Galaxy S4 Controls Your Flow Box

Samsung Galaxy S4 Watch On

There is no doubt.  The Samsung Galaxy S4 rocks.  And one of the coolest features of the phone is the Infrared (IR) Remote Control.

Lots of times, hot phones have great features that don't work on our shores.  But I am thrilled to report that the Watch On app, which is both free and pre-loaded, works seamlessly with Flow cable boxes - standard and PVR.  So throw away your Flow remote.

Hell.  Throw away all your home theatre remotes.  Watch On operates just like a universal remote.  The smartphone is ridiculously easy to programme; it practically picks up the code for your TV, DVD player, Blu-ray players, audio system and of course, your cable box.  And, to steal a line from the fruit people (like myself), it just works.

Other smartphones have Bluetooth making them compatible with some TV if they have proprietary software.  Only IR is the universal standard on home theatre and the Samsung Galaxy S4 is the only locally distributed smartphone that has IR.  (The HTC One is not distributed in Jamaica to date).

It is no surprise that it works with Samsung TV's, and other late model TV sets.    They are made in the US for the US.  But, devices for Jamaica are different; often the sweetest features just are not accessible.

If you've spent the money on the phone, you can spare your living room a little space by replacing your remotes and using the phone to change the channel, change the volume, visit the programme guide and adjust the settings.

Think of the convenience.  Surf the internet on WiFi, make a quick call, switch to the clean looking remote app and immerse yourself in hours of home theatre enjoyment.  Love it!

I also love the simple easy to use design that prominently places the most used functions on the screen (like the volumen and channel controls), yet keeps the higher functions just a single touch screen tap away.

Wait, here's another mind blowing benefit.  You'll never have to by another penlight battery again in life.  Check your mailbox for the 'thank you' card from the environment.

I bet you will send me a 'thank you' card when you realize, you'll never spend forever searching the sofa cushions for your remote ever again. Remote lost? Just dial your own phone number and follow the sound of the ring tone. 

Since I can't be there to personally help you configure your remote .. ehm .. I mean phone, here are a few links to get you started.

• CNet
• PCMag

Technology should be practical.  This is as practical as it gets.  Try it and let me know if it works for you.

Less is more

Blackberry Q10

Frankly, I don't get the hype about the Blackberry Z10.  As smartphones go, it is a perfectly adequate mobile device with all the necessary features except a physical keyboard.  If you put your new Z10 down on the meeting table beside the Apple iPhone 5, the Samsung Galaxy S4 or the HTC One, would you be able to tell it apart from the field at a glance?

If you want your smartphone to stand out from the pack, consider the Blackberry Q10.  Running the updated Blackberry 10.1 OS, the Q10 flaunts a physical QWERTY keyboard.  For the true Blackberry loyalists, this is the Blackberry you have been waiting for!

I can tell you are excited, and you should be.  But temper your excitement just a bit.  The Q10 is a capable smartphone.  It will do everything you NEED it to do, and it will do so, well.  It will not blow your mind.  Don't feel bad though, chances are it won't blow your pocket either.

The Q10 sports a square (yet another distinctive feature) 3.1" super AMOLED display with a 720 x 720 pixel resolution.  It has got a micro SIM card slot, micro SD slot and a micro HDMI port.  I may be wrong, but I didn't see a micro HDMI port on either the iPhone 5 or the Galaxy S4.  (And cables are much more reliable that wireless technologies like AirPlay and AllShare).

You'll find front and rare facing HD cameras and a decent 1.5 GHz processor.  Like it's big brother, the Q10 has all the Blackberry OS 10 popular features like my personal favourites, Time Shift, Balance and BBM Screen Share, along with the heavily touted features like Hub, BBM Video Share and Tag. Q even has some additional features like typing straight to an email from any screen.

But let's get back to what sets the Q10 apart, its remarkable Blackberry keyboard.  In the few moments I was able to hold the handset, thanks to Troy Cocking at LIME, the large, tactile, keys caressed my finger tips.  It was so easy to type using this physical keyboard.  If you thought the keyboard on the Bold 9900 was the best keyboard on a smartphone ever, you will love the tweaks on the Q10 keyboard.

Of course, the best keyboard and good specs mean nothing if the phone freezes up like Siberia every time you try to complete a task.  I didn't have enough time to put the phone through the paces myself, but I do note that I haven't heard any complaints from the early demos.  Troy assures me that this new BB OS 10 is just the right type of cool.

If you are so inclined, here is the best reason to get the Blackberry Q10: it stands out and it gets the job done for likely half the price of the candybar copycats.

Digicel Samsung Galaxy S 4 - First Impressions

Certainly, I've been a Sammy fan for a long time. So, I was thrilled that Digicel would invite me to their Samsung GS4 event. It gave me an opportunity to, at least, touch the phone.

The handset goes on sale, exclusively I am told, tomorrow. And, from my 'touch' demo I can say, it's a great smart phone.

The phone is roughly the same size as the GS3, yet boasts a slightly larger screen. Samsung had to sacrifice the size of the near invisible (or maybe the launch event at CRU was just dark) Menu and Return buttons.

I like the rounded square edges and the sturdier feel of the construction. The SG4 doesn't feel like a piece of cheap plastic, but it doesn't feel quite as sturdy as the iPhone.

As expected, the screen looks great and is ridiculously responsive. Navigation was effortless. With the low light and the high background noise, I was unable to try out features like the air gestures or S Voice.

As for the air gestures, I heard from a couple attendees (in Digicel branded shirts) that they work like a charm. The same folks told me that the previous non-functioning (practically speaking) S Voice was much improved.

The Dual Shot feature on the camera was cool, but, I wonder, would we get bored of it by next week. Hmm. The camera has a lot of new and upgraded features to explore.

I like the slightly enhanced icons, the S Health looks cool, the screen mirror looks useful, the IR remote I hope works and the upgraded All Share looks like fun.

The Samsung Hub left me feeling like it was completely unnecessary. So too did the typing, just like the SG3. I don't find the keyboard easy to use or insightful.

But, the feature that has me thinking 'I like this phone' is the Safety Assistance ... a feature I hope I never need but glad I have.

Beyond that, this new Sammy has so many features crammed into one mobile device, that its hard to want anything else. I'm told the bigger battery and the improved OS make it run faster for longer on one charge. I will try to confirm that if I ever get a road test model.

If money was no object, I would buy this computer masquerading as a phone in half a heart beat. If you have the S2, time to ditch and move up. If you've got an S3 and you're tapping it out, time to upgrade. If you're a poser that is rich and likes to have the latest, time to upgrade.

If you're a student, fixed income professional, unemployed loafer, tech newb or person who actually uses a phone primarily for making calls (amazing), you may want to wait for my final review after the price check.