Technology Guides

If you have been reading this website, you will realize that I finally bulked up (or bulked down, depending on how you view it) from my Blackberry 8820 to a superphone, the Samsung Galaxy S II. When I was walking to the store to pick it up, I had butterflies in my stomach and I could not wait till it was in my hands. I did a lot of work to acquire this phone and so I was overjoyed to finally have it. With that being said, here’s my review and I’ll try to be as unbiased as possible .

The Device

When people first saw my new phone, the first thing that people said was “Isn’t that phone big?” or something along those lines. I was completely blown away as to how many people said that. In retrospect, yes it is big but isn’t size relative? I mean, when the first iPod Touch came out, wasn’t that a big mp3 player compared to the norm? Yes it has a 4.3″ Super AMOLED Plus screen that provides amazing clarity but to me, it’s not big. In fact, this phone is the thinnest and lightest in the Canadian market coming in at 8.49mm and 117g which in my opinion, makes up for the “bigness” of the phone. To put that into perspective, the iPhone has a 3.5″ screen and weighs in at 137g with its thinnest point being 9.3mm. To the casual observer this may not be a striking difference but compare it side-by-side and you’re looking at apples and oranges. They’re both fruit but strikingly different qualities.

I’ll admit that at first it was a little awkward to handle, but like transitioning from a physical keyboard to a virtual one, the end result has left me with no regrets. The ironic thing is, when I go back to my iPod Touch, it feels incredibly small but when I go from my iPad to my Samsung Galaxy S II, I don’t get that same feeling.

Another major difference between the Samsung Galaxy S II are the buttons on the bottom. Most Android smartphones have 4 buttons compared to the SGSII’s 3 which usually goes Menu, Home, Search and Return. I prefer the 3 button scheme that Samsung used on the GS2 because it’s less cluttered and there’s a definable center to it.

Software

I haven’t used the first iteration of the Samsung Galaxy S, but supposedly the new interface, TouchWIZ 4, is a drastic improvement from its predecessor. Most notably, the aesthetics and performance have been improved. I can’t speak much to this because I don’t use the default interface as I have installed an application called GoLauncher EX to replace it. I am currently fiddling with it and finding it quite versatile so I will keep you up to date on that one. Just recently though I updated my SGS2 from the stock 2.3.3 that Bell provides to a custom ROM called Sensation ROM 1.9 that has upgraded me to 2.3.5. The most notable improvements are the battery life (very significant) and when you scroll to the top and bottom, it flashes to let you know it’s reached the end. The call screen is more refined and allows for easier access to contact information. Overall, I’m in love with the software and thus the interface.

Battery Life

As I mentioned above, I’ve upgraded my phone and with that upgrade has come significant battery improvements. Before it would last me from about 10am-2am and the battery would be in critical mode. Thus when I would be heading out that night without my power cord I would recharge it before hitting the town. Now with the upgrade I have no worries as to whether it will last the day or not. On a power hungry day I’ll be down to 25% and on regular days it’ll be closer to 50% battery life left.

Features

Building on the software aspect of this phone, I was surprised to learn with the release of ICS, that a lot of the features that were innovative on it, were already a part of the SGS2. One feature was the “Reject a call with a text message”. This is a really cool feature and was already on my phone when I got it. It comes in handy for sure. I also enjoy the screen after the end of a call where it gives you the option of sending a message or calling again to that same contact. Another “cool” feature in ICS is being able to uninstall apps from the launcher. On my SGS2 I can do hold the apps and click uninstall. I can also drag apps from my home screen up to the top to remove it from the home screen.

Conclusion

Overall I am very happy with my SGS2. The only problem I had with it was the battery life but since that’s been resolved it’s been a dream to have. I still use my iPod Touch as it’s a great music player which I do believe Google still needs to improve on but since I like having two devices anyways I’m happy. Google is making strides with this, with the introduction of Google Music and so it will be interesting to see how it shapes up in the future.

If you have any questions about the SGS2 please don’t hesitate to ask and if any of you have comments about your experience with the SGS2 add them here. Until next time…

Popularity: 9% [?]

Since Canadians or anyone outside of the U.S. for that matter can’t get a hold of free movies and TV shows online for free I decided to go hunting for a way to. Now personally I love Hulu or any of the sites that Hulu gets their content from, I couldn’t find a way to hack onto it using Linux and it was hard as well for Vista or Mac users. So I gave up (sorry it was just getting to time consuming) and so I decided to try and find some sites on the net that would offer the service to users like me. Again I kind of failed but my search engine skills aren’t the best. So one day I stumbled on this site called TV Shack (no I didn’t use Stumbleupon but I’m sure it’s on there by now).

This site has a huge database and I haven’t come across a link that doesn’t work because they use a community system where users update the collection and offer multiple links in a very clean way so it’s not overwhelming like some other websites. They have a TV Show, Movie, Anime, Music and Documentaries database that offer enough selection for even the pickiest person. The huge benefit of this site is that they offer the whole series and not just the last 5 episodes.

You also don’t need to register on the site but if you want to add links because the site needs to be able to moderate what links do go up there and make sure that they do actually work.

Popularity: 9% [?]

One day I was sitting down at my desk and turned on my laptop. I was looking for a file when I realized I had lost it and could not recover it. It tought me a valuable lesson and that was to never delete a file because it might be important later on. That lesson got thrown out the window when I realized that I had too many files piling up and slowing down my computer. So I decided to install a program to help me recover deleted files if I ever needed them again. Microsoft Windows Vista creates shadow copies of every files you have and Ultimate utilizes it to recover them if you need it. Other version of Microsoft Windows Vista cannot recover it, unless you download another 3rd party program like ShadowExplorer or a file recovery utility such as Recuva.

ShadowExplorer

ShadowExplorer as I mentioned before allows you to browse the shadow copies created by the Windows Vista Volume Shadow Copy Service. It needs time to get going so don’t start deleting files as soon as you download it. What this program does is creates a copy of your hard drive for one day and you’ll have to access the deleted file from this day.

ShadowExplorer

This program is a great free alternative to the more expensive programs because it organizes your files at that specific day much better than most. Other programs tend to just show all the deleted files that can include internet cache stuff which is useless.

Recuva

Strangely enough, Recuva, is pronounced “recover” but who cares in my opinion because it is free. The problem I find with this type of recovery utility is the fact that it has to scan your whole hard drive, and not all of the files it finds can be recovered. It also names them different so you have to sift through the different files very carefully.

It is better than ShadowExplorer because it helps bring back files that were lost through a virus, bug or crash which ShadowExplorer doesn’t do as well at. It takes up a small area of your hard drive and you won’t lose much CPU when you run it but that comes with its drawbacks. It’s much slower at finding files because it has to scan whereas ShadowExplorer can almost instantly show you your hard drive at a certain date. The interface is slightly more refined but still equally usable.

Conclusion

Both of these programs will get the job done but offer two different ways to do it. Personally my bet is on ShadowExplorer but it’s better to be safe then sorry sometimes, so why not download both.

Popularity: 9% [?]

I’m not an expert at this subject but I’ve been through the whole struggle and now my battery life can only last about 10-20min give or take. Now the sad thing is, there is no Viagra type solution for these issues but there is a way to prevent your laptop battery from deteriorating at the beginning. I did not take any of what I’m about to tell you into consideration but I hope when you get a new laptop you take these seven things into consideration when you’re traveling and one thing that will extend the life of your battery.

• Turn Down Your Screen Brightness - Screen brightness is not a big deal yet it takes away a lot of battery power that can be put to better use (like playing games). This is very easy to do. All you’ll need to do in Microsoft Windows Vista is go to Control Panel–>Hardware & Sound–>Power Options and then on the left sidebar, click Adjust the display brightness. Here you can also tell the computer when to turn off the display and power off depending if you’re plugged in or not.

• Adjust the Computer Performance - Depending on what you’re doing while traveling, you might be able to sacrifice some performance to save some power. Microsoft Windows Vista has three plans that you can utilize: Power Saver, Balanced, and High Performance. I use Balanced most of the time, but there are times when I use the other two. You can tailor each of these plans to best suit your needs, but the one you should be focusing on is the Power Saver. Configure it so you’re using the least you can.

• Turn off Wi-Fi/Bluetooth – If you have Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, turn it off. In most cases, you don’t need either of these because we have the Blackberry/Apple iPhone to do quick checks of email and such. It can be a real energy saver and can be as easy as flicking a switch off.

• Watch Movies/TV off Hard Drive – One secret a lot of people don’t know or might know and not really act on it, is the fact that the CD/DVD drive takes much more power then if you download and watch it directly. Now I’m not encouraging downloading from illegal sources, what I’m saying is you should take this into consideration when you go on your next trip

• Take Out the Battery – The reason my laptop has very little battery life is I now have it plugged in 24/7. This destroys the laptop battery and speeds up the process of aging because then the battery doesn’t have the chance to discharge so it loses it’s ability to hold a charge. A way to prevent this from happening is when you have your laptop plugged in all the time you remove the battery as it is not needed. When you hit the road, make sure to put it back in as well as double checking the battery is still charged.

• Cool Your Laptop Down – To keep the temperature down on your laptop, clean your air vents but to go even further you should have a laptop stand when you are working at your desk. Laptops in general work better when they are cooler and so letting the laptop have a room to breathe only helps that. A laptop stand kills two birds with one stone (not that you should literally do that in real life) because it provides you with an ergonomic keyboard.

• Don’t Multitask – Even in real life, multitasking can put a strain on yourself such as doing homework and watching TV (I know, I love it too) but if you’re trying to preserve your battery life, only do one thing at a time.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Everyone knows that Microsoft Windows Vista is pretty slow, especially when you have all the add-ons but there are a few things you can do to help speed it up. 

Sidebar

The sidebar is nice and all, but do you really need another clock, an RSS feed or some random stock prices? Not really. So right click the sidebar, and click properties. At the top, uncheck start sidebar when Windows starts. At the next boot, you’ll get rid of the CPU draining sidebar.

Visual Effects

In the system properties box, (from Control Panel–>System & Maintenance–>System–>Change Settings. At this point click the Advanced tab and then the Settings button. From here, you can choose which parts of Vista’s visual effects you’d like to take off. I personally have only “Enable desktop composition” and “Use visual styles on windows and buttons “. 

Always remember to take out programs you don’t need, removing them from the start menu so they don’t load when your computer boots. If you go to Windows defender, you can change the start up programs so they don’t load at the beginning. Virus software should always be loaded, but not Windows Messenger. 

Hopefully these tips will help you speed up your computer and if you have any more to share then please feel free to comment away.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Digital cameras have become better quality, cheaper and with more choice, it’s sometimes hard to choose which ones right for you. But in any case, more people have digital cameras and more people have the internet which is why there are more choices to edit your photos online, and for free. There are four sites that I highly recommend. Photoshop Express, Splashup, Picnik, and Fotoflexer.

Photoshop Express

Photoshop Express gives every user a fairly familiar interface. Some of the buttons from Photoshop are here, but only the basic ones such as touchup, resize and distort. They have just added a Beta Decoration tab which is nothing special at all. The reason I do like it though, is because of its huge and clean interface as well as the ability to save your photos in a library online. The drawback is you do have to make an account although you can take a test drive to see how it works. It doesn’t provide a quick job, as you have to sign in, but it’s one of the quicker sites to use.

Splashup

This site is new to me. I came across it while doing this review. I was surprised to see it uses the same core as Photoshop Express and that’s the new Adobe AIR. This lets websites work much faster and it shows on Splashup. The great thing about Splashup is it looks like a real piece of software as it has the toolbar on top with File, Edit, and so on. It also is heavily based on Photoshop as the layout is virtually the same. An interesting fact is that it is one of the only web editors that will allow you to select a portion of the image and apply an effect. Usually you have to apply the effect on the whole image. Splashup uses layers which is very helpful when you want to do some more creative stuff. The downside is it isn’t very intuitive, much like Photoshop. 

Picnik

PC World gave Picnik top marks but I’m not a total fan. Yes I admit that it is very intuitive and fun to go on, but it doesn’t have all the features I’d like it to have for what I normally do. To me it has very basic features except for it’s resizing tool which does a great job I must say. It’s much faster that what every other editer has and it does allow you to print, unlike any online editor I’ve seen. 

Fotoflexer

I’ve saved best for last, because that’s what I do. Fotoflexer I will say right off the bat is that it is slow. But it makes up for that in a massive amount of useful tools such as it’s form of magic wand as well as other unique tools. Surprisingly, Photoshop Express and Splashup which is heavily based on Photoshop, does not have. It has 34 effects and you can go in full-screen mode. You are allowed to upload more than one image at a time which is great for editing images heavily. The tools are seperated into different categories and the only problem I found with that, is it’s hard to figure out which one a tool may be in as you can only see one category at a time. 

What to download for Editing Photos for Free on Your  Desktop

If you want something special for your desktop that you’ll always have access to, I highly recommend Paint.Net. It’s free, offers a ton of tools comparable to Photoshop and it has a much friendlier interface, almost like a Mac. To download Paint.Net go to download.com. It is compatible with Microsoft Windows Vista and you can get it for Mac.

Popularity: 7% [?]

I’m sure you’ve heard many times that the Apple iPod Touch is basically the same as the Apple iPhone except for a few notable differences. The Apple iPhone has a camera and can make calls. Well not anymore. With a free application from the App Store, now the only difference between these two devices is the fact that the iPhone has a camera.

Download Fring or TruPhone from the App Store. I prefer Fring as it offers not only free calling, but it offers Skype, MSN, Twitter, Google Talk and much more. Once you’ve done that, register for all the services that you apart of and now you are one step closer to start calling. You are allowed to dial straight from the Cellular tab within Fring. A small drawback for the application, Fring, is that when you search for your buddies it will only look at the beginning of the personal name. For example. Your buddy Bob has an email called bob@cool.com and has a personal name called (L) Bob (L). If you search bob, nothing will up. If you search (L), Bob will come up. This search feature is horrible for people who have friends that constantly change their name.

Next, what you’ll need is a set of headphones much like the Apple iPhone ones that offer a pair of headphones and microphone. Xpress Canada offers very cheap in-ear headphones that offer the required mic.

If you’re looking for a more true calling application then TruPhone is the better option. It allows you to make free Wi-Fi calls with VoIP with other Touch users and Google Talk users. They have plans to add the ability to place calls to landlines. They also plan to offer services such as MSN, Twitter, Skype and Facebook.

Do you have a different method for turning your iPod Touch into a phone? If so, share it here.

Update: The new Apple iPod Touch that will be released sometime in September will have a built-in mic so you won’t have to buy headphones with a microphone. Read about the new Apple iPod Touch.

Popularity: 33% [?]

 
Just recently I downloaded Windows Vista SP1 and followed the instructions to the “T” which included restarting the computer. After downloading this automatic update, this was my second worst mistake. Next thing I know, I get a blue screen that says there is a hardware problem and nothing works to restart the computer including launching the startup repair and going into safe mode. Eventually, me being the nerd person I am, I end up frying the hard drive. So not only do I need to replace my operating system but I also have to replace my hard drive. All in all I end up paying $160 CDN to fix my computer and now thankfully I’m up and running but a little cash strapped.

Some huge lessons can be learned from this. First off, create your Recovery Discs as soon as possible and make sure your computer can’t shut down on you unexpectedly like not enough power because you only get one shot at least with HP. Second, buy an external hard drive and make a back up of your computer as soon as possible and do it at least monthly. For smaller problems, you should make it a regular routine to create a restore point. Putting all three of these basic things into practice will help keep your computer safe and in working order. Keep programs as well off your computer that you really don’t need and keep your computer organized in terms of folders.

Popularity: 5% [?]