Tech
Unboxing the Samsung Galaxy S III
I was due for a cellphone hardware upgrade since October 2011, but I just didn’t get it until recently. The reason why I didn’t get the upgrade right away was that I wanted to negotiate my contract first to see if I could somehow get it cheaper. I did get a few discounts for my cable/home phone/wireless bundle when I called in (internet used to be part of the bundle, but I switched over to another provider for that), and thought I would call in at a later time again to try to get a few more discounts. Anyway, since I have been very busy with everything else in my life, I didn’t get a chance to call in again. Now, the Samsung Galaxy S III (S3) is out, and I figured, oh well, just go ahead with it and whatever you currently pay for, just renew the 3-year contract.
I picked up my 32GB Marble White Samsung Galaxy S III on July 3rd, and was in love with it when I got it (currently, the other colour option is Pebble Blue). I was a bit hesitant before that to switch to an Android, since I have been a BlackBerry user for over two years and I felt I did not want to part with my BBM and BlackBerry keyboard. Anyway, I’m fine with it now, although I haven’t actually started using it.
See below for the photos of the unboxing of my Samsung Galaxy S III. I forgot to take a photo of the back of it before I got it armored. Included is a photo of the back of my phone after I got a pink Ghost Armor [www.ghost-armor.com] for it (thanks to Steve L. at the Scarborough Town Centre location for the discount).
The Samsung Galaxy S III is the flagship Android smartphone of Samsung Electronics released in 2012. Like its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S II, the S III is a touchscreen-based, slate-sized smartphone, with a significant addition of software features, expanded hardware, and a redesigned physique. In particular, it employs an intelligent personal assistant (S Voice), eye-tracking ability, wireless charging, and increased storage. Depending on countries, the 4.8-inch (120 mm) smartphone comes with different processors and RAM capacity, and 4G LTE support.
Transmitting Antennas
The following was taken from a research work submitted for my ECE 119 – Transmission Media class in 2006 at University of St. La Salle, Philippines.
Most practical transmitting antennas are divided into two basic classifications, HERTZ (half-wave) ANTENNAS and MARCONI (quarter-wave) ANTENNAS. Hertz antennas are generally installed some distance above the ground and are positioned to radiate either vertically or horizontally. Marconi antennas operate with one end grounded and are mounted perpendicular to the Earth or to a surface acting as a ground. Hertz antennas are generally used for frequencies above 2 megahertz. Marconi antennas are used for frequencies below 2 megahertz and may be used at higher frequencies in certain applications.
A complete antenna system consists of three parts:
- The COUPLING DEVICE
- The FEEDER
- The ANTENNA
The factors that determine the type, size, and shape of the antenna are:
- the frequency of operation of the transmitter,
- the amount of power to be radiated, and
- the general direction of the receiving set.
Image Credit: TeleDataSchool.com
BlackBerry OS 2.0 coming soon!
The BlackBerry PlayBook, a tablet computer with BlackBerry OS (based on QNX Neutrino) made by Research In Motion (RIM) which was first released in April 2011, didn’t quite impress a lot of people because of the lack of some features such as a native e-mail client, calendar, and contacts, even though the hardware is good.
Now, the long awaited OS 2.0, which will support those features, is expected to be released next week (February 21st as many speculate), so this is definitely good news! Also, the updated OS will allow the PlayBook to run Android apps. I’ve already installed the 2.0 beta version on mine, but haven’t really tested it fully. The beta had some of the features disabled, like the Video Chat, so I’m relieved that the 2.0 full version will be coming soon!
Please, RIM, don’t disappoint!
My Cisco Lab
I decided to get my own Cisco equipment to practice with after receiving a switch (thanks to Jon Nistor at TorIX). It would help in making me become more proficient in what I love to do, that is networking. So far, for my own Cisco lab, I have three devices to work with – 3524 switch, 2501 router, and a 2503 router. I’m still looking to get more equipment, better if it has the IOS 12.4 which has the SDM (Security Device Manager) as well, though not really necessary.
Also, I found out a couple days ago that there’s this really good resource website which actually provides free access to Cisco equipment for training purposes. The site is PacketLife.net. Lab equipment and other costs are provided or sponsored by the site’s owner, commercial sponsors, and voluntary contributions by the community members. I know of a few sites that allow you to use their equipment but for a fee, so hearing about this site was fantastic. Members can schedule to use 1 of 3 blocks of equipment that they have one session at a time.
I’ll be using that site as well from time to time when I need to work with more equipment than what I have.
Countdown Timer Circuit
“Countdown Timer Circuit” is a project submitted by my group, namely, M. Amit, P. Briones, R. Enriquez, R. Lacson, A. Saldivar (yours truly), K. Tom, and A. Uy, for our ECE 130 – Computer Application class way back August 31, 2006 at University of St. La Salle, Philippines.
INTRODUCTION
The seven-segment decoder is used in many applications. This can be used in displaying letters or numbers. It is most commonly used in digital clock displays, clock timers, and others. Using this has some advantages. For example, with a seven-segment decoder display, it is easier to read the time in a digital clock than with an analog one. It can be easily read because it easily catches the eye.
The group has chosen to create the digital project, Countdown Timer, in order to show one of the applications of the seven-segment decoder. This is only one of the many useful things that can be created with this component. Countdown timers can be started and then stopped at any time and then the display will be showing how much time had passed in between. This timer can be used in different activities. It can be used in sports, games, and in other areas.
We will be showing in the following pages the circuit schematic diagram, what components are to be used, and how the circuit operates.
SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM Read the rest of this entry »
Tech-Life in Pink 