Reliance JioFi review and unboxing experience with photos.

The Purchase!!

After a lot of waiting, I received an email in the middle of the night from Jio offering their wifi / MiFi device with the most sought after sim card, the Reliance Jio prepaid sim card with Jio 4G preview offer. I was in front of the Reliance digital store early morning at 10:30 am. I noticed 2 sign boards outside the shop stating opening time as 10 am and 11am. So I just waited for the shop to open at 11 am. 

At 11:00.00 Am the shop shutters opened. I went in and asked for the JioFi device. and the salesman just handed over a small blue colored box to me.

I was then led to a separate billing counter setup just for sales of the wifi device. They used a mobile phone camera and an app to prepare the bill. I was then led to another counter where the person at the counter provided me with a sim activation form. He reminded me that this needs to be carefully filled and no mistakes/ overwriting/ scratching will be accepted. After I was done, the sales guy checked and started filling the missing fields himself where he made a mistake and had to get another form. He then asked me to only sign the form in two places and once across my photo and he will fill up the rest of the form himself. I was told that the sim will activate in maximum 48 hours.

The Review

The device charges using the standard micro usb port which is good.

The device supports connecting using WPS.

The device comes with a micro sim adapter which I did not need. The Jio sim card comes with three pre cuts so you can use it as a sim, micro sim or a nano sim.

 Strangely, the device also comes with a good quality micro usb charger which is rated 5V 1A and can be used to charge your phone also.

They also provided a set of jio stickers.

The remaining review to follow after the sim gets activated!!!

Update after 48 hours: The sim has no signs of life yet.

Update after72 hours: The sim has not been activated yet. Feeling disappointed now.

Third day morning, I went to the reliance store where I bought the device. After sweet talk didn't work, a few threats of escalation worked. The employee took a note of my name and the jio number and assured me that it will activate by afternoon.

Third day afternoon, I received the message that my sim is ready for tele verification.

I tried to call the tele verification number but they are facing such high call volumes. I keep getting a message that they are experiencing system issues and I will need to call them back.

Later that night I could connect to that number and after multiple attempts I could get the data services activated.

4 th day: I am just amazed by the quality of the jio apps. They have just taken care of everything for us. You can listen to any song. Watch any movie, tv episode, even live tv.

Initially the account shows that you have 2 GB data. But I consumed that data in just 12 hours. :-)

5th day: finally managed to get voice services activated. Voice clarity is good. But trying to call anyone is still a difficult task. I keep getting the route is busy message. I got through once, and the call dropped after 9 minutes of talk. And then again I couldn't call that person.

E-Sanyaas

Young bachelors, working for well known multi national corporations, brains filled with technology and the will to explore the new. We wanted to own and try every possible gadget that was launched in the market. We had the money to spend and didn't know what to spend on.

Our spendings started when we were in school with game CDs, music cassettes, (yes I am that old) music CDs, expensive headphones and then diverted towards other technology products. We used to read all the published tech magazines. We had the latest PC with super fast processors. We were the lucky few who had our own dial up internet connection when it was launched in India. With isp like eth, caltiger (free internet), VSNL, sify etc, we tried them all.

Skyrocketing telephone bills, electricity bills, optician's bills, nothing could seperate us from the latest technology.

Cell phones were a luxury at that time and call rates were as high as RS 3 per minute and we had to pay for incoming calls too!!! Slowly and steadily we convinced our parents that it is a good idea for us to carry a cell phone with us. Incoming calls became free and we jumped with joy. We numbed our thumbs typing unlimited sms on the latest Nokia 3310.

Then came broadband, BSNL launched blazing fast 256 kbps broadband connections, and obviously we were the first few to apply for it and get it.

Smartphones by Nokia (Symbian based) started becoming a big hit, we had to own them too. I sold my old gadgets, old computer, bicycle and my cell phone and got myself a pre-owned Symbian smart phone. It was just amazing, it was a phone which had a camera in it!! colour screen, bluetooth and internet. My hands never left my cellphone since that day. I just had to have my cellphone with me at all times. From an optional accessory the cell phone became a necessity. I forget to carry my wallet a couple of times but never forget my phone.

Then came in e-commerce, an amazing idea by someone who could forsee the future well. With websites like baazee.com and rediff shopping, indiatimes shopping, we were dazed to know what all is available for sale in India. Soon e-commerce became a big hit in India and we were hooked on to it. Baazee.com was bought over by eBay corp. Flipkart, myntra, snapdeal and many more e-commerce websites were launched. Technology, gadgets became more and more accessible to us. We couldn't stop ourselves from buying all the possible gadgets, few of which we never used till date. eBay was my favourite, where I have bought so many gadgets that I don't even recall buying now.

Me and my close friend have been suffering from this compulsive addiction to purchase tech products I guess just because they were so easily available online. I'm pretty sure if I scan the local markets, I would find the same thing but I would not buy everything there.

To add to it is electronic money. You stop realising how much you are actually spending because you don't actually see the currency go away from your hands. If your pockets feel lighter, we would stop spending so much on unnecessary things.

Buying online is so so easy now, just pick your phone, open the app, search, press buy. It hardly takes 5 minutes and that too from the comfort of my couch.

Once I was looking for a pen drive at home to copy and take a few videos with me on a trip. I couldn't find it anywhere. I instantly picked my phone and bought a pen drive to be delivered the same day. I got the new pen drive in just a couple of hours. That's when I realised I needed to stop.

Me and my friend used to confess to each other after making an online purchase. We both tried to stop each other from buying things that we didn't need. But both were neck deep in the same puddle. We couldn't save each other while we were our self drowning in it.

We used to read about the bad effects of these gadgets on our health, in the news and on the internet and like any normal person chose to ignore it. Soon I started to see the I'll effects of only staring at computers, phone, tv, tablet whole day. I suffer from pain in my wrist, pain in my elbow and dry eyes. Some days I get a headache because of this.

E-Sanyaas was a term created by my friend and me. We started realising that we need to get out of this before its too late. First was my friend. He gave up technology for a week. No internet, no whatsapp, no online shopping. Oneweek passed by and he was a new person. Then it was my turn. I wasn't able to convince myself to give up my passion. Then one not so fine day, i dropped my HTC one and the display shattered. At the same time i got a nokia 107 gift and so my E-Sanyaas began. My HTC was at the service center for three weeks. I was  cursing myself for dropping my phone. The first week was a very difficult time for me, Every few minutes I took out my phone for multiple reasons, and realised that the phone was incapable of helping me. I borrowed my friends phone at times, and used my office PC for the rest of the times.

It was soon evident to me how dependent I had become on this device - the smartphone. The second and third week passed by very easily and quickly. I got my phone back after repairs. My E-Sanyaas was finally over. I was so happy. But then, I started feeling the pain of carrying my smartphone with me all the time. More than a convinience it started feeling like a burden carrying an expesive device in my pocket. Keeping the battery charged at all times.

I started to spend a lot of time without my phone around me. The FUP on my unlimited broadband connection remained untouched. I feel very free now. I dont get up every morning searching for my phone with my eyes still closed. Its a very good feeling. I am not dependent on technology now. I just use it for the reason it was made for.  For all those of you who are slaves to technology should try this.

E-Sanyaas (c)

Sony Xperia Acro S [LT26W] Jellybean [6.2.B.0.200] Root

 




Download Jellybean Firmware
LT26w v4.1.2(6.2.B.0.200)   Password is MMAS
flash this firmware if you have already not got the OTA update.

Bootloader should be unlocked for this procedure.
To check:
Dial *#*# 7378423 #*#*   -> “Service Info” -> “Configuration“.
Bootloader unlock allowed – Yes << Then Bootloader is Locked
Bootloader Unlocked         – Yes << Then Bootloader is unlocked
To Unlock Bootloader
Open flashtool, click on unlock bootloader button, and done!!
or you can use the method on Sony developer site.

acro s kernel  =>  Download Link 
update-superSU-v 1.25.zip   =>    Download Link 

copy update-superSU-v 1.25.zip to your sd card


Save acro s kernel file in the flash tool’s firmware folder
Connect your phone to the PC in fastboot mode by pressing ( power off >> volume up Key) Press flash button on flashtool, select fastboot mode and press OK


In the Fastboot Toolbox, press “Select Kernel to Flash”


Once completed flashing, safely remove flashboot phone and then go to recovery mode by pressing power and holding volume up key unlit it vibrates and notification LED lights up.
In recovery mode select  install zip from sd /external sd, select  update-superSU-v 1.25.zip Install, Reboot.


You should have root and SuperSU app installed.

All credits to a Burmese website (www dot myanmarmobileapp dot com) where I found this procedure. Although I cant read their text, I guessed my way through most of it and it worked for me!!! 

 

Samsung Galaxy S4 Review

Pros

• Stunning 5-inch Full HD screen
• Vast array of features
• Powerful quad-core processor

Cons

• Plastic design
• A little bit expensive
• Limited storage space

 










Key Features: Full HD Super AMOLED 5-inch screen; 1.9GHz Quad-core Qualcomm Processor; 2GB RAM; Air View and Gesture; Smart Pause and Scroll; Infra Red remote; Temperature and humidity sensors; 13 megapixel camera

Manufacturer: Samsung

Samsung Galaxy S4 review

Introduction

The Samsung Galaxy S4 has a lot to live up to. Follow-on to the Samsung Galaxy S3, the most successful Android handset to date, the Galaxy S4 pits itself against renewed efforts from old rivals as well as the ever-present threat of Apple.

Given the hype surrounding the handset’s launch, however, a period that has seen months of build-up paired with countless rumours that would be the envy of any Apple launch, Samsung’s latest flagship phone looks set to face no issues in once again storming to the top of smartphone sales charts.

Samsung Galaxy S4 vs Samsung Galaxy S3 and rivals

Off the bat, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is a truly impressive powerhouse smartphone. On paper, it’s Samsung’s most impressive handset to date, not least as it jumps from the 4.8-inch S3 to a 5-inch screen without any added bulk.

At 7.9mm thick, 136.6mm tall and 69.8mm wide, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is actually 0.8mm narrower and 0.7mm slimmer than the S3. It tips the scales at just 130g – 3g less than the S3 and a genuine featherweight. Unlike past models, however, it doesn’t feel unnervingly light, instead, balancing its weight evenly and reassuringly across the handset’s full length.



Samsung hasn’t just made the screen larger. The stunning 1,920 x 1,080p Super AMOLED Samsung Galaxy S4 screen is a serious boost from the S3’s 720p screen that creates an instant wow factor. It’s arguably the best screen ever seen on a smartphone and proves the Samsung Galaxy S4 is more than a spec baiting feature fest – it’s a quality product.

But it’s far from the first phone to have a 1080p full HD display, and the Samsung Galaxy S4 faces stiffer competition than its most recent predecessor. It goes head-to-head with a reinvigorated collection of high-end Android handsets, with both the HTC One and Sony Xperia Z lining up as the best smartphones ever produced by their respective manufacturers. There’s always the looming presence of Apple and the iPhone 5, too, though if anticipation is anything to go by then Samsung’s execs won’t be losing any sleep.

Samsung Galaxy S4 – Key Features Explained

What might be an issue, however, is the Samsung Galaxy S4’s less than ideal start to life. Less than a week after it was announced, Samsung backtracked on its promise to deliver the much-touted 1.6GHz Exynos 5 eight-core powered version of the phone originally pegged to hit the UK, instead sending the 1.9GHz quad-core option to British shores.

Although this revised British spec lacks the battery saving prowess promised by its eight-core sibling, it certainly has the grunt – the Samsung Galaxy S4 suffers virtually no lag, even when tackling all the heavy-duty tasks, power-hungry apps, games and multimedia content we could throw at it.

Other hardware upgrades on the Samsung Galaxy S4 follow recent Android trends. Its 13-megapixel rear-mounted camera is akin to that of the Sony Xperia Z, while 1080p Full HD video recording and an integrated flash ensure it’s equipped for any occasion.

Combined with a second, 2-megapixel snapper upfront – again with 1080p Full HD video recording at 30 frames-per-second –  the S4 cameras are excellent and the new Dual Shot feature lets you make use of both cameras simultaneously.

Dual Shot lets you take a photo or shoot a video with both cameras, with the front camera view appearing as a small ‘picture-in-picture’ thumbnail. It’s largely a gimmick that won’t appeal to everyone, but for those interested, Dual Shot gives the option for more personalised tourist snaps and party shots. It’s joined by Panorama, Eraser and Animated photo options that are quick and easy to set up and use, adding a new realm of possibilities.

At its core, Samsung has paired Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with the most recent iteration of its TouchWiz UI, creating an experience that is equal measures intuitive and brimmed with high-end features and options. Indeed, it’s the Samsung Galaxy S4’s software where Samsung has innovated over the S3, and how it distinguishes itself from the competition.

See the following pages of the review for a more detailed look the numerous unique software features, such as the S Health fitness app, Smart Pause, Smart Scroll and Air Gesture

There’s a raft of premium add-ons, like NFC, 4G LTE and even IR remote control, too, and unlike the HTC One it has a built-in microSD card slot to expand the standard 16GB, 32GB and 64GB capacities – although actual available storage is considerably less than advertised, more on which later.

Samsung Galaxy S4 – Price

All this muscle and a hearty collection of headline grabbing features come at a price, however, and in terms of the Samsung Galaxy S4 price, it’s a considerable one.

If you’re looking to buy, we suggest you look around to find a good deal before buying.

Samsung Galaxy S4 – Quick Verdict

There is no getting away from the fact that this phone has more hype surrounding it than any Android device that has preceded it. Fortunately, Samsung has backed up much of this anticipation with action, offering a well-rounded, extremely powerful device that, although lacking something on the aesthetical front, is sure to impress the masses.

Given the Samsung Galaxy S4’s near identical looks to the S3 and the somewhat run of the mill hardware updates, some will argue that the handset is more of a Samsung Galaxy S3S in the vein of Apple’s incremental updates than a true S3 successor. In truth and practice, however, the handset is a whole new beast and one which far outstrips what has been, until now at least, the world’s most successful Android smartphone.

Thanks to www.trustedreviews.com for the review.

Sony Xperia Acro S review

Only one word. Amazing
This phone has a really clear display. the bravia engine really helps.the graphics are clear, smooth, and very fluid even before I have the jelly bean update. The phone works very fast. Never faced  any problems with hanging or jerky operation.  The phone  is waterproof which is a clear advantage. I poured water on it as soon as I opened the box. I just couldn't believe my eyes. The dock that comes with it is a real charm. Just push the phone in it and forget all about opening the waterproof seals to connect the charger and charging it.
One of the problems that I face is that the battery backup is less. On a full charge the battery reaches 25% by the time I return home from work on a 2g network. Or 10% on 3g network. The speakers and loudspeaker is quite clear. The proximity sensor placement sometimes creates problems When I put the phone to my ear and move it around a bit, the screen comes on.
The 12MP shooter is great, But I took some time to set it up for getting good images. There are a million setting in the camera application and the default settings  doesn't do justice to it. Low light pictures are very grainy. Maybe tweaking the settings could help.
Overall, considering the price and the features, this is one amazing phone. If It's available in your country,  BUY IT...