Huawei Ascend Mate 2 not one of the big guys, but a big phone hits the US Market.

We recently had the opportunity to test and review the incredible Huawei Asendmate 2.

Huawei has been trying to gain a foot hold in the US market and now with this phone and the direct to consumer sales approach they may have a chance.

I had the opportunity to test it for about 6 weeks as my daily driver. I was impressed with the phone overall.

I liked:

–>The battery life was excellent

–>The screen quality was really decent

–>The design was quite nice.

What could be better:

–>The launcher needs and app drawer, I resolved the issue by using go launcher’s launcher instead.

—>The sound quality was decent but could have been better.

An image of the phone

It reminds of the Samsung Galaxy Mega, however the Ascendmate 2 uses a 1.8ghz quad core, and it has an impressive 4000 mah battery and 2gb of video ram.

It seems now a days, very-large phones have become so everpreset that giant phones are becoming common place. Personally I like them and this phone very much and part of the reason why is the size. The Ascend Mate 2 is over 6″ in seems, but it seems thin and comfortable in my hands. I am 6 foot 2″ tall and like the large design. To put that in perspective, the Ascend Mate 2 is both taller and wider than even a Galaxy Note 3 or 4.

It seems Huawei wanted to make a big impression here in the the US market. Since I am nearly 46 years old and I have less than average vision, so the larger screen size is quite nice. I liked that I can read Kindle Books on it without squinting and watching video on it as well as web browsing is great as well.

Huawei Ascend Mate 2 4G

More speed, more performance

4G LTE forlightning-fast downloads

Imagine the possibilities of a smartphone that opens the door to ultra-fast 4G LTE, giving you the chance to experience even more. Stream your favorite movies or shows without interruption, connect and chat with your family and friends via seamless video streaming, load web pages without waiting and enjoy a world where everything you do with your smartphone is faster, smoother, and better.

 

I had no issues with the phone and its’ performance using wifi and on AT&T and Crickets Networks.  I was very impressed with it. I was sad to have to send the demo phone back to Huawei. I really  liked it a great deal.

The Mate2 4G’s range of image enhancement technologies and advanced HD 13 megapixel rear camera means you can take amazing photos with every shot. Capture the moments that mean the most to you and enjoy extraordinary detail and life-like color with every single frame. All you need to do is point and tap, your Mate2 4G will take care of the rest.

I liked the camera and found it’s quality to be darn decent, and no worse than other phones that I had tested in the past like the Samsung Galaxy note too, and the HTC M7. It does not quite match up to all of the competition but is  quote decent.
The stock launcher is the emotion UI that like the Miui launcher that is prevalent in Asia lacks the app drawer commonly seen in phones in North America, though it was not hard to get used to it, I wound up using the Go Launcher instead off and on. It does have a more Iphone like feel than the typical android phone.
The demo phone that I was testing but from what I have heard and seen it ought to support Kitkat and Lollypop at some point soon.  When that happens the already decent phone could even better.
Here is an image from Huawei’s site showing the easy mode that the phone offers. It would be great for basic users or young folks.
The phone has a nice glove mode for people who live in cold climates and need use it with gloves on and it also has a nice one handed mode for those folks who want to use the phone with one hand. I found that both these modes were well implemented.
If you are interested in the phone it can be obtained here :

http://www.amazon.com/Huawei-Ascend-Mate2-Smart-Phone/dp/B00JPIAGW0

It does have cool windows on windows mode a sort of floating windows or widget over window feature that is kind of like the calculator in Mac OS:

In summary I was really impressed by the phone and would recommend it to anyone who needs a larger phone or a more affordable alternative to Samsung’s Note phones. The Samsung Galaxy Notes are smaller but have more features however for the money the Huawei Ascendmate 2 is a great phone for a super price.It is unmatched for what it brings to the table for the money.

Samsung says Galaxy S5, Galaxy Note 4 will get killer 16MP camera

Samsung says Galaxy S5, Galaxy Note 4 will get killer 16MP camera (via NHC Smartphone News Radio)

Earlier reports suggested that Samsung’s next-generation flagship Galaxy S5 smartphone will be getting a significant camera upgrade when it debuts next year and now the news is confirmed. Samsung said this week during its analyst day meetings that…

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A review of the Xshot 2.0 Camera Extender By David Berkowitz with Technewszone.com

I had the fine opportunity to meet Xshot at CES 2013. I was impressed by their products, which are simple but effective.

Here is link to a bit more information on XSHOT–>http://xshot.com/products/xshot-2

A bio on the Company–>

During a trip to France, Michael Daoud, the co-founder of XShot, found it difficult to take pictures of him and his wife while sightseeing. Michael would hold the camera and extend his arm as far as possible to take a picture of he and his wife but the result was always disappointing, especially if they were trying to capture the background in the picture.

The idea for the XShot came to Michael when he was at a park in front of the famous Louvre Museum in Paris. Michael tried to capture a photo of him and his wife with the Louvre in the background but because the camera was only at arm’s length and so close to their faces, only a small part of the Louvre Museum was in the picture. Michael realized that if his arm was a little longer he could take much better pictures. As a result he came up with the idea of having a telescopic arm that could hold the camera and be extended to take a full picture of the subjects and the background.

Michael enlisted the help of his friend John Stump, an inventor and mechanical engineer, and XShot was born. With XShot, taking a self-portrait looks like someone else took the picture, especially because of the extended 37 inches of reach it provides. It’s just amazing! Every time Michael and John tested XShot with their families they were amazed at the great results.

They knew that other travelers such as themselves would love having an XShot along with them whether traveling around the world, hiking, out on a boat, or simply at home with the family. No more close-up mug shots, hello XShot!

Since 2008 Michael and John kept thinking about new ways to get people in their shots and came up with new products: a 2.0 version of the original camera extender, a compact version with the Pocket XShot, XShot iPhone cases with tripod adapters for smartphone photo and video and a kayak mount.

I had recent opportunity to test the Xshot 2.0

Here are some videos with regards to the Xshot 2.0 with the Help of Youtube:

Intro video # 1 about Xshot’s Products–>

A second video with regards to Xshot’s products–>

Finally A video that I did with regards to the Xshot 2.0–>

In regards to the Xshot 2.0 I found it to quite an effective product. It would come in handy for taking small group pictures while on vacation or at a trade show. It could also be used by an individual and an object such as the Statue of Liberty, or with a celebrity or a product or object that you want to photograph yourself near. In addition the Xshot 2.0 works great with video such as for a video blog or interviewing someone or talking about something that you want to share the shot with.

I like the solid design, the ability to shrink it down to around 9″ in length its’ durability as well.

I did the demo with the Xshot 2.0 and a Samsung NX100 which was a wee bit heavy. I would recommend a lighter camera like the ReplayXD or a GoPro or a blogger cam or flip type camera, camcorder or a small point and shoot. I would not suggest using it with a Canon Rebel t2i though it is a superb camera it would be heavy. I would definitely recommend the Xshot 2.0 highly, and will try using mine and telling people about it as much as I can.

It could, it seem be used with a tripod to mount a remotely operated flash of for 2 camera angles as long as you have remote control of the shutter on your camera.

I appreciate the opportunity to have demoed the product.

Here are some product photos:

The fine Xshot 2.0
The fine Xshot 2.0

and another–>

PocketXShot-XShot2-0

and a shot of the product packaging for those retailers out there–>

SAM_1182

And a final shot from My Samsung NX100 and the Xshot 2.0–>

The fine Xshot 2.0
The fine Xshot 2.0

OnTrion’s New Extended Batteries, I use their batteries for my Evo 3d and 4g

I have used and tested OnTrion’s Batteries they work well for me. Here is a press release of some new products that they are releasing–>

Here are some of the new Devices that their batteries work in:

OnTrion’s New Extended Batteries
ZTE SCORE X500 Extended Battery (Cricket)
Huawei Mercury M886 Extended Battery (Cricket)
Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket i727 Extended Battery (AT&T)
Samsung R920 Attain Extended Battery (Metro PCS)

Press Release
OnTrion Releases New Extended Battery for the ZTE SCORE X500 on Cricket

OnTrion, a veteran manufacturer of premium cellphone batteries, has just unveiled a new extended battery that maximizes usage time on the ZTE SCORE X500 smartphone for Cricket.

Dallas, TX – April 9, 2012, 2012 – In an effort to save money, smartphone users are opting out of their expensive contracts and choosing a more affordable no-contract cell phone service provider instead, like Cricket. All that money saving, however, isn’t going to do them much good if they have to replace their phone’s battery on a frequent basis. OnTrion, the manufacturer of premium OEM-quality cellphone batteries, has just released an extended battery for Cricket’s ZTE SCORE X500 model. With one of these replacement batteries on hand, ZTE SCORE X500 owners can maximize the life of their phone while minimizing the overall cost of using a smartphone.

Last year, CNN reported that almost 30 percent of all cell phone users in the United States were without contracts, up from 20 percent in 2008. As Consumer Reports points out, this increase in no-contract plans is all in an effort “to cut cost.” To make the most of their cost-cutting efforts, ZTE SCORE X500 users can enhance their no-contract Cricket plan with the new long-lasting extended battery from OnTrion.

Palki Kochar
PR & Marketing
Email: pr@ontrion.com
www.ontrion.com
Ph: 1-877-676-0877
Ontrion-13650, TI BLVD, SUITE # 309 DALLAS, TX-75243

CES 2012 Samsung Amazing new OLED and Plasma TV’s images and Press Release

I was quite impressed by the vendors showing oled televisions at CES 2012, especially exciting new offerings from Samsung.They had amazing image quality, offered very thing screens, and impressive design. We would love to review more of their products.

Here is an image from their press event as well as press release on their new products:–>

Press Release

Samsung Unveils the Super OLED TV – The Ultimate in Picture Quality
CES Best of Innovations Award Honoree features elegant design, dual-core processor and Smart Interaction technology
LAS VEGAS – January 9, 2012 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today unveiled its 55-inch Super OLED TV, a masterpiece that will be acclaimed by home entertainment and design enthusiasts alike. The OLED TV will be produced from a single pane of glass and uses Samsung’s Super OLED technology to deliver the ultimate in picture quality and thinness.
Super OLED technology eliminates the need for a color filter as the OLED pixel unit comprises self-emitting RGB sub-pixels laid directly on the display panel, each emitting its own light. The technology is also able to differentiate varying degrees of blacks and shadows, so that users can enjoy unparalleled detail even in the darkest of scenes for the ultimate TV experience.
“Samsung has had a long and successful history of creating innovative OLED products, including mobile phones, digital cameras and tablet PCs. Today, we are proud to extend our OLED leadership to the TV category with this spectacular 55-inch Super OLED,” said Hyunsuk Kim, executive vice president, Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “By incorporating true-to-life picture quality with ultimate speed and vividness, Smart Interaction, Smart Content and ultimate thinness, Samsung is delivering the ultimate TV today.”
The Samsung Super OLED TV, a Best of Innovations Award Honoree at 2012 CES, will be on display at the 2012 International CES, booth #12004, in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) from January 10-13, 2012. It will be available commercially worldwide this year.
The Ultimate in Picture Quality and Design
Samsung’s Super OLED TV represents the culmination of Samsung’s latest engineering technologies, and marks a new era of minimalistic design.
It features unmatched vivid and true-to-life picture quality in both 2D and 3D, with significantly improved color accuracy compared to conventional LED TVs. Since light output on the Super OLED is controlled on a pixel-to-pixel basis, the truest blacks and purest whites can be achieved.
Further, the Samsung Super OLED offers faster response times than LED, virtually eliminating motion blur even in the fastest-moving scenes.
Because Super OLED technology features self-emitting RGB sub-pixels which do not require a backlight, the TV weighs significantly less than a standard LED TV.
The design of the Samsung Super OLED is an engineering feat that provides a breathtaking form factor that blends into any environment. The Super OLED was also recognized by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) for its flawless design.
When powered on, a bright, vibrant picture illuminates the screen from edge to edge. When turned off, the TV appears like a framed piece of luxurious floating glass; when hung on the wall, it more closely resembles a work of art than an electronic device.

Intuitive Controls and a Camera with Smart Interaction Technology
Consumers can use Samsung’s new Smart Interaction technology to easily manage their TV experience. By using Voice Control, Motion Control and Face Recognition features to complement the remote control, users can turn the TV on or off, adjust the volume or activate selected apps through speech. They can also use voice to activate the search function in the web browser and “tell” the TV what they are searching for.
The Super OLED’s built-in camera recognizes movement in the foreground to enable intuitive control, and two unidirectional array microphones recognize voice at an incredibly accurate rate. Noise cancellation technology helps to separate any background noise from the users’ commands.
Richer Content for Outstanding Entertainment
The Samsung Super OLED TV is equipped with Samsung’s new dual core processor, which allows users to run multiple apps simultaneously for a faster, uninterrupted experience, as well as a smoother web browsing experience.
The Super OLED TV also offers the latest improvements to Smart Hub, Samsung’s integrated destination for access to all types of content from a single screen. The interface has been updated for easier navigation and faster performance. With a new tabbed web browser, users can conveniently open multiple pages at a time for an improved web experience.
Additional first-of-its-kind signature services such as Family Story, Fitness and Kids will allow users to get more out of their TV experience, and help foster closer connections between friends and family members.
Samsung’s AllShare Play offers a seamless way for users to access, manage and share content through cloud storage and access that content on supported smartphones, tablets, cameras, computers or TVs, regardless of their location.
Please visit our booth to experience this future technology firsthand. Samsung’s product line will be displayed January 10-13 at booth #12004 in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Full details, video content and product images are available at the Samsung microsite at: www.samsungces.com. The press conference will also be streamed live from : www.samsungces.com, www.global.samsungtomorrow.com.
About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2010 consolidated sales of US$135.8 billion. Employing approximately 190,500 people in 206 offices across 68 countries, the company operates two separate organizations to coordinate its nine independent business units: Digital Media & Communications, comprising Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, and Digital Imaging; and Device Solutions, consisting of Memory, System LSI and LCD. Recognized for its industry-leading performance across a range of economic, environmental and social criteria, Samsung Electronics was named the world’s most sustainable technology company in the 2011 Dow Jones Sustainability Index. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com
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