Spinach Chaat @ThavaIndian Restaurant @MontecasinoZA #Jozi #SA

Hi Friends, 

Spinach Chaat is one of the snacks which is only introduced in the menu at Thava Restaurant at Montecasino, Johannesburg, South Africa. The first time I saw the same on the menu, I ordered it immediately and now whenever I go to the restaurant I generally order 2 plates for the family. 

Spinach Chaat at Thava Restaurant, Montecasino, Johannesburg, South Africa

Chaat in general terms is made by the Chutneys - be it mint or tamarind to add to the flavor and the sensation on the tongue. If their chutneys are not great, chaat won't be worthy of any mention wheresoever. Not only this chaat is healthy but yummy too. I am sure you won't stop at one plate ever. 

Spinach or Paalak Chaat - Homemade

My family during lockdown tried to create the Spinach or Paalak Chaat at home and this is the version we could come up with. It was tasty but I didn't eat as much I could eat at the restaurant. It's all about the chutneys and the masala they add at the restaurant. If the same is not perfect, you don't want to spend your money on at the restaurant. 

What is your favorite amongst the two? The first photo is taken using Fujifilm X-T100 mirrorless camera and the second one at home using Samsung Note 8 mobile camera by Aashish Rai

Namaste!!!

Contact Aashish Rai Jain at thelifesway@gmail.com or editor@thelifesway.com to send your products, launch event invites, and services to be consumed. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra #7YearsofTheLifesWay. Follow me on www.instagram.com/thelifesway for all travel-related photo posts. Namaste!

A Memoir - This Month Last Year - May 2019 www.thelifesway.com #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra

Hi Friends, 

May is one of the months where the blog business picks us really fast as you get to review a lot of products and you try to match the fast pace of new product launches. Also, with me I take a lot of time thinking about the product rather than putting it into words and my focus levels was not sharp too in that month in 2019 but then also because of sheer determination, I could achieve a lot of self-written posts on my blog. 

1. #TheLifesWayReviews @SamsungMobileSA #GalaxyNote8 Phablet #Smartphone #DoBiggerThings #WithGalaxy - https://www.thelifesway.com/2019/05/thelifeswayreviews-samsungmobilesa.html - I bought this smartphone when I completed 10 years in my company and at the birth of my son in 2018 and I am still using this as my main device. Now in May 2020, the Samsung Note 8 smartphone gets switched off at battery capacity of 30% meaning it only works from 100% to 31% battery levels. Let's see how much longer I can hold on to the same. 

2. #TheLifesWayReviews @SonyElectronics SRS-XB31 #Bluetooth #Speakers #HelloSonyZA #srsXB31 - https://www.thelifesway.com/2019/05/thelifeswayreviews-sonyelectronics-srs.html - Sony Electronics sent me this speaker to review and I totally fell in love with the flash lightings on the entire body of the speakers. Sony audio needs no introduction at all. 

3. #TheLifesWayReviews @BodyGlove Airstream #Bluetooth Earphones @Gammatek #bodyglove #GammaTek - https://www.thelifesway.com/2019/05/thelifeswayreviews-bodyglove-airstream.html - I received these Bluetooth earphones to use and review but sooner than later these were not working at all and got a second piece and that too broke in no time so that was the end of this model for me. 

4. Planning Our #RoadTrip to the #GardenRoute With Parents @Travelstart #PE #CapeTown #Johannesburg - https://www.thelifesway.com/2019/05/planning-our-roadtrip-to-gardenroute.html - We also took a trip to Garden Route in 2019 and here is a brief blog post about the planning stage of the trip and the path we took in the best 9 days of my life. 

5. A Memoir - This Month Last Year - Apr 2018 www.thelifesway.com #TheLifesWay

A Memoir - This Month Last Year - May 2018 www.thelifesway.com #TheLifesWay - My posts really provide me with a kind of annual mapping of what to do and what not to do when I see them after a span of one year. From this year my focus is going to be posting more of self-written content rather than press releases. 

6. #TheLifesWayGoals - @Walkthetalk_ #MTN702WALK 25Kms on 28th July 2019 - Planning #HuaweiHealth

#TheLifesWayGoals @Walkthetalk_ #MTN702WALK #Target25km 28Jul19 - Week 1 #HuaweiHealthSA

#TheLifesWayGoals @Walkthetalk_ #MTN702WALK #Target25km 28Jul19 - Week 2 #HuaweiHealthSA

#TheLifesWayGoals @HuaweiZA #MTN702WALK #Target25km 28Jul19 - Week 3 #HuaweiWatchGT - The biggest project undertook last year was preparing myself for the 25km walk on my birthday with the help of Huawei Watch GT and Sony Headphones which was with me for a month or so, I wrote several posts from the planning stage to the final achieving of the goal. Thanks to Huawei for sponsoring the Watch GT which is still on my hands and clocked 180kms walk in April 2020 but the loops broke that month and I am on a jugaad to put a rubber band to hold the watch. 

I will do a lot of review posts in May 2020 too and let's finish all the pending ones asap and clear my mind of all the clutter it is causing because of not able to finish these posts.

Sawubona!

Contact Aashish Rai Jain at thelifesway@gmail.com or editor@thelifesway.com to send your products, launch event invites, and services to be consumed. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra #7YearsofTheLifesWay. Follow me on www.instagram.com/thelifesway for all travel-related photo posts. Namaste!

A Memoir - This Month Last Year - Aug 2018 www.thelifesway.com #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra

Hi Friends,

August is one of the best months of my life as my younger brother's birthday falls in this special month and I totally adored that all my life. I am very happy that he got what he worked for so long in his life till date and finally his company Dgraph is getting the respect and investment it deserved. Do check out the same and if you ready to work for the same, expect a 2-hour live interview with the coding on your screen with him. 

1. A Memoir - This Month Last Year - Aug 2017 www.thelifesway.com #TheLifesWay - https://www.thelifesway.com/2018/08/a-memoir-this-month-last-year-aug-2017.html - The Life's Way is really something that has given me a perspective towards a great life. I have not been able to keep up to all the promises that remain unfulfilled till date but I intend to correct the same this year before 2020. That's the top agenda in my life at this point of time and with one post at a time, I will close all the loops. 

There were some 3 more posts for Huawei in Aug 2019 and here are the links to the same - 

@HuaweiZA Announces AI Cube with Alexa Built-In #ExperienceSmarter #HuaweiIFA2018 #IFABerlin #IFA18 - https://www.thelifesway.com/2018/08/huaweiza-announces-ai-cube-with-alexa.html

@HuaweiZA Launches Kirin 980, the World’s First Commercial 7nm SoC #ExperienceSmarter #HuaweiIFA2018 #IFABerlin #IFA18 - https://www.thelifesway.com/2018/08/huaweiza-launches-kirin-980-worlds.html

The @HuaweiZA P20 Now Available in Twilight #SeeMooore #HuaweiP20 - https://www.thelifesway.com/2018/08/the-huaweiza-p20-now-available-in.html

I am using the Huawei P20 Pro and I totally love this phone but this is my last month with the same as my wife wants to use the same. I am still tagging them in all my social media posts and soon I intend to tag all the DSLR camera makers in my photographs. 

My second smartphone is Samsung Note 8 which I will continue to use as my primary phone from now onwards. I have been using the same since Jan 2018 and bought it from Amazon.in in India. 

I also plan to read Raavan book by Amish Tripathi this month of August 2019 by buying the same from Kindle store of Amazon India. 

Life goes on so fast that already 7 months have passed in 2019 and soon we will be looking at 2020. I don't want to go in 2020 with any pending tasks and unfulfilled promises. I will try to complete everything that was assigned to me, everything that I wanted to do and everything I love doing. Blogs, Youtube videos, and Instagram posts are going to see the surge now onwards till the end of the year and let's see where it takes me!

Cheers!!!
Contact me at thelifesway@gmail.com or editor@thelifesway.com to collaborate on your products, events, and services. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra!

#TheLifesWayReviews @SamsungMobileSA #GalaxyNote8 Phablet #Smartphone #DoBiggerThings #WithGalaxy

Hi Friends, 

Samsung Note 8 is a Dream Come True for me as I bought the same after I was left with my ages old HTC M8 and it was too slow for my liking and usage. I ordered the smartphone from Amazon.in in India and soon got the same delivered from them. I received Rs 8k Amazon vouchers back and I used Rs 6k GV I received from my employer for completing 10 years in their organization. In India, you need to operate the phone for around 15-30 min on local Indian network providers before you can use it with any SIM card internationally. I asked my mom to be the first user and she totally loved the smartphone as she kept her SIM in Note 8 till she reached Johannesburg, South Africa.

Spen was what I thought I would use the most along with the best camera smartphone in 2017-2018 and I immediately fell in love with both of them. After using the smartphone for more than a year, I have observed several changes in the smartphone which I am going to list here in this blog post -

1. Con - Spen is not writing where it has to on the screen, there is always a gap between the actual and on-screen representation with time. I am not sure of why this happened but my overall consumption of Spen has been less than 24 hours since Jan 2018. This is a feel-good feature which you think you will use it more and more but sometimes you forget about it completely.

2. Con - The zoom camera lens doesn't focus and gives some kind of audio like that comes in DSLR camera when it tries to auto-focus leading the pictures to come out blurred or not at all. This is one of my biggest problems which has started recently last 5-6 months.

3. Con - The software upgrades that we receive after the launch of a new smartphone in the series degrades the quality of your device in terms of photographs etc. I am not sure if that's done with intention or old hardware is not able to take the upgrade but I have seen this will all brands in all smartphones. I sincerely believe that you shall not upgrade to the new software every month or whenever it is launched and shall keep the phone on the original software. It's a win-lose situation, you are missing on certain things and gaining some things.

4. Pros - The new Android Pie made several good changes in the smartphone with interface looking more feature rich and certain features which were in S10 coming to Note 8 too. AR emoji is now on my smartphone too and Photo Ratio 3:4/9:16/1:1/Full are now available on Note 8 camera.

5. Pros - The speed of multitasking and touchscreen response is still great in Note 8 but I have not played super games on the same and also I have kept it light since I received the same.

6. Pros - The battery life is still great and lasts me more than a day on a single charge. If I am using social media and playing video's then it will last me working hours for a single day.

7. Pros - Low light camera performance is too good in Note 8 in auto mode too. I have used several other smartphones but this one takes awesome videos in low light conditions. Check out the Cape Town Sunset video from Signal Hill on my Youtube channel has taken with Samsung Note 8.

8. Pros - The wireless charging is easy to use but the speed of charging is slow as compared to charging with wired wall supercharger provided in the package. I am using the wireless charger that used to come with Samsung S8+ during the launch of the smartphone.

9. Pros - The AKG earphones are one of the best and I loaned mines to one of my friend in Mar 2019 and he said he will only return them to me in July 2019. It's an expensive earphone with cable and works great with clear audio and the same is provided in S8/S9/Note8/Note9 and related smartphones packages.

10. Pros - The 12MP rear camera is awesome and takes awesome pictures in full light and low light conditions. I simply adore the photos taken using the Samsung camera and all are available on my Instagram.com/araijain and www.photoyatra.blogspot.in I have reduced the number of pictures from 4000 to 1300 on Instagram but all of them are available in Photoyatra blog. I still can't find watermarking my photos with my own unique #TheLifesWay out of the camera but this feature shall be made available in the new smartphones asap.

11. Pros - The 3.5mm earphone jack is still there so that you can continue to use your expensive headphones will the end of their life. I love my Bose and Sennheiser earphones and headphones.

12. Pros -  The edges panels can be controlled the way you like it to control calls, music and whatever you do most but the problem is that no tempered glass comes to protect the same. Only a sheet of plastic protects the same along with your mobile cover. Luckily I have taken a book kind of case to protect it from all sides and I have not used it without the cover since the first day. The edge lighting is too cool when you put it on.

13. Pros - Bixby works on this smartphone and if you like giving instructions to do stuff, it can be trained to follow your voice and accent. I have a strong Indian accent but it really works great on my Note 8 and you can earn different levels if you use more and more of Bixby.

14. Pros - AOD (Always On Display) can be customized to match your screensaver or wallpaper and there are thousands of them available in the Samsung Android Store.

15. Pros - Samsung Members network is awesome and you can learn a lot about Samsung applications, contests, members and connect with the whole world.

16. Pros - Samsung Pay works like charm in Note 8 and with just a tap you will be able to make payment and your Iris can be scanned to validate the payment first. I am able to pay now using the FNB debit/cheque/credit card too.

17. Pros - Samsung Gear connects nicely with Samsung Note 8 and whosoever in your network is using any of the Gear/Icon products, his health can be tracked and you can challenge them for fun activities.

18. Pros - Floating Camera button is just like the Apple iPhone or iPad control center button but with this one you can click photos. You can drag it anywhere on the top of any of your apps and it comes very handy during taking selfies when your hands are too far and in different angles.

19. Pros - AR emoji is now part of Samsung Note 8 and good for kids to play with and create some family moments.

20. Pros - The display on Note 8 is super AMOLED screen - text and photos look awesome on this smartphone. Youtube videos in full resolution (720p - 1080p upwards) brings an immersive effect on the smartphone for those who love watching videos on the go. The audio is a little bit less when you are traveling or outside in a noisy environment so you need to use headphones or earphones to listen properly.

Overall, Samsung Note 8 is still a capable phablet smartphone and takes care of all my needs. I am totally in love with my Spen other than the one problem I am facing and still take 100s of photos every week with Note 8 camera and share them on my IG story and posts. I love the speed with which you can launch any app and now I have started watching Netflix on this device which I was not doing earlier and the battery will be tested now. All these photographs are taken by me during various months and events.

The cameras are too good on the new devices S10 Plus but I am hoping when Note 10 comes and if I can trade-in I will definitely upgrade myself to the same. I might lose some money on the deal but it will be worth the upgrade but I have never seen any trade-in option on any of the smartphones in South Africa but recently there are some in the market. Let's see what happens in my life in 2019-2020!

Cheers!!!
Contact me at thelifesway@gmail.com or editor@thelifesway.com to collaborate on your products, events, and services. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra!

#DoBiggerThings with the New @SamsungMobileSA Galaxy Note8 Android Smartphone

Hi Guys,

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd introduces the Galaxy Note8 as the next level in the Note series. Billed as a device for people on the move and who want to “do Bigger things”, the Galaxy Note8 has a bigger Infinity Display that fits comfortably in one hand, an S Pen to communicate in more personal ways and Samsung’s best-ever smartphone camera – which is built to capture life’s precious moments.

“We appreciate the relentless passion of the Note community. They’ve been a constant inspiration to us and we designed the new Note with their needs and wants in mind,” said Justin Hume, Chief Marketing Officer, Samsung Electronics South Africa. “Samsung first introduced the Note series in 2011. Since then, a community of enthusiasts have emerged, bonded in their affinity for break-through technological innovation that enriches their lives and powers their success.”

According to Samsung’s internal market insights, 85 percent of these Note users say they’re proud to show off their Note and recommend it to friends, while 75 percent say it’s the best phone they’ve ever had. Here’s what you can do with the great Galaxy Note8.

Enjoy and Do More on the Infinity Display
The Galaxy Note8 has the biggest screen ever seen on a Note device, yet its narrow body makes it comfortable to hold. The 6.3-inch Quad HD+ Super AMOLED Infinity Display lets you see more and scroll less. The Galaxy Note8 gives the user more room to watch, read and draw, thereby making it the ultimate multitasking smartphone.

Note users have long been able to do more with Multi Window. With the Galaxy Note8, the new App Pair feature further lets you create a custom pair of apps on the Edge panel and simultaneously launch two apps with ease. This enables you to do things such as watching a video while messaging your friends or dialing into a conference call with the number and agenda in front of you.

A New Way to Communicate with the S Pen
Since its introduction, the S Pen has been one of the Note’s defining features. With the Galaxy Note8, the enhanced S Pen unlocks entirely new ways to write, draw, and interact with the phone as well as communicate with friends, family and associates. It has a finer tip, improved pressure sensitivity3 and features that enable users to express themselves in ways that no other stylus or smartphone ever has.

When communicating through text isn’t enough, Live Message allows you to reveal your unique personality and tell expressive stories. With the Galaxy Note8, you can now share animated texts or drawings across platforms that support animated GIFs (AGIF). It’s a whole new way of communicating with the S Pen – adding lively and emotional connections that bring your messages to life.

The Always On Display on the Galaxy Note8 is even more powerful as it allows users to stay on top of their notifications without unlocking the device. The Screen off Memo function is activated as soon as you remove the S Pen and allows you to take up to 100 pages of notes, pin notes to the Always On Display and make edits directly from the Always On Display.

The improved S Pen Translate feature lets you hover over text to quickly translate individual words as well as entire sentences, in up to 71 languages. It also instantly converts units and foreign currencies. This is convenient for when you’re travelling overseas or when you come across a website in a foreign language,

Better Pictures with Galaxy Note8’s Best-in-Class Camera
For most consumers, one of the things they look forward to when purchasing a new device is the camera. Samsung smartphone cameras are known as the industry benchmark and the Galaxy Note8 delivers the most powerful smartphone camera yet.

Equipped with two 12MP rear cameras with Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) on both the wide-angle lens and the telephoto lens, the Galaxy Note8 enables you to capture sharper images – whether you’re exploring a new city or running around your backyard.

For more advanced photography, the Galaxy Note8’s Live Focus feature lets you control the depth of field by allowing you to adjust the bokeh effect in preview mode as well as after you take the photo.

In Dual Capture mode, the two rear cameras take pictures simultaneously and allow you to save both images; one close-up shot from the telephoto lens and one wide-angle shot that shows the entire background.

The wide-angle lens has a Dual Pixel sensor with rapid Auto Focus, so you can capture sharper, clearer shots even in low-light environments. The Galaxy Note8 is also equipped with an industry-leading 8MP Smart Auto Focus front-facing camera for sharp selfies and video chats.

A smarter way to interact with your phone through Bixby
The Note8 is enabled to utilise the command application, Bixby, which launched in South Africa yesterday and is already assisting S8 and S8+ device users to get things done faster and easier. It is an intelligent interface that will support almost every task that your device application can perform through the use of voice, touch or text.

Bixby enhances productivity through the personalisation of your smartphone. One such way is through the use of Quick Commands, which is a feature that allows you to easily create a custom voice command to use in place of a sequence of one or more commands. For instance, you can use the command “good night” as a shortcut for ‘Turn on Do-not-disturb mode, set an alarm for 6:00 AM and turn on the blue light filter.’

The interface also understands the way you ‘actually’ speak, ask questions and make requests and uses this insight when actioning cross-application commands. Let’s say that you take a photo and then tell Bixby to “send the picture just taken to Mom,” Bixby will know which photo you are referring to and will text it to your mom. Thus, making interactions with your smartphone easier and more intuitive.

Most impressively, Bixby’s deep integration is built into the device settings to enable users to change phone options, such as setting the screen timeout or showing all notifications without interrupting what you are currently doing.

Galaxy of Features and Services
The Galaxy Note8 is built on the Galaxy legacy – a collection of unique features and capabilities that, together, have redefined the mobile experience: 

 

• Water and Dust Resistance: Four years ago, Samsung introduced the first Galaxy device with water resistance. And today, you can take your Note almost anywhere you want with water and dust resistance (IP684) on the device and the S Pen. You can write, even when the display is wet.
• Fast Wireless Charging: Two years ago, we introduced the first Galaxy device with wireless charging. The Galaxy Note8 supports the most advanced wireless charging capabilities yet, so you can get a quick, convenient charge5 without concerns about ports or wires.
• Security: The Galaxy Note8 offers a choice of biometric authentication options, including iris and fingerprint scanning, while Samsung Knox6 provides defence-grade security at the hardware and software layers with Secure Folder, which keeps your personal and professional data separate.
• Powerful Performance: With 6GB RAM, a 10nm processor, and expandable memory (up to 256GB), you have the power you need to browse, stream, play games and multitask.
• Innovative Mobile Experiences: Samsung DeX enables a desktop experience, powered by your phone. You can keep your files on your device, conduct work on the go, and use Samsung DeX when you need an even bigger screen.

Our Continued Commitment to Safety
Samsung continues to uphold its commitment to lead the industry in battery safety. The Galaxy Note8’s battery has undergone Samsung’s 8-Point Battery Safety Check, which is the most stringent in the industry.

"We have been closely working with Samsung to make meaningful advancements in the science of smartphone quality and safety evaluation. As a result, the Galaxy Note8 has successfully completed a rigorous series of device and battery safety compatibility test protocols. We look forward to maintaining our strategic relationship with Samsung and helping ensure device safety for all consumers,” said Sajeev Jesudas, President, UL International.

The Galaxy Note8 will be available starting in mid-September and will be offered in Midnight Black, Orchid Grey and Maple Gold. 

 

Cheers!!!

Support me if you like reading this blog post by buying me a cup of tea or coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheLifesWay Contact at thelifesway@gmail.com to collaborate and promote your services and products. Subscribe to my YOUTUBE Channel for giveaways, product reviews and mystery unboxings. #TheLifesWay #9YearsofTheLifesWay. Namaste!