REVIEW: MYPHONE AGUA RIO

This one is barely a month old (as of this writing). Another "official" company issue. Well, what can I say, it's one of those "perks" you get when you work in a company like mine (ehem... kidding aside...)

The latest addition to my Android-experience, the MyPhone Agua Rio.  

SPECS:

Phone Type: Smart Phone

SIM Slot: Dual SIM

Operating System or Software Version: Android 4.2

Hardware Platform: MT 6582M

CPU: 1.3GHz Quad Core

GSM Band: 900MHz/1800MHz/1900MHz

WCDMA Band: 2100MHz/850MHz

Data Segment: EDGE, GPRS, HSPA+21Mbps

Flash Memory: 4GB+1GB

GPS: YES

Touch Lens: G+F

Input Method: Android Keyboard

External Memory: 32GB

LCD Type: IPS

LCD Size: 5″

LCD Display Resolution: HD 1280*720

Front Camera: 2 MP

Back Camera: 8 MP

<*drooling...*>

(View Complete specs HERE.)

This is currently the phone I am using everyday for the past few weeks, and I must say, it's pretty handy! It's a bit too big for your pocket, and your hands, and it's pretty hard typing using only one hand, but you could always turn it horizontally, to give you that wide, gameboy feel. What I don't like about it, is that it's too colorful! It almost feels like it was designed for the opposite sex! (as you can see below, mine is bright yellow!). But there's always the silicone casing which you could buy off the "bangketa" and cover it up. The sales lady even offered me a silicone case by saying "Sir, may black silicone case po kami para sa phone mo, para hindi naman masyadong masakit sa mata." (Sir, we have a black silicone case for your phone, so it won't hurt the eyes so much.) Yes, she actually said that! And yes, I did buy the silicone case, to no longer inflict harm to innocent victims whose eyes got teary when they accidentally glanced at my bright yellow colored phone.

Anyway, back to the review... Let's go to Video Quality:

With an HD resolution of 1280*720, the videos seem crisp and clear. 

Sound, on the other hand is pretty good. It's loud and crisp!

It comes with Wi-fi and Bluetooth... (weh, di nga? as if devices like these won't come with these kind of package? )

Camera:  Picture quality is awesome! Both for the front and back. Make sure there's not too much movement when taking night shots though. The flash is really bright! And you can take up to 99 sequence photos!

Browsing: Pretty much with every device, browsing speed always depend on internet speed. The faster your ISP, the faster you browse. Youtube, Facebook, and those other stuff...

Apps: As of now, the apps I have are as identical as those that I have on my Cherry Mobile tablet. Except maybe for the games, which I currently only have four (4). Not to mention I do have  Facebook, Skype, Twitter, 9gag, and some other apps that came pre-installed on the phone.

Battery Life: Due to the high specs of the phone, the battery drains pretty fast. On the pros- side, it will last for 8 hours or longer (on regular use). But one thing I noticed about it is that, at some point, it stays somewhere between 70% or 60% for a long time. I mean, when it's fully charged, it would go from 100% to 90% in a span of a few minutes, then from 90% to 80% in a few more minutes, but when it reaches 70%, it kinda just stays there for a few hours even when you're blasting on your music, browsing the internet, or even on a call. So that's pretty cool right there. 

Antutu Benchmark:

Pretty awesome! I finally came with a "Good" remark on the Antutu Benchmark, with 18115 points! (see images below):

The MyPhone Agua Rio comes just behind Google Nexus 4. Not bad, huh?

Overall Rating: 4.5 Stars!


I forgot to mention, does anyone need a Bloody Red Leather casing??? It came with the unit, and I don't think it would make a very good color combination. Imagine "Bright Yellow" and "Bloody Red" together??? It's like the Yellow Vs. Red (Cory vs. Marcos) era all over again!

REVIEW: CHERRY MOBILE FUSION FIRE 10.1

This one is our company-issued tablet. So, don't expect me to download, install, and test those high-end games (...yeah right!)

OK... so I did install "some" games... but since it's an "official" gadget, I installed mostly office applications like:

1. Google Drive - for all your files "on-the-go"
2. Cloud Print - if you don't have your own printer at the office, set it up on the cloud!
3. Cloud Magic - (e-mail app... you should definitely try this for corporate e-mails)
4. Kingsoft Office - (I think this no longer comes free in the PlayStore, since it's pretty much covers everything! the Excel App is excellent! I still have the Free version, though... and it works really well! )
5. ES Task Manager
6. ES File Explorer

With a 10.1 inch screen, and if you have a leather case which could keep the tablet upright, it actually feels more like a "notebook" without keyboards. Viewing and editing your files and documents is very comfortable. 

This device comes with WI-FI, but doesn't come with a BLUETOOTH... <*bummer*>

Officially, we use this tablet for taking pictures for making reports and assessments. Sending e-mails, and for communication purposes. However, it does not come with a sim card slot, so communication can only be done via wi-fi internet access.

See Full Specs HERE.

Watching movies on this device is great! Just make sure you have an external speaker for better audio experience. And if you have a 16GB memory card, fill it up with movies, please! You can also use a USB device via a USB dongle (separate item).

GAMES!

Ok, so we've got this far. You can play almost any games on this tablet (except for the really high-end, high-graphics ones...) below is a list of some of the games I have, which runs smoothly on this tablet:

1. Plants Vs. Zombies 2 - this is such an amazing puzzle game! The first game was great and kept me up most of the night, but this one is awesome! A little bit harder, but the same old excitement is there! Keep updating for newer games and levels...
2. Turbo FAST - feels like Need for Speed, only with a Snail!
3. Bike Xtreme - for the MotoX enthusiasts... lousy game... sorry fans!
4. CSR - the best Drag Racing game for Android! The graphics are top notch!
5. CSR Classics - Ever tried fixing a car from scratch? Nuff Said!
6. Gun Bros 2 - if you shoot them, kill 'em all!
7. Fail Hard - it's like Trial Extreme, but with a bicycle.
8. Trial Extreme - it's like Fail Hard, but with a motorcycle (correct me if I am wrong..)
9. Dead Trigger - it's Counter Strike with Zombies!
10. Angry Birds GO! - It's a cool racer, a serve away from the traditional slingshot game.
11. Banana Kong - Something to keep your fingers busy...

So far, those are some of the games I have installed on my Fusion Fire... yeap... not so many... I mean, that's not all of them... There are still some of those "keep-you-awake" games or those "fly-time-games"... but it's not worth mentioning all of them here... like that FART App! it's so funny, my son loves it, and won't let me uninstall it! (I think I listed one too many...)

In my own opinion, this device a pretty much a "house/leisure tablet". I mean, it's good for office use also, but there are just so many things you could do with it that you don't necessarily need in an office. 

It's too big to be a "hand-held" device, but too small to be a "desktop" device. Good thing it doesn't have call capabilities because it would be a very awkward-sized phone.

Some problems encountered.

During the first month, I had a problem with this device's battery heating up. Even when you turn it off, the battery would still heat up, as if it was shorted or something. The only way to cool it down was to take off the back casing, and pull off the battery's wire. But then it would heat up again whenever you turn it on. I guess it did come with a defective battery, cause when it came back from the shop, it didn't have the same problem that it had. But right now, it's working like a charm. You do need to turn off the device when its not being used. The battery drains really fast!

Overall RATING: 4 Stars!!!

A great tablet, for a very reasonable price!

HOW TO TAKE SCREENSHOTS (Android Phones and Tablets)

Hello Tech World!

I had comments asking me how to make screenshots, like the images I post on some of my blogs.

This is going to be a very short blog. I will only be explaining how to take "SCREENSHOTS" using your Android Phones or tablets.

The most common way is to simultaneously hold or press the:

•  "VOLUME DOWN" + "POWER BUTTON"

On other units (like most Samsung units), simultaneously hold or press the:

• "VOLUME DOWN" + "HOME" + "POWER BUTTON"

On the other hand, most units have a "Screen Shot Icon" on their screen (like most Cherry Mobile phones, and tabs). Simply press on that icon and you will automatically have your desired screenshot.

Hope this helped!

If you already knew, then please help spread the word!

Thank you so much!

-Jonathan Paul 

REVIEW: SAMSUNG GALAXY STAR PLUS DUOS

Ok, over the past two years, I've been into the "Android" tech world... and it's pretty awesome! To tell you frankly, I haven't been using my Windows PC and Laptop for gaming and browsing recently, unlike before. It's now turned basically into an "office-tool" for the house (well, technically, the laptop is my official "office-tool" for the office...) My 5-year old son uses the PC for his games, and movies, and he loves playing GTA: Vice City and GTA: San Andreas. 

Anyway, I have been satisfied with my android phone (Torque Atom), and I wasn't really expecting to buy another one. But, when your boss comes to you and offers you his "1-month-old-SAMSUNG GALAXY STAR PLUS DUOS" as a gift because he got pissed about the scratch he made on the screen protector, who wouldn't want it? Of course I said YES!

It looks and feels almost like the Torque Atom! Except it's a bit thicker, and heavier. 

Most people would really prefer an all-in-one phone, with wi-fi, bluetooth, music and video player, and a very good camera.

CAMERA

The camera is pretty basic, with only 2.0 MP, (1600x1200 resolution), and does not come with a flash (The Video Camera's resolution is only at 320x240.) And it also does not have a front camera. So, I would not recommend it to people who like doing the "selfie" using the front camera, and it's not gonna work with video calls.

But the picture quality itself is pretty good! Especially when taking pictures in a well lighted environment. (2.5 stars)

AUDIO

Audio is very good! The audio player plays almost all common audio format (mp3, wav, mid, flac, etc.) The little speakers are pretty LOUD for a small phone, which is very good! (5 stars!!!)

VIDEO

Video is also pretty, capable of playing all common video formats (avi, wmv, mkv, etc.). So it gets pretty much the same score as Audio. (5 stars).

BATTERY LIFE

As with every gadget, the battery life depends on how long you use it. If you will use the phone simply for ordinary calls and text, the battery is gonna last more than 8 hours, at least. But if you're a die-hard browser, or gamer, don't expect your battery life to reach 8 hours. (3 stars)

APPS / GAMES

There are some apps and games that aren't compatible with the device. Like Temple Run 2, and CSR Classics.

But then again, there are so many games to choose from in the Google Play Store. And I'm pretty sure, most of your favorite apps will run smoothly on this phone.

I currently have these games installed:

• Mad Skills Motocross
• Dumb Ways to Die
• Lego Technic Race
• Vector
• Tank Riders 2 and
• Smash Cops Heat

All are working smoothly...

 And the good thing about Samsung is that they have their own Samsung App where you can download apps specifically for your Samsung phone. This is pretty much a good thing. (4 stars)   

DUAL SIM

Very good feature, since I need to use both my company and personal sim cards. (5 stars)

ANTUTU BENCHMARK

Frankly, I am surprised with the LOW SCORE I got for this phone (only 5942!!!), my Torque phone got a slightly higher score of 6595. Maybe it's due to it being a single core processor phone. Anyway, it doesn't really bother me 'cause like I said in my previous post, I'm not really into the "high-end" trend. But then again, how reliable is Antutu Benchmark anyway? (no offense Antutu guys!)

It's pretty much an AVERAGE everyday phone, but atleast it's a SAMSUNG phone. The only brand that is worthy of competing with the Apple brand. 

4 STARS!!!

Go SAMSUNG!!!

Click HERE for complete specs.

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!!!