Spring is near..Time to be productive!

Hey guys!

It’s almost halfway through March already, can you believe it? I hardly can. As spring approaches it reminds us all to come out of the winter hibernation and get productive! This month we are all about applications and accessories that allow us to be more productive in our daily life. Productivity means different things for everyone, right? So with that said, this month we want to address how to be more productive in a small business, as a college student and young professional, and with accessories that help everyone increase the functionality of their wireless devices.

The first step to being productive with your smartphone is what?... Having it be charged! We can’t use our phones in the ways we want to if we don’t have a fully charged battery. Recently, you might have heard of some horror stories about people getting injured or houses catching on fire due to electrical fires stemming from the use of a cell phone charger. The charges responsible for these accidents are not Apple approved and therefore are not 100% compatible with your phone. Why? Because Apple runs tests on chargers to promote optimal charge in a short amount of time. For example, an apple charger should charge you phone which is at 0% battery to 100% battery in approximately 45 minutes. Non-Apple-approved chargers will have less strength causing you to need to leave your phone plugged in for long periods. This length of time could lead to overheating of the wires and in effect, melt your phone. We did a little experiment with a cheap charger bought of Amazon to see how it would hold up to charging an iPhone. Check out the picture below and you’ll notice it did in fact melt the wires and could have potentially caused a fire. Pretty bad, huh?

So the solution to this is not necessarily that you have to use an Apple charge but, that you go to a reputable source, like Car-tel Communications, and purchase a charger that has been tested for use on an iPhone. If you have another smartphone it is just as important to get a charger that is universal and approved for your type of phone. This might sound dramatic but if for no other reason to have a proper charger, your phone will charge more efficiently if you have the right accessories.

Next up are our application picks to promote productivity! As I mentioned we have selected a few that would help people who are in different places in their career and these apps will boost their networking and business efforts.

When you’re starting your job search you should absolutely create a LinkedIn account. Admittedly, I first did not understand the point of LinkedIn, the scope of its features and so on. However, I now use this application and social media on a daily basis. You will have your resume in a public sphere so, automatically, more visibility. You will be able to find people who you already know and use their list of contacts to find someone who you might a build a mutually beneficial business relationship with. The application is intuitive with a clean design and is great to check periodically instead of your Facebook page.

Parking Meter Pro is a fantastic application for someone going on business lunches, interviews, giving p presentation and more. It actually helps you plan ahead for where to find parking, remember where you parked and alert you before you meter runs out so you know to get back to your car before a traffic cop spots you.

Lastly, I really like the app ScanBizCards Business Card Reader. It’s one of the only OCR applications that accurately store the information from the business cards you scan into your phone. A unique feature of this app is that it allows you to send your business card to someone else so you’re never without your cards when you make an unexpected business connection!

I hope you will find these things as useful as I have! Now, go on and get moving people, Spring is around the corner!

February is for Lovers!

Happy Valentines Day, Car-tel Lovers!

This month is all about love and romance, right? Well, maybe for some that means love for their significant other but, for us it's a love for all things cellular! It's not too late to come up with a really personal and sweet valentine for your secretly admired and here is how you can do it. 

The Red Stamp application is your ticket for the LoVe TrAiN come February 14th. This app allows you totally customize your valentine with design, print, colors, pictures and more. Of course it's available to send via text or email but for you old school Casanova's out there get this- it even allows you to have it signed, sealed and delivered in the mail to your sweety for a nominal price!

Next up on this love fest, is an application that our staff has picked. Flipagram is a digital flipbook that you compile pictures to make a video and set to music that you like. This is a great gesture for Valentines day for everyone. Whether its your first Valentines day together or your tenth, Flipagram is a sweet and modern way to look back on all your memories.

Lastly, we want to tell you all about an amazing new phone from LG, called the G Flex. This phone is super cool and a great gift for your tech-lovin' valentine. First of all, it's called the Flex because the phone is actually (kind of) flexible. It has a curved shape to fit the shape of your face and if you want to straighten it out, you just lay it face down and apply pressure to the back of the phone. This actually takes the curve out of the phone! Some other great features are the dual screen option; with this you can watch a video on Youtube and text your friend at the same time. That was actually enough to sell me on this phone but, that's not all this phone does! It's got a polymer backing which can self-heal minor scratches and dings. Because it's motivated by heat, simply apply light or body heat to the scratched surface and the polymer will expand enough to heal the scratch. I mean if thats not cool, I don't know what it!

Also- everyone NEEDS to come in to your local Car-tel Store to find out how we can save you money on your existing monthly plan. We have some seriously loveable new options for smartphone users and all it takes is for you to come in and ask. See you soon!

Until next time, folks!

Sports Savvy

 SPORTS SAVVY WEEK

This week on the blog we are gonna hook you up with apps that keep you Sports Savvy. Its a big week in sports with the Superbowl on Sunday February 2nd and the Olympics starting Friday, February 7th so we want you to be in the loop with all things sports. Now, if your team didn't make the Superbowl or you're forced to watch the game but you're really not into it don't worry because there is an app for everyone these days, and we have the best ones below! 

For the Olympics lovers, this week we are featuring apps that keep you in the know on when certain events will be televised, who will be competing, and of course, the results. Unfortunately for our athletes, there is a lot of talk about security concerns during the Olympics so, we've provided an app that will you keep you informed on the happenings in Sochi as well. 

For the Superbowl: 

Superbowl XLVIII- NFL Official Program- The National Football League presents the Official Super Bowl XLVIII Interactive Game Program. The app has everything you need to know about the AFC Champion Denver Broncos and NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks plus video highlight recaps for every week of the 2013 season!

NFL On Location Superbowl- This app is designed for guests attending the Superbowl. Stay up to date with event details for NFL On Location hospitality venues on Super Bowl Sunday, receive push notifications for any changes specific to NFL On Location Super Bowl guests, and acess interactive maps and event programming information.

Super Ads: Superbowl Commercials- The Super Ads iPhone app features over 200 Super Bowl commercials, including NEW 2012 ads, commercials from 2006-2011, and all-time popular ads spanning the last four decades. The app enables users to view the best Super Bowl commercials from an iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad device. Browse fan favorite Super Bowl commercial videos by year or look up ads by the company or brand name. Users can also share their favorite ads via Email, Facebook, and Twitter.

Feeling sporty yet? Here are the best apps for following the Olympics!

Sochi 2014 Guide- Mobile Guide to the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi will make your Games unforgettable and full of bright impressions. You'll be able to stay up to date, to know the accurate schedule of competitions and other events, to follow the Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relay, to purchase tickets, to plan a trip, to navigate in Sochi and at sports venues with the interactive map, to share experiences with friends and much more. Sochi 2014 Guide is your encyclopedia of the Games!

Sochi 2014 WOW- The app that is named WOW for Wireless Olympic Works and offers one of the easiest ways to keep track of what’s happening at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. Furthermore, with the official Olympic app, you can design and personalize the info stream to match your interests and passions. This app is for android users.

NBC Sports Live- The app will live stream an abundance of live sporting events that air on NBC, NBC Sports Network and the Golf Channel, including NHL Regular-Season and Stanley Cup Playoff games, PGA TOUR, U.S. Open (golf), Notre Dame Football, French Open (tennis), Premier League (soccer), Major League Soccer, Formula One, IndyCar, Triple Crown horse racing and the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

Sochi 2014 Winter Games Schedule- Add schedules including live results to your iPhone calendar so you’re always up to date. Add all competing athletes of your country or schedules per sport. In short, this is the #1 app to keep you fully informed during the winter of 2014!

Resolution Helpers!

Happy New Year, everyone!

It's about halfway through January of 2014, how are we all doing on our New Years Resolutions? Some of us might be really diligent and doing exactly what we said we would, others of us might be struggling to stay on track. And, if you're like me, you might not have exactly started on your goals yet. But, lets not get down on ourselves! Today we are going to be reviewing some smartphone applications that will help get us started and stay on track so we can end up where we want to be. Whether your resolution was to quit smoking, lose weight, volunteer more, be more financially savvy or keep in touch with friends and family, there is an application for it! Sometimes we hear about an app and think 'But am I really going to use it?'. I think the answer is yes! If you think about how many times a day you go into your smart phone and check your Facebook newsfeed, you might be able to find some time to check your Calorie counter app or your money manager app. You have to commit to your goal and these applications are your tools to do that! Lets check it out....

My New Years Resolution is....

To Quit Smoking: LIVESTRONG MyQuit Coach.
Why we like it: This application is really customizable to your lifestyle. We all know some tricks and tips are not "one-size-fits-all" and this app gets that. Whether you want to stop cold turkey or just cut down on your nicotine intake, this app allows you to incorporate you particular lifestyle with the change you want to make.

To Lose Weight: MyFitness Pal
Why we like it: This is the fastest and easiest-to-use calorie counter for iPhone. With the largest food database, amazingly quick food and exercise entry, this is hands down the best app out there. I've used this myself and I felt more in control and conscious of my daily food intake, and I really saw results. Guess I should take my own advice, and get back on it!

To Volunteer More: VolunteerMatch
Why we like it: VolunteerMatch is an organization that connects you to almost 100,00 nonprofit organizations that could use your help. With the app, you can search for opportunities in your area, share your plans with friends, save ideas for later, and even read reviews from other volunteers about their experiences.

To Be Financially Savvy: BUDGT
Why we like it: Financial tracking can be complicated and scary for most of us, so the reason we like this app is because its simple, clear, and it works. Create and manage your monthly budget with your income, monthly expenses and other categories you customize on your own. Colorful infographics help you make sense of your money.

To Spend More Time with Family: Cozi
Why we like it: We are all busy and sometimes writing our schedules on the calendar in the kitchen doesn't always help keep us connected. With Cozi, you invite your family members to access and edit a family calendar, shopping list, to do lists, journal of special moments and no one is left out. Its a great way to know what everyone is up to so you can find some time where you can all come together at the same time, same place.

Leave your comments below and tell us how you are doing after using one of these apps!

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays everyone!

Welcome back to the Car-tel Communications blog! Being the holiday season, we have some really great gift ideas to share and applications that will help you get through the season merrily. When I think of the holidays, I think shopping, traveling, food and of course, time spent with family. With that being said, I wanted to share the staff picks for the best apps in those categories and tell you a little bit about why they're going to work for this season.

Top Shopping app: Smoopa.
Why? There are tons of apps out there that allow you to scan a bar code and compare pricing, set up alerts on an item you want and the like. With Smoopa, a green light will appear when the item you've scanned is the lowest possible price. Likewise, a yellow will appear to warn you that another location has a better deal. Visually, this is clear and when we're out shopping the easiest visual indication of a deal is whats best. BUT, this is not our favorite reason for loving this app. What is? Well, this app allows you to earn rewards for your purchases in the form of cash rebates, gift cards, or charity donations. Pretty sweet, huh?

Top Traveling app: Expedia.
Why? Expedia allows you to book flight, hotel, and car reservations all in one spot with the lowest price around. For anyone who has ever used the Expedia website, the app is just as accessible, easy to use and effective. You can purchase your reservation directly in the application and it saves all of your payment and confirmation information.

Top Cooking app: Foodily
Why? Because Foodily is like Pinterest for recipes only! Foodily is the world’s largest social recipe network where you can discover and share any recipe on the web, including your own. Use Foodily to keep track of all the recipes you love in one complete recipe box. Get ideas everyday by following friends and experts like Wolfgang Puck and Cat Cora.

Top Family-Time App: Cabin
Why? This holiday season is all about making memories and with this app, it's super easy. Cabin is a private networking app that requires an invite to access the photos and information being sent out. Posts are made for everyone in the group so no one misses a minute! Create tasks for yourself and others and find out where your loved ones are with the family locator tool.

Our gift picks for this month are pretty awesome and great for anyone you need to buy for! My personal favorite is the Jabra SoleMate Mini. This bluetooth speaker packs a big punch in a small package. The durable rubber outside material allows for you to take this speaker with you indoors and out. With 8 hours of battery time, a day at the beach on your Christmas vacation has just gotten that much better! At a great price of $99 this gift is great for the music lover in your family.

The other great gift this year is a power accessory for your smartphone. Ventev offers a car charger that allows you and your driving companion to charge your devices at the same time. Whenever I've been on a road trip I needed to bargain for charging time with the driver and other passengers since there generally only one USB port. With the dashport 2100 car charger you can charge two devices at the same time without loosing any of the charging power so your phone or tablet will charge at the same rate as if there was only one device charging. How convenient is that?! And at a great price of $24.99, ya can't beat it!

Keep checking back at the Car-tel Communications blog for new application suggestions and more exciting updates!

Green Friendly Apps for Summer 2013

Summer is here! You're probably looking forward to barbeques, sunblock and lemonade but don't forget to think about energy efficiency. It's easier than ever to save energy with these smartphone apps:

JouleBug is an energy savings game that pushes you to set good energy habits by observing how you act throughout your typical day. Players can earn reward badges as they change their habits, and can play with friends or individually. Free on iTunes.

If you need a good reason to be concerned about energy efficiency, the Just Science app is for you. Rather than just talking about the effects of global warming, this app shows them by showing recorded changes in land temperature from the past several centuries on a user-friendly color-coded map. Get it for free on iTunes.

Green Outlet helps you figure out which household appliances use the most energy in your home. The app allows you to calculate your average monthly energy cost, and even purchase carbon offsets from TerraPass.com when you have exceeded your recommended carbon footprint. Available on iTunes for 99 cents.


GasBuddy makes it easy for you to save your dollars at the pump by searching for the cheapest gas prices in your area. You can also use this app to find cheap fuel while on a road trip, or headed down the shore. Free on iTunes and Google Play.

What's your favorite app for the summer months?

Staying Strong With FitBit One and Apps for Healthy Living

The Car-Tel Communications team is "all pumped up" over National Fitness Month! In early May we started a fitness initiative to increase awareness about health and encourage our employees to stay active.Our focus is on staying strong, not skinny and we are using the FitBit One to track activity and sleeping patterns. Our fitness initiative will be ongoing for the next few months - you can keep tabs on our progress over at the Car-Tel Facebook page!

Whether you live at the gym or haven't been there in months, we know your health is important to you and we want to help you stay fit and healthy. You can check out the FitBit One at any of our stores in the coming months, and try these great apps that will help you shape up for less than the cost of your gym membership:

Skimble's Workout Trainer offer thousands of free workouts and programs to help you get in shape. Choose your practice from options like running, yoga, losing weight or building muscle.

Yoginis will love Daily Yoga All-In-One for its more than 300 poses, 40 yoga sessions and varying levels of difficulty. Get started with Downward Facing Dog, or work on perfecting your Firefly Pose.

Whether you're training for your first 5k or trying to PR in your next marathon, MapMyRun will help you get there. Though not just for runners, this GPS app will track mileage, calories burned, and more. You can even post your progress to Facebook and Twitter.

Because staying healthy is about more than just working out, Fooducate helps you make smart choices about what you put into your body. Scan the UPC code for detailed nutritional information, and find alternative options to the junk food.