REVIEW: TORQUE DROIDZ ATOM

(More Pictures and Videos to be uploaded soon...)

Ok, I've never really been a big fan of Android Phones, except for the Coby tablet that I have been using for almost a year (which actually isn't a phone... duh!) But recently, these Android Phones have become really cheap and affordable. And the competition in the local market is going crazy!

So I was looking for an affordable dual sim phone, and three local brands came into mind:

• MyPhone
• Cherry Mobile, &
• Torque

Most of my officemates own a MyPhone. Most of my friends, including my brother own a Cherry Mobile. While the rest of the world would either own an iPad/iPhone or a Samsung Tab/Note. Come to think of it, it all falls down to the battle of the BRANDS! The most popular usually wins. Well, I'm not really into BRANDS. I don't necessarily own certain devices of the same brand. In fact, What I'm really concerned about is:

• Quality
• Usability, &
• Affordability

Well, technically, there should also always be some other specifications that fall into place. Like:

• Memory 
• Processor
• Graphics
• etc. etc.

But then again, what I really want is something that's "high-end" yet, affordable. So I checked the web for some cheap android phones but also comes with a "high-end" feel to it. I figured, MyPhone and Cherry Mobile are very common in the market, so my interest fell on TORQUE. It's amazing 'cause Torque has a range of phone models that are affordable and quite high-end.

I first had my eye on the Torque DROIDZ Force which was worth P2,999. With its Android 2.3 OS, 1Ghz CPU, 512MB ROM and 512MB RAM, I was sure that this was the phone for me. But then as I was browsing the site, I stumbled upon the Torque DROIDZ Atom which was priced at P3,999. Android 4.0 OS, 1Ghz Dual Core CPU, 4GB ROM, 512MB RAM. I was hoping to purchase it via Lazada but unfortunately, I was not able to find it on sale.

I was able to find the unit at a local celphone store, Expression Mobile Center, and they were selling it at the same price but without the Silicon/Jelly case.

BATTERY LIFE:

At first I was finding a hard time getting used to it. I hated how the battery would drain so fast. I hated how I was not able to set the ring tone to the music that I want. I hated I would not be able to connect to the wifi. I got discouraged on the first night I was using it that I got a really bad headache. BUT, it was all just a "user glitch". It was me who was not getting the hang of it. (hehehe. sorry about that!)

Upon further tinkering, I was able to fix the battery problem. I just had to turn off the apps that I didn't need and minimize the brightness, disable the vibration, lower the volume, and some other stuff... The 4 hours battery life I experienced on the first day now lasts for a whole day! Amazing!

SCREEN PROBLEM:

However, I think the Screen does have a little problem especially when the charger is connected. I guess that's when I experienced not being able to connect to the wifi for the first time, since I was charging the phone. Just a warning! Several buttons gets pushed at the same time when you click on anything on the screen when the charger is connected. Sometimes hanging up the phone in the process. Advice: Completely turn off the Phone when charging!

But after resolving all of that, the phone is working really well!

GAMES:

Most games found in the Play Store works very well. I installed only a few games on this phone since I don't really need it for gaming. The following games run smoothly on the Droidz Atom:

• Minion Rush
• Jetpack Joyride
• Mutant Roadkill
• Drag Racing: 4x4 Edition
• Spongebob Squarepants: Diner Dash, &
• Monsters University: Catch Archie

I didn't notice any flaws on any of this games, so it's pretty AWESOME!

BROWSING:

As with any device, I really prefer using it for browsing the internet. And I have really no complain about it in terms of browsing.  So it's EXCELLENT!

DUAL SIM:

I needed a dual sim phone. One for the Company issued number, and the other one for my personal number. So this affordable Android phone comes in very handy, and is very helpful for me. so I'm giving it a 2-thumbs up!

DUAL CAM:

The front cam is a VGA camera which is good for Skype and other video chat and conferences. The rear cam is a 3.0 MP camera which gives good quality images in well lighted environments. It has a built-in flash but it does not work very well in poorly lighted environments. The camera is OK.

MOVIES / MUSIC

The phone plays almost any video and audio format which is a good thing because I need music and movies whenever I travel to remote areas in the country. And something that I like about the phone is that the Headphones don't suck! (unlike the Coby) So, another EXCELLENT for audio and video.

ANTUTU BENCHMARK RATING

Below is an image of the Antutu Benchmark for the Torque Droidz Atom.

Hmmm... Not bad... With a score of 6595, it beats Amazon Kindle and Samsung Galaxy S. (You can download Antutu Benchmark at Play Store to check for your phone's standing.)

CONTROVERSY:

The TORQUE DROIDZ ATOM has been labelled an imitation of the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini. But I don't really give a damn!

As to setting the Ringtone that you want, simply download ES File Explorer from the Play Store, and it will allow you to set any music as your caller or message tones. 

Overall, it's a pretty good phone. 

3.5 Stars!

My 2012 Accomplishments!

Wow! 2012 was really a tough year for me. Besides it being the "End Of the World" as predicted by the Mayans, it was a real roller-coaster year! 

First off, in January, I decided to make a big shift, career-wise (you might say it was a big mistake, but things happen, y'know?). I decided to pursue a career which was very different from what I wanted to be. I switched from I.T. to Pest Control. (ooops! yeah, that's right.) Like what I mentioned in my previous post, I wanted to have an adventure, I wanted to take the risk of exploring into an unknown field. Ofcourse, as in everything you do, you will always experience some ups and downs. My salary was slashed in the first few months, but then it was raised after I earned my DOD Certification (I am earning higher now rather than when I was in I.T.), which was great! 

This was also the month when me and my wife decided to build our very own little home. And slowly but surely, we were able to move in to our new house after 8 long months! (whew! it was all worth it, though...)

In mid-July, I joined Planet Mobile Technologies. It's an investment firm which caters Telecommunication and Mobile Technologies as their main product, instead of medicinal and herbal products. I am still pretty unsure if I have made the right decision by joining this group, but I keep my head up. This firm is actually showing some positive results for those really "die-hard" aficionados who want to earn easy money. And the company is growing in terms of members and followers. And they have also successfully partnered with other giant companies, like Globe Telecoms, Kia Philippines, and Pepsi Products Philippines, further exemplifying their mark as one of the fastest, and largest investment firm in the country. Are you interested? Hehehe... :D 

And just as last year, our employment status with Dyncorp is still "so-so." Still blundered as to wether or not our contracts will be extended. But then again, we're still hoping for the best since we're pretty sure that the VFA won't be easily scrapped by the Philippine Government, with the tensions rising between the Philippines and China. Who else would the Philippines run to in-case a war ensues between our nations? You know, it's funny how the Philippines got rid of the American troops and bases way back in the late 90's. But still long for their assistance in times of war. Come to think about it, the Philippines never really gained their independence, since we are very dependent, especially to the United States of America. Where would we be if it weren't for them?

Anyway, moving on... 2013 is the year of the Water Snake, according to the Chinese calendar (I hope the Chinese won't be coming up with another "end of the world" theme anytime this year... hehehe...) And I'm very optimistic about this year! Me and my wife already have lots of plans for 2013. There is something very significant about the number 13 for me and my wife. Others would say that it's an unlucky number. But we go against the odds. We always did. And at some point, we always win. 


I believe that we could top anything that we were able to accomplish last year, and make it better and bigger this year. And if there were things that we weren't able to accomplish, we'll make sure to place a big exclamation point on it in 2013!

Have a great year ahead!




From,

Jonathan Paul C. Solis and family

From COMPUTER BUGS to real BUG ZAPPING (and other pests!)

The first reaction would always be "WHY?"

I believe it's about time to venture into a different path (profession-wise). I also believe that IT will always be in my life, it has been and will always be in me.


I thirst and long for adventure, and I am hoping that I could find it here.



Wish me luck!


By the way, I am currently a Licensed/Certified Pesticide Applicator, recognized by the U.S. Department of Defense.


Hopefully this will help me go somewhere. Every little step goes a long way!


Go VECTOR CONTROL!!!

  

Countdown to Software Freedom Day 2011!

Calling all IT Geeks of Zamboanga City! (Students and Professionals alike)... I am coming up with a unique way in celebrating this year's Software Freedom Day!

As you may have already known, Software Freedom Day is an annual celebration which focuses on the awareness of Free and Open Source Software as an alternative for proprietary software. This year's Software Freedom Day will be on September 17, 2011, and will be celebrated simultaneously, worldwide!

For the past two years, I have successfully celebrated Software Freedom Day, together with my mentor, Mr. RJ Ian Sevilla and groups of devoted volunteers from STI College Zamboanga! (I thank you all so much for those wonderful moments!)

This year, instead of having traditional talks from professional speakers in their specific fields of expertise, I want you to share your thoughts about FOSS and Software Freedom. It's your turn to share your knowledge!

HOW?

Simply answer my Trivia Questions about Software Freedom Day and FOSS which I will be posting on my Facebook Page from time to time, and you may get a chance to win Ubuntu 11.04 or Kubuntu 11.04 CD's, SFD stickers, and SFD 2011 T-shirts!!!


Yes! It's that easy!!!

It's a fun way to share your knowledge about FOSS and SFD, and help spread awareness for others!!!

Make your stand!

Spread the word!

Become a FOSS Advocate!

Let us Support Software Freedom!

Respectfully yours,

Jonathan Paul C. Solis

FOSS Advocate

Zamboanga City

+63-927-919-1231

Skype: jonathanpaul81
Gmail: jonathanpaul81@gmail.com

Beware the Sality Virus!

We've been having some problems with malware infections lately, and the most recent bug we had is the Sality virus. It was infecting our Samba shared drive which was running in Ubuntu 10.04. The virus would've never been a problem at all if our client unit were running Ubuntu as well. But, working in an institution where most users are not familiar with any other Operating System, except for Microsoft Windows, then we may still be having problems. From what I've noticed, this virus has the ability to replicate itself. And for your to be able to completely eradicate it, you should be able to identify which client computer it came from, disconnect it from the network and run a full scan using any updated Anitvirus or AntiMalware software. I recommend using Malwarebytes or AVAST!. And also run full scans on other computers connected to your network.

One AVAST! auto search discovered the infection from a Google chrome update.

Anyway, click here for more details about the Sality virus.

Just a precaution.

Enjoy surfing.

My plans for Software Freedom Day 2011

This year's Software Freedom Day will be celebrated on September 17, 2011. Now, many of you would already know what this event is. But for those who still have no idea, it is actually an annual celebration of free software. It is actually an effort to educate and to increase awareness that there is actually free software which can be used as an alternative for proprietary software.

Together with Mr. RJ Ian Sevilla, we were able to successfully celebrate Software Freedom Day for two consecutive years (2009 and 2010). However, this year is going to be different. Since Rj and I have gone our separate ways in search for greener pasture, I'm planning a different approach in celebrating this year's SFD, but still retain the essence and purpose of the celebration. And since I am no longer connected with the education sector, I might find it a little hard to convince participants to come and celebrate with me. However, with 877 friends on Facebook, it's not gonna be that hard. I think it's time to bring my celebration to the social network. All I need now is support from friends with the same vision and belief.

You may not really know it yet, but I believe that many of you are already supporting this cause in your own special way. How? By using Free and Open Source Software, but you're just unaware of it. Every little amount of awareness counts! Are you using Mozilla Firefox? That's FOSS. Are you using Skype? That's FOSS! Are you using Open Office? That's FOSS! Are you using Ubuntu? That's FOSS!

Now, please don't get confused between Free Software and Free and Open Source Software, 'cause they are two very different things!

Anyway, I will be updating this post soon, so make sure to come and visit this page often. I may need to connect with other people who helped me celebrate the event in the past. Sir RJ, if you're reading this, give me a buzz!

Respectfully yours,

Jonathan Paul C. Solis

FOSS Advocate

Zamboanga city, Philippines

The fad about Angry Birds...

I've been reading about this game about midyear last year, and have been craving to have my hands on it. Wanting to give it a try, to know what the fuzz really is about the Angry Birds. But unfortunately, I don't have an iPhone or any android gadget. All I have is a PC. And recently, (about a month ago), I was introduced to a free PC version of the game by my office mate, and without hesitation, I started playing it. At first it felt boring, especially during the first 10 levels in the game. I never really paid much attention to it and just looked at it as just another game installed on my PC. It was not until my 2 year old son got interested in watching me play the game when I really got interested in playing it. My son loves the game! He loves watching the birds fly, and especially the pigs! He actually even imitates the sound the pig makes during an unsuccessful level (the snorting pig laugh...). When my son wakes up each morning, it's "birds... birds... birds..." right away... I even forget about my lack of sleep whenever he wakes me up as he drags my laptop bag on the floor... but one thing about my son's addiction of watching me play the game, is that he doesn't want to see my wife playing it... whenever I ask my wife to take over 'cause i need to pee or prepare a cup of coffee, my son would be delirious! He'd say "hinde ya... hinde ya..." push my wife's hand from the mouse, and pull me back by my index finger... me and my wife actually found it to be a problem, 'cause my son wouldn't let me off the PC... that's when I thought of downloading in-game clips from youtube and other angry birds clips just to make sure that I could step out of the PC once in a while and just let my son watch the clips. And guess what? It worked!

One day, we were walking around town and I was looking for some Angry Birds merchandise. I really wanted to buy my son a stuffed Pig (cause the pigs are actually his favorite, not the birds). And surprisingly, we found a back pack Pig with the inscription "Angry Piggy". Me and my wife immediately bought it, without hesitation. Now I'm looking for any stuffed Angry Bird item. My wife is also into it, she wants to have an Angry Bird shoulder bag.

Anyway, we're all into the Angry Birds craze! and it's pretty cool to have a new hobby once in a while...