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The Samsung Galaxy Note 9: The Best Phone on the Planet
I am of course referring to the new Samsung Galaxy Note 9 which will hit the street on August 24th. I’ve been using the Note 8, which is a very good phone, but it just doesn’t compare with the new Note 9.
The Note 9 is amazing in terms of what it comes equipped with, and what it can do. Let me just hit some highlights.
A Giant 4000 mAh Battery
All I can say is, “about time”. Samsung finally woke up to the fact that the Note 9 is a powerhouse that can be used by writers, journalists, artists and illustrators, bloggers, and other professionals. It’s an awsome workhorse, first and foremost. Oh, in case I forget, it’s also a phone!
An Awesome Stylus
The stylus on the Note 9 is a superb innovation. No other cellphone manufacturer can claim to own such advanced technology! It has a built-in battery and it can be used for all kinds of remote operations, from making a Powerpoint presentation to taking remote selfies.
A Superfast Chip
The Note 9 comes with the Snapdragon 845, the fastest chip on the planet. Speed has been further enhanced with various software upgrades and tweaks, as well. The Note 9 is even faster than the S9+!
Ram and Storage
The enhanced version of the Note 9 comes with 8G of ram and 512G storage. Road warriors who may need more storage can upgrade this with a 512G SD card for a total of 1 terrabyte. Amazing!
Samsung Dex Function is Fantastic
The Note 9 is now easy to hook up to a TV for playing videos, music and more. It may also be used for work for those who prefer the larger screen of a TV monitor. Basically, with the Note 9 in one hand and the magical new stylus in the other, any budding genius can now write their own Great American Novel using their own TV screen. Or, for the rest of us, there is always gaming…
A Super Camera
The specs of the Note 9 camera are the same as the S9+. Those who have the S9+ know that it takes amazingly sharp pictures and this is the quality you’ll get with the Note 9. The picture quality is so good that even professional photographers may consider adopting the Note 9 on their travels around the world. No need to lug heavy cameras around any more. And with 1 terrabyte of storage, photographers will never run out of storage space!
The Note 9 is an amazing device. It’s powerful, versatile and fast. It is also way ahead of anything else currently available on the market and is far superior to the Note 8, S9+, or anything that Apple, or any other manufacturer, has to offer.
Is it worth upgrading now to the Samsung Note 9? Most definitely. I just took the plunge and bought the Note 9 and I’m really happy about my decision. The Note 9 is so ahead of its time that there was no point in waiting. I’m sure I’ll keep it for several years.
Andrew Yiannakis, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus, University of Connecticut
PS Not affiliated with Samsung in any way
Traditional Japanese Jujutsu at UNM this Fall. Students may sign up for PENP 108 or 109 for credit. Head Instructor: Andrew Yiannakis, 8th Dan Jujutsu (USJJF)
When To Use “Bring” And When To Use “Take”
BLOG SERIES “English Grammar Made Easy”
by Andrew Yiannakis, Ph.D., Research Professor, University of New Mexico
BLOG #15: When to use “BRING” and when to TAKE? Continue reading “When To Use “Bring” And When To Use “Take””
Wise Sayings By Famous Ancient Greeks
Blog 1 compiled by Andrew Yiannakis, Ph.D., Research Professor, University of New Mexico
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Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) King of Macedon and conqueror of much of the ancient world
“I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion”
“In the end when it’s over, all that matters is what you’ve done”
“Remember, upon the conduct of each depends the fate of all”
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Diogenes (404-323 BC), founder of Cynic Philosophy
“Of what use is a philosopher who doesn’t hurt anybody’s feelings”?
“When I look upon seamen, men of science and philosophers, man is the wisest of all being; when I look upon priests and prophets nothing is as contemptible as man”
“He has the most who is most content with the least”
” The foundation of every State is the education of its youth”
“I don’t know whether gods exist, but they ought to”
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Hypatia of Alexandria (355-415 AD). Greek mathematician, astronomer and philosopher. Died at the hands of the early Christians for refusing to accept Christianity
“Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better than not to think at all”
“Fables should be taught as fables , myths as myths, and miracles as poetic fantasies. To teach superstitions as truths is a most terrible thing. The child mind accepts and believes them, and only through great pain, and perhaps tragedy, can he be relieved of them in later years”
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Democritus (460-370 BC), Philosopher and theoretician from Thrace
“The world is a stage and life is a journey. You come, you see, you leave”
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Menander (342-292 BC), Greek poet and comedy writer. He is the author of over 100 works
“Honor old age because it carries with it much suffering” (paraphrased)
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Pythagoras (580-500 BC), Famous Greek philosopher, geometrician and mathematician. Established the foundations of astronomy
“Be silent unless you can say something that’s better than silence” (paraphrased)
“Rest satisfied with doing well and leave others to talk of you as they please”
“The oldest, shortest words – “yes” and “no” – are those requiring the most thought”
“As long as man continues to be the ruthless destroyer of lower living beings, he will never know health or peace. For as long as men massacre animals, they will continue to kill each other” (paraphrased)
To “LAY Down” Or To “LIE Down”? (v3.0)
BLOG SERIES “English Grammar Made Easy” by Andrew Yiannakis, Ph.D., Research Professor, University of New Mexico
Today I wish to discuss the near constant misuse of the verbs to “lie down” and to “lay down”.
To “lie”, as in…”to lie down” simply means to recline. To “lay down” does NOT mean the same, and the two verbs are NOT interchangeable. To “lay” means to put or place an object somewhere as in… “to lay the book on the table”.
As well as being different in meaning, the two verbs are also governed by different grammatical rules. To “lie” is an intransitive verb, which means it may NOT take a direct object. Thus, it is correct to say to someone…”please lie down”, but NOT “lay down”. On the other hand, to “lay” is a transitive verb and, as such, it must be accompanied by a direct object as in…. “lay the book down on the table”, with the book being the direct object.
In summary it is important to recognize that the two verbs are frequently misused. For example, when you visit your doctor the nurse will often ask you to “lay down”. This is totally wrong on two counts because to lay means to put or place, and also requires the addition of a direct object. A possible way around this for those who insist on misusing the verb to “lay” is to say something like “lay yourself down on the bed”, with “yourself” being the required direct object. This now means “put/place yourself down on the bed”, which is correct in both meaning and grammar, but is a rather archaic and awkward way to speak.
Every language has a rule structure which we call grammar. Grammar and specific language rules develop over a long period of time. That is, both language and grammar evolve based on long term usage. However, we should not assume that change, as far as language is concerned, happens overnight, over several years, or even decades. While new terms enter our current vocabulary every ten to 15 years, or so, grammatical rules and word meanings are much more stable and persistent. Often it may take up to a hundred years before we begin to see substantive changes in both grammar and word meaning.
While most people don’t really know how to write or speak correctly (unfortunately), it doesn’t help that very few schools actually teach grammar as part of their curriculum. Consequently ignorance is perpetuated and transmitted on a continuous basis from one generation to another. The problem is further exacerbated in movies, on TV, and in novels by authors who really should know better.
Best advice: Play safe and learn the grammatical rules of your generation if you want to speak and write persuasively and effectively, especially if you want to ace your next job interview. If you are a professional you can’t assume that everyone out there is illiterate, because that is not case!
JUJUTSU AT UNM
UNM STUDENTS:
I wanted all of you to know that the jujutsu courses at UNM focus on more than just skill development for offense and self defense. They also introduce students to the higher goals of Traditional Japanese Jujutsu that speak to empowerment, character development, focus, and the development of determination and a no-quit attitude. Further, with diligent training many are able to BOOST THEIR BRAIN EFFICIENCY (and possibly brain capacity) by employing their instructor’s system of jujutsu, brain stimulation and reprogramming. The JBS System, which focuses on bilateral forms of brain and body training, contributes to brain regeneration of neural pathways (called neurogenesis), and this makes the brain more efficient in a number of significant ways (paper available in my new book, “JUJUTSU: Traditions, Ways & Modern Practices”, available on Amazon and from your instructor.
Many thanks.
Andrew Yiannakis, Ph.D.
8th Dan Jujutsu, 6th Dan Judo, University of New Mexico
Martial Arts
Andrew Yiannakis, Ph.D. 