New! Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich"

The newest version of Android OS (operating system), called Ice Cream Sandwich, is more powerful, streamlined and user-friendly than its predecessor. Here is a summary of the cool new features available on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich that have the Car-Tel Communications staff buzzing.

Improved Web browsing
The new web browser is not only faster, it supports up to 16 open browser tabs at once. You can also sync bookmarks from your Google Chrome account, and save pages for offline reading.

New and Improved Font
The new version of Android OS uses a new font called Roboto. Sleak, cool, and much more readable, Roboto makes text look sharper and clearer on your device than ever before.

Favorite Tray
A simple but valuable addition to Android OS, this version finally has a special tray where you can put all your favorite and frequently used tools and apps. 

Customized Widgets
Just like the former version, Ice Cream Sandwich allows you to have five widgets on your home screen, but now you can resize them easily by dragging the corners, making your device interface much more customizable than before.

Face Unlock
One of the coolest new features available on Android 4.0, Face Unlock is incredibly futuristic and, well...awesome. Your device can now be unlocked just by recognizing your face!

Contact Integration
Synchronize your contacts on Google+, Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites, but also specify a list of favorite contacts and place them in an easy-access folder.

Respond to Calls with a Text
Too busy to answer your phone, but don't want to be perceived as rude for hitting the ignore button? Just swipe up for a list of default text messages you can tap, such as, "Can't talk right now. What’s up?" or "I'll call you right back." You can also customize these messages, and handle the calls you can't take in a much more efficient way.

New Camera Features
There are tons of the enhanced camera functions, like image stabilization, autofocus, panorama, and some photo editing features like auto-fix and cropping.

Take Screenshots
Simply press and hold the power button simultaneously with the volume keys to capture screenshots.

Better Multitasking 
The Recent Apps button is now even handier, displaying thumbnail images of open apps in a vertical list. Just swipe an app off the screen to close it, for straightforward multitasking that even beats Apple's iOS.




Check out our latest Android devices that support Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, or contact your local Car-Tel AT&T store to find out if your Android device can be updated by one of our representatives.

Car-Tel's Appli-pedia

The amount of applications (apps) for all smartphone platforms has been exploding for quite some time. The sheer number of options is staggering, and it can be an overwhelming task to figure out which is the best app for photo editing, which games are the most fun and popular, or which app is best for streaming movies and TV shows. At Car-Tel Communications it is our mission, in part, to make sense of all this constantly changing information for our wireless customers. One way we've been doing this is by providing Top-10-style "app sheets" for customers who visit our retail locations. We've decided to share the wealth, and we've compiled all of our informational app sheets into one great resource for smartphone users: The Car-Tel Appli-pedia! Browse the links below to learn about the best apps by category, or check out our Employee Picks lists, which feature our own Car-Tel representatives' 10 favorite apps each month!

Top Apps for Android Phones
Top Apps for BlackBerry Phones
Top Apps for iPhones
Top Apps for Windows Phones
Top Apps for Tablet PCs
Top Apps for Android Tablets
Top Apps for the Samsung Galaxy Note
Apps for Small Businesses
Top Finance Apps
Top Social Mobile Apps
Top Travel Apps
Top Shopping Apps
Top Photo Apps
Apps for Pet Lovers
Top Movie Apps
Most Popular Games
Top Fitness Apps
Apps for Foodies
Top Sports Apps

Employee Picks - September 2011
Employee Picks - October 2011
Employee Picks - November 2011
Employee Picks - December 2011
Employee Picks - January 2012
Employee Picks - February 2012
Employee Picks - March 2012

Have a Tab-ulous Holiday Season

The tablet computer has quickly become a more popular holiday gift than its parent, the laptop. According to Mashable.com, "79% of consumers would rather receive a tablet than a laptop this holiday season."

If, like me, you are still not done your holiday shopping, and you're having trouble coming up with a great gift for someone special - you're in luck! Car-Tel Communications has got you covered, with our great selection of the latest tablets available at all of our 10 convenient locations throughout the Delaware Valley region.

Still not sure if a tablet is right for you or those on your shopping list? Take a look at this very informative and fair article: "10 Reasons to Buy a Tablet (And 5 Reasons Not To)" on techcrunch.com.

MANNA's Pie in the Sky Fundraiser: A Huge Success

This holiday season, Car-Tel Communications participated as a pick-up site for MANNA’s Pie in the Sky fundraiser. Thanks to everyone who purchased a pie, the fundraiser was a huge success! Over $200,000 was raised, and every dollar goes straight toward MANNA’s mission of providing food and nourishment to individuals who are battling life-threatening illnesses.

We truly appreciate all of your contributions, and the invaluable work that MANNA does to improve peoples’ lives in our community.

AT&T's LTE Network

What's LTE Anyway?

Over the past year...
the LTE network revolution has been all over the news, but for the average smartphone/tablet user, all of these high-tech abbreviations might be a little confusing. LTE is one abbreviation you definitely want to know and understand; it stands for Long Term Evolution, and it is the new standard for speed in the network technologies of the future.

HSPA
The 3G technology that powers AT&T’s fast mobile broadband network today.

HSPA+
Technology that enables 4G speeds up to 4x faster than AT&T's already fast mobile broadband network.

LTE Long Term Evolution. Speeds up to 10x faster than 3G, with continuous improvement of speed, performance, and accessibility.

AT&T already has nationwide 4G coverage...
bringing faster speeds to more than 200 million Americans. With the introduction of 4G LTE, AT&T is also the only carrier that offers two layers of network technology that deliver 4G speeds: LTE and HSPA+. Why does that matter? You'll enjoy fast 4G speeds on both the HSPA+ network and on the LTE network where available. That means a smoother, more consistent 4G experience overall.

LTE is the primary technology behind 4G – the evolution of 3G networks. Where 3G made mobile data a reality, 4G will make it a much better one. LTE has been in development for around 10 years now, and has begun to see its first worldwide releases. AT&T has launched 4G LTE in 9 cities and plans to reach 70 million Americans by the end of 2011. That coverage will continue to expand in the next few years and is planned to be largely complete by the end of 2013. We anticipate LTE coverage in the Philadelphia area by mid 2012.

Boiled down to its basics...
...here is what LTE does:
• Much faster upload and download speeds than 3G. Under ideal conditions, LTE can easily reach download speeds of over 150 megabits per second, and upload speeds of over 80 megabits per second.
• More capacity than 3G – an LTE network can support more users in a single area.
• Larger cell size. A single LTE cell tower can cover up to 100km. While that size will be greatly diminished in a heavy urban area, it’s still a lot better than 3G.
• Compatability. LTE is designed to be compatible with existing standards.
• Ease of upgrade. Part of the reason it has taken so long to develop LTE is that it is planning for the future of network technology. The networks are being designed so that implementing upgrades further down the line will be much easier.

Because LTE is the new standard for 4G network speed and performance, purchasing a 4G LTE phone at your next upgrade is a smart investment for the future. Check out AT&T’s first ever 4G LTE Smartphones, the HTC Vivid™ and the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket™. As 4G networks continue their Long Term Evolution into the future, don’t be left behind.

College basketball fans can now catch all 63 games of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship from the first round through the national championship even when they’re not in front of a TV. AT&T^* (NYSE:T) today announced live NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball coverage available on AT&T Mobile TV as the result of AT&T’s agreement with CBS and FLO TV , which powers AT&T Mobile TV.

Beginning March 19 – the beginning of the first round – AT&T Mobile TV subscribers will be able to catch every shot, steal, slam dunk and buzzer-beater directly from their cell phones through up to four additional seasonal channels aired by FLO TV. Coverage will include game highlights, score recaps and analysis from CBS Sports in broadcast quality on users’ cell phones — similar to the experience of watching from their home TVs.

AT&T is offering new AT&T Mobile TV subscribers a two-month free trial**, as well as a special promotion on one of its most popular AT&T Mobile TV compatible handsets, the LG Vu, currently on sale for $49.99 after mail-in rebate.

In addition to exclusive coverage of the men’s tournament, subscribers enjoy mobile access to full-length television programming and sporting events from several leading entertainment brands.

Introducing the NEW HTC FUZE!!

Go the next level with the HTC FUZE(TM) now featuring a sleek new touch screen design. The multi-faceted HTC FUZE(TM) is a 3G Windows Mobile® smartphone brought to you by AT&T, allowing you access to the world and a host of world class features. This powerful smartphone fuses technology with style. The large 2.8 inch VGA touch screen includes HTC's one touch TouchFlo(TM) 3D user interface for quick access to your favorite features. The FUZE is capable of supporting up to 32 GB in expandable MicroSD memory, so storing music, video, pictures, and any other file is no problem! This powerful smartphone is equipped with a productivity software suite, including Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional and Microsoft Office Word Mobile, Excel Mobile, PowerPoint Mobile, and OneNote Mobile. Wi-Fi, E-mail, Bluetooth®, and GPS navigation add to the rich feature set making the HTC FUZE(TM) the ultimate mobile smartphone.
Want to know more?
Visit, call, or e-mail your local Car-Tel representative and ask how the HTC FUZE(TM) can meet your needs.
Happy Texting!