Monday, March 20, 2023

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra dazzles, delights

Boasting an impressive camera setup, robust battery life and smooth S Pen stylus integration, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra flexes it’s muscles at the top of the Android high-end smartphone pyramid.

In my time with it, the device juggled  apps, games and video with ease on T-Mobile’s blisteringly fast 5G network.

The dizzyingly detailed 200mp camera is the showpiece, capturing images and video with effortless ease from distance, in dark or overly bright conditions and at high speeds. It has a way of sharpening your touch and making your shooting skills look better than they actually are.

On the flip side, the 12mp selfie cam is also remarkably dynamic and efficient.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor makes its presence known with silk-smooth multitasking and audio-visual presentation.

While the 8.2-ounce weight and overall bulk of the phone may be a slight hindrance, efficient and smooth design makes the form factor feel impressively simple to handle. As with a high-performance sports car, you can simply feel the muscle purring beneath the hood.

A quantum leap above the comparatively tiny and mighty Samsung Galaxy S23, the Ultra gave me the feeling of Arthur drawing Excalibur from the stone.

Although I was impressed with the Galaxy S23, I was blown away by the majesty and capability of the Ultra. This is a high water point for Samsung’s smartphone engineers.

Review unit provided by T-Mobile.

Thursday, March 09, 2023

Book Report: 'Moneyball'

 

Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair GameMoneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael Lewis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Michael Lewis's book is so well-written that it can make anyone a fan of the intricacies of baseball, as well as the late 1990s/early 2000s Oakland A's.

Benefitting from incredibly intimate access and an obsessive research bent, the tale breaks down the superstitions and "magic" involved in the game into similarly incongruous beliefs bolstered by higher math and scientific applications.

What it amounts to is an analytical breakdown of how exactly David will take down Goliath.

The unfortunate postscript is that the Goliaths will eventually adapt to the same analytic methods, griding the Davids further into the dust. But Lewis's snapshot of baseball history captures the once-in-a-lifetime moment when the smartest guys in the room worked for the poorest owners, and just about anything was possible.

Please, oh please, give baseball a salary cap.

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Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Book Report: 'Atlas Shrugged'

Atlas ShruggedAtlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

It was exhausting to get through this one. Finishing it is a triumph of the will over my nagging urge to cast it aside to give up.

While I enjoyed Rand's "The Fountainhead," this one is the monstrosity that resulted in the author's unchecked whims running unchecked or challenged.

Characters speak in idiotic, pages-long diatribes. There are disturbingly detailed love scenes that seem like sad expressions of the longings of the romantically challenged. The story is a nonsensical fever dream that is comical for its childish idiocy.

Do not make the mistake I made. Avoid this book, even if you liked "The Fountainhead."

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