The Best Android Handset : Samsung Galaxy S2 GT-i9100G

Couple of weeks ago, I got myself the best Android handset in the recent market, Samsung Galaxy S2, after days of consideration that includes the comparison of iPhone 4 and this handset to which both of them met my budget line at the same price despite looking forward to the release of iPhone 4S in Malaysia. This handset I purchased was the Samsung Galaxy S2 GT-i9100G model which was the model after the GT-i9100 that came with hardware differences as in the processor and GPU that each of these units run. The GT-i9100 run on 1.2GHz ARM CortexA9 Exynos 4210 and ARM Mali-400 GPU while GT-i9100G uses Texas Instruments OMAP4430 CPU and PowerVR SGX540 GPU. It does not really matters me in a way as mine, GT-i9100G is working like a charm and I would say it does runs a little bit smoother than the GT-i9100 unit as compared with my friend with no offense.

-Why Galaxy S2? -Why Android phone?. These are the common questions being asked by your friends and also those who prefer an alternative yet popular smartphone. Despite any other influences and factors, the simplest reasons are I love going against a norm or something that is very common on the other hand as you would probably seeing 8 out of 10 people on the same street are indeed using the same device which you will probably got a right guess on what I intended to point out. The following reason is, I would prefer at the liberty of customizing my own device with all sort of awesome yet cool tiny little or big widgets in the home screen of the device instead of a fixed user interface. And, the last simple reason is, I got no phone.. 

The front view of the Galaxy S2.

Back view of Galaxy S2. The back cover can be bent however you want and it will not broke into two.

The speakers are located together with the antenna on the lower end of the device.

It comes with 8 megapixel camera with full HD video recording and a LED flash.

Samsung Galaxy S2 is durable than the iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S from which the demonstration of drop testing video. So far, I have not encounter any issues with it such like lagging or whatsoever and I love it! The only thing that annoys the users most of the time is the pop up notification of "Unable to use flash" for both photo shooting and video recording when the battery is at 15% and below. Photos and videos taken with this device can be viewed here!

The lockscreen of Samsung Galaxy S2 running on the current version of 2.3.6 Gingerbread.

The home screen of the handset with customizable widgets, lovely.

Software updates can be done OTA ( on-the-air ) via wi-fi or 3G networks. The battery life seems to improve drastically after the update to 2.3.6 Gingerbread comparing from the previous version of 2.3.5. The touch respond does not delay your gesture commands, it works as fine as the iPhone. Besides, the experience with typing and words suggestions on this handset is very pleasing without the auto-correct that gets naughty sometimes in the iPhone. An alternative of an iPhone? Yes, it is. 

Looking for the photos' and videos' samples? <CLICK HERE>

Penang Food Paradise #12 : Penang BBQ Chicken Stall

Ever wonder where to have supper when you visit Penang or a place to hang out for supper besides those fast food restaurants? There is one of the great place where you can have supper at night. Although there are various stalls available in within the coffee shop, the one I would love to have as my supper will be the Barbecue Chickens. The stall, Barbecue Chickens Stall, situated in Song River Cafe on Birch Road connecting towards Gurney Drive, sells barbecued chicken thighs, wings, and also spring chickens. You would probably enjoy the superb taste of these sweet and crispy on the outside while soft and juicy inside barbecued chickens after a few rounds of rolls of barbecuing above the charcoals! I bet you would love it a lot.

A plate of Barbecued Chicken Thighs! 3D enough?

Detailed Information:
Barbecue Chicken Stall ( Song River Cafe )

Jalan Birch ( Corner Coffee Shop - Connecting to Gurney Drive )

Nighttimes

 
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Penang Food Paradise #11 : Penang Larut Cafe Koay Teow Th'ng

There are various kinds of Koay Teow Th'ng or Koay Teow Soup available in Penang but as for today, I am going to introduce you the Koay Teow Th'ng Stall in Larut Cafe that is located at the corner of Larut Road and Bawasah Road where my family and I usually have our weekend breakfast there. The Larut Cafe is located next to Sharaton Hotel which is at the opposite of KFC ( Kentucky Fried Chicken ) building. A usual bowl of Koay Teow Th'ng is served with fresh flat rice noodles in a clear soup broth, topped with fish balls, slices of pork, chicken, golden brown garlic bits and chopped scallions. A condiment of sliced fresh red chilies in soy-vinegar usually accompanies the dish. You may add on additional ingredients for your bowl of Koay Teow Th'ng here which they include pork intestines, stomaches, meat balls, and so on.

A normal bowl of Larut Cafe Koay Teow Th'ng.

The soup broth was so nice in every slurp that goes into your mouth, that is one of the main reason I love the Larut Cafe Koay Teow Th'ng while the second reason is the soup broth itself is not as oily as some other stalls' outside if and only if you are a health concern person. For your information, this Koay Teow Th'ng Stall was moved to Larut Cafe from Argyll Road years ago which was referred as Argyll Road Koay Teow Th'ng in those moments.

Detailed Information:
Koay Teow Th'ng Stall ( Larut Cafe )

Jalan Larut ( Corner Coffee Shop Connecting to Bawasah Road )

Mornings

 

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Penang Food Paradise #10 : Penang Famous Padang Brown Popiah

Relating to the previous post of Penang Famous Hokkien Mee that is located in the same area and is directly opposite of this, Padang Brown Hawker Center, to where the Penang's Famous Popiah Stall is situated at and to be introduced in this post. So, where to find the best tastes of rolls and slices of Popiah to fill your stomach during teatime or maybe your lunch in Penang? Yes, you were not wrong! Penang's best yet famous Popiah can be found in Padang Brown Hawker Center in Jalan Perak where it is next to Rumah Kelab as shown in the Google maps below. Inside a roll of Popiah is filled with some cooked fillings that consists of yambean (jacama), crab meats, diced beancurb, and finally the springroll skin that wraps the fillings. Every single bites or slices of these Popiah is perfect yet they are indeed so flavorful until that they will satisfy your desire of wanting to give it a hit if you have not tried it before.

2 rolls of delectable Padang Brown Popiah.

The cooked fillings wrapped inside the Padang Brown Popiahs with springroll skins.

Detailed Information:
Padang Brown Hawker Center

Jalan Perak ( Jalan Perak - Opposite Penang Buddhist Association )

2PM - 7PM, Closes on Thursdays

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Penang Food Paradise #9 : Penang Famous Hokkien Mee

Penang's Hokkien Mee that is served bowls by bowls on your tables are known as Hokkien Prawn Noodles which the same style of serving can be enjoyed in Singapore too! The other type of Hokkien Mee is known as Hokkien Char Mee which is served usually in Kuala Lumpur and Klang Valley in Malaysia. So, today I am going to introduce you the Penang's Famous Hokkien Mee, Hokkien Prawn Noodles, located in Classic Coffee Shop in Jalan Perak connecting to Jalan Dato Keramat and it is situated at the opposite of Padang Brown Hawker Center. This bowl of Penang's famous Hokkien Mee is available early in the morning everyday except Tuesdays that would spice up your tongue bringing the enjoyment as its soup ingredients and contents are well balanced yet spicy.

A bowl of Penang Hokkien Mee.

A spoon of chilly paste is served together with the bowl. It is optional to add the paste in at which it would make the soup more spicy. Well, it is recommended to add in this spoon of chilly paste! It would be lovely to taste at least a bowl of this delicious Penang Hokkien Mee if you have not tried it before! PS do come early to avoid disappointment. 

 Detailed Information:
Classic Coffee Shop (Corner)

Jalan Perak ( Opposite Padang Brown Hawker Center )

8AM - 12PM, Closes on Tuesdays

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Penang Food Paradise #8 : Penang Lorong Seratus Tahun Curry Mee

Lorong Seratus Tahun translated into English is known as One Hundred Alley, direct translate. The fame of this Curry Mee Stall started when my parents were just kids! It is recognized by the name of the alley as there is no actual name for the coffee shop. Curry Mee, a unique dish in Malaysia, serves with yellow noodles, mee hun, coconut milk, dried toufu, cuttlefish, sea ham, prawns, spicy curry soup with sambal or chilly paste. The sambal/chilly paste and blood of the pigs' are the main ingredients in a bowl of Curry Mee. The pigs' bloods are coagulated into cubes that can be omitted by your choice. You can add the paste into your Curry Mee as much as you can if and only if you are able to withstand the spiciness of every spoon of them.

A bowl of Lorong Seratus Tahun Curry Mee.

  Lorong Seratus Tahun Curry Mee Stall located in the corner of a row of shop lots. 

  Detailed Information:
Lorong Seratus Tahun Curry Mee Stall (Corner)

T-Junction of Lorong Seratus Tahun and Lebuh Naning

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Penang Food Paradise #7 : Penang Beef Wan Tan Mee & Beef Soup Mee

We have wan tan mee almost most of the time anywhere in Malaysia. Today, there is one place, a coffee shop where you can enjoy Beef Wan Tan Mee and Beef Soup Mee from the afternoon until night. They are bowls of noodles served with hot broth, leafy vegetables, and beefs. These bowls of Beef Wan Tan Mee and Beef Soup Mee brought up sweet yet lovely tastes in your mouth as you are munching them which they are different from the tastes in other wan tan mee that is served traditionally without beef. The stall that has the history of 60 years and being operated by the 2nd generations of the family in this coffee shop named, Sai Lam Coffee Shop. However, these delicious Beef Wan Tan Mee and Beef Soup Mee are non-halal and due to religious practices, some Chinese will prefer not to have beef.

Beef Wan Tan Mee, without soup with slices of beef on the noodles served.

  Beef Soup Mee also known as Wan Tan Mee in a sense, the difference is just one with soup and the other one without soup. 

  Detailed Information:
Sai Lam Coffee Shop (Corner)

T-junction of Lebuh Chulia and Lebuh Carnavon

Morning Until 9pm 

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