Samsung Mega - Phones Just Got Ginormous...Again!

Samsung announced the Galaxy Mega last week in a press release. I've been waiting for videos of the product in actual consumer hands but they have been hard to come by. But here's a video that was apparently leaked, with commentary from the poster:



I haven't seen units yet in any local stores either. What is known for certain are the specs, as published in the press release. In a nutshell, the specs I find important are as follows:

• Display: 6.3-inch HD TFT  
• Processor: 1.7GHz Dual Core ARM Processor 
• OS: Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean)
• Camera: 8 MP rear-facing camera, 1.9 MP front-facing camera
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, WiFi Direct, BT 4.0, USB 2.0
• Memory: 8/16GB Internal Memory (microSD up to 64GB) ＋ 1.5GB RAM
• Battery: 3,200 mAh Li-ion Standard Battery

This thing is huge compared to the Galaxy Note II's 5.3 inches. It is just ever so slightly smaller that a 7-inch tablet. Aside from the pudgy-fat-fingers use-case and the i-can't-type-properly-on-a-small-screen issue with users like me, this is not a phone for everyone. However, personal opinions aside, right now it's Samsung that is forging ahead of the competition in terms of creating new niches in the market. Creating products like the Samsung Mega explores the possibilities. If you check stores, both online and brick-and-mortar, other lesser known brands like Starmobile, Cherry Mobile, Cloudfone, MyPhone, etc. already have their own 5-inch or slightly smaller screened phones. That niche was non-existent if we were talking about screen sizes before the original Galaxy Note was launched.

With the positive response from the way the Galaxy Note II got sold out when it was launched, only time will tell if the consumer market will embrace an ever bigger phablet. This is a gamble that I think Samsung will win though. But ultimately it's going to be the consumer who decides whether this niche deserves it's own line of products.

Unboxings & Choosing Your Next Smart Device

With the increasingly overlapping release dates of so many competing smartphone brands, it's been hard to keep up with the latest device releases. It's become harder to maintain a good grasp of what products give the best value for money, especially if you're on the lookout for your next phone or tablet. So reviews, specifically unboxings with demos, like the one below are really useful for evaluating products you may want to consider buying. The one linked below is for the about to be released Starmobile Diamond:



Increasingly, I find myself watching the feeds for sites like Rappler.com. You should look for local reviews when looking for a product to buy. The important thing is to see the Filipino perspective about a device before looking at it. Like other Asians, we don't necessarily have the same use-case scenarios that North Americans have. It's better to look for local tech journalists reviewing locally released products, so you get to experience a review that is as relevant to you as possible.

Also look for product information on stores you can physically go to to try the thing. It's common for stores not to give you hands on time with device, so walk away if the retail store does that. You should 'vote' with your money. Buy from the stores that give you the chance to test the product before you actually buy it. Let them know you appreciate the tinker time they give you.

So what will your next smartphone be? Where did you first hear about it? Did you watch a detailed review of it before deciding to go to store to check it out?

Best Cans for Your Portable Audio

Every music and podcast lover wants to take their music with them. Be it a boring commute to work, or the  dreary atmosphere at the office, having your own audio to make the day bearable always helps gets you through. Here are in my opinion the best cans out there:

Heil Sound Pro Set 3 - with  high quality 40 mm Rare Earth Neodymium magnets and voice coils, a frequency response of 10 Hz - 22 kHz and the solid engineering of Bob Heil behind it all, what's not to love about it?  Well, maybe the price. But then again, these cans are worthy of any studio and are frequently used by recording artists, pro podcasters and musicians. If you want to show everyone you've evolved into the  pro, get these headsets. Available at Amazon and Heil Sound. Price: US$110.

Audio-Technica ATH-M50WH Professional Studio Monitor - Nothing says cool like a white set of Audio Technica cans. And nothing is cooler than a bargain! You know me, I love bargains. This pair used to cost US$209. It's available now at Amazon for almost $90 dollars less! And these don't scrimp in quality either. With 45 mm large-aperture drivers with neodymium magnets, a closed-back cushioned ear cup design and an adjustable padded headband, you'll wear these all day long and enjoy that progressive rock playlist you've been keeping secret from friends. It even has a coiled cable and a collapsible design for easy portability and convenient storage. I would prefer these over any $200, celebrity-endorsed, big-letter-B-branded pair any day! Available at Amazon and Audio Technica. Price: US$121.

Klipsch Image ONE Premium - Time for another bargain! Klipsch, another one of those less popular but reliable brands came out with this a few years back, but now is the time to snap a pair. This used to cost US$ 150. It can now be had for almost half that. With a 16 Hz - 23 kHz frequency response, 40mm dynamic moving coil speakers, professional grade memory foam ear-cups, these cans won't shortchange you even one bit for its current price. And it's perfect for your iPhone, with its iPhone-friendly mic & 3-button remote. For smartphones, this one is a nice compromise between portability and quality.  Available at Amazon and Klipsch. Price: US$85 (for a limited time, Klipsch is offering Free Shipping ON ALL Orders At Klipsch.com! Click Here!).

Install Linux & Boot Tools on a Multiboot USB Drive

Okay, so you want to try the latest Linux distributions and you don't want them installed for some reason. Or you want to just do some test driving before you commit to a full install. Or maybe you're the sort of guy that helps  family and friends with their computers and you're fond of using Linux tools to get the job done. Well, it would be handy if you had all your software tools in one small handy package. Think of the swissarmy knife a s good analogy. It may now have the best tools, but since it's pocket-able and has several different small tools, it comes in very handy in many situations.

Well, there's an easy way to create a multiple boot USB thumbdrive to enable you to boot of different tools without having to burn each one on to a CD. It's called Xboot [https://sites.google.com/site/shamurxboot/home]. It's just like UNetBootin which I wrote about on another post [http://techthroes.blogspot.com/2011/08/install-linux-onto-usb-stick.html]. What makes Xboot a little better is that it can configure you're USB drive with a bootloader enabling you to install more than just one operating system. You also have the option to install non-Linux bootable tools like  Ultimate Boot CD or Hiren's Boot CD.

Here's how to install you're favorite tools onto a USB drive with Xboot:

First, download the tool from https://sites.google.com/site/shamurxboot/download:

After you download it, you need to extract the zipped file to a location on your computer where it'll be easy to find. The Desktop usually works best. You'll always know how to get there and it'll make it a cinch to find. Click on the extracted xbootvs1.0beta14.exe file and you should see this window:

Next, from the main window (as it appears above) drag your Linux ISO images onto the open space with columns labeled Name, Size, CAtegory, etc. It's really that simple. Just click on the files from your  file browser and drag 'em there. Now in some cases the ISO you choose can't be identified by Xboot. You'll need to tell it what kind of image it is. Is it a Linux image, like Ubuntu, Fedora, or OpenSuse? Or is it one of those self-booting rescue tools like DBAN or Ultimate Boot CD:

It's good though that there are a lot of presets and Xboot will try to configure the install for the particular bootable tool or OS using the option you choose. Be cautious though, since if you make the wrong choice the whole USB will not boot at all. Here's a preview of those options:

Now, once you've had your starting line up figured out, have Xboot create the Multiboot USB for you. Just click on the Create USB button:

After that you'll be asked to pick which drive you'd want to install everything in. You can also select you choice of bootloader from the same dialog, but I'd go with Syslinux:

So after you're done with all the options, let Xboot do it's thang...

Now it will take some time for Xboot to set everything up, so this would be the perfect for you to get a Coke from the Vendo or a cup of coffee from the pot. If you've known me for some time, you would know. I'm a coffee kind of guy. So I'd get a cup if you were me. But, you know. To each his own. It may take around 15-20 minutes to get everything setup, so take your sweet time and don't worry about it. Okay, okay. I know... I'm stalling. Next step is to test the thing's working. 

To test if the installed OS and tools are booting, you can go back to Xboot. Click on the QEMU tab, pick the drive you installed to and click boot :

I never did get that to work for some reason. So YMMV (your mileage may vary) ... I did however, reboot my machine and and let it boot from the USB and tadaaa: 

I tested all of the stuff I installed and when was sure everything was working I got back to my cup of joe. I thought to myself, it's nice to have a multi-tool like this in your pack of geek gear. You can have this too. Have fun experimenting with Xboot while you're at it :-)

The Latest & Cheapest - AMD Llano Build With $ to Spare

I've always been an advocate of the new technologies, but I've always had to spend within reason. The latest and greatest isn't practical. When you've got responsibilities, there are some things that need more priority when it comes to money. Anyway, I don't feel too left out. I do what I got to do and still have the latest technology. If I choose my parts right, I can definitely have a computer that's not a sluggard even after 2 years of use.

So here's my choice for my Latest & Cheapest build:

AMD Llano A4 3400, 2.7 GHz- the latest iteration of AMD techniologies focuses on creating a product with a lot of value. AMD's Llano is it's APU, an Advanced Processing Unit, it's nickname for a CPU+GPU combo on the same physical package. The A4 may be the cheapest of it's siblings, but it isn't the slowest processor out there. It's got 2 cores pumping out 1.9 GHz all while sipping power with it's TDP of 35 Watts. Price: PhP 3,290 (Cash Promo) at PC Hub.

Emaxx A75GM iCafe- Emaxx has been producing low-priced motherboards for around 5 or 6 years now. Teir iCafe series has always been the cheapest of the lot, focusing on just the basics and a price that makes it irrestible to small business owners (re: internet cafe owners) Price: PhP 3,110 (Cash Promo) at PC Hub.

Inwin EC036 ATX w/ 350W PSU- Low-priced ATX case bundled with a 350W PSU that should be plenty if you choose the right parts. It looks good too. 'Nuff said. Price: PhP 1,590 (Cash Promo) at PC Hub.

G.Skill Value Ram 4GB DDR3 1333- I know a bargain when I see one. GSkill has always enjoyed a good rep with geeks for its performance. It don't matter that this is the Value RAM. GSkill is still GSkill. Price: PhP 1,150 (cash Promo) at PC Hub.

1TB Seagate 7200.12 (32mb cache) SATA HDD- I keep harping on how good Seagate is. Well, I'll harp on it some more. They are reliable. And one more thing, 1TB should be more than enough room to store that ",movie collection" of yours ;-) Price: PhP 2,790 (Cash Promo) at PC Hub.

LiteOn iHAS524- Another brand that I've trusted and relied on for many years, these guys have been OEMing for Dell and Sony for the longest time. It's time they get some press, even if it's from a small-traffic blogger like me :) Price: PhP 830 at Enigma.


The final price? PhP 12,760 or around US$ 295. It's cheap and the tech is new. I couldn't ask for more for the money.