev-Team. The release encompasses iPhone4S: 5.0 (9A334), 5.0.1 (9A405), 5.0.1 (9A406); and iPad2: 5.0.1 (9A405). If you haven’t backed up your SHSH blobs with TinyUmbrella yet, do so right away, as Apple will as a defensive move, more than likely accelerate the release of iOS 5.1 as a result of this jailbreak.

Get the latest in iphone 4S Jailbraking insight from this tutorial Video

Enhance your mobility and turn your device into a power tool!  Discover select accessories such as; stylus & pens, micro SD memory cards, batteries, docking stations, Bluetooth headsets, data cables and glider gloves all specifically designed to make your devices functionally efficient and performance rich.

Recently, the iPad 2 received and untethered jailbreak with iOS 4.3.3 which alleviated the need for you to be near a computer in the event that your iPhone or iPad required a reboot.  Until then, the only iOS 5.0.1 jailbreaks for A5 devices have been tethered, meaning the device would have to be re-broken every time it rebooted.

The following video provides instruction on how to jailbreak your iPad 2

Finally the last video provides direction to create an untethered jailbreak for the 4th-gen iPod touch

If you need more information on jailbreaking… visit the JailbreakMe website where jailbreak apps are set to look as in a typical AppStore… click the “Free” button, then “Install” and 2 minutes later you’re done.

Note:  Pure Mobile neither endorses or disapproves of jailbreaking activities… its role is limited to  simply  being and acting  as a provider of technological information.  We do however, want to convey to our readers that hacking any format is against the law.  In addition, Pure Mobile will not held responsible for any damages incurred to any device when engaging in any jailbreak application(s) that are aforementioned in this blog or downloaded from any other sites.

By John Castell

Get excited iBooks users! The iOS jailbreak known as Corona that was released last month for the iPhone4S and iPad is now updated to support Apple’s e-reader, iBooks. Be sure to get your updates though, as it is the build for version iOS 5.0.1.

But what does this new jailbreak upgrade mean for your Apple experience? While not as gratifying as playing with a new acquisition from the phenomenal family of accessories for each of the tablet, iPod media device and smartphones that will be covered by this new software update, it could address some of the issues occurring during browsing sessions on these same devices.

Because if you have experienced the launcher crashing on occasion, it is this upgrade that will doctor it up. There are some other bugs that will be fixed as well, but the addressed launcher is the biggie (for the really technical of you out there, the build is also included in redsn0w 0.9.10b4). So, with this update you need not fear having to remove your favorite Apple handset or tablet from its cozy protective case to play tech detective.

Leaving your valuable mobile devices unprotected is risky! Discover the latest innovative protection solutions… stylish top brand bags, sleeves and cases specifically designed to protect your devices from scratches and blemishes. Tough on the outside, sweet on the inside these brand name protection accessories combine complete device coverage with sleek artistic expression.

For those of you who already have jailbroken iPhone4 or iPad devices, Corona can be found and run through the Cydia store. Another option is downloading the updated OS X for Windows version (redsn0w) which will have the same impact.

And if you do not yet possess this untethered jailbreak, you can find more information on compatibility for iPhone 3GS, iPhone4, the first generation iPad, iPod Touch 3G and the iPod Touch 4G. Clearly this development team has been hard at work to bring this jailbreak technology to Apple’s various device offerings of smartphones, tablets and media players. Now, if we can keep that open concept movement to empower customers at other levels of purchasing and freedom of customization, amazing innovation is in the works.

Now to await their next upgrade to include iPhone4S and iPad2…

By Aldo Panessidi

Take inventory of your tech devices. You likely have a smartphone, a laptop, a tablet, an iPod media player, and maybe an errant MP3 player lying around. That is a lot of devices to manage, juggle, and keep tidy – a huge concern for those who like clean décor and want to incorporate these devices. So as the newest offerings of technology were paraded out at CES, who are the winners for top accessory innovators at this year’s conference?

To start, Samsung had some wonderfully well designed speakers and docking stations for their Galaxy S 2 smartphones and Galaxy tablets that had a range of classic to contemporary. They looked to have dedicated woofers and tweeters to ensure a great sound as well as a great look.

Next we have iLuv which you likely know for its Apple accessories. This year they branched out to showcase their newest Android offerings as well. Customers looking to replace a laptop with a tablet will like the folio-plus-Bluetooth-keyboard that gives the option of a hard keyboard or using their tablet with the soft keyboard. If considering a desktop replacement, iLuv’s workstation is affordable and a really neat design that will dock your device, is adjustable for height, and has an integrated wired keyboard. Benefits of a dedicated workstation with the mobility of a tablet? Yes, please! Showing even more innovation for its Apple offerings, iLuv is a must to check out for products that will fit your lifestyle and needs.

Another mobile accessory company that wowed at CES is Scosche. The coolest tech in their array of gadgets was their desktop chargers, wall chargers and car chargers. For phones they had a case, the flipCHARGE rogue and switchback flips via headphones. For emergency charging situations, keep a ClipSYNC keychain on hand and it will undoubtedly come in handy.

For protecting these mobile devices, bags, sleeves and cases are imperative. Otterbox continues to be a top manufacturer for the best protective cases and skins for all iPhone styles and now the top selling Android handset models. Best mentions at CES for Otterbox was the Commuter.

There were many other wonderful accessories to meet the need of charging multiple devices at once or store and protect tablets. As these become available to the public and we have more information on them, we will keep you posted!

By Aldo Panessidi

Apple marketing is sure to have their paws all over the latest IDG business survey which finds that the iPad is gaining explosive momentum in the business community all over the.

The survey shows that 91% of IT and business professionals use their iPads for work. The kicker is that despite this high percentage of usage, only a quarter of these devices are issued by companies.

A surprising 51% of those surveyed always use the device at work, almost as many who always use it at home (54%).

Perhaps this is because professionals use the sleek tablet for media consumption in typical consumer behavior in addition to using it to increase their productivity on the go. The trends point to very high levels of use while they are on the road (a full 79% of IT professionals surveyed always use their iPad on the road). The smaller size of the device makes it easier to tote around when traveling; the array of accessories accessories such as; stylus & pens, micro SD memory cards, batteries, docking stations, Bluetooth headsets, data cables and glider gloves all specifically designed to makes this device more functionally efficient and performance rich.

So where is the monumental shift of iPads replacing notebooks and desktops at the corporate level? It seems to be a different kind of shift, more of an evolution than a revolution. Most of those IT and business professionals surveyed said that despite their high level of iPad use, they have not abandoned their other desktop or laptop computers. iLuv and some other accessory manufacturers did roll out some great docking stations and workstations that may help increase the adoption rate of iPads for businesses.

Apple itself should look into how to better leverage its products and the accessories to make it a clearer choice for consumers. We have brought Apple’s smartphones, media devices, and now slate computers into our homes and now into our offices. There is an incredible amount of loyalty to the brand, but their messaging has largely been centered on the consumer and its media uses. They have to help bridge those gaps and work on their solution selling where companies or individual professionals can buy a comprehensive solution to fit their changing needs.

By Megan Fleet

Canadian Android fans rejoice! The company’s poster child, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, is no longer exclusive to Bell and Virgin. As of JANUARY 13,2012; the popular smartphone is available to TELUS, Rogers, and Fido. In addition to the end of this era of exclusivity, this change is heralding in the first Android 4.0 device to Canada as well. To this writer, it rings of a changing of the tides for the attitudes of unlocked phones.

At the various carriers and Best Buy, there are many promotions accompanying this release that vie for customers’ signatures on long-term service contracts. Individual carriers are making the device available for a price ranging from $99.99 to $159.99 for a three year contract. For those customers open to the potential high costs of such a long contract, Best Buy is the best bet as it will extend the $99.99 promotion to all carriers.  In addition to engaging in a price war, all vendors are luring customers with the latest innovative protective cases and skins.

Enhance your mobility and turn your device into a power tool!  Discover select accessories such as; stylus & pens, micro SD memory cards, batteries, docking stations, Bluetooth headsets, data cables and glider gloves all specifically designed to make your devices functionally efficient and performance rich.

However, when taking the gleaming distractions of the Ice Cream Sandwich OS and the ever impressive Galaxy Nexus, customers should not blindly rush into such agreements without recognizing a few things. Smartphone technology is developed and released at a rapid rate. The cost of opting out of a contract if the next must-have phone is an exclusive with another carrier and takes some luster out of promotional deals. Last, by considering unlocked cell phones that are not tied to a contract, you hold the power deciding on which carrier provides the lowest priced service contract that best  meets your unique mobile lifestyle needs.

This gives you the ability to have both the device you crave and the ability to walk away from a contract or plan that does not suit your needs. Hence, allowing time to rationally decide how you truly use your phone (do you SMS or MMS a lot? How much data do you use? Are you a chatty Cathy?) Then, you look for the best deal from there.

Regardless of your choice, happy shopping and don’t forget to protect your investment with the proper case, screen skins, and hands free headsets!

By Megan Fleet

Some things sound too good to be true. There is always a price to be paid. In the world of smartphones and contracts, the pipers are usually paid with hours of time, creative loopholes for promotional deals, and hidden costs with the long contacts signed to nab the desired handset of choice.

But, for those consumers who are in the market for a Samsung Galaxy Nexus and have avoided these long tied-in contracts or whose contract have come to term, there is a promotion that merits serious consideration.  As of January 13 , Best Buy has made this Android / Samsung poster child available for $99.99. This will require a three year contract, but the offer will extend to all carriers (apparently with the exception of Fido): Virgin Mobile, TELUS, Bell, and Rogers.

This is definitely an option to consider in comparison shopping as the official launch date of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus for Fido, TELUS, and Rogers is this Friday and three year contract deals are seeing handset costs around $160 or $600 outright. These carriers have began their sales of the Android 4.0 smartphone earlier than the announced release date, but TELUS will be releasing this device on Friday as well, but will match the Best Buy introductory price of $99.99 for signing a three year term.

With the number of carriers offering this kind of introductory offer, it isn’t likely to disappear any time soon. In the spirit of informed consumerism and seeing the true long term costs of both the new Galaxy Nexus handset and the contract terms, look at unlocked phone options and deals as well that will allow you to pick the best contract (and a more reasonable length!) for you.

Enhance your mobility and turn your device into a power tool!  Discover select accessories such as; stylus & pens, micro SD memory cards, batteries, docking stations, Bluetooth headsets, data cables and glider gloves all specifically designed to make your devices functionally efficient and performance rich.

Or, if the contract offering from Best Buy, TELUS, Rogers and all the like is your cup of tea, be sure to shop around for the protective cases and skins for your new smartphone and depending on the laws of your area, hands free accessories as well. No matter what route fits best, happy shopping and enjoy your new gadgets!