Samsung Silicone Case (Note 9)

The Samsung Note 9 is a fantastic smartphone and using Samsung DeX with it makes the experience so much better but having a glass back is an invitation for disaster if the device is dropped. There are many case options to choose from but not too many will work with the Samsung DeX Station or DeX Pad except some of Samsung's own cases ... of course. I've tried the S-View Folio case and the plain Silicone case and they both work with the dock. The reason is because the bottom of each case is entirely open so there's no obstruction when seating the Note 9 into the dock. Third party manufacturers should take note.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9

I've upgraded to Samsung's latest flagship, the Note 9. As with all previous members of the Note line, the Note 9 is the most powerful, feature packed smartphone Samsung produces, and some might argue the best smartphone of the year.

The term 'computer in your pocket' gets used quite a bit nowadays it seems, but that description fits the Note 9 more than any other smartphone to date.  In fact I think it's the King of pocketable computers. The list of it's features is way too long to go into in this post so I'll just say pound for pound and feature for feature, it's simply incredible.

The Samsung Desktop Experience (DeX)

Mobile computing workstation in my pocket.

Samsung's DeX experience has been very good at providing a workable solution for normal desktop computing on the go or when you just want to do work and have it safely with you as long as you have your smartphone.

For the best results, you will need an HDMI capable monitor or display, a bluetooth keyboard/mouse and Samsung's DeX Station/Pad or a compatible USB-C DeX Hub. DeX is supported on the S8/S8+/S9/S9+/Note8/Note9. If you have a Note 9, then you can skip the DeX Station/Pad/USB-C Hub because the DeX hardware components are built-in. Of course you'll need and HDMI cable for the external display.

Another option is to use a lapdock (like the HP Elite X3 Lapdock) which provides a compact portable shell for
connecting you DeX compatible smartphone and turns it into a portable laptop-like device which is very cool.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 LTE

I’ve been interested in having the option to access the internet from anywhere on more devices than just a smartphone ever since I got an iPad Pro with LTE. So I decided that my next device would be the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 LTE. 

It’s been a few days since I received the Tab S4 and using it has been a pleasure. The display is stunning in typical Samsung fashion being Super AMOLED. The back of the tablet is glass, with a metal band around the edges. It’s light yet feels premium, which it is based on the cost. So far, the battery life has been very good though I have yet to drain it down to empty. 

And then there’s the software, Android 8.1 with Samsung’s own custom skin which is surprisingly not too heavy. Samsung also provides a secondary environment for desktop use called DeX. It mimics a PC with separate app windows, a taskbar and start launcher. Using DeX works best when there’s a physical mouse and keyboard connected. I picked up Samsung’s keyboard and cover which works ok, with small keys but useful nevertheless. I’ve paired it with a Logitech bluetooth trackball mouse which works well. 

Performance has been good as well, with the unit rocking a Snapdragons 835 processor from 2017. In my limited time using the device, it has performed more than adequately under average load. 

I have not activated the LTE currently but plan to do so a little later, and will update this post accordingly. 

When all is said and done, the Tab S4 is probably the best android tablet I’ve owned so far. 

Lenovo Yoga C630 WOS

Welcome to ‘all day mobile computing’ with the new Lenovo Yoga C630 2-in-1 hybrid laptop powered by the Snapdragon 850 SOC. 

After using the device for about a day, I decided not to keep the device for the following reasons:

1. performance of the SnapDragon 850 is currently not good enough
2. Windows 10s application selection is very limited 
3. upgrading to Windows 10 Home is one-way and performance would be degraded even further due to the need for x86 emulation for 32-bit applications 
4. Windows 10s does not support the Linux on Windows subsystem like the full version of Windows 10
5. price is too high for what you’re getting 

Qualcomm and Microsoft need to do more work in their respective areas (SOC and OS) before this type of computer will be ready for mass consumption. 

The iPhone XR Value

I currently use the 1st gen iPhone X from 2017, which I’m totally happy with, but if I were in the market for one of this years models it would be the iPhone XR. 

My reasoning is as follows, the iPhone XR provides 95% of the features of its higher end brethren for $250 less.  You get the same excellent build quality, performance and user experience for less $$$, which is a great value in my opinion. 

https://www.tomsguide.com/us/iphone-xr,review-5868.html

iPhone X case (2017)

I’ve fallen in love with a couple of fabric cases for the original iPhone X. The design consists of a fabric material on the top half and PU leather on the lower half. The look and feel are good plus the bottom portion is actually a pocket where you can store a credit card, receipt, ID card or the like. I bought two versions of this case, black/dark gray which is shown in the photo and brown/light gray from Amazon. 

The cases are from a company called XOOMZ and are marketed as wallet cases. 

Apple iPhone Event 2018

The opening video sequence for the event was cool, it was a take on the Mission Impossible movie series, that ended with a secret briefcase being opened to show a custom presentation remote for the Apple keynote. 

First up is a new Apple Watch with a 30% larger display yet thinner body. This version is the Series 4, providing better reception as a result of new ceramics material combined with safire glass on both sides, the S4 chip, and a new accelerometer are some of the hardware upgrades now available. On the software front, the device can now take an ECG (Electrocardiogram), which is amazing and the first of its kind and will add yet another health tracking feature that consumers can use to maintain a healthy life. The new watch faces, new digital crown, 18 hour battery life and WatchOS 5 keep the device at the forefront of smart watches. 

Next, is the new iPhone Xs, made of stainless steel with a new gold, silver and space gray finishes. There’s the normal 5.8 inch OLED display model, and a 6.5 inch Xs Max model both with HDR. The new A12 Bionic chip is the first 7 nanometer processor that contains 10 cores. It has an 8 core Neural Engine that can process 5 trillion processes per second. This is useful for the much improved Machine Learning, AR and VR experiences. The new iPhones can be configured with up to 512gb of storage. New cameras,

with Smart HDR and adjustable depth of field allow creation of more beautiful photos. Better battery life, gigabit class LTE, and dual SIMS with eSIM technology provide world class connectivity and performance. 

But, there’s one more iPhone on the way, the iPhone Xr with an aluminum finish and an edge to edge display. It has a 6.1 inch LCD display that includes Face Id and a single camera system that supports portrait mode and is running the A12 Bionic chip.

All the new iPhones Xr’s will come in several fun colors and just like the new flagship iPhone Xs and Xs Max will be come running iOS 12. 

Prices:

iPhone Xr  starting at $749

iPhone Xs  starting at $999

iPhone Xs Max starting at $1099

Apple AirPods

I’m jumping to the Apple AirPods. The integration with Apple devices is supposed to be really good and it should be, so we’ll see if that’s true or not. I was worried about them falling out of my ears but then I found some accessories that can help them stay in the ear like hooks, wings, etc ... Will update if they work or not. 

Retro Gaming from Nintendo

Nintendo was once the king of the gaming console market. I was feeling a bit nostalgic and picked up a Super NES Classic console and it rocks! The unit comes with 20 games built in and 2 game controllers. If retro gaming is of interest, check it out. 

Ubuntu on a Thinkpad X1 Tablet

Linux is known for its ability to run on just about any hardware so I’ve installed it on a tablet. The Lenovo Thinkpad X1 is a premium piece of kit that runs Windows 10 out of the box but like most other Thinkpad, it has pretty good Linux support as well. Coupled with the optional keyboard, this setup is proving to be a nice portable computer that has enough power to handle my basic day to day tasks. My unit has an Intel m7 processor, 8 gb of RAM and 256 gb of SSD storage. I’m running the latest Ubuntu 18.04 with the lightweight i3 window manager. Very nice ...

Restoring an Android device from the Cloud

How to restore an Android device from a backup

http://flip.it/fQFM4p

i3wm Update

I've been using i3wm as my window manager in Fedora 26 linux for almost three weeks now and it's been great. I love the speed, customization and usability aspects that i3wm provides. I've learned quite a lot since I began using i3wm, thanks to a vibrant user community willing to share. I have i3 running on two machines currently, but I'm planning on installing it on more ... linux rules :)

Using i3wm in Linux

I decided to give the i3wm window manager another try in Fedora 26 on a Thinkpad X220 and it works well. It's very lightweight and super fast. I'm still learning some of the keyboard shortcuts but for the most part I can navigate the system without many issues so far.
The i3wm window manager is a 'tiling' window manager, which means each window that you open takes up as much of the remaining screen space as it can and automatically re-arranges any existing windows. There are no spaces in between windows. You have control over whether a new window is inserted horizontally or vertically. It works surprisingly well, to the point where I've also installed it on my main system (Dell990) also running Fedora 26. Linux is about options and there are many to choose from ...

My Library

Found a new Android app to store all of my books. It's called My Library by Julien Keith. Not only is the app free but it's ad-free as well. The killer feature for me is the option to use barcode scanning to add entries. This works really fast and is accurate. New entries include book covers and a field for notes. I'm probably going to make a donation to the author via PayPal.