Awesome Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini and Galaxy Gear For Tech Lovers

I like the visually appealing, lightweight 4.3" qHD display of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini. This compact phone comfortably fits in our hands and pockets. The beautiful, sleek design of this midrange, budget friendly phone will be enjoyed by everyone who enjoy using the Android platform. The Mini runs on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean operating system and has a 1.7 GHz dual-core processor.

It has 8.0 MP CMOS camera with autofocus, LED flash and video capture. The front-facing camera is 1.9 MP CMOS. It includes advanced features and effects such as enhanced low light performance with fun modes and sharing integration. We can also insert up to 9 seconds of audio into our photographs. 

I enjoy using the WatchON and using the smartphone as a remote control to operate our Samsung TV. Samsung Link creates a direct connection among other Samsung devices, so we can easily share our content with friends and family across Samsung devices. Group Play in this phone allows our friends to become part of a speaker system, create photo collages and play games even without Wi-Fi or network connection. It has an internal storage of 8GB. The 1900 mAh battery will last up to 12 hours. It is easy to have fun and multitask with this phone, since there are lots of apps. 

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini is available in black and white. It is a good phone to use for day-to-day activities. 

Customers can combine the Galaxy S4 mini with the Telus SharePlus plans to share data across multiple devices or subscribers on the same account, helping any family get set up with the latest mobile tech and become a true Galaxy family. TELUS customers can take advantage of the TELUS Learning Centres, where trained experts work with customers in 1:1 and group settings to teach them the ins and outs of their new devices.

We are enjoying this awesome Galaxy Gear watch that seamlessly connects to Galaxy devices. Galaxy Gear is one of the first wearable devices to market. 

The Gear enables the users to:

• Perform a variety of tasks, such as answering and making calls, creating schedules or new memos without the need to pull out their device, or capturing images in a moment’s notice with the built-in camera.
• Find their phone by commanding it to beep, illuminate or vibrate (this can also be used to find the Gear from their phone).
• Monitor their health with its built-in pedometer that syncs up with the S Health app. The Pedometer function works really great, and we are happy that it can be connected with other fitness apps.
• Stay up-to-date by receiving push notifications directly to their wrist.

The Galaxy Gear is designed as a companion for most Samsung galaxy phones and tablets. We like that the watch is well made and feels solid in the hand. One of our favourite things, is the ability to customize the watch face with the basic designs, and we are hoping that it will be improved and more designs will be available.  

It is fun to talk and receive calls on the phone, however I wish it would show caller id with photo. The touch screen on the Galaxy Gear is very responsive and feels smooth. We like the easy features of swiping down from top on the main screen to open the camera app, and swiping up from the bottom to open the phone dial. We can easily swipe down from up to go back to the previous screen. When we double tap using two fingers we can access the volume, brightness and battery information. 

Battery life does not last an entire day if we keep using the camera and connect it to bluetooth on the phone. Most main apps require us to install it on the phone, so it can be used on the Gear. There are limited set of apps currently, we are hoping that this would improve as the second generation product from Samsung becomes available. It is exciting to have all these functions in a watch and it gives us a good idea on where wearables are heading. 

February 11, 2014 is Safer Internet Day and there will be a live web discussion and Q&A with the Telus partner @MediaSmarts at 1 p.m. ET. The discussions will be about measures we can take to keep our children safer online. MediaSmarts has recently revealed the latest findings on what Young Canadians in a Wired World are doing online, which will act as the basis for the discussion. We will have an opportunity to ask the experts questions that we have on this subject to find out what more we can be do for ourselves and our family to stay safe on the Internet. In addition to joining us for this web chat, this TELUS WISE Top Ten is a great quick reference to be savvier online.  Join @TELUS #TELUSWISE

TELUS WISE Top Ten – tips to stay safer online 

1. Google yourself – Put a Google Alert on your name so you can track your digital footprint. 

2. Set strong passwords – Prevent hackers from getting into your computer, smartphone or online profiles. 

3. Turn off geo-tagging – Avoid location details being attached to things like photos when taken on a smartphone. 

4. Install security software – Some smartphones come with software to locate your phone when lost; take advantage of these free services. 

5. Configure your profile settings – Ensure privacy is set on all your online profiles. 

6. Keep your browser updated – and clear your browser history and cache at least once a month. 

7. Be cautious using free Wi-Fi – Make sure your device is secure so hackers can access personal information. 

8. Choose new apps carefully – Only use your device’s App Store to ensure downloads are safe and virus free. 

9. Beware of risks using Bluetooth technology – Only enable connections with trusted devices. 

10. Delete personal data when recycling old devices – Use the factory reset to properly remove things like photos, passwords and files. 

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