LG Nexus-4 System Update Available for 4.3

Today I received a prompt on my LG Nexus-4 regarding a system update being available today. I checked the version available and it was 4.3.

The upgrade size was 169.3 MB which my LG Nexus-4 already downloaded in the background when I received the prompt on the notification area informing me of the upgrade. Excluding the time required to download the upgrade, it only took under 10 minutes in order to upgrade my LG Nexus-4.

Since I only upgraded it to Android 4.3 about 8 hours ago, I didn't have a lot of chance to experiment/test it but so far I don't really notice any major improvements nor do I notice any degradation in speed and responsiveness.

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Pro Call Blocker version 2.0 - Caller ID Blocker Review

I have a VoIP SIP phone at home that automatically forwards to my cellphone when I'm not home and occasionally I get telemarketing calls so I looked for a way to block them so I wouldn't be disturbed. I found a way to block the calls on some of my cellphones using third party applications. However, when I'm at home, having my VoIP/SIP phone ring when I knew that the number was a telemarketing call or one of those credit card scam calls promising lower interest or cruise winning scam calls was starting to bother me.

I did some research and came across the Pro Call Blocker version 2.0 at a decent price online. I received it recently and easily set this up and did some testing with it and my cellphone and it worked. What happens is that when the call display shows a number that you've configured to block, it will pick up the phone and then hang up within one second. Depending on where you connect the device to (and whether it is connected in series or in parallel to the phone), the phones on the line might ring once or at most twice for calls on the blocked list. A workaround for this involves turning the ringers off all phones in the house and plugging a phone directly into the device (where the ringer for this phone is on) and only this phone will ring provided that the telephone company sends the caller ID information prior to or during the first ring. Using this set-up, if the caller is in the blocked list, this phone won't ring and since all the other phones in the house have their ringers off in this configuration, it will be as if no one actually called.

With my set-up, the display seemed to freeze occasionally requiring that I unplug the device, wait a few seconds, and then plug it back in. According to the manual, the reason for this is because I am using a VoIP SIP phone and the fix for this is to install an ADSL/DSL line filter. I installed the filter and the display on my device still freezes up so an ADSL/DSL line filter may or may not fix your frozen screen problem if you experience it. Unplugging the device, waiting a few seconds for the device to power itself off, and plugging it in again generally unfreezes the device but you will then have to reconfigure the year on the device if you want the device to accurately show you the day of the week that the call was received. It isn't necessary to reconfigure the date/time because the device will get the date/time from the first incoming call (except for the year). Because I have to unplug my device every few days, I've left the year at the default value of 2012 and I ignore the display portion showing the day of the week that the call was received (I only concentrate on the date and time the call was received which is accurate).

The device gets its power from the phone line which is a good thing and a bad thing. The good thing is that you don't require any batteries even though there appears to be what used to be a battery compartment at the bottom of the device which has been modified to not accept any batteries. The bad thing is if you are using a VoIP solution instead of a regular landline phone, in case of power failure the device will power off and you will have to reconfigure the year/date. On a regular Bell landline, this isn't a problem since power failures don't normally affect regular phone landlines so the device will almost always get power unless there is a major phone outage.

The device also allows users to block outgoing calls but I haven't tried this I don't really need this feature.

The device is programmed by plugging in a phone to the phone jack on the device. You can manually enter numbers that you want to block, manually enter area codes of numbers that you want to block, block all blocked/private calls, or block outgoing calls. The configuration instructions/manual can be found *HERE*.

For me, since my VoIP SIP provider doesn't allow me to block specific incoming phone numbers or phone area codes, I do find this to be a very useful tool.

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LG Nexus-4 Likes

I wrote about what I liked regarding my Blackberry Q10 in last week's blog entry and a few blog entries prior to that I wrote about what I disliked about my Blackberry Q10. Since I wrote about what I disliked regarding my LG Nexus-4, now is the time to write about what I like about my LG Nexus-4.

I've been using my LG Nexus-4 for about 4 months and I've used a few Android phones in the past, however, as mentioned in my previous blog entries, my LG Nexus-4 was purchased as being an upgrade for my Samsung Nexus-S so my impressions of the LG Nexus-4 (likes/dislikes stems from this fact).

Before I go ahead with this, as stated in one of my previous blog entries, I just wanted to state that I'm not an Android fanboy nor am I an Android hater. As you can see from some of my other reviews on cellphones, I have/use many different phones and find things that I like about each of them and things that I don't like about each of them.

The first thing that I like about the LG Nexus-4 is that it runs the stock Android version without any manufacturer bloatware/customization. This was one of the main reasons why I prefer the Nexus line of phones.

The second thing that I like about the LG Nexus-4 is that it comes factory unlocked. Regardless of which carrier you purchase the LG Nexus-4 from or whether you purchase it directly from the Google store or whether or not you received a subsidy when you purchased the phone from the carrier, it comes factory unlocked.

The third thing that I like about the LG Nexus-4 is that I find that it is fast. As mentioned, I purchased the LG Nexus-4 as an upgrade for my Samsung Nexus-S and the Samsung Nexus-S was starting to show its age by not being as responsive as necessary for a lot of the programs available for the AndroidOS.

The fourth thing that I like about the LG Nexus-4 is that it is pentaband 3G (850/900/1700/1900/2100) and quadband 2G (850/900/1800/1900). I use my phone both in the US and Canada. While in the US, I use T-Mobile and using my LG Nexus-4, I have no problems getting 3G. While in Canada with Rogers/Fido/Bell/Telus, I can get the same 3G signal with the phone.

The fifth thing that I like about my LG Nexus-4 is that so far I haven't experienced any memory issues with the phone when installing my Android applications on it. With my Samsung Nexus-S, I would receive error messages regarding there not being enough memory to install the programs that I wanted onto it (I have a lot of applications installed on my Nexus-S). On my LG Nexus-4, I've installed the same number of applications without experiencing any memory issues (for the time being).

The sixth thing that I like about the LG Nexus-4 is that it supports XBMC for Android and has no problems streaming the videos that I've selected.

The seventh thing that I like about the LG Nexus-4 is that like all Android phones that I've used, it supports Internet calling via SIP. You can also program the phone to use SIP as opposed to the regular cellular network if you are connected to a wireless access point.

The eighth thing that I like (but this is due to the OS version of Android on it) is the face unlock ability. However, I've had to disable this since in order to get my work e-mail on an Android phone (such as the LG Nexus-4), one of the security features required is the disabling of the camera for the purpose of unlocking the phone.

The ninth thing that I like about the LG Nexus-4 is that I've been able to install all the apps that I haven't run into insufficient space issues when installing Android apps on it. I've installed a lot of Android applications on my LG Nexus-4. Including the default Android applications, I have over 100 applications installed on my LG Nexus-4. With my Samsung Nexus-S, I ran into memory/space issues even after transferring the Android application to the internal USB storage data memory. Including the default Android applications, I have about 65 applications installed on my Samsung Nexus-S and ran into memory/space issues forcing me to transfer some of the applications onto the internal USB storage data memory.

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Blackberry Q10 Likes (or Blackberry Q10 Review - Part 3)

I've written about what I disliked about the Blackberry Q10 *HERE* and not wanting to be accused of a one sided anti-Blackberry blog entry or as being a Blackberry hater, here is my blog entry on the things that I like about my Blackberry Q10.

I've been using my Blackberry Q10 for about 2 months and my previous experience with a Blackberry/RIM smartphone was my Blackberry Bold 9700. In fact, the Blackberry Q10 was meant as an upgrade to my aging Blackberry Bold 9700. Because my previous experience with a Blackberry was with a Bold 9700 running OS 6, I've never used OS 7 before so some of my "likes" in this blog entry might actually not be a new thing for Blackberry phones.

Before I go ahead with this, as stated in one of my previous blog entries, I just wanted to state that I'm not a Blackberry fanboy nor am I a Blackberry hater. As you can see from some of my other reviews on cellphones, I have/use many different phones and find things that I like about each of them and things that I don't like about each of them.

As of the date that I'm writing this blog entry, the current software release available for the Q10 is 10.1.0.273 (OS Version is listed as being 10.1.0.1720) and I have all the latest default programs installed on it.

The first thing that I like about the Blackberry Q10 is that I find the browsing experience to be very good. Coming from a Blackberry Bold 9700 (running OS 6), I was very used to the browser crashing every few webpages and how the Blackberry browser interpreted a webpage in a very lackluster format. On the Blackberry Q10, in the roughly 2 months that I've been using it, I have yet to have the browser abruptly crash on me. The Blackberry Q10 browser's rendition of webpages is also comparable to what I would get in my computer (although on a very small screen).

The second thing that I like about the Blackberry Q10 is that it (like my older Blackberry Bold 9700) uses a micro-USB port for charging and for USB synchronizing. Now, unlike with my older Blackberry Bold 9700, the Blackberry Q10 seems to be less fussy when it comes to the micro-USB plug when I am trying to charge it. On my Blackberry Bold 9700, depending on where the micro-USB was plugged into, I would sometimes receive a message indicating that charging was not possible. On my Blackberry Q10 using the same micro-USB cable as well as the adapter that it was plugged into, I would not receive a message about charging not being possible (and my Blackberry Q10 would charge).

The third thing that I like about the Blackberry Q10 is that it is LTE capable. Since there are different LTE bands/frequencies, you have to make sure that the Blackberry Q10 that you purchase is compatible with your carrier's LTE network. For example, the Blackberry Q10 (model SCN100-3) has been optimized for the Rogers Wireless Network in Canada.

The fourth thing that I like about the Blackberry Q10 is that using the physical keyboard on the Q10 is even easier than on my Blackberry Bold 9700 in that when typing text, the Q10 will show some text suggestions that you can easily use by selecting the text on the touch screen. It makes typing an e-mail or a text message a lot easier although sometimes I still find myself typing the entire word as opposed to just picking the word from the list of suggestions. This is similar to the list of suggestions while typing on an Android phone but with a physical keyboard, I just find it easier to type and the text suggestions makes it even easier/better.

The fifth thing that I like about the Blackberry Q10 is that the Contacts allow for linking multiple sources so that a contact/person will only appear once in the Contacts addressbook. If you don't want something to appear in the Contacts addressbook altogether, all you have to do while in Contacts is on the touchscreen, swipe downwards and select Settings and then toggle off the item/database that you don't want. For example, because in Twitter, I follow companies, I don't want the names of companies to show up as a contact within my Contacts addressbook.

The sixth thing that I like about the Blackberry Q10 is that I find the swiping action to be very intuitive to navigate between the different screens as well as to go back into the Blackberry Hub screen.

The seventh thing that I like about the Blackberry Q10 is that the camera is auto focusing. With my older Blackberry Bold 9700, the camera was also auto focusing but when Blackberry/RIM released the Blackberry Bold 9900, the opted to do away with the auto focusing camera.

The eighth thing that I like about the Blackberry Q10 is that it no longer requires a Blackberry specific data plan in order to get e-mail and web browsing to work properly. I was using my Blackberry Q10 SIM-less for approximately 4 days while I waited to receive my microSIM cutter from Ebay and my Blackberry Q10 worked very well SIM-less. While SIM-less, the Blackberry Q10 seemed to get its time via NTP or by connecting to an NTP server. When I was connected to a wireless access point, every internet capable application worked without any issues (BBM, browser, e-mail, etc.). The reason that I like that the Blackberry Q10 no longer requires a SIM card with a Blackberry specific data plan (BIS/BES) for it to access data/e-mail properly is because when I travel, I find it hard to get a Blackberry compatible data plan on a prepaid plan.

The ninth thing that I like about the Blackberry Q10 is that it has a port for a micro-HDMI cable so that you can plug your Blackberry Q10 into your television set for whatever reason (watch videos/pictures, or when doing a presentation). On some other phones which are capable of displaying to an HD television or monitor, a special type of cable, dongle, or docking station is required. For the Blackberry Q10, a standard micro-HDMI cable is all that is required to project/display to an HD television (provided that the HD television has an HDMI port)

Some of the other things that I like about the Blackberry Q10 is that it accepts a microSD card for storing pictures, music, videos, and files. Another thing that I like is that it has a user removable/replaceable battery. Based on my usage, the battery life is very good. I also find the amount of internal memory on the Q10 to be good when compared to my older Blackberry Bold 9700 running OS 6 because although I have not gone crazy by installing a lot of programs/applications on my Q10, my Q10 has not complained about memory issues yet (unlike my Bold 9700 which often complained about memory issues and required a reboot each day). My Blackberry Q10 has not required me to reboot the device in the 2 months that I've been using it (except when I've done a software/firmware update). When rebooting my Blackberry Q10, I find that it boots up a lot faster than the time that it took for my Blackberry Bold 9700 to boot up. I also like that it is very easy to do a screen capture on the Blackberry Q10. Basically, to do this, all you have to do is go to the screen you want to capture and then press the volume up and volume down keys as the same time.

If you have any comments/questions regarding this blog entry, please don't hesitate to leave a comment in the comments section below. Please note that the comments are moderated and any comment containing a URL link (whether embedded or not) will automatically be flagged as spam and will not be posted.

LG Nexus-4 Dislikes

Sorry that I didn't post anything to my blog last week but I was out of town and my internet connection wasn't stable. I wrote about some of the things that I dislike about the Blackberry Q10 a few weeks ago and someone asked me what I disliked about my LG Nexus-4 and because I'm not a Blackberry hater, I've decided to dedicate a blog entry on what I dislike about my LG Nexus-4.

Please note that as mentioned in my previous blog entry regarding the LG Nexus-4, the LG Nexus-4 represents my Android phone upgrade from my Samsung Nexus-S (just like the Blackberry Q10 represents the Blackberry phone upgrade from my old Blackberry Bold 9700).

The first thing that I don't like about my LG Nexus-4 is that the SIM card extraction hole is too small for a paper-clip. I can use a paper-clip to extract the SIM card from my iPhone 3GS but the LG Nexus-4 requires a very thin SIM extraction tool (which is included with the phone). Since a paper clip won't work on the LG Nexus-4, when I plan on swapping my SIM card (for example, when I'm travelling), I must remember to bring my SIM extraction tool.

The second thing that I don't really like about my LG Nexus-4 is that it doesn't have a user removable/replaceable battery. My Samsung Nexus-S had the user removable/replaceable battery and I've just replaced the battery for that unit. I expect that after a few years, the LG Nexus-4's battery will not maintain its charge and I will either have to look at hacking it to replace the battery or purchase a new Android phone.

The third thing that I don't like about the LG Nexus-4 is that straight out of the box, it is not LTE capable. When most phones on the market today (being released at the same time as the LG Nexus-4) is LTE capable, it not being LTE capable might be a deal breaker for some people. According to some documention, there is a way to make it LTE capable but I haven't tried this with my Nexus-4 yet since the data plan that I have with my Nexus-4 is limited to 3G speeds.

The fourth thing that I don't really like about the LG Nexus-4 is that the output/external speaker is located on the back of the phone. This means when I place my phone on a table as I'm viewing a video/movie, the sound is a bit muffled coming out of the output/external speaker.

Those are my main dislikes regarding the LG Nexus-4 when I compare it with my older Samsung Nexus-S. I wasn't too thrilled with the LG Nexus-4 using a microSIM card but most of the newer phones use a microSIM card as opposed to the larger miniSIM card.

Although I haven't experienced this with my LG Nexus-4, a few of my work colleagues mentioned that it is somewhat fragile and one of my work colleague's Nexus-4 front glass panel shattered when he accidentally dropped it. So far, I have never dropped my Samsung Nexus-S which I've had for over 5 years nor have I ever dropped my LG Nexus-4 which I've had for a few months so I can't say which is more fragile (nor am I willing to test which is more fragile). Both my Samsung Nexus-S and my LG Nexus-4 are in a thin plastic hard case which offers a bit more protection but I'm not sure how either of them would do if they accidentally fell from a height of ~4 feet (which is the height that I normally have my phones when I'm using them for something other than talking).

If you have any comments/questions regarding this blog entry, please don't hesitate to leave a comment in the comments section below. Please note that the comments are moderated and any comment containing a URL link (whether embedded or not) will automatically be flagged as spam and will not be posted.