Sunday, June 24, 2018

Cleaning up the Moto E5 - Sprint Product Ambassadors

Sprint, like all carriers, offers a wide selection of pre-installed apps for your enjoyment and use.  Many you'll find useful and helpful -- others, not so much.  Fortunately, Sprint has made it very customer friendly to remove un-used preinstalled apps from your Moto E5!  Watch the video for more information on removing pre-installed apps from your Moto E5 Plus.


-- Will England

The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee

Moto E5 Plus Moto Actions and Display Tips - Sprint Product Ambassadors

Motorola has brought their flagship Moto Actions and more to the E series phones. Check out the video for some tips on using Moto Actions on your Moto E5 Plus!


-  Will England

The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee

Hands Free Activation of the Moto E5 Plus - Sprint Product Ambassadors

The fastest, simplest activation of your Sprint Handset - no computer, store visit or call needed  - all the activation for a swap or new line of service needed!  See how easy it is to get your new Moto E5 Plus online and working.


 -- Will England

The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee

Thursday, June 21, 2018

Moto E5 Plus Unboxing Video - Sprint Product Ambassadors

The new midrange Moto E5 Plus comes with a 6" screen and a 5,000 mAh battery, along with super fast charging capability.  Take a look at what comes in the box and what the phone looks like!



- Will England, Sprint Product Ambassador


The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Moto E5 Plus Photo Comparison - Sprint Product Ambassadors

A couple of posts ago we saw a photo comparison where the photos from the E5 looked dull and washed out compared to a premium phone.  So I had to try it -- I shot photos from my Samsung Galaxy S8, the Moto E5 (both automatically set to HDR) and my long in the tooth Canon T3i DSLR. All photos were processed through Adobe Photoshop Elements to resize them to 1800px wide and add the text; no other corrections were done.


First, the 'Reference Shot' from the Canon T3i - washed out.  Evaluative metering couldn't handle the bright sun on the tree and the dark shadows in the back corner.  But I wanted to keep the composition the same - for a better shot, you'd eliminate some of the contrast.



Next up, the Samsung Galaxy S8.  Much better job with the auto HDR - shot with no changes to the settings, just point and shoot, keeping the composition the same.



Finally, the Moto E5 Plus.  A bit darker in the dark areas, but the brightly lit tree has better definition.  All in all, the Moto E5 Plus will shoot.  I have no complaints about the 12 MP camera outdoors.



- Will England, Sprint Product Ambassador  #sprintemployee

The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee

Typewriter Fonts

Found this brilliant site with dozens of old typewriter fonts - they truly look like old, worn down, thin ribbon typewriter typing (minus the whiteout - although you can almost smell the whiteout when you read it on the printed page).

http://www.1001fonts.com/typewriter-fonts.html

Seems to work well on the Mac!

- Will England

Monday, June 11, 2018

2000 June Blues Fest at Grant Park

Back in the day we'd roadtrip up to Chicago every June for the Chicago Blues Fest and sit on the lawn at Grant Park, enjoying the day go by.  Here's a short clip of (I believe) the last Blues Fest held in Grant Park.



Saturday, June 09, 2018

Overdone

9 years ago I worked a full day; went to happy hour, then to Westport for Crystal Method.  I'm not 25 anymore.  Quick livestream from the couch.


Wednesday, June 06, 2018

How to remove the Radio from Subaru Forrester

Too long, didn't watch: The climate control cables have to be removed by crawling on your back upside-down and popping out the cables.  Even more cables to handle on the Automatic Climate Control models.  Also known as 'why to take it to the pro shop for a new radio'.  $200 is worth not bending this 45 year old back upside down in the floorwell of the car.  It sucked when I was 21, it will most definitely suck now.



Subaru Symmetrical AWD vs. Honda, Toyota, and Volkswagen

Great information on buying used cars with AWD; too long didn't watch: Subaru with their all wheel drive walked right up the 'ice' as did the VW 4Motion system.  Toyota and Honda were unable to make it up without traction on the front wheels. 



There's a reason I own a Subaru!



2006 Subaru Forester wind noise solution

Too long, didn't watch: Use screen spline, about 4' under the top gasket of the window seal. Ensure the screen spline is fully under the top gasket.



Saturday, May 26, 2018

Places to go in Nebraska

A very special treat is the Agate Fossil Beds NM in NW Nebraska. One of the finest Indian relic museums along with the fossils of an ancient savanna water hole. And if you run Hwy 2 in Nebraska, stop in at the Old Spade Ranch Store in Ellsworth, NE. Lots of cool history and the ranch used to be over 500k acres!

Courtesy Randy Collins, ST-Owners group.

- Will England

Friday, April 13, 2018

Tour of Honor 2018 - Iowa

As of 13-April, all three trophies are still open for Iowa.  Nice day (and a half?) ride to vacuum them up if the weather would cooperate.


2018 Tour of Honor In-State SS1K

Tour of Honor Ride Plan for Kansas 2018:

Never did get out and ride this one.   But you can still read the trip report for this Extreme in-state Saddlesore 1000 on my Honda CBR250 from 2013!

 

Monday, April 09, 2018

First College Visit for Alec

Took Alec to K-State today for his first real college visit. My, how time files. I still remember picking him up from Canterbury preschool and hustling to Cub Scout meetings or the Karate dojo.

Now we're at K-State. Alec got nervous the second he stepped out of the Honda. After a bit of a wander we found our group. I got some good notes and poked them into Google Keep to share with him. He shot photos of the key slides and contacts.

Per the previous blog post, I will have to have a sit down and catch up with him on the big three Questions from the session. Campout coming up at the end of the month; should be a good time...

Toured the architecture and Design center - all brand new, 20,000 square feet of workshop space from lathes to laser engraving; from table saws to 3D printers. I was geeked especially compared to the dusty garage at KU.  Alec was just overwhelmed.

Toured the wrong dorm complex - all suites, felt like a nursing home from the first step. Nope. Aiming to find a better solution for him - with the anticipated 78 hours a week for class and project work, plus 6 hours (and all day on game day) for marching band, he's going to have to live in the dorms all 5 years. No way to have time to shop, clean, cook and run a 100 hour a week schedule.

But, for his 4th year he can head to Milan, Prague or London among other destination design centers for an international experience in architecture and design. Brilliant!

Great campus with a real quad, excellent library and superb support staff. Very friendly and welcoming from all of the students. Very comfortable sending him there.

- will england

Three Questions

What is your interest / passion / what do like to do?

What are you good at? Are you willing to become great? Significant at it? What are you willing to do to get better at? 

What do you value? What is non-negotiable to you? 

These were the things that were brought up during the Junior tour day at K-State by the Vice President of Admissions.


Monday, February 26, 2018

How I Packed for Philmont

Hey all - getting ready to send my wife and middle son off to Philmont, so I thought I'd give an idea of how I packed my pack for Philmont.

I used a Deuter 65+10 backpack; not the best choice for heavy loads, but cheap and light.

In the backpack I had 5 dry bags (sea to summit)

  • Clean clothes. About 8-10 liters.  Can also be used to wash clothes in
    • 3 pair wool socks
    • 3 moisture wicking t-shirts
    • 3 pair Underamour mesh compression underwear
    • 1 pair spare shorts
  • 'Stank Bag' - dirty clothes that cannot be reworn.  This goes up in the bear bag at night.
  • First Aid - red bag at the top of the pack
  • Jetboil stove for morning coffee
  • 8" plastic platter, TI long handled spoon and 8oz plastic cup for coffee.
  • Personal care bag - toothpaste, toothbrush, body wipes, diaper pins, Starbucks via packs, etc.  This goes up the bear bag at night.
  • Night bag - very small, one cotton t-shirt and a pair of basketball shorts to sleep in.
I carried 5 liters of water plus 2 spare collapsible 1-liter bottles for heading into dry camps.  Two nalgenes on the side pockets of the bag, plus an Osprey 3 liter bladder in the pack.

I put my North Face Dri-Down 16 degree sleeping bag (a bit overkill) plus Klymit air mattress and Thermarest inflator in the bottom compartment of the bag in my day pack (JanSport, 8oz).

Under the sleeping bag I put one pair Keens shoes for water crossings and camp shoes.

On the outside of the pack I wrapped my REI clone of a Helinox camp chair in my hardshell fleece. 
On the outside of the pack I carabinered the Frog Toggs $20 rain suit.
In the left hip-belt pocket I carried my leatherman Wave multi-tool.
In the right hip-belt pocket I carried my Canon waterproof camera.

On me was one pair Cabelas zip off pants; one pair Costco wool socks,  one pair Underarmour, one moisture wicking t-shirt, one PFG long sleeve shirt from Columbia for sun protection, one pair fingerless gloves, and one Tru-Spec cotton boonie hat, one pair Lowa Renegade GTX mid height boots.

All clothing was treated with a soak in 5% Permethrin bug treatment before leaving.

Just a touch heavier than needed but very effective. 

In the 'brain' or top of the pack were all three Philmont section maps, a spare compass, lighter with duck tape wrapped around it, pack cover and a journal and pencil, along with my headlamp.

In my chest pockets were second breakfast, 'elevensises', tea, high tea, and snacks.  I ate constantly.  Left cargo was spare snacks.  Right cargo was cell phone. 



Sunday, February 18, 2018

1989 WHS Europe Trip

29 years ago I was wandering around Europe for 21 days with a VHS camcorder.  Found the original master tape this weekend, so I digitized it and re-edited it, cleaning up some color fade and adding some transitional music to the silent bits.  Tried to keep the feel of the '16 year old with a camcorder' look...



Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Managing space on the Samsung Galaxy S8 Active - Sprint Product Ambassadors

While your phone has 64gb of memory, it's always useful to use the tools on board to make the most of your memory. Watch and see how you can clear up large files, empty files and unnecessary files.

The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee

Fun Camera Tricks on the Samsung Galaxy S8 Active

With the incredible video camera on the Samsung Galaxy S8, you can do an amazing array of tricks with your photos and videos - one being a great slow-motion capture!  Click to watch!


The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee

Comparing the Samsung S8 Active - Sprint Product Ambassadors

So how does the Samsung Galaxy S8 compare to the rest of the premium phones on the market?  Click through to watch!

The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee

Samsung Galaxy S8 Active SIM and SD Card - Sprint Product Ambassadors

The Galaxy S8 Active comes with a weather sealed compartment to change your SIM card or add a Micro SD card - click to watch how to access it!



The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee

Samsung Galaxy S8 Unboxing - Sprint Product Ambassadors

Spring is coming, and with that the chance to get out and adventure in the wilderness - but is your phone up to the task?  While many new phones are water resistant and shock resistant, the Samsung Galaxy S8 is seriously built for the outdoors and all your adventures.  What does it look like coming out of the box?  


The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee

Thursday, February 01, 2018

Timelapse

A 2000x compressed timelapse of my fixing dinner.  Shot on the Canon T3i as a test video for duration vs file size. 480p gives you full length video, while 720p and 1080p cut off at 12 minutes / 4GB file size.



Tuesday, January 09, 2018

SM West Band on Twitter

Alec and the Shawnee Mission West Band made a cameo on the SM West Sports Twitter account:

Monday, January 01, 2018

Shawnee Mission West at London New Years Day Parade - 2018

That was fun - up at 5 AM to be sure to catch the 6AM parade start here at GMT -6.  YouTube livestream is down; a random commenter mentioned that Reuters was streaming it live.  Tuned in just in time on the phone to catch the band!  Screencap via AZ Screen Recorder; audio via ambient audio.



But - hey - it's a memory!  Alec is in there at about 41 seconds for a half a second or so; he's playing a sax and has earmuffs on. Left center of the screen.







Enjoy!



Happy 2018 - Will England






Wednesday, December 13, 2017

LG V30+ Audio and Video Recording: Steep Learning Curve - Sprint Product Ambassadors

I continue to find new tools, tips and ways to use the LG V30+ for audio and video recording.  It can record FLAC lossless compression files in full stereo at 24bit, 96khz; it can record 4K video with high def audio.  While I was learning last week I shot a few clips of the band at church - watch and listen for more!

I encourage you to put on headphones and listen to the full sound - this was in 'stealth mode' recording from my pew.  I was working in Cine mode - ignore the poor focus - and still learning.  Tips:  Pre-focus on your subject before doing the cine zoom effect.  



Another shot I took was last night from the back of the auditourium.  I set the camera to full manual mode and hosed up the white balance - got the backdrop perfect, but left the band members in black and white!  Nevertheless, remember, this is in the far back of the auditoruium, using only the stereo mics on the camera.  Post processing did include padding down the audio 2db for the music and boosting the spoken introduction by about 5db.


So, as you can see there is a *lot* of options and a lot to learn on the V30+.  It's a technophiles dream for audio and video recording.  Brilliant camera, no overheating, no timelimits that I found - I recorded over 9 gig of video last night (less than 10% of the space on the phone) in segments up to 15 minutes long and never had the phone hiccup.  

Once I learn more about how to use the manual controls this is going to be a brilliant 4K HD Cam!
-  Will England

The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee

Friday, December 08, 2017

LG V30+ Swipe to See Recent Activity - Sprint Product Ambassadors

Found this by accident - and it's sure a handy feature!  If you swipe down from an empty spot on your home screen, you can see all your recent activity.  You'll see things like apps, calls, websites and more.  Click to watch more on how to swipe to see what you've last done!


The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee

Thursday, December 07, 2017

LG V30+ Lock Screen Tip - swipe for more options - Sprint Product Ambassadors

Found this cool feature on the lock screen on the LG V30+!  When you have the lock screen set to 'always on' you can swipe the icon list to find more options - including camera, flashlight, music controls and more!  Click to watch it in action and more.


The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee

Wednesday, December 06, 2017

Setting up Do not Disturb and Comfort Mode on the LG V30+ - Sprint Product Ambassadors

One of my first settings I change is setting 'Do Not Disturb' and the 'Comfort Mode' so I don't get notified all night long and the screen is less blue at night so I'm not disrupting my sleep cycle.  Watch below for how it works!


Tuesday, November 28, 2017

LG V30+ Camera vs Note 8 - Sprint Product Ambassadors

Both the LG V30+ and the Samsung Note 8 are flagship phones from their companies.  How does the camera stack up between the two?  Both shots were captured this morning at dawn at the same time and same location, cropped to match size - the Note 8 is at 100%, while the LG is at about 85% crop so they can be compared.

Note8vsLGV30.png A quick look shows the Note 8 has a smoother or softer capture, while the LG is obviously sharper.  Color rendition is stronger on the LG as well.  Both were shot at ISO 50.  The Samsung was at F1.7, 1/376th shutter while the LG was open to F1.6 with a 1/120th shutter.

Zooming deep in, the Note 8 has a bit more pixelation than the LG, but overall both cameras are quite comparable.  Both phones feature dual cameras on back, one for wide angle and one for normal photos.  The V30+ offers a 16 megapixel main camera and 13 megapixel secondary camera, while the Samsung pairs two 12 megapixel cameras together.

Which is better?  They both offer great features and outstanding image quality.  The LG V30+ just edges past the Note 8 with the larger sensor and deeper color rendition in my opinion.   Which is your favorite camera?

- Will England



The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee

Friday, November 17, 2017

LG V30+ SIM and MicroSD Card Removal - Sprint Product Ambassadors

How do you expand the memory on your LG V30+? Easy! Add up to a 256GB MicroSD card. Watch for the simple process to add memory to your phone to hold more photos and videos!









The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee

Unboxing the LG G30+ - Sprint Product Ambassadors

The flagship phone from LG, the LG V30+, is now available from Sprint! What comes with it? What is in the box? How does it fit in the hand? Watch to find out. #sprintemployee







The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee

Sunday, November 05, 2017

Using the smart writing pad on the Samsung Note 8

If you have trouble keeping your writing in the lines on the Samsung Note 8, try out the smart writing pad with the SPen. Works great, keeps your writing at the bottom of the screen and aligns the text correctly. Also reminds me of using Graffiti on the Palm and Newton Message Pad.






The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee

Wednesday, November 01, 2017

Screen Off Notes on the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 - Sprint Product Ambassadors

One of the most important and useful features on the Samsung Note 8 is the 'Screen Off Notes' - where you can pop out the s-pen and start writing on the screen without unlocking, launching a separate app or anything.  With the IPX68 water-resistance, it even works to write in the rain!  Watch for a demonstration of several of the features of Screen Off Notes on the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.











The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee

Demo of Bixby Vision on the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 - Sprint Product Ambas...

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 comes with an improved version of Bixby Vision in the camera app, allowing you to shop online for products, find related photos in Pinterest, capture text and even translate captured text.  We take it for a walkthrough in the following video:







The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee

A discussion on CPNI

A coworker and I were chatting over Skype last night about the billing account number and if it is considered 'CPNI'.

So what is CPNI, and is the billing account number CPNI?

CPNI is calling usage for marketing purposes essentially.


An FCC request for comments regarding broadband CPNI , if you like reading these kind of things:


https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-16-39A1.pdf?platform=hootsuite


Summary:
"we consider the following types of information to constitute CPNI in the broadband context: (1) service plan information, including type of service (e.g., cable, fiber, or mobile), service tier (e.g., speed), pricing, and capacity (e.g., information pertaining to data caps); (2) geo-location; (3) media access control (MAC) addresses and other device identifiers; (4) source and destination Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and domain name information; and (5) traffic statistics. "


Or in more customer friendly terms more specific to VOIP / Switched Calling:



"Customer proprietary network information (CPNI) is information related to the quantity, technical configuration, type, destination, location, and the amount of telecommunications a customer uses that [provider] has access to by virtue of the customer-provider relationship. CPNI does not include the Customer name, address and telephone number, nor does it include Internet access services."



However, the BAN appears to be PII as it is the 'financial account number' of the customer.

California, which is often more strict the the Feds, does not consider the BAN alone PII unless linked with the password  or PIN that would allow access to the customer account (SB1368, section 2.e.3):

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Samsung Note 8 SIM and MicroSD Card installation - Sprint Product Ambass...

Just how do you expand the memory on the Samsung Note 8?  Or change out the SIM Card?  Simple - watch below.  The Note 8 doesn't support 'Adaptable storage' from Google, but instead lets you store your photos, videos, or external movies and music on it and easily remove the card to copy to your computer or more.  According to Samsung, the maximum card you can add is 256 GB.  However, there may not be a technical limitation, just that was the largest available a few months ago.  If someone has a spare $250 to buy the 400GB SanDisc to test, feel free to comment if it works!









The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee

Spigen Thin Armor Case for the Samsung Note 8 - Sprint Product Ambassadors

With one of the highest prices for a phone on the market you will want to protect it - we've always liked the Spigen cases; follows is a quick review of the Thin Armor case from Spigen.  While the case was provided at no cost, no compensation was received for this review or video,









The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Unboxing - Sprint Product Ambassadors

The newest Note from Samsung, the Note 8!  What comes in the box with the Samsung Note 8?  Watch and find out in this unboxing from the Sprint Product Ambassadors









The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee

Thursday, October 26, 2017

Configure the Home Touch Buttons on the LG GPad F2 8.0 - Sprint Product ...

Quick tutorial video on configuring and using the Home Touch Buttons - with a short demo of the multi-window multi-tasking on the LG GPad F2 8.0.  Watch for more on how to configure up to 5 shortcut buttons!











The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee




LG GPad F2 8.0 Home Screen Demo - Sprint Product Ambassadors

A look at how the home screens work including folder creation and working around the missing App Tray on the LG GPad F2 8.0.







The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

LG GPad F2 8.0 Camera Overview - Sprint Product Ambassadors

The box only advertises a 5 megapixel rear camera - is that right?  We walk through the camera settings and features in this video to see how it all works!  Watch to find out more!







The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee

LG GPad F2 8.0 Tablet Unboxing - Sprint Product Ambassadors

Unboxing the affordable and powerful LG GPad F2 8.0 Tablet from Sprint. Watch to find out what comes in the box and what the tablet looks like!








The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee

Thursday, October 19, 2017

Moto e4 Plus Wrapup - Sprint Product Ambassadors

I've been using the Moto e4 Plus for several weeks now, coming directly from the Moto Force z2 and I find that I don't miss many of the high end features of the Force.  The screen is the same size as the top-end phones (Force z2, Galaxy S8 etc) and the battery is far far better.  As a matter of fact, the battery is one of the best features of the phone.  I've easily went an entire campout shooting photos and keeping up with work via email and not had to dig out a battery pack to recharge the phone.  The Mediatek processor is optimized for low power consumption, combined with 5,000 mAh of power gives you staying power for this phone.

The e4 Plus offers the same accurate fingerprint sensor as the Force Z2 at the bottom of the screen and the same Moto Gestures for opening the camera (twist twice) and turning on the flashlight (chop down twice) among others.  It's very similar to the flagship phones at a much more reasonable price. Improving on the flagship phones is the hand feel - with a metal back and solid build it just feels better to hold than the Force Z2.  The large battery may be part of that, adding some heft and solidity to the phone.  I didn't get a case for this phone and never felt like I needed one.   The phone feels like a premium device at a budget price.

I mentioned I shot some photos on the phone - that's one of my primary uses for a cell phone these days is media capture - photos and videos.  While the 13megapixel sensor sounds good, it struggles in low light and indoors, with a bit more added grain.  Compared to an older premium phone (Galaxy S4) it is far better with excellent quality.  Only when compared to current phones 4 times the price do you notice any dropoff in photo or video quality.  Shutter lock time is a bit slower - most likely a factor of the power efficient processor.  Plan your shots and don't expect to stop a sporting play in mid-tackle and you'll be fine.  Looking at photos or watching videos on the 720p HD screen is fine - bright enough to use in direct sunlight and a fine enough DPI that you'll be hard pressed to tell the difference between this and a super-premium phone.

Audio on the phone is excellent - great call quality, a solid speaker for music or online radio listening and a 3.5mm headset jack to attach any headset or plug into your auxiliary port on your car stereo.  Bluetooth audio is supported as well with quick pairing but no audio routing.  Once a Bluetooth device is connected, all audio will route to the Bluetooth device until you turn off Bluetooth or the headset.

For a quarter of the price of the current super-premium phones, you're getting longer battery life, a solid hand feel, quality metal build, effective camera, good sound and call quality and enough speed to handle all the daily communication tasks you count on your phone for.  Two thumbs up - not just a great kids phone, but a great value in cell phones overall.

- Will England, Sprint Product Ambassador


The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee

Thursday, October 12, 2017

2017 Shawnee Mission West Marching Band at Homecoming Parade

The 2017 Homecoming Parade start with the ROTC, Dance Team and Shawnee Mission West Pride Marching Band!



Monday, October 09, 2017

Moto z2 Force Speed - Sprint Product Ambassadors

I've been looking and looking for a tower or demo site with the 256 QAM modulation configured to get the gigabit speeds that the Moto Z2 Force is capable of, but none are online yet and my time with the phone has come to an end.  However, at 95th and Quivira in Overland Park, KS there is a great antenna with massive MIMO that gave this speed result:


Nearly 200 Mbps download in the middle of the afternoon near a busy mall.  Outstanding speed from the Moto Z2 Force.  One of the fastest phones on the network and only going to get faster as 256QAM is turned on.

 - Will England



The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee

Moto Z2 Force Clock Widget Demo - Sprint Product Ambassadors

While the Moto Z2 Force has dozens of advanced features, one I found the most fascinating is the default built in clock widget.  Check out all it can do in the following video!







The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee

Managing Storage Space on the Moto Z2 Force - Sprint Product Ambassadors

The Moto Z2 Force comes with 64GB of built in memory, so it's less likely you'll run out of space.  If you do want to clear up space, the system storage space manager is quite easy to use and simple.  Watch the following video for a quick walkthrough!







 - Will England



The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee

Friday, October 06, 2017

Moto e4 Plus Back Cover Removal - Sprint Product Ambassadors

Last time we left off in the unboxing I hadn't found out how to remove the back cover on the Moto e4 Plus - turns out it is removable and offers both SIM card and SD card access!  Watch below for the how-to and what's under the cover.









The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee

Thursday, October 05, 2017

Unboxing the Moto e4 Plus from Sprint

The new e4 Plus from Sprint just arrived - a new midrange phone with a large 5.5" screen, 5,000 mAh battery and all the features you expect in a smartphone.  Let's check out what's in the box!



The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee

Thursday, September 28, 2017

Moto Z2 Force - Keeping the screen scratch free - Sprint Product Ambassadors




A lot has been written about how durable the Moto Z2 Force screen is - and I've really enjoyed the durability of the phone.  It's the first phone I haven't felt I needed a case for, and it's been dropped the usual amount of times on concrete, hardwood and more with no damage.  However, the screen isn't scratch proof due to the shatter-resistant build.  How do I keep it from getting scuffed and scratched?

Simple!  I put a tempered glass screen protector on it from Illumishield.  They offer a hard glass screen cover that directly fits the Moto Z2 Force, providing scratch protection and a fingerprint resistant cover for the screen.  Now, this isn't a recommendation for any specific brand; they were just the first ones I found on Amazon that claimed to support the brand new Z2 Force. 

The screen on the Z2 force is made from a layered glass and polycarbonate composition, the exact nature of which is secret to only Motorola.  It's definitely shatterproof as I have dropped it from 4+ feet directly onto the screen on concrete.  But it's not as hard as the Gorilla Glass screens on other phones and keys or other things can leave scratches in the screen.  I've been quite careful to keep the phone in a pocket with nothing else hard - usually behind my leather wallet - but even so a few small marks were becoming visible.  So I ordered the tempered glass screen protector.


I've had less than stellar experiences with screen protectors, but the 0.3mm thick Illumishield has been an exception to the rule.  Installation is simple - just clean the screen well with the included alcohol wipe, peel off the sticky back, align the protector to the screen, making sure the small 'U' (shown) lines up with the home button, and drop it in place.

Once you drop it in place, start pressing firmly with the microfiber cloth from the center out to remove any air bubbles and adhere the protector to the screen.  You won't get all the bubbles out at first, but after a day in your pocket the heat and pressure will force the air out leaving a perfectly clear and smooth surface.  A word of warning - do not use anything hard to try to push the bubbles out.  As you get close to the edge you can (and will) crack the glass protector.  Trust me.  I'm glad there were three screen protectors in the package; the first one didn't survive my ham-handed installation where I tried to use the back end of a permanent marker to push out the bubbles.

Screen responsiveness and touch have not been impacted with the screen protector on, and after several weeks there's no sign that the tempered glass will peel up or come loose.  I'm quite satisfied with the Illumishield protector and recommend it highly.

- Will England

Disclaimer:
       The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee

Moto E4 Plus - Introduction from Sprint Product Ambassadors

These days 'entry level' or 'midrange' smartphones are better than the top of the line phones from just 2 years ago.  The Moto e4 Plus is a great example of that! Fast charging, quad core processor, 2GB ram, well, lets look and find out more!

The 5.5" large screen Moto e4 Plus offers a large screen at 1200x720px resolution, a 5,000 mAh battery, good for up to 2 days use, quick charge, and all the latest improvements in smartphones.  With a 12 megapixel rear camera and a 5 megapixel front camera this 'midrange' phone outstrips many premium phones of just a few years ago.  It supports all the latest radio bands too for fast data speeds, and offers the newest Bluetooth standards for pairing with your car or headset.  Still have a wired headset?  No worries - the e4Plus still comes with a headphone jack!  

The body is made of metal with a slightly curved glass front for appealing aesthetics.  The phone, while not waterproof, has a nano coating to allow for splash resistance.  Don't submerge it, but if you get caught in the rain you're not going to fry your new phone.  Offering a single loudspeaker and dual microphones, it should provide good sound clarity and quality - up to 84dB according to Motorolas specifications.   The phone comes in a gold tone or flat grey color to match your personality.

At this price point a few things have been left out - a QHD display is missing as is NFC, so no Android Pay is available on this phone.  But with the great specifications, quad core Qualcomm chip and multi-day battery, I think it's going to be a winner for anyone going for a solid Android phone without breaking the bank.

Will England 

The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee