A view of the Galaxy

After fiddling with the Samsung Galaxy S II for quite some time, here are some pictures of the phone itself, along with some information regarding the phone.

Basically, the phone has the latest Super AMOLED Plus capacitive touch screen (4.3 inch diagonal, 400x800 pixels) which is more vivid and more crisp in terms of image presentation as compared to the previous AMOLED screens. By the way, the screen is made out of Gorilla glass which is known to be the world's toughest glass specifically made for mobile devices, which means getting more protection from scratches on the display.

On top of the phone, you can see the 2.0 megapixel front-facing camera for video-calling and video-chatting. The images and videos taken from the camera are obviously clearer than those ones taken from a VGA camera which is the usual for front-facing cameras. Unfortunately, there are no mirror app installed on the phone so you can use it only after launching the camera app and selecting the front camera from the side menu. Here you can also find the proximity and light sensors.

The bottom has only one clickable button (which is common to the Samsung Galaxy line-up) which serves as the home button, which when held could also bring up the task manager. Unfortunately though, even if this phone already has the 2.3 Gingerbread platform, you can only see at most six (6) of your most recently used apps (as compared to the regular 8 apps). I hope this would be fixed when an update to the platform becomes available. Anyway, you also have two touch-sensitive buttons on the side of the physical home button, which serves as the menu (left side) and back (right side) buttons. The search function had been removed, instead can be activated by pressing and holding the menu button.

As you can see, the phone is very slim, only 8.5mm thick, and the plasticky exterior of the phone makes the whole package very light, only 116g. Although most people would probably raise an eyebrow on the plastic makeup of the phone, I don't find it any less cheap than those phones with metallic/aluminum build (i.e. HTC Sensation and iPhone 4). Although of course, that depends on the individual's preference. Anyway. the right side of the phone has the volume rocker button along with the eyelet for lanyards, etc.

On the right, you have the power/lock button and nothing else. From this video, you can see a small chin on the bottom back portion of the phone where the speaker could be found.

On the top, you have the usual 3.5mm earphone jack which is the standard for most earphones and headphones in the market. What's also unique about this phone is that it has a dual-mic feature which enhances call performance of the phone. Here on top is the first mic, which is the noise-cancelling  one, and as the name implies, it mutes environmental noise making your voice clearer and louder when taking a call. The regular mic can be found at the bottom of the phone (as usual), and that is the only thing you can find there.

At the back, you have the 8 megapixel auto-focus camera with LED flash that can also capture Full HD 1080p videos in .mp4 format (which is currently the better video format envelope for videos taken from a mobile phone, as compared to the regular 3gp). Unfortunately though, the phone's package doesn't include the HDTV adapter unlike the one found in the LG Optimus 2X. And given that, obviously, the phone doesn't have a direct port for an HD cable since you still need to buy a separate adapter for that. But still, video capture of the phone is very satisfying and videos taken from the phone are less jumpy than those captured from other regular phones. This is thanks to the Dual-core 1.2 Ghz ARM Cortex-A9 processor with the Exynos chipset. This makes the phone blazing fast and so far, I haven't experienced any major lags from the phone; even the transitions are quick and smooth.

So far, these are just some of the things you would want to know first hand regarding the dual-core flagship phone of Samsung, the Galaxy S II. A more detailed video walkthrough of the phone will be uploaded soon so I hope you can check it out.

Name-calling and Hysterical Laughter

"Budoodles, Budufries, Bughetti, etc."

Those were just some of the names I had been called and teased back in high school. Actually, I really don't mind, but I admit, I got hurt with those words. I was a baptized Christian with a registered name but you really can't help people calling you names and associating you with things that probably relate to you.

As you may notice, the words above pertain to different kinds of food (ie. noodles, french fries, spaghetti) which apparently were added to the first syllable of my surname. Obviously, those name-calling had been part of the "teased-back-in-high-school" scenario where some people tend to bully you by words that might break your self-esteem and let you feel inferior with others.

Yes, with those names, I may agree with the fact that I had been bullied back then. Well, for the fact that I am fat back in high school, I am an easy target for teasing. And what more could be attached to a fat person than food, right? To be honest, I liked the food mentioned above but when those words are attached to your name and they call you the same thing repeatedly, matched with hysterical laughter, the simple concept of loving food is just elevated to a much more complex situation of bullying.

These thoughts just crossed my mind when I watched this television show called "The Biggest Loser: Pinoy Edition", which is apparently a franchise from the original series of the US with the same title.

The show is about "big" people trying to lose weight and getting the reward at the end of the season. Of course, people from all walks of life tried to audition for the show, and from the thousands of aspiring contestants (much like any other TV competitions), only a few were selected to be part of the show.

The people who were picked obviously belong to the obese category and that really changed the whole idea of just merely losing weight. A short documentary of the lives of these people fighting and surviving the judging eyes of society truly proves that this show is more than just getting famous and getting rich. It's actually an advocacy. And the show advocates not just one issue, but two.

Health and wellness is probably one of the more obvious reasons why this show was established. With the advent of fast food and the birth of junk food, nutrition had always been an issue, along with proper diet and exercise. This show was able to tackle the painful truth behind the idea of "naiwanan sa kusina" (left in the kitchen) concept where people try to neglect the idea of taking care of oneself and staying fit and healthy.

Another main advocacy is the discrimination and bullying. Actually, the two are different issues but I decided to mold them together since they obviously have the same causes. Bullying normally happens among the youngsters and as we grow older, it apparently changes to discrimination.

If I can trace back the bullying that I had experienced, I'm probably better off than others who were not able to fight back and defend themselves. Back then, I was able to survive the bullying because I knew in myself that it won't last for long and that it made me more eager to prove them that I am not the person they once bullied back then. Actually, I don't blame them for their deeds because I became who I am today because of them. They were the ones who made me stronger and they were the ones who taught me that life is a cycle and you will not always be at the bottom.

Much like the experiences of the people from Biggest Loser, the fight against discrimination and bullying should not be taken lightly. Millions of people all over the world have had been bullied and/or discriminated once in their lives and I know that almost all of us could relate to this.

As far as I'm concerned a lot of organizations had been advocating the same things for the betterment of society, and I am one of those people who would like to shout to the world that not because I'm fat, I won't be able to do the things that slim people do. We are all unique in our own way and no one, and I mean no one is given the right to step on someone else.

Support the fight against bullying and discrimination!

A Walk with the Optimus (Part 2)

Here is the 2nd part of a 2-part video walkthrough of the LG Optimus 2X (LG-P990)

A Walk with the Optimus (Part 1)

As promised, here is the first part of the video walkthrough of the LG Optimus 2X (LG-P990).

The Beast Within

A few days ago, I was able to get the new Samsung Galaxy S II which a lot of people had been waiting for. To be honest, I'm of those people who kept on surfing the net for news scoops regarding the launching and arrival of this phone here in the country.

The tiny black box of Samsung Galaxy S II

I had been eyeing different prospects of suppliers and connections who will probably have the phone earlier than most retailers and sellers, and I was able to get lucky that one midnight, while I was so bored, I decided to check an online mobile phone seller and luckily, they already have ready stock of the new 1.2 GHz Dual-core flagship mobile device of Samsung which is the Samsung Galaxy S II.

Due to anticipation and unbounded excitement, I immediately contacted the supplier even if it was already very late, and luckily, I was able to reserve a unit for myself.

To be honest, the phone had not been officially launched here in the Phils. when I got the phone, which is probably a day or two earlier than the official launched which was held in Power Plant Rockwell.

I was just too eager to get the phone, and the owner of the shop (which I had been already doing transactions with in the past) agreed to give the phone to me (even if they are instructed to sell the device only after the launch) at a very reasonable price, much much lower than the SRP.

Here is a short unboxing video of the Samsung Galaxy S II, which is the successor to the popular Samsung Galaxy S.

Later on I'll be posting a walkthrough video of the phone itself. I'll just enjoy it first and try to observe how it operates, but so far, after two days of usage, I am very much satisfied with the phone. Operation is very smooth, and everything is blazing fast (thanks to the 1.2 dual-core CPU). The 8 Megapixel AF camera takes really vivid pictures (given the Super AMOLED Plus LCD) and the LED flash support is good enough for taking pictures in dimly lit environment.

Again, if you have questions, feel free to use the comments box below. :)

Stroke of Luck

Last month, I was still awake during the wee hours and while surfing the net, I was able to encounter a website advertising this essay-writing competition for LG Philippines. Since I was really bored and I've got nothing to do, I decided to join.

The mechanics of the competition was to answer a certain question as briefly but as meaty as possible. The winner will be able to get LG's newest mobile phone, the LG Optimus 2X, dubbed as the world's first dual-core mobile device (as proven by a Guinness World Record).

Aside from the boredom, I decided to take a chance for I got motivated by the fact that I might be able to get the phone as a reward. But due to the hundreds (might even be thousands) of entries that they'll be judging, I really don't expect to win.

After submitting my entry, I decided to finally sleep and just forget about the whole thing. A few weeks after, I received an email saying that I was one of the few selected entries that won the competition. I was euphoric that time because I really didn't expect to win. I was just staring at the email and the thought haven't really sunk in.

When it finally dawned on me, I was so eager to tell my family that I won and they were happy for me. Everyone congratulated me and I can't believe that I really won. Imagine, being selected by LG representatives and DTI representatives as one of the few to have proven their worth to win, it was truly a privilege and an honor.

Anyway, to make the whole story short, just a week ago, I was able to get the phone already from LG's office. The officer who assisted was very nice and accommodating. Anyway, this post is actually a short tour of the phone itself.

An unboxing video has been provided below by yours truly, to know what to expect if you plan to buy the retail package of the LG Optimus 2X (LG-P990) locally.

There's also a walkthrough video of the phone, but I'll be uploading that soon.

Anyway, this is my first video upload, so please bare with me. The video is not that clear since I just used a digicam. :)

Aside from the video, here are some pictures of the LG Optimus 2X.

 This is the sleek black box of the LG Optimus 2X.

The LG Optimus 2X in the flesh!

What's inside the box: Travel Charger, USB data cable, In-Ear Headset, 

and the highly-anticipated HDMI Cable. 

 The Front part of the phone sports a 4.0 inch WVGA IPS LCD (same with iPhone's),

a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, four (4) touch-sensitive keys, 

and light and proximity sensors.

The top portion has the HDMI port covered by a plastic flap, 

a 3.5 mm standard headphone jack, and the power/lock button.

The right side is almost bare, if not for the volume keys.

The right side is totally bare.

At the bottom you have the two stereo speaker grills (resembles iPhone 4's design)

and the exposed USB port for the data cable.

The back part sports the 8 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash

for capturing and playback of 1080P HD videos.

The phone itself is being powered by a 1.0 GHz dual-core processor 

with the Nvidia Tegra 2 chipset.

So basically, the phone is blazing fast given the dual-core CPU, and the IPS LCD offers very clear and crisp images, which is a nice tandem to the 8 megapixel AF camera.

The sound is clear and loud enough in general environments, but if it gets too noisy, you'll probably have a hard time hearing it.

Video capture is a joy to experience, although I don't think the 3gp format gives the Full HD experience justice. IT would've been better if it is rendered in the more standard mp4 format. But still, the video is clear and smooth, with no major bumps during playback.

The web browser is also a plus to the LG Optimus 2X although it still renders some sites in mobile view as default. The flash players works brilliantly although I had a hard time checking out 720p and 1080p HD videos in YouTube. But overall, it was fast in rendering webpages and the scrolling is quite smooth, almost comparable to the the Safari browser of the iPhone.

One noticeable downside of the phone is the battery. Although it can last a whole day after full charge, the usual tweaking and playing with the phone easily drains the battery, probably because of the dual-core processor, although the Nvidia Tegra 2 chipset is designed for lower consumption. A few battery tweaks here and there though could surely increase the life of your battery after a single charge.

So far, here are some of the things I noticed while playing the phone. If you have any questions, you may use the comment button below and I'll try to answer your questions.

As a whole, LG Optimus 2X is one of the phones that I could recommend to people. But as what I always say, if you are after hardcore photography, there is still no replacement for real cameras and SLRs, although this phone could be handy for regular shots and practical picture-taking. If you want a phone that is fast and offers very clear images, this phone is definitely for you.

Bills That Matter

Nowadays, there had been a lot of societal issues roaming around and I’ve been usually asked what’s my take on these matters. Well, I would like to focus more on two of the main pressing issues that the society is currently facing.

Issue Number One: Reproductive Health Bill

A lot of people had been making such a big fuss about this bill for the past few months and until now, a lot of debates revolve around this issue.

Well, for me, I am pro-Reproductive Health Bill. To be honest, this bill had been already discussed many times before and as far as I’m concerned, this is really not a big issue. People are just trying to make such a fuss in order to cover up the real deal when it comes to the current status of the nation.

Anyway, regarding this one, I am pro because you really can’t do anything about it. I actually believe that the bill is just for formality. Something that only defines what is happening in reality. You can’t do anything about the decisions of couples in terms of that aspect, i.e. use of contraception or artificial family planning. You’re not with them during that time for God’s sake, so how can you assure that they won’t use condom for example, and just practice natural birth control?

And as far as I’m concerned, the bill had been revised already to be more open to possibility, and based from one of the speakers in one of the recent interviews I heard from the radio, they amended it, and it is not anymore a population control bill, but more of an awareness bill. With this, I’m really wondering why the church had been too resistive to it. I mean, it’s not a matter of killing anyway since there is still no meeting of sperm and egg. And since it doesn’t anymore talk about the one-child policy thing like in China, I wonder why they still reject the idea.

Well, my dad said that the reason for the resistance is because once the bill is approved, amendments are more possible and it could lead to a birth control or population control policy and restrictions in family planning choices which probably had been foreseen by the church which is why they don’t want this sort of “first step” to even push through. Well, I understand that point of view, but regardless of a bill, no one can really control how a couple plan their family. All you can really do is counsel and guide them. Make them more informed and keep them knowledgeable of their options.

With that in mind, I don’t think the reproductive health bill should really be an issue, and so thus the teaching of sex education to children.

Sometimes, we are just too adverse to change that we often reject an idea even before it is implemented, fearing that it won’t work. But how can we progress and improve if we will always close our minds to possibility. Killing a good idea or insight is like lessening our chances of survival. If you would think about it, evolution did a great deal for us to be able to survive and adapt to the changes in environment, and it just follows the same concept with this issue.

We just need to open our eyes, hearts and minds to possibility and just do something afterwards. Failure is part of learning and I guess, no one succeeded without failing. So if this bill won’t work after implementation, then let’s do something about it. Just as simple as that. No more fuss. Less complications, and more focus on real issues that truly matter.

Issue Number Two: Divorce Bill

This probably had been one of the most controversial issues that a country would have.  I could still remember that it is one of the most debated topics during high school and college. Well, for me, my take is that I agree with this one. I’m pro-divorce.

 

I’m not saying that I agree with the dissolution of marriage, but what I am after is the solution to an impaired marriage. Like what they say, how can divorce destroy something that is already destroyed from the very beginning? Divorce is just an option and people have their own right to decide on their own.

One thing that I would just like to stress out is probably, there should be some modifications with the law which would be applied to our country. I mean, of course, our culture is different from others (i.e. US) and we should also think about that. But that doesn’t mean that we should already dismiss the idea of divorce in our country.

Uhm, I’m not trying to inspire people to undergo divorce once their relationships don’t go well, but what I’m trying to say is that, for extreme cases, I guess divorce is that ultimate solution for unresolved marital disputes. That’s what I’m aiming for. After modifying the rules and regulations revolving divorce and fitting it to the needs of Filipino couples who are in severe marital unrest, that's the only time when it should be given as an option to dissolve a relationship. Of course, we have annulment and all but, divorce is just another option that a couple could take in order to solve their problems.

 

What I want is a divorce law which will cover not only the welfare of the couple but also of the children, most importantly. I believe that children are the most affected party in such cases so I guess, the law should be mindful of that. Also, the law should be stricter as compared to the ones being implemented in other countries but with the same level of results. Divorce as an option has different perks as compared to annulment, thus making it a probable choice for some couples, but should have that certain level of qualification before eligibility is given.

Marriage is one of the most sacred vows and commitments that two people undergo and I guess, we still have to give respect to that traditional and cultural belief, but I don’t think we should inhibit and limit the freedom of couples to decide on how they would want their relationship to go.

No one should be more knowledgeable than the people who had been in that situation of conflict and turmoil. People normally contradict something based on their beliefs without having that first-hand experience regarding the matter (which I think is normal), but we should also try to see things in different perspectives in order to have a full view of the whole picture.

As a closing remark, I believe in freedom and democracy, as long as it is being guided properly. We are all adults with respect to these issues so we should take it as how normal adults would. We all are going to be affected by these issues in one way or another, but I am just voicing out what I believe is within my own personal understanding of the matter. 

I am not promoting my thoughts to be accepted as correct nor would I want you to own it, but I’m just trying to make you think as to how you should stand on these key issues. All of us have a voice and we should use it and utilize it because no matter how small we are, we are still part of society and we should be able to express ourselves and affect the community even in our own simple way.

Photos taken from:
http://ilga.org/ilga/en/article/mVa5SJm1n2
http://akosiliet.blogspot.com/2010/10/rh-bill.html
http://newsdesk.org/2010/08/proposed-divorce-bill-stirs-controversy-in-philippines/
http://heidijohnsonstrength.com/category/family-member-updates/