Technology

Why would they do that?

Just like everything else in this world, nothing is made to last anymore.

I bet ya they can make a 100% water proof phone, but we may never see it. I never take my phone anywhere near water, but I too would also love a water proof phone.

*I have mine in a Lifeproof case too mind you*

 

To paraphrase Steve Jobs on product design, if you a case, they blew it

Does the S7 have those annoying little port covers to allow the IP rating or does it do without? If it's a choice between no covers and IP68 I'd gladly choose no covers, but if they manage it with regular open ports, I'm impressed!!

 

No covers thank God. Drove me nuts with the S5 until I got wireless charging including the car mounts.

 

Awesome! The covers are OK on occasionally-used things, but when it's the headphone or power jacks... ugh.

 

...and I guess that is the way of the future. Pretty much wireless everything. (Almost. Can't see 240v wifi in the near future!)

Once I got a wireless charger, I would just plonk my phone down and it would be charging. What a beautiful thing! Now there's even half decent sounding Bluetooth headphones. You're right though - if I was opening and closing the 'plugs' all the time, I would hate it.

 

This should make Steve happy. March 31st.

Apple iPhone SE Release Date, Price and Specs - CNET

 

Thoughts on the Samsung Note4?

I think thats my next phone, its time....

 

The Note 4? Isn't that two generations old? Are you living in 2013?

Anything Samsung works for me. The note has the best screen and stylus are the best in the business. Many of the people who I know with the Note use the stylus a lot and would be lost without it. It's excellent.

If you bought one, you wouldn't regret it.

 

Hooray! There will be two sales to this house immediately.

 

Get the 64gig version of the Note 5. It is a great phone with a nice camera and nice screen. Battery life is AVERAGE at best though.

If you can wait, the Note 6 will appear in a few months towards the end of the year (September or November region) and should be waterproof IP68 with external storage availability and a slightly better camera/screen + larger battery. Get that if you want a Note. It will be everything the Note 5 should've been.

If you can't wait and want the Note 5 then get the 64gig version as the smaller version is pathetic to be honest, especially if you like saving large video files/taking a few photos or listening to music.


Note 4 is too old now and not worth it. If you want a cheap phone to last you while you wait for the Note 6 I'd get a Google Nexus 6 (around $320-$400 online now).

Stay away from the Google Nexus 6P or any current LG or HTC phones. The Sony Xperia Z5 Premium 4K phone is a decent phone, but overpriced for what is really is (not a true 4K phone and offers nothing super for the money. Par camera, sound and screen). Stay away from the iPhone 6S as the iPhone 7 is due soon(ish) and iPhones have a memory issue (1gig of RAM is insufficient for loading heavy internet searches or heavy multitasking - no matter what any Apple fans suggests; e.g. "iOS is lean therefore can do more with less" < true, but to a point. Diminishing returns comes to mind).

Summary:
UPCOMING PHONES TO WATCH THIS YEAR:
- Samsung Galaxy Note 6 (probably will be the best phone to get this year)
- iPhone 7 (we'll see if they finally upgrade the RAM memory and battery issues, might be a step up from past iPhones)

BEST PHONES TO GET NOW:
- Samsung Galaxy Note 5 (fantastic low energy screen with great colours, strong cameras, nice build quality. Not as well setup as the S7 or upcoming Note 6)
- Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge (if you have money to burn; this is an overpriced phone. Good specs, nice screen and camera, but still way overpriced. Like iPhones)

PHONES TO AVOID:
- Google Nexus 5X or 6P (average cameras, very average screens - especially in brightness and power management - and average battery life)
- iPhone 6S (as the iPhone 7 is literally around the corner)
- LG and HTC (the quality is not there with these brands right now; you may gain nice cameras but forgo reliability or long-term support in the form of timely updates)

 

Just FYI, I went from the S6 edge plus to the S7. I got sick of the edge. It's really awkward at times when you're trying to click/type or whatever at the edge of the screen. I'm glad I didn't get the edge this time, even though it looks very sexy.

and the S7 is pretty awesome...esp the camera.

 

Nice perspective
I can totally understand it getting annoying after a while - I've only been using it a week and so far it is cool, still a nice novelty. Maybe my opinion will change on it - wouldn't be surprised.

In that case, to be safe, I take back my recommended S7 Edge and replace it with the standard S7.

Agreed on the camera, the best on any phone I've used to date. I know a few well-to-do photographers and they all were impressed by it...for a phone camera anyway

 

The thing that really impresses me is the "instant" focus. Even in low light. Just amazing.

 

Still going! (unless you have latest OS)

Stagefright hack exposes millions of Android phones to consistent threat | The Indian Express

 

Very fast agreed! Something along the lines of phase detection autofocus o believe (similar tech is used on professional full frame cameras)

Great to take car photos with

 

Has any one else had their computer with WINDOWS 7 auto down load Windows 10?

 

Yes. Cheeky isn't it? I upgraded all of them except one. Google how to stop it happening.

 

Not me I haven't upgraded from XP.
My 80 year old mum who is a home trader! had it happen last night and she not happy "Jan" sadly the auto update was turned on and she didn't know...

 

It will download the bits without you necessarily agreeing or knowing, which is a terrible thing to do - my aunt lives on a farm and it blew through her tiny satellite download quota and started costing $$

You can always refuse the actual install though, it won't go all the way through the install without your agreement.

This is a bad plan

 

The same with my mum she is on a Farm and it has used most of her data

It is not a plan it's an out come, do you buy a new car every time there is a new model?

 

This dodginess comes straight out of Apple text book.

This app will help in future from getting win10
GWX Control Panel Ultimate Outsider - Software Downloads 1st link on page



Also get this app it disables alot of calling home features built into all copies of Windows/Office etc https://www.safer-networking.org/spybot-anti-beacon/

 

No, but I don't keep all my personal info, financial details, private photos etc in my car, and I don't drive it on roads that have giant spikes suddenly and randomly popping out from the road every now and then! Sticking with Windows 7 or 8 is totally fine, but sticking with unsupported, long-ago superseded XP is dangerous.

 

++
It's not doing anything a quick registry edit can't do... but it's a lot easier most of the time!

Why? What's being transmitted that's worth jamming something in the middle of your networking stack over? Nothing IMO!

 

I wouldn't call 100+ non-secure IP requests as nothing but if you don't mind Microsoft spying on you go ahead.

 

Windows 10?

I spoke with a network engineer for a large financial institution in Australia I previously consulted for recently and he told me that the reason they won't upgrade to Windows 10 is due to the background spying; apparently Microsoft had "promised" them that it would cause no issues and that their servers are "unhackable" (word for word). Essentially Microsoft wanted to mirror the institutions entire software, backup of files, internal employee login and intranet.

Take it as you will, but I found it totally ludicrous. I do have Windows 10 on my laptop and my partner has it on her newly built desktop. So far liking the overall on Windows 8 (which I didn't like) but do not like these automatic updates (despite turning them off) and the risk of Microsoft (or others?) spying on what I'm doing. For the first time in my life I feel unsafe using my computer and cell phone (Android phone > Google Nexus 6 > had previously a Galaxy Nexus and there was far less intrusion on that old phone compared to my current one).