The Benefit of VPN.

VPN or Virtual Private Network. This network feature exists in nearly all modern latest PC and smartphones. In concept, VPN drill a pipeline into existing network you are using, turning your connection into a private network by protocol. Originally design for corporate security when connected in public network, VPN has become common feature in todays computer powered tools, PCs laptops, tablets and smartphones. Most people don't use this feature because it is too complicated to use. Nowadays, there are so many shortcuts available for anyone to use VPN without any technical knowledge.

Before we explore the VPN feature activation applications in the market, it's best if we explore the benefits of VPN.

1. Enhance Security.

Especially important when you are travelling. Connecting public network, such as in cafe, hotel lobby, airport, etc., regardless how secure the connection is, still opens a possibility of someone hacking your connection, hence your data becomes less private.

Using VPN adds a layer of shield to your connection. Imagine your connection is a strand wire, using VPN add a hose surrounding your wire, thus suspiscious character(s) needs double efforts to get to your precious data. This is also the reason that corporation use network login page for you to access company's database. That first login is actually the VPN connection.

2.  Enhance Privacy.

VPN also add privacy enhancement to your equipment. When you access a website, the website servers also access your equipment at least for your identification and location. Nowadays, with smarter websites, smartphones, applications, high capacity processors and connections, more data transactions are exchanged in each connections.

When you activate VPN and connect to the VPN servers, some of your personal and private data are hidden, such as your real location is hidden behind the VPN server location (note: turning on GPS confirms your location), your identity will be revealed as the login of VPN server,

With the 2 mentioned benefit above, you gained additional benefit:

3. Hiding your location when browsing

Since website you visited caught the location of the VPN server you use, your true location is hidden. Yes, you browse websites that usually blocked in your country. Note: most VPN service is paid service, some are full malware, and some are blocked by the provider.

4. Hide your location

Imagine sending an email and saying you are outside of the country, and it can be proven. Looks like a good spammer tool, doesn't it? But a good tool to hide your real location nonetheless.

How to easily activate VPN feature in your PC and Macbook? Simple, Google VPN and you will be presented with tons of options.

For Android phones and tablets, type VPN in Play Store search box and you can choose the one suited your usage.

For iOs phones and tablets, find VPN in the store.

I am honestly not sure if Windows phones store has it, if you find them, let me know.

To close this article, I think VPN is a feature that useful for work and play. Enjoy it.

Additional note: I will write an article on how to activate VPN in Samsung Galaxy Note in my other blog (mysamsunggalaxynotejournal.blogspot.com).

Happy New Year 2013

A Story of Ralf Rottman in Gizmodo

An iPhone Lover’s Confession: I Switched To the Nexus 4. Completely. http://gizmodo.com/5973073/

The Game Changing IT Gadgets of 2013

NOTE: This is my opinion as I witnessed the IT Gadgets development in 2013.

2013 is another year of IT and Gadgets explosion of game changing innovations.  The followings are the list of the items that broke the rules and successfully change the market:

1. Windows 8 and Windows Tablet aka Surface

A tablet that also function as a laptop PC, who would have thought that Microsoft can still be creative in developing new approach on the market.  The answer is Microsoft has years experience in meeting the market demands.  Now, with Windows 8, they will start to change the landscape of portable PC and make things more exiting for consumers.  A laptop that does more touch and better at typing, looks like the-will-be preferable machine for those working with a lot of typing and traveling.

2.  Samsung Galaxy Note 2

The biggest smartphone on the market successfully put Android in the Functional Premium Smartphone Class and responsible for creating a new wave of 5"+ Android phones.  The key success of SGNote2 is only the SPen and unbelievable user freedom in creativity.  Funny thing is for a phone that big (5.5"), it has so many people buying, using, and select few has become fanatics of it.  The giant that beats the smaller and more sophisticatedly designed smartphones.  Did Dell miss something?  The answer is ... sorry, I'm not gonna tell you here.  Check this article instead.

3.  Android Micro PC

This is in early initial development, originally used as Google TV Dongle, and has started to storm the market in China.  A small PC to be connected via HDMI to monitor/TV and it has USB for keyboard/mouse.  MicroSD as additional storage. It runs Android OS.  If PC will be developed to this size, who needs laptops?  Anyone interested in opening new business of Monitor terminals to let this tiny PC connected to it quarter hourly by coin?

Also, for those who doesn't want to buy a new TV that does Internet, buy this and turn your TV into Internet TV, requirement: HDMI capable.

By the way, major brands has started developing similar products.

4.  Self Generating WiFi Portable Storage System

Now, imagine you are doing a group meeting somewhere and needs to share your documents with your team.  Don't tell me about Cloud Storage, since in third world countries there are still locations without the benefit of 3G Internet connectivity.  All you have to do turn on your portable harddisk/storage WiFi and everyone (up to 5 people) can get connected to the files they need.

5. Google Glass

You glasses is your screen.  Imagine that.  Well, this is a game changer and the will be new development of portable computing.  Who needs monitor when you can a screen on your glasses.  Certainly, the person next to you will not be able to peek at your data.

There, the 5 new important development in 2013 that I truly feels as the best innovations that will change the whole market.  What do you think?  Did I miss something?

HiFi Earphone on Tight Budget: Superlux HD 381F

I love music.  I don't think I can live without ever listening to music.

I remember the first time I saw Sony Walkman when I was a kid, it was an amazing piece of technology for me at the time.  I cannot afford since it was very expensive, especially in a third world country like Indonesia.  But somehow my parents bought one a few years later for family entertainment and I loved it so much.

Now, I have 2 smartphones that plays decent music, 1 iPod Classic and I'm still looking for 1 small MP3 player that can play hifi class music.  Of course, I don't use the stock earphones, whether it is from Apple, Samsung, or HTC, they are all junk to my ears.  But, good headphones or earphones are usually, if not all the time, too D### expensive.

A few months back, an acquaintance who ran a headphone store has just poisoned me with the most incredible sounding piece of headphone I have heard.  My dream headphone before that event was Audio Technica ATH M50 Limited Edition.  ATHM50LE will cost me US$ 170-190, so saving period is necessary. 

Then this acquaintance of mine pushed me to try to listen to Ultrasone Edition 8, it was a second headphone, meaning someone owned it before and sell it to the store.  Let's just say the same musics that I usually listen to has just found new lives.  All the balance details, brightness and pounding bass are perfect.  It's like I was in seventh level of heavenly music land.  Until I found out the price, US$ 1,000 for a previously owned headphone.  Apparently the new one is US$ 1,500 or something.  That was grim.

Anyhow, I'm not gonna talk about that D### expensive headphone, but I will talk about how to get the best sound with poor man's budget.  I had it for 3 years so I'm familiar with it.  Superlux HD 381F is only US$ 25-30 at cost, but the sound it produces rivals those 3 to 5 times more expensive.  If you are a headfi regular, you should be familiar with this earphone. 

Superlux HD 381F the white has 2 siblings, Superlux HD 381 (the black one leans towards bass) and Superlux HD 381B (the grey has deep bass, high treble and high details).  I believe Superlux HD 381F is the best since it has the flat analytical sound quality.

The sound quality:
- Bass: Strong impact and rounded. You would be able to catch the true detail of drum beats but it is adequate to the level of depth.  One important factor, this is a fun bass, not the bloated bass.  Rock music plays very well with this.  And no, this is not at the level of Monster Beats' bass.

- Mid: the F in 381F means Flat, so it is flat.  Not to forward, not to recess.  Better than the original ATHM50, but not as forward as Shure SE535.  Not the best vocal earphone, but I can say all pop songs will play very nicely through this earphone.

- Treble: I must say bright and smooth.  Not too much roughness like Grado's signature sound, but more leaning towards the improved Sennheiser PX200 II signature.  Excellent details that makes acoustic and instrumental songs jump for joy.

- Soundstage: In your face.

- Sound Separation: Excellent.  You can recognize 95% of all the instruments playing in an orchestra, so it is an excellent micro speakers.

- Build Quality: It's a cheap earphone, bear with the plastic.  At least the cable is sturdy to survive my daily travels.

- Volume: Suitable for any portable players without needing Amp.

- Comfort: Wearable for 3-4 hours without discomfort, including when I was laying down with a pillow.

- Noise Isolation: Not the best, but better than the nearly 4x more expensive aJays.

So all in all, I think Superlux HD 381F is probably the cheapest best sounding earphone I have ever found and owned.  No, this is not Monster Beats replacement, Superlux HD 381F is at a higher level of fun earphone.

Must Have Apps on Android ICS Smartphone

I have been using ICS Android for about a year.  Starting from my Samsung Galaxy Note and now with HTC Desire VC.

I found several apps are necessary to keep my phone useful, I think you will find them useful also.

1. Primary Google Apps: Mail, Maps, Talk, Drive and Chrome

Mail is to access GMail.  Plain as that.  However, Google has improved this app further than expected and it certainly increases it's usability and functionality.

Maps is probably one of the most useful navigation app available and a must have since it has the most updated map of the world.

Drive is to keep some of your data in the Google cloud environment.  It has built in Google Docs so whether you want to use it for work or for fun, it will satisfy your needs for storage.  It can function as cloud backup for your phone too.

Talk is, well, GTalk.  It is messaging, not as popular as YM or Whatsapp, but very versatile.

Chrome browser is truly a unique, if not incredible, app. It links your Chrome browsers (on phone and PCs) and makes them share the same information.  Including you can continue your browsing from PC to Phone.

2. Whatsapp and Skype

It's YM on steroid, BBM without the pin, etc.  It's the most useful messaging available in the market.  It's not free, but the price of $1 to $2 per year is very cheap.

Skype is the ever popular video messaging app.  A must have.

3.  Antivirus and Security.

So good many options here.  I use Dr. Web Light on HTC since it is light weight on memory and also suitable for low speed CPU (HTC Desire VC is only 1GHz single core).  I use this phone as primarily communication device (voice, text, messaging and email).

On SGnote, I use TrustGo Anti Virus and Security for higher level of security.  Unlike in HTC Desire VC, SGNote is capable of running over 100 apps with it's dual core CPU. So a tighter security is required.  Avast is another complete option, however it is heavier on memory but tighter security.

4.  Waze.

I'm on the road all the time, so Waze is my primary navigation app.  It is, as it categorized itself, a social GPS and navigation app.  Meaning users like and others updated their maps and make Waze a popular social navigation app.  Waze is linked to Google, Bing, and Foursquare so you can always find the location you are looking for easily.  Also, being a social navigation app, other users provide up to date info on the traffics, so if you choose the fastest route, Waze will provide the back road which can save time for your travels.

5.  Soonr Scribble

This is an exclusive app for SGNote.  This app enables you to scribble on Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF and Picture documents.  Hence you can signed a document, annotate, or do some group discussion on a document.  One powerful tool to have.

6.  Password keeper app

Not password manager, just a keeper.  Password manager opens your password list when you access the web or an app.  Password keeper just keep your password.  Call me old fashioned, but I don't like other people opening up my data.  Why a password keeper?  Well, how many access in the internet, at work, or at home that requires password or pin or access code, etc.  I have so many that I need a specialized container to keep all of them.  My brain cannot keep all of them so I need external container.  Think of it like this, I have not use Hotmail in 2 years, but I have an account.  I remember the user name, but not the password.

I used BioWallet for now, but still looking for a better one.  Any suggestion?

7.  AppLock

This is a must.  With ICS or lower has no feature to keep work life and private life on your phone separated, it is wiser to lock work app from the reach of your kids, for example.  AppLock just add additional step in opening an app, a passcode entering process.  Just don't tell your kids your passcode.

8. Any.DO

I have it coz I need reminder of what to do.  It works on Android and also works wonder on Chrome.  easy to use and connecting your phones, laptop, and desktop with your TODO list.

9. Pocket

Now, sometimes I found good information in Internet but cannot read them at that time.  What to do?  Just add it to Pocket.  You will be able to read it later.  Anyway, that's what Pocket used to be called "ReadItLater".

 10.  Bloggeroid

This small app from PRZemelek is a small app that access your blogger account and enables me to write a post on my blog.  It is small and I think better than Google's official Blogger app.

11. MXPlayer

Now, this one is the most powerful player I found in the market that can play almost every type of video formats.  I can receive multimedia streams also.  Currently, this is my favorite app for entertainment.

12. Dropbox

To keep your file connected in the cloud and also 1 super function: backup your camera files.  So I never lost my photos.

Depending on the processor capability of the phone, I might also install: Clickfree Backup, Smart Cleaner, tTorrent, File Hide Expert, ZArchive, Astro File Explorer, Jump VNC, CamCard, PrinterShare, SpeedTest, Google+, Scan, Zooper Widget Free and TubeMate.

Those are the first and second groups of apps I installed on my new phones everytime.  I hope this article can give you some ideas on how an Android phone is capable of in making your life easier.

Windows 8 - Subjective First Impression Rant

Metro UI anybody?

My old Macbook has just retired due to old age.  I must say goodbye to it.

Now, I'm back to Windows environment with Windows 8 Pro on Lenovo's laptop.  For daily activities, I think it is more than suitable.  But that is not what I want to talk about.  I want to talk about Windows 8 Pro that I am using.

The experience I have with Windows 8 can be described as "confusing" at first.  It is the old style Windows that we all know and familiar with, but it is also different.  The replacement of START button by Metro UI reminds me of Android Home Screen. It is the customizable quick access for Windows applications and folders.  In one hand, it is very useful, but at the same time those who are not kin on customizing your screen will definitely have a headache over it. In the long run, of course, people will get use to it and will adjust to it, in a way.  However, I have friends who are gadget and technology savvy, but they hardly customized their gadgets.

I have 1 friend who is gadget crazy like me, he pretty much bough almost every new gadget in the market since he has money to burn.  Currently, he is using SGNote 2, SGNote 10.1, New iPad, and iPhone 5.  Regardless there is a method in making his screen tidy and neat, he has never use those features (folders and widgets).  His reason, he doesn't have the time.

Another friends works in IT as graphic and web designer.  Considering he works with graphic arts usually signifies planned designs, he should have the neatest Macbook Pro screen.  On the contrary, his Macbook Pro screen can be nominated as the most cluttered desktop screen.  It is so cluttered that he needs to do search to find a file on his desktop.

So, the customization will mean nothing if the developer of the OS failed to activate auto customization initially, meaning they need to just dump it and let the users remove the icons they don't use.

Another matter that I think needs to be pointed out is the corner access in Windows 8.  Brilliant, I think this is one of the most useful features in Windows I have seen in Windows 8.  I can access Control Panel whenever, without digging into the layers of start prompt menu.

The shortcut "Windows" key to me is also very useful. Heck, I can hide my screen immediately if I sensed someone peeping from my shoulder just by pressing "Windows" key and my screen change to the Metro screen.  But do not do this during presentation.

Windows 8 is designed for touch screen, but since it is still a Windows OS, finger will not be able to operate the Windows environment well since, especially for me, I have big fingers.  We need to use both mouse and fingers. I think Microsoft will surprise us later with the upgrades and making the current Windows 8 environment a less confusing in user interaction.

Either way, Windows 8 truly a jump for Microsoft, I think.  It's Microsoft opening to a new and more complete computer experience.  Samsung ATIV Smart PC includes SNote app installed.  Can you imagine how much freedom that will entitled the users?  True multitasking with SPen editing and creativity enabled.

To close this article, I must say I cannot wait for the next improvement of Windows 8 since the computer experience has totally change to a new level of user interaction.  One thing for certain though, Microsoft needs to decide how they want to approach tablet vs PC, since Windows 8 RT and Windows 8 Pro looks similar in the beginning and most less IT minded people might get confused.

Intro

Okay, my other blog is samsunggalaxynotejournal.blogspot.com.  However, it only covers my usage of Samsung Galaxy Note.  Since The second generation of SGNote has been released and it becomes one of the most successful Android smartphones in the market, I think a lot more people has already learn the tricks and treats of the SGNote system.

Here, in this blog, I want to talk more than just SGNote.  I hope you can enjoy it.