TV & Vocabulary: Mythbusters & English Idioms

Mythbusters
Image from Discovery Channel

Some of you might remember that I have actually recommended Mythbusters in Website & TV: Tudou & Mythbusters and TV: Mythbusters as the science program to watch if you want to improve your English vocabulary, and so I created a YouTube playlist in TV: Mythbusters on Youtube and collected a number of short video clips for your learning.


Recently, I have revisited this fantastic TV program focusing on the idiom myths. Sometimes we use idioms the way it is and never really try to prove or disprove their correctness. For example, when poop shits the fan, does it make the situation worse? Do your feet actually get colder when you get scared?

The Mythbusters team explore idioms such as cold feet, shit / poop hits the fan,

hit the ground running, you can't polish turd / poop,

end with a bang, going down like a lead balloon...

As well as similes such as know sth like the back of your hand,

like shooting fish in the barrel, clear as day, like a bull in a china shop.

All of these idioms are worth learning from the vocabulary section below and all the videos I put up is worth watching. Confirmed or Busted? Be surprised!!!

Love science!!!


Vocabulary:

(get) cold feet -- to suddenly become too frightened to do something you had planned to do, especially something important such as getting married
(the) shit / poop hits the fan -- (also the shit flies) offensive When the shit hits the fan or when the shit flies, a situation suddenly causes a lot of trouble for someone
hit the ground running -- to immediately work hard and successfully at a new activity
you can't polish turd / poop -- despite your best efforts, there are some things you just can't fix/improve.
end with a bang -- from the final stanza of the poem The Hollow Men, This is the way the world ends - Not with a bang but a whimper
go down like a lead balloon -- humorous If something that you say or show to people goes down like a lead balloon, they do not like it at all
know sth like the back of your hand -- informal to have very good and detailed knowledge of something
like shooting fish in the barrel -- describing an effortless or simple action, with guaranteed success.
clear as day -- very easy to understand; certain
like a bull in a china shop -- If someone is like a bull in a china shop, they are very careless in the way that they move or behave


Resources:
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/know+like+the+back+of+hand
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/Like+Shooting+Fish+in+A+Barrel
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/hit+the+ground+running
http://mythbustersresults.com/cold-feet
http://mythbustersresults.com/end-with-a-bang
http://mythbustersresults.com/episode96

Mythbusters - Shooting Fish in A Barrel @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOz1vinNXZg

Mythbusters Polishing a Turd @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiJ9fy1qSFI

Mini Myth Medley Aftershow | MythBusters @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysU2IpV7rz0

Над селом херня летала серебристого металла... @ YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTGFj7gT0OU

Mythbusters: Are elephants afraid of mice? @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpTSA_25wGE

Mythbusters @ Discovery Channel
http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/mythbusters

Website & TV: Tudou & Mythbusters @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2009/04/website-tv-tudou-mythbusters.html

TV: Mythbusters on Youtube
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2009/03/tv-mythbusters-on-youtube.html

TV: Mythbusters @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2009/03/tv-mythbusters.html


http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/get-cold-feet?q=cold+feet#get-cold-feet__1
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/the-shit-hits-the-fan?q=%28the%29+shit+hits+the+fan#the-shit-hits-the-fan__1
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/hit-the-ground-running?q=hit+the+running+ground#hit-the-ground-running__1
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=you%20can't%20polish%20a%20turd
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=can't%20polish%20a%20turd
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hollow_Men
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/go-down-like-a-lead-balloon?q=go+down+like+a+lead+balloon#go-down-like-a-lead-balloon__1
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/like-a-bull-in-a-china-shop?q=a+bull+in+a+china+shop#like-a-bull-in-a-china-shop__1
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/know-sth-like-the-back-of-your-hand?q=know+sth+like+the+back+of+your+hand#know-sth-like-the-back-of-your-hand__1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_fish_in_a_barrel
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/as-clear-as-day?q=clear+as+day#as-clear-as-day__1

Vocabulary: Words That Describe Body Shapes

Michelangelo's David - V-shaped torso
Image from Wikipedia

Do you ever think about the words you need to describe something and realise that you don't have enough of them in your armoury? Well, I constantly do, after I wrote Grammar: -ed, -ing Adjectives and  Movie & Vocabulary: The Smurfs, I have not written enough on the adjectives, now it is about time to restart the engine.

First of all, the best way to collect words and know its popularity is to search through multiple websites and see what patterns appear. Let's first check out the following images.

Image from goldennuggetkeywords

Image from thatsme.com.au

Image from howtolosebellyfatsoon.com

Image from goldennuggetkeywords

 

As we can see, words such as apple, pear, hourglass, rectangle, triangle are the most common, spoon is probably similar to pear while tube and banana are similar to rectangle, and this is confirmed by Wikipedia.

But then we know, there is no limit to a language, especially when words can hurt you just enough to want you to spend money to change your "undesirable" body shape, and so the list goes on...

Image from dressyourbodytype

Image from bedivineblog

Click photo to enlarge
Image from galella.com

Image from findyourbodytype

Image from my-virtual-makeover

Some of the words I consider as nasty, like column, brick and cello. Maybe it is just me, but I really doubt that anyone wants their body shapes to be called apple or pear, or short legs long torso. Hourglass shape has to be the most acceptable one I believe.

With that said, these terms are easier for us to remember and associate to. I guess few actually want to remember the formal terminology...

Image from pponline.co.uk

Image from mydocadvisor.

So whether you like it or not, the descriptive words are there. Users of such terms should be caution not to offend anyone.

One question for you all, how do you describe body shape in your culture? Leave a message and share with me!


Vocabulary:
undesirable -- (adj) disapproving not wanted, approved of or popular
apple
pear
hourglass
rectangle / tube / banana
triangle
spoon / pear


Resources:

Movie & Vocabulary: The Smurfs @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2011/08/movie-vocabulary-smurfs.html

Grammar: -ed, -ing Adjectives @  Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2009/10/grammar-ed-ing-adjectives.html

Body Shape @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_shape

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/undesirable?q=undesirable

Photography: Magic Lantern -- Unleash Your DSLR's Potential!!!

Magic Lantern on Canon EOS 7D

After tweaking a couple of Samsung Galaxy Note II and Note II LTE, the time for tweaking some other stuff has come.

Great news to Canon users!!! Finally, Magic Lantern has come to Canon EOS 7D, which means I will be having even more fun with my camera ever since the official firmware upgrade 2.0.0 arrived.

What is Magic Lantern? Let us get the inventor himself to explain to you.

If you think about it, nowadays many cameras are actually equipped with advanced chipsets capable of handling much more than the default functionalities. Due to the fact that default firmwares do not necessarily  provide all that a photographer needs, software developers spend hours and days hacking in order to provide us with something extra. They truly deserve our respect.

Some amazing functions by Magic Lantern
Image from Magic Lantern

Magic Lantern is available for Canon EOS: 5D MkII, 50D, 60D 500D, 550D, 600D, and some alpha versions for 5Dc, 1100D, 5D MkIII, 7D.

For installation, go visit the official page or the Wiki page. Likewise, you can watch this video.

Magic Lantern suits the taste of people like me who enjoys full control and numerous options. Give it a go if you also have the listed Canon cameras!

Once I have mastered the options provided in the alpha version, I will post my opinions and guide on this innovative software.


Vocabulary:
alpha -- (n) The alpha phase of the release life cycle is the first phase to begin software testing
functionality -- (n) [C or U] any or all of the operations performed by a piece of equipment or a software program
master -- (vb)[T] to learn how to do something well


Resources:

Photography: Canon 7D Firmware Upgrade Has Come!!! @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2012/08/photography-canon-7d-firmware-upgrade.html

Magic Lantern Firmware Wiki
http://magiclantern.wikia.com/wiki/Magic_Lantern_Firmware_Wiki

Magic Lantern on 7D ? YES ! @ Magic Lantern
http://www.magiclantern.fm/whats-new/78-news/138-ml-will-work-on-7d

Introduction to Magic Lantern @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NS77CiN2WXo

How To Install Magic Lantern Install 2012 @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PF84IExoyDc

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_release_life_cycle#Alpha
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/functionality?q=functionality+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/master_6

Culture & World: What's That Flower Badge?

The Remembrance Poppy -- Lapel version
Image BreakingNews.ie

A week ago, a relative told me that while he was watching English football he saw everyone wearing this paper-like flower badge, so he asked me what that's for.

That brought up my childhood memory... back in the days I was studying primary school in London.

I remembered I had a few such badges when I was a kid, I don't think I knew what exactly they were for other than for charity, but the name kind of gives it away. It's called The Remembrance Poppy.

Wikipedia has the simplest and best descriptions,

Poppy Wreath
Image from independent.co.uk

The remembrance poppy (a Papaver rhoeas) has been used since 1920 to commemorate soldiers who have died in war. Inspired by the World War I poem "In Flanders Fields", they were first used by the American Legion to commemorate American soldiers who died in that war (1914–1918). They were then adopted by military veterans' groups in the Commonwealth; especially the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Today, they are mainly used in the UK and Canada to commemorate their servicemen and women who have been killed since 1914. There, small artificial poppies are often worn on clothing on Remembrance Day/Armistice Day (11 November) and in the weeks before it. Poppy wreaths are also often laid at war memorials.

Field of Remembrance
Image from The Royal British Legion

The remembrance poppy is especially prominent in the UK in the weeks leading up to Remembrance Sunday. They are sold by The Royal British Legion for its "Poppy Appeal" and it is seen as befitting for public figures to wear one, which some have berated as "poppy fascism". The poppy is especially controversial in Northern Ireland and most Irish nationalists refuse to wear one due to the actions of the British Army during The Troubles. There has also been controversy over their introduction to the world of sport.

Image from The Poppy Shop

There are in fact numerous shapes and forms of poppy for willing donors, and they come in different prices as well. If one doesn't want to buy, the poppy can be homemade easily. Red poppy is generally the main colour, but there is also the white poppy for the pacifist, meaning the anti-war peace-lovers,  and the purple poppy for the commemorate the animal victims.

And all these brings me back to one of BBC's most classy and successful sitcom Blackadder. In the season finale of Blackadder Goes Forth, our most beloved "Mr Bean" Rowan Atkinson and "Dr. Gregory House" Hugh Laurie took their last step in a 1917 set, on the Western Front in the trenches of World War I, and this is how the whole series ended...

Despite all the jokes and witty remarks, let's not forget that war is never good. I hope all wars will end and nobody shall suffer from wars ever after.

Let's teach our young children how horrible war is so that our future generations can enjoy happiness!

*************************

Christmas is coming, if you are thinking about a gift for yourself or a friend, you should read TV Drama: The Black Adder (for English lovers), and I have a good recommendation for you.


Vocabulary:
remembrance -- (n) formal [U] when you remember and show respect for someone who has died or a past event
commemorate --(vb)[T] to remember officially and give respect to a great person or event, especially by a public ceremony or by making a statue or special building
wreath -- (n) [C] an arrangement of flowers and leaves in a circular shape, which is used as a decoration or as a sign of respect and remembrance for a person who has died
prominent -- (adj) very well known and important
finale -- (n) [C usually singular] the last part of especially a musical or theatrical performance, which is often very exciting or emotional
witty -- (adj) using words in a clever and funny way


Resources:
Field of Remembrance @ The Royal British Legion
http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/remembrance/field-of-remembrance

Remembrance poppy @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poppy_appeal

White Poppies @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poppy_appeal#White_poppies

Good luck everybody - Blackadder - BBC @ YouTube
http://youtu.be/vH3-Gt7mgyM

TV Drama: The Black Adder (for English lovers) @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2009/12/tv-drama-black-adder-for-english-lovers.html

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/remembrance?q=remembrance+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/commemorate?q=commemorate+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/prominent_1?q=prominent+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/finale?q=finale+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/witty?q=witty+

TV & Food: Spicy Hot Chili @ Man V. Food

Types of Chillies
Image from Carole's Chatter

Chili, my favourite!

I love hot and spicy food, I just cannot resist the stinging feeling and that slightly salty aftertaste. Spicy food helps relieve my headaches, sleepiness, increase my blood flow as if I have done a good amount of exercise, thus making me feel invigorated and smarter than usual!

But not everyone can take chilies as hot as I can, among the people I know, I am already the most tolerant to the hotness of chili. That doesn't mean I am good, it only means I have few friends.

For those of you who cannot tolerate spiciness, you might avoid eating it at together, but sometimes if you cannot, maybe because your friends love it and you must entertain them, you'll need a way to overcome that spiciness.

Some people say full-fat milk will help, some say water, others say beer, tequila, or even toothpaste, petroleum jelly and wasabi!! Too many of these suggestions and myths flowing around. So, actually, which is the best?

To find out, you need to know how much chilies and what kind of chili you are dealing with first -- "to win the war, it help to know your enemy".

And that, we'll  have to ask Adam Richman from Man v. Food!

From the video, we now learn that according to the degree of hotness, the chilis appeared in the show are ranked as follows:

1. Jalapeño 
2. Serrano Pepper
3. Chile de árbol 
4. Habenero 

Now we can move on to find out which method soothes spiciness the best! And Mythbusters have the answer.

From the video we learn that capsaicin from the chilies bonds with the capsaicin receptors on your tongue, and because the same receptors register heat, eating chilies will make you feel hot and burning!

Also, eating excessive among of chilies can kill because the lungs will shut down and the victim will die of suffocation.

Scoville scale is used to measure the degree of spicy heat of chili peppers, and the number of Scoville heat units (SHU) indicates the amount of capsaicin present.

Image from The Pepper Seed

According to the New Mexico State University's, the World's Hottest Pepper since Feb 2012 goes to Trinidad Moruga Scorpion, not Bhut Jolokia any more like the Mythbusters video clip has mentioned in 2008.

Recompiling the list of chili peppers used in the two videos using the data from Wikipedia, here's the SHU list,

       3,500 -        8,000 SHU   Jalapeño 
     10,000 -      23,000 SHU   Serrano Pepper
     15,000 -      30,000 SHU   Chile de árbol
   100,000 -    350,000 SHU   Habenero 
   330,000 - 1,000,000 SHU   Bhut Jolokia
1,500,000 - 2,000,000 SHU   Trinidad Moruga Scorpion


At the beginning of the show, the theory goes to say milk has the fat that can neutralise the pain caused by the oily capsaicin, which means oil-based cures oil-based problem, water-based is unhelpful. Turns out, that's not the case because petroleum didn't help, but they concluded that full-fat milk was the cure for spicy hotness.

So you know what you need when your mouth is on fire?

Image from Perfect Skin Care For You

Vocabulary:
Bell pepper 
Jalapeño 
Serrano Pepper
Chile de árbol
Habenero 
capsaicin -- (n) is the active component of chili peppers, which are plants belonging to the genus Capsicum. It is an irritant for mammals, including humans, and produces a sensation of burning in any tissue with which it comes into contact.
capsaicin receptors 
suffocation -- (n) to (cause someone to) die because they do not have enough oxygen
Scoville scale
Trinidad Moruga Scorpion
Bhut Jolokia 

Resources:
Spice: Thai Basils @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2010/04/spice-thai-basils.html

Man v. Food @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_v._Food

Chili pepper @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chili_pepper

Jalapeño @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jalape%C3%B1o

Serrano Pepper @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serrano_pepper

Chile de árbol @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chile_de_%C3%A1rbol

Habenero @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habenero

Bhut Jolokia  @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhut_Jolokia

Man v Food Spicy Hot Wings @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgasZBz7_io

Mythbusters - Hot Chili Cures @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGU85zWJkpk

Capsaicin @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsaicin

Capsaicin receptor @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsaicin_receptor

World's Hottest Pepper @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World%27s_hottest_pepper

Trinidad Scorpion Moruga – The World’s Hottest Chili Pepper @ The Pepper Seed
http://thepepperseed.com/peppers/trinidad-scorpion-moruga-the-worlds-hottest-chilli-pepper/

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/suffocate_1?q=suffocation

Technology: Galaxy Note II Q & A -- Part 1

Model pose with Samsung Galaxy Note II in Seoul September 26, 2012
Image from China Daily

Sorry for yet another Galaxy Note II entry, I am writing another big big entry on another topic, but since my readers found the previous entries really useful and questions kept pouring in, I want to do my best to help, so readers who are not getting a Note II, please just bear with me.

Question 1:

Why is it that Note II GT-N7100 has radio but Note II LTE GT-N7105 doesn't have?

This has to do with the compatibility of the kernel. Right now I have AOKP custom rom installed on my radio-capable Galaxy S2, but the radio is also missing because the kernel doesn't allow. Originally, the solution is to use Spirit FM Radio to reactivate the radio, but it doesn't work on the Note II LTE this time. The only way is to wait for a firmware update to reactivate the radio, either stock or custom.

The XDA Developers are among the best Android developers in the world, many Android tool books on sale in book stores are heavily referenced to XDA forum.

I wonder if anyone has written a book which is referenced to my tutorial?


Question 2:

Image from Recognized Contributor Stempox

When I used the earlier Android phones, the browsers can show Flash websites, why is it that Note II now cannot?

This is because Adobe has officially announced that it will not be supporting any mobile platforms, never on iOS, now not even on Android. But that doesn't mean we cannot have it on Note II or future phones.

XDA Senior Member Lucidmike has a page sharing a very easy way to retrieve this function.

The steps are as follow:

Step 1: Download the apk file to your device and install when finished. (No rooting necessary.)
Step 2: Open up any browser, except Chrome.
Step 3: Enjoy.

If you are not sure how to do it, just follow the video below.

The latest and official updates of Flash Players can be found in the page here.


Question 3:

Why is it that my Note II LTE GT-N7105 uses up battery faster than my friend's Note II GT-N7100?

Again, different kernel and different signal receiver. If you are on a 4G data plan, Note II LTE will use more battery juice to process the super high-speed  incoming data. But if you are on a 3G plan, then the battery will naturally last longer. Actually, compared with any Galaxy phones, Note II already has 3,100 mAh of battery, the largest capacity of all.

My advice is, get an extra battery if you do use 4G plan, not that you really need it as I believe the battery can last for one day but just in case you get lost in the wild.

Question 4:

The Multi-Window can only allow some 3rd party apps, can I add Whatsapp or LINE, or even Angry Birds into that Multi-Window?

Check out what Jordan has to say at 1:40 of the video below.

Build number ending with LJ4
Image from Locky's English Playground

XDA Developers have the solution. XDA Senior Member goddamnit has created a mod for custom ROMs for a specific firmware version (Check your firmware version under Settings -- > About device --> Build Number)

The good news is, as of today, if you have Note II GT-N7100 your firmware is the stock firmware (meaning directly out from box without any changes) of build number ending with "LJ3", then you can also enjoy this mod without changing to Custom ROM.

For me, I'm using Note II LTE GT-N7105, build number ending with "LJ4", so I can only use this mod if my phone is running custom ROM.


Question 5:

I'm a noob! I don't know how to upgrade to the Multi-Window function that you have talked about in your previous blog entry, what can I do?

My student Ella went to a Samsung shop and got the staff to upgrade it for her. You may want to try that out if you don't want to do the firmware flashing by yourself.

I too want to give this topic a little break, if there are newer questions, I will answer them all together after a few more entries.



Vocabulary:
stock -- (n) factory, original, official standard
juice -- (n) power
mod -- (n) modification
as of / from -- starting from a particular time or date
noob / n00b, newb, nub-- (n) slang a newb or newbie; refers to the idea that someone is new to a game, concept, or idea; implying a lack of experience. Also, in some areas the word noob can mean someone is obsessed with things.


Resources:

FM Radio / Spirit UL @ Dropbox
https://www.dropbox.com/s/9926zn68ys8zflz/FM%20Radio.apk

[TUTORIAL][S3 Imitation] Turning your GS2 to GS2.5 (Updated on 27th August 2012) @ XDA-Developer
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=27903156#post27903156

Adobe Flash Player apk for Galaxy Note 2 (download link directly from Adobe) @ XDA-Developer
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1954255

How to Install / Get Adobe Flash Player on All Jelly Bean / ICS Devices! @ YouTube
http://youtu.be/cGUf34IB3V8

Flash Player Help / Archived Flash Player versions @ Adobe
http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/archived-flash-player-versions.html

Unlimited Multitasking Mod for Galaxy Note 2, Nexus 4 Android 4.2 System Dump @ YouTube
http://youtu.be/CgWxj-Poanc

[MOD][10.Nov.'12]MulitWindow with unlimited apps for deodex rom @ XDA-Developer
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1961314

Technology: (Extended) Advanced Samsung Galaxy Note II Mess Around @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2012/11/technology-extended-advanced-samsung.html

http://www.addictivetips.com/mobile/what-is-meant-by-firmware-stock-custom-roms-and-flashing-guide/
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/as-of-from?q=as+of#as-of-from__1
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/noob

Technology: (Extended) Advanced Samsung Galaxy Note II Mess Around

Multi-Window Gone Missing? Don't worry! Here's the solution
Image from Android Soul

Following the request from Ella, I decided to write an extended article on Technology: Advanced Samsung Galaxy Note II Mess Around.

Messing around with a smartphone can be time-consuming, and the most time-consuming part for me is to find trust-worthy resources, otherwise your phone could be "bricked".

In order not to provide the wrong kind of information for my readers, I have to try the methods myself. Here's what I have tried and confirmed working.

Phone and Concert in Singapore
Image from Samsung

What I have realised is that the Samsung Galaxy Note II (GT-N7100) and the LTE version (GT-N7105) are slightly different in the sense that the Multi Windows feature ISN'T YET available on some LTE version. I got mine LTE from One2Free, apparently falls under this category, and since the official update OTA (Over-The-Air) update isn't available yet, I decided to go online and search.


UPGRADE TO MULTI-WINDOW

Android Soul happens to have that answer for me, titled N7105ZHALJ4 — Samsung Galaxy Note 2 LTE Update for Hong Kong brings multi-window feature. You can follow the step by step instructions as written on that page, or you can follow the steps by Zedomax in the video below, except that you should download these files instead,

Download Odin 3:
Filename: Odin3_v3.04.zip

Download Stock Firmware (Hong Kong version):
Filename: N7105ZHALJ4_N7105ZZHALJ4_TGY.zip | Size: 991MB

I know it does say "How to Root Galaxy Note 2" in the video, but you are NOT going to root the phone, so  please don't worry. I use this video because it is basically the same steps, except that after you run Odin 3, under PDA, you choose this N7105ZHALJ4_N7105ZZHALJ4_TGY.zip.

And this is the information after upgrading my Note II LTE,

My NOTE II LTE after upgrade
Image from Locky's English Playground

One benefit for common users is that this will not void your warranty as this is an official Samsung update, and because you have NOT rooted your phone, there is really nothing to worry about. This is also a great practice for those of you who want to either get faster updates or want to learn to root your phones in the future, because the steps are essentially the same.

Image from AndroidPit

ROOTING LTE

If you really wanted to root your Note II LTE, then you just repeat the steps in the video but with this PDA file instead.

GT-N7105 — CF-Auto-Root-t0lte-gtn7105.zip (13.1 MB)

I have already rooted my phone so this method is safe.

There is a Toolkit which combines many different options for advanced users, called Galaxy Note2 TOOLKIT V2.0 GSM, and it will support LTE version as well. I haven't tried this yet, but it does have many supporters.


CUSTOM ROMS

Right now, since N7105 is still very new, there aren't too many custom roms to choose, there is one [ROM][GT-N7105]N7105ZHALJ4 deodexed Rom V1.0 [Rooted], which is essentially the same as the original version but it is deodexed, meaning that it will open up the path to further modification, such as allowing multi-window for ALL apps on your phone!!! ([MOD][10.Nov.'12]MulitWindow with unlimited apps for deodex rom )

It should look something like this,

However, at this moment, I think I will want to wait for the developers to release a perfect "Unlimited App Multi-Window ROM" for the N7105. I will keep an eye on the forums and I will update you when the good news arrives.

If you want to keep up with the most updated news about Galaxy Note II N7100 and N7105, you can bookmark this new XDA Developer page.


GAMES

Finally, if you like PSP games, there is a new PPSSPP: A New Free and Open Source PSP Emulator for Android available to you. It is pretty cool! Give it a go if you are a gamer.

Vocabulary:
brick --  (vb) [T] To make an electronic device nonfunctional and usually beyond repair, essentially making it no more useful than a brick.


Resources:
Technology: Advanced Samsung Galaxy Note II Mess Around @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2012/11/technology-advanced-samsung-galaxy-note.html

N7105ZHALJ4 — Samsung Galaxy Note 2 LTE Update for Hong Kong brings multi-window feature @ The Android Soul
http://www.theandroidsoul.com/n7105zhalj4-samsung-galaxy-note-2-lte-update-for-hong-kong-brings-multi-window-feature/

How to Root Galaxy Note 2! [EASIEST METHOD] @ YouTube
http://youtu.be/NFHZ535L7is

How to root the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 @ Android Authority
http://www.androidauthority.com/galaxy-note-2-n7100-n7105-root-chainfire-128503/

[Galaxy Note2 TOOLKIT V2.0 GSM] Drivers, Backup, Root, CWM, EFS, Flash Stock Image @ XDA-developers
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1923956

Galaxy Note II N7105 Android Development @ XDA-developers
http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1960

[MOD][10.Nov.'12]MulitWindow with unlimited apps for deodex rom @ XDA-developers
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1961314

PPSSPP: A New Free and Open Source PSP Emulator for Android
http://www.xda-developers.com/android/ppsspp-a-new-free-and-open-source-psp-emulator-for-android/

PPSSPP - a fast and portable PSP emulator (early preview) @ YouTube
http://youtu.be/HJJZvTmG5n4

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/brick#Verb

Technology: Advanced Samsung Galaxy Note II Mess Around

Image from Samsung

Hello there, recently I got my hands on a Samsung Galaxy Note II, and of course I couldn't wait to mess around with it. And as a reasonable XDA developer, the first thing I did was to root the phone, to do so, XDA developer senior member Zedomax is the expert.

Rooting a phone has never been faster and easier. After rooting the phone, the best thing to do is to make a backup of the entire phone. Some users like to keep a clean copy of their software but you can also wait till all you favourite apps and email accounts have been added before doing so.

Personally, I renew my backup whenever I find my phone functioning at its best.

After doing all these stuff, it was time to mess with the unique features this phone offers, the best videos tutorial definitely came from Samsung Mobile on YouTube,

The first to learn is of course the features which allow true multitasking for multitaskers like me,

then  move on to all those S Pen functions,

For more videos tutorials, do watch the rest of the videos on Samsung Mobile YouTube, use all these videos as listening materials if you own a Galaxy Note II, and turn yourself into a professional user of the smartphone.

Here's an extra time news, Samsung actually reported a rapid growth in sales of Galaxy SIII after iPhone 5 was launched, leading to the recording-breaking profit in Q3 2012, even Kevin Packingham, chief product officer of Samsung Mobile in the U.S. said:

“I was shocked by the numbers. I thought: ‘What the heck is going on here?’”

Android Authority ascribed the success of the SIII to the unimpressive design of the iPhone 5, driving the disappointed potential smartphone buyers to purchase SIII. Like I said, competition is a great thing to have, don't you agree? I think Samsung does.



Vocabulary:

mess around with sth -- phrasal verb (UK also mess about) informal to spend time doing various things that are not important, without any particular purpose or plan
mess with sth -- phrasal verb mainly US to try to change or repair something, but not carefully and usually without success
multitasker -- (n) [C] people who are capable of multitasking.
heck -- (n) (exclamation) informal an expression of usually slight anger or surprise, or a way of adding force to a statement, question, etc
ascribe sth to sth -- phrasal verb formal to believe or say that something is caused by something else

Resources:

How to Root Galaxy Note 2! [EASIEST METHOD] @ YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFHZ535L7is&feature=g-user-u

How to Backup/Restore ROM on Rooted Galaxy Note 2!  @ YouTube
http://youtu.be/UM4HRq_pqCA

Samsung Mobile @ YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/user/SAMSUNGmobile?feature=watch

[GALAXY Note II] Expression Tools (1) - Official Hands-on @ YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoRkMi9s2Pg&feature=g-user-u

Galaxy S3 had four of its five best-selling weeks in the U.S. after the iPhone 5 was unveiled @ Android Authority
http://www.androidauthority.com/galaxy-s3-best-selling-weeks-after-iphone-5-unveiled-126525/

Smartphone sales responsible for two thirds of Samsung’s record breaking profits in Q3 2012 @ Android Authority
http://www.androidauthority.com/samsung-profits-q3-2012-120124/

Technology & Opinions: My Views on Android VS iOS @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2012/10/technology-opinions-my-views-on-android.html

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/mess-around_1?q=mess+around#mess-around_1__2
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/mess-with-sth?q=mess+with#mess-with-sth__2
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/heck?q=heck
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/ascribe-sth-to-sth?q=ascribed+#ascribe-sth-to-sth__2