Review: 'Mega' phone is huge, with limited appeal

LOS ANGELES — Please turn off all electronic devices, the flight crew instructs as we approach Los Angeles. With a small phone, I might have gotten away with ignoring safety regulations. Samsung's new Galaxy Mega phone was too conspicuous for that.

The Mega shouldn't even be called a phone, if it weren't for the fact that it makes phone calls. With a screen measuring 6.3 inches diagonally, the Mega is more like a small Android tablet computer. It shares the tablet's advantages in showing more detail in photos and video. Text is larger and easier to read, too.

That doesn't make the Mega practical, though.

As a phone, it's huge. It doesn't fully fit in the pocket of my jeans, and it sometimes pokes at my stomach when sitting. It doesn't feel comfortable in my hands. I'm unable to grip it tightly because it's so wide, so I feel as if it's going to slip out of my hands. Without that grip, I also feel that it'll be easy for a thief to snatch it away.

A friend jokingly said that it was bigger than her head as she held it up to her ear. A cousin called it ridiculous. A co-worker pointed out that cellphones used to be big, too — in the 1970s.

It could have been worse, though.

Samsung's Galaxy Note 8.0 tablet has an 8-inch screen, its diagonal length just a quarter larger than the Mega's. But the tablet is about twice the size of the Mega, in part because it has a thick frame. With the Mega, the screen stretches close to the edge, keeping the overall device relatively slim. Held on its side like a movie screen, the Mega is about as wide as a dollar bill, but slightly taller.

AT&T Inc. is selling the Mega for $150 with a two-year service contract, or $480 without one. By contrast, smaller phones such as Apple's 4-inch iPhone 5 and Samsung's 5-inch Galaxy S4 typically go for $200 with a contract and more than $600 without.

The Mega also costs just half of AT&T's contract price for Samsung's 5.5-inch Galaxy Note 2. It's like getting a bigger screen for less. The Mega is only a tad heavier — at 7 ounces, compared with 6.4 ounces for the Note 2. (Samsung is expected to announce the Note 3 in Berlin on Wednesday evening.)

The Mega is also coming to Sprint and U.S. Cellular. Dates and prices haven't been announced.

Although I don't see myself using the Mega, I can see its appeal to those who are willing to carry along a tablet computer but don't want to carry a second device — the phone.

The Mega gives you many of the benefits of tablets. With the larger screen, I can read small print on websites without zooming in, and I make fewer mistakes when trying to click on buttons and links. For e-books, I get a screen size that feels closer to a paperback. I see slightly more content when checking email or Facebook. I don't see a whole lot more, though. Typically, text and images simply get larger to fill out the additional screen space.

Some Android apps have been adapted to take advantage of the tablet's larger screen, but for the ones I checked, apps appear on the Mega as they would on other phones. With the Foursquare social network, for instance, a map showing nearby friends and venues is squeezed into a rectangular banner at the top when held vertically. On tablets, the map is allowed to fill out the entire right half of the display.

It's a shame that the display isn't sharper. The resolution is 233 pixels per inch, compared with 441 for the S4 and 326 for the iPhone 5. Video looks dull on the Mega by comparison.

And fans of the Note might be disappointed with the Mega. Although the Mega has a larger screen, it doesn't come with a stylus, something the Note is known for.

I am impressed by the Mega's battery life. Despite the larger screen, which uses more energy, the Mega outlasted the Samsung's flagship phone, the S4, in streaming video on Netflix. I got nearly six hours on the Mega, compared with nearly five hours on the S4. The Mega is packed with a larger, higher-capacity battery — something the S4 couldn't have because of its size.

As with other Samsung phones, the Mega comes with an array of Samsung apps, including ones for translating text, taking notes and controlling a TV by turning the phone into a remote control. There's also an easy mode with limited options for first-time smartphone users, plus ways to perform tasks without actually touching the phone. Some of these features can be useful. Others are gimmicky or duplicate what comes standard with other phones running Google's Android system.

I decided to use the Mega to finish reading the e-book "Up in the Air" near the end of my flight to Los Angeles. I figured it was fitting given that its main character spends his life racking up frequent flier miles on planes. But a flight attendant spotted it on my lap and said, "You can turn that off now, please."

Busted.

About 20 minutes later, we landed. I called my brother to pick me up at the airport. For that, I used the smaller iPhone 5.

The Mega remains a novelty that will appeal to people who primarily want a tablet and make few calls. For everyone else, small is the way to go.

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Anick Jesdanun, deputy technology editor for The Associated Press, can be reached at njesdanun@ap.org.

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Oil hovers above $108 as US action on Syria looms

BANGKOK — The price of oil stayed above $108 a barrel on Wednesday after President Barack Obama secured the support of key U.S. politicians for a retaliatory strike against Syria.

Benchmark oil for October delivery was down 30 cents to $108.24 per barrel at midday Bangkok time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Oil rose above $108 a barrel Tuesday as Obama won the support of key Republicans for military action against Syria.

The contract gained 89 cents, or 0.8 percent, to close at $108.54 on the Nymex.

The U.S. says it has proof that the regime of President Bashar Assad was behind attacks that Washington claims killed at least 1,429 people, including more than 400 children. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which collects information from a network of anti-regime activists, says it has so far only been able to confirm 502 dead.

Obama said Tuesday that he's confident Congress will authorize a military strike. Congress could vote as early as next week, after it returns from summer break. Obama won the support of two key U.S. lawmakers, although Congress remains divided about giving the U.S. president authorization to use force.

While Syria is not a major oil producer, the possibility of a wider conflict could interrupt production and shipping routes in the region, said Chris Faulkner, CEO of Breitling Energy Companies.

Syria, he said, is a "small, delicate pin in the world's major oil grenade and it could blow up in the world's face if the US is not very careful."

Brent, the benchmark for international crudes, rose 8 cents to $115.76 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London.

In other energy futures trading on Nymex:

— Wholesale gasoline dropped 0.8 cent to $2.857 per gallon.

— Heating oil fell 1 cent to $3.139 per gallon.

— Natural gas climbed 1.6 cents to $3.682 per 1,000 cubic feet.

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Meeting planned to discuss new 'tech tax' in Mass.

BOSTON — Gov. Deval Patrick is convening a meeting of business leaders and lawmakers to discuss the state's new sales tax on computer and software services.

The tax, approved by the Legislature as part of a transportation financing plan, has drawn sharp criticism from technology companies and calls for its repeal.

Critics say it's vague and will cause harm to a key sector of the state's economy.

The governor's office provided few details about Wednesday's meeting, which will be held behind closed doors.

Patrick expressed concern last week over the outcry surrounding the tax, but added that his administration was working to narrow the scope of how the tax would be applied.

He also indicated that if the measure was repealed, it would have to be replaced by an equivalent revenue source.

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Studies examine cardiac safety of two new diabetes drugs

Two studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine yesterday offered hope for doctors, patients and pharmaceutical firms concerned about the potential negative cardiovascular effects of new drugs designed to combat Type 2 diabetes.

A new class of drugs known as DPP-4 inhibitors did not appear to raise a patient's risk of heart attack, stroke or 
cardiovascular death.

"This large cardiovascular outcome trial sets a new standard for examination of the safety of diabetes drugs," Deepak L. Bhatt of Brigham and Women's Hospital, one of the study's authors, said in a statement.

One study followed more than 5,300 patients for 18 months as a part of the randomized study of the drug alogliptin. The other trial studied the effect of saxagliptin on more than 16,000 randomized patients who had a history of or were at risk for cardiovascular events and monitored them for two years.

The cardiac safety of glucose-lowering drugs has been the subject of keen interest in the pharmaceutical industry since December 2008, when the Food and Drug Administration issued new guidelines with specific requirements for heart-safe drugs before and after the approval of new antidiabetic drugs.

The saxagliptin study found more patients were hospitalized for heart failure compared with the placebo group, an unexpected issue that "deserves further study," said study chairman Eugene Braunwald of Brigham and Women's Hospital.

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Microsoft to buy Nokia phones, patents for $7.2B

REDMOND, Wash. — Microsoft is buying Nokia's line-up of smartphones and a portfolio of patents and services in an attempt to mount a more formidable challenge to Apple and Google as more people pursue their lives on mobile devices.

The 5.44 billion euros ($7.2 billion) deal announced late Monday marks a major step in Microsoft's push to transform itself from a software maker focused on making operating systems and applications for desktop and laptop computers into a more versatile and nimble company that delivers services on any kind of Internet-connected gadget.

Microsoft, which is based in Redmond, Wash., is being forced to evolve because people are increasingly pursuing their digital lives on smartphones and tablet computers, causing the demand for PCs to shrivel. The shift is weakening Microsoft, which has dominated the PC software market for the past 30 years, and empowering Apple, the maker of the trend-setting iPhone and iPad, and Google, which gives away the world's most popular mobile operating system, Android.

Nokia, based in Espoo, Finland, and Microsoft have been trying to make inroads in the smartphone market as part of a partnership forged in 2011. Under the alliance, Nokia's Lumia smartphones have run on Microsoft's Windows software, but those devices haven't emerged as a popular alternative to the iPhone or an array of Android-powered devices spearheaded by Samsung Electronics' smartphones and tablets.

Microsoft is betting it will have a better chance of narrowing the gap if it seizes complete control over how the mobile devices work with its Windows software.

"It's a bold step into the future — a win-win for employees, shareholders and consumers of both companies," Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said in a statement.

The acquisition is being made at the same time that Microsoft is looking for a new leader. Just 10 days ago, Ballmer, 57, announced he will relinquish the CEO reins within the next year in a move that many analysts regarded as Microsoft's tacit admission that the company needed an infusion of fresh blood to revitalize itself.

The deal could fuel speculation that Nokia's CEO, former Microsoft executive Stephon Elop, will emerge as a top candidate to succeed Ballmer. Elop will step aside as Nokia's president and CEO to become executive vice president of Nokia devices and services in preparation for joining Microsoft once the acquisition closes. Chairman Risto Siilasmaa will stay in his current role and assume the duties of interim CEO.

Microsoft hopes to complete the deal early next year. If that timetable pans out, about 32,000 Nokia employees will transfer to Microsoft, which currently has about 99,000 workers.

The proposed price consists of 3.79 billion euros ($5 billion) for the Nokia unit that makes mobile phones, including its line of Lumia smartphones that run Windows Phone software. Another 1.65 billion euros ($2.2 billion) will be paid for a 10-year license to use Nokia's patents, with the option to extend it indefinitely.

It will represent the second most expensive acquisition in Microsoft's 38-year history, ranking behind an $8.5 billion purchase of Internet calling and video conferencing service Skype. Tony Bates, who ran Skype, is also regarded as a potential successor to Ballmer.

The money to buy Nokia's smartphones and patents will be drawn from the nearly $70 billion that Microsoft held in overseas accounts as of June 30.

Microsoft expansion into mobile devices hasn't fared well so far. Last year, the company began selling a line of tablets called Surface in hopes of undercutting Apple's iPad. The version of Surface running on a revamped version of Microsoft's Windows operating system fared so poorly that the company absorbed a $900 million charge in its last quarter to account for the flop.

Nokia plans to hold a news conference in Finland on Tuesday morning to discuss the deal. Microsoft executives will elaborate on their rationale for the deal shortly after Nokia wraps up its presentation.

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Nokia stock surges 40 pct on Microsoft takeover

HELSINKI — Microsoft Corp. is buying Nokia Corp.'s line-up of smartphones and a portfolio of patents and services in an attempt to mount a more formidable challenge to Apple Inc. and Google Inc. as more technological tasks get done on mobile devices instead of personal computers.

The 5.44 billion euros ($7.2 billion) deal announced late Monday marks a major step in Microsoft's push to transform itself from a software maker focused on making operating systems and applications for desktop and laptop computers into a more versatile and nimble company that delivers services on any kind of Internet-connected gadget.

Microsoft, which is based in Redmond, Wash., is being forced to evolve because people are increasingly pursuing their digital lives on smartphones and tablet computers, causing the demand for PCs to shrivel. The shift is weakening Microsoft, which has dominated the PC software market for the past 30 years, and empowering Apple, the maker of the trend-setting iPhone and iPad, and Google, which gives away the world's most popular mobile operating system, Android.

Nokia, based in Espoo, Finland, and Microsoft have been trying to make inroads in the smartphone market as part of a partnership forged in 2011. Under the alliance, Nokia's Lumia smartphones has run on Microsoft's Windows software, but those devices haven't emerged as a popular alternative to the iPhone or an array of Android-powered devices spearheaded by Samsung Electronics' smartphones and tablets.

Microsoft is betting it will have a better chance of narrowing the gap if it seizes complete control over how the mobile devices work with its Windows software.

"It's a bold step into the future — a win-win for employees, shareholders and consumers of both companies," Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said in a statement.

Investors in Nokia welcomed the deal and its price, sending shares in the company over 38 percent higher to 4.10 euros in early trading Tuesday in Helsinki.

The acquisition is being made at the same time that Microsoft is looking for a new leader. Just 10 days ago, Ballmer, 57, announced he will relinquish the CEO reins within the next year in a move that many analysts regarded as Microsoft's tacit admission that the company needed an infusion of fresh blood to revitalize itself.

The deal could fuel speculation that Nokia's CEO, former Microsoft executive Stephon Elop, will emerge as a top candidate to succeed Ballmer. Elop will step aside as Nokia's president and CEO to become executive vice president of Nokia devices and services in preparation for joining Microsoft once the acquisition closes. Chairman Risto Siilasmaa will stay in his current role and assume the duties of interim CEO.

Microsoft hopes to complete the deal early next year. If that timetable pans out, about 32,000 Nokia employees will transfer to Microsoft, which currently has about 99,000 workers.

The proposed price consists of 3.79 billion euros ($5 billion) for the Nokia unit that makes mobile phones, including its line of Lumia smartphones that run Windows Phone software. Another 1.65 billion euros ($2.2 billion) will be paid for a 10-year license to use Nokia's patents, with the option to extend it indefinitely.

It will represent the second most expensive acquisition in Microsoft's 38-year history, ranking behind an $8.5 billion purchase of Internet calling and video conferencing service Skype. Tony Bates, who ran Skype, is also regarded as a potential successor to Ballmer.

The money to buy Nokia's smartphones and patents will be drawn from the nearly $70 billion that Microsoft held in overseas accounts as of June 30.

Microsoft expansion into mobile devices hasn't fared well so far. Last year, the company began selling a line of tablets called Surface in hopes of undercutting Apple's iPad. The version of Surface running on a revamped version of Microsoft's Windows operating system fared so poorly that the company absorbed a $900 million charge in its last quarter to account for the flop.

Nokia plans to hold a news conference in Finland on Tuesday morning to discuss the deal. Microsoft executives will elaborate on their rationale for the deal shortly after Nokia wraps up its presentation.

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Love leads to nut-free snacks

Three bites into his turkey sandwich on their fourth date, Rob Dalton turned to Nicole Ledoux and said, "I need to get to a hospital as soon as possible."

It had happened to him a handful of times before — enough to know that he was going into anaphylactic shock.

His throat began to close, his lips began to tingle and he had trouble breathing. Somehow, the sandwich and pasta salad he was eating had come into contact with nuts.

"This was the first time I had ever seen an allergic reaction," said Ledoux, who was 31 at the time. "I didn't know how serious it could be."

The incident in December 2009 frightened her enough that after she got Dalton home the next day from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, she began to scour the Internet for foods they could both eat safely.

Although Food Allergy Research and Education estimates that there are 15 million people in the United States with food allergies, what Ledoux found were scant healthy snack options for them — few enough that she and Dalton began tinkering with different recipes for granola bars in her kitchen.

Soon, they began to share them with friends, who raved about them. So in the fall of 2012, they gave out 1,000 samples at Babson College's Food Day, where celebrity chefs Andrew Zimmern and Gail Simmons tweeted about the granola bars to their 800,000 followers.

"That," Ledoux said, "is when we knew we were on to something pretty special."

Later that month, the couple founded 88 Acres, naming the healthy snack food company for the 88-acre farm she had grown up on in North Brookfield.

Last April, they won $20,000 in the Babson BETA Challenge, and the next month, they were named finalists in the $1 million MassChallenge accelerator and competition.

This fall, the couple formally will launch the company with three flavors of bars — triple berry, apple and ginger, and dark chocolate and sea salt. And they expect to have them on store shelves by the end of the year.

All three bars are made from natural ingredients such as sunflower, pumpkin and flax seeds; sweeteners such as maple syrup; fruits; spices; and gluten-free oats — "no crazy, unpronounceable ingredients," Ledoux said.

Amid the whirlwind of the past year, the couple were married on July 13.

"It was a slight distraction from getting the business off the ground," said Ledoux, a former options trader at State Street. "This is essentially my dream job. I get to start a business that improves the life of the guy that I love. I'm pretty lucky."

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Best bet for stuck throttle: Shift to neutral, cut engine

In one of your recent columns, someone wrote regarding a runaway Grand Marquis. Shifting into neutral works well, but I wonder if turning off the key would lock the steering wheel. It does this when I shut off my car in the driveway.

Absolutely not. The ignition key can be turned to the "off" position but not to the "lock" position, which would lock the steering column, unless the shift lever is in "park."

Thus, the best ways to deal with some type of stuck throttle/unintended acceleration are to shift into neutral to disengage the drivetrain completely and/or turn the key to "off" to shut off the engine.

Even with the engine not running, the brake vacuum reservoir or hydraulic accumulator will supply several applications of power brake assist to help you stop the vehicle.

One more very important point: Motor vehicles have five "engines." The engine under the hood converts the energy in fuel into heat through combustion, and combustion into power driving the wheels.

The other four "engines" are located at each wheel and are called brakes.

Each brake converts the energy of motion into heat through friction and dissipates that heat into the atmosphere.

The four brake "engines" are cumulatively more powerful than the under-hood engine. This means that even with the throttle open, the brakes still have the potential to slow the vehicle.

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Help! What's this high-pitched hum that happens to my '05 Ford Escape when it gets cooler? Didn't hear it all summer but now IT'S BACK! The only time it stops is when I step on the brakes. My mechanic brother says he's never heard of that. What should I check to stop the squealing? Can I drive with one foot on the brakes and the other on the gas? P.S. My brother's advice is to turn up the radio.

Stop the squealing? Let go of your brother's neck! Here are several possible sources for the noise: brake pads, wheel bearing/hub, serpentine belt and brake vacuum reservoir/check valve.

Brake pad wear tabs will begin to squeal lightly when the pads are worn to the point of needing replacement. This vibration is dampened when the brakes are applied and the squeal stops. This is not typically a seasonal issue.

A worn wheel bearing or hub assembly will tend to "hum" under certain conditions like turning and can be dampened by braking. Again, this issue is not typically sensitive to ambient temperature.

In cooler conditions the alternator might need to work harder to provide current for the heater fan, defroster, headlights, etc. The additional load on the serpentine belt might be causing slippage and squealing while under power.

Worn, stiff or cracked hoses or fittings in the power brake vacuum system, including the vacuum reservoir and check valve, might be "whistling" until you apply the brakes. The rubber hoses and diaphragm in the reservoir might be sensitive to cooler temperatures.

While I'm a fan of left-foot braking, I don't think it's a good idea in this case since you'd have to keep a bit of brake pressure on the pedal to stop the noise, which could lead to brake drag, excess heat and even higher volume on the radio necessary to cover your screams as the brakes fade!

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I have a 1997 Mazda B4000 with a 4.0-liter V6 engine and auto transmission. I have a "check engine" light with code 1443 coming up. I have replaced the vapor canister, purge valve solenoid, sensor and all the hoses. The truck's performance is unaffected, but the light still comes back on after reset. Any idea about what is causing this?

Check for low engine vacuum or some type of vacuum leak between the intake manifold and the purge flow sensor. With the engine idling, pull off the hose at the sensor and plug it with your thumb. Is there strong, constant vacuum? If not, this could cause this issue.

Paul Brand, author of "How to Repair Your Car," is an automotive troubleshooter, driving instructor and former race-car driver. Readers may write to him at: Star Tribune, 425 Portland Ave. S., Minneapolis, Minn., 55488 or via email at paulbrandstartribune.com. Please explain the problem in detail and include a daytime phone number. Because of the volume of mail, we cannot provide personal replies.

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Home equity offers make a comeback, but be careful

The comeback in home values means more people can tap into quick cash through home equity loans to pay for college, credit card debt or even redo a driveway.

Jo and Bronce Click of Dearborn Heights, Mich., took out a $12,000 home equity line of credit about two weeks ago specifically to pay for a driveway that's estimated to cost about $7,000. She obtained the loan through her credit union at a rate of 5.25 percent — or 200 basis points plus the prime rate, now at 3.25 percent.

"It seemed like the logical option versus using a credit card. The interest rate on a credit card is ridiculous," said Jo Click, a graphic designer.

The Clicks are on the front end of a rising trend in home equity lending.

Community banks, credit unions and major banks have shown renewed interest in making the loans and offering lines of credit, as home values climb in many markets.

Originations of home equity loans exploded in the second quarter, according to credit reporting agency Experian. Experian reported that $29.4 billion in home equity lines of credit were originated in April, May and June — up from $22.1 billion for 2013's first three months.

Consumers who want to borrow against the house need to understand that rules have changed and a few more chores are required to qualify for that loan. Lending standards are tighter than the go-go years. Consumers can save money by shopping around for the best rates on the Internet and with local small lenders who may offer even more competitive rates.

The average rate on a home equity loan is 6.14 percent. The average rate on a home equity line of credit is 4.99 percent, according to Bankrate.com.

The trick, as always, is to have enough equity in the house.

Take a home valued at $100,000 with a mortgage of $70,000. The homeowner would have $30,000 in equity, but forget about trying to borrow $25,000 or $30,000. In many cases, the homeowner would only be able to borrow $10,000 through a home equity loan.

Many lenders want the homeowner to retain 20 percent equity in the house even after taking out a home equity loan or line of credit.

"The lender is not lending every last nickel of property value," said Greg McBride, senior analyst for Bankrate.com.

During the boom, it was possible to borrow 80 percent of the home's value on the first mortgage and then borrow the other 20 percent on a home equity product. But now it's going to be hard to borrow more than 80 percent of the value of your home, including on the first mortgage.

Expect some sort of appraisal on the home. The timeframe for obtaining the home equity loan can range from about two weeks to roughly 30 days.

Homeowners generally need a credit score of 720 or higher. They'll need to verify employment, offer proof of income and shop harder to find a home equity loan for $10,000.

Some lenders no longer offer small home equity loans or lines, either.

Discover Financial Services' new home equity loans, for example, range from $25,000 to $100,000.

Bank of America's minimum for a home equity loan is $25,000 as well.

Wells Fargo, one of the major players, said it offers home equity loans with a minimum loan amount of $20,000.

A home equity loan can help consumers with a "life event," such as taking on a home improvement project or even consolidating higher-cost credit card debt to get out of debt. For any of these loans to work, a homeowner cannot owe more on the house already than the house is worth.

Kelly Kockos, senior vice president and home equity product manager for Wells Fargo, said qualifications for getting a home equity loan are more stringent today than they were in the past. Homeowners need to verify their income and provide documents to validate their financial profile.

Susan Tompor is the personal finance columnist for the Detroit Free Press. She can be reached at 
stomporfreepress.com.

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