Galaxy Note Tips & Tricks

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Galaxy Note 8.0: the largest smartphone in the history!

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Galaxy Note family now has a new member: Galaxy Note 8.0.

galaxy-note-8It is different from Galaxy Note 10.1, which is clearly a tablet. It is simply a larger version of Galaxy Note 2, a giant phone.

So, this is a smartphone, at least, not a pure tablet. This can be easily identified by: 1). an earpiece and, 2).the iconic Home button and two navigation keys.

The major difference to Galaxy Note 2 is the odd location of the speaker. In Galaxy Note 8.0, it is in the bottom, not on the back. Designer may come from the Mars.

Specification wise, this is surely not a top-notch smartphone or tablet. It is merely a not-so-bad device, based on today’s standard. Under the hood, you get a 1.6GHz quad-core A9 processor (it should be a Exynos 4XXXX), a 2GB RAM, a 1280*800 PLS display, a 16/32GB storage, a 4600mAh battery.

The weight is only 338g, thanks to its full plastic exterior, except display and bezel. Typical Samsung style.

The good news for Galaxy Note and Note 2 users is now you finally can use S Pen  for the menu and back buttons. You also get a new reading mode to make your reading more comfortable.

The bad news is it runs on Jelly Bean 4.1.2 (just like most Note 2 and Note 10.1), not the latest 4.2.2. Disappointed, although you will very likely get the update later.

More disappointed, the battery is not removable.

The most disappointed: the main camera has no flash. So you can guess its quality. The 5MP tag reminds you the price is not in the cheap side.

However, if you compare this giant phablet with the tablet with similar form factor (e.g., iPad mini). It is actually quite decent.

So, the imaginary competitor of this Galaxy Note 8.0 is not smartphones, but 7-8″ tablets.

Samsung probably hopes this giant phone will be the king or queen in this form factor. This could have been true if the specifications were slightly elevated.

It looks stupid to hold this giant phone near …

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Galaxy Note Android 4.0 ICS source code is available now, why Samsung must release the source code?

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Today, Samsung finally released the Android 4.0 (ICS) source code for Galaxy Note. If you are enthusiastic developer, you can work out your own ROM now very easily. Very likely, within one month, several different flavors of Galaxy ICS ROMs will be floating around.

open-source-softwareWhy does Samsung (and all other licensed Android hardware manufactures) have to release the source code to the public?  This is simply the obligation of using Android, because Android is using Apache license 2.0 except the Linux Kernel (which uses GPL v2 license).

Under Apache 2 license, user has the right to get the source code so that they can modify as they want (although this very likely will void the product warranty). So, the manufacturer MUST make the source code available to users, but it is NOT necessary to be under Apache license. For example, Samsung has its own license on using the the Android source code released by Samsung.

The Linux Kernel is released under GPLv2 license, which requires all modified work must also be released under such a license. Sometimes, this is named as “copyleft” license. Under this license, user get more controls of the source as manufactures are NOT allowed to impose additional terms on using the source code.  But due to its copyleft obligation, manufacturers usually want to avoid such license for competition reasons.

Although there are some critics on the openness of Android project,  Android is unarguably the best open source OS for mobile phones. It gives you the freedom you deserve.

This is one of the biggest advantages of using open source software, for consumers. You are not locked in; you can check how good or how crappy the code is.

For fruity fanbois, or M$ slaves, they never understand what freedom means, as a consumer.

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CyanogenMod 9 (Ice Cream Sandwich) for Galaxy Note

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CyanogenModCyanogenMod is an aftermarket firmware distribution and CyanogenMod 9 is for  Android 4.0 (ICS). Now, there is a mostly workable distribution for Galaxy Note with S Pen support.

According the dedicated  forum thread of CyanogenMod 9 for Galaxy Note in XDA-Developers, almost everything works  except:

The good thing is the firmware works for both international version of Galaxy Note and the AT&T version.

Of course, CyanogenMod is for geeks and nerds. For most users, we are still waiting for the official ICS update for Galaxy Note due in this quarter (within less than 2 months if Samsung can keep the words.)…

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5 million Galaxy Note Users cannot be wrong!

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galaxy-note-shipped-5million-unitsSamsung just announced they shipped 5,000,000 Galaxy Note. 5 months, 5 millions units shipped, it is impressive! Potentially (some are still in the vendors’s warehouse) 5 million users!

For a smartphone, whose 5.3″ size was questions by many reviewerssince its initial release 5 months ago, it is a big success.  5 million buyers proved there is a genuine market for such Phablets. I like the size as written in the Size Always Matters post.

Hope Samsung can maintain the momentum and push out Ice Cream Sandwich update to Galaxy Note earlier.

What’s your opinion?…

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Samsung pink galaxy note hit the market now, for pink nails

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Pink-Samsung-Galaxy-NoteAs speculated in February, pink Galaxy Note will hit the market this month. The day comes.

This  pink version completes the other galaxy notes: carbon blue and ceramic white. There are no changes in specifications except the color. The target consumer are women, just like pink Galaxy Note SII. I don’t think any guys will take this color.

It would have been better if Samsung had started to sell it In the valentine day.

So, geeky ladies, you finally can put your pink nail on this pink note.…

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Samsung announced the big brother of Galaxy Note: Galaxy Note 10.1

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samsung-galaxy-note-10-1For those who complaining the (over)size of Galaxy Note, Samsung listened, and will give you an even bigger Note. It is Galaxy Note 10.1.

With a 10.1″ display, Galaxy Note 10.1 is obviously in the tablet camp. Although it comes with 3G (no LTE) connectivity, you probably will not use it as a phone: you cannot put it in a pocket unless you are a bank robber.

What differs this device from other tablet is its S Pen, and associated software and apps. The press release is lengthy, but the key point is clear: S Pen and the resulted productivity and entertainment.

Comparing this device with smartphone is not relevant. But compared to the 5.3″ Galaxy Note, the major difference is size (about four time larger) and Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0), which will be probably available on Galaxy Note in just a few days.

Finally, we see a really innovative tablet among Android camp, following the revolutionary phone.

If you feel the 5.3” Note is too small, you have a choice now.

If you feel the 5.3″ is too large for a phone, now Samsung makes it larger. Your only option is crawl back to 3.5″, and enjoy the fruity toy.

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Galaxy Note (and SII) will receive Ice Cream Sandwich in early March

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Tipster Eldar Murtazin (Editor-in-Chief of Mobile-Review.com) said Android 4.0 (aka Ice Cream Sandwich, ICS) will hit S II in March in a recent tweet.

In November 2011, Samsung confirmed  Ice Cream Sandwich would be coming to its Galaxy S II and Galaxy Note smartphones some time in 2012. In last December, the release date was further narrowed to the first quarter of 2012.

According to the information we received, Samsung is still testing the firmware update on selected handsets in Korea. The roll-out date has been tentatively scheduled in the first week of March through Kies first in Asia, immediately followed by Europe market.

Interested? wait another  two or three weeks.

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