Text Structure Check 1

Market Leaders
Most mobile phones sold today have an operating system that was either designed by Apple or Google. Apple makes the iOS operating system powering their iPhones and iPads. Google makes the Android operating system that can be found on many different mobile phones and tablets. Both of these operating systems allow users to connect to app stores and download applications. To launch these applications, users press small square buttons that appear on their home screens. One major difference between these two operating systems is that Apple makes all of its own hardware. That is to say, the iOS operating system only appears on products created by Apple. On the other hand, many different manufacturers like Samsung, Sony, and LG use the Android operating system. Which one do you like better: Android or iOS? 

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Downloading Apps
Getting a new phone is a really cool feeling, but your phone can’t do much without applications. In order to get the most from your new phone, you need to download apps. To do this you will need a data connection. Some plans allow you to get data from your phone network. If your plan lets you to do this, you can connect to web services anywhere that your phone gets a signal. If your plan does not let you to do this, you will need to connect your device to a Wi-Fi network. Free Wi-Fi can be found at coffee shops, laundry mats, and other public locations. Once your phone is receiving data, go to the application store on the device. Use the search or browse functions to find fun, interesting, or useful programs. Once you have found an application that you want to try, click the button to download and install it on your device. Not all applications are free, so make sure that you know how much the app costs before agreeing to download it. Also, if you are under the age of 18, get your parent’s permission before downloading anything. You’ll like your new phone so much more once you have some cool apps. 

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Lost and Found
A mobile phone is lost every second by some estimates. A 2011 survey shows that about 22% of Americans have lost a mobile phone. When a person loses their phone, they don’t just lose a device that may have cost as much as $600, they lose phone numbers, photos, and sensitive information. If the phone isn’t locked and it gets lost or stolen, someone may use it to commit identity theft. Perhaps the worst part about this is that it can be prevented. Today’s smart phones have free applications that allow you to find your lost phone using GPS signals. Even if you cannot retrieve your phone, you can use these applications to delete your data so that you are less likely to become a victim of identify theft. Losing your phone feels horrible, but if you take the time to install a phone-finding app, you’ll be much better prepared to deal with it. 

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 Eyes on the Road
For better or worse, mobile phones are changing the world; however, one place where phones are definitely making things worse is on the road. Today it is common for motorists to play with their mobile phones while driving. Drivers may get bored or impatient while waiting in traffic and use their smart phones to pass the time by checking sports scores, stock numbers, or news stories. Worse still, they may engage in text messaging. Some drivers are so used to receiving and responding to communications immediately that it does not occur to them to wait until an appropriate time to respond. As soon as they get a message, these drivers will try to read and respond to it. There are many reasons why people use cell phones while driving, but none of them are good reasons. 

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The Intelligent Telephone
A smart phone is a mobile phone with built-in computer system that can send emails, view websites, or download applications. The first use of the term smart phone was in 1997, when Ericson described its GS 88 as a “smart phone.” In 2003 phones got even smarter when Andy Rubin launched the Android mobile operating system. It would take years for the first Android powered phone to reach the market, but today over 80% of all mobile phones are powered by Android. Yet, perhaps the biggest development in the history of smart phones occurred in 2007, when the original iPhone was released. The first iPhone didn’t even have an app store, but it set many of the standards that people have come to expect from smart phones, like using the phone with just a finger on the screen rather than with a keypad or stylus. Smart phones have changed the world and continue to improve. I don’t know where the future will take us, but I bet that the phones will be cooler. 

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 Difficult Decisions
 Since I made honor roll every quarter this year, my mom is going to buy me a new phone for my birthday. I can’t decide whether I want to get an iPhone or a Galaxy. They are both really cool phones, and they cost about the same, but they are also different in a lot of ways too, like the Galaxy has a bigger screen. The iPhone’s screen isn’t small or anything, it’s just not as big as the Galaxy’s. However, the iPhone connects with my iTunes account. All of my music is already uploaded to iTunes, so all I have to do is sync my phone and then I can listen to all of my music. That’d be cool. But if I got the Galaxy, I could use Google Play to upload my old songs and buy new ones. This would give me a chance to go through my old music collection. That’d be cool too. I’m not sure which one I’m going to get but I’m super pumped about it either way. Maybe if you make honor roll every quarter next year, you can get a new phone too. It’s worth a shot. 

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