Shake the phone briefly.

That solved my problem!

The post Quick fix to Samsung S8’s camera blurred and not focusing appeared first on Michael Sunarlim.

Why is Samsung Gear S3 less attractive than Gear S2 when released?

Don’t get me wrong. The Gear S3 in overall is an upgrade compared to the previous generation S2. Here are some of notable improvements of the Tizen-powered smartwatch:

1. Larger battery capacity: 380 mAh which promised to give standby time up to 4 days, compared to 250 mAh on Gear S2 which can last between 2-3 days with normal use.
2. Gorilla Glass SR+ which should be more damage resistant compared to Gorilla Glass 3 on S2.

Those two factors are the only things that I consider as positive upgrades. Of course they keep all the essential features that made the S2 a solid product in the smartwatch category. Always-on display, rotating bezel, wireless charging, and interchangeable bands, they are all still there on Gear S3.

Now here’s why I feel the new release of Gear S3 feels like an unworthy upgrade:

1. Larger size
   OK, this is very subjective matter. But for me personally, one of the biggest decision factor to get the Gear S2 because it was one of the most compact smartwatch out there, while still packing a lot of functionality. At 49 x 46 x 12.9 mm, the Gear S3 is about 15% larger than Gear S2 Classic which measures at 39.9 x 43.6 x 11.4 mm.
2. Heavier
   Thanks to the larger size and increased battery, the Gear S3 Classic weighs 57 g. Gear S2 Classic weighs just 42 g, that’s 26% lighter. To be fair, the extra weight may help to give a more premium feel. But for me it is unnecessary because the built and finish are pretty much the same.
3. Lower PPI (pixel per inch)
   Still related to the increased size. While the screen is about 15% larger, Samsung did not make any attempt to increase the screen resolution. Both Gear S2 and Gear S3 have the same display resolution of 360 x 360 pixels. This means lower PPI for Gear S3 at 278 ppi, compared to 302 ppi on Gear S2.

What should they have focused on: software

The Samsung Gear S line has so much potential to grab wider market, if only they put their priority and meet their promise in terms of software development. Yes, I am talking about Gear Manager for iOS to allow iPhone users to connect and manage Gear S2/S3 and enjoy its full potential. It has been almost a year since they released a statement to make iOS version of its Gear Manager app.

iPhone users have been anxiously waiting for its official release, but as of today it is still stuck in a closed beta status. Instead of trying to refresh the hardware with “half-baked” upgrades, Samsung should have allocated its resources to get the iOS app into the public first.

Is Gear S3 a good buy?

At $350 retail price, in short and very personal opinion, I would have to say no. Unless you just want to have a bigger model and using a small(er) watch is against your style. The larger battery life is not a huge deal either. Smartwatch is designed to be charged daily anyway. A 4 days battery life is probably only beneficial if you are going on a short trip and don’t want to bother bringing the wireless charger with you.

On the bright side, with the Gear S3 already available in the market, it’s time for the sellers to clean up the stock for older Gear S2 which means selling them at discounted price. Samsung Gear S2 is now sold at $250 and the Gear S2 Classic at $300. At this price range, it would make a perfect holiday gift.

Shop for Samsung Gear

The post Samsung Gear S3 release makes the older S2 a great holiday gift appeared first on Michael Sunarlim.

That perception have now changed with the HEVC hardware accelerated encoding support in the newer chipset generations. Plus the release of Plex Media Player* last year with Embedded Platform app.

* Plex Media Player is currently only available for Plex Pass users.
UPDATE November 30, 2016: Plex Media Player is now available for all Plex users

UPDATE October 21, 2017: Intel has released a newer generation of NUC series (identifier: NUC7XXXXX). They no longer support booting from (micro) SD card, as shared by one of the readers. Read Brian’s notes here.

A little background

For over a year, I had been using Minix Neo Z64 running Plex Home Theater as client to browse and play media library from my Plex Media Server on my TV. It had served its primary purpose well but I started to find some limitations from it:

1. It could only be installed with 32-bit version of Windows (or any other x64 based operating system) due to limited BIOS and drivers support. This means, I couldn’t install the next generation Plex Media Player which unfortunately required 64-bit MacOS or Windows.
2. No hardware accelerated for HEVC (H.265) video format. Its Quad Core Intel Atom processor were choking to handle 1080p H.265 encoded videos.
3. Even though it had built-in IR receiver, there was no Windows driver for it. I had to use Flirc USB to control it from my Logitech Harmony remote.
4. No gigabit ethernet port, only 100 Mbps.
5. No HD Audio (Dolby TrueHD and DTS-MA) passthrough when using PHT on Windows.

So the search was on to find a hardware that would be able to fill those gaps. There is one extra requirement though: it needed to be in the sub $200 budget because I only wanted it as Plex client, not server.

The hardware: Intel NUC5CPYH

A few options came into consideration, including NVIDIA SHIELD TV and AsRock BEEBOX N3150, but I finally decided to go with Intel NUC NUC5CPYH. Primarily because of the price point, at less than $130 (barebone, no RAM, no drive) it was still quite an amazing price. While some people might doubt its processing power because it is still running on Celeron processor, but it’s already based on Braswell chipset and Braswell comes with HEVC hardware acceleration support.

Here’s the list of components to get it up and running:

• Intel NUC5CPYH Barebone Kit – $128 [link]
• Kingston HyperX Impact Black 4GB 1600MHz DDR3L SODIMM – $25 [link]
• SanDisk Ultra Fit 32GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive – $10 [link]

You could go with SDXC or even hard drive/SSD instead of using USB flash drive, that one is completely up to your preference. For me, the SanDisk Ultra Fit just offered the best bang for the buck.

In addition, you also need a spare USB drive with around 1GB of storage and USB keyboard to copy and install the Plex Media Player for embedded platform image.

Plex Media Player for Embedded Platforms installation

To download Plex Media Player (PMP) for the Intel NUC, just follow these steps:

1. Go to Plex Downloads page
2. Click on Get an App button
3. Make sure Plex Pass Downloads is checked on
4. Under Choose your app, select Plex Media Player > Embedded Platforms
5. Click on Download button, then select Intel 64-bit

Plex Downloads Page (click to zoom)

Next step is to create the disk image for the USB stick by following the official tutorial.

After plugging both USB sticks (one with the disk image and another that will act as the computer’s drive) and keyboard to the Intel NUC, turn it on. The NUC should try to detect a bootable drive, in this case the USB stick with PMP disk image. Then you need to follow the on-screen installation process and select the other USB stick as the destination drive to where app will be installed.

After the installation is complete, you can unplug the disk image stick and reboot the NUC. It should load PMP and you can start using it immediately.

Setting DTS-MA and Dolby TrueHD passthrough

Plex Media Player’s Audio Configuration Guide is a little bit vague in explaining how to enable HD audio passthrough. But for Intel NUC, the key is to select the right Device type and Device under Settings > Audio panel.

• Device type: HDMI
• Channels: 7.1 (depending on your audio receiver’s input/output capability)
• Device: HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 0/HDMI Audio Out
• Normalize Downmixed Volume: No
• Show Advanced Settings: Yes
• Dolby Digital (AC3): Yes
• DTS (DCA): Yes
• Dolby Digital Plus (EAC3): Yes
• DTS-HD Master Audio: Yes
• Dolby TrueHD: Yes

Maximizing control from Logitech Harmony

If you own a Logitech Harmony IR remote*, Intel NUC5CPYH already has its own profile on MyHarmony application. Just add a new device and put these values:

• Manufacturer: Intel
• Device Model Number: NUC5CPYH

MyHarmony Add A Device screen

* Logitech remotes based on Harmony Smart Control hub such as Harmony Elite or using RF signal may require different configuration.

You should already be able to use the remote for basic commands. However if you really want to have more control, you need to create your own inputmap. To save you the trouble of capturing each of the Button Name from the default NUC5CPYH profile, you can refer to my notes below from my Harmony One remote.

Button Name     Harmony Button
==============================
KEY_SLEEP       Power Toggle
KEY_RED         Red
KEY_GREEN       Green
KEY_YELLOW      Yellow
KEY_BLUE        Blue
KEY_TUNER       LiveTV
KEY_TV          MyTV
KEY_VIDEO       MyVideos
KEY_AUDIO       MyMusic
KEY_CAMERA      MyPictures
KEY_RADIO       MyRadio
KEY_DVD         DVDMenu
KEY_INFO        Info
KEY_EXIT        Exit
KEY_EPG         Guide
KEY_VOLUMEUP    Vol+
KEY_VOLUMEDOWN  Vol-
KEY_UP          Ch+
KEY_DOWN        Ch-
KEY_MUTE        Mute
KEY_REWIND      Rewind
KEY_FASTFORWARD FastForward
KEY_RECORD      Record
KEY_OK          OK
KEY_LEFT        Left
KEY_RIGHT       Right
KEY_UP          Up
KEY_DOWN        Down

Now that you know which buttons are recognized as which by PMP, all you need to do is to create a custom inputmap file to your preference and upload it using SSH/SFTP to the NUC under /storage/.local/share/plexmediaplayer/inputmaps/ directory. By the way, the remote is recognized as LIRC.

Here is how I set mine:

{
 "name": "LIRC IR",
 "idmatcher": "LIRC*",
 "mapping":
 {
     "KEY_LEFT": "left",
     "KEY_RIGHT": "right",
     "KEY_UP": "up",
     "KEY_DOWN": "down",
     "KEY_MENU": "unknown",
     "KEY_DVD": "home",
     "KEY_SELECT": "enter",
     "KEY_OK": "enter",
     "KEY_BACK": "back",
     "KEY_EXIT": "back",
     "KEY_PLAY": "play",
     "KEY_STOP": "stop",
     "KEY_PAUSE": "pause",
     "KEY_SEEKFWD": "seek_forward",
     "KEY_FASTFORWARD" : "seek_forward",
     "KEY_SEEKBCK": "seek_backward",
     "KEY_REWIND": "seek_backward",
     "KEY_CAMERA": "step_backward",
     "KEY_RADIO": "step_forward",
     "KEY_SUBTITLES": "cycle_subtitles",
     "KEY_INFO": "host:toggleDebug",
     "KEY_NEXT": "step_forward",
     "KEY_PREV": "step_backward",
     "KEY_HOME": "home",
     "KEY_NUMERIC_([0-9])": "%1",
     "KEY_SLEEP": "host:suspend",
     "KEY_RECORD": "toggle_subtitles",
     "KEY_RED": "cycle_subtitles",
     "KEY_GREEN": "cycle_subtitles_back",
     "KEY_YELLOW": "increase_subtitles_delay",
     "KEY_BLUE": "decrease_subtitles_delay",
     "KEY_TUNER": "cycle_audio",
     "KEY_TV": "cycle_audio_back",
     "KEY_VIDEO": "increase_audio_delay",
     "KEY_AUDIO": "decrease_audio_delay"
 }
}

Once you done that, restart PMP. The final step is to reflect the changes on your Harmony devices and activities settings. You probably want to change the labels on the screen buttons.

Performance

This tiny device works like a charm! Thanks to hardware acceleration available on Braswell and newer chipsets, the NUC handles all video format I have been throwing at it like a boss.

It has no problems in handling 1080p HEVC (8-bit) videos. Over a dozen videos, only one which had one dropped frames occasion, but I think that was caused by network hiccup and not because the CPU/GPU was out of breath. Since this is an embedded app, I could not measure the hardware usage. What I can tell is the NUC never gets hot, or even warm, so it is certainly not stressed when decoding those movies.

The NUC Blog says that it should be able to handle 4k HEVC videos. My TV is not 4k yet, so not something I wanted to try, but good to know that it has some future-proofing.

Audio passthrough is perfect also. I can finally see the HDSUR. icon showing up on my Yamaha YSP-2500 Soundbar.

Mission accomplished. The Intel NUC5CPYH is a wonderful upgrade from Minix Z64 for a small budget dedicated HTPC.

Reader’s tip: Stuttering Issue

In case you are seeing stuttering with during video playback, and not related to audio output configuration, you may want to try enabling Allow Display Mode Switching under Settings > Video. Thanks for the note, Joe!

Shop for your Plex Media Player setup

The post Intel NUC as Plex Media Player Client: Setup Guide appeared first on Michael Sunarlim.

These speakers are considered as one of the best with their price range. They are only slightly more expensive than AE A2+ but comes with a subwoofer. In fact it’s a super solid subwoofer, but more on that later. Does that mean their sound quality below A2+? Many people would disagree. There are also many other 2.1 speaker systems from more recognized brands in the same price range that ended on my shortlist. The reason why I chose M50W in the end is because the brand comes from SQ-centric customers compared to more generic market. The design and finish define it as you can see below.

Unboxing photos

Early impressions

It could be because I had read so many rave reviews about the speakers prior to ordering them, but when I heard them for the first time, I felt they had been a bit overrated. They produced good sound, but still a tad below my expectation. However the local rep constantly reminded the customers to give them a burn-in time of minimum 100 hours before they will truly spark. Fair enough.

One thing that already caught my admiration was the subwoofer. Even though it can be considered compact with only 6.5″ driver, it pushes solid and round bass. It is surprisingly very heavy too, most of the 17kg packaging weight is from the sub. This alone concluded that I had made the right decision to picking this set over the A2+.

I am now in around 20 hours of burn-in time and have already been noticing the sound improvements. Even with low volume, I can hear most of the frequency ranges, an indication of high quality speakers. Can’t wait to hear when they have unleashed their true potential. I plan to write a full review after spending (a lot) more time with them. But for now, I am very happy with the Swans HiVi M50W and would recommend them to anyone looking for 2.1 multimedia speaker system in $200-$300 range.

The goods

• Superb finish, every piece uses high quality material
• Excellent subwoofer built and performance
• Looks awesome
• Can go really loud

The bads

• Initial listening might not show the true potential, require burn-in and some tweaking
• The satellite is just a tad big for a multimedia speaker at 14 x 14 cm, may require extra space on your desk
• Not easily obtainable in some countries

The post Swans HiVi M50W unboxing and early impressions appeared first on Michael Sunarlim.

There are so many good things about Samsung S7 and S7 Edge, most of them answer the customers’ critics from their predecessors:

Bigger battery

I have no problem with my S6 Edge and it has enough juice to last entire day, but more active mobile users have been pretty frustrated with the battery capacity. Besides, bigger battery is always a positive thing.

microSD slot

To me, having the ability to use external storage is one of the selling factors with Android devices compared to iPhone. By putting this feature back, it is a big deal. 32GB for internal storage is usually more than enough to install all the apps you need. What’s hard to predict is how much memory you will need to store all the media files, including camera photos.

Better camera

The S6 takes beautiful shots, but I am still struggling to get better focus and result when it is in lowlight environment. Taking the words from Samsung and early reviewers, the S7 camera will solve this problem.

Better design

Even though I understand that Samsung really wanted to make a smartphone that would be as thinnest and possible with the S6, the flat back and protruding camera give constant annoyance to most users including myself. Luckily Samsung’s team of designer decided to fix those by making the S7 has less camera bumb and back cover shape that is easier to hold with a small price of being 1.1 thicker. No problem, function over design.

Dust and water-resistant

Accidents happen. While this is not going to be a decision factor, having an extra feature for protecting your precious gadget better is always welcomed.

Bigger RAM and faster processor

Well, nobody would buy newer smartphone if it has the same RAM and processor as previous generation.

Solid black color option

No more sapphire or blueish black like with the S6, which why I ended up buying mine in white.

In short, Samsung has done mostly everything right with the Galaxy S7.

Why the bigger screen for S7 Edge, Samsung?

I have come to believe that Samsung thinks a bigger screen size is required for the market to justify the extra $110 to get the Edge version on top of the “edge” screen.  Probably the sales of S6 Edge+ (5.7″) were better than S6 Edge (5.1″) and they used this insight to determine the product line variations.

As a customer, we are now stuck to having a phone that barely fits into your jeans pocket in order to get that super fancy curvy edged screen.

Will there be a smaller Samsung S7 Edge?

Who knows. But knowing Samsung, they might release a new version of their flagship phone line before a full year. Just like when they added S6 Edge+ into the S6 family.

Let me hear your thoughts about bigger S7 Edge screen and whether you would prefer to have it the same size as its sibling.

Shop for Samsung Galaxy S7

The post Smaller Samsung S7 Edge, that would convince me to upgrade appeared first on Michael Sunarlim.

• Rounded bezel makes it more like you are wearing a watch instead of a gadget
• Gear S2 uses rotating bezel for navigation vs Apple Watch’s digital crown, personally it feels more natural
• More affordable – Gear S2 Classic ($350) finishing is equivalent to Apple Watch edition (not Sport) 38mm with leather band ($650)
• Gear S2 Classic is also compatible with any strap that has a standard 20mm pin
• Apple Watch was released sooner which means it might already close to its end of life and the next generation coming soon

However, I am trying not to put too much hope regarding when Samsung is actually going to get its Gear Manager iOS app available. It is known to be less committed to deliver when it comes to software products. Apple also plays a big role whether the app is going to pass on the app approval process.

Does this mean iPhone users are completely out of options to use the Gear S2? Not really.

Samsung Gear S2 could connect with iPhone… before the firmware update

Surprisingly, the earlier version of Gear S2’s firmware allows the device to connect and communicate with iPhone out of the box. Based on reports from passionate users on XDA Developers Forums, updating to later firmware version will break this functionality. Don’t ask me why the developers took this one step back.

So the best chance to use Samsung Gear S2 with iPhone is not to connect it to the Gear Manager app (on Android) at all. You will not be able to use it optimally, but in my opinion better than not connecting at all with your primary phone.

Activate Samsung Gear S2 in standalone mode – bypass the activation

Like most smartwatches, you need to connect the device as you unbox it with a smartphone running its supporting app. Same case with Samsung Gear S2, when you turn it on the very first time it will guide you to connect it through its Gear Manager companion app. Otherwise you will not be able to use it at all.

Turns out you can bypass this process and use it as standalone mode and only running with its default apps and watch faces. Here are the steps:

1. When prompted to connect to Gear Manager app, tap on the small yellow icon on the top of the screen multiple times.
2. A message will pop up and ask you do a long press, follow the instructions
3. Viola, it will open the home screen and you can start using the watch

Next step is to connect the watch with your iPhone via Bluetooth like you normally do with other accessories. There, you have successfully connected Samsung Gear S2 with your iPhone.

What’s working and what’s not

As mentioned above, do not expect anything fancy out of your Gear S2 in standalone mode. The default apps are very limited and you cannot add new watch faces. You’ll get almost every single notification, including when you are getting an incoming call, from your iPhone on the Gear S2 screen. The bad news is you cannot actually interact with it.

So far, I can live with this. At least until Samsung fulfills its promise and get Gear Manager app available in the App Store.

Update January 7, 2017: Samsung Gear S on App Store

Samsung’s official Gear S for iOS has been officially released and can be downloaded here.
Thanks for all readers who have been following and contributing to this post.

Update April 14, 2016: Gear Manager iOS leak

One of the fine readers of this post shared what seems to be a leaked (non-final) version of Samsung Gear Manager for iOS. Please read this comment below onwards for steps to connect the app from your iPhone to the Gear S2. Thank you David, Steven, Matchev and Russ for sharing your experience testing the leaked/demo app.

Shop Accessories for Samsung Gear S2

The post Connecting Samsung Gear S2 with iPhone appeared first on Michael Sunarlim.

For years, my Mac minis had been the primary device for both Plex Media Server and Plex Home Theater (the player). Started with the old 2010 Mac mini with 2.4GHz Core2Duo processor which served me well for over 3 years. Then as Plex functionality grew, C2D processor no longer held up to directly convert my movie files and stream it to mobile devices. I then upgraded it to Mac mini 2012 with 2.3GHz Quad Core i7 processor, which has been able to handle multiple devices without breaking a sweat.

A dilemma was faced when I needed a better working station as my Macbook Air was no longer enough to serve for web development jobs I had been doing in my home office. Initially I was thinking to buy an iMac with Fusion Drive, but then I had an idea to use my i7 Mac mini instead since it actually had a superb processing power. The idea was, it would still run Plex Server since I would not watch movies and working at the same time. The challenge was to find a suitable device to replace the Mac mini for the player as I had to move it out from the bedroom. The simple solution would be to buy another Mac mini, but was very uneconomical and unpractical because I did not need another server. So the search began…

Requirements

Considering Plex’s excellent multi-platform adoption, I could easily buy a Chromecast for less than $40 and install Plex app there. But I needed more than just a video streamer. It would be playing high definition media files and connected to my Yamaha YSP-2500 soundbar, so certain requirements were needed:

• handles 1080p movies
• supports Dolby Digital and DTS encoding
• good design
• space saving
• silent

There were a few contenders at the time, including Intel NUC, Roku and Raspberry Pi 2. All seemed like good options, but did not qualify to all the specifications.

Enter MINIX NEO Z64

After a thorough market research, I discovered about MINIX NEO Z64 and it was the closest one to meet all my requirements. It comes in two flavors: MINIX NEO Z64A which is basically an Android TV box and shipped with Android Kit Kat 4.4 and MINIX NEO Z64W is actually a micro PC shipped with Windows 8.1 Bing Edition. The MINIX Z64A retails at around $130 and came with and IR remote, while the Z64W is slightly more expensive at $160 due to the Windows 8.1 license and it does not come with IR remote.

The MINIX NEO Z64

The coolest thing is, you can install Windows on MINIX Z64A and vice versa, following the instructions provided by user Gadget Friendly on MINIX forums.

Under the hood these models have the same hardware specifications:

• Intel Bay Trail (Intel Z3735F, 64-bit) CPU
• Intel HD Graphics GPU
• 2GB RAM
• 32GB eMMC ROM
• 2 x USB 2.0 ports
• MicroSD slot
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n
• Bluetooth 4.0
• 1 x Headphone jack
• 1 x HDMI port
• 1 x Ethernet jack

First Impressions

I decided to order Z64A because I wanted to try Plex for Android first. I had only known Plex on Mac OS X and iOS environments, but both Android and Windows versions were new territories for me. I was not sure if there would be limitations as Plex player compared to my Mac mini.

MINIX NEO Z64 Box Front

In addition, I also bought the MINIX NEO A2 Lite which is a wireless keyboard and air mouse. This was necessary for me and is highly recommended to make your life easier when required to type during inital setup, browsing or searching for anything. Otherwise you would be stuck with the on screen keyboard. The A2 Lite works on both the Android and Windows OS versions.

Some sellers sell both MINIX NEO Z64A and A2 Lite in a bundle which could save you some bucks.

The Z64A came with the following inside the box:

• 1 x MINIX NEO Z64
• 1 x Remote controller (remember: the remote is not included on Z64W)
• 1 x AC power charger
• 1 x HDMI cable
• 1 x USB cable
• 1 x user manual

MINIX NEO Z64 Box Content

The main device is well built with very compact form and is have strong resemblence with the Apple TV, except for the wi-fi antenna. At its price point, there was nothing to complain about the build quality, if not better than I had expected. I had seen Android TV set top box with ugly casing and finish.

MINIX NEO Z64A with Plex for Android

Installation was very straightforward: just plug it to a power source and TV, some initial setup then I was ready to go. As a standalone media player, the Z64A came with Kodi which is another excellent multi-platform media manager and player so you could easily use it independently. However my quest was to make it work with my Plex Media Server and I did not want to bother migrating years of media collection to a different system, so the next step for me was to install Plex for Android from the Google App Store.

Plex for Android TV Interface

Unfortunately Plex for Android did not really work well for me because of the native support of the media formats. Many of them could not direct-play and had to be transcoded by Plex Media Server on-the-fly. This lead to one very particular problem: it lost the original media file’s quality in particular the surround audio encoding (DD/DTS). I could not accept this.

Then for a short time, I managed to live by using Kodi by adding the PleXBMC plugin. It allowed me to connect to my Plex Media Server while using Kodi’s media player which supports more formats including Dolby Digital and DTS. But this set up was not meant to last also. First I had to settle for losing the nice Plex interface, then it took extra few steps to open up my media library, finally the plugin had few bugs which prevented me to connect to Plex Server from time to time for no obvious reason.

The time came to test the Windows version of MINIX Z64.

MINIX NEO Z64W with Plex Home Theater

Following the instructions given, I have to say anyone who have done clean install of Windows on their PC before should not face much problem. Just a reminder that you need to purchase your own Windows license when upgrading from Z64A and while the CPU is 64-bit, MINIX NEO Z64 only supports Windows 32-bit version. MINIX also officially provided the BIOS conversion files and Windows drivers.

Next step is to install Plex Home Theater for Windows (32-bit version). Nothing special about it, just like installing other Win application. Upon first launch, I was asked to connect to Plex account and it detected my Plex Media Server immediately. Happy to say, PHT has very consistent interface between the one for Mac OS X and one for Windows.

Plex Home Theater Interface

The tricky part is with the hardware setup. PHT requires you to set the right hardware support in order for it to work smoothly. In particular the audio, you want to make sure your audio system actually supports any of the preferences options, whether it is for Dolby Digital, DTS, DTS-HD and so on. Failing to do this and you might get stuttering playback. It took a few attempts for me to got this part right.

Movie Playback

Once all set, I played some of my favorite movies. The MINIX Z64 + PHT were able to play all the movies on my media library. Most of them are in MKV format with DTS or Dolby Digital 5.1 or 7.1 audio. Surround channels were distributed accurately and it had no problem handling up to 1080p resolution.

Some other reviewers mentioned that the Z64 was able to handle 4K videos. I haven’t tried this myself because I do not have 4K TV and while the CPU is able to decode 4K video, it would be pointless if the HDMI port is not version 2.0 which is required to deliver the output to UltraHD TVs.

Another interesting subject is the latest buzz in digital video format: HEVC h.265 support. H.265 format allows even better compression for HD movies. Unfortunately it is hardware dependant and Intel Bay Trail does not have the hardware support. It would be awesome though if MINIX could release future products with CPU that is compatible with HEVC H.265. They have the NEO X8-H Plus, but it only comes with Android OS option therefore no PHT.

Drawback: Networking

Since my Plex setup relies so much on good networking to stream from my home office upstairs to my bedroom, this is the only element that I am quite disappointed with MINIX NEO Z64. The wireless connection is not that good despite the external antenna. I ended up having to buy TP-LINK RE200 AC750 Wi-Fi Extender and connect it to the ethernet port to get the best and most consistent network connection.

IR Receiver on Windows

You would probably interested to know that the IR receiver is not working when running under Windows. I still cannot understand why MINIX has not created the driver to support it. But the A2 Lite keyboard works flawlessly, so it is not a deal breaker.

Using It as Plex Media Server

While NEO Z64 has just the right hardware to play common media formats, I would not recommend it to use it as Plex Media Server. Particularly if you are planning to use it to serve multiple devices that require transcoding. It does not have enough beef and you still need to invest on a better machine for the server.

Conclusion

Getting into the third month with the Z64W + PHT setup, I am very happy with it. It is a solid replacement for the player. Compared to $500 Mac mini, it is a huge money saver with only 1/3 of the price plus it uses less energy. The concept of releasing a product that allow customers to select between Android and Windows is very interesting. I hope MINIX will continue the development of this product line and improving a few shortcomings mentioned above.

Update November 2015:

Late October 2015 Plex officially introduced Plex Media Player as the successor of Plex Home Theater. Currently it is only available for PlexPass users and in 64-bit version for Windows 7+. Since MINIX NEO Z64 only allows you to install Windows in 32-bit version, unless Plex Media Player will be available for the 32-bit OS, you may not be able to install it ever. However I am going to keep my fingers crossed. Besides, Plex Home Theater is still a very solid and mature application and I have no doubt it will still be able to play most files served from Plex Media Server for many years to come.

Gallery

The post Geek Review: MINIX NEO Z64 for Plex player appeared first on Michael Sunarlim.

Motorola made an great move that gave them a hope to win their share in the hyper competitive market of smartphones when they introduced Moto G back in late 2013. Instead of trying to compete with flagship models from other brands such as Samsung Galaxy S line, HTC One, or Google’s own Nexus series to name some, they turned their focus on middle market. It was actually a more challenging market to enter as they would need to compete with Chinese phone makers who could always offer a lower priced models in a blink of an eye.

That did not stop Motorola to win in that tough category though. Notable number of very positive reviews made it as one of most popular phones available under $200 that year. All thanks to the right mix of features:

1. The price was relatively lower than the mid-end range of more familiar brands (ie. Samsung, LG, HTC). It even allowed it to compete with Chinese brand smartphones.
2. It came with almost plain Android latest version, which was good. By 2013 Google had made lots of improvements over the OS’s UI and it actually looked better than most other makers’ custom UI. It also allowed the OS to be updated rather quickly when Google released the next Android version.
3. It was equipped with just the right components. Not the latest and greatest, but more than enough to impress anyone using it as their first Android phone: 4.5″ 720p (329 ppi) screen, quad core CPU, 1 GB of RAM, external MicroSD slot, and LTE to name a few.
4. There is only one model (with 8GB and 16GB internal storage for variation) in their mid-range product line. Other makers usually have half or even a dozen of different models competing against each other with new models coming every 2-3 months. That was just too confusing. Motorola did this right, just like Apple with the iPhone.
5. Good battery life. Some that is usually sacrificed when making low cost devices or just install it with any OS available on the table without properly tweak it.

The success of Moto G was then followed with a refresh in September 2014, preserving the same name. Some upgrades here and there, notably was the screen size had been increased to 5″ while preserving the resolution at 1280 x 720 px, which means lower ppi but still looked great.

“Wait, I thought this review is about Moto E not Moto G?” you say. Yes, we will get into it. I find it is important for you to understand the genes that made Moto E and know that it is not just a lame attempt by Motorola to grab the biggest market segment with a disappointing product.

Moto E

With Moto G had proven to be a hit, time for Motorola to aim the low end segment. Do not get it wrong, this is the emerging market. With the decline of Nokia and Blackberry, the market needs products that can fill the gap. Same as mid-level, the segment had been pre-populated with Chinese branded models.

Using the same formula for Moto G, the Moto E was introduced in May 2014, between first and and second generation of Moto G. The result: a sub $100 Android based smartphone for literally anyone. Seriously, the price is quite insane considering what you get from a reputable brand:

• 1.2 GHz Dual-core Cortex A7 CPU
• 1 GB RAM
• 4 GB internal storage
• MicroSD slot
• 1,980 mAh (non user-replaceable)
• 4.3″ screen with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 @ 960×540 px (256 ppi)
• 5 MP rear camera (no flash)
• GPS / GLONASS, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 for connectivity

Those are more than enough to do every smart things from your phone, except to run resource intensive games, but let’s get real with the expectations. The two things you might (or not) miss are front camera and flash on the rear camera. To keep things short, if you require to take a photo or selfie from your phone day and night, this is not the right phone for you. For the rest, you can continue reading my review.

Moto E side view

First Impressions

I got my unit last week because I needed a secondary phone which would allow me to use a separate number from my personal one. For the note, I use iPhone 5s for my primary phone.

Moto E next to iPhone 5s

Holding the unit for the first time, it felt heavier than I had thought, but it wouldn’t break an arm. In matter of fact, I like it because it does not feel cheap. The construction is solid and the finish is more than what you pay. Screen is obviously not “retina” quality but honestly 256 ppi is still a good density. So in short: impressive. I have been playing with it more than I thought I would, which eventually lead me to write this post.

Inside the box there were earphones set with handsfree, Micro-USB charger and cable, but I left them intact since I already have Sanctuary4 from Bluelounge as my charging station.

Android 5.0 Lollipop

One of the biggest challenges in buying Android phone, especially mid to low end models, is not knowing whether it will get the software update it deserves. It sort of defeats the purpose of having a smartphone if you are going to get stuck with the current version of Android OS at the time of purchase. To most manufacturers their goal is achieved the second you buy their products.

Luckily thanks to Motorola almost plain Android approach, and the fact that Motorola Mobility was owned by Google for a short period, the Moto G and Moto E can avoid that sad ending. The latest Android version 5, codenamed Lollipop, is coming to Moto E very soon. Officially it is under Soak Test, which can be translated as beta phase.

Of course if you are like me and simply cannot wait for the official release, there are multiple blog and forum posts that can guide you to upgrade to 5.0.2 immediately. It is not for everyone though, so if you are not very comfortable in messing with command lines or simply do not want to brick your Moto E, then my advice is to be patient just a little bit. It is coming.

So what’s the outcome after upgrading to Lollipop? Well, it makes a good device into lovable.

Moto E displaying Home screen after upgrade to Lollipop

Interface

Four words: I love Material Design! Material Design is the latest design/visual language developed by Google and incorporated into Android 5 Lollipop. It is a HUGE improvement and for the first time ever, I feel Google has done a better job compared to iOS 8’s flat design philosophy. In the case of Moto E, the new design works great with the screen resolution. It does not magically increase the pixel density, but it is definitely more pleasing to the eyes and individual pixels become less noticeable.

Speed

Many reviewers claim a boost in term of speed/performance after upgrading to Lollipop. To be fair, maybe that is the case with higher end models. Considering Moto E does not use the latest quad or octa core CPU and only 1GB RAM, I am already happy this upgrade does not make the phone super laggy. Again a common case when older device gets the latest major OS update, it even happens with the iPhones. Scrolling the Home screen and tapping on app icons feels smooth.

Battery

Remember that I only use my Moto E as a secondary phone. I typically only spend 30-60 minutes a day doing real activities on it, but it can easily pass over 3 days with a single charge. Wi-Fi is always on and my model is the dual SIM version with both SIM cards active. If I disable wireless and only active one SIM, no doubt I can get an even longer life. I am quite confident for typical use like browsing, managing email, SMS, instant messaging and a number of calls, this thing can last throughout the day without sweating.

Screenshots

Conclusion

The Motorola Moto E is a fine piece of device for its price. $100 is average amount of money people used to spend to buy typical Nokia phone less than 5 years ago without caring about CPU, RAM, or camera capability as long as they can make calls and send out SMS. If you keep your thoughts simple, than you would realize how good deal it is. With the update to Lollipop, the experience will improve even further.

Who should buy Moto E:

1. Someone already using a smartphone and need a secondary one, like me
   1. Someone who wants to replace his or her really old phone and learning using a smartphone
   2. First time Android user
   3. Parents who want to give their kid his or her first phone
   4. Android fan who wants a cheaper device to tinker

These people might get disappointed with Moto E:

1. A selfie junkie
   1. Someone who requires to do video calls every now and then
   2. Someone who plans to put a hundred apps and all his media files into his phone
   3. A person who just lost his iPhone 6 or Galaxy S5 and looking for a replacement
   4. Customer who always in need to have the greatest gadget but not willing to pay premium for it

The post Geek Review: Motorola Moto E running Android Lollipop (5.0.2) appeared first on Michael Sunarlim.

My previous soundbar was LG HLB54S with Blu-ray player built-in and it had served me well before I decided it was time for an upgrade. After looking at many options available in the market at the time, I finally put my eyes at two soundbars by Yamaha: the YSP-1400 and YSP-2500. Yamaha calls these line as sound projectors instead of soundbars, a marketing term which I find is not an exaggeration. The reason will be described as you read through more details below.

Generally the YSP-1400 and YSP-2500 have all the requirements I looked for my next soundbar:

• 5.1 or 7.1 Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound – many (lower-end) soundbars do not actually have this and sometimes only offer 2.1 or 4.1 output
• Bluetooth connection to wirelessly stream the audio from smartphone
• Optical input to connect my Mac mini as the primary source of media
• iOS and Android app which always a nice thing for any geek

At around $1,000, YSP-2500 costs over twice of YSP-1400 which is sold at between $300-350. In my opinion this is a worthy investment if you have the extra budget for it. For me the added values were:

• A separate wireless subwoofer unit – YSP-1400 has built-in woofers which has its own selling value if you are looking for something that is very minimal
• 16 sound beams vs 8 sound beams on YSP-1400
• LCD display to see the status of your playback
• Brushed aluminium finish – YSP-1400 only use glossy plastic for its casing
• Included Intellibeam microphone for easy sound calibration
• 3 HDMI input in addition of the optical input
• Supports HDMI 4K Ultra HD 50/60p Pass-through and 3D

All you ever need from a soundbar: 3 HDMI input, 1 HDMI output, 2 optical input, Dolby True HD, DTS-HD.

Set-up

The biggest challenge with any soundbar is room layout. It may not work anywhere as it requires solid walls to bounce the side and rear channels to create that surround effect. My room is far from ideal for this to be honest, the TV can only be hung on the right side so it is not centered and on the right of it are windows with blind curtains.

Here is where I feel Yamaha truly excels compared to the rest of competition. They are not only selling you drivers boxed in a single case and call it a soundbar, you are buying their famed digital sound projector technology that allows you to calibrate the settings to meet your room environment.

Included within YSP-2500 box is an Intellibeam microphone. You plug it into the main unit and then place the mic on the spot where you would watch your movies and it will automatically calibrate the angles of channels to get optimized result with minimum efforts. It does not stop there though, you can later tweak the setup using the on screen display or smartphone app. For each channel you can modify the angle degree and volume.

Take your time very carefully during the initial setup as it will define a great or only mediocre experience. In my case, I run the automatic calibration 3 times, saved each on different memory preset, run a test from its iOS app to find one closest to my preference then play the settings a little bit more.

My home theater setup: 42″ LG LED screen, Yamaha YSP-2500, Mac mini with Plex, Samsung Cable STB.

Performance: Movies

I have been using YSP-2500 for almost a month now, well through the holidays where I had good amount of time enjoying many movies from my collection. My impressions have been overwhelmingly positive with my new audio setup. I can finally be able to experience a very close to true surround sound again in my “far from ideal” room layout.

Few of the movies I tested it with:

1. Mission: Impossible III
2. The Avengers
3. Star Trek: Into Darkness
4. X-Men 2

YSP-2500 passed all with flying colors. Whether it is a scene with train or helicopter passing by, battle with explosions, or only background sounds during a dialog, I could hear the sound fill out the room and channels coming from different directions. I was hoping to upgrade a step or two switching from my old LG soundbar, but what I am getting is a whole new level to a point where I believe a soundbar can replace dedicated home theater. It will not be better for an obvious reason, but for its simplicity it may become more popular in the future.

One thing that I love the most is, even in smaller volume I can feel the surround sound. When you crank up the volume, you will enjoy it even more although do not expect to feel the entire room vibrating but in my case it is just perfect.

Performance: Music

Listening to music is probably not the main reason you are planning to purchase a soundbar and even though YSP-2500 is great for watching movies, it is still no exception. While you can enjoy good sound from all frequency range, it is not a music hi-fi system. Just to listening casually you would not complain much though.

One thing that is pretty nice is “Target Mode” where you can adjust the location of your listening position so you would still hear a decent stereo sound even though you are not in front of the speakers.

Features

The YSP series is an excellent line of products from Yamaha. They are not your typical soundbars, or every soundbar should have what they offer in addition of enclosing drivers into a single wide casing. Here are some features and technologies I would like to highlight:

Sound Beams
I am not really sure how it actually works, but sound beams allow you to calibrate the direction of the sound coming from each individual driver to meet your room layout and preferences.

iOS and Android Apps
The ability to control your console from a well-built app is a nice added functionality. Even though you can do it using a remote and on screen display, it is particularly convenient to tweak the calibration from an app. From my iPhone, connecting the app to the soundbar is pretty straightforward: connect the device using Bluetooth, open the app, and I can control it using the navigation on my iPhone screen.

IR Repeater
Most of soundbars are placed right in front of the flat-screen TV which means they could block access of the TV’s remote. In anticipation to this, Yamaha incorporates a smart feature with an IR repeater that will “rebroadcast” the signal at the back of the unit. At least YSP-1400 and YSP-2500 have this built-in.

Clear Voice
Have you ever had a dilemma when you need to watch you movies in low volume but then you cannot hear the dialog? With Clear Voice feature activated it will boost frequency of human voices so this problem is solved. It actually works in the situations I have had to switch it on.

Conclusion

For sub-$1,000 budget, I would highly recommend Yamaha YSP-2500. It packs the features most home theater enthusiasts, who want to have clutter free setup, ever need. If you compare with a dedicated home theater package with 6 or even 8 individual speakers, you would most likely get better results. But you can forget about setting it up on your bed room or having to argue with your spouse for her permission to install in the living room.

If you think that is too much to spend, then you can also consider the YSP-1400 as a lower-end alternative. It may not be as good and feature packed, but should be better than other soundbars on the market.

Gallery

The post Geek Review: Yamaha YSP-2500 soundbar appeared first on Michael Sunarlim.

For me, I immediately started looking for the previous generation Mac Mini (2012) to replace my old 2010 Mini. For the first time in history, I actually believed a computer that was two years older was actually better.

Below are my reasons why I decided to grab Mac Mini 2012 instead of the latest generation.

It Still Has FireWire

Yes, it is an aging connector and in a couple of years probably all your peripherals with this type of connector will already be replaced. But if you still have that external HD which you spent some extra money to buy with FireWire option, it is good to know that you can still use it.

It Has Thunderbolt and USB 3.0

You can keep using your old(er) external devices, but also use newer and faster connectors. What else could you ask for?

User Upgradeable RAM

When I heard the 2014 Mac Mini’s RAM was no longer user upgradeable, that was the biggest blow. I mean come on, if Apple did not make any change with the design of the machine why would they remove this feature. That is just plain mean.

Option for Quad Core i7 Processor

Apple also dropped the option to get the Mini with i7 quad-core processor, even for built-to-custom models. This had been the feature that could change an affordable computer into a powerhouse for resource intensive tasks. I think this is a way of Apple saying, “Want a powerhouse desktop? Buy the Mac Pro!”

The 2014 Base Model will Age Quickly

What can you do with 1.4GHz i5 processor? Well, almost everything honestly. From browsing, checking email, working on documents, even Photoshop. All will work, not optimally, but in 2-3 years time you probably could not use it anymore for multimedia applications which always demand more processing power with each update.

Should You Buy 2014 Model Then?

Of course if any of the items below is something you really need or want, then please go with a 2014 model:

1. Thunderbolt 2 (2012 model is still first-gen Thunderbolt)
2. Two Thunderbolt ports (2012 model only has one)
3. 802.11ac Wi-Fi (2012 model only has 802.11n)

Did you buy a new or used Mac Mini after the 2014 line announcement ? Which model did you end up buying?

The post Why Mac Mini 2012 Worth Better Than 2014 appeared first on Michael Sunarlim.