A big THANKS (and clocks!)

Hi all! My first blog post, my intro, I did on 23 July, just a few days after I got my Samsung Galaxy S2. Since then, I've done just under 40 blog posts about apps and widgets and games and everything in between about my phone!

I've had great feedback so far, and I keep getting more and more visitors every week, so thanks to all for visiting! Since July I've had more than 10000 page views on this blog, and without my loyal readers and followers that wouldn't have happened!

Anyway, I'll try my best to keep the good posts coming, I still have lots to cover about my phone, and now that I've used an Android based device, I'll never go back! Don't get me wrong, my wife has the iPhone 4, and it's also a great device, and lots of my friends are very loyal to their Blackberries!

Well, thanks again for the great feedback and support so far!

Just for fun, here is my 6th home screen on my phone, it has all the analogue clocks that comes standard with the Galaxy S2:

And, as always, till next time!

Cool free live wallpapers

One of the very sweet features of the Galaxy S2, and Android phones in general, is there ability to display live wallpapers - if you don't know what this means, it's basically an animated wallpaper, but not just simple animations like GIF files for example - these can be interactive and feature some very cool effects and so on.

I did a quick search, and found a few very cool ones, and best of all, they're all free!

First one is a very nice Koi pond, with live (digital though :) fish that you can feed, and when you touch the screen you see the ripples in the water, which is quite nice. Here are some screen shots (but these don't really do it justice, best would be to just download it and check it out yourself in real time!):

In the last one I tried showing the ripples in the water, but it didn't work that well.

Get it here

The next one I have is 3D FireFlies - this one also looks great. Here are some screen shots:

Get it here

After that one I have Inferno Galaxy, which looks like a space scene that's on fire. Very cool! Here are some shots:

Get it here

My second last option is Snowfall live wallpaper:

Very pretty (a bit girly though, I like the much more manly Inferno Galaxy YEAH!! :)

Anyway, get it here

And the last one I checked out is some nice clouds with LIGHTNING - who doesn't like lightning hehe:

I took about 20 shots just to get a decent lightning flash, these were pretty much the best ones I could get.

Get it here

There you have it, 5 really nice Live Wallpapers for your Galaxy S2/Android phone. Now, I can imagine some of these can be quite a battery hog, but I don't have any stats on those. I do charge my phone every day, as the battery doesn't last, so for now I'll leave one of them on and will let you know if it makes that big a difference.

If you have some Live Wallpapers you'd like to recommend, feel free to leave a comment!

Cheers, and as always, till next time!

Wireless Carrier Announces New Details about Samsung Galaxy S2 Via Twitter

Finally, AT&T’s own Samsung Galaxy S II or S2 is striking stores, although not this month. Based on AT&T’s official Twitter account, the brand new Samsung Galaxy S II or S2 will get to stores on October 2, 2011 sporting the tag cost of $199.99 having a 2-year contract agreement. Apparently, AT&T’s Samsung Galaxy S2 may be the 16GB version, and we’re not confident that AT&T includes a totally free Sd card.

Unlike the Sprint Nextel Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch, the AT&T Galaxy S2 won't include additional brand, or additional features. Sprint’s Epic 4G Touch features a bigger than original 4.52-inch screen, and also the phone is slightly thicker compared to original S2 launched in Asia and europe, and Sprint’s variant includes an Brought Notification light.

AT&T Samsung Galaxy S II S2 Android smartphoneAccording to AT&T, its Samsung Galaxy S2 may be the slimest, as well as the quickest using the 4G HSPA connectivity. Unlike the Sprint and also the T-Mobile USA versions, the AT&T Galaxy S II can also be the littlest if this involves display size, with 4.3-inch only, apparently the initial display size from the Galaxy S2. The AT&T Galaxy S2 will als use capacitive buttons rather than the initial S2's physical home button alongside the 2 capacitive buttons.

AT&T’s Samsung Galaxy S II is powered by dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor running Samsung’s Exynos 4210 Soc, a 1GB of RAM, Android Gingerbread 2.3.4 as they are, an 8-megapixel primary camera, a couple-megapixel front-camera for video chat applications, and also the 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus screen having a resolution of 480 x 800.

T-Mobile’s Samsung Galaxy S II is anticipated to reach next following the AT&T variant. According the pink-colored US wireless carrier, their Samsung Galaxy S II using the 1.5GHz Qualcomm APQ8060 dual-core processor, and incredibly rounded profile will get to stores this Fall.

Samsung Galaxy S II is recognized as by many people reviews because the “best” Android smartphone on the market. However, Samsung is anticipated to provide the S2 its greatest rival this season, the Galaxy Note, Samsung’s next flagship device which includes a large 5.3-inch Super AMOLED HD screen, a screaming 1.4GHz dual-core processor and also the stylus pen known as the “S Pen.”

US Cellular Plans to increase the Samsung Galaxy Mobile Phone Selection

Lots of people happen to be raving concerning the Samsung Galaxy S, but the facts? Many people think it is a single phone built by Samsung but really this is an entire number of phones built individually for every mobile phone carrier.

The Galaxy really began off because the i9000 at the start of 2010, however they soon received demands to create proprietary models for that service providers. Soon they'd 4 versions available on the market. The Samsung Captivate visited AT&T, the Samsung Vibrant visited T-Mobile, the Samsung Epic visited Sprint, and also the Samsung Fascinate visited Verizon.

These to are essentially exactly the same inside but they all have cosmetic variations plus some have different applications. Every one has exactly the same processor, screen, operating-system, and components. The carrier reaches choose things to preload on the telephone so far as software so that's the greatest difference.

U.S. Cellular also intends to add their very own phone for this selection this fall. US Cellular has lengthy been considered missing in mobile phones but this pickup should prove that they're a significant contender later on. The Galaxy phone ought to be their 3rd of 5 Android phones they intend to unveil this year. Not necessarily a bad year for clients searching for new technology.

If you're searching for a Galaxy phone, you most likely can't fail with them. When I pointed out, they're the same essentially, and that is not necessarily a bad factor thinking about the reviews they have become to date. Best of luck locating the perfect Samsung phone!

The Whitened Samsung Galaxy S2 Is Really A Wise Choice

If you value the sophisticated look from the black Samsung Galaxy S2, then you'll certainly wish to get hold of the elegance the whitened Samsung Galaxy S2 exudes. There's really no distinction between the 2 except their colour. They have a similar features, exactly the same quality graphics and therefore are both super easy for anybody to make use of. Samsung has made its title on the planet of technology so when it involves Android phones, they virtually dominate the entire market. Let us take particular notice at the plethora of features provided with the whitened Galaxy S2:

Effective Performance

For individuals who're searching for a wider screen on the android phones, then your whitened Galaxy S2 is good using its huge 4.3 inch display that's ideal for multimedia indulgence. Regardless if you are viewing your pics and vids or doing offers the screen sets an attractive stage for this all. Why is the Samsung Galaxy S2 much more interesting is what you should find underneath the hood, having a 1.2 GHz processor in addition to 768 Megabytes of RAM. Undoubtedly the Galaxy S2 is among the most effective Android phones presently in the marketplace. Whatever task you are thinking about, the Samsung Galaxy S2 will have the ability to assist you.

Another feature that you'll love concerning the Samsung Galaxy S2 is it supports an array of audio and video formats for simple playback. It props up h264 and h263 video formats that are very common throughout video on the internet. The 8 megapixel camera situated powering the phone enables you to definitely record videos in hd. The 1.3 megapixel camera in front gives you video calling features of all 3rd generation systems at high speeds. Take pictures of individuals precious moments or video kids initial steps and share it wonderful your loved ones in just a few button presses, it truly is that simple.

Additional Features

The Galaxy S2 comes complete with communication and connectivity features for example Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and connectivity to some PC via USB. Additionally, it sports GPRS in addition to EDGE with 3rd generation connectivity at high speeds for faster data. It's amazing what Samsung have handled to go with the ultra slim casing from the phone. There's without doubt that you'll love everything relating to this device once you're able to utilize it, whether that be for personal or business use.

Release Date

This whitened model is going to be launched at some stage in September all over the world. With respect to the carrier that you simply decide upon, the costs with this device will be different. If you would like style and function all folded into one, this is actually the perfect phone for you personally. Once you discover how stylish and user-friendly the whitened version from the Samsung Galaxy S2 is, you won't ever want another Android phone again. The discharge date is simply nearby and Samsung have previously received over 3 million orders for that phone, take action now to prevent disappointment!

How to turn off the "fully charged" sound

If you also have a Samsung Galaxy S2, by now you would have noticed that the phone gives you a nice and loud ding when it's fully charged, which is perfect if you want to be awoken in the middle of the night!

Unfortunately, there isn't a way to turn of this bloody annoying sound with the normal settings - you can root your device, but most users don't know how (or don't want to) do that - me included. Luckily, someone has created a nice little app especially for the Galaxy S2, that mutes your phone just before it gets fully charged. It even has some settings, like when you want the app to be "active" and so on.

Aside from that, it doesn't do anything else, but it's a great app if you charge the phone overnight in your room when you sleep.

Get it here

Till next time!

World-Class Features around the Samsung Galaxy S2 in Whitened

Are you aware that the Samsung Galaxy S2 in addition to its whitened version is presently probably the most preferred smartphone on the planet? You will find various explanations why the phone is easily the most coveted through the consumer. It arrives with cutting-edge features and hardware that provide unparalleled performance. Here, you'll become familiar with much more about these world-class features.

To begin with, the telephone rocks a presentation that provides among the best viewing encounters within the cell phone market. It rocks a 4.3 inch Super AMOLED Plus touchscreen that provides an answer of 480 x 800 pixels. You will find numerous benefits of getting a presentation this good. If this involves videos, you'll certainly enjoy more from HD-quality videos. Should you thought watching 720p videos was impressive, try watching 1080p videos about this high-quality screen. Apart from video playback recorded in the phone's 8 megapixel camera, additionally, you will enjoy more from webpages, taken images, and hardcore games. If you feel this massive display will consume more battery existence, reconsider. It consumes energy more effectively. What this means is you will get to make use of the telephone longer.

Next, the Samsung Galaxy S2 in whitened comes full of a effective workhorse underneath the hood. Its dual-core processor is which is 1.2 GHz. The only real smartphone on the market that rivals the S2's processor may be the HTC Sensation. With this particular processor, multi-tasking is a breeze. You are able to run hardcore games, applications, making video calls effortlessly. Actually, you won't notice any difference in performance. With two cores focusing on your programs, the telephone can better manage running numerous tasks. In addition, the Mali-400MP GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) built-into the chipset will make sure the most graphic-intensive games will run easily. This can take your mobile gaming experience to totally new levels.

Lastly, the Samsung Galaxy S2 in whitened is very slim. Apart from supplying performance at blinding speeds, it's highly portable and light-weight. It's a mere 8.49 mm thick and weighs in at in at just 116 grams. To provide you with a concept around the phones ultra slim profile, the Apple apple iphone is 9.3 mm thick and weighs in at in at 137 grams. It's tough to imagine the way the Korean tech giant handled to cram all the phones cutting-edge hardware in to the phones very slim profile. We're just lucky they did. Otherwise, we'd not have the ability to benefit from the world-class options that come with the Samsung Galaxy S2 in whitened.

Some nice Widgets

One of the many many ways to customize your Galaxy S2, is by adding custom widgets to your home screen. These come in all shapes and sizes, and most of them give you several options on how the widgets looks and works, etc.

Here is one of my screens filled with some widgets I like:

1. The first one I have on there is the APN on/off widget - what that basically does is it turns off cellular data (very handy if you live in South Africa, and cannot afford the ludicrously expensive data packages available) - get it here

2. The second one might puzzle you a bit, it's my Blizzard Battle.net Mobile Authenticator - if you play any of Blizzard's games on your PC (Like World of Warcraft or Star Craft 2), then this is just a little extra security. When logging in on your Battle.net account, it will also ask for the code this widget generates. It keeps on generating new ones, so if you're also worried about account theft, then you got to get this on your Android phone - get it here

3. Next to that I have a flash light widget, which instantly turns on the LED on the back of my phone, turning it into a handy flash light :) - get it here

4. The first icon in my second row is a link to one of my Google Reader feeds (to this blog actually) - for that I have the 3rd party Google Reader app gReader - I find it works a bit better than Google's own version. Get it here

5. Then I have a data counter widget, showing me the amount of incoming and outgoing data for the month, both for Wi-fi and 3G - once again a handy little app if you have to pay extra for cellular data - get it here

6. Next to that is a battery widget, the normal battery icon doesn't give you an exact estimate of how much battery life you have remaining, this one gives you a nice percentage value - get it here

7. This is the stock standard Google Search Widget that comes with the phone, here you can type anything in, and search either the web, your apps, your contacts or all of the above. You can tap the Mic icon to say what it is you are looking for :)

8. The last widget I have on here is Evernote - this is a notes taking app, and allows you to quickly take a written note, a note with a photo or video, or recording something. It works well, and is a nice and quick way of making a note. The only thing I didn't like about this one is that you must register for a free account to be able to use it on your phone - I have registered on close to a billion sites already (or so it feels). Anyway,  get it here

There are lots more cool widgets out there of course. Feel free to leave a comment and suggest some of your favourite widgets, I'll have a look, and if they're as cool as you say, I'll do a little review of them!

As always, till next time!

Probably The Most Preferred Smartphone on the planet - Samsung Galaxy S2

The Samsung Galaxy S2 presently likes the title because the most preferred smartphone on the planet. This really is this kind of unpredicted accomplishment to have an Android-powered phone since you will find a lot of available for sale. The majority of us expected the Apple apple iphone 4 to stay in pole position. Regardless of the increase of Android products, still it handled to top the charts because the most highly coveted phone this 2011.

Before we have a look in the figures, let us have a look in the sales performance of Apple's current flagship phone. The telephone produced by the Cupertino firm was introduced in June of 2010. If this continued purchase in america on June 24 of the identical year, who does have suspected that 1.7 million models could be offered around the 26th of June? Nobody believed that every other phone your competition needed to offer would perform this good if this involves sales. That is what we thought.

In Feb of 2011, Samsung introduced its new flagship. It was the Galaxy S2. The telephone included numerous features we formerly thought was impossible. It rocks a 4.3 inch Super AMOLED Plus display. It sports an 8 megapixel front-facing camera combined having a 2 megapixel rear-facing camera for video calls. However, the greatest accomplishment was controlling to stuff all this cutting-edge hardware in phone which was only 8.49 mm slim. In addition, the telephone considered inside a mere 116 grams. In comparison towards the single-core processor, 5mp camera, 9.3 mm thickness, and weight of 737 grams from the apple iphone 4, Samsung's smartphone would be a marvel of technology. With one of these phone specifications, the phone began to draw attention from customers.

In April of 2011, the Samsung Galaxy S2 was launched towards the public. Regardless of the phone's superior specifications, many still thought that could not measure against Apple's smartphone. These were wrong. In only 55 days the smartphone continued purchase, it hit the three million mark. In This summer, it surpassed this sales record by selling 5 million models. This September, the telephone has hit the ten million mark.

You might be thinking, "Large deal!" The apple iphone 4 hit 1.7 models offered in a couple of days it continued purchase. However, consider this. The smartphone hit the five million mark without starting in america. In addition, it did this unique task at a small fraction of the cash allocated to marketing and advertising in comparison towards the massive amount of cash spent by Apple.

With one of these details before you decide to, would you still doubt the Samsung Galaxy S2 is easily the most preferred smartphone on the planet?