Mayur's Posterous

Unboxing the Galaxy Nexus

To get a better/bigger view, click on the first picture and navigate left or right using the arrow keys on your keyboard.

I won't be doing a full review of this phone because I don't have the time and instead of doing a half-a$$ed writeup, just google "Galaxy Nexus review" and you should get about 167 million hits.

A few notable reviews:

AnandTech - Review for the nerds (added 19 Jan 2012)

The Verge. (Or you could skip the text and just watch the excellent video review here)

Engadget

Slashgear

CNET.co.uk

Google's latest and greatest is here and it comes pre-loaded with Android 4.0 a.k.a. Ice Cream Sandwich. The first few words that came to my mind after I started using the phone were "Holy Mother of God that is fast". Android's latest UI has been overhauled to make it extremely user friendly (or n00b friendly, if you must) and it's blazing fast. I love the sexy, subtle, snappy animations that respond everytime I touch that beautiful 720p screen. I can't possibly list all the awesome new features that are available on this phone ... Roboto font, face unlock, barometer, head tracking, 3rd party controller setup ... the reviews cover everything in detail. Engadget calls it the best Android phone and "possibly even the best phone available today, period". 

I also received this welcome message from Team Android after I activated my device :) 

 

Media_httpiimgurcompf_diaad

 

To be honest, I don't really need a new phone. My current phone is a Nexus One that's rooted and running CyanogenMod 7.1 with a kernel that was cherry picked to work best for my day-to-day needs. I've been using Android since Eclair (2.1) came out and ICS is a big jump for all of us who currently use Gingerbread. My Nexus One has aged gracefully and can still give any current generation iPhone/Blackberry/Windows phone a run for their money but the hardware is the only thing that's holding it back. I still don't know how I feel about not having a micro-sd card on the Galaxy Nexus, time will tell. I feel sorry for my friends in the States, they're going through hell not knowing the actual release date for this phone. Hang in there guys, even Hitler is pissed!

I've also put up a few comparison pictures at the end of the image gallery. You'll see the Galaxy Nexus, Samsung Galaxy S II, iPhone 4 and my Nexus One in that particular order. 

If anyone's got a question or wants a feature comparison, feel free to drop me a question via email, Facebook or Google+. You can also leave a comment below :)

Posted

Aww, I <3 you too!

Img_20111117_065746
Posted

Uncharted 3 soundtrack

I can't think of any other game that has made me stop mid game to listen to the music.

This is when Drake is moving through Yemen.

This is when Drake goes to Syria.

Why is this game so awesome?
Posted

I got to listen to Pushto music and you didn't.

Yesterday, I had the privilege of listening to a Pushto song (with a dash of auto-tune) while waiting at a traffic light.

We have about ... six FM stations that cater to the hindi-speaking crowd in UAE and this gentleman used his FM transmitter to broadcast his music on one of the most popular frequencies - 89.1 (Radio 4).

Here is a video:

In the above video I start off with 105.4 (Radio Spice), switch back to 89.1 for the Pushto loving goodness and then cycle through the rest of the stations. I then do a quick scan of the cars around me and the taxi driver to the right is the best suspect.

Unlike Dubai, Abu Dhabi does not get a very clear signal for some of the stations. Winter is coming and almost all frequencies will be unreadable.

Possible theories:

1. International Pathan day that Radio 4 is celebrating.
2. Perpetrator does not know the magic behind FM transmitters. Just jam your USB stick in and voila. 
3. He knows exactly how it works and is doing it on purpose for some good, old fashioned trolling. In that case, well done you magnificent bastard, well done.

Posted

Uncharted 3 : Special Edition

It took a while but my Uncharted 3 Special Edition disk is here! I've just started playing this game and it is glorious. The level of detail in this game is spectacular.

I never want this series to end.

Posted

These pencils are the worst.

Img_20111018_224921

I used to call them 'bullet pencils'.

Posted

Twilight, taken during my morning run.

-1698871070

No, not the movie. There is a specific name that photographers use for the purple sky that happens just before sunrise. I have to look it up

Posted

I hope my future wife is someone who does not like drowning her face in make up.

Posted

Famous Five

782763798

This, the Secret Seven and the Hardy Boys. I've read them all :)
Posted

This guy loves F.C. Barcelona

Seen outside Le Meridien. Note that the big logo on the hood has a UAE flag.

That's no ordinary Ferrari, that's a GT spec 458 Italia. A brand new one would cost you about a million Dhs.

Posted