Samsung Galaxy Note II - Is this love that I'm feeling?

Despite my four years as a tech journalist, and several more as a gadget geek before that, I have rarely fallen in love with a mobile phone. I once had a Motorola that lit up with disco lights when it rang - which I dubbed 'Disco Phone' - but I have always tended towards flings, rather than full blown love affairs with these devices.

The thing is when you first unbox any handset, it is all shiny, new and begging to be played with.  But the novelty always wears off so quickly and within a matter of weeks you are looking elsewhere to trade in and trade up for the next new mobile with the even flashier lights.

Well, that is how you feel until you find the one ladies and gentleman, and I believe this time, my love is for keeps. 

The Samsung Galaxy Note II looks beautiful. It may be on the large size for some with its 5.5" screen, but for me this meant fewer mistakes when typing and made it a lot easier to find in my bag when having to sift through all my junk to answer a phone call. 

The 1,280 x 720 resolution on the HD Super AMOLED screen is crisp and clear, and together with the size of the screen makes watching videos, reading large documents or video calling with colleagues a pleasure rather than a chore. 

The screen also compliments the easy to use camera, giving you great views of your 8MP rear shooter or 1.9MP front facer with simple pinch to zoom design and auto focus. 

Despite its size, the Note II is surprisingly light at 180g - compared to the iPhone's 144g - and although it isn't made to slip in a pocket, it is thin enough - 9.44mm - to not take up much room in a laptop bag or briefcase.

Samsung Galaxy Note II Hits Korean Store Shelves (Photo credit: samsungtomorrow)

I never thought I would celebrate the return of the stylus either as my last one was part of the flimsy design of Nokia's Express Music phone, but this accessory is much sturdier and slips seamlessly into the casing of the device.

When using it on screen, you can hover the pointer over menus to allow for drop down options, and when your choice is made, the reactiveness of the screen is quick without being oversensitive. But it is all the extra features the Note II enables that make the stylus such a welcome addition. 

The handwriting recognition is superb and it became my default choice when sending emails or text messages to friends and colleagues. The ability to select sections of text or images and cut it out using the stylus was also great for collaborative work on large documents, but felt as easy - if not simpler - that doing it on a PC or laptop. 

The thing is the Note II is not designed as a basic phone. It is designed as a tool for multi-tasking with a built in component of being able to make calls. 

This is not the first time a smartphone has been advertised as this, in fact that is the point of most smartphones, but it is the first time I have used one that genuinely felt like a mini computer in your hand and would make me consider leaving the laptop at home.

It is only when calling that the Note II falls down. The positioning of the speaker for calls is too close to the edge of the device, meaning have to fiddle about with positioning before you get decent audio. Also, there is no denying you feel a tad silly holding 5.5" of plastic up to your face. 

But I can forgive this thanks to nifty Samsung ideas with calling, such as if you have someone's contact details on screen, you can lift the phone to your ear and it will automatically dial for you. Also, you can either swipe right if you want to send a text message or swipe left to make a call, depending on your preference for the contact. 

The only reason I can see that the Samsung Galaxy Note II won't be to everyone's tastes is purely physical. But I believe size matters for the better, and one week with this will leave your iPhone or BlackBerry feeling awkward and fiddly, whilst the Note II will make you realise how simple day to day tasks can become with a bigger screen.

It may be large, but it still pulls off sleek. It has the performance of a complex machine but the simplicity and usability of a Fisher Price calculator. Big is beautiful when it comes to the Samsung Galaxy Note II and I see a very happy future for the smartphone and me. 

Available free on Vodafone Red Business plan for £40.83 per month with a virtual landline number, unlimited minutes, unlimited texts, 1GB mobile data and 2GB UK Wi-Fi

Top 8 ways to annoy a tech blogger

You may think that a tech blogger’s life is a glamorous whirl of free lunches, great gadgets and being bought drinks at conferences. If so then you are probably following the wrong bloggers. In fact, it’s more like a long round of typing, getting annoyed with PRs and founders and then some more (louder) typing.

The methods of annoying a tech blogger are myriad. So following the phenomenal success of “How to pitch to tech journalists“, we at VentureBeat have decided to enlighten the world on some of the most infuriating.


1. Having no respect for my time 

One of the few sane things I have seen Chris Sacca say (admittedly I only saw him speak once and that was in Amsterdam) is that email is a task list created for you by someone else. Of no one is this more true than the tech blogger. I am not an extension of  your marketing team so don’t treat me like I am.

When pitching, be succinct. Do not make me drag the story out of you, only to discover that there is no story. Do not corner me at an event and spend an hour trying to bludgeon me into writing about your company.

Be aware that a story on an established company is much more likely to get page views than one about an unknown startup. So it’s a bigger investment for a blogger to write about you at an early stage. Be gracious in return.

2. Taking constructive criticism as an insult

If I don’t write about your company but give some feedback on the product or pitch, don’t get angry. Tech bloggers can be shorted-sighted, prejudiced or just plain wrong, but we do hear a lot of pitches and may have something useful to tell you.

If I have replied to the pitch or given feedback on the demo without doing an article, that’s an investment of my time for which I have received nothing in return. I recently explained to one founder why I wasn’t going to write about his company and suggested some alternative outlets. Instead of getting offended he said “Thanks for the tips and for reminding me what being a real journalist means.” Now that’s stylish.

3. Claiming to “love my work” 

This is often followed by a pitch for a story that is nowhere near the topics I normally cover. Don’t claim to know my work unless you do. You don’t have to be a fan to convince me to write about you (although obviously it helps). Bloggers want interesting stories. All you have to do is be interesting, and preferably nice too.

4. Lying, including lying by omission

Do not tell me that this is an exclusive when it isn’t or neglect to mention that three other rival publications have already covered the story. Don’t inflate the number of users, employees or customers. Don’t make claims that are just not true. If we publish these “facts” we end up looking stupid and will never write about your company again.

Similarly, do not send corrections to your basic PR info after the story has been published. You should get it right before you send it.

5. Pitching over the phone

Most bloggers have a preferred method of contact. Here at VentureBeat, it’s email to tips@venturebeat.com.
Don’t over-rule that and contact us via phone, Skype or by throwing stones at our window. Pitching over the phone is particularly annoying because we then have to take notes and later turn them into something legible.

6. Mailing me the same story 5 times

It’s perfectly acceptable to resend a pitch email. It might have been a busy news day. We might have had a day off. But sending the same story more than twice, in the hope that we will miraculously see the light, is just plain annoying. Don’t do it.

7. Mis-managing embargos 

Don’t set an embargo time and then change it. There is always some idiot who won’t get the message and will publish at the original time. Pick a time and stick to it.

Also do not hold everyone to an embargo except for one publication. That’s like promising everyone a slice of cake and then giving the whole cake to someone else.

8. Sending out an unannounced news release on Sunday night
Because we don’t spend all our time typing.

Sony HDRPJ260V High Definition Handycam Camcorder

Being one of the latest 2012 models, the Sony HDRPJ260V is a compact camcorder with many useful features. Equipped with a 16GB internal flash memory, this video camera is readily usable and can record up to 3 hours of video in HDLP quality.

There is an additional capability to shoot stills with resolution up to 8.9 Megapixels.

Main Features of Sony HDRPJ260V

Full HD Video Recording – Offering the highest resolution of 1920 x 1080 with 60i recording, the Sony HDRPJ260V lets the user to shoot videos in full high definition. With a highly sensitive Back-illuminated Exmor CMOS sensor, low-light situations can be captured with reduced noise and grains. Combined with the Optical SteadyShot Image stabilization and three-way shake cancellation features, the result is an amazingly clear and smooth footage.

Advanced Audio Capabilities – The HDRPJ260V Camcorder comes with improved audio input (5.1 channel surround mic) and output (Clear Phase stereo speakers with digital amplification). The capabilities can be expanded with the help of external mic and headphone inputs. With advanced acoustic processor and improved noise reduction techniques, the voices are clearly recorded after cancelling out wind noise and other distortions.
Sony G Wide Angle Lens – Manufactured using superior Sony technology, this fine lens captures all colors and details close to reality. Optical zoom is capable of reaching 30 times farther and extended zoom increases it up to 55x. High clarity is maintained even at greater zoom levels.
Built-in Projector – This attractive feature brings alive the video recordings anywhere and is a great way of sharing memories with friends. It displays the videos in high contrast and projects well on screens or any clear surface up to 100 inches wide diagonally.

Intelligent Auto Mode – The compact Sony Handycam offers up to 120 combination of scene modes, which include tripod, walk, landscape, portrait, baby, back light, low light, spot light and many more, to cater to a wide variety of situations. This offers lot of choice to the user without having to bother about appropriate lighting and exposure.
Face Detection, Smile Detection and Tracking Focus – With these features, it is easy to locate a moving subject, a baby for instance, and maintain the focus on it while recording a video. A simple touch on the LCD is required to choose the object of focus, and the camcorder does the rest. The focus is maintained even when the subject goes in and out of the frame. The Smile Detection automatically clicks a picture during a video, whenever it sees a smiling face.
Highlight Playback – This function is a better alternative to tedious video editing. With this mode, it is easy to compile only the key shots into a complete movie with background music and transition effects. This task can be done within the camcorder itself without having to connect to a computer.

File Transfer Options – A built-in USB cable, which sits conveniently in the hand strap, enables PC connection for easy access of files and software without needing a separate cable. This cable also serves to recharge the camcorder. There is also a facility to connect directly to an external hard drive for file transfer without using a computer. This establishes a two way connection, which allows video files on HDD to be played back in the camera.
Built-in GPS Receiver – This feature is highly useful while travelling, which automatically tags your video with locations and allows viewing them on the built-in map display. With this function, the internal clock is also adjusted automatically to the changing time zones.

Negative Aspects

While many other features of HDRPJ20V are commendable, the absence of viewfinder may be bothersome, especially while trying to get a video in strong light. To take advantage of some of the features, especially HDTV playback and External HDD connection, compatible cables should be bought separately. Another limitation is that the video format is not compatible with Apple devices and needs to be converted using external software.