A high end cellphone for $150? A Chinese adventure

What to do when you need a fast cellphone but don't want to spend a small fortune?
Chinese cellphone imports offer a lot - including a few surprises.

My beloved Samsung S4 mini hasn't aged well over the years. Buttons are loose, the Android version feels ancient and the battery is on its last legs. What to do? Certainly not spend $600 on a high-end cellphone, my contract didn't warrant any subsidized replacement so I ventured into the legendary realm of China cellphones! The risk: *These phones are not made for Western markets* and there are no official distribution channels. Read on to learn about the entailing disadvantages and why I've begun to feel slightly paranoid.

My beloved Samsung S4 mini hasn't aged well over the years. Buttons are loose, the Android version feels ancient and the battery is on its last legs. What to do? Certainly not spend $600 on a high-end cellphone, my contract didn't warrant any subsidized replacement so I ventured into the legendary realm of China cellphones! The risk: These phones are not made for Western markets and there are no official distribution channels. Read on to learn about the entailing disadvantages and why I've begun to feel slightly paranoid.


Windows 10 Upgrade – Free is too expensive?

Windows 10 was supposed to run on more than one billion computers soon, that was the goal. At the beginning of 2016, roughly 200 million have installed it. Why do so many users hesitate and what are the risks?

It's a bizarre situation: Microsoft offers a free upgrade to the latest operating system to its users - and they just say no! Or more precisely: They do upgrade but not in droves as Microsoft had planned. Windows 10 was supposed to run on more than one billion computers soon, that was the goal. At the beginning of 2016, roughly 200 million have installed it. And then Yang Yuanqing, Lenovo's current CEO who used to be a reliable ally, made the situation worse by openly criticizing the many issues especially users of older machines were facing with Windows 10. But Windows 10 still has a lot to offer and runs, to sum up the many tests, quite smoothly. Read on to learn about what you can expect from Windows 10, who really needs the new operating system and what risks are involved!

2 minute tech: BIOS

Since a BIOS is an integral part of most computers yet unknown to many users, here's a short introduction for you.

A friend of mine who works as a computer teacher refers to the **"BIOS threshold"** when asked to judge the competence of his students. Those who know about BIOS („basic input/output system“) have already had deeper experience in dealing with PCs. Since a BIOS is an integral part of most computers yet unknown to many users, here's a short introduction for you.

A friend of mine who works as a computer teacher refers to the &quot;BIOS threshold&quot; when asked to judge the competence of his students. Those who know about BIOS („basic input/output system“) have already had deeper experience in dealing with PCs. Since a BIOS is an integral part of most computers yet unknown to many users, here's a short introduction for you.


2 minute tech: Solid State Drive

Is your PC too slow? Back in the days, you'd go for a coffee while the PC was booting up but this is 2015! With most computers, it's no longer the processor that's the performance bottleneck but the hard disk.

**Is your PC too slow?** Back in the days, you'd go for a coffee while the PC was booting up but this is 2015! With most computers, it's no longer the processor that's the performance bottleneck but the hard disk. Since conventional hard disks have their limits SSDs may prove a worthy alternative. Read on to learn about their strengths and weaknesses.

Is your PC too slow? Back in the days, you'd go for a coffee while the PC was booting up but this is 2015! With most computers, it's no longer the processor that's the performance bottleneck but the hard disk. Since conventional hard disks have their limits SSDs may prove a worthy alternative. Read on to learn about their strengths and weaknesses.


5 forgotten Photo Commander gems

Five neat yet easily overlooked Photo Commander features!

I'll let you in on a genuine Ashampoo secret: Whenever a new Photo Commander release is on the horizon, testers and technical writers sigh in unison. Because what's in store for them will be - *daunting*. You may feel tempted to gently stroke them on their foreheads and offer words of courage while they're hunting down bugs or come up with extensive explanations for the myriad of features in this mighty beast. Here's another confession: Aside from Nikolaus, the creator and lead developer, no-one really knows all of its features because there are just so many of them. This is why there's an awkward silence whenever someone praises a feature found in a competing product and somebody else replies: "Photo Commander had this since version 7."

I'll let you in on a genuine Ashampoo secret: Whenever a new Photo Commander release is on the horizon, testers and technical writers sigh in unison. Because what's in store for them will be - daunting. You may feel tempted to gently stroke them on their foreheads and offer words of courage while they're hunting down bugs or come up with extensive explanations for the myriad of features in this mighty beast. Here's another confession: Aside from Nikolaus, the creator and lead developer, no-one really knows all of its features because there are just so many of them. This is why there's an awkward silence whenever someone praises a feature found in a competing product and somebody else replies: &quot;Photo Commander had this since version 7.&quot;


Ruthlessly calculated failure

Far too many devices break down soon after their warranty expired. Read on to learn why there may be a sinister strategy involved.

One day, my printer acted up. With my blood pressure spiking, I went on Google and quickly discovered that I had just been the victim of what is considered a classic error that would appear roughly after two years on the dot.
I phoned the hotline and spent about 30 minutes in hold music limbo until I finally reached a noticeably tired support agent. In these moments, I like to remind myself not to blow my top but to stay calm and explain my situation with facts. Maybe it was because she was so tired but she was surprisingly blunt and honest. "The error occured in the warranty period? *That's not supposed to happen!*"

One day, my printer acted up. With my blood pressure spiking, I went on Google and quickly discovered that I had just been the victim of what is considered a classic error that would appear roughly after two years on the dot.
I phoned the hotline and spent about 30 minutes in hold music limbo until I finally reached a noticeably tired support agent. In these moments, I like to remind myself not to blow my top but to stay calm and explain my situation with facts. Maybe it was because she was so tired but she was surprisingly blunt and honest. &quot;The error occured in the warranty period? That's not supposed to happen!&quot;


Print with champagne and save money

Nowaways, Scrooge McDuck would be bathing in printing ink to demonstrate his wealth.

Some business models never cease to amaze me. In Japan, it's possible to book vacation trips for your stuffed animals, vacation photos included. And "Hangover Helpers" in the US will help you get back into shape and clean up your place after a night of partying. And you can rent a tank as taxi in St. Petersburg for maximum side-impact protection. Here's an even crazier idea, why not **make cars incredibly cheap and charge premium prices for gasoline?** Agreed, *that's preposterous, or is it?*

Some business models never cease to amaze me. In Japan, it's possible to book vacation trips for your stuffed animals, vacation photos included. And &quot;Hangover Helpers&quot; in the US will help you get back into shape and clean up your place after a night of partying. And you can rent a tank as taxi in St. Petersburg for maximum side-impact protection. Here's an even crazier idea, why not make cars incredibly cheap and charge premium prices for gasoline? Agreed, that's preposterous, or is it?


S.M.A.R.T. - Outsmarted by hard disks

For the longest time I was unware that my hard disk talks to me. Now I can finally understand it.

I break out a sweat whenever one of those warning lights comes on in my car. How about you? Even if it was only signaling a *loose ashtray* it'd still drive me mad. But these lights are supposed to warn us of imminent danger. And it worked, I knew with absolute certainty that my ancient BMW *was done*. But that's another story, this one's about computers. 

I break out a sweat whenever one of those warning lights comes on in my car. How about you? Even if it was only signaling a loose ashtray it'd still drive me mad. But these lights are supposed to warn us of imminent danger. And it worked, I knew with absolute certainty that my ancient BMW was done. But that's another story, this one's about computers.


2 minute tech: Cookies

*You too have cookies!* Don't panic. Learn more about the role cookies play on your machine here.

You too have cookies! Don't panic. Learn more about the role cookies play on your machine here.


5 forgotten Burning Studio gems

Ashapoo Burning Studio, a vast array of nifty features, many of them still unfamiliar to you. Wanna bet?

Do you know a fool-proof way to make a programmer blush? Just ask for features that lie deeply buried in a huge application. The addressee will look like they forgot their middle child's birthday and instantly start clicking *frantically*. But there's no shame in not knowing every corner of a program even if it was written by oneself a long time ago! These applications started out small, quickly gained momentum and eventually turned into feature behemoths. It's like handling children. Initially cute, small and manageable you'll eventually thank the heavens that you *get along with them somehow*. Naturally, **Burning Studio** also has a lot of useful features to discover that I wouldn't want to withhold from you.

Do you know a fool-proof way to make a programmer blush? Just ask for features that lie deeply buried in a huge application. The addressee will look like they forgot their middle child's birthday and instantly start clicking frantically. But there's no shame in not knowing every corner of a program even if it was written by oneself a long time ago! These applications started out small, quickly gained momentum and eventually turned into feature behemoths. It's like handling children. Initially cute, small and manageable you'll eventually thank the heavens that you get along with them somehow. Naturally, Burning Studio also has a lot of useful features to discover that I wouldn't want to withhold from you.


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