Living & Photography: China-made Cheap But Not Tacky ND Filters From Taobao

Image from Locky's English Playground

Sometimes, it take quite a bit of courage to buy something from Taobao, mainly due to the not-so-cheap postage. This is particularly true if you are trying to buy a number of different products from different suppliers, which is why I will try to buy all I need from just one. It is easier said than done of course, since I can't buy photography gear and a glass tea set from the same supplier, so usually, I will just choose the most essential product to buy from a list of many, and then tell myself to forget about the rest. Often, this strategy helps me save lots of money.

This time round because I broke my 77mm UV lens filter in a lens drop incident at waist height, I need to buy a replacement. Since that broken UV filter cost over $100 and it is of little photographic use other than protection, it would be silly to buy the same one again. If I have to buy, I thought to myself, I will buy an ND filter.

Background photo taken using welding glass
Image from Locky's English Playground & Locky's E.P. @ Digitalrev

ND filters are great tools for photography as I have mentioned several times before (see Photography: Welding Glass Photography (WGP) Result 2012 and Photography: ND Filters & Photography for details), but they can do quite a bit of damage to your wallet, thus Taobao came to my mind once more.

Image from Taobao

Just typed "ND" in the search bar and I easily got hundreds of shops offering ND filters. My budget helped me narrow the search down to about 5 and after comparing the price-cum-postage I decided to buy from this shop.

Image from Locky's English Playground

From the shop, I picked 77mm ND2, 77mm ND4 and 77mm Variable ND2-400. The earlier two costs RMB 24 and the last one costs RMB 105. Why did I buy three filters? Simply because it costs the same postage of RMB 30 for one item or ten, so I might as well buy more. Then why didn't I buy more? I tried to ask my friends if they wanted to give the ND filters a go but they were worried about the quality of the filters so they told me to be the guinea pig first. I guess those RMB 24 is probably too much for them to lose.

Anyway, I must say I am very pleased with the fact that these filters are glass, not plastic, it has a bit of weight which I like, and the build quality is pretty sturdy good.

Image from Learning DSLR Video

As for the quality, well, hard to say from my limited knowledge, so I try to read up on it. I find this website pretty informative.

I must say, I have no plan to do all the tests, but I did try out the sharpness as well as the Big X test. It happens that on the 22nd this month (Wednesday), there was a black rainstorm signal and so I earned an afternoon off. I was woken up by the thunder and lightning at 4:30am and immediately I took out my 7D and  went to the living room to try to take photos of the lightning. What was sad was the only hit I got of an actual lightning bolt was taken at the moment before I remembered to set the lens to infinity.

A lightning bolt, that only a good-eyesight person can see
Image from Locky's English Playground

So, for the next 3 hours, I was basically sitting there taking hundreds of 30 seconds long exposure photos using my ND filters.

Taken with ND 4 filter for 30 seconds at 5:33am
Image from Locky's English Playground

Basically, non-variable ND Filters do no produce that big X, and the photos captured were quite nice.

However, when sun began to rise, I had to put my ND 2, ND4 and my ND 2-400 all together to get the sky dark enough, and that's when the big X appeared.

Taken with ND2, 4 and 2-400 filters for 30 seconds at 6:32am
Image from Locky's English Playground

Taken with ND2, 4 and 2-400 filters for 30 seconds at 6:33am
Image from Locky's English Playground

Taken with ND2, 4 and 2-400 filters for 30 seconds at 6:36am
Image from Locky's English Playground

Of course, you are not advised to combine your ND filters like I do, cos even if you can get your shots, they will be either very noisy or very blur. What I did was because I had no choice and I was so desperately trying to get at least one shot of the lightning, so...

Overall, if you are not in need of a super dark ND filter, these cheap ND filters from Taobao are great at their prices. The build quality is not bad and they do their job alright. If you are super tight on your budget and you are adventurous enough to try out new things, do see the links below if you are interested.

Welding Glass installed on the mask
Image from Wikipedia

But of course, if you wanna take long exposure photos in bright daylight for more than 30 seconds, remember that welding glass is still your best friend.

For more references, do visit the links down below.


Vocabulary:
postage -- (n) [U] the money that you pay for sending letters and parcels through the post:
easier said than done -- informal said when something seems like a good idea but it would be difficult to do:
guinea pig -- (n)[C] a person used in a scientific test, usually to discover the effect of a drug on humans:
sturdy -- (adj) physically strong and solid or thick, and therefore unlikely to break or be hurt:


Resources:
Travelling & Living: Patong Beach VS Kamala Beach (Why Patong Beach Is Overrated) @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/03/travelling-living-patong-beach-vs.html

Technology: My First Galaxy S2 Surgery -- Sea Water Damage S2 Fixed!! @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/02/technology-my-first-galaxy-s2-surgery.html

Photography: Welding Glass Photography (WGP) Result 2012
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2012/05/photography-welding-glass-photography.html

Photography: ND Filters & Photography
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2012/02/photography-nd-filters-photography.html

首頁-格林爾數碼器材專營店-- 淘寶網
http://shop72988993.taobao.com/shop/view_shop.htm?spm=a1z09.2.9.5.iqsHfG&user_number_id=930897275

Variable ND Filter Shootout @ Learning DSLR Video
http://www.learningdslrvideo.com/variable-nd-filter-shootout/

Variable ND Filter Shootout - Polariod Genus Lightcraft Tiffen Singh-Ray Heliopan @ YouTube
http://youtu.be/nECdBiu5Rrw

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/postage?q=postage
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/easier-said-than-done?q=easier+said+than+done+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/guinea-pig_2
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/sturdy?q=sturdy

Drink, Health & Fitness: Caffeine -- How Much Is Too Much?

Who know what this is?
Image from Wikipedia

I admit, I'm addicted to DNews, if I don't watch it for a day, I'm lost, I can't concentrate. Does that make DNews a drug?

Well, of course not. I'm just addicted to the knowledge, but hey, there is something maybe both you and me are kind of addicted to already, and that thing is in tea, coffee, soft drinks, energy drinks and even chewing gums!

It's CAFFEINE!

Drinking coffee while writing this post
Image from Locky's English Playground

What? Caffeine is a drug? If it is, why are they so common? If it is, Starbucks is practically a pharmacy!

Well, denial is the longest river in the world. (The Nile ~ Denial? The Nile ~ Denial? The Nile ~ Denial?) Why don't you watch the following video first?

Here's a summary, caffeine can cause caffeine intoxication which can cause restlessness, nervousness, excitement, red faces,  gastrointestinal distress, muscle twitching, rambling speech, sleeplessness, rapid and irregular heartbeat.

After the caffeine wears off, caffeine withdrawal kicks in which can cause headaches, fatigue, difficulties concentrating and a depressed mood. Doctors say 500-600mg of caffeine can cause serious side effects.

Here's a list of common caffeine sources sorted in ascending amount of caffeine,

•   35mg of caffeine = a can of coke
•   75mg of caffeine = a shot of espresso
•   80mg of caffeine = a Red Bull
• 250mg of caffeine = a 12oz tall Starbucks coffee

Yeah, and I heard people say that after drinking Red Bull, they get that serious "Red Bull hangover", seems like Starbucks coffee is 3 times worse!!! (But how come I don't get these hangovers often?)

Caffeine is not all that bad considering it might lower the risk of prostate cancer, diabetes, liver diseases, Alzheimer's, stroke and Parkinson's disease. But, all these, might need further research to confirm. Should you not want to take any risk of being affected by the caffeine, yet still want to enjoy the taste and aroma of coffee, why not try decaf coffee?

So how is caffeine removed from from decaf coffee?

In short, there are the methylene chloride, ethyl acetate, carbon dioxide and water processing methods. None of these methods completely removes caffeine from the material but a decaf coffee in the United States should have less than 2.5% of the original caffeine content. Other places, no idea.

Whatever your choice is, take my advice, don't overdo anything, and you'll be okay.


Vocabulary:
caffeine intoxication -- (n)[U] A syndrome typically occurs only after ingestion of large amounts of caffeine, well over the amounts found in typical caffeinated beverages and caffeine tablets (e.g. more than 400–500 mg per at a time)
gastrointestinal distress -- (n)[U] including diarrhea, dyspepsia, and/or gastroenteritis
twitching -- (n)[U] a sudden small movement with a part of the body, usually without intending to:
rambling -- (adj) too long and confused:
wear off -- (phrasal vb) If a feeling or the effect of something wears off, it gradually disappears:
kick in -- informal  (phrasal vb) to start to have an effect or to happen:
fatigue -- (n)[U] formal extreme tiredness:
Red Bull hangover -- (n)[U] When you wake up really early the next morning and your heart is pounding because you drank so much Red Bull the night before.


Resources:
Caffeine @ Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine

EDITORIAL: Now, a war on caffeine @ The Washington Times
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/may/8/now-a-war-on-caffeine/

DR. BETSY: How much caffeine is too much? @ Evansville Courier & Press
http://www.courierpress.com/news/2013/may/09/dr-betsy-how-much-caffeine-is-too-much/

Is Caffeine Making Us Crazy? @ YouTube
http://youtu.be/xngUYiht-hE

Medical & Drinks: Coffee seems to lower the risk of lethal prostate cancer @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2011/05/medical-drinks-coffee-seems-to-lower.html

Health and Fitness: Healthy Coffee?? @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2010/01/health-and-fitness-healthy-coffee.html

How Do You Decaffeinate Coffee and Tea? @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhAJ-zL5-QU&feature=share&list=UUiefLm_nIz_gOH7XHbgpdCQ

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine_intoxication#Caffeine_toxicity
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BRAT_diet
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/twitch_1?q=twitching+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/rambling_1?q=rambling+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/wear-off?q=wear+off+-
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/kick-in?q=kick+in
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Red%20Bull%20hangover

News & People: Angelina Jolie's First Public Post-Double Mastectomy Appearance

It is indeed a very very brave act for Angelina Jolie to share her very private decision of  undergoing a double mastectomy in order to lower her chances of breast cancer after discovering she had inherited a risky cancer gene from her mum, who also suffered from breast cancer.

Overnight, the world has been awaken and awareness of genetic testing has gone sky-high. I dare say everyone around the world is more worried about Jolie than being nosey or fault-finding, which usually is. Today, she came out to meet the world for the first time after her surgery, and this is what she said,

What Jolie has done might have just saved thousands of women from death! She deserves our salute!

One thing's for sure, everyone now wishes Jolie great health and be able to grow old with her lovely family.

Vocabulary:

double mastectomy -- (n)[U] the medical term for the surgical removal of both breasts, partially or completely. 

sky-high -- (adv) To a very high level

nosey -- (adj) too interested in what other people are doing and wanting to discover too much about them:

salute -- (n)[C] a sign of respect made to someone by raising the right hand to the side of the head:

Resources:

Mastectomy @ Wikipedia 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastectomy

In Her Own Words: Angelina Jolie on Recent Life-Saving Decision @ YouTube

http://youtu.be/jAlLYFtQBds

Can a Double Mastectomy Really Prevent Cancer? @ YouTube

http://youtu.be/A0douHcJA08

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sky-high

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/nosey

Food & Dining: BurgeRoom

Image from Locky's English Playground

McDonald's is cheap and convenient, but it will never be tied with the words "quality" or "taste". Unlike other countries, it is not easy to find a place with good burgers in Hong Kong. Luckily, fans of burgers now have a decent eatery to satisfy their taste buds, and that place is called BurgeRoom.

View Larger Map

I have already been here 3 to 4 times and every time I return home with a happy smile and a happy stomach.

The eatery is not too big, can only fit about 20 people in it at the same time, which is why there is always a queue outside. The normal waiting time for a seat is 20 minutes, and then another 15 minutes for the food to arrive after you order, so yes, the logistics are exactly top-notch, but if you are not in a hurry, it is not a big problem.

Posters outside the windows
Image from Locky's English Playground

While you are waiting outside, you are advised to pick the food you want such that you can place your order once you are lead to your table. Prices start from $80 and goes all the way up to $140 depending on how big your burger is and how expensive the ingredients are.

Menu
Image from Locky's English Playground

 If you managed to place your order before 2:30pm, you can order set lunches with fries and drinks.

Bottled drinks included in the lunch set
Image from Locky's English Playground

 My favourite so far is this portabello cheese burger, so huge, so 'fungally' juicy!

Potato rings with chedder cheese and portabello cheese burger
Image from Locky's English Playground

 It just looks too amazing not to take a view more photos from various angles.

Portabello cheese burger with ginger beer
Image from Locky's English Playground

 There is a kind of charm about the burgers that I still cannot describe fully, but I think, maybe,

Portabello cheese burger close up
Image from Locky's English Playground

 that this appearance of a burger was just too good to be true after years after years of mental bullying by the delicious-looking McDonald's burger posters and the cruel 'McReality'.

Sole finger burger with fries
Image from Locky's English Playground

As a child, I was taught by the McPhilosophy that "what you see is not what you get", or even, "what you see is barely 10% of what you get". But this burger from BurgeRoom, suddenly broke this "law of nature"!

A dissection of the sole finger burger with fries
Image from Locky's English Playground

Their à la carte burgers are massive in size but they are absolute beauties!

Foie Gras Beef Burger with Fried Egg
Image from BurgeRoom

The last time I went with my wife we managed to try out the tea time set which begins serving at 2:30pm. We added $10 extra for the bottled drinks.

Image from Locky's English Playground

the burgers are about 50% of the original, but the price too is halved. Quality-wise, the burgers are just as fresh, beefy and juicy.

Mini class burger with potato wedges
Image from Locky's English Playground

It was BurgeRoom that first gave me the experience of having the juice of beef in the mouth with every bite, a feeling that I can never enjoy from eating any burgers from any fast food chains in Hong Kong. It's just not possible! But here in BurgeRoom, it's real!

Mini class burger
Image from Locky's English Playground

The look of the burgers is a joy to behold, simply because what you see from the posters is what you get. There is no cheating, no faking, no lies, just the simple truth. You might get something that is not shown on the posters too, that is the heat and smoke coming out from the freshly fried burger meat!

Mini sole fish burger (left) and mini clasic burger (right)
Image from Locky's English Playground

At $45 each, you get a set that is big enough for a lunch for an average lady in Hong Kong. For an average man, a tea set is a tea set, but the lunch set is surely enough to fully fill your stomach.

Image from Locky's English Playground

After trying the burgers at BurgeRoom, I have fell in love with that rich taste of beef patty, so I went to AEON supermarket, previously known as JUSCO, to buy some Japanese Wagyu patties and make my own burgers. At $80 for 3, the Wagyu patties beat BurgeRoom's patties quite a bit in taste! Since my standard has gone up, I cannot give BurgeRoom the full mark for taste, but it's not far from it.

Wagyu patties from AEON
Image from Locky's English Playground

Definitely give it a go if you have time, I mean, lots of waiting time!


Scores:

Look:            ★★★★★ 5/5

Taste:            ★★★★☆ 4/5

Smell:            ★★★★☆ 4/5

Textures:       ★★★★★ 5/5

Temperature: ★★★★★ 5/5

Overall:         ★★★★★ 23/25

Vocabulary:
eatery -- (n)[C] informal a restaurant:
logistics -- (n)[plural] the careful organization of a complicated activity so that it happens in a successful and effective way:
top-notch -- (adj) informal excellent:
'fungally' -- (adv) a word created by Locky, from the adjective 'fungal', related to fungus.
'McReality' -- (n)[U] a word created by Locky, the disappointing reality presented by the McBurgers after looking at the posters and at the actual burgers.
à la carte -- (adj) [before noun] If you eat à la carte, you choose each dish from a separate list instead of eating a fixed combination of dishes at a fixed price:
behold -- (vb) [T]  old use or literary to see or look at someone or something:
patty -- (n)[C] a piece of food made into a disc shape that is then cooked:
Wagyu -- (n) refers to several breeds of cattle, the most famous of which is genetically predisposed to intense marbling and to producing a high percentage of oleaginous unsaturated fat.


Resources:

BurgeRoom @ Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/pages/BurgeRoom/29807994937?fref=ts

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/eatery?q=eatery
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/logistics?q=logistic
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/top-notch?q=top-notch
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/a-la-carte?q=%C3%A0+la+carte
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/behold?q=behold
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/patty?q=patty
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wagyu

Food & Dining: Lan Fong Yuen

Image from allabouthongkong

The lengthy queue outside Lan Fong Yuen is one thing, the taste of the food is another thing. Some say that if a restaurant is popular enough, there is surely something great about it. As for this Lan Fong Yuen, I don't see how this statement makes any sense.

Packed with people
Image from Locky's English Playground

Maybe that rule only applies to restaurants and not Bing Sutt, or maybe it is just the price that attracts people, for less than $50, you can have a meal that is enough for an average office lady, but other than that, I really cannot find another explanation why there are so many people in this place.

Owner is an Alan Tam die-hard fan
Image from Locky's English Playground

Are they all serious fans of Alan Tam? Well, I'm not for sure.

Iced milk tea
Image from Locky's English Playground

For about $50 dollars, you can order a lunch set with iced milk tea, which is literally ice + milk + tea. How was the taste? I can't even remember it, this is how good it tasted. I have seen the milk-tea-ice cube that is provided at the branch in Tsim Sha Tsui when I tasted their Kaya Hong Kong-style French toast, but that didn't show up in my cup.

Spicy pork cubes (from can food), 3 chicken wings, a fried egg and noodles
Image from Locky's English Playground

I ordered spicy pork cubes (from can food), 3 chicken wings, a fried egg with noodles while my wife ordered chicken chop with noodles.

Image from Locky's English Playground

The look, looks like a world of mismatch has fallen upon the plates, it doesn't take a genius to see that they don't go well with each other. The taste, plain as water. The texture, well, I do know I was eating meat, so that's not bad, the spicy pork cubes freshly out from the can earned back a star, but the rest are mediocre.

So really, unless you want to experience the unexperienced, or you are a person who prefer retro style and have the ability to ignore food quality, then Lan Fong Yuen will be fine for you.

Will I ever return? I guess not. I've already given it two chances, and I have earned nothing but disappointments and some photos of Alan Tam album covers.

PS: the price of the food has gone up by 3 to 4-folds, as indicated by the old magazines stuck on the wall.


Scores:

Look:            ★★☆☆☆ 2/5

Taste:            ★★☆☆☆ 2/5

Smell:            ☆☆☆☆☆ 0/5

Textures:       ★★★☆☆ 3/5

Temperature: ★★★☆☆ 3/5

Overall:         ★★☆☆☆ 10/25

Vocabulary:
Bing Sutt -- (n)[U] provides a lighter and more limited selection of food than cha chaan teng
mismatch -- (n)[C] an occasion when people or things are put together that are not suitable for each other:
mediocre -- (adj) disapproving not very good
retro -- (adj) imilar to styles, fashions, etc. from the past:
four-folds -- (n) 4 times

Resources:
Hong Kong's best bing sutt: Guide to old-school diners @ CNN
http://travel.cnn.com/hong-kong/none/bing-sutt-588428

Lan Fong Yuen @ Openrice
http://www.openrice.com/english/restaurant/sr2.htm?shopid=1814&tc=bc

Food: The Search For Great Hong Kong-style French Toast -- Part 2 @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/01/food-search-for-great-hong-kong-style.html

Bing Sutt @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bing_Sutt#Variations

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/mismatch_2
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/mediocre?q=mediocre
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/retro_1?q=retro

Technology: Samsung Galaxy S4 VS HTC One

HTC One (left) & Samsung Galaxy S4 (right)
Image from Android Central

You know this is coming, and I know this battle will eventually arrive, the Samsung Galaxy S4 VS the HTC One.

Let's not talk about which is more popular and which is doing better in the market just yet. Let's make this a fair fight and borrow some 3rd party opinions before I tell you what I think.

After watching the two videos by Erica, who happens to be the most observant tech girl I know, you can tell that both S4 and HTC One have their strength. Max, in the 3rd video, supports all Android phones.

In summary, combining the two of them, I compile a table of their preferences as such:

Model	Samsung Galaxy S4	HTC One
Screen "Niceness"	The best Super AMOLED display on any Super AMOLED phone (441 ppi pixel density), higher saturation, possible blue pixel burning over time, black-clipping by default (can be resolved by installing the  latest firmware update)	Winner! Super LCD3 (469 ppi pixel density), sharper images, more natural colours, less black-clipping
Build Quality	Winner! Excellent quality control, does not look cheap, manufactured to precision	Poor plastic cutting, sharp edges, white plastic might turn yellow
Scratch Resistance	Winner! Stronger Gorillas Glass 3	Gorillas Glass 2
Charger & Speed of Charing	Winner! 2.0A. Twice as fast as HTC One	1.0A. Very slow charging, same speed as Galaxy S2
Battery	Winner! 2600 mAh removable	2300 mAh non-removable
Grip for small-hand users	Winner! No sharp edges, according to Max's 5-year-old daughter	Winner! But with sharp edges, according to Erica
Cameras	Winner! 13Mp sensor, captures a lot more details	4 Mp sensor, loses lots of details. Wider lens
Gaming / Graphics- Intensive Performance	Winner! No jitters, no lags, buttery smooth	Some jitters and lags.
Glove Sensitivity	Winner! Can use phone with gloves on	Can't use phone with gloves on
Speaker	less loud, back facing	Winner! Front facing, stereo
Body	Winner! Flat grip, stable on flat surface, eg. table	Curved back, unstable on flat surface, eg. table
Screen Utilization	Winner! Screen is fully utilized	Presence of menu bar shrinks the actual screen size
Extra Software Package	Winner! Galaxy S4 has tonnes of both useful and gimmicky software, which does not slow down the phone	BlinkFeed cannot be removed, uses data and heats up the phone with Facebook sync
User Interface	Winner! TouchWiz UI is polished, user- friendly, caring and customizable	HTC Sense UI v5, not efficient for real-life usage. Nova Launcher is recommended instead.
Software Update Frequency	Winner! High, updates are rolled out frequently to address to issues	Much lower, updates are rolled out less frequently to address to issues
SD Card Slot	Winner! Support 64Gb microSD card	No SD card slot

Erica complains that 4.7 inch screen on the HTC isn't 4.7 inch when using it
Image from TheAngelofmusic1989

Although Erica still chose the HTC One for its front-facing speakers and the clarity of the screen, it seems like in fact, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is in fact much better than the HTC One is many ways. Such view is also agreed by the CTIA's 2013 E-Tech Awards as Samsung wins big with HTC One coming in second place .

Still camera comparison
Image from GSMArena

GSMArena has also voted Samsung Galaxy S4 as the winner in terms of talk time, battery life,  user interface, synthetic benchmarks, still camera and low-light camera performance.

In terms of popularity, the Samsung Galaxy S4 has already sold more than 10 million phones in less than a month while the S3 took 50 days to hit that mark, and as usual, the only way for Apple to attempt to stop Samsung is to file another case of patent infringement.

Samsung Galaxy S4 announcement in New York City
Image from phandroid

In terms of marketing strategy, the HTC One was initially announced on February 19, 2013, earlier than the S4's announcement on March 14, 2013. But HTC's supply failed to produce enough phones and thus failed to provide a definite date for its launch, causing a lot of frustrations among the anticipating buyers. Samsung took advantage of this HTC chaos and began selling the S4 on April 24, 2013 on 327 networks worldwide and in 155 countries. This has definitely taken a big bite out of the pool of prospective buyers who were initially considering the HTC One.

I got the S4 from One2Free Hong Kong about a week before I got the HTC One for my friend on the 4th May. The seller, who also happens to be my friend, reported the massive frustration he received from the HTC fans. He didn't sell any HTC phones before as HTC used to make very poor phones. Adding the delay of shipment, this is definitely not looking good with the reputation and sales.

Dark and rainy days at the HTC
Image from HTC

Despite other reviews claiming that the HTC One is in fact better than the S4, it looks like the HTC One isn't selling fast enough to save the company itself. After both the HTC's chief product officer, Kouji Kodera and the HTC Asia CEO Lennard Hoornik left the company last week, the HTC CEO Peter Chou also told other senior executives he would step down if the HTC One failed. If all the big cheeses are leaving the company, who is going to trust its products any more?

Quoting from a Digital Trend article,

"It’s impossible for difficult times like this not to affect staff morale, as evidenced by a tweet from HTC’s former manager of product strategy, whose words give us a clue to the negative atmosphere inside the company.

“To all my friends still at HTC – just quit,” Eric Lin wrote, “Leave now, it’s tough to do, but you’ll be so much happier, I swear."

So which phone will I choose? Needless to say, am I right?

For more video reviews, do check out the YouTube links down the Resources section below.

What do you think? Which one will you choose? Leave a message or a comment below!


Vocabulary:
jitter -- (n) the undesired deviation from true periodicity of an assumed periodic signal in electronics and telecommunications, often in relation to a reference clock source.
gimmicky -- (adj) mainly disapproving not serious or of real value that is used to attract people's attention or interest temporarily, especially to make them buy something:
patent -- (n)[C] a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time, in exchange for the public disclosure of the invention.
infringement -- (n) [C] an action that breaks a rule, law, etc.:
prospective (buyers) --(adj) people who are expected to buy something, employ someone, become a parent, etc.:
big cheese -- (n) [C] informal an important person in a company or an organization with a lot of influence:


Resources:
Galaxy S4 vs HTC One: Which One? In-Depth Comparison @ YouTube
http://youtu.be/QATGs4kzfl4

Galaxy S4: Unboxing, HTC One Comparison, Screen Quality @ YouTube
http://youtu.be/5G0twIfbwHU

HTC ONE Build Quality Issues *You having any???* @ YouTube
http://youtu.be/NwOu5oXpjVQ

Galaxy S4 vs. HTC One BLINDFOLD FEEL TEST! @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDX1eKwgH-s

Samsung I9500 Galaxy S4 vs. HTC One @ GSMArena.com
http://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone2=5313

Galaxy S4 vs HTC One: Outdoor Camera Test @ YouTube
http://youtu.be/5dQUaqtrC8M

HTC One Unboxing! @ HighOnAndroid.com
http://highonandroid.com/android-smartphones/htc-one-unboxing/

[SOLVED]Black Clipping/ Black Crush issue on Galaxy S 4 (GT I9500) ! :( @ Daily Mobile Forum
http://forum.dailymobile.net/index.php?topic=93375.0

Samsung Wins Big at CTIA's 2013 E-Tech Awards | News & Opinion @ PCMag.com
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2419379,00.asp

The Samsung Galaxy S IV Reviews Are Great for the HTC One - Rebecca Greenfield @ The Atlantic Wire
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/technology/2013/04/samsung-galaxy-s-iv-reviews-are-great-htc-one/64523/

The HTC One Isn't Saving HTC from the Facebook Phone - Rebecca Greenfield @ The Atlantic Wire
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/technology/2013/05/htc-one-isnt-saving-htc-facebook-phone/65486/

Samsung Galaxy S4 vs. HTC One: Army of two @ GSMArena
http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s4_vs_htc_one-review-913.php

HTC One @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTC_One

Samsung Galaxy S4 @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_Galaxy_S4

Technology: Welcome! Samsung Galaxy S4!! @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/03/technology-welcome-samsung-galaxy-s4.html

HTC employees told to "just quit" by former manager @ Digital Trends
http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/htc-employees-told-to-just-quit-by-former-manager/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jitter
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patent
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/infringement?q=infringement
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/prospective?q=prospective+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/business-english/big-cheese?q=big+cheese