SanDisk Mobile Ultra 16GB microSDHC Memory Card Review

We reviewed the 64GB microSDXC card earlier this year, now here is the review of the SandDisk 16GB microSDHC card that was launched in India . It is aUHS-1 (UHS Speed Class 1) card similar to the 64GB one. Unlike the 64GB card which was class 6, this one is class 10. SanDisk promises read speeds up to 30 MB/sec.

We tested this card on the some of the latest smartphones and tablets including, Samsung Galaxy S3,Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 310 and the LG Optimus 3D Max, and it worked perfectly. Samsung Galaxy 3 and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 310 come with 16GB internal memory which makes the total space to 32GB to store all the images and HD videos. Unlike the 64GB memory card, this 16GB memory card is supported on most of the latest smartphones and tablets.

Here are some benchmarks to show how this card performs.

Read Write speed test using CrystalDiskMark

Read speeds were around 20 MB/s and Write speeds were around 12 MB/s.

Read Speed measured using HDTach

Read speeds were steady at 20 MB/s.

Read and Write speeds using AnTuTu for Android Benchmark

Maximum Read speeds were around 13.1 MB/s and the Write speeds were around 11.4 MB/s with the Antutu Benchmark app for Android.

Read and Write speeds using SD Tools for Android Benchmark

The Read speeds were around 17.9 MB/s and the Write speeds were around 10 MB/s with the SDTools app for Android.

Verdict

The SanDisk 16GB microSDHC card performs well and offers steady read speeds. The write speeds were better than the 64GB card we reviewed recently. This card is available in the market for Rs. 1649 which is cheap compared to the 64GB card, which has also got drastic price cut since we reviewed. For this price this class 10 16GB memory card performs well, so if you are looking for a 16GB memory card, this is the one you need.

-->

Read more »

Camera Phones and Consumer Tips

While your new camera phone provides you with the flexibility to make a phone call and instantly take and transmit a photo.

For this reason, we recommend the following consumer tips and requests that every camera phone users follows them: Camera phone users should always respect the privacy of others.

1. Users should always respect areas considered private by those who use them, for example: bathrooms, changing rooms, and gym locker rooms.

2. Users should always respect the sensitivity of many office and industrial environments where the viewing of proprietary materials is a concern.

3. Users should respect areas of photographic sensitivity, for example: museums, movie theatres and live performances.

4. Camera phones should not be used to take photos of individuals without their knowledge and consent. Special discretion is advised when using your camera phone to take photos of persons under 18 years of age.

5. Do not use camera phones, or any cell phones in general, while operating a motor vehicle. It is also illegal to send messages which would be regarded as harassing, menacing or otherwise offensive.

6. Users should be aware that some organizations ban the use of camera phones in some areas.

Read more »

Top 3 Cool Secret Mobile Phone Tricks

As I said in my previous article about Using Your Cell Phone to Survive in the Wilderness, the reason why cell phones make for such good universal tools is because they are always with us. Rarely do I leave the house without mine, and when I do, I feel naked. They’ve become part of us.

So knowing some secret mobile phone tricks to do some cool things with your phone is a big help.

In this article, we’re going to take a look at three cool things you can do with your average cell phone.

The “˜James Bond’ Trick

The most basic secret mobile phone trick to listen in on a conversation with a mobile phone is to leave it in a room recording. Trouble is, you never know when people will be in there talking. Also, most phones will only allow a certain amount of record time.

All you have to do is plug the earphones in and leave it in a hidden spot within the room (but in a good position where the sound will be easily picked up). By having the earphones in the phone, it will automatically answer and won’t ring or vibrate alerting others to its presence. Then, when someone is in the room you can just ring the cell phone and listen in.

Free Mobile Internet Hack

This secret mobile phone trick comes from a pair of video bloggers at TheFixed.org. In their premier episode, they showed viewers how to convert their free mobile minutes which most network plans will offer, into web data allowances. Basically, it involves setting up your own proxy using a website they specify in the guide and then changing some WAP settings on your phone.

The amount of free internet you will be able to get depends on how much free minutes you have and how well those minutes convert into data KB allowances (this will depend on what your network charges per kbKB.

Shut Down Your PC by SMS

This is my favourite secret mobile phone tricks out of the list. When you have everything set up, you’ll be able to send a text message with a chosen keyword such as “˜shutdown’ to your PC. This then activates the shutdown procedure. Here’s how it works.

First, you create an easy text file with a one line command (this is specified in the video) and save it to your hard drive. Then, you set up a Kwiry account and sync it with your Email account which you have set up in Outlook Express.

A rule must then be created in Outlook Express which will detect any incoming emails with that keyword and then execute the shutdown command in the text file when it does.

By sending a text with the keyword to your Kwiry account, an identical email is sent to your own email account, thus you can shut down your PC via SMS when you’re out and about.

It’s best to choose an obscure word so a normal email doesn’t accidentally shut down your PC.

You could also use this for cueing up a video game or a program which takes a long time to load before you actually get home to your PC by choosing another application besides from the shutdown file when creating a rule.

Just a quick word of warning before I sign off: many of the claimed cell phone hacks on the internet are completely fake. When researching this article (and through some SPAM a few years back) I came across lots of bogus guides which either waste your time or potentially mess up your phone. So watch out!

Read more »