Hmpf - I got a present, dammit

[Skybird]

"Many dogs are every rabbit's death..."

I got a present yesterday, not for christmas, but as a thanks, for I helped that family's kids out of a mess. The father learned that I do not own a smartphone, and he is partner and co-owner of one smartphone shop in nearby Osnabrück - and so i got a smartphone as a present.

:timeout:

Was mach ich denn jetzt bloß...? :wah:

Truth being told, some longer time ago I already was considering it, to have a navigator and a good camera in all compactness with me on my tours and trips, as a WLAN-driven device only, like a tablet. I do not want to have a full contract, and could need some minor data volume just to allow asking for train delays while travelling, little things like this and so forth, or to get a map of some train station in all detail. And so this morning I learned that I could have a minimum prepaid data volume for a nickle and a dime, I do not surf with this thing, and so 100 MB and 2 Euros per month and 9 pence per minute telephoning is sufficient, since I hate telephoning anyway, especially mobile. I can beef it up if it is not sufficient. The Osmand software is offering superior maps and good navigation with offline maps stored on the device, i already know it from my tablet, and the GPS sensors are sufficiently sensitive. The camera has 13 MB, a superb semi-pro interface, and shoots surprisingly good photos in good and medium light conditions (its a Huawei P9 lite), the camera really surprised me. Camera also offers nice tricks to compensate, to a certain degree, for lack of light when shooting in the dark. It cannot replace my old analogue SLR equipment of course, but it trumps my old digital 8MB camera by Canon easily - and that is quite a surprise. They do miracles and wonders with those microscopic optics. I did a test-printout in Din A4 an hour ago - and at that size it revealed no compromise in sharpness and contrast (I did some minor picture edits, however, with a very light hand).

Curse of the good deed. Smartphone-resistant Skybird finally got done in. Weep with me, brothers, I'm moving closer to the final doom.

[Oberon]

https://media.giphy.com/media/Rpk801PXvTbQA/giphy.gif

[kraznyi_oktjabr]

Congrats, Skybird! :D

Remember, you can (usually) choose what you store in that damned device. No need to pack all your precious data into it! :03:

[Tango589]

:Kaleun_Crying:Oh boo hoo, poor little me, I got given a smart phone and my life is SO terrible!!!:Kaleun_Crying:



:O::03::D

[Skybird]

I will not store anything personal of finance-related in it. Its all full with Google, and even while I can - and have - already deinstalled much of the bloatware it came with, it is not what I would ever consider a "safe" computer environment. No fiscal transactions, data storage, surfing, buying done with this thing.

Huawei at least allows to deinstall almost all bloatware it puts on the device, even some Google softwares, even some Huawei programs. The Galaxy 2 10.1 tablet I got 30 months ago or so was overloaden with crapware - and it could not be removed without rooting the thing, which is no man's land for me.

Just the GPS sensors on the Galaxy work superb, and better than on the Huawei. On this phone now they catch the signals from Russian, American and Chinese satellites very fast, yes - but it seems to be vulnerable to zigzaging a bit when being positioned between two lines of houses. But it is still below the treshhold where you cannot mark your position anymore. The Galaxy 2 10.1 just is better there.


So far I am surprised by the quality of this Chinese thing. Seems Huawai now does on the smartphone market what Fenix, another Chinese company, started to do on the market for top class LED pocket lights some years ago.

Of course also no chatting, Twitter, Emailing via American servers and Facebook. FB and TW were the first two victims of my deletion frenzy. :)

[AVGWarhawk]

Hit me up on Snapchat!

[Jimbuna]

Looks like Santa came early http://i.imgur.com/QtryzgG.gif

[Wolferz]

If you feel the thing tugging on your nose throw it away mach schnell!!!!:timeout:

[Redwake]

Congrats on the new phone, being a younger guy I practically grew up with smart phones, they do have there use's. And like stated before you don't have to put anything sensitive in your phone, just stuff like music and quick notes. That's what I end up using my phone for mostly. I'm sure you will enjoy your new phone.

[mapuc]

I have a smartphone. The first thing I did was to disable almost everything.

I only had Internet open so I could upgrade the phone when started first time. Then I shot it down. Only to be open every 2nd month to see if there's some update to my phone. I also downloaded two games. Games that require no special demand(or what you say in English) other than internet connection. But as mentioned internet is off and I can play those game.

So in many way I'm like Skybird, I do not trust our authorities.

Markus

[Mr Quatro]

Curse of the good deed. Smartphone-resistant Skybird finally got done in. Weep with me, brothers, I'm moving closer to the final doom.

That is the problem with growing up ... now I will have to get one :yep:

[Onkel Neal]

"Many dogs are every rabbit's death..."

I got a present yesterday, not for christmas, but as a thanks, for I helped that family's kids out of a mess. The father learned that I do not own a smartphone, and he is partner and co-owner of one smartphone shop in nearby Osnabrück - and so i got a smartphone as a present.

:timeout:

Was mach ich denn jetzt bloß...? :wah:

Truth being told, some longer time ago I already was considering it, to have a navigator and a good camera in all compactness with me on my tours and trips, as a WLAN-driven device only, like a tablet. I do not want to have a full contract, and could need some minor data volume just to allow asking for train delays while travelling, little things like this and so forth, or to get a map of some train station in all detail. And so this morning I learned that I could have a minimum prepaid data volume for a nickle and a dime, I do not surf with this thing, and so 100 MB and 2 Euros per month and 9 pence per minute telephoning is sufficient, since I hate telephoning anyway, especially mobile. I can beef it up if it is not sufficient. The Osmand software is offering superior maps and good navigation with offline maps stored on the device, i already know it from my tablet, and the GPS sensors are sufficiently sensitive. The camera has 13 MB, a superb semi-pro interface, and shoots surprisingly good photos in good and medium light conditions (its a Huawei P9 lite), the camera really surprised me. Camera also offers nice tricks to compensate, to a certain degree, for lack of light when shooting in the dark. It cannot replace my old analogue SLR equipment of course, but it trumps my old digital 8MB camera by Canon easily - and that is quite a surprise. They do miracles and wonders with those microscopic optics. I did a test-printout in Din A4 an hour ago - and at that size it revealed no compromise in sharpness and contrast (I did some minor picture edits, however, with a very light hand).

Curse of the good deed. Smartphone-resistant Skybird finally got done in. Weep with me, brothers, I'm moving closer to the final doom.

Join us, brother.

http://www.gadflyonline.com/home/11-26-01/invasion3.jpg

:03: We call them "phones" but really, they are awesome pocket computers. A smartphone is a useful tool, but don't worry; having one does not mean you need to or will be addicted to it.

I totally agree with you re: bank and financial info does not belong on a phone. It's too easy to lose it or have it stolen, and if you bank log in is there... yikes. Yeah, banking info can wait till I get home.

[vienna]

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5005b235c4aa8b4d9760fd8b/t/5015b6edc4aa0c0d03292519/1343600367052/no-cell-phone-sign.jpg?format=500w



<O>

[Reece]

What a shame you don't get more of these "Horrible presents".:yep: Lucky you didn't look at him with big soulful eyes!:03:

[Skybird]

Just for the record: of course I am polite enough not to complain to that family for their way to say thanks. ;) In fact I think i was quite convincing in showing them my enthusiasm. :)

In the end I have started to like this thing once I learned I can keep the costs dramatically low and do not depend on internet connectivity at all. I ordered no telephone and no SMS volume (I pay per minute instead if I ever need to telephone), and just a minimal 100 MB per month volume for data traffic, to get weather, train information and such minor things. The navigator is great, the camera is as well, Dido is always with me when travelling and an occasional match of chess or Abalone when riding train is also possible. Nice!:salute:

[ikalugin]

MMM
Did I mention the Russian State's program to fight digital inequality?

[AVGWarhawk]

Skybird,

Your movements are now being tracked. :hmmm:

[Jimbuna]

Skybird,

Your movements are now being tracked. :hmmm:

:haha:

[Rockstar]

, and just a minimal 100 MB per month

Beware of the background data drain monster is still running even when you think everything is off. Unless I manually disable it, it alone can consume up to 300 mb a month on my phone

[Skybird]

Hm. I have WLAN, mobile data transmission and GPS off and enable it all manually only when needed. Google maps and some other Google "services" already hate me for it. I use OSMAND as navigation (hopelessly superior maps, compared to Google) which - different to Google Maps - allows GPS-only navigation without needing to accept mobile data connectivity. - I also set up the phone options in a way - to my best understanding - so that app permissions are quite restrictive.

Anything else I can do to fight off the trackers and data-eating gremlins?

[Moonlight]

yes, hit it with a big hammer and throw it in the bin. :up:

[Skybird]

Either you are Donald Trump, or a Klingon. :D

[Rockstar]

To give you an idea what to look for. Goto Application Manager, find and click on Google App then Data Usage. Scroll down where you should find the option to Restrict Background Data.

Many other apps have this option and may be using up your data even if you never clicked on them before.

You may also have check it again after any updates.

I'm fairly certain too there is option which can restrict background data on all apps. with just one swipe.

[Skybird]

Thanks. Some of those Google services even could be turned off, the others I already had limited like you suggested.

I will have the phone automatically activate for ten minutes in the morning before shutting down again, in this time my WLAN also turns on, and any updates of apps and stuff could be automatically run then. After that time, both things switch off again. I have no need to have the phone running when I am at home. I can manually activate it again when I think I need it.

Data volume prediction tells me I will have consumed less than 80MB mobile data by the end of the the 30 days-interval.

No, Google really will not love me, I think. Thats what I love, however. :D

[Oberon]

Could always put it in a lead lined box. :yep:

[Tango589]

Give it a tin-foil hat.

[Platapus]

Just because someone gives you a present, does not mean you are obligated to use it.

[Dowly]

I am thinking of taking the leap to smart phones, as well.

Anyone have any experiences on the Samsung xcover.. err.. 3?

I have the non-smarty pants xcover and love it.

[Onkel Neal]

I am thinking of taking the leap to smart phones, as well.

Anyone have any experiences on the Samsung xcover.. err.. 3?

I have the non-smarty pants xcover and love it.

I have to recommend LG. Samsung, great company but LG is better and more innovative.
(http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showpost.php?p=2326557&postcount=251)

[Bigblock-Fempower 427]

I am thinking of taking the leap to smart phones, as well.

Anyone have any experiences on the Samsung xcover.. err.. 3?

I have the non-smarty pants xcover and love it.

I thought I was lagging behind in solitary, here I am among equals.
Nice discovery.

But, I also will take the leap now, contrary to absolutism like hell will freeze over etc.

[Skybird]

For those who are interested, I like the quality of my Huawei P9 lite. GPS sensors are good, camera is top class, Huawei's own user interafce EMUI, based on Android 6, is very good, and while they installed some bloatware, it is far less than Samsung use to do, and more important: you can remove almost all programs easily without rooting. The bang-for-buck ratio is extremely, is very very good, imo. I see that it is offered for 240 Euros.

Reviews say some thigns it does as good, if not better, as some flagship phones of other brands costring twice and three times as much. Goot battery runtime, too, and superb display, full HD, 5.5".

Really, this thing has convinced me. Stomps my Samsung 7" tablet into the ground, en passant. And it is fast. VERY fast. Not a single hangup I have seen so far, not a single stuttering, not a single hickup - nothing.

Get the version for the German market, if you can, it has 3 instead of 2 GB working RAM.

First Fenix (superb LED flashlights), now Huawei. There are Chinese companies who really roll up the world market both by low prices AND quality.

Huawei says the phone is listed to get at least Android update version 7.

The big brother of the P9 lite has a Leica camera - with two optics, one specialising for black/white photography. But the P9 Lite camera is very good already, too - and features the same professional and well-done software and user interface of the big brother. On the negative side: in dark light conditions, the camera is just mediocre and average, there are specialists on the market that do better in dark conditions. But in ordinary light conditions, the camera is excellent, really. I made three Din A4 printouts already, and they fully deliver.

[Catfish]

I still have a HTC One, and it is quite good.