Change, for the better!

Well, if you follow me on Google+ you would have seen me post several pictures with the word 'change' and today is the day.

I travel, I work on videos, and I write a lot.  So I don't want to carry my laptop anymore, and I decided to use the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 to help me solve some issues.  I know you might be thinking, "J. Williams, you hate TouchWiz right?"  Well, kinda...yes.  But, I needed a tablet that could stand the tests of time, and I feel the Tab S is my guys/girl.  While this isn't a new tablet to the market, it has killer specs that outdo most other tablets for productivity on a bad day.  You ask.  "J. Williams, why didn't you get a Galaxy Note line tablet? " Well, it's simple...size.  I don't like the Galaxy Note 8.0, because the size is crazy for such a small screen.  I don't like the Note 10.1, because it would be too big for the way I want to use it.  Now while there is a LTE version, I opted for the WiFi only model, because I can just tether my connection if I need to on the go.

Let's first look at the specs.

• 212.8 x 125.6 x 6.6 mm, 294 g (10.37 oz)
• Fingerprint sensor
• Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, resolution of 1600 x 2560 pixels, 8.4 inches (~359 ppi pixel density)
• Android OS, v4.4.2 (KitKat)
• Exynos 5 Octa 5420, CPU - Quad-core 1.9 GHz Cortex-A15 & quad-core 1.3 GHz Cortex-A7
• GPU - Mali-T628 MP6
• Memory 16/32 GB, 3 GB RAM, microSD, up to 128 GB
• Rear Camera - 8 MP, 3264 x 2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash, Geo-tagging, 1080p@30fps
• Front Camera  - 2.1 MP
• Two stereo speakers (one on each side of the tablet, while in landscape mode)
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, bluetooth v4.0, A2DP, LE, GPS, 
• Non-removable Li-Ion 4900 mAh battery

So the Tab S is very slim in the hand, and lite weight to say the least.  If feels good, even better than my iPad Air 2 (which is very slim as well.)  The Tab S comes with one of the best screens I've ever seen on a tablet, it's truly amazing.  If you have not used one before, head over to your local bestbuy and check one out.  You will be blown away at what you see.  The reason I've decided to use this tablet over my iPad is because it can do more, and offers more for productivity.  I like being able to switch out an SD if I need to, or take a photo with the LED flash if I need to for work.  It's like having the Note line tablet, without the SPen.  

I can and will put a different launcher on it, when I'm not using it for work purposes.   Another reason the Tab S works for me, is 'Android. '  Android is one of the best operating systems you will ever use, hands down.  I need the flexibility of choice, and with this tablet I'm getting that.

The sound that comes from this tablet is very nice, and borderline amazingly clear.  Crisp, and clean is how I would describe it at this point.  The sound that comes from my iPad Air 2, and iPad Mini (retina) is more basses, which leads to an offset in sound.  I prefer treble with tablet speakers, and I'm getting that here with the Tab S.

The cameras on the Tab S are good, and better than most other tablets in it's class to say the least.  The fact that I have an LED flash (even if it's not the best), is still good.  It doesn't have to be perfect, but at least it's there.  Which is more than I can say for my other tablets.  It houses the same old sammy camera UI that will all know, and love or hate.  Nothing special about it here.  Take a picture, and post it to twitter, instagram, or facebook...you know the norm.

When it comes to web browsing, this is a sweet spot for me.  I have to have the right side screen, and it has to be clear.  The Chrome browser is the perfect match for this tablet, and does well in day to day use.

The processor in this tablet is fast, and I mean it goes!  Not one hiccup or stutter to this day, it really is that smooth.  Even though it's touchwiz, it still moves.  Moving on the features, it has one that I will use a lot.  Multi-Window, a feature that devices over 7 inches should always have.  Samsung really hit a home-run with this feature, and they do it better than anyone else I've seen try it.  They created it, and they are still in charge of it.  Battery on the Tab S is really solid, and should last you at least 2 days with heavy use or 4 to 5 days with lite usage.

Overall, I like the Tab S, and it now will be my daily tablet of choice for work, and some play.  Leaving my iPad Air 2, and Mini for gaming or play time around the house.  

Thank you, and remember...if it's not 'tech talk', it's not worth talking about.

J. Williams

Striiv Fusion, the little smartwatch that could!

Click here to purchase the Striiv Fusion smartwatch!

With so smartwatches on the rise, you now have some good choices.  In the beginning, I was not into the smartwatch game!  Now in recent days, I've purchased the Samsung Galaxy Gear S, the Moto 360, and now my latest purchase in the Striiv Fusion!

Of the named above, the striiv fusion gives the longest battery life with ease.  I start there, because that's important...in fact that's one of the 'main' things that matter to me when using a smartwatch.  It has to have good battery, and this one has done well with my time in using it.

Well, let's go over the specs.

• Activity Tracking
• Sleep Monitoring
• Striiv apps
• Water resistant
• Incoming calls & text notifications
• Other apps have notifications as well
• Back-lit OLED touch screen
• Battery life of up to 7 days
• Comes with 3 different colors bands
• Works with iOS or Andriod (4.3 or higher)
• Metal frame

Battery - I charged it up on Christmas day, and it made it to 17% on the 28 late in the evening.  So I would say that is a really good battery.  

Incoming messages - Notification that come in are a little delayed, but still..it works.

Build quality - I would say that it is built really well, and can handle a good drop or two.  I feel better wearing this one more, not so much because it cost less than my other smartwatches...but it can take a beating.  If I drop it, or put pressure on it...I don't have the fear of breaking it like I do my other smartwatches.

Screen - With the screen being an OLED display, it looks good in direct sunlight, and good with every angle.

I like that I can pair it with my iPhone, or my Moto X.  Speaking of pairing, it was a breeze.  Striiv actually has a video you can watch too, if you are not too tech savvy.  Click here to watch it.

So how do I REALLY feel about the Striiv fusion, I will tell you.  I wish it has different shapes, a bigger screen, and lastly....I don't like the way I have to charge it.  If I lose the little clamp, I'm toast.  Other than that, I would HIGHLY recommend this watch over some others.  I'm sure Striiv will have more watches in the future, and they also promise more apps soon.  Only time will tell, 'pun' intended.

Thank you, and remember...if it's not 'tech talk', it's not worth talking about.

J. Williams

I prefer the Moto X 2014 over the Nexus 6

Hey guys thanks for stopping again. So yes, you heard it right...I've sold my Nexus 6 and for good reason.

On paper, the Moto X is crushed by the Nexus 6. From the QHD display, dual speakers, 805 snapdragon processor, and many other things. But those things are still not enough for me to keep it over the Moto X 2014, let me explain.

First lets talk about pricing, and the Nexus 6 loses that battle. Coming at $649 and $699, it's priced much higher than the Moto X at $399 or $499. 

Next size. The Moto X is almost the perfect size for a daily driver, and go into any pocket with ease.  Also I must note that the Moto X looks better than the Nexus 6, because you can customize it however you would like. 

Next is sound. The Moto X may only have one front speaker, but it still sounds just as good as the Nexus 6 for daily use. 

Now performance. The Moto X zooms through he menus, and daily tasks just as well as the Nexus 6 if not faster and smoother. I found myself using my Moto X much more than the Nexus 6, because it was much easier to use with one hand. 

Network signal. The Nexus 6 seems to drop service frequently, unlike the Moto X. I never have any issues with the X, but the 6 always drops signal. The strength on the 6 is much weaker than the X. 

Cameras on both are very nice, and perform about the same. Having the options to use 4k recording is nice, however 1080p is just fine. 

Battery life on the 6 is much better, but not by much. I was able to get about 4 to 5 hours of screen on time with my Nexus 6, and only about 3 to 4 with the Moto X.

Overall, I say the Moto X is a winner her for the reasons I've listed above. 

Price, size, performance, and network signal. I hope you are enjoying the Nexus 6, and the Moto X 2014. They are are both great devices, and will deliver on everything you need for daily tasks. 

However, my personal experience is the Moto X will do better for more users. I like it better than my Nexus 6, which is why I have sold my Nexus 6. I won't stay away too long, but for now it's a goner. 

Later I might pickup a white Nexus 6, because the sides will be silver not purple like the one I have.




Marvel Champions - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kabam.marvelbattle
RoboCop - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.glu.robocop

Thank you, and remember...if it's not 'tech talk', it's not worth talking about.

J. Williams

Samsung Galaxy Note 4! Is it still a hot device?

There are not a lot of true 'Phablet' devices on the market right now, so you are limited on quality Phablets when you do make a choice. Samsung has made it a point to solve this issue.

Back in 2011 Samsung announced the Samsung galaxy note, better known as the N7000.  People laughed at it said it was a joke, and said it looked ridiculous when making phone calls,  But they were so far off and wrong. Fast forward to 2014 and look at how well the Samsung galaxy note line has done.  There is no argument that Samsung has produced the best Phablets on the market, no one can compete with them in this category.  The Samsung galaxy note 4 is a stunning device!  

Let's give a rundown of the specifications.

- Fingerprint sensor (PayPal certified)
- S Pen stylus
- Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
1440 x 2560 pixels, 5.7 inches (~515 ppi pixel density)
- Corning Gorilla Glass 4
- Android OS, v4.4.4 (KitKat), planned upgrade to v5.0 (Lollipop)
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 (SM-N910S)
- Exynos 5433 (SM-N910C)
- Quad-core 2.7 GHz Krait 450 (SM-N910S)
- Quad-core 1.3 GHz Cortex-A53
- Quad-core 1.9 GHz Cortex-A57 (SM-N910C)
- GPU Adreno 420 (SM-N910S)
- Mali-T760 (SM-N910C)
- microSD, up to 128 GB
- Internal 32 GB, 3 GB RAM
- 16 MP, 5312 x 2988 pixels, optical image stabilization, autofocus, LED flash, 
- Dual Shot, Simultaneous HD video and image recording, geo-tagging, touch focus, face/smile detection, panorama, HDR
- Video 2160p@30fps, 1080p@60fps, optical stabilization, dual-video rec.,
- Secondary 3.7 MP, 1440p
- 3220 mAh Battery

So as you can see the Samsung galaxy note 4 is no slouch.  It is packing the latest with specs that you can get on any new smartphone today, and it is very powerful. The only downside that I've always said I dislike about the Samsung galaxy note 4, is TouchWiz. I feel it really takes away from the beautiful experience that you could have on this quad HD display.  All in all, there's not much to complain about. This is a very fast device and no one can deny that . . .competition beware. 

I thought I should revisit this device a little sooner than I normally would, because it's truly an amazing device. And if you are a current Samsung galaxy note 4 owner I think you would agree!  I don't talk much about the SPen, but it does exist.  I've heard some people say that they use the SPen every day, well that's just the opposite with me.  I can at least admit I didn't buy this phone for the SPen, I bought it because I am follower of Samsung products. Especially the galaxy note 4. So with that being said, take a look below.  I've listed some of the videos for the Note 4, you'll see quickly that I really enjoy the galaxy note 4. 

Thank you, and remember...if it's not 'tech talk', it's not worth talking about.

J. Williams

Samsung Galaxy Note 4, recap December 2014

Samsung Galaxy Note 4, full review.

Motorola Moto X 2nd Generation (Pure update)

Thanks for joining me in a written review for the Motorola Moto X 2014

As you know this is my second Motorola Moto X.  I really enjoyed the first version that I had but it was on Verizon, and there was so much bloatware just couldn't stand it.  So I sold the Verizon version and custom made my own version to get the pure of android.  So Heariang one week later it shipped to me and I'm really enjoying it. There are a lot of reasons why I want to price a person to pick up the pure addition of the Moto X!

The main reason would be because you're going to get all the updates to android before other phones do.  If your person who enjoys stock android you'll really enjoy the stock android feel on the Moto X 2014. With a 5.2 inch display at 1080P, the is resolution is 424 pixels per inch.  So you can't go wrong with a full HD display on such a screen.  Some might argue that the screen size is the perfect fit, and in such a small body I would have to agree.  It weighs about 144g and it is about the same height as an iPhone 6, but there are some things that are better on the Motorola Moto X.  For example the Motorola Moto X has Corning gorilla glass 3, is water resistant, it has voice dictation.  It also packs a 13 megapixel camera will do LED flash, HDR, panorama, and it records and 4K.  

The Motorola Moto X could be considered one of the best smart phones to date, but it does have some drawbacks. It is limited on the memory you can have, 16 or 32 GB and only 2 gigs of RAM.  Also the battery is only 2300 mAh, which could be in issue for some people.  With me being a heavy user, this is definitely something that I had to take note of. All in all I'm pretty happy with the Moto X so far again this is my second one and I love the first one.  But just knowing that your device is going to get all the updates first, and it's pure android with no other software to bog it down it's great!  I can go on and on about how great the Moto X is, but the fact is it's not the best phone on the market.  With more memory, and upgraded battery it could be at the top of the list.  So now go ahead and take a look at the video below, I think you'll enjoy, it's the unboxing of my Motorola Moto X 2014 (pure edition).

Motorola made 'Nexus 6'

Motorola Nexus 6

With so many options for android, stock is the best way to go.  I've compared this phone to several others, and this one performed the best. No added gimmicks, no bloatware, just plain old stock android!  Some might argue it's just an over sized Moto X 2014, but they would be wrong.  Some might say it's just a big phone with no options, but they too would be wrong. Some people just don't understand a quality device, and may be caught up in what they read before ever trying this phone. 

Android 5.0 is what the Nexus 6 ships with, and it is by far the best part of the phone with some hiccups here and there.  Smooth animations, very fast and fluid performance throughout the entire operating system.  There are some issues I do have though, and that's a force close on a couple of apps. Cloud print, and Chrome Web browser!  This has been the only issue I could say bother me about this phone, which could easily be a glitch in the software. (An update will fix that later)  I suggest you disable cloud print, and use another browser in you can not desk with the chrome issues.   Call quality (HD); gaming; web browsing; texting; emails; music and videos; all work well on the Nexus 6.  There were no issues at all, except a force close here and there as noted on the chrome browser.  

As for the price! $649 for the 32GB, and $699 for the 64GB. I suggest getting the 64GB, as it's only $49 more to double the memory. With no expansion slot, you really should get the higher memory option.  For most people though, 32GB is enough!  Of the 32gb you get about 25gb for you, about 55gb with the 64gb model. So to me, it is priced just right. When it was announced, people immediately said it was too high in price, and they were not buying it.  Well if you look at any iPhone, old or new, they are all overpriced and offer less. But people did not really complain, and purchased anyway. Yes this Nexus cost nearly twice as much as the previous nexus devices, but to me it's worth every penny. It offers all of that one could ask for in a nexus device. Power under the good; great build quality; great sound from dual front firing speakers; beautiful 5.96 inch quad HD screen; turbocharging; and the list could go on.  Some subjective, some not subjective. 

There plenty of options to purchase. Motorola, Google Play, or carriers.  So I would say just think of quality, when you decide to purchase the nexus. Because it is every bit of that, inside and out. It packs the best specs that you can get today, and it's still priced lower than several other so called 'flagship' devices on the market today.  Overall, I would recommend you pick up the Nexus 6 if you are in the market for a larger device, with superior specs and performance by today's standards. 

Overall rating is 9.9 out of 10

Pros
Screen (QHD) and size
Speakers (loud & clear)
Build quality (beauty & beast)
Cameras (4k resolution)
Speed (best experience for android)
Stock Android 5.0
Memory 32/64GB
Turbocharging
Easy to use
Call quality

Cons
No expandable memory
Signal strength (weaker than other phones)
Size (could be an issue for some)
Battery (will need to be charged daily for heavy users)
Some apps not compatible 
Force close of certain apps (chrome, cloud print)

Thank you, and remember...if it's not 'tech talk', it's not worth talking about.

J. Williams

Nexus 6 review (Original post date 11/28/14)

Tech News & Reviews (I'm back)

Hey everyone, thanks for stopping by.

I spend a lot of time sitting at this desk, looking at that monitor.

So I've decided to start my blog back up, because I spend so much time online why not?  Believe it or not, 2011 was the last time I posted here (I've hidden that horrible post by the way, lol).  What you will find here are reviews, tech reviews, and more tech reviews lol.  Why?   Because I love Technology.

When I first started doing tech reviews, it was hard to keep up my website (yes I did have one) and  write an honest review while still trying to maintain my YouTube channel.  So I had to shut my website down, it hurt.  Now here I am years later, and I am going to do it this time.  I am a little more experienced, and have a lot more free time.  So if you decide to follow me, you won't be disappointed.  In my reviews, you will find I'm straight to the point and I'm always honest.  No paid advertising here!  Just good old tech news and reviews!  So instead of me rambling on for a long time in this introduction to my blog, just head over to my channel for now.  You will find that things are pretty simple around there, and you will enjoy lots of new products I've reviewed already.  So enough of this, I will be sure to keep my word this time and give you what you want.

Thank you, and remember...if it's not 'tech talk', it's not worth talking about.

J. Williams