JD Rudd is a Kansas-born meteorologist working in the Wichita area.

What happens when you leave your cell phone and your digital camera alone, in a dark place overnight? You get the Frankenstein known as the Samsung Galaxy Camera from Verizon Wireless! Camera lovers rejoice. But you might be asking, is it worth it? Is it better than a typical point-and-shoot camera? And, can I still check Facebook? The answer to all these questions is a resounding “yes”. Let’s take a closer look at the latest offerings from Samsung on this point-and-shoot, smart-camera.

Basic Specifications:

-16.3 megapixel camera-F2.5-5.9 4.1-86.1mm lens (21x optical zoom)
-ISO 100-3200
-Android 4.1.1 with TouchWiz, powered by a fast quad-core 1GHz processor
-WiFi + 3G/4G LTE connectivity
-Large 4.77-inch HD LCD touchscreen

All right then, that’s the nerdy rundown of the main features of the camera, but what can you and I actually do with it? I think the cool thing here is that you are getting more than just a “phone camera”. Sure, the camera technology in most phones has gotten better over the years, but if you’re like me, then there have been several times where you’ve wished you had an actual camera with you to snap a few good photos. Enter the Galaxy Camera.

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Pat O’Donnell, director of mission advancement at Dear Neighbor Ministries and StepStone, discusses the problem of domestic violence and what his organization is doing to help survivors recover and grow.  

Approximately one in four women, and one in seven men, are affected by domestic violence nationwide. In Wichita, Kansas, alone, police investigate a distressing 19 cases of domestic violence each day. In many of these instances, the victim’s decision to leave their abusive partner depends on whether they have a safe place to go – a decision that can unfortunately be a matter of life or death.

Most major metropolitan areas have domestic violence shelters where victims can stay for a certain amount of time. However, after their time is up, they must find a new place to go. In many cases, victims of domestic violence are faced with only two options: return to their abuser or live on the streets.

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Each week, we share a collection of Verizon news and stories from your neighborhood that you may have missed in the past week. Here’s what’s new with Verizon in the Midwest from the week of January 21.

This is a guest post by Mike Williamson, a tech blogger from Kansas who is also the Chief Editor of PhoneJunkie.

The New Year is upon us. Due to the fact I spend a great deal of time throughout the day on my cell phone, I’m preparing a few mobile resolutions this year.

Two of my resolutions are to clean out the junk drawer in my home office and recycle more often. My junk drawer is full of old computer cables and other electronic devices that have either gone unused or been replaced by newer technology. Even worse, most of the space is taken up by used cell phones and tablets. (more…)

Each week, we share a collection of Verizon news and stories from your neighborhood that you may have missed in the past week. Here’s what’s new with Verizon in the Midwest from the week of January 7.

MICHIGAN / INDIANA / KENTUCKY REGION

M2M is One of Verizon’s Key Business Tech Trends – TechRepublic – Louisville, KY (January 7, 2013)

“Verizon understands how important it is for enterprises to intelligently take advantage of the mobility and M2M explosion to realize all the benefits it can offer. We also believe that mobile technologies and solutions should be leveraged as tools to empower business decisions – not simply support them.”

TECH REVIEW: Verizon Wireless DROID RAZR HD by Motorola – Free Is My Life – Detroit, MI (January 9, 2013)

In my opinion, the Motorola Droid Razr HD with its elegant design, awesome screen and superior battery life is on par with the iPhone 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S III. (more…)