Using the AT&T Skyrocket, a real blast for Independence Day

The Samsung Galaxy S™ II Skyrocket was provided for work to replace an aged Blackberry Tour 9630. The Office folks added the Good Messaging support to replace much of the mail and exchange server functions that our Blackberry smart-phones supported. The AT&T marketed version of the Skyrocket has a beautiful 4.5-inch Super AMOLED Plus display along with a dual-core 1.5GHz processor, an NFC chip, and support for AT&T's LTE network. It shipped with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, and has 16GB storage memory and 1GB RAM onboard, 8-megapixel auto-focus camera with LED flash with 1080p video capture that supports 1080p video recording. The 2-megapixel front facing video chat is only supported over a Wi-Fi connection. This model is a GSM-banded world phone with Bluetooth, microSD card support, and enhanced audio. Inside the box includes battery, SIM card, charger, headphones, USB cable. the office folks supplied an Otterbox Defender case with screen-protector and belt holster that doubles as a stand and can be used as a ballistic shield in hostage situations. You'll need to download the software from Samsung if you want to connect to a computer and copy files, but it supports and Over-the-Air (OTA) exchanges using Kies Air. I've heard some bad results from users who made the leap to "ICE-CREAM SANDWICH" the Android 4.0 Kernel provided as an upgrade to this phone. I have the Android Kernel version that was updated in April 2012 to 2.6.35.11, Build number GINGERBREAD.UCLA3. Listed enhancements for this update: Improved performance from several Qualcomm patches and other refinements, User interface updates such as the new screen unlock swipe, ability to reply all to MMS messages, Exchange ActiveSync wipe to remove all content from the device and microSD card, Improved battery indicator icon accuracy.

If the lower tax rates expire at the end of 2012, what are you waiting for?

Tax hikes ahead? A slew of tax breaks are expiring and some new taxes taking effect. See what’s in play. A Roth IRA The only thing certain about the tax code these days is, well, the uncertainty of it all. If Congress doesn’t take action before the end of the year, federal tax increases will go into effect next year, raising levies on income, capital gains, dividends, wages, gifts, estates, and more. Here’s an overview of some of the key tax policy issues to keep on your radar screen. Then for specific strategies to consider in preparation, read Viewpoints: Prepare for tax changes. 1. Lower tax rates are set expire at the end of 2012 -- Most observers agree that Congress is going to have a hard time addressing tax and budget issues before the November elections, says Shahira Knight, Fidelity’s vice president of government relations. "More likely, action will wait until a lame-duck session of Congress, or 2013, and that’s unsettling for investors and the markets,” she notes. “It may be a roller-coaster ride as key deadlines approach.” So where does that leave you as a taxpayer and investor? “A good approach is to be prepared for a range of possibilities, and to start now,” says Jim Buza, vice president of guidance and advice for Fidelity. “That’s really what you should do in any climate, but it’s especially critical now.” To get started, use our tax calculator to the right to estimate how you might be impacted. The tax cuts enacted by Congress in 2001 and 2003—often referred to as the Bush tax cuts—provided a broad range of tax relief, including lower tax rates on income, long-term capital gains, and qualified dividends. We dodged the expiration of these lower taxes back in 2010 when Congress extended the tax cuts for two years (through 2012). Now cuts are set to expire on December 31, 2012, and any action will likely come down to the wire as it did in 2010.