TECH REVIEW: 7 Things I love about the Droid Turbo Smartphone powered by Verizon Wireless

Special thanks to Verizon Wireless for loaning me the Droid Turbo for review.  It's an awesome phone that I hated to give back...

From the great battery life to the beautiful screen, the Droid Turbo powered by Verizon Wireless is a lot of smartphone to love...

Are you in the market for a new smartphone?  Well this is the time of the year where a lot of new smartphones have been released that are all advertised to make your life easier with smart features that will make your smartphone your top used gadget, even more than your PC.

And the Droid Turbo powered by Verizon Wireless is the newest smartphone released by Motorola that has features that will definitely make your life easier and make your smartphone the smartest device that you own. I have been reviewing the Droid Turbo for the past 2 weeks and have found so many things that I love about the phone that it is hard to list just a few for this blog post.

So here are the top 7 things that I loved about using the Droid Turbo smartphone -

1. Lots of Storage for Apps, Games, Music and Movies on the Device

I remember when 16GB was a massive amount of storage on a smartphone, but not anymore. My 16GB smartphone is totally filled with photos, videos, and hundreds of apps - and that is after I cleaned up the storage and moved most of my videos and photos to Dropbox!

So I love that the Droid Turbo comes standard with 32GB of storage for the same price that 16GB Droid models were going for last year. As we use our smartphones more, we definitely need more storage and the Droid Turbo can meet that need with its 32GB and 64GB models.

2. Shake-to-Awake Camera - Never Miss an Important Shot again...

We have all been there. A perfect camera shot is coming up and you know you are going to miss it if you have to open your smartphone and then navigate to the camera. But you don't have to worry about missing a shot with the Droid Turbo. Just shake the smartphone twice and the camera wakes up - even if your phone is locked. How cool is that?

And the Droid Turbo has a 21-megapixel rear-facing camera that can record and play back video in 4K so your home videos will look more professional than ever before.

24 hours later and the Droid Turbo still has 32% of the battery remaining...

3. Great Battery Life!

I think most of us charge our smartphones every night since the battery is probably near dead or completely dead by the time we go to sleep. My smartphone has a 2100mAh battery and it just does not last since I am using my smartphone constantly. So I always keep a portable charger in my purse and a charging brick at work to make sure that my smartphone battery makes it through the day.

Well with the Droid Turbo, all that battery drama is a thing of the past.

The Droid Turbo packs a 3900mAh battery that will easily get you through the entire day with some power to spare for the next day.  I cannot tell you how wonderful it was to use this smartphone and know that I did not have to worry costantly about charging the battery.

Photos cannot show how beautiful this display is to view...

4. A Big Beautiful Screen makes everything look wonderful!

I wish I could take a photo to show how beautiful the Droid Turbo screen is, but I cannot capture in photos how awesome this display looks.  I put the Droid Turbo next to my smartphone and I could easily see how the colors were deeper and more saturated.  And when you pair the Droid Turbo's Quad HD display with the 5.2" size, you get a great user experience that makes everything that is displayed on the screen easy to see and great to view.

Every smartphone should have a Turbo Charger like the Droid Turbo!

5. Turbo Charger to the Rescue!

I think everyone has at least once forgot to charge their smartphone before the have to go to an event. So what do you do if your smartphone is on 5% and you have to leave the house in 15 minutes? Well if you have a Droid Turbo, you just charge the phone using the Turbo Charger and you will add about 6 hours of additional power to your smartphone - Can we make this standard issue on all smartphones?

Active Display puts all your notifications on the lock screen for easy access!

6. Active Display and Touchless Control are like having your own butler!

I was first introduced to active display and touch less control features when I reviewed the Motorola Moto X and the Motorola Droid Ultra smartphones - and I totally love these features.

Active Display allow you to to preview alerts on the lock screen with just a touch of the screen so that you know in seconds if a message is important or just something that you can take care of later. I am sure that all of us waste a ton of time checking our phones every time it beeps - after all the message or email or text could be important. With the Droid Turbo, you can stop being a slave to alerts since the lock screen shows you a preview the most recent messages. Now you can do a quick eye scan and go back to what you are doing knowing you are not missing anything important. This should be a feature on all smartphones!

Touch-less control allow you to just speak to the smartphone and it uses Google Now to answer your questions and talk back to you. Lets say you are driving down the road and need information, but you cannot safely use your smartphone, Just say "OK Google Now" (or set your own phrase) and the Droid Turbo will wake up and ask you for a command.

And speaking of driving, the Droid Turbo includes some software called "Moto Assist" that works with the touch-less control feature to sense when you are driving and will ask you if you want to take incoming calls (via speaker phone) and also read incoming text messages to you.

The Droid Turbo is built with a special processor that is dedicated to the touch-less control features that work with Google Now. The touch-less control feature is always awake and waiting for your command, but will not drain your battery due to the dedicated processor. The touch-less control feature learns your voice through a series of commands so the feature will only work for you and no one else - HOW COOL!


7. Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Service is awesome!

Verizon Wireless has some of the best phone service in the country. There are certain buildings where I work in Dearborn, MI where cell phone service is a problem due the how the building is constructed. But I never had a issue getting a cell signal with the Droid Turbo. Using the feature packed Droid Turbo on the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network was truly the icing on the cake.

Overall, I give the Droid Turbo two thumbs up!

I would sum up my review of the Droid Turbo smartphone powered by Verizon Wireless as follows -

Pros

- Beautiful, huge screen that makes everything easy to see and a pleasure to view.

- Awesome battery life.

- Touch-less controls, active display, shake-to-awake camera and the turbo charger are excellent, useful features that should come as standard on all smartphones!

- Tons of storage with the 32gb standard model.

Cons

- The volume rocker on the side of the smartphone does not protrude out far enough which makes using it difficult. I always had to look to adjust the sound volume instead of being able to do it by touch.

- Even though the camera is 21 megapixels, I really could not tell the difference between photos taken with the Droid Turbo and those taken with my 10 megapixel smartphone camera.

The Droid Turbo powered by Verizon Wireless retails for $199.99 with a two year contract or $599.99 full price

If you are looking for an Android smartphone packed full of useful features with a beautiful screen and long lasting battery life, then check out the Droid Turbo powered by Verizon Wireless.  It is truly a great smartphone.

WIN Your own Droid Turbo!

WIN YOUR OWN DROID TURBO POWERED BY VERIZON WIRELESS WITH THE #FREE48CONTEST

Want to WIN a Droid Turbo?  Go to the FREEISMYLIFE Instagram Account to find out the details on how Verizon Wireless is giving away a Droid Turbo as part of their #FREE48CONTEST which runs through December 30, 2014.


Enjoy!


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TECH: Verizon Connection Day offers FREE and DISCOUNTED digital content starting on 11/26

‘Tis The Season For Giving...

Verizon is Giving Back This Holiday Season with Access to Great Digital Content from Leading Technology Brands as Part of First-ever “Connection Day”

The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is about to become a little more enjoyable. Verizon Wireless has declared Nov. 26 “Connection Day” and is offering mobile users the chance to connect with everything they love in life – friends, music, books, news, and apps -- on one of the busiest travel days of the year.

Verizon has teamed up with leading content providers to deliver exciting digital treats that any wireless customer can enjoy. Verizon is working with Amazon, Apple, Boingo Wireless, Condé Nast, Gogo Technologies, JetBlue and Pandora on a variety of offers that will make the day before Thanksgiving just a little bit more entertaining.

On Nov. 26, all consumers, regardless of wireless carrier, can receive everything from movies to free wifi to audio books to streaming music, all compliments of Verizon. The complete list of offers includes:

· Verizon FiOS: Special mobile access to popular movies and TV shows from November 26 to December 1, compliments of Verizon FiOS, by downloading the free FiOS Preview app.

· Amazon: Selection of 10 free/discounted apps, plus two free Audible book downloads (new members) or $10 Audible credit (current members)

· Apple: A special offer from iTunes to be revealed on November 26

· Condé Nast: Free Digital Edition downloads of 17 Conde Nast Publications, including Wired, Vanity Fair and GQ.

· Free Wi-Fi: 30-minute complimentary Internet sessions through Boingo Wireless (at airports) and Gogo Technologies (in-flight).

· JetBlue: Free in-flight Fly-Fi (Wi-Fi) for flights between November 26th and December 24th.

· Pandora Media: Free seven-day trial of Pandora One.

Simply go to www.verizon.com/connectionday to preview the Connection Day treats 

Consumers who visit the site before November 26, 2014 can get a reminder to return on Connection Day to choose the gifts they are interested in.

And Verizon Wireless customers get a special treat. Starting today, MORE Everything customers who register for Connection Day at verizon.com/connectionday are eligible to immediately receive a one-time gift of 1GB of shareable data applied to their account. Plus, they’ll get another 1GB of data in their next billing cycle.

Not a MORE Everything customer? No problem. You’re eligible for a special discount on the mophie powerstation 4000, a great tool to keep devices charged and connected.

“As we approach the holiday season, we wanted to show how much we appreciate our customers,” said Ken Dixon, vice president of marketing, Verizon Wireless. “We hope that not only our customers, but everyone, will take advantage of this day—a day to connect with family and friends, to learn something new about their device, or just to provide a little more entertainment during what can often be a hectic kick off to the holiday season.”

Connection Day – A big “Thanks” from Verizon during the season of thanks.


Enjoy!


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FREE Verizon Small Business Webinar with Shark Tank's Daymond John on 11/12 at 2pm EST - RSVP

Just Ask Daymond John - FREE Verizon Webinar for Small Business Owners...

Don't miss an incredible opportunity to Ask Daymond John about how to get your business started!

A young entrepreneur, industry pioneer, highly regarded marketing expert and a man who has surpassed new heights of commercial and financial success are just a few ways people have described Daymond John. Over the last 20 years, Daymond John (The Shark) has evolved from one of the most successful fashion icons of his generation to a highly sought after branding expert, author, consultant, and as a speaker in business and motivational genres.

Daymond’s creative vision and strong knowledge of the marketplace created one of the most iconic fashion brands in recent years. FUBU, (“For Us By Us”), represented a lifestyle that was neglected by other clothing companies. Realizing this need in the marketplace, Daymond helped to create the
untapped urban apparel space and laid the groundwork for other companies to compete in this newly established market.

In 2009, John joined the cast of the ABC entrepreneurial business show, Shark Tank, produced by acclaimed TV producer Mark Burnett. As one of the “Sharks”, Daymond and four other prominent executives listen to business pitches from everyday people hoping to launch their company or product to new heights. Investing his own money in every project, Daymond becomes partners with the entrepreneurs helping turn their dreams into a reality. Millions of viewers tune into the show as Daymond demonstrates his marketing prowess and entrepreneurial insights, which have earned him his nickname as “The Shark.”

The Verizon Small Business Ready Webinar Series is designed to keep small businesses informed to help them gain a competitive edge. All live webinars are recorded and available for on-demand replay. To view past webinars visit www.verizon.com/webinar.

WHAT: Verizon Webinar Series: “Just Ask Daymond.”

WHEN: Wednesday, November 12, 2014 at 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT/12 p.m. MT/11 a.m. PT

WHERE: Admission to this live webinar is FREE, but please register at least one hour before the webinar’s start to receive an “e-vite.”

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER 

WHO: Daymond John, Entrepreneur, Industry Pioneer, and Marketing Expert


Enjoy!


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TECH: Verizon Wireless 5 Must have Tech Toys to make your Halloween Scary Good

 Verizon Wireless knows how to scare up some fun this Halloween...

Halloween can be scary, but these tech toys available through Verizon Wireless can make your Halloween scary good...

If One of the scariest things you can think of is losing your keys...

HTC Fetch, $29.99
Never forget your phone or keys again. Get a warning beep if you leave one behind, easily activate your phone’s ringtone and even map their last location.

- Secure your phone and belongings
- Last seen tracking
- Hands-free remote camera
- Sleek and compact design
- Working range – up to 15 meters (depends on working environment)
- 6 month battery lifetime
- Works with compatible HTC smartphones

Adjust your home lighting to create eerie effects by turning lights on and off at different times...

Belkin WeMo Insight Switch, $59.00
Make all your electronics smarter. If it plugs in, you can control it. Turn TVs, fans, lights and heaters on and off from anywhere, even monitor the energy usage.

- Turn electronics such as a fan or TV on or off from your smartphone or tablet
- Monitor energy use of your home appliances, and get custom usage alerts
- Create schedules for turning on and off electronics, such as at sunset
- Easy to set up and expand throughout your home
- Compatible with iOS 6.0 and higher, and Android™ 4.0 and higher

Will pulsate to the terrifying sounds of the seasons. Or puts the BOOm in your evening...

JBL Pulse, $199.99
Fill any space with cinema-quality sound with an integrated LED light show from compact wireless -Bluetooth speakers.

-Two high-performance drivers and a built-in bass port
-Programmable LED lights will pulse to the music
-Wireless Bluetooth® stereo streaming with NFC

Capture memories of your favorite boys and ghouls to last a lifetime...

GoPro Hero 4 Silver Edition, $399.99
Built-in touch display for framing shots, adjusting settings and more!

- Capture stunning video in resolutions up to 1080p60
- Shoot the action with a 12 megapixel camera, up to 30 frames per second

Because your phone should dress up for Halloween, too....

Kate Spade New York Flexible Hardshell Case for iPhone 6 Plus - Scattered Pavillio, $54.99
Unique and sophisticated print with stylish pop colors

- Rigid back shell and shock-resistant bumper for reliable protection
- Co-molded design provides double the defense against impact
- Free Shipping available on all orders
- Check compatibility

WHICH ONE IS YOUR FAVORITE???

Enjoy!


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TECH REVIEW: 7 Reasons to L-O-V-E the HTC One M8 smartphone powered by Verizon Wireless

Special thanks to Verizon Wireless for loaning me the HTC One M8 for review. All opinions are my own...

The HTC One M8 is one high-end smartphone that is perfect for the graduate, audio lover, and beyond...

Quality. Monied. Refined. Those are the words that came to mind when I took the Verizon Wireless HTC One M8 smartphone out of the packaging and first held it in my hand.

As a lover of quality things, I found the HTC One M8 to be a smartphone that checks all the boxes when you think of a high-end tech device.

The body of the HTC One M8 is made from a beautiful brushed aluminum metal that gives the phone a very refined look. The phone has stereo speakers that can out gun any boom box.

And the phone's overall features are outstanding and include an IR blaster to control your TV, a beautiful 1080 display for watching HD movies, a superior camera with interesting special affects, BlinkFeed for aggregating your news feeds right onto a screen on the phone, and a SD card slot for extra storage of music, photos and more.

There are so many great features on this phone, that I decided to just focus on telling you about my 7 top favorites that I feel make the HTC One M8 an awesome smartphone -

1. Superior Build Quality
The body of the HTC One M8 is made from 90% brushed aluminum metal.  Now this really did not hit me as much of a great feature at first. After all, most smartphones (both high-end and not) are made from plastic and they are perfectly fine to use.

But after carrying the HTC One M8 around with me for a few weeks, I found myself running my hands over the brushed metal finish and just enjoying the high-end quality feel of the phone. I also found myself laying the phone down with the back facing up because the phone is just so darn beautiful to look at.

One con of using a phone that is all aluminum is that it can get slippery. But if you love for your possessions to be high-end and beautiful to the touch and eye, the HTC One M8 is definitely worth checking out.

2. Awesome sounding Stereo Speakers
The HTC One M8 is the only smartphone that I haver ever reviewed that has stereo speakers. And it is a feature that I hope other smartphone manufactures will copy.

I had no idea how bad the mono speaker of my smartphone sounded until I started playing music on the HTC One M8.  Everything I played sounded not only louder, but also richer in bass and overall quality. These speakers are really amazing.

3. Big Beautiful 1080p HD Display
If you are into watching movies on your smartphone while on the go, then you will love the 5" HD display on the HTC One M8. The colors are beautiful and the screen can also be used to turn the phone on and off.

Just tap twice anywhere on the screen, and phone turns off and on without using the physical on/off button - LOVE IT!!!

4. HTC Advantage Guarantee for OS Updates, FREE Screen Replacement and more...
Years ago, I cracked the screen on my smartphone and had to live with it in that horrid state for 7 months.  One of the great things about the HTC One M8 is that comes with the HTC Advance Guarantee which gets you -

• Free one-time, cracked-screen replacement for the first 6 months
• A commitment to getting the latest Android OS updates
• Free additional Google Drive online storage for two years

This is the first time that I have ever heard of a smartphone manufacturer including free cracked-screen replacement.   Way to go HTC!

I am also glad to see HTC committing to updating their smartphones to the latest Android OS since in the past HTC has been very bad at updating their devices.  Having the latest Android OS means you are guaranteed to have a smartphone with all the latest Android features and one that will not become obsolete within a year of purchase.

5. Great Battery Life
The HTC One M8 that I was sent from Verizon Wireless for review included a hotspot feature that allowed me to share the smartphone's data connection with my laptop and other wireless devices.  Now anyone that has ever used the hotspot on your smartphone knows that this feature will drain your battery faster than any other feature on the phone.

I kept the hotspot live all day from morning to night on the HTC One M8 and the battery level never dropped lower than 30%.  That is just amazing since I have to keep my own personal smartphone pulled in to a power outlet when I use the hotspot to keep the battery from completely draining to zero.

6. IR Blaster to control your TV
I am a big fan of IR blasters on smartphones and tablets.  The newest Samsung smartphones and tablets all have IR blasters and so does the HTC One M8.  Setup is super easy and in less than 3 minutes, I was sitting in my comfy chair using the HTC One M8 to see what's on TV and control the functions of my TV and cable box.  I love features like this that enable a smartphone to be truly smart for the consumer.

7. Great Verizon Wireless Data Quality
Lastly, I love any smartphone powered by Verizon Wireless because of the superior Internet data quality.  While I was reviewing the HTC One M8, I had some horrid issues with my home cable service and had to use the hotspot on my HTC One M8 to temporarily power the wireless devices in my home to prove to my cable provider that the issues were with the cable modem and not with my home. Thanks Verizon Wireless for coming to the rescue.

With all the great features on the HTC One M8, this is a smartphone that is not only easy on the eye, but also easy to use everyday.  And this phone would be great as a graduation gift!

The HTC One M8 powered by Verizon Wireless is available for $99 with a 2 year contact.

Check out the HTC One M8 along with accessories like the Dot View Case on the Verizon Wireless website

Part of the 2014 Graduation Gift Guide

Enjoy!


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MOTHER'S DAY GIFT GUIDE: The Verizon Ellipsis 7 Tablet with 4G LTE for On-The-Go Moms

A small tablet with Verizon 4G LTE built in for use while on-the-go...

Special thanks to Verizon Wireless for loaning me the Verizon Ellipsis 7 Tablet for review... 

Recently, I gave my very non-technical sister a new tablet for her birthday.  When I say that my sister is non-technical, I mean she only uses technology when she is forced.  She is technical writer, which means she uses a computer every day as part of her job. But left up to her, she would still be using a manual typewriter if she could get away with it.

So when my son and I gifted her a new tablet for her birthday, I really did not know how she was going to react. This is a woman who still owns a flip phone - and is proud of it. So my son and I set up the tablet on her wifi and loaded on Gmail, Netflix, Hulu Plus, Kindle, Nook, Comcast To Go, the Bible and a Solitaire game and left her to her own devices.  Well, I am happy to report that my very non-technical sister actually loves her gift and uses it all the time.  Her only complaint? That her tablet does not have a built-in Internet connection so that she can use all the apps while on-the-go when there is no wi-fi available.

So I thought about my sister's desire to have a built-in Internet connection with her tablet when I was sent for review the Verizon Ellipsis 7 tablet with built-in Verizon 4G LTE.

While the Ellipsis 7 is not a high-end tablet with lots of bells and whistles and does not have super high-end specs, it is a decent tablet that will get the job done for someone looking to check email, watch a movie, read an eBook, Skype call a friend or relative, or just play a game.

The Verizon Ellipsis 7 specs are as follows:

- 1289 x 800 HD Display
- measures 7.72" (H) x 4.94" (W) x 0.4" (D)
- weighs 12.7 oz.
- runs Android™ 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean)
- has 8GB internal  memory with 1GB RAM
- supports up to 32GB microSD card (sold separately)
- has 1.2GHz Quad-Core Processor
- has a 4,000 mAh battery that can give you up to 12.28 hours of usage time or 6 days of standby time
- 3.2 Megapixel Rear–Facing Camera
- VGA Front–Facing Camera

One of the best thing about the Ellipsis 7 tablet is that it has the antennas built in for a Verizon 4G LTE Internet connection so that you have the super fast Verizon network with you wherever you go. And the unit that I was sent could also be used as a super fast hotspot so that I could share the Verizon 4G LTE Internet connection with my laptop or other devices.

I would sum up my review of the Verizon Ellipsis 7 Tablet as follows -

Pros -

- Good battery life with excellent standby time.  I left the tablet in my purse untouched for 3 days and it still had plenty juice left in the battery.  I wish my smartphone battery was that good.

- Loud dual front speakers that did a great job while watching youTube video.

- Built in microSD card slot is perfect for keeping lots of music and videos on the unit without using up all the 8GB of internal storage.

- Perfect size for carrying in my purse.

Cons -

- Feels a little heavy at 12.7 oz for a 7" tablet

The Verizon Ellipsis 7 Tablet would make a great Mother's Day gift for someone looking to own their first tablet or for someone that wants a simple tablet to use while on-the-go. It can be purchased from Verizon Wireless off-contract for $249.99 or with a 2-year contact for $49.99.

Find out more about the Verizon Ellipsis 7 Tablet on the Verizon Wireless Website

Part of the 2014 Mother's Day Gift Guide

Enjoy!


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TECH: What's Up Moto? It's all good with the Verizon Moto X and Moto G Smartphones

Verizon Moto X

Verizon Moto G

The Moto X and Moto G by Motorola are the new standard for smartphones...

Special thanks to Verizon Wireless for loaning me the Moto G and Moto X smartphones for review. All opinions are my own...

I have reviewed so many technology products over the years, that at times, they all seem to blend together where one product does not seem that much different from another. But every now and then, a product really captures my attention not just because of how it looks, but because of how useful it is. And the Moto G and Moto X smartphones had me at Hello, but for very different reasons.

So let me break down why I love both of these Motorola smartphones that are powered by Verizon Wireless...

Last year, I was part of the Verizon Voices Savers program and I received for review the Motorola Droid Ultra smartphone. The Droid Ultra is part of a series of 3 "Droid by Motorola" branded Android smartphones that are available exclusively to Verizon - the Droid Mini, the Droid Ultra, and the Droid Maxx. The features on all three phones are the same, but the phones differ in their design, size, and battery life.

Touchless controls on the Moto X are amazing...

What's Up Moto?.. a lot with the Moto X
The features on the Motorola Droid Ultra are also some of the same as those offered on the Moto X.  The Moto X has cutting edge features that I truly love, which include:

-Touch-less controls where you just say "OK Google Now" to the smartphone and it answers your questions by talking back to you. Just say "What's Up?" to the phone and it will read all your current notifications to you - how cool is that? This is great if you are in the car and need to keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the steering wheel.

- Speaking of driving, the Moto X includes some software called "Moto Assist" that senses when you are driving and will ask you if you want to take incoming calls (via speaker phone) and also read incoming text messages to you - how brillant!!!

- A "shake-to-awake" 10-megapixel camera that is up and usable in seconds, even with your phone locked, so that you never miss an important shot. I use this feature all the time and love it.

- The ability to preview alerts on the lock screen with just a touch of the screen so that you know in seconds if a message is important or just something that you can take care of later.

- A beautiful design that makes the phone a pleasure to use and hold. While I loved all the useful features on the Droid Ultra, I did not like the way the phone was designed. I found the Droid Ultra to be a fingerprint magnet that was hard to keep clean, easy to drop due to its slick back cover, and overall was just not an attractive phone.

But the Moto X marries all the cool features on the Droid Ultra with a stylish phone design that is cool to look at and a pleasure to hold in the hand. The back of the Moto X is curved so it lays in your hand perfectly. Also the phone's back cover has a texture to it that hides fingerprints and makes the phone easy to hold on to.

- Moto Maker allows you to customize the phone's back cover to suit your tastes. If an all black phone is not your taste, you can totally customize the Moto X on the Verizon Wireless website using Moto Maker.

With Moto Maker you can customize the Moto X's back and front cover, volume keys, camera ring and more with over 2,000 color combinations. You can also order color matched headphones. You can even get a wooden bamboo back cover and a leather back cover is also rumored to be offered soon. And when you're done using Moto Maker to make your custom Moto X, Motorola assembles the Moto X right here in the USA and ships it to you free in about four business days.

I love buggy night!

- Buggy Night is a joy! One of the odd things about the Moto X is that Motorola has included a little "bug" in the software, but this bug is a good thing. While using the phone, a bug sometimes will appear and run around the perimeter of the phone's screen. Just tap on the bug and a delightful interactive animation will appear called "Buggy Night" which is totally addictive and fun to play.

- A great price of only 1 penny with a 2-year Verizon Wireless contract. As of the writing on this post, you can buy the Moto X from Verizon Wireless for only 1 cent with a 2-year contract. That is a pretty nice price for a cool designed smartphone with a ton of great features.

The Moto X is one of the best smartphones that I have ever used. Motorola did not rehash the features on existing smartphones. Instead they really thought about how people use their phones and produced something new and innovative. In my opinion, Motorola has produced one of the most useful and attractive smartphones ever manufactured with the Moto X, hands down.

Moto G, the budget friendly smartphone that cost only $99 off contract...

While the Moto X is the standard for premium feature smartphones, the Moto G is the king of the bargain smartphones.

The Verizon Motorola Moto G is basically a striped down revision of a Moto X. The two phones are about the same size and both have a curved back that makes the phone a pleasure to hold, but the Moto G is heavier and a little thicker around the middle. The Moto X has a 4.7" screen while the Moto G has a 4.5" screen. Also the Moto X is a 4GLTE smartphone while the Moto G is a 3G smartphone, which will affect the speed of the data connection.

I have tried a ton of cheap smartphones over the years and none of them have been as impressive as the $99 Moto G. My favorite features on the Verizon Moto G include -

- The newest Android operating system - Android 4.4.2 Kit Kat. This version of the Android operating system is not yet available on most expensive smartphones, but here it is on one of the cheapest - very impressive!

Kit Kat enables fast, smooth navigation from screen to screen and faster opening of apps. Because the Moto G is made my Motorola (which up until recently was owned by Google), this phone will get the newest Android OS updates in a timely fashion.

- Ability for you to speak tons of Google commands to the phone and have the phone speak back. While the Moto G does not have touch-less controls like the Moto X, you can still hit the microphone icon and speak commands to Google search and depending on the command, the phone will speak the answer back.

- The ability to change out the black standard back cover with colorful separately purchased covers to give the phone more style. Just go over to the Motorola website, Amazon (affiliate link), or even eBay, and will find tons of back covers available to customize your Moto G.

- A built in FM radio that does not require you to use your data plan so you can listen to all your favorite stations while on the go and save money - love it!

- An unbelievable $99.99 price tag for an off-contract phone.

- No-contract $60/$70 a month Verizon 3G service (with unlimited voice, unlimited text and either 2GB or 4GB of data) that, although it is not 4G LTE, is still plenty fast enough to stream music and some video and cheap enough not to break the bank.

Since I had the pleasure of using the Moto G for a while, I want to answer a question that I have been seeing a lot around the Internet. Some people wanted to know if they could buy the Verizon Moto G and use it without activating the phone (using as a wifi only device). The answer is no, at least not for the first month.

The first thing that you have to do after turning on the Moto G is go through the Verizon service activation process (there is no way around it). Verizon prepaid cards can be purchased at retail stores like Target and Best Buy. You can also activate the phone by using your credit card to pay for the first month of service. When the month's service is about to end, you will start getting reminders on the phone that you need to purchase another month of service. After the first month, you are under no obligation to continue using the service and the phone can then be used as a wifi only device. You can also start the service back up at any time.

I had a fun reviewing the Moto G (left) and Moto X (right)

It's all good with Moto...
The Verizon Motorola Moto X retails for only 1 penny with a 2 year Verizon service contract.

And the Verizon Motorola Moto G can be purchased for only $99.99 with NO CONTRACT on the Verizon Wireless website and in retail stores like Best Buy and Walmart.

Whether you pick the feature rich Moto X or the wallet friendly Moto G, Motorola and Verizon have you covered with devices that are a pleasure to use.


Enjoy!


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EMPLOYMENT: Verizon Wireless hiring more than 100 positions in Michigan, actively seeking Vets

Verizon Wireless Announces Major Michigan Hiring Effort

Verizon Wireless is adding more than 100 positions in retail and business sales, finance, network and customer service/client care in Michigan. The positions will be based across state.

The new positions offer competitive salaries and benefits, including health care coverage that begins on the first day of employment, and participation in the company's 401 (k) program with a dollar-for-dollar match of up to six percent of an employee's salary contribution.

Verizon offers tuition reimbursement, adoption assistance and bonuses. The company promotes work/life balance by offering benefits such as lactation rooms for new mothers, on-site college courses, education study rooms, dining facilities and state-of-the-art fitness centers staffed with personal trainers.
Verizon Wireless has been named one of the best companies for working moms by Working Mother for thirteen straight years. Computer World lists Verizon Wireless as one of the "100 Best Places to Work in IT."

“Verizon Wireless is a growing technology company at an exciting time in the wireless industry, and we are expanding here in Michigan,” said John Granby, president, Michigan/Indiana/Kentucky Region, Verizon Wireless. “We are committed to offering resources to all our employees that help them enjoy work and grow their careers without sacrificing the things that are most important to their families.” Verizon Wireless actively recruits military veterans.

"Veterans return home every day and have to begin new lives as civilians," said Michele Brookshire of Verizon's Talent Acquisitions Team. "Verizon recruiters are trained to understand the value of a candidate's military experience. We believe those sometimes intangible skills add value to our company and help a veteran to thrive in a team environment like ours."

Interested candidates may apply online by visiting the Verizon Wireless website at www.vzwcareers.com


Good Luck!


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