My Next SGNote: Sony Xperia Z Ultra

Alright, for those who followed.this blog, you know that I'm a suckered for Samsung Galaxy Note N7000, aka the original Galaxy Note. In recent years, that is the smartphone that I used for over 18 months until it became too obsolete that everything become unbearably slow to operate.

2013 is probably the slowest year for me in regards of Android smartphones, except for 2 smartphones: Asus Padfone 2 and Sony Xperia Z series.

I must say, those 2 enticed me with their creative solutions that I decided to buy Asus. Unfortunately, that was a decision that I regretted due to hardware flaws and weaknesses.

2014, I went backward and purchase the abdominal Sony Xperia Z Ultra, this 1920x1080-true-HD-6.44"-screen-2.2ghz-quad-core is the current record breaker of thinnest and biggest screen for a phone category.

As an old fan.of SGNote, stylus writing capabilities and features to support it are something that I yearned when using Asus Padrone 2 or my just retired Polytron Quadra HD. Sony creatively put an incredible amount features to their Z series, including their giant Z Ultra. Those features made my SGNote becomes a museum piece.

Sony Xperia Z Ultra exceptional and useful features (that I know of, and I believe I will find more soon enough):

- Reading/Accessing portable hard disk
Z Ultra ability to access portable hard disk makes my life easier. I don't rely on transferring files using flash memory and computer anymore on the go.  However, accessing big capacity (1TB or above) portable HDD is proven to be hardwork for the unit since the limited electricity power Z Ultra has. Connection easily severed and lost power several time. Looks like there is a limit how long Z Ultra can.supply power to the HDD unit.

- Stylus replacement: pencil, pen, or anything made of iron
Did I hear a "Huh?" Well, it is unique. Sony decided that the users of Z Ultra are people who like pens and pencils so forget the stylus and go straight to use pen and pencil as stylus instead.  Brilliant decision with some risks like screen scratches etc. Solution, screen protector.
I also found out that Samsung C-Pen (not the same as SGNote's faithfull S-Pen), which uses metalized rubber, work like they were born for each other on Z Ultra.
With this feature, users can freely use almost anything to write, annotate or sketch on Z Ultra. Why bother buying a stylus then? Well, users will still need stylus since pens and pencils will scratch Z Ultra screen surface in the long run.

- NFC Easy Connection
Whoa, Sony pretty much exploded NFC trends by applying easy connection features that now tons of NFC accessories are now available in the market. Samsung and HTC have NFC features.but they don't really put NFC as part of their main strategic feature.

- Dust and Water Proof
Sony might not be the first, but they certainly the one to  explode water and dust proof smartphones worldwide. I would.say shame on Motorola for not exploring Defy series further. Now, Samsung has noticed the.Zip series success and launch Galaxy S5 with water and dust proof feature.

- Power Management
HTC One was the first high end smartphone that featured this newer unique feature, however HTC limits this features to only One series. Sony produces almost every middle and top range of their products with Sony's stylized Power Management. Of course, HTC in turn quickly add more products with this feature and Lenovo follow suits to flood the market with affordable Android smartphones with Power Management features pre-installed.

- Being a tall unit with almost 2 cm/1 inch space on top and bottom of the screen means Z Ultra is the current best suited Android for gaming and multimedia consumption

What else can I say, last year I.made a mistake on deciding to buy Asus. This year Z Ultra has gone down in price and become my new favorite smartphone.

Of course there are some drawbacks:
- Painfully gigantic size for a.phone
- Flaps here and flaps there mean extra efforts required to access USB and the rest of the connections
- Glass (front and back) means scratches and fingerprint magnet, self explanatory here, Sony people might talk to Apple people a bit too much
- New screen means trip and error, luckily Z Ultra uses the 2nd generation 1920x1080 HD Triluminous Bravia technology so it is superior to the previous ones on Z, but not necessarily better than IPS and Super Amoled

Final words on my first 1 week living with Z Ultra, I fell in love and Z Ultra is definitely my concubine. Please don't tell my wife.

In Memoriam: My Samsung Galaxy Note

Well, sadly, all good things must come to an end.  This 2013, I have a new job, I have new perspective in life. Now, apparently the changes must come to my mistress, or second wife, if you will: Samsung Galaxy Note.

On March 30th, 2013, I noticed my Samsung Galaxy Note is suffering problems when charging. Later that night, I brought GNote to the ICU at Samsung Service Center. And yesterday, the 31st March 2013, the ICU stated that the cost of repairing was high, so I had to make a hurtful decision to end GNote suffering.  Rest in Peace my dear friend.  Gnote has been accompanying my daily life since October 2011.

My GNote will be placed in its original Premiere big black box that I got when I first bought it, along with its peripherals.

So, this blog is at an end.  All new articles can be found in gadgetadvisory.blogspot.com

Farewell.

Anton

Apology to Evryone who Wrote in Comments on my Blog

First of all, I want to thank you to all who have been writing comments on my blog. I will reply to you as soon as possible. Unfortunately, right now I'm having problems with my computer, basically, it crashed. So, my apology and i will get back to you as soon as my computer is fixed.

posted from Bloggeroid

Fact : Samsung Galaxy Note 2

D###!!!

Samsung really did this. They released SGNote2 with a gigantic bang.

It's a good phone too. Much better than the current one. Flooded with new improvements:

- Floating SPen cursor
- Improved multitasking
- SNote next level, and gone with the SMemo
- Better camera
- Bigger battery, record breaking for a phone if I'm not mistaken
- AllShare Cast
- Jelly Bean
- etc etc etc.

Looks like Samsung is challenging other manufacturers to compete.

I must say I was wrong to doubt that Samsung could pull this off. I was drooling when I first saw the demo in YouTube. This is a smartphone to dream off. And it is scheduled for released in October. Buy or wait. Buy or wait. Buy or wait. Ha ha ha

posted from Bloggeroid

SGNote ICS Update: The Secret of ICS Deep Sleep

First of all, I would like to apologize for the hiatus in entering articles into this blog. My first job has taken so much time that I didn't have time to be active the way I like to be. Anyway, here is my latest finding.

ICS Update has now has reached 4.04. Not a major update, only clearing out some bugs.

Anyway, the first time anyone updates their SGNote to ICS, immediately he/she realizes that ICS is battery hogging. Meaning the battery don't last as long as it used to be on Gingerbread. Several solutions have been thrown into the Internet. The solution I used was using task killers, 2 of them. However, it doesn't solve the much of the battery hogging problems. Until I found the most effective way to solve it : the Deep Sleep Mode of ICS.

Some of you may not realized that the Deep Sleep Mode is very important in keeping Android Smartphones keep the battery lasting longer.

I found this in a unique way. Currently, I'm using 2 Android phones: Samsung Galaxy Note and HTC Desire VC. HTC Desire VC, being a dual on CDMA and GSM smartphone, usually is notorious to run out of battery in no time. However, HTC Desire VC's 1,650 Mah battery last 14-16 hours. Regardless only communication apps that I used on the phone, it is an amazing achievement.

So, I crawled the Internet for ideas, I found CPU Spy highly recommended by Wicked4u2c at YouTube. It is a small app that dig into Android CPU and system to show you what you Android phone processors are doing and how active it is. Here's the icon of the app:




It is a free app you can get from the Play store. What CPU Spy showed me was my SGNote hardly entered Deep Sleep Mode.

Depp Sleep Mode is an Android mode that you can activate by pressing power button to lock your screen or automatically after several minutes of no-activity on the phone. Since I always put my HTC Desire VC in Deep Sleep. Mode after usage, the battery last a lot longer.

So, I checked my battery activities IN Android Settings, the most active and battery draining hardware functioning is of course the screen. The other strangely active app, to my surprise, is my task killer. Since I set it at 1 hour task killing intervals, it always stayed active, thus my SGNote processor is hyper active almost all the time. So I uninstalled the one running 1 hour task killing intervals and kept the daily (once every 24 hour) task killing app, which I happened to install also in my HTC Desire VC. To my surprise, after several hours of changing my apps functionalities, my SGNote entered Deep Sleep Mode more, thus reducing battery drainage. Of course, it could also means ICS 4.04 fixed the drainage problems, but it certainly works. Here is what CPU Spy analyze of my system currently.



As you can see, the Deep Sleep Mode is extended every time I pressed Power button. This certainly helps a lot in extending my SGNote battery.

Feel free to try it.

Tips: there are several apps that do keep processor hyperactive. You need to check each and every apps installed before change the setting or uninstalled them.

posted from Bloggeroid

SGNote ICS Update: Beware of Battery Drainage

I have heard all over Internet that ICS Update for Samsung, whether it is for SGNote or SGS2 may cause further battery drainage. I can tell you know that on certain condition it is correct.

I have been using SGNote ICS 4.03 Update for awhile. First thing I noticed is that the multitasking went overboard. I consistently close apps by using ICS Task Manager manually, but it doesn't help. So I have installed Easy Task Killer at 15-minute apps killing interval. It helps a little. So I installed Trust Go Security for further apps killing and security, it helped with 4-hour interval. It did better, but to be safe I turned on System Power feature.

However, now I have found a new problem. The system sometimes freezes that the battery status from ICS failed to be updated. So, I have a choice of Rooting the SGNote to install Power On/Off Scheduler or find alternative method. So far I haven't found the right remedy. Rooting is not necessary the best solution since it might brick my SGNote if I set it up wrong. Plus, it void my warranty.

Anyway, I need advice or suggestion on this matter. Don't get me wrong. This battery power update failure doesn't happen often, only once in 2 or 3 weeks, but annoying nonetheless.

Oh yeah, here are the signs if your SGNote:
1. Data network failure. This means your battery has reached 20%, that is why ICS turned off data connectivity.

2. All apps go slower. That means the processor is working overtime and most likely power drainage is underway.

So there, I hope this one is helpful since you don't want your favorite phone suddenly goes off while the battery status said 60% but actually almost drained. I will update you for further development on the comment area of this article. Cheers

posted from Bloggeroid

Rumors: Samsung Galaxy Note 2

Since Google I/O is running now, rumors have been answered regarding Google Nexus 7, Google Glass, Jelly Bean or now known as Android 4.1, and more. However, it also raises more rumors. One that really gets my attention is of course the Samsung Galaxy Note 2.

So let!s recap the rumors that have been going around regarding SGNote2:
1. Earlier rumor: the Flexible Amoled

It was said in several gadget news portals that SGNote 2 will have similar form to SGS3, quad core (some said 1.4GHz, other 1.5GHz, even mentioning of 2GHz). The unique thing on these rumors, they all said SGNote2 will use Flexible Amoled that Samsung has been developing for the last half decade. Samsung did show case the flexible Amoled since last year in several of their major exhibitions. To be released in October 2012.

My take: I disagree with the flexible Ampled will be in SGNote2. I think it will kill SGNote2 if Samsung finally use it. Why? Imagine you are using your S Pen on a flexible Amoled screen. It won't work properly. All the coordinate will get screwed up on regular straight screen. So I must say? Samsung may be very aggressive and going balistic with the features in their Smartphones, but they are not that dumb to make such a critical mistake, especially with a surprise cult hit like SGNote.

2. During Google I/O rumor: unknown new processor (possibly quad core), 5.5" Amoled screen, similar specification on camera with technical improvements, slimmer and smaller body so it means an even larger screen to bpdy ratio (currently SGNote employs 66% screen). To be released in September 2012 (to face the possible release of iPhone 5).

My take: A more believable specification. Unfortunately, I never thought SGNote is the phone in that Apple is afraid of or worried about. SGNote occupies a niche market space, a blue ocean strategy of Samsung, since no factory in the right mind will ever touch a 5" screen phone after the sinking of a ship called Dell Streak. I think Samsung will launched SGNote in Q1 or Q2.

Just a side note, honestly, I think Samsung jumped the race by releasing SGS3 earlier than iPhone 5 to shake the ocean red, plus mocked HTC One X right in the middle of their media campaign.

Back to SGNote2 rumor, I must say that I am very excited, but September or October is way to early to jump to SGNote2. I don't think Samsung will be able to make significant improvement that will make SGNote goes up in the level.of anyone's phone like iPhone or SGS2 or SGS3.

Do you have another take or thought, feel free to share.

posted from Bloggeroid