Here comes the Superstar of budget smartphones as S-CSL unveils 2 more Android smartphones that will meet everyone’s budget. The Switch MARS Mi450 and Switch PLUTO Mi406 are the latest Android smartphones to join their precedents, the Switch Mercury Mi501 and Switch Star Mi460. All of them have Dual SIM Dual Standby capability and all of them are below RM1k. I managed to spend some time with the Switch MARS Mi450 and here’s my take on it so far.

Up Close and Personal – Hands-On Review

The Switch MARS Mi450 is an Android 4.0 ICS smartphone with 4.5” qHD LCD Capacitive Touchscreen. At first glance, the MARS bears similar outfit with many Android smartphones out there. It has a solid built candy bar form and is equipped with front and back camera with LED flash. Although having a plasticky body, the MARS feels really nice in my hand. It’s slightly non-slip back cover feels really tough too and it doesn’t crack easily when you try to pry it off to remove the battery.

Check out my hands-on video review here:

Performance

Under the hood, the 1.2GHz Dual Core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 chipset delivers remarkable performance on the MARS Mi450. Powered with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the responsiveness of the touchscreen is rather fluid and doesn’t feel that cheap at all. In fact, it feels far greater than certain SONY Xperia range which is about the same price.

Playing graphic intensive games on the MARS Mi450 is pretty fun too. Games such as Temple Run, Subway Surfer and Asphalt run without much fuzz on it. You can also get into multiplayer competition with the integrated Wi-Fi.

Multimedia and Display

The 4.5” qHD LCD Capacitive Touchscreen delivers a moderate 540×960 display which is pretty good for surfing and even to watch video on it. Although the screen doesn’t shout HD all over, it still delivers crisp and rather detailed display. The responsiveness of the capacitive touchscreen is admirable with the Snapdragon chipset.

Equipped with a 5.0 megapixels auto-focus camera with LED flash on the back, the MARS Mi450 snaps pretty good images. The front 0.3 megapixels is nothing to shout about but good enough to make Skype calls.
The MARS Mi450 also comes equipped with FM radio built-in and standard MP3/MP4 player. You can play most multimedia file on it and the sound quality is pretty reasonable. No beats audio or whatsoever but still delivers great music any time.

Dual SIM Dual Standby

Now this is probably something you hardly heard of from any other bigger brands but dual SIM phones have been around for quite some time already. Adopting Dual SIM into the MARS Mi450 allows user to switch between two different mobile networks instead of having two different devices. Its dual standby mode allows user to make and calls using their selected mobile network of their choice.

Memory and Storage

The MARS Mi450 comes with 4GB built-in storage with 512MB of RAM. This configuration is just good enough for this device to run most of the commonly used Apps such as WhatsApp, Waze and quite a lot more. If in need of more storage space, there’s always a microSD expansion slot.

Other Notable Features

Other notable features are connectivity tools such as v.2.1 Bluetooth, DLNA and A-GPS support. The S-UNNO app allows users to make calls to anyone in the world at low cost rates, regardless of whether they are at home, work or travelling, right off their mobile phone.
It empowers the users with true mobility and economical communication, without having to subscribe to costly mobile plans.

Summary

All-in-all, the MARS Mi450 is power-packed device but without the heavy price tag. I like the Switch MARS Mi450 for the fact that it is powerful enough for my day-to-day usage of apps and tough enough even when I stuff it into my jeans’ pocket.

For the price tag of RM699, the Switch MARS Mi450 is definitely a tough contender in the budget phone category.

You can find out more specifications here.

Specs and Features Leaked Hours before Launch.

It has become a norm that days or even hours before any flagship products are being launched, there will definitely a train of speculations and even leaked photos.

Hours before the much awaited Android phone since… er the Galaxy S3, a set of photos and videos which originated from a Chinese forum, was stumbled upon and could very well suggest what the Samsung Galaxy S4 will be like.

The device has been measured and it suggests the as-rumoured 1080p HD display could be true with its 4.99-inch screen. According to Redmondpie, the device is powered with an Exynos 5410 (8-core) processor clocked at 1.8GHz, allied to a PowerVR SGX 544MP3 GPU, 2GB of RAM and 16GB storage.

The launch event will kick off in NYC hours later on Friday early morning but I won’t jump in joy just yet. This could be a very thoroughly planned prank but if this device for real, we’ll definitely be in for some excitement.

(Image Source: 52Samsung | via SammyHub)

Just like many Thor memes that I did before, this time I decided to jump on the Harlem Shake bandwagon and made a video of it.

Called the ‘Harlem Shake Creator Lite‘, the free app will guide you through step by step to create your very own Harlem Shake video on your Android devices. It takes less than a minute to record and create your very own Harlem Shake video which you have an option to upload it to YouTube.com, just like I did.

Of course, the ‘Lite’ version of the app is FREE and comes with banner ads and you’re not able to save it to your device. However, with the ‘Pro’ version, you can save every version of Harlem Shake videos on your Android devices without the banner ads in your face.

So let the Harlem Shake fiesta begins!

Samsung will most likely unveil the new Galaxy S4 in the upcoming Unpacked event that will take place in New York on Thursday, March 14, at 7 p.m. ET. The news came to light after Samsung tweeted the invite bearing the tagline ‘Ready 4 The Show’. The event will also be live-streamed on Samsung Mobile’s YouTube page.

March 14. Ready 4 the show? #UNPACKED twitter.com/SamsungMobile/…

— Samsung Mobile (@SamsungMobile) 25 Februari 2013

Although little are known about the specs on the next-gen S4 but it is reported that it will be equipped with the latest Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2. and a 4.99-inch SuperAmoled display. Other reports such as an eight-core Exynos processor and a separate graphics processing chip, 2GB of memory a 13-megapixel rear camera with 1080p video capability, and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera could fall through.

As for now, we’ll just have to wait ’4′ the unveiling.

If you’re a rock fan like me, you’d probably be really excited by now to read the title of this post. Well, stay excited as there’s a high possibility that Guns N’Roses will be rocking Malaysia this March.

In an article by Business Circle, it is clearly written that the legendary rock band will be performing at the post race concert in conjunction with the 15th Anniversary of F1 in Malaysia.

The 15th anniversary of F1 in Malaysia will continue to be exciting with post race concerts. For the first time, we will see legendary Guns N Roses performing at the concert. This is the band’s first performance in Malaysia and their first post race concert for F1. We will provide more value to ticket holders to enjoy the many benefits and privileges such as discounts and vouchers for fine dining, retails, parties, public transport and tourism attractions.

The Star daily feature’s twitter account, @MyStarTwo tweeted about the concert as well but so far there’s no further info on ticketing of this post race concert at all.

Take the night train down to Sepang on Mar 24, cos GUNS ‘N’ ROSES will be performing at the F1 Circuit after the F1 Malaysian GP!

— Star2, The Star (@MyStarTwo) 29 Januari 2013

Now there is a possibility that GE13 could be on the same month but as for now, I’m gonna stay positive on this. So stick around, I will find out more soon.*

ROCK ON _\00/

There are many reasons I can tell you why I love the AquaTouch that much but I’m just gonna tell you the important ones for now.

Wet Shave – Perhaps the most amazing experience about shaving with the AquaTouch AT890 is being able to shave in the shower. I love shaving while I’m in the shower because I get to do both things at once. And it’s definitely easier for me to rinse off and clean up myself and the shaver right inside the shower. The AquaTec technology allows the shaver to be used in wet and dry condition, and the QuickRinse system makes sure that your AquaTouch is always clean and ready to use any time.

Dry Shave – Before turning to Philips AquaTouch, I’ve tried shaving with conventional cartridge razor and boy, it was a painful experience. Dry shaving is quite impossible with any other conventional razors but it’s now possible for me since I got my hands on the AquaTouch shaver. Dry shaving allows you to shave when you’re on the go, most of the time when I’m stuck in traffic. With its Smooth Glide and Dual Blades, I get a smooth and cleaner shave even without shaving cream. Once you’re done, just put back the protective cap and store it your backpack or anywhere cool. Cleaning is required once you get access to water supply where you can just simply rinse it off under running water.

Battery Life – The AquaTouch AT890 gives me 50+ minutes of cordless shave and if it ever runs out of battery, a quick 3-minutes charge with give me enough power for single shave. Since I got my AquaTouch AT890 almost 5 weeks ago, I haven’t been charging it at all. That shows how much technology Philips has put into the AquaTouch to make consumer’s life easier.

There are plenty more reasons for the AquaTouch shaver but I will let you find out yourself. As for now, I’m glad I’ve got my AquaTouch AT890 and there’s no turning back for me.

Bye bye razor cuts, hello smooth clean shaves!

This post if part of Philips 50 Shaves of a Modern Man contest. It would be great if you can give me a THUMBS UP everyday if you like my post. Thanks!

With all the latest technology and gadgets available for a modern man, one can only imagine how a caveman shaves their beard in the Neanderthal era. Or perhaps one should just check out this TVC from Philips.

Shaving the conventional way with razor cartridges and blades can be rather painful at times – but razor cuts and bumps, uneven shave and even skin irritation are now things of the past thanks to the Philips AquaTouch electric shavers.

If there is a Philips AquaTouch shaver existed back in the 19th century, Sweeney Todd would have been celebrated as the Marvelous Barber of Fleet Street instead.

This post if part of Philips 50 Shaves of a Modern Man contest. It would be great if you can give me a THUMBS UP everyday if you like my post. Thanks!

My early morning routine is pretty much the same every day even for weekends. I wake up, brush my teeth, take a quick morning shower and then shave. But what you may not know is that I like to shave in the shower. Yes, when I’m showering.

My Philips AquaTouch AT890 is patented with AquaTec technology which allows both comfortable dry shaves and refreshing wet shave. Its rounded low friction protection heads and dual blade system adjust to the curves of my face and glide smoothly to offer great skin protection and a super smooth shave. I no longer get any skin irritation after shaving.

Every morning, I jump into the shower, I whip up some shaving cream onto my chin and start shaving. I used to shave using conventional cartridge razor and the shaving experience wasn’t that fun before. Not when you end up with skin irritation from worn out razors and unwanted razor cuts… yee-ouch!

Shaving in the shower has its benefits. Washing off the shaving cream is easy and with the Philips AquaTouch AT890, cleaning the shaver itself is much easier. Just a quick rinse under running water and the AquaTouch shaver ready for the next shave. Oh ya, don’t worry about me getting electrocuted because the AquaTouch AT890 is rechargeable and totally safe to use in any wet condition.

Perhaps the best thing about the Philips AquaTouch shaver is that you can never run out of time to shave, even when it’s totally out of battery. A quick 3 minutes charge of the AquaTouch AT890 and it’s good enough for one shave. So, no more excuse to look sloppy and untidy in the morning.

This post if part of Philips 50 Shaves of a Modern Man contest. It would be great if you can give me a THUMBS UP everyday if you like my post. Even if you don’t, THUMBS UP for me too laaa, ok? Thanks!

Instagram is making their first major policy change since it was acquired by Facebook a couple of months ago and it is not exactly a good news for its 30 million registered users during this festive season.

So if you’re an Instagram user just like me, it’s time to consider shutting down your account because Instagram will is selling our photos uploaded to their platform without paying us a single cent.

Here’s an excerpt from Cnet.com, “Under the new policy, Facebook claims the perpetual right to license all public Instagram photos to companies or any other organization, including for advertising purposes, which would effectively transform the Web site into the world’s largest stock photo agency.”

Unbelievable, right? Well, read on.

If you continue to upload more photos after January 16, 2013 and then decided to quit and delete your account; you may have immediately granted Facebook irrevocable right to sell those images in perpetuity.

So, if I’m seriously considering deleting my Instagram account entirely, I will have to do it now. Or else, I will continue to upload photo like this…

Hey Instagram, you can sell this instead!

So, you’re a modern man. But do you know what makes you a modern man? I sure do, with the Philips AquaTouch AT890 electric shaver, I’m every bit of a modern man there is today.

Modern day shaving gets easier with the Philips AquaTouch electric shaver as I get shave on-the-go wherever I am. Being a working professional, a husband and a father, I’m definitely very thankful to have a Philips AquaTouch by my side. The extra time I get from using the AquaTouch surely makes a lot of difference in my life… especially when I’m rushing for time.

Now wherever I go, I get to have a clean, smooth shave everyday. The best of all, no more skin irritation!

This post if part of Philips 50 Shaves of a Modern Man contest. It would be great if you can give me a THUMBS UP everyday if you like my post. Even if you don’t, THUMBS UP for me too laaa, ok? Thanks!