LG Optimus G Review - 3 Software Features I Love

1. ECO MODE / QUAD CORE CONTROL

 This function allows you to power up or down the cores, depending on what you're doing.
I like to keep this on eco mode, which means that the phone automatically controls the cores.
This also helps with the battery life, since I'm not running on high performance mode all the time.

Quad Core control can be accessed through system settings > device > quad core control

Alternatively, you can just pull down the menu and toggle the Eco mode on or off.

2. QUICK MEMO
This is an innovative feature which allows you to scribble on the screen.
you can access it by simultaneously pressing the middle of the volume up and volume down buttons on the top left and the screen lock button. After scribbling on the screen, you can choose to save your doodle, or screenshot it.
Other than being useful when you have no pen and paper and need to jot something down (like perhaps when you're in a call and need to record a phone number) you can also have fun scribbling on photos. Sadly, I'm not very artistic, so I'm not going to dare to post any screenshots of drawings I did.

if you find the shortcut key too difficult to press, there's always the Quick Memo toggle on and off button in the pull down menu

This is how the QuickMemo menu looks like, and there's my horrible pink scrawl across the screen.

3. THE VOICE ACTIVATED CAMERA SHUTTER

This function is my favourite of all, and it's convenient for everything, not just self shots. I like to use it to take shots from weird angles (ie, some crevice inside my CPU when I can't aim my finger on the shutter button)
However, it does mean that your cheeky friends can randomly shout one of these words to make the shutter snap!
The voice detection is surprisingly good too!
The rear camera is a nice 13 megapixels btw...

the selection of words you can say to set off the shutter. I use "Cheese" the most...

LG Optimus G Review - Hardware USPs

Left top : first look at the LG Optimus G in the box
Left middle : the accessories which come with the phone - QuadBeat earphone, charger
Left bottom : me with the phone!

Right top : the shiny clear back of the phone, with the slightly raised camera. you can also gauge the size of the phone in comparison with me hand/face
Right middle : LG's QuadBeat earphone valued at 18,000KRW, performance is said to be equivalent to earphones priced at 100,000-200,000 KRW.
Right bottom : the Crystal Reflection Finish of the back, topped with gorrila glass

Phone Specifications :
*True HD IPS Plus Display, 1.6 times clearer than AMOLED, using less power too
*320ppi + Stripe RGB IPS Panel gives colour accuracy with no distortion for natural and lifelike images
*1280x768 / 4.7 WXGA (15:9)
*2100mAh battery with 800 charging cycles
*Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro Quad-Core with LTE capabilities
*1.5Ghz Qualcomm Krait
*2GB DDR RAM
*32GB internal memory
*Camera 13 megapix (back), 1.3megapix (front)
*131.9x68.9x8.45mm, 145g
*Andriod 4.1.2 (JellyBean)

THREE hardware USPs, and what they mean, practically, to the user (ie. me!)
1. Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 / 1.5Ghz Qualcomm Krait
- I love this, because it allows me to powerdown or power up the cores independantly. I'm a control freak, so allowing me the capability to decide whether I want to power up all cores at the expense of battery life, or power down some cores when my battery is low is great.
- It's also super fast and provides me with performance comparable to a PC. I haven't experienced any lag at all when using the phone. I tend to put on many many apps at once; typically skype, whatsapp, facebook, twitter, instagram, browser, google maps, gmail, crunchyroll... and the performance and switching between the apps is flawless.

2. True HD IPS Plus Display, Stripe RGB IPS Panel, Zerogap Touch
- I'd like to talk a little about the Zerogap Touch. The ITP sensor film is directly printed on the cover glass, which is different from other phones where there is an air gap between the ITO film sensor and cover glass. I don't know about you, but I have somewhat clumsy fingers, and I generally dislike touchscreen typing. However the Zerogap Touch is really surprisingly responsive, and it give me very very sharp images, with no diffused reflection.
- When I watch videos on my other devices, the colours, expecially black always seem a little pixelated and greenish. I don't encounter this watching the same videos, with the LG Optimus G, which is very pleasant.

3. 2100 mAh battery with 800 charging cycles
- I can't really say I'm fond of having an internal battery which cannot be swopped out, but the 800 charging cycles (usually its only 500 cycles) does make up for it. The battery does last me one whole day, with heavy use, but I'd still bring my portable charger out with me in case.

3 Fatal Errors to make when you want to get someone's attention

I'd say that I enjoy a certain amount of attention from fans and I do get a fair number of private messages from people whom I totally do not know.
I'm sure that even if you don't private message me, you might private message someone else, and you'd want a reply from that person.
I have to admit that I myself have sent out some fan-ish messages to people I admire. And guess what, my success rate is GREAT! =x
So, as someone who receives messages and also sends messages, let me impart some advice on how to increase your success rate of getting a reply.

If there is one message that you should take home from this... it is that :
Golden rule #1 Being on someone's friend list, buddy list or fan page does not mean that the person automatically knows you. So approach him or her as though you were approaching a stranger. Knowing about that person's life and thoughts does not mean the person knows you too.

So, keeping that rule in mind, here are the 3 worst things that you can do to start your first message.

1. HI! Can I ask you a question please?
I mean... ok... this is more or less a rhetorical question. It is unlikely that I, or anyone would refuse an audience to someone who wants to ask a question. Especially when I have no idea what you will be asked.
This is annoying though, because that in itself, is ALREADY a question, and I would have to spend one message replying "yeah sure, go ahead" when I could have spent it actually REPLYING the question.

While we are talking about questions....

2. Asking me something which I've repeatedly replied to in public, or which can easily be googled.
I'm helpful... but if this kind of question catches me in a bad mood, you're likely to get a snappy reply. Luckily for many people, I normally reserve my best of moods to read private messages and fan mail.
Golden rule #2 : asking someone something, anything, should be a last resort. Try asking google first... or doing some background research on your own before asking someone. Or thinking. Thinking is actually a very useful skill to have.

3. This last WORST thing you can do leads me back to Golden rule #1. And that is being rude.
Just remember that the person you are messaging probably, and by probably I mean 99%, doesn't know who you are, and you're just as unlikely to really know the person too, as much as you might think you do. So please do not assume to know that person, and please don't expect a reply (a nice one at least) if you overstep your boundaries.
I get random messages asking me to perform various sexual favours, or on the milder side, messages containing false assumptions which have been made about me.
Just because it's online, and you're safe from a slap on the face, doesn't mean its ok!
**

That said, HOW do you get a reply, and even better, put a smile on that person's face?
Here are some quick tips

1. Give them something nice.
For example, if someone makes me a nice banner pic which I can use on my profile, or twitch (nono... I'm not hinting for a pile of banner pics... I'm quite happy with mine) I'd be very pleased, and would most likely repost it for everyone to see and appreciate.

2. Don't ask for anything. Not in the first message, anyway.
Some of the posts that I've immediately closed and moved on from involve people asking me to do something elaborate or time consuming. I normally will repost interesting info if people ask me to, and if I find it interesting, cos it's easy and quick to do. But if someone asks me to say... trade DotA2 items, I'm going to walk away from that because firstly, I don't really bother too much about my items and secondly, it would take too much effort.
Similarly, if someone asks me for a fansign, it is unlikely that I'm going to spend at least 45minutes designing the fan sign, putting on make up, taking pictures etc.  (so, if you want a fan sign you've gotta work for it, probably when I run one of my promos... if ever.)

3. Say something nice, but don't pile on the flattery.
Telling someone how much you admire them for a good quality they possess is normally irresistable. And  by GOOD QUALITY, I don't mean oh you look so cute in your picture. I mean something deeper and more meaningful than exterior appearances.
I once told a photographer how I admired her passion for photography and how it moved me to learn about the odds she had to overcome to get to where she was. If I, instead had told her, "Oh this pic you took is so awesome!" I'm pretty sure it would just have been swept away and ignored.
It's normally evident when someone is sincere, as opposed to just being blinded by fandom.

*
SO. I hope this helps.
AND, if you try this on me, I will kill you.

Unboxing my DELL ST 2429L monitor, Photos taken with my LG Optimus G

I've been playing a lot using my laptop and even though its a 17 inch Alienware laptop, I've been finding the monitor too small. Not that 17 inches is SMALL, but because I put my SteelSeries 6GV2 infront of it, so the screen is super far away.

SO, I decided to hook it up to the DELL 24 inch LED monitor and use the laptop to power everything and as a second screen

Here's the set up process! It was really painless and idiot proof and would have been dome in 2 minutes if I hadn't been so obsessed with taking photos of it with my new LG Optimus G.

Still in the box, you can see my Alienware m17x peeking over from the back.

peeking at me tantalisingly after i slit open the top of the box.
Well padded in recyclable material so there was no damage to the monitor after I towed it home unceremoniously klonking it against random objects.

The stuff that comes with the monitor.

From left to right - DVI (white) cable, round monitor base, neck stand (for the lack of knowing what to call this part) that has to be fastened to the round base.

The monitor arrives attached to the blue VGA cable, which I ended up using because my Alienware doesn't have a DVI port and I don't have a HDMI cable on hand. The monitor DOES have a HDMI port, and I presume this would be the preferred port to use. Unfortunately the monitor doesn't come with a HDMI cable.
For more information on the DVI and VGA cables, read this http://www.dell.com/support/troubleshooting/us/en/04/KCS/KcsArticles/ArticleView?c=us&l=en&s=bsd&docid=DSN_E5A47058AF97BCD7E0301E0A55175EA8

Screwing the neck onto the round base was probably the most complicated step, and even that was very easily accomplished. The screw is fixed into the base, and you need to fit the neck on nicely and just make sure the screw is straight.
Then it's a simple matter of fastening the neck onto the screen.

That's how it looks after it's been fastened on from the back. Nice and neat.

The monitor from the front with all the sticky plastic still on.

I removed every single bit of that, btw, except for the bit covering the round base. I find it easier to clean dust off the base that way.

My completed set up! This shows the same display on both screens, but I later switched it to extended display mode so that I can use the whole screen. (My laptop is 1920x1200, but the monitor is 1920x1080.)
In case you don't know how, read this http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100530222739AAknopd
or you can leave me a comment and I'll try to help.

=D