Entries from Earthling - EarthLink blog tagged with 'Helio'
How To Send Photos From A Helio To Flickr, With Geotags
Back in April, I reported on how to smoothly send photos to your Flickr account via a Helio Drift. Thanks to a recent Helio UP software upgrade, you can now set your Helio device (Drift, Heat, Ocean, or Fin) to automatically upload your photos to Flickr complete with location tags, anytime you send them to Helio UP. What that means is that now your photos will appear on Flickr's world map interface, as expandable dots in the place where you took them. I've always wanted to do this, and it just makes sense as a feature given that Helio's devices have GPS functionality built-in.
How Thin The Helio Fin Is
Just got a Helio Fin in the mail today. It is one thin, sleek machine. I'm already having a bit of an identity crisis, not sure if I'm a QWERTY powerhouse Ocean type or a wafer-thin magnesium-encased Fin type.
New Helio Fin Plus Pun Watch
This morning Helio released its newest device, the superthin, magnesium-cased Fin. At 0.45 inches (or 11.43 millimeters if you prefer), it's the thinnest clamshell-style device in the U.S. market.
What's A Business Device Anymore?
Business tools don't look matte speckled gray anymore and don't firewall off your needs as a "person" from your needs as a "business person," thank goodness. Helio's addition of Exchange now just gives people who use Exchange Server a way to integrate more of their streams of contact into the same communications system. It doesn't magically become a "business device," nor was it initially a "non-business device."
Ocean In One Hand, iPhone In The Other
Weekend blog entries are fairly rare for me, but I wanted to write up some thoughts about my first day with the iPhone while they're fairly fresh in my mind. Now that I have both an Ocean and an iPhone in my hands, I'm well equipped to start thinking about how they stack up side-by-side.
Fittingly Wild Ending To A Wild iPhone Day
By around 5:00 pm, with the AT&T store doors shuttered, and everyone waiting expectantly in line, people started to notice that the entire shopping center we were in had lost power. After lots of murmuring in the crowd, the rumor was that a nearby car had struck a light pole and knocked out power around us. After several nervous visits from AT&T store employees out to the line, the store manager came out and informed us that Georgia Power was working on the problem, and they expected it to be fixed at 7 pm. He was very apologetic and appreciative of the time we'd all been waiting. And we all hunkered down to wait again.
iPhoning It In Today
The Earthling team, which pretty much comprises my manager Ken Womack and myself, are heading to an undisclosed location in the Metro Atlanta area this morning to try and secure a spot in line to nab an iPhone for EarthLink. Once we feel secure that we're well positioned to take one home today, I'll disclose that location and let you know what the line looks like, in case you're in Atlanta and thinking about spending some time standing around doing not much of anything.
UPdate To Helio Ocean Apps
If you're an Helio Ocean user, there are a couple of updates to the onboard apps you ought to take a look at. These haven't been officially announced and according to Crunchgear that will happen on Monday, but I've seen them publicly available on my own Ocean, set them up, and given them a quick test drive.
What Goes On At A Bot Party?
New Helio Ocean spot:
Ocean Works And Plays Well With Others
I've been using a Helio Ocean for about 36 hours now, and so far I'm very impressed with the evolution of the interface from the Kickflip to the Drift and now to the Ocean. It's usually a good indicator that things things are where they should be when you naturally discover new features on your regular path through the software. As a messaging device, I'm finding it eliminates some needless steps and does lots of things smartly. By coincidence Max and Doug from Helio were in our office for meetings yesterday so I got to geek out about it for most of the afternoon. Here's a quick spin through some of the things I've I heart about it so far:
Helio Ocean: Creation
Helio's new TV ad -- How the Ocean came about:
The Ocean: Now Available
As of early this morning, the Helio Ocean is now available for purchase via 1-888-88-HELIO or www.helio.com. If you're near Santa Monica, Palo Alto, San Diego, Denver, or New York, you can enjoy the instant gratification of stopping by a Helio retail store and picking up one up in person. Oceans will be in GameStop and EBGames stores next week, and then in authorized Helio retailers shortly thereafter. It sells for $295.
Details From The Ocean User Guide
I found some neat little details in the guide and wanted to share them here. These are nice interface and functionality details that would be tough to find room for in the big-picture coverage of the Ocean:
Helio Ocean Pre-Release Round-up
A few lucky gadget reviewers received Helio Ocean devices before they're available to the public(soon!), and they've been busy. Today Gizmodo shares part one of a video walkthrough:
Gizmodo Asks For Your Vote: Ocean Or iPhone
Knowing what you know today, are you more likely to buy the Helio Ocean or the Apple iPhone?
Vote Drift in 07
Engadget has nominated the Helio Drift for 2006 cellphone of the year. In this case I think it's permissible to call it a phone, but only just this once. Vote for the Drift
How To Upload Photos To Flickr Via Helio Drift
Thanks to some teamwork between Helio and Flickr/Yahoo, a glitch that was stopping photos from making it from a Helio device to Flickr has been fixed. Last night I confirmed that you can easily send photos taken on a Drift at up to full 1600 x 1200 to your Flickr account via Pic Msg. I love Flickr, and I love my Drift, and I'm extremely happy that they are again playing nice together. In honor of the occasion, here's a detailed how-to on publishing your photos to Flickr straight from your Helio, turning your Drift into a Flickr machine:
Announcing the Helio Ocean
This morning Helio announced the details of their new device featuring a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, the Ocean. It's a dual-slider, meaning that if you slide it one way, a numerical keypad slides out from the bottom, and if you slide it the other way, a nice QWERTY keypad slides out from the side. Even with the double slide action, it's both lighter and thinner than the Sidekick 3, at 4.33” x 2.20” x .86”.
The New Helio Heat...Plus Pun Watch
Helio just unveiled their newest device. The Heat is a thin and nifty slider that comes in Onyx and Gold, with electrostatic keys on the front which I believe means that they work like the iPod's clickwheel. Like the Drift and all new devices to come from Helio, it has GPS onboard and the applications that go with it -- Buddy Beacon and Google Maps for Mobile.
How To Add A Custom Ringtone To A Helio Kickflip
A while back when I tried out the Helio Media Mover and PC Sync software, I offered to write a how-to about adding your own rings to the Helio Kickflip. This weekend I noticed that it's a perenially popular topic on cellphone message board Howard Forums. The regulars over there got it all figured out, and I just want to write it up for you in a clear, step-by-step sorta way. It's a few months overdue now, but hopefully still helpful.
EarthLink and Helio Round-up
First of Five Helio Stores Opens - Helio's first standalone store location opened on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, CA.
Meet The New Helio Drift
A new Helio device joins the Kickflip and Hero today. It's called the Drift, and it looks like it'll be my new favorite. Sorry, Kickflip.
EarthLink/Helio Round-up
A few updates from the last couple of weeks: Helio Hybrid launches - Hybrid is a new wireless access plan, hardware, and software that lets you connect to the internet via your own regular Wi-Fi if you have it at...
Helio Will Pay You For What's In Your Drawers
Helio launched a program for Helio customers yesterday where you can trade in your old devices (not just phones -- digital cameras, mp3 players, stuff like that) for cash. I had to read it several times to find a catch, and so far I don't think there is one. It's real cash, not credit, and the money seems pretty good. As an example, they'll give you $185 for a Treo 650 in good shape, minus the cost of shipping. It's a one-time deal, but there's no limit to how much stuff you can trade in. I've seen similar programs out there, but they're always a trade-up for a phone deal, not a trade for cash. This strikes me as pretty unique.
Come On Feel The Helio
Helio sent some phones and materials along for us employees to mess around with, and Amy and Ali in Product Marketing and Marketing Communications provided the expertise and the snacks. Both the phones and the snacks were well-received. I snapped a few photos and put them in this Flickr album.
PC Sync and Media Mover Betas For Helio Kickflip
Helio released a beta version of its PC Sync application (called VKSync3000) about a week ago. This is an app I've been waiting for as it means i can move all of my contacts from Outlook over to my Kickflip, and get my photos up on Flickr. This afternoon I downloaded, installed, and ran it on my machine. While I was at it, I also loaded the Helio Media Mover beta and tested it out.
First Week With The Kickflip
I've had the Helio Kickflip on my person for about a week now, after picking it up on my trip to LA. I haven't really had time to stop and catch my breath, so I've been 'that geek who carries two cellphones' everywhere I go.
Blogging From The Road (Again)
I'll be blogging from LA for the week, reporting on game and entertainment-related stuff from the massive E3 Expo, and stopping by the Helio offices as well. If you have any suggestions for what to look for at E3, or questions for the Helions, leave them in the comments or send me an e-mail at earthling at corp dot earthlink dot net.
Helio Phones And Service Now Available
It's been a while since I've written about cousin Helio. I'll be headed their way in a couple of weeks, but in the meantime I'm pleased to report that as of right now, Helio phones and service are available at Helio.com or 1-888-88-HELIO.
Helio Detailfest 2006: MySpace Partnership and Two New Phones
I've been begging Helio since I first got their number in November to give me a hint about which phones and services they'd be supporting. Today, they are announcing some of what will be available when they launch their service later this Spring. They're unveiling two of their phones, a new partner, and some of the innovative services I wrote so vaguely about earlier. So now I can fill in some of the more interesting details of my visit.
What's A Helio?
Although the idea of cutting-edge products and services probably appeals to most people, Helio's mission focuses on the most rabid American cellphone users. These are people for whom making voice calls is only one of many things they do with their phone. Many are dissatisfied with what the mainstream cell phone companies offer, and are sick of the long wait between hearing about a new feature out in the world and being able to actually use it on their phone and network.
Helio Sends Their Best
Today is a catch-up day. I just got back into town last night after spending a few days in LA, in media training and meeting cousin Helio. Media training was a lot tougher than I thought it would be.
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