Category Archives: Electronics

Capturing Exceptional Photos of Special Life Moments with your Phone | #HTCOne #TroopOneX

Electronics, Gadgets, Smartphones, , ,

I’ve been using the HTC One X+ Android phone for a few weeks.   As I mentioned in a previous post, I thought the transition from iOS to Android would be a bit painful as I have used an iPhone for 4 years.  I was mistaken.  You can read more about my transition from iOS to Android here.

I didn’t think that there could possibly be a phone or operating system that I’dlike better than iOS.  I quickly learned that I was wrong.  Within the first few days of having the HTC OneX+ I felt confident that I could make the switch from iOS to android and that’s just what I did.

The incredible 8MP camera on the HTC OneX+ helped make the decision to switch easy.

In just the few short weeks that I’ve been using the HTC One X+, I have captured some of my favorite photos of my daughter like the one below where she’s swinging with a tutu on.  My HTC one X+ has been with me to capture wonderful photos during some exciting moments of ours.  Check out some of my favorite photos from these experiences below.

Swinging in her tutu in 30 degree weather!

She lost another tooth!

Art project

Delicious desert!

All of the photos above were taken with this phone!

Those are just four of my favorite photos I’ve taken with the HTC OneX+.  I love love love the HTC OneX+ 8MP camera.  I used continuos shooting mode while my daughter was swinging and got the most amazing shots.  The italian ice photo above was taken using the Macro setting.  Look at the detail on the raspberries!

Anxious to learn more about the HTC OneX+ for AT&T?  I understand!!  Learn more about the HTC OneX+ here and follow @HTC on Twitter.

Read more posts about my experiences with the HTC One X+:

I received an HTC OneX+ as part of being a member of the TroopOneX review team.  All opinions in this post are 100% my own.  Content and/or other value provided by our partner, HTC.

Get Incredible Deals on Kindle Fire HD, XBox, and More Through @AMEXSync & Twitter!

Electronics, Sales & Events, , ,

We are always looking for great deals on hot products right?  Who doesn’t want to get an amazing deal on a Kindle Fire HD or XBox Bundle?  If you have an AMEX card you can!

American Express Cardmembers can purchase hot products at discounted prices on Twitter! To purchase, sync your eligible Card with Twitter by visiting sync.americanexpress.com/twitter.

AMEX Sync Twitter Specials

Products are now available from Amazon, Sony, Urban Zen and Xbox 360 – see below for special prices and the hashtags:

  • Amazon Kindle Fire HD: $149.99 plus tax.
    • Tweet #BuyKindleFireHD
  • Sony Action Cam & Waterproof Headband Mount: $179.99 plus tax.
    • Tweet #BuyActionCamPack
  • Urban Zen Bracelet Designed by Donna Karan: $80.00 plus tax.
    • Tweet #BuyUrbanZenBracelet
  • Xbox 360 4GB console with a 3-month Xbox LIVE Subscription and 2 game tokens: $179.99 plus tax.
    • Tweet #BuyXbox360Bundle
  • Xbox Controller: $29.99 plus tax.
    • Tweet #BuyXboxController
Learn more about how you can get products at SPECIAL prices on Twitter through AMEX Sync here.

Watch this brief video to learn how to get the discounts

Getting started is easy for Amex Cardmembers:

  • Sync an eligible American Express card at sync.americanexpress.com/twitter
  • If you previously synced for couponless offers, you still must sync you card for purchases
  • Tweet a specific product #hashtag for the product you want to purchase
  • Confirm your purchase after receiving an @Reply from @AmexSync

Life Happens. Protect your Smartphone and Tablet with the OtterBox Defender Series!

Electronics, Gadgets, , , ,

It’s getting harder and harder to go anywhere without a smart phone or tablet these days.  On our recent trip to Florida, I brought my iPhone, iPad, and Kindle, and my kids each brought their iPhones.  We were toting a total of 5 devices and the worry of them dropping their device of spilling milk or water on it was almost constant.

Owners of smartphones will quickly learn two facts. First, smartphones are pretty fragile, and second, they are expensive to replace. This is even more true if you have young kids in the house.  Spilled juice or a drop onto concrete can easily cost you hundreds of dollars, making a protective case a must. For the iPhone, they don’t get much better than the OtterBox Defender.

OtterBox Defender Series Review

OtterBox Defender Series

The Defender Series cases are high quality cases with an outer layer of silicone and an inner layer of hard plastic to protect your phone from drops onto any surface. Even better, Defenders have a plastic screen protector while many other iPhone cases leave your screen open to the elements. This protects your screen from dirt, abrasion, and most importantly, sticky fingers. Your ports aren’t forgotten either, as these cases have silicone plugs that keep out dirt and debris. Each case also comes with a belt clip that doubles as a stand for video watching, but it can be removed for a sleeker look.  The Defender Series is available in several colors and shoppers can even build their own Defender Series OtterBox case.  My favorite is the Paisley & Floral Defender Series case from the Studio Collection.

Other OtterBox Cases

There are several other lines of cases available for your phone or iPad for those who don’t need quite so much protection. The Commuter Series has two layer construction like the Defender, but the silicone is on the inside instead of the outside. The Reflex sacrifices the silicone and had internal air pockets to dampen shock instead. On the other hand, the Impact Series is a robust silicone case lacking any hard plastic layer. Finally, the Prefix combines both layers into one, giving you the best of both worlds. Every case is available for a range of devices in a wide variety of colors and patterns.

I rely on my OtterBox.  So far I have dropped my phone out a two story window.  It was an accident, really!  One of my first iPhone’s slipped from a stack of books I was carrying and shattered.  My husband drove off with his iPhone on the hood of his car.   My son washed his iPhone. It’s not like all of these mishaps happened within a short period of time.  We aren’t clumsy.  It’s just life.  Things happen!

If you need a robust, functional case then OtterBox is where you should look. Their variety of HTC cases, iPhone cases, and tablet cases are excellently constructed and built to last. In fact, you’ll replace your phone with a new model before you replace your case. One thing to be aware of is that these cases can be a bit more expensive than other brands, but you really do get what you pay for. The protection they offer is top notch and few other cases can compete with it. Don’t spend ages sifting through different brands and models of smartphone or iPad cases; the Defender has you covered.

Now that I’m using an HTC OneX+, I hope to get an OtterBox case for it soon too!

Learn more about OtterBox:

I received an OtterBox Defender Series for review purposes.  As always, all opinions in this post are 100% my own. I only write about products that I would buy for my family.

I Made The Switch.. From an iPhone 4S to the HTC OneX+!

Electronics, Gadgets, Smartphones, ,

I was standing in the AT&T store Friday, when I very hesitantly handed my iPhone 4S to an AT&T employee and whispered “I need to transfer my phone number to this HTC OneX+ phone”. I literally had tears in my eyes. Call me crazy. Some would call my iPhone, my 3rd hand, but I knew I was ready to take the leap after having using this phone on wifi only for a couple of days.  Even after reviewing several other Android devices, I never felt as ready to switch to an Android phone as I did with the HTC OneX+. Before this week and for the last several years, I was always either holding my iPhone or it was in my pocket, and at night my iPhone was under my pillow. For the last few years I have been connected to the world via my iPhone.

This week, I made the leap from iOS to Android.

Content and/or other value provided by our partner, HTC.

HTC requested that I review the HTC OneX+ smartphone, but did not request or require that I stop using my current phone.  However, in the interest of my readers I felt that I needed to fully immerse myself in the HTC and Android world in order to give you the most accurate and honest review of the HTC OneX+.   This would be a huge step for me as I live and breathe Mac when it comes to technology.  I have two MacBooks, an iPad, and most of my immediate family have an iPhone.

HTC One X+ for AT&T review
My HTC One X+ Homescreen

I have reviewed several Android phones and have enjoyed them all but the HTC OneX+ for AT&T is one that I found very easy to use and found using it for every day tasks like checking email and posting to and reading my social media streams, the first day I had the phone.

Three days later..

This post is the first in a series of three or so about the HTC OneX+ so stay tuned and subscribe to my feed to get updates as I learn more about the phone.

Let me start the review off with a list of my top 5 Smartphone must-have features.

My Top 5 Smartphone Feature Must Have’s:

  • Great graphics
  • Multitasking
  • Incredible photos
  • Sync with my iTunes music library
  • A lot of storage space

My iPhone 4S has all of those features.  The HTC One X+ has these ADDITIONAL features:

  • Quad-core processor vs iPhone 4S’ Dual Core processor
  • Graphics Accelerator
  • 1.6 megapixel front facing camera vs. 0.3 megapixel on the iPhone 4S
  • The Battery capacity is 2,100 mAh vs the 1,432 mAh that the iPhone 4S has
  • The CPU speed is 1.70 GHz vs the iPhone 4S’ 1.00 GHz CPU speed
  • HTC OneX+ has 64GB vs. 16GB in the iPhone 4S
  • While the HTC One X+ is the larger of the two phones, it weighs less than the iPhone 4S by 2 ounces.
  • Screen size.  Are you ready?  The HTC OneX+ sports a 4.7″ screen while the iPhone 4S has a 3.5″ screen.

Am I having any issues transitioning to the HTC OneX+?

I’m glad you asked.  Read on to learn about the transitions I’m facing while switching from the iPhone 4S to the HTC OneX+. Continue reading I Made The Switch.. From an iPhone 4S to the HTC OneX+! →