This weeks app review

In this post I am going to share an app with you which is not for everyone, but can come in handy when traveling. Or when checking up on those teenagers!  The name of the app is Glympse, free in the Android market. This little gem will let you share your whereabouts with whoever you chose (if they have the free app loaded also), your position will show up on their Google Maps for 10 minutes, then become inactive. I have used it to give my wife an update when on my way to work in the winter during snow storms. I can also see it being very handy when traveling anywhere US Cellular has coverage (which is just about everywhere)! If you happened to break down or be in an accident you could send a Glympse of your position to a loved one to get help. And YOU get to chose who gets to see your position, not some social media giant. So if you don't have a US Cellular Android powered phone check them out or message me and I will be more than happy to help you become one of the "happiest customers in wireless" in anyway I can!

Still a proud USCC customer crew member

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My carrier

I know I normally post about a new cool must have app, but this week I want to tell you a little about my wireless provider. I started in 1993 with Cellular One, switched to US Cellular in 1996 with my wife on a shared plan, switched to AT&T in 2001 for the "new cool phone" the Moto razor. I switched back to US Cellular and a family plan with my wife in 2005, and have been with them every since. (I should have listened to my wife and stayed with USCC like she did). We changed to a Belief Plan in Oct. 2010 when I got my HTC Desire Android phone. Now here we are 17 month later and I just upgraded my phone two month early with the help of some of our Belief plan reward points. With US Cellular you can upgrade at eighteen months anyway, but you can use your reward points (1000 points = one month) to upgrade even earlier! And another cool thing about USCC is you sign one contract for two years, then never have to sign another, even when you upgrade! Now is there any other wireless provider who does that? I don't think so!! Also you can now use your Belief plan reward points for phone accessories in any corporate store. If you have any questions or if I can help you to become "one of the happiest customers in wireless" just comment here or hit me up with a Facebook message.



Proud USCC Customer Crew member!

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I want to talk about making your smartphone do so much more automatically this week. The name of this wonder app is Automateit. This app will make you phone do everything from updating your PRL on a schedule to enabling your GPS when you open Google maps and much more! These actions can be triggered by GPS position, time, or simply opening an application. Just an example is my mobile data is enabled when I open my Vlingo app., when the application is turned off the mobile data is disabled. It does the same thing when I enable/disable Google maps, it enables/disables my GPS. The beauty of this app is that by enabling/disabling the mobile data/GPS, it saves battery life, (but with USCC's unlimited battery swap this is never a problem).  It automatically calls to update my PRL every Monday morning at a preset time. The possibilities are endless!!! With the 3G coverage of the US Cellular network, and the soon to come 4G speed this app works anywhere! Also with the early upgrade from USCC (as little as 12 months) you can put it on a new phone sooner. So go to your local US Cellular store and get your new Android powered phone, and download the app, and start automating your phone! If you have questions or need help ask the customer crew.
John/USCC customer crew member

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This week I would like to talk about a problem that seems to plague all smartphones, battery life. I know we all want to get the full enjoyment from our phones, and I am here to try to help you with that. There are a number of thing we will do to get your battery lasting longer and let you enjoy your phone!

1. Go to menu>settings>display>brightness, be sure auto is NOT checked, set the brightness as low as you possibly can. 
2. Turn off auto sync. Menu>settings>accounts & sync, the ONLY thing you want to auto sync is your Google account. Do you really need your Facebook, G+, Twitter, etc accounts to auto sync while you are at work or a restaurant? Just long press on your home screen, chose widget, then power (bar), from here you can chose different options to add to the power bar. I personally only have three, WIFI,  mobile hotspot, and mobile data. You can add auto sync if you like, then you can turn the auto sync on/off easily.
3. Turn off mobile data, bluetooth, and GPS when not in use. I have found the biggest battery hog on my phone is mobile data. If my phone is laying on my desk do I need mobile data on? NO, I can still make/receive phone calls and text messages without mobile data.
4. DO NOT use battery savers or task killers. These will kill essential apps which will just restart on their own causing more battery drain.
5. Back out of apps using the back button. This will shut down the app correctly and not leave it running in the back ground, using battery power. Pressing the "home" button just takes it out of the app, it does not exit it correctly

But the best battery saving tip I can give you is to have a GREAT wireless carrier like US Cellular who gives you free battery swap anytime you need it!

I hope these tips help you get more enjoyment out of your smartphone!

John / USCC customer crew member

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