I have been using the Samsung Galaxy S8+ for some time now and so far, no complaints. If you want to use features like the Edge screen, fingerprint or retina security etc, you will need to do some setting up. The camera is excellent, as is the screen. Response is smooth and the battery life does me all day and then some depending on what I am doing. Connectivity is great and the interface is easy to use. My biggest complaint is finding the right match for a screen protector and a case due to the curved screen. Another is the difficulty in finding a way to give root access but that won't be an issue for most users. The new form factor means it fits into the hand nicely even for the larger model. So, far I have no hesitation in recommending this phone.
Another phone I have had experience with recently is the LG G6. This is a nice, mid-priced device with a good screen, decent battery life, Android 7, waterproof, with microSD support. It is an easy fit in the hand, and so far, has been performing well. As usual I had problems moving things from one phone to another and I wonder why there is still no easy solution for upgrading from one phone to another. Google should have a solution but doesn't, neither in the OS or through syncing. None of the third-party options work properly, especially when it comes to moving account info, so this is an excellent business opportunity for someone.
How many times have you tried to fill out a complaint form only to find that what you want to complain about or report is not one of the available options, so you must pick something else just to get the email off? It has happened a few times for me with the latest being not able to access eBay. In the end, I called them but as a general note there should always be an "other" option.
Here is a tip for internet users, not all online reviews are honest. I spend a lot of time researching before I buy things and reviews are an important source. If the site has no one or two-star reviews you know they are filtering because there is always someone who doesn't like something they bought. I read both five and one-star reviews as a comparison. Sometimes one star is due to a simple usage issue but for others a real problem is identified. If the site has responded to one-star reviews with positive feedback then this is also a good sign. Be especially aware of reviews on sites other than that of the manufacturer that the maker has cited because they will only pick the good ones. User groups are good sources because they often cover a broader range of products. According to some, Yelp is a classic example of tailored reviews and there have been complaints from customers and establishments. If reviews are not allowed, another good hint.
Apparently, Microsoft is a tiny bit better than IBM at speech recognition against telephone conversations with an error rate of 5.1 versus 5.5%. The jury is still out in other situations.
Samsung has improved their sales this year remaining in the top four with Apple, Huawei and Oppo. Sales in China are down in general. Apple sales dropped in anticipation of the next iPhone that is supposed to be "a bigger change from last year's upgrade".
Android 8, aka Oreo, has been released. It comes with better power management and privacy updates along with limits on background resource usage and background location and Wi-Fi scans. It is faster and comes with a new range of emojis for those interested in such things. Picture-in-picture mode might seem wasted on a mobile screen but it would be handy to have say a YouTube video going on as you are doing something else. The other features were mentioned in an earlier article and you can check it out online. The usual suspects will have models with the OS by year-end but updates for those with a phone will vary by brand and carrier.
An Open Letter calling for the United Nations to work for a ban on autonomous weapons has been signed by 116 artificial intelligence and robotics experts. The fear is that such systems can be hacked and then misused. Skynet.
If you are someone who looks at lots of photos on Windows then I recommend you replace the default viewer in Windows with IrfanView found here, irfanview.com. It is low profile, really fast, works well on older, underpowered machines displaying large files, has some basic editing tools and even basic OCR processing. Install the 32- or 64-bit version. Set as your default viewer for most files and away you go.
Finally, sick of those pushy, forced and surprising Windows 10 upgrades? You can move to Germany where they have been banned. For the rest of us we still have little choice.
James Hein is an IT professional of over 30 years' standing. You can contact him at jclhein@gmail.com.
