Product Review: Samsung Galaxy M21

Tag: Meets expectations from a mid-range budget mobile phone.

Review date: Jun 7, 2020. All scores are subjective and are subject to revision over time.

Received: May 23, 2020.

Setup/Initialization: Easy, thanks to the Samsung Smart Switch app. I could install that app in my old Xiaomi Note 4, and it automatically transferred most of my apps within a few minutes during first startup visa wifi. That included contacts and chat messages. I was overjoyed that my contacts had not been messed up like the last two times I had switched mobile. It was all done in about 10 minutes. Manual effort was needed just to restore WhatsApp data backup from cloud, which is the way it must be done anyway.

Slight setback: For a couple of games that couldn't sync with my Google cloud, I sadly lost the data. Android 10 didn't let me manually copy those application folders from my old phone and restore them into my new phone. This was not a serious setback for me, I just started playing the games from scratch.

Dark Mode: Personally, this was one of the main reasons why I switched to a phone with Android 10, and AMOLED display. Xiaomi Note 4 had failed me on this point. Now most apps on my phone follow the system dark theme workout any issues, including most websites on Chrome (without using the Force Dark Mode experimental flag). I give Samsung Galaxy M21 a score of 10/10 for this particular feature.

Cameras: With the 3+ 1 cameras, wide angle option even for selfie camera, clarity of images (I don't expect professional quality photography from a mobile phone, specially at night), slo mo, ultra slo mo, Super Steady option for videos etc... I give it 9/10, and I'm extremely satisfied with that.

Fingerprint reader: No issues as of today. Score: 10/10.

Battery life: This phone has the biggest battery among all those I've used till now. In the last week of use, I've found the battery to last for a day on an average, even when playing assorted games, extensive browsing, using the phone as hotspot over an office VPN, streaming videos on YouTube and Prime. So as of now I would say it is working as advertised, so 10/10.

Size/Build/Weight: It is a big screen, so reaching the keyboard and the volume keys with one hand is a bit clumsy. But that is expected, I knew what I was buying. The back is glossy plastic, which is a fingerprint magnet, so I immediately got a back cover for overall protection. Even so, the phone is slightly heavier than expected, but I guess that's because of the large battery.

Overall Score: At this time, 9/10.

Product link: 

https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07HGH88GL?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

I'm here for you in 2020

Here we are again, then. At the edge of an annual passage. To the new year, ahoy! To 2020!

A couple of questions, though. Are we celebrating? For real? If not, then what's all the hubba hubba about? If yes, then what exactly are we celebrating?

Usually this time of the year we wish each other well, we pray for our friends, we resolve to help them succeed in the coming year, and we celebrate the fact that we will succeed together. 

Right now, though, how many of us are really thinking about our friends? How many of us have really wished our friends well? How many of us have told our friends that we'll be there for them? How many of us have resolved to help our friends achieve their dreams in the coming year?

I'm safely assuming not many. These days everyone seems to think only about themselves. Nobody thinks about friends. They're not at fault, of course, because they're pressured by our current political system to worry only about themselves and their family. So they're not morally ready to wish anybody else. Sad.

I told my friend that I care, that I'm here if she needs me. And I meant every word of it. So I know what I'm celebrating right now. And I'm proud of it. 

I don't care what our politicians think, they're idiots.

Happy 2020 to all my friends, I'm here for you guys and gals. Just a call away.

Mexican Army Proverbs

Some of the best Mexican army proverbs I've heard:

They tried to bury us; they didn't know we were seeds.

There's no worse struggle than one that never begins. (In chess we know this as the threat is more potent than the execution).

The brave only lives as long as the coward lets him.

The right time to dine is: for the rich man, when he's hungry; for the poor man, when he has something to eat.

There's no deaf man whose than the man who doesn't want to listen.

Wounds from the knife are healed, but not those from the tongue.

Movie Review: Bell Bottom (Kannada)

Watched the movie on recommendation from a colleague who said it was a "detective movie" . 

I give it 4/10. And that's because I want to encourage the actors.

It was a comedy in parts, which is why it was watchable, but there was nothing "detective" about it. In fact, it was brainless rubbish, plus brainless love story, plus brainless emotions.

The acting was good enough considering the lousy plot and story. I think the actors deserve much better.

Wish people don't recommend such rubbish. My time is valuable.

Movie Review: Missing on a weekend.

Here's the latest movie I enjoyed...

Star cast is not famous, but its a good story... And specially the guy playing the cop has acted very well.

These real artists deserve to be famous more than the idiots who play superheroes today.

https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0NYJNCXSAOE1MZAIB2I2HTQG9T/ref=atv_wtlp_wtl_5

Introducing FACT

Introducing, and announcing the readiness of the FACT protocol franework for software developers.

FACT is Franework for Application Communication via TCP.. It is a messaging protocol that wraps around TCP,, and acts as an agent between applications that need to communicate via request/response, and subscription/broadcast mechanisms.

Applications that use FACT need not bother with TCP communication, or with interprocess or network communication; FACT does all that work. They can access remote resources just as simply as they would access a locally available resource: a simple method call, and simple callback handlers.

With all their IT experience, most serious developers are able to develop backend and desktop applications with or without RDBMS support. Communication between sub-processes or with the presentation layer will no more be a challenge if they develop around FACT. All they need to do is exchange a FACT API with the relevant teams, and their applications can integrate seamlessly as long as everyone adheres to the simple protocol of FACT.

Get in touch for more information.

Funny stuff.

Well, there was no war. The opponent showed some respect, so there was no reason to fight.

The trouble wasn't the opponent. The trouble was the people who took advantage of the opponent. All I had to do was be my straightforward self, and their attack fizzed out.