Saturday, October 23, 2010

Blackberry Torch 9800

After waiting for a long time, tempted many times to buy an AP phone at a local phone shop.. CELCOM is finally launching the BB torch end of this month.

Saw at Nuffnag’s blog it will be at the 29th October 2010.. I cant hardly wait.. I even did a pre-registered for the phone on celcom.

Now, everyone knows there is a subscription for the blackberry internet service (BIS), which I will touch on it further later using my own account for example (I am on Celcom Executive 50 plan with Blackberry Advance package)

Now.. more about the phone.. What is the blackberry torch 9800? AND WHY I REALLY REALLY WANT THE BLACKBERRY TORCH 9800..

torch main

OKAAAY.. so the phone looks nice.. but whats so great about it?

 

To answer that, lets ‘virtually’ review the phone.. Here’s some of the pictures I took from RIM’s website, hope they don’t mind, as I have not got my hands on my own torch to write a proper review.. But all I can say, these photographs, looks exactly the same as the actual product.. tried it out at a local phone shop..

music player  flash

browser

image   Blackberry torch 9800 smartphone

 Featuresmultimedia

   Multimedia.. Video and still shot camera.. one thing worth mentioning, on my BB Storm 9500, the camera has an ‘Image Stabilizer’ feature.. not bad.. first time I see such a function on a smart phone, or any phones with an integrated camera.. I wonder why it was not publicized..

 

 

multimedia ssIntegrated Social feeds such as Facebook, tweeter, windows live messaging, yahoo messenger etc.. Alright.. so other smart phones can do that.. what so special with blackberry?

The answer lies with the word: INTEGRATED.. it is integrated with the phone’s system.. you can link your contacts in the social networks to your contacts in your phone’s phonebook. So, for example, I want to send a message to my girlfriend.. all I have to do, is search for her name in my phonebook, select send message, and I am presented by a list of ways I can message her, via Facebook, Windows Live, Yahoo Messenger, Email, SMS, MMS.. Oh, and RIM’s own Blackberry Messenger. It is simply something unique in Blackberry.. and no other smartphones can do this.

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Other Specifications

Connectivityspecs_network_icon_new
Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n, WPA / WPA 2 Personal & Enterprise, Cisco CCX Certified
3G: Tri-band 3G UMTS Networks: 2100 / 1900 / 850 / 800 MHz
2G: Quad-band GSM / GPRS / EDGE networks: 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz
GPS & Blackberry Maps
connectivity

Size & Weight
Closed- 111mm X 62mm X 14.6mm, 161.1g
Opened- 148mm X 62mm X 14.6mm, 161.1g
sizeWeight

 

 

 

 

Display
3.2” HVGA+ touch screen ( 480 x 360 )
User Selectable Font Size
Light-sensing and proximity detecting screen
specs_display

specs_battery

 

Battery & Battery Life
1300mAHr Removable / Rechargeable Lithium-ion Cell
Standby Time: GSM- 18 days, UMTS- 14 days
Talk Time: GSM- 5.5 hours, UMTS- 5.8 hours
Music Playback: 30 hours
Video Playback: 6 hours

 

Data Input & Navigation
Trackpad at front face of device, ESC key on the right and Menu Key on the left.
Touch Screen with On-Screen Keyboard: Portrait SureType®, QWERTY and multi-tap, landscape QWERTY.
Slide-out QWERTY Keyboard with Backlighting

Voice Input & Output
3.5mm Stereo Headset Capable
Integrated speaker and microphone
Handsfree Headset Capable
Bluetooth Headset Capable
Integrated hands-free speaker phone

Media Player
Windows Media DRM 10 for Music & Video
Video Format supports: MPEG4, H.263, H.264, WMV3
Audio Format supports: MP3, AMR-NB, AAC-LC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA, WMV, Flac, Ogg Vorbis

MEMORY
512mb Flash Memory
4GB eMMC + 4GB Media Card (Included)

ALRIGHT.. if you are still with me, you will be thinking.. how much will it cost? Well, visits to several local phone shops in PJ area yields: RM2299 (cheapest I can get, from AT&T). Local telco have yet to reveal their prices, perhaps I will update this blog then.. when the prices is out.

How about hidden charges? Well, there is some cost involved but some irresponsible sellers do not tell you that.. but it is not hidden..

This is what Celcom charges me for my blackberry storm 9500 (didn’t get my storm from celcom, but rather 2nd hand from a friend which upgraded to Bold 2)

Here is the breakdown of my Bill.
celcom bill

I am on Celcom Exec 50 with Blackberry Personal Advance and Celcom Broadband 3G Unlimited Package..
So my monthly bills is: RM30 (BB BIS) + RM68 (3G Unlimited) + RM50 (Exec 50) = RM148.00

and of course, there is a 5% service charge.

NOW DO YOU SEE WHY I LOVE TO HAVE THE BLACKBERRY TORCH 9800? I AM ALREADY SOOOO HOOKED ON THE STORM 9500, CANT WAIT TO GET MY PAWS ON THE TORCH 9800

Why celcom? well, previously I was on maxis, and I was VERY VERY frustrated with their network. At that time, I worked in Shah Alam and stayed in PJ. My phone is set to 3G as I use the data often ( I have a unlimited data package then too ). 2 things kept happening.

1. I will suddenly get a call from an angry client saying he tried calling me for 1/2 hour and cant get through, sent me sms and I never replied, causing me to loose my account.. And normally, after receiving that call, I will get the tonnes of SMS from friends and clients saying they cant get me, and also an SMS from maxis saying I have 20+ missed calls.. And the whole while I am at the office, at my desk, with my Maxis showing 3.5G at full bar signal strength.. of course I called maxis and they said they will look into it and call me back. THEY never call me back. I then suspected it could just be my phone.. so I ditched my N95 and upgraded to Nokia 5800.. end result- same.

2. This is the last straw. Towards the last few months I was with Maxis, VERY often when I look at my phone, full signal strength. But I can make any calls (keep saying ‘Error in Connection’) and I cant call my own phone from the office. When  I called Maxis, maxis just said they are sorry for the inconvenience as they are ‘upgrading’ their 3G network and ask me to switch to 2G.. I told the customer service that it would be nice if they would notify the users of any upgrade.. but sadly they still don’t. This happened 5 TIMES!! I kept track.

Finally, the government launched the MNP (Mobile Number Portability) which I believe I am among the first to deport to another network.

Celcom is not perfect either, their customer service cannot seem to do anything and requires you to physically GO to celcom branch/centre. Most of the time blue cube cant do anything as well. However, it is indisputable that Celcom has the best network, and I seldom need to call their customer service.

OH, and another thing worth mentioning, twice I receive a sms from Celcom asking me to switch to 2G as they are upgrading their 3G network at XXX area. FUIYOOOH.. This is what I want and expect from a cellular network. Upgrades of networks are PLANNED.. the least you can do is inform your subscribers at that area to switch to 2G network..

Cellular Pricing
Ok, this may look like a hard-core advertising, but it is true. A lot of people say celcom is expensive.. but honestly it is not.. I did some research before switching, and until today, my phonebill is still lower then my bill when I was with maxis with the same usage..

lets look at the pricing and comparison. Celcom is cheaper with its ‘up to 30% discounts’

comparison

Next, if you look at my phone bill, my total bill is RM148. Lets look at Maxis.

image

SOOO.. the unlimited data package for Blackberry is RM120/month (including blackberry subscription) while for Celcom, is only RM98/month.

Add this with RM50, I will have to pay RM120 + RM50 =RM170/month for Maxis.
Add this with RM50, I will have to pay RM68 + RM30 + 50 =RM148/month for Celcom.

 

Now you see what I mean, celcom is cheaper? and perhaps better..

Note 1: I will not consider Digi, it may be the cheapest, but honestly, their coverage area is too small. I travel often and thus Digi just isn’t suitable for me.

Note 2:  I am not doing any hardcore or any advertising of any kind, this is my past experience and my personal views. If you feel differently or had a different more pleasant experience with Maxis, your really lucky then.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

16th Oct 2010- Pangkor Island with Family

OKAAY.. its been a long time since I had an outing with my family.. Mom manage to get a free room’s stay with Teluk Dalam Resort, Pangkor.. So off we went and had a great time (and my first time snorkeling since the day I got my open water cert..)

Here’s some photographs I took.. all with my G11 (lazy to pack my 40d.. since we plan to go snorkeling, might as well use the extra space required for my 40d, to bring my underwater housing for G11 instead.. save space)

Here’s some sunset shots at Teluk Dalam, Pangkor..

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OKAAAY.. perhaps this wasn’t a good shot, so I took more the next day..

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AAaaah.. much better.. but looks a bit like the ones I took at perhentian.. so lets spice it up a little.. with water Smile

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OKAAY.. I admit.. I am not really that artistic.. so lets go back to the normal types..

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Much better.. hahahahaa..

 

OKAY.. next, during breakfast.. saw HORNBILLS!! at the restaurant and eventually they flew to our table!!

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The hotel staff feeding the hornbills..

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And here is a short video of us feeding the hornbill Smile

Feeding Hornbill with Bread..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Okay.. lets see.. what else.. Umm.. went snorkeling w parents.. here’s some snorkeling pics..

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that’s mom.. sorry, didn’t manage to shoot dad and sis snorkeling because after this I was pretty busy swimming between dad and mom.. mom had problems breathing through her snorkel while dad is swimming towards some big rocks (more fish to see there)..

And this is me..

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but manage to shoot some fish.. sadly, only shot Sergeant Major Damsel Fish.. saw angel fish, parrot fish as well.. but they are swimming too fast.. visibility is.. umm.. very bad.. I say around 1 meter.. then the water temperature is surprising hot!! it is 33Degrees Celsius!!  fuiyoh.. no wonder no more corals here..

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Next.. guess what dad found on the shore of our resort?

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YES, FRESH LALAs.. we found a total of 8.. and they all taste REALLY good (we cooked it later when we returned to our room)

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lets see.. what else did we see.. ummmmm.. a lonely ex-jetty.. more hornbills..

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Land crabs & sea crabs.. and no, I did not catch them and cook them..

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saw a fisherman or rather ‘crabman’ morning harvest.. crabs worth RM300.. and yes, they are still alive and moving around in the bags..

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hmm.. a container with suspension system.. aah, and my dad splashing water on my sister.. hahahahaha.. because she didn’t want to wet her hair.. hahahahahhaaa..

IMG_2847 IMG_2705

Sunday, October 3, 2010

18th September 2010- 1 Day Trip to Tanjung Sepat

On this day, the last day of my Raya Holidays, went over to Tanjung Sepat, where we had loads of fun and lots to eat and drink.. Saw fish ball factory, coffee factory, ‘Ling Zhi’ factory, kerepek factory and even went to the jetty (named lovers bridge, which why I have no idea..), ate Bak Kut Teh (klang’s bak kut teh still taste better, IMHO), deep fried crab, hand made buns.

OK.. enough talk.. lets see some photographs I took..

A scene from a seafood restaurant..

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Me & Jacqueline..

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They claim to hate frogs, but why are they still ‘massaging’ the frogs?

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Ling Zhi (灵芝) Factory, and yes, they have ‘normal’ mushrooms as well..

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Coffee Factory..

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Deep Fried Crab..

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Hand Made Buns..

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Fish Ball Factory

IMG_2561 IMG_2562

IMG_2565 IMG_2566

A very relaxing place by the beach.. with Astro, and large speakers.. Lots of ‘retired’ man watching tv, drinking tea and just relaxing here.. AND ITS BY THE BEACH!!

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Me on the ‘lovers Bridge’ Smile

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Some Lass I met on the bridge..

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A semi-group photo.. and a very small fish, the size of a 5cents coin..

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Tanjung Sepat’s Beach..

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A greedy boy munching on one of the handmade buns..

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And finally a group photo..

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