Motorola Razr Maxx: Smartphone with Largest Battery Capacity

If you are a heavy smartphone user and have problems with the battery life of your current phone, then look no further: the Motorola Razr Maxx is your answer.

The Razr Maxx contains a built-in battery capacity of 3300mAh, more than half of most smartphones in the market. With my kind of heavy usage, the phone lasts me an entire day, never before possible from all other previous phones. Just check out this battery usage graph.

Having a large battery is liberating. I can increase my push notification intervals, increase the screen brightness and turn on mobile hotspot to share my data with other devices. Think about it: what's a smartphone if all you think of is to find means to reduce usage to conserve battery life?

The Razr Maxx is the smallest smartphone with such a large capacity battery. To achieve the same battery capacity on your current phone, you would need to either insert an extended battery casing or plug in an external battery pack, both of them increases your smartphone size and bulk.

Other than the impressive battery life, the Razr Maxx performs no different from the Atrix 2 I reviewed previously. Do read that post as well as the previous Razr where I described some of the useful pre-installed apps that are unique to Motorola smartphones.

Motorola Razr Maxx Specs:
- 1.2GHz dual-core, dual-channel RAM processor
- 8 megapixel camera
- 540x960 Super AMOLED 4.3" screen
- 145 grams
- 16GB built-in memory
- microSIM
- microSD supports up to 32GB

How to Face an Interview:COMMONLY ASKED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

COMMONLY ASKED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

        Getting the dream job and leading a better life are the dream of everyone. Some will succeed in it while others will go with the flow. A better educational qualification could somewhat help in this but not always.






Companies are looking for candidates with good academic qualification and most importantly they are looking for candidate’s attitude, social behavior, mental presence and willingness to work cooperatively within the company’s environment. A good academic is essential but it is only an entry ticket into the interviews and interviews are the ones where you are being evaluated. So preparing for an interview is the important thing.


Most of fresher are unaware of the type of questions asked on interviews and may lose some biggest opportunities for some small mistakes in their answers. Here are some of the most commonly asked interview questions and some suggestions for answering them. Review these typical interview questions and think about how you would answer them. Read the questions listed; you will also find some strategy suggestions with it.


1. Tell me about yourself:The most often asked question in interviews. You need to have a short statement prepared
in your mind. Be careful that it does not sound rehearsed. Limit it to work-related items
unless instructed otherwise. Talk about things you have done and jobs you have held that
relate to the position you are interviewing for. Start with the item farthest back and work up
to the present.

2. Why did you leave your last job?Stay positive regardless of the circumstances. Never refer to a major problem with


management and never speak ill of supervisors, co-workers or the organization. If you do,


you will be the one looking bad. Keep smiling and talk about leaving for a positive reason


such as an opportunity, a chance to do something special or other forward-looking reasons.


3. What experience do you have in this field?


Speak about specifics that relate to the position you are applying for. If you do not have


specific experience, get as close as you can.4. Do you consider yourself successful?


You should always answer yes and briefly explain why. A good explanation is that you have


set goals, and you have met some and are on track to achieve the others.

5. What do co-workers say about you?


Be prepared with a quote or two from co-workers. Either a specific statement or a


paraphrase will work. Jill Clark, a co-worker at Smith Company, always said I was the


hardest workers she had ever known. It is as powerful as Jill having said it at the interview


herself.

6. What do you know about this organization?


This question is one reason to do some research on the organization before the interview.


Find out where they have been and where they are going. What are the current issues and


who are the major players?7. What have you done to improve your knowledge in the last year?


Try to include improvement activities that relate to the job. A wide variety of activities can


be mentioned as positive self-improvement. Have some good ones handy to mention.8. Are you applying for other jobs?


Be honest but do not spend a lot of time in this area. Keep the focus on this job and what


you can do for this organization. Anything else is a distraction.9. Why do you want to work for this organization?


This may take some thought and certainly, should be based on the research you have done


on the organization. Sincerity is extremely important here and will easily be sensed. Relate


it to your long-term career goals.


10. Do you know anyone who works for us?


Be aware of the policy on relatives working for the organization. This can affect your answer


even though they asked about friends not relatives. Be careful to mention a friend only if


they are well thought of.


Download this document to read the full content:

DOWNLOAD THIS FILE


You can find more resources from the links:

www.jobsassit.com,

www.vyomworld.com

Hope you enjoyed reading this and it helps you getting a better job

Good Luck.

Like the post ,share this with your friends

I Like Gangnam Style

When wifey told me about this song that went viral, I went to take a look at the music video on YouTube. I was amused by the video content, at his silly dance moves, the satirical portrayal of scenes, the funny-sounding lyrics. I thought, like most other silly videos/songs I came across, I would just laugh it off and move on with life, and I actually did. While my wife, upon finish listening the song, proclaimed that she would be unable to get the tune out of her head, I couldn't recall the tune after I went to bed.

A few days later, more people over my circle of social media started mentioning more about the infectious song. A part of me wanted to re-watch the MV, and eventually, I researched about the song, about the singer, watched the "Making Of" video which made me appreciate the music video even more (I always like watching the "Making Of" video in any media production. You learn more from the process than the end-result).

This 9gag strip basically explains my experience.

(Wifey saw me drafting this blog and she remarked: "You are so obsessed with this song". Well, she'll learn why after she read this blog!)

So, why do I find it so enticing to listen and watch this infectiously "ridiculous" song? Why is it so catchy and enjoyable in my opinion?


Comedic MV
Something that funny deserves to be watched over and over again (don't you enjoy Mr. Bean despite its silliness?). And every time I watch it, I look for new things. Did you spot the underground subway scene where one of the background dancers actually stopped the dance steps before the scene was cut? Or how helpless the 2 dancers were during the snow-blowing scene where the white flakes got stuck on their faces and the director refused to stop the filming?


Euro Dance Beat
Another familiar trait of the song that makes you groove to your feet.


Easy to "Sing"
Surely you will not find it hard to say "Oppa Gangnam Style" rhythmically. Why, you don't even need to pitch and you are performing the song already.


Memorable Dance Steps
The dance steps is short and easy to learn. Left, Right, Left, Left. Right, Left, Right, Right. All this time,  cross your wrists and move them in downward beats. After 2 bars, change your hands to do a lasso movement.


Catchy Repetitive Lyrics
Despite being in a foreign language, the repetitive and easily-pronounced words make the song easy to sing along.

Verse.

"Blah, blah... NYEOJIA! Hum, hum... NYEOJIA!"

"SONAHEY... lah, lah, lah... SONAHEY!"

Then chorus.

"Hey.... Sexy Lady... op, op, op, op, Oppa GANGNAM STYLE."

And comes the transition (my favourite).

"Tweenen Nom, Queene Nana Nom
Babey Babey Nana More Jon Nana Nom"

YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYIN...!?

Well-pronounced English Lyrics
PSY (Park Jae-Sang) the composer-singer of the song is a graduate from Boston University and Berklee College of Music. His clear pronunciation catches attention with English listeners and makes the song more singable in English (sparing the millions of English-speaking fans having to pronounce the words the way of these foreign singers did just to mimic the actual song). In contrast, the other Korean singer HyunA who sang an alternate version pronounced the word "style" as "stye" without the "l".


오빤 딱 내 스타일 (He's Just My Style)
Yes, PSY has made his style (and his mark) on the International music arena. Don't be ashamed to like and enjoy this song in its original flavour. Just DON'T dance it in public. Imagine, would you act like Mr. Bean in public?



This article is also published on XINMSN.

How to enable the Taskmanager

 How to enable the Taskmanager

Sometimes you might find it difficult to open the task manager by using  Ctrl+Alt+Delete keys.This may be sometimes because of some malicious programs or viruses.

To Enable the Task Manager on your system

1. Press Start>Run or press window key+r to show run prompt

2. Enter gpedit.mscin the run prompt and click OK

3. In the Group Policy settings window

4. Select User Configuration

5. Select Administrative Templates

6. Select System

7. Select Ctrl+Alt+Delete options

8. Select Remove Task Manager

9. Double-click the Remove Task Manager option’.

10. Set the property of this item as disabled.

 For Windows XP Home Edition users you can use the registry to enable Task Manager.

1. open start >> run and type regedit

2. Navigate to the following path:

Hive:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System

3. You will find a registry key with name DisableTaskMgr of type: REG_DWORD

4. Double click the key with and set the Value to 0

5. Exit the registry and restart to see the effect.

Enabling Task Manager has several advantages.

1.As it shows all the current processes running,we can easily detect the presence of foreign programs running like viruses,worms.

2.Can easily end those processes which are foreign,unwanted and can also end non responsive programs by selecting the program from the list of programs running and click on button "End Process"

3.In some cases the virus doesn't allow us to stop the removable disks.In this situation anything with a higher  cpu usage on idle time can be detected as virus and should be ended to Delete that virus from Disk

4.Having trouble with formatting your Removable disk ,then if you don't know the name of virus program running,then open task manager and navigate to processes,note the suspected programs and try deleting virus or formatting Drive and note the increasing Cpu usage program.select it and click End process and immediately try formatting or deleting those files.(Note:Close all other programs and keep system idle for some time to note CPU time ,other than System idle process)

Hope you like the post...Feel free to post your comments.

Share this with your friends.

ODEPC:NEW JOB PORTAL LAUNCHED BY GOVERNMENT OF KERALA

ODEPC:NEW JOB PORTAL LAUNCHED BY GOVT OF KERALA 

A good news for the job seekers of  kerala.The Ministry of Labor and Rehabilitation has launched the new web portal for  the job seekers for finding out the new opportunities inside and outside the country.The web portal is developed and maintained by ODEPC(Overseas Development and Employment Promotion Council).



Mr. Shibu Baby John Minister for Labor & Rehabilitation,Govt. of Kerala, India has launched the web portal .

Services Available:

* The web portal allows to search for job vacancies available within the country and overseas according to the qualification and area of  specialization of the candidate

*The portal is updated with the latest job opportunities and vacancies from a wide range of Employers and Industries

*The portal has a provision for uploading your resume and could be notified with matching job vacancies.

*Much more services are arranged for the job seeking young talents of the state

Hurry post your Resume and find your dream job:
Best of Luck
Follow the link below:

http://www.odepc.kerala.gov.in/


Hope you like the post..Feel free to post your comments.

Share this with your friends

MCA Syllabus for Admissions from 2010 onwards

         MCA Syllabus  for Admissions from 2010 onwards

Calicut University has revised their Master of Computer Applications (MCA)syllabus for admissions from 2010 onwards.University has implemented credit system for MCA.The course includes six semesters with a project work on the final semester.The Syllabus can be downloaded from the university website(www.universityofcalicut.info)

 The revised regulations for Master of Computer Applications can be downloaded from the link below:

MCA Orders and Regulations 2010

The syllabus for MCA  admissions from 2010 onwards can be downloaded from the link:

MCA syllabus 2010


Hope you like the post.   Share this with your friends

Feel free to post your comments

Indian Cricketer VVS Laxman Retired

 

 VVS LAXMAN ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT FROM INDIAN TEAM
Indian cricketer VVS Laxman announced his retirement from international cricket.











Though there were rumours about his retirement after NZ series but he announced his retirement suddenly by surprising everyone.In his 16 years of career he created several history.281 against Australia was an epic performance from him.He is regarded as one of the finest batsman in the world and better known for his classic shots and matchwinning performances.His bests are always againsts the best teams mostly the powerful Australia.Always managed to score centuries against Australia at their grounds.

 The Best partnership was once recorded under his name with Rahul Dravid.He was never raised to stardom but always shined as a star with his performances.His retirement brought an end to the most trusted and famed middle order trio in Indian Cricket(Ganguly,Dravid,Laxman)

Android TV Box

Recently I took an interest in Android TV Box. This is triggered by the sluggish performance of my Lenovo Idea Pad Q110 Nettop box. The Q110 is a very compact computer installed with Windows 7 which I bought it brand new from a private clearance sale. This 2009 model comes with a Belkin USB Wi-Fi adapter and Lenovo wireless keyboard thumbpad. Over the months, I find myself using the Q110 mostly to surf the Internet and to watch videos, but it takes almost 3 minutes to get it booted up, and several seconds to load HD videos. The dated hardware is not optimised to handle modern files as efficiently.

There was a time when dedicated media boxes were popular. What these devices do is to let you plug an external storage device and watch multimedia files directly on your TV without computers. The drawbacks of these media boxes are that they run on proprietary software which may not be that user-friendly, and the box might not support many file formats.

Once the Android OS proves to be an effective open-source UI that easily plays numerous file formats (limited by available downloadable apps), makers start using this OS to run on TV boxes.

The advantages of a media box running on Android OS are:
- Ability to install thousands of Android apps
- Familiarity of Android interface
- Established hardware specifications
- Consumer confidence of Android OS

Disadvantages:
- Interface is not optimised for non-touch input devices
- Slightly costlier than proprietary-OS TV boxes

Several big brands have manufactured Android TV Boxes and have gained some popularity. ACRyan Veolo, Logitech Revue, to name a few. They are priced at a premium, backed by better Launcher UI and after-sales support. As a price-conscious buyer, I decided to try out unbranded MIC (Made in China) Android TV Boxes. The risks are poorer interface design, limited (or no) after-sales support, and lower perceived hardware quality.

The one I bought has the following specs:

Hardware Specifications:
CPU: Amlogic 8726-M, 800MHz (Cortex-A9)
Operating System: Android 4.0
Resolution: 1920x1080 pixel
RAM: 512MB, DDR II
ROM: 4GB

Supported File Formats:
Video: MPEG1/VCD(DAT, MPEG, MPG) up to 1920*1080; MPEG2/DVD(VOB, MPEG, ISO,TS, M2TS) up to1920*1080; MPEG4(AVI, DIVX3-6, XVID) up to 1920*1080; H.264(AVI,TS, M2TS, MKV) up to 1920*1080; VC-1/WMV up to 1920*1080; RV8/9/10(RM, RMVB) up to 1280 * 720P
Video Subtitle: SMI, SRT, SUB, SSA
Audio: MP3,WMA,WAV,OGG, AAC
Photo: JPEG, BMP, GIF, PNG, TIFF

Input Interface:
IR: Infrared remote control sensor
USB: 4 x High speed USB2.0 host
Supports up to 2TB external HDD
Supports FAT16/FAT32/NTFS
SD/ MMC/ MS card reader (does not support microSD with SD adapter)
Mouse/Keyboard: Supports Mouse and Keyboard via USB, or 2.4GHz wireless Mouse and Keyboard via 2.4GHz USB dongle
Ethernet: 10/100M, Standard RJ45
Wireless: Yes
Bluetooth: No

Output Interface:
Audio: Stereo
Audio 2.0V+/-0.2V( 10k Ohm load); S/N>=85dB
Video: YPbPr: 480P/720P/1080P; HDMI1.3: up to 1080P
Video: 1.0V+/-0.1V( 75 Ohm load); S/N>=55dB
Power: Input: 100V-240VAC; Output: 12V, 3A
Size: 118 x 118 x 27mm
Product weight: 350g


What I like about this Android TV Box:

It works like an Android device. There is no learning curve, no surprises on the look and feel. The good thing about using an Android device is: if you don't like any of the pre-installed apps, just download and use another one.

Plenty of connectors. 4 USB ports is splendid. One port is used for my wireless keyboard-mouse, another port to power up my USB speakers, the third one for external HDD. Then there is also Wi-Fi and even RJ45 LAN connector to let you connect online easily. This small box is all you need to upgrade your home TV to a "smart TV".

Remote control. The remote comes with dedicated short cut buttons to trigger settings like volume control, or apps like music, video, photo.

Supports third-pary USB drivers. Most branded tablets are rather particular about third-party device supports. Generic MIC devices are usually easy to work with these "unofficial" device. For this Android TV Box, I can easily plug a Bluetooth USB dongle, or a Logitech Wireless Keyboard-Mouse like MK220 (pictured below).

Problems when using the Box:

Popping sound when audio stops. Whenever the audio stops, the Android box would let out a loud "pop" sound. It annoys the hell out of my wifey.

No power switch. Oddly, there is no power switch, so the only way to turn the device off is via the mains.

Does not support microSD on SD adapter. The device doesn't read the microSD card when connected with SD adapter. But a normal SD card works well.

Does not support USB 3.0 HDD. When plugged using the USB 3.0 cable, the Android box does not detect my Western Digital 2.5" Passport Essential HDD. But when I switched to a normal USB 2.0 cable, it works.


Why not Get an Android Tablet?
An Android tablet would be of better value as opposed to an Android TV Box, as you can still use the tablet when not plugged to TV. But a tablet generally lacks multiple connectivity options, and costs a lot more than a TV Box.

The closest versatile tablet that attracted me is AC Ryan Tab 7 tablet, selling for about $215 with 8GB RAM, USB Host, microSD, HDMI port for display-out. Of course, there are a lot of China-made tablets for you to choose from, with varying quality and after-sales experience.

At less than S$200, getting an Android TV box is a small price for visual luxury, especially when plugged to my home projector for a home theatre experience. It boots faster, plays my video files smoother, connects to the Internet with lesser fuss, compared to my previous Lenovo Q110.

Review: Motorola Elite Silver HZ750 bluetooth headset

Motorola, as always, is kind enough to pass me their latest mobile gadgets for hands-on review. This time, I got a smartphone and a bluetooth headset.

The Motorola Razr MAXX is 9mm thin and its non-removable battery has a capacity of 3300mAh. This will make the Razr MAXX the largest capacity smartphone, and the thinnest large-capacity smartphone. It's more than double most other smartphones. If you seriously need a smartphone that lasts an entire day without worrying about the battery life, then the Razr MAXX is the only smartphone capable of doing that. I've never felt so confident in using a smartphone without worrying the battery life. Watching videos, turning on Bluetooth, running mobile hotspot, to name a few, the MAXX keeps on going.

I'll provide more insights after I use it over the next 2 weeks, but on this post, I shall talk about the bluetooth headset.

The Motorola Elite Silver (HZ750) is a nifty lightweight device which fits on your ears comfortably.  Its carrying case functions as a charger and an NFC pairing module. Make sure the charging light on the headset is on, as the charging indicator on the case merely indicates there is charge current.

To switch on the headset, just twist the earpiece to either side (depending on which ear you are wearing the headset). On first use, when the headset detects it's not been paired, it will automatically go into pairing mode. Just enable your smartphone bluetooth function to detect the headset. You could also pair using NFC if your phone supports it. For that, you need to dock the headset to the casing then tap the casing on the back of the phone. The headset LED should light up in purple, then wait for your phone to acknowledge pairing.

To switch off the headset, just twist the earpiece back to the resting position. Every time you switch on, the headset voice prompt will read out the remaining battery life and informs you when the headset is successfully connected to a paired device. When there is an incoming call, the voice prompt will read out the phone number of the caller ID.

Audio quality is rather good. I can use it to listen to music, watch video. There are only 2 buttons on the headset. The smart button at the base of the thick headset loop lets you invoke the phone to start voice command. The button next to the earpiece controls the volume. Instead of the usual 2 buttons, the one-button volume control loops the volume from increasing to decreasing levels.

Feature list:
- NFC pairing
- Bluetooth 3.0
- AD2P audio streaming
- Rotate and Go power switch
- up to 15 hours
- 9 grams
- Up to 300 feet connectivity with your device
- MotoSpeak, voice-to-text application for hands-free texting
- HD Audio Plus and CrystalTalk (tm) dual-mic technology
- retail price: S$178

While I find the price rather high, I really like wearing the Elite Silver headset. If your life depends on hands-free wireless headset, then invest in a comfortable unit like this one.

Projector for the Home

The beauty of being a reviewer is that I can try out devices that wouldn't be possible unless I buy or borrow.

Last year, I attended an EPSON blogger event and received a projector for review. Through the experience, I was convinced that projector, instead of a physical television unit, is the way to go for the modern home. Why so?

1. Unit Size
Projector is more compact and takes less space than a TV. I can also move around a projector easily, or even keep it away when not in use. I can't do that with a TV.

2. Aesthetics 
The most important reason for choosing a projector is to look inconspicuous. The projector unit sits at a corner of a room, and springs into action only when switched on. A TV, when unused, remains visible and even an eye-sore unless you design your room with the TV in mind.

3. Pretend Home Theatre
Projector image is hard to match a TV unless you pay top dollar to set up your room. But watching movies in a dark room feels more cosy and theatre-like compared to watching on a TV. So I am willing to compromise image quality for the first 2 reasons I mentioned.

And so during the last PC Show, I bought one unit for a good price to install in my bedroom.

There are many projectors to choose from, so let me list the features that determine the price value:

1. Brightness
You want a projector that is bright enough to watch even if the room is not totally dark. So look for the amount of lumens around 2500. To me, it's not that critical because average projectors are powerful enough for my needs - unless you need to project in a huge venue.

2. Native Resolution
If you want the projector to display full HD resolution, then you would need a projector with a native resolution of 1920x1080. My content are mostly video streaming or half-HD (1080x720), and therefore, an WXGA (1280x800) resolution is the benchmark resolution.

3. Keystone Adjustment
This is the most important factor in deciding the projector model to purchase. Keystone adjustment refers to the ability to tilt the projected image. This happens when the projector is not aligned with the projector screen. Vertical keystone is a common feature but horizontal keystone correction is a premium feature. I needed horizontal keystone because I would have to position my projector at the side of the room instead of the middle.

4. Multiple Connectors
The standard connector is VGA. Most modern projectors should come with HDMI connector so that you can connect consumer devices like DVD, Blu-Ray, laptops. Some premium projectors come with USB ports that lets you plug in flash drives to view photos and videos.

5. Lamp Replacement Cost
Beware! Some projectors cost a bomb to replace the lamp! Ask the replacement cost and the ease of installation.

After considering features and price, I bought the Epson EB-W12. Apart from satisfying the above requirements, the W12 has a few more additional features:

3-in-1 USB Display
With a USB cable plugged to the computer, you get video, audio and display control.

Built-in Speakers
Although the speaker quality is not as good as dedicated speaker units, it's a nice to have premium feature.

Front Exhaust
My projector is placed at the corner of my room, so a rear or side exhaust would blow onto the wall causing ventilation issues. EB-W12 exhaust is to the front.

3LCD Technology
The major advantage of using 3 LCD to project images is no rainbow effect. For single-chip DLP projectors,  each primary colour is projected in sequence one at a time, whereas 3LCD projectors project all colours at the same time. 3LCD projectors are also more light-efficient (i.e. brighter), sharper, and visually clearer. More information on the differences can be found here.

Fast start-up and shut-down
Many low-cost projectors take over a minute to start-up, and a lot longer to shut-down because they need to keep the fan running to cool down the lamp before shutting down. The EPSON EB-W12 starts up in about 30 seconds and shuts down in less than 5 seconds!

Portable
The EB-W12 comes with a padded bag and a remote control. The unit is 2.3kg and has a slide cover to protect the lens element. You'd be surprised many projectors still come with a removable lens cap that risks being misplaced.

A small drawback for projector is fan noise. However, once the show starts, you wouldn't notice the whirling sound in the background.

Another constraint is that you need a certain distance to project the screen. However, you could opt for short-throw projector. Installation is also more unconventional compared to TV, and if you want impeccable image quality, you might even need to invest in a good projector screen.

The major drawback would have to be the ambient room light. You can only watch a projector clearly in a dark room.


Projector or TV?
It's not for everyone, but it's definitely worth considering. It works for me because my room is large enough for a good-size projection, has a nice corner next to my bed to projector onto an empty wall. Even if your room is too small for a standard projector, you could consider a short-throw projector.

Samsung EX2F F1.4 Wi-Fi Compact Camera

Samsung handed me an EX2F engineering unit for a quick review. The EX2F is tagged "the world's brightest compact camera lens" at F1.4, until Panasonic leveled the playing ground with the Lumix LX7, also with F1.4.

Specs:
- 12.4 MP 1/1.7" CMOS sensor
- 24-80mm F1.4-2.7 Shneider lens
- ISO 80-3200 (extendable to 12800)
- 3-inch AMOLED articulated display


Competitive Features:

Wi-Fi Enabled. Samsung calls them "Smart Camera", which enables the camera to connect to another device via Wi-Fi to transfer images. It can also stream live view, remotely zoom the camera and trigger the shutter via a smartphone. The camera also lets you login to social sites like Facebook, Flickr, YouTube.

Articulated Screen. It allows me to shoot at odd angles and still see the screen perfectly.

Metal body frame and rubber grip. It's got a solid build feel, giving me confidence to abuse it - not that I would, but I could.

F1.4 Aperture. Its bright lens means I can shoot at higher shutter speeds at lower ISO. And if you need to shoot large aperture under bright conditions, the EX2F comes with built-in ND filter

Hot Shoe. This allows me to fit any conventional external flash for light boost.

Dual dials, dual wheels and manual controls. There is a dial at the front grip, there is a dedicated shutter mode dial to set your shutter trigger, another dial to choose your shooting mode like PASM. I'd only wish they have even more dedicated buttons to allow me to set EV compensation rather than going into the Smart Panel to adjust.

Built-in Filters, Effects and Collages. We've seen cameras with filters like Sepia, B/W, Lomo. Samsung EX2F has 3 effects that I thought was totally unique for a compact camera.

1. Picture-in-Picture. Snap a background image and then take another smaller one and move it anywhere within the background image.

2. Split Shot. You can take up to 3 images within a predefined collage layout.

3. Animated Sketching. After capturing an image, the camera processes into a video clip showing how the scene is sketched and painted out.

When comparing the images with Lumix LX5, I find the EX2F is less aggressive in JPG processing. The images are more natural, with a little softness but retaining shadow details. The LX5, while looking sharp and contrasty out of the camera, suffers from loss of dynamic details at the shadows.

Sometimes, no matter how good a camera is, social-savvy consumers would rather use their mobile phone's camera to capture images so that they can edit and share quickly online. The Samsung EX2F allows you to upload images to social websites and to your mobile phone for sharing without compromising image quality.