Mobiles

Laptop trends as per CES 2023

From CNET on Youtube:

From a giant two-in-one tablet to a pen-enabled e-reader to two dual-screen laptops, Lenovo brought its innovative A game to the giant tech show in Las Vegas.

Do consumers really need dual-screen laptops like this? Is this really where the trend is moving towards for laptops?

For me, just give me a laptop with upgradable RAM and expandable storage, that’s all I need. Unfortonately those are rare features, and if ever, are only available for ultra high end, expensive devices.

When NTC becomes the text spammer

The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) is an attached agency of the Department of Information and Communications Technology responsible for the supervision, adjudication and control over all telecommunications services and television and radio networks throughout the Philippines.

The NTC is supposed to regulate the telecommunication companies including the use of SMS in the Philippines. Recently it ordered telcos to block clickable links in text messages.

But looking at my Messages app, it appears they are the ones spamming recently instead:

I know, a lot of Filipinos need reminding about these scams repeatedly. But NTC shouldn’t stop at just sending these reminders, and thus spamming us in the process. They need to do their job and stop these spammers from the beginning.

BDO Online Mobile ‘ADD DEVICE’ Message Sending Failed

Did I already tell you how awful and trash-worthy BDO Online Banking is? Yet, no matter how bad it is, it has been your bank of choice, because you thought they find ways.

Installing the Mobile App

You installed the mobile app, and done with your mobile app only password. When you login, it asks for your OTP. But instead of receiving the OTP directly, you received a message from (02) 25678 that you need to reply with ‘ADD DEVICE’ instead. Only then will they text you your OTP.

But replying with ‘ADD DEVICE’ the message failed sending no matter how many times you tried.

The Solution

Instead of solving the problem directly, BDO Unibank offered a solution in a Facebook comment, which involves:

Your old Samsung phones, while in storage, may be at risk of blowing up

Arun of Mrwhosetheboss has brought up an issue about Samsung phones blowing up:

My own Samsung Galaxy Note 8, being with me for 5 years now, is decidedly showing wear as its battery cannot hold its charge as well as before. Except for the fact that it’s running on an Exynos chipset, I didn’t really have any more complaints about it. And with the Oneplus green screen issue that I personally experienced, I was ready to embrace the Samsung ecosystem.

The Galaxy devices I currently actively use include:

  1. Samsung Galaxy Note 8
  2. Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G
  3. Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 LTE
  4. Samsung Galaxy Buds2
  5. Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic

For all these devices I have, I had no experience with swollen batteries (so far!). This may be the case as I actively use them. But this is not an excuse for Samsung. As mentioned in the video (and also in the comments section), how come it mostly affected Samsung devices only?

This issue has to be addressed by Samsung soon. Otherwise, they’ll lose one loyal customer in me in the future.

How to export your data from the Eufy Smart Scale C1

For some time, exporting your data from your Eufy smart scale has been a pain, with hacks developed for this supposedly simple process like this and this. So I posted a follow up query on Anker forum.

Thankfully, I received a response, and it states that starting with the update in the EufyLife app that was released August 5, 2022, you may now export your data from the app in CSV format, under Settings>>Privacy and Data>>Export All Data.

The option may have been buried deep into the settings, but at the least it’s there for data freaks like us. Just enter your password and your email address to where you want the CSV file will be sent to.

All the other available (so far) smart scale of Eufy use the same app, the EufyLife app, so I guess this is applicable to those as well, like the Eufy Smart Scale P2 and the P2 Pro.

My OnePlus 8 Pro has the Dreaded Green Screen Issue

In late 2020, I chose the OnePlus 8 Pro over the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 primarily because of avoiding Samsung’s Exynos chip. The price also played a role, and I was happy with that decision, until just this Monday, April 18, 2022, when I found my device’s display was giving out this green hue throughout the whole screen, even while in the lock screen. Didn’t drop the phone nor submerged it in water recently. My OnePlus 8 Pro is currently running Oxygen OS 12 (Android 12).

I searched around, and apparently several OnePlus phones may have been suffering from this issue for some time already. Many label the issue as green screen or green tint, although my case was unlike some’s who only encounter the problem when they are on some specific apps. Mine’s green tint is everywhere.

I reached out to Digital Walker, the supplier of this specific device and the official distributor of OnePlus in the Philippines, and reported this issue. …

In the world of Google TV’s, why do you still need the Chromecast function?

In 2020, Google introduced the fourth generation of its Chromecast, dubbed as Chromecast with Google TV (CCwGTV), which was the first time it came with Google TV (a modified Android TV user interface) and a remote. So, in the world of Google TV’s (and Android TV’s in general), is there still a need for the Google Cast function?

Here are the reasons why we still need the Google Cast around:

Queue up YouTube Videos

The one thing I love about the Chromecast is the ability to queue up videos you want to watch from your YouTube mobile app. Oftentimes, when I want to YouTube and chill, I open a video on my YouTube mobile app, cast that thing to my TV with a Chromecast, browse more of the homepage of the YouTube app, then add as many more videos as I like to watch next to the queue.

Although you can queue up videos as well in the web version of YouTube, the same is not true on Android TV’s. I just find it so inefficient to have to quit the video you’re currently watching, browse though the homepage, and select the single video you want to watch next. …

How to subscribe to Smart Magic Data

Magic Data is Smart’s take on GOMO that offers fixed data volume without an expiration period.

The fact that Smart doesn’t have a dedicated web page outlining the mechanics of their Smart Magic Data addon speaks volumes about its commitment to keeping the addon available to its regular customers in the near future. The option to register/subscribe disappeared recently from its Gigalife app as well.

Last option to subscribe to Smart Magic Data is via USSD code. …

The Smart Magic Data is how Smart alienates postpaid subscribers in favor of prepaid

Smart is not so sure whether to actually offer their Smart Magic Data or not. For one, the addon mechanics cannot be found in any page of Smart. You can only avail from the Giga Life app. And it’s available only to prepaid subscribers. There have been instances where users reported that the Magic Data disappeared from available upgrade options in the Giga Life app.

One thing is for sure, that Smart is not sure whether to continue with this offering. With the Magic Data addons, Smart is encouraging its postpaid subscribers to switch to prepaid instead.

As a response to GOMO, Smart now has MAGIC DATA

With the coming of DITO and introduction of Globe’s GOMO, it’s Smart’s move. And they come up with: Smart MAGIC DATA:

The Magic Data appears for now to be available only to Smart’s prepaid subscribers, and it seems to be not so competitive compared to GOMO, but this development is welcome anyway, especially if you frequent an area where you find Globe’s network connection to be spotty.

You can subscribe to Smart’s Magic Data by going to their Gigalife mobile app.

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