#plus its gonna be next to a couple stores i also need to frequent so WOWIE

[sucktacular]

THEYRE PUTTING A [thrift store] NEAR MY HOUSE OMG!? GAME CHANGER GAME CHANGER

[httpjeon]

❝ collateral damage ❞ pjm ― m.

― summary: you’re a simple bank teller and you certainly didn’t expect to be taken as collateral for outlaw bank-robber park jimin.

outlaw!jimin/reader ― ft. jungkook & taehyung | wild west!au | fluff, smut | 5.2k ↬ content warnings: basically pwp. kidnapping, guns, old timey bank robbery, referenced off screen murders (non-explicit), yoongi gets choked a bit, light thigh riding, sexual punishment, cunnilingus, dirty talk, light sir!kink, blow job, hair pulling, vague pain kink, pet names

a/n: this fic is part of the under fire collaboration for the summer smut project by @btssmutclub! be sure to check out the other writers’ fics for this collab! > disclaimer: i’d like to point out there is no real violence towards the reader in any capacity in this fic. she remains safe and unharmed throughout the fic, just spooked bc of jimin’s reputation as an outlaw and crimes!

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You huffed, covering your eyes with your hand like a visor as you stared out in the blistering heat of your city. It was hot enough to cook an egg out, no doubt.

It was a peaceful, small town that you had lived in your whole life. Everyone knew everyone and there was rarely a problem that arose.

"Mornin' _____!" The local mercantile owner, Yoongi, beamed at you.

The two of you had become good friends as your job at the bank was located right next door to the mercantile his family owned. Often, he would bring you little snacks during work and you frequently picked up your groceries and essentials from him.

"You hear they've up and found some gold nearby? I expect we'll start to get a lot busier now!" He smiled, mindlessly sweeping the front steps of his store.

"Oh really?" You hummed. "I haven't heard much. But with tons of towns popping up everywhere with the gold and silver bein' found, I guess it's hard to keep track. I didn't think there'd be some nearby here though!"

"Why? You wanna go and search for some gold?" Yoongi snickered.

"As if," You chuckled. "I'm doing well enough here, I don't need to risk my life for the sake of greed.”

"If you say so," He teased, finally turning and heading back into the store with a casual wave of his hand.

You sighed, wiping the sweat off your brow before turning on your heel to get back to work.

After that, it seemed Yoongi's prediction was right. You had people coming in, asking for loans and coming in to exchange their gold and silver for cash money.

Unfortunately, the peaceful reputation in your little town wouldn't stay that way for long.

Another terribly hot day that had you heaving against your desk — hoping the wood would somehow cool you down. The doors opened and several footsteps entered, making you look up.

"Hey there, sweetheart," A pretty-faced young man leaned against the counter.

"Welcome, how can I help you?" You asked, smiling up at him.

He had black hair that stuck to his forehead from sweat, a wide-brimmed hat on his head to shield his eyes from the sun.

He was good looking, no doubt about it.

Behind him stood two other men near the door, as if guarding it, and a feeling of unease began to wash over you.

"I'm awfully sorry about this but," You gasped as he pulled out long-barrelled gun, pointing it directly at you. "How about you hand me that little box back there and give me all the money you got, sweetheart?"

"I..." You trembled underneath the weight of his glare and the gun.

"Hurry it along, darlin' we ain't got all day," One of the other men called, his hand on his gun which sat in its holster.

"A-Alright...just hold your horses," You grumbled, grabbing the box and placing it down for the man. He chuckled, lowering his gun as you finally opened the box for him to take the money from.

He eagerly stuffed fistfuls of cash into his pockets with a grin on his face. You thought you were in the clear, breathing a sigh of relief as he began to back off, showing no intentions of actually hurting you.

That is, until the door opened and Yoongi walked in with a smile.

"Hey ____—" He was cut off by one of the men aggressively grabbing him, wrapping their arms around his neck to choke him as he slammed your friend harshly against the wall.

"Don't hurt him!" You cried, rounding the counter to try and come to your friend's aid.

Unfortunately, the man who took the money grabbed you, holding the gun to your temple making you cry out in fear and shock.

"Now, you're gonna behave mister and let us leave in peace alright?" He hissed. You met Yoongi's eyes, noticing how red his face became with the lack of oxygen. "And we're gonna take this here girl as collateral. We're gonna get out of here and get nice and far, and if we make it out safely...we'll let her go."

"Y-You can't..." Yoongi choked out, no doubt worrying for your well-being.

None of the men seemed to listen. Yoongi was released, falling to the floor with a heavy thud as he gasped for air. He was too weak to do anything to stop you from being dragged out.

“Remember,” One of the other men mumbled to Yoongi, bringing his finger to his lips in a shush motion. “Not a peep.” 

The streets were bustling more than usual, on account of all the traffic picking up lately, and you were easily manhandled onto the horse tied out front of the bank. Jimin hopped on behind you, his spicy scent permeating around you. You were sitting sideways on the horse in front of him, boxed in by his arms as he held the reigns.

"This is...crazy," You grumbled as the man kicked the horse, making you jerk forward in surprise. Glancing over the man's shoulder, you could see his two lackeys following.

"Sorry about this, we planned just a clean ol' robbin' but..." The man shrugged, trailing off before clearing his throat and looking down his nose at you. "What's your name anyway?"

"Why should I tell you?" You grumbled, wondering why you were acting like a brat to the man who literally had a gun pointed at you moments before.

"Well I'm Jimin...Park Jimin,"

Immediately, your body stiffened as a shiver of fear raced down your spine. You knew that name. His wanted posters were posted all across town, all across the state no doubt.

He was an outlaw wanted in several states for various crimes — mostly robbing banks and trains. He even had a few murders under his belt.

Okay, so he could kill you at the drop of a hat. Maybe you should be on his good side and not piss him off.

"M-My name is _____," You stuttered out, suddenly very aware of how you were hanging onto the fabric of his plaid shirt in order to keep yourself stable.

"Well, nice to meet you, _____. I hope we can get along well," He smiled, a rather cute eye smile for a wanted outlaw.

Why did your abductor have to be cute?

Still, with the memory of the cold steel of his gun pressed against you, you had no hope of escape anyway. You could jump off the horse but that would no doubt seriously injure you at the speed you were going. Plus, he'd probably turn around, angry, and shoot you in the end anyway.

You sighed, making him chuckle against your back.

"Now, now sweetheart it ain't that bad," He said. "Ain't nothin' bad gonna happen to you with us, I promise. We'll just keep you around until the heat dies down and we'll send you on home.”

"Unless you want to stay~" One of his companions said, wiggling his eyebrows at you.

"Jungkook," Jimin scoffed, shaking his head but still smiling.

"Unbelievable," You whispered, noticing that you were beginning to slow down.

Looking around for the reason, you saw a little shack up ahead. It was out in the middle of nowhere, way off the beaten path, and you doubted you'd be able to find your way back to town because you had no clue where you were. Not like you were exactly paying attention to the route anyway. You didn't exactly frequent the outskirts of town, the desert was no place for someone like you — with the snakes and coyotes roaming about. You weren't very fond of the idea of being a wild animal’s snack.

Finally you came to a full stop and Jimin hopped down from the horse, holding his hand out for you. When you hesitated on it, he sent you a small glare that had you reaching down for him to help you. He kept his grip on your arm as he began to walk towards the house...or shack.

"Taehyung, you hitch the horses up, alright?" Jimin called over his shoulder, a short 'yeah' from one of the men came in reply.

You were tugged inside, which you were grateful for because the summer sun was literally 2 minutes from actually killing you. It was still hot inside but at least you were out of the sun.

The place was scarcely furnished — a worn couch, a little coffee table, and a couple sleeping mats. There were also some metal bowls sitting on the counter of the tiny kitchen.

"Have a seat, sweetheart, make yourself at home," His voice was soft but held a tone of authority that made a shiver travel up your spine. You were always weak to voices — that's why you liked to hear Yoongi talk so much.

At the thought of your friend, you frowned. You hoped he was okay and safe. Jimin dropped down in the empty seat beside you on the couch and pulled out a flask, handing it to you.

"Drink?"

Your eyes narrowed. "I don't drink."

"It's just water, darlin'," He said with a shrug, urging the flask towards you. "I know you gotta be thirsty bein' out in the heat."

"This isn't a trick?" You asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"I promise it's just water," His voice and face turned serious as he said the words.

Sighing, you took the flask from him and turned it up — immediately you felt refreshed by the cool water. Taking a few mouth sips, you handed it back to him and thanked him which earned you a smile.

The door slammed open and the other two men came stomping in with groans about how the heat was killer. The one named Jungkook swiped some sweat off his brow before dropping to sit on the floor with a thud. The other, Taehyung, followed suit except sprawled out across the floor like a starfish.

"That floor can't be clean," You muttered, making Taehyung open on eye to peek at you.

"You worried about my health, honey?" He asked, a smirk gracing his lips when you narrowed your eyes in a glare.

"I'll have you know I can that floor meticulously every day," Jimin piped from beside you, taking another sip of water.

"Why do I find that hard to believe?" You shot back, crossing your arms over your chest as you eyed the dusty, dirty, scuffed floor the two men were laying upon.

"Why on Earth would I lie to you?" Jimin asked, raising a brow.

"Do you want the honest answer?" As soon as the words left your lips, Jungkook began chuckling from where he was leaning against the wall.

"Aw man, she's cute and funny," He muttered through his giggles. You felt your face flush at that, making you feel even hotter than you already were.

"Alright boys," Jimin stood up. "We should start getting ready for the night."

You remained seated, watching as the men began to bustle about. Jimin was in the kitchen cooking dinner, you assumed — which was weirdly domestic thinking about it. Jungkook went out to collect water and Taehyung was setting up the beds for the night.

"I guess you can sleep on the couch," He said when he noticed you watching.

"I can't believe this..." You grumbled, flopping back onto the couch with a sigh.

"Oh we're not that bad!" Taehyung pouted as he took a seat behind the small table in front of the couch.

You didn't offer a reply, only sighed.

The rest of the night wasn't anywhere near as bad as you expected. Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook laughed and joked with one another as they chatted. You ate some soup, which in the heat was torture, but it tasted good nonetheless and it felt good to have some food in your stomach. 

You were restless as you laid down on the couch that night. You could hear the even breaths coming from the three men scattered on the floor. It was strategic, how they were laying. Jungkook was sleeping right in front of the door so you wouldn't be able to get out. Jimin was sleeping right in front of the couch so you couldn't move without him knowing. And Taehyung was in between as an interception if you were to attempt to run away.

You were positive it was the worst night of sleep in your life when your eyes fluttered open, still heavy and stinging with exhaustion. Jungkook and Taehyung were gone and Jimin was sitting at the table cleaning his gun. He looked up when you sat up and smiled.

"Good mornin' sunshine," He grinned when you groaned in response. "What's the matter? Didn't sleep well?"

"I miss my own bed," You complained.

"Well that's just too bad," He sighed, placing his gun down. "We're keepin' our hands on you for awhile longer."

"This isn't fair!" You snapped, stomping your foot on the ground. "You stole the money, I don't want any part of this! I just want to go home!"

In the blink of an eye, Jimin was in your face, nose brushing up against yours as he glared.

"Better watch your tone, pretty girl," He growled, making your heart stutter in your chest.

Then as quick as he was there, he was standing and moving into the kitchen. You placed a hand against your chest and sighed while his back was turned to you. Your cheeks felt hot and you silently cursed him for being so damn attractive.

The longer you spent with Jimin, the more you began to see he wasn’t scary at all. He attempted to put up a front when he caught himself slipping but in the end, his true personality began to shine through.

“Jimin?” You asked one night while Taehyung and Jungkook were out. He hummed, looking up from where he was shining his boot. “Why did you become an outlaw?”

He scoffed, shaking his head. “What kinda question is that?”

“The normal kind?” You shot back, raising a brow.

“Well,” He cleared his throat. “Sometimes people do what they have to do to get by. I discovered a knack for thievin’ and I stuck to it. Simple as that.”

“Simple as that,” You scoffed, making him look at you with a frown. “There’s lots of things you could have done instead of stealing.”

“My decisions in life don’t concern you, little girl,” He snapped, making you flinch. His eyes were alight with anger at your words and you immediately quieted down.

He continued to glare at you for a minute, as if wanting to say something more, until the door opened and Taehyung and Jungkook came back in. Jungkook dropped onto the couch beside you and stretched his arms above his head until his joints popped.

"We're going to bed," Jimin snapped suddenly, making the other two look at him in shock.

"It's still early though!" Taehyung complained.

"You'll do as I say!" Jimin shouted, making everyone collectively jump at the volume.

Immediately the two scrambled to get into their sleeping arrangements. You sat on the couch, avoiding Jimin's gaze as he continued to glare at you as he placed his boots beside the couch.

No one uttered a word as Jimin turned the lamp out — casting the room in complete darkness save for the moon's light.

With a sigh, you collapsed onto your side and shut your eyes in an attempt to get some sleep as well.

"Wake up," Jimin uttered, shaking your shoulder until your eyes popped open in surprise. "Need you to go collect the water pails from outside. Taehyung and Jungkook ran off without bringin' them in."

You sighed as you sat up, blinking sleepily until you felt coherent enough to stand. Jimin was silent as he followed you out, watching you leave the house before turning back to sit on the couch and kick his boots off.

By the time you got inside, placing the water buckets down, Jimin was fast asleep on the couch with his mouth open. You stood and watched him for a second, eyeing the open door.

No one was watching and you could make a run for it. If you were quiet, Jimin wouldn't even wake up.

You squinted at him, feeling quite petulant over the problems he had caused you with literally kidnapping you and making your heart stutter in your chest over his stupidly handsome face. Sneaking out of the doorway, you tiptoed around the brush against the side of the building.

A sneaky grin crawled over your face as you heard the tell-tale signs of a snake warning you to stay away.

You dropped onto your knees and circled the creature until you got behind it. Reaching out with a steady hand, you quickly pinned its head and took hold of it to keep it from turning and biting you.

Then with a stealthiness that surprised even you, you snuck back inside and ever so easily dropped the snake into Jimin's boot.

Standing up straight and casting one last glance at Jimin, you turned and booked it out of the door.

The sun was still beating down, the summer heat making you break out into a sweat immediately. Your feet pounded against the ground with every step you took and you were quickly panting and running out of stamina — the heat literally sucking everything out of you.

You could have cried when you saw Taehyung and Jungkook riding up on their horses. There was no hope to escape; they'd already spotted you and you couldn't outrun their horses.

With a resigned sigh, you stood there and glared until Taehyung stopped beside you. He stared down with a brow raised.

"That was a close one, huh?" Jungkook uttered, saddling up on the other side of you.

"Hop on, don't be a pain," Taehyung muttered, though he sounded more bored than angry with your attempted escape.

You heaved a big sigh as you mounted Taehyung's horse, holding onto the back of his shirt as they rode back the short distance to the house. You could see Jimin was still asleep on the couch through the open door.

Jungkook was snickering as he hopped off his horse. He lifted his hand and helped you down off of Taehyung's and began to lead you inside the house, still holding your hand.

"Hey Jimin!" He shouted, taking both you and Jimin by surprise.

"What?!" Jimin shrieked as he sat up so fast it made your head spin.

"Almost had this one run out while you were gettin’ your beauty sleep," Taehyung muttered as he finally walked in, wiping sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand.

Jimin growled as he stood up, shoving his feet into his boots "This is—SHIT!"

"What?" Taehyung and Jungkook cried at the same time, watching as Jimin kicked his boot off, making it fly across the room and hit the wall.

The four of you watched as the poor snake slithered out of the boot and disappeared around the corner to the kitchen.

"There was a snake in my boot," Jimin muttered, glaring at his boot.

There was a beat of silence before Taehyung and Jungkook physically doubled over as they howled with laughter. You bit your lip to keep from laughing as you watched Jimin's bottom lip poke out in a pout.

After you all finished eating dinner, a rabbit Jungkook had caught earlier in the day, they decided to set back out once again.

"I heard that the law was starting to extend its search for us, turns out word’s gotten out we’re around the area, so I think it'd be a good idea to make sure there aren't any nosy people driftin' around," Taehyung said as he and Jungkook mounted their horses.

Jungkook slipped his hat on his head and gave you a little wave before taking the reins of his horse and following after Taehyung. You stood and watched, feeling Jimin's eyes on you, as the two vanished into the darkness.

"You know," Jimin said from his seat on the couch, voice a few octaves lower. "I don't really appreciate you making a fool of me today."

You felt a shiver go down your spine at the way he spoke, words full of unspoken promise. You could hear his boots against the floor as he walked up behind you, breath fanning over your neck. He swiftly pushed the door shut and turned you around, slamming your back against its surface.

You gasped, meeting his dark gaze, goosebumps rising over your skin at the look in his eyes; dark and lustful. Never before had you felt so drawn to a man — he was dangerous, charismatic, and so attractive that it almost made you crazy.

His plush, full lips met yours in a kiss that started off heated immediately, not wasting any time showing you what he wanted. You whimpered, reaching up to fist his dark locks and pull his body even closer to yours.

His hands became busy immediately, reaching behind you to pull free the buttons of your dress, the fabric pooling on the floor around your feet.

"So pretty," He whispered, gripping your waist and grinding his hard length, hidden in his jeans, against your hip.

You gasped, tightening your hold in his hair. Before you could deepen the kiss further, he was pulling away and pressing his lips against your neck. You moaned, tilting your head back to allow him more access. He reached up, cupping your bare breasts in his warm, callused hands and you whimpered — the rough drag of his palms against your sensitive nipples making your knees buckle.

He chuckled, working his thigh between your legs — your weight falling on his thigh to keep you upright. His jeans ground against your clothed heat as he continued to palm your breasts.

Tilting your head back against the door, he dipped his head down to take one of your perked, hardened nipples into the heat of his mouth. Holding back a whimper, your clung onto the back of his shirt as his tongue flicked the bud.

With his free hand, he gripped your hip and began to move you to grind against the firm muscle of his thigh.

"J-Jimin—" You whispered, eyes rolling slightly at the pressure against your clit. He pulled his mouth away from your breast and licked his lips, sharp eyes cutting up to look at your blissed expression.

"I think you should be punished, you know?" He asked, teasing tone apparent. "For trying to run away and for that mean prank you pulled."

"N-No...don't punish me," You whimpered, beginning to desperately grind against his thigh.

"Oh? You don't want to be punished?" He asked, straightening his back. The added height made him look more intimidating, especially with the way his sharp eyes were filled with hunger.

"No please," You whimpered, licking your lips as your core throbbed with need at the dominant energy he gave off.

"Then I think you owe me an apology," He whispered, lips moving to brush against yours.

"I-I'm sorry, Jimin," You gasped.

"Sorry for what?" He urged, tongue sneaking out to run over your swollen bottom lip — plump from biting it.

"F-For trying to run away a-and putting the snake in your boot," You whimpered, nearly sobbing when he sharply pinched your nipple.

He hummed, rolling the bud between his fingers. “Apology not accepted.” 

“What—!” You were cut off by him aggressively shoving you to your knees. 

“How about you really show me you're sorry,” Your arguments were cut off when he pulled his cock free from the confines of his jeans. 

Unable to help yourself, you leaned forward and enveloped the head of his cock between your lips. He hissed at the sudden contact, your tongue catching the precum beading at the tip. It was a little salty and slightly bitter but with the way his thighs trembled the deeper your took him, you could ignore the taste. 

His fist tangled in your hair and his head rolled back as he began to shallowly thrust his hips. He pressed against your gag-reflex and you pulled back with a cough. 

“You've got a sweet little mouth, you know?” He smirked, wrapping his fist around his cock and spreading the mixed saliva and precum along his shaft. 

You blushed, opening your mouth for him to slip his cock back inside. He groaned, eyes fluttering closed as you eagerly began to suck his cock. His grip in your hair tightened and the tinge of pain had you gushing into your panties. You whimpered around him, clenching your thighs together to hopefully ease the pressure forming between your legs. 

“Stand up,” He groaned, shuddering at the way you whined when his cock fell from your lips. 

Before you knew it, you were being pushed onto the couch, your ass in the air as he pulled your panties off. A string of wetness clung to the material as he pulled it from your legs. He groaned, catching it with his fingers and popping the digits in his mouth. 

“So sweet,” He growled, falling to his knees. 

He pulled your folds apart, exposing your clenching entrance to his hungry eyes. His cock throbbed when you gushed — sweet, creaming juices from your entrance. Unable to help himself, he leaned forward and slid his tongue over the expanse of your pussy. He could have came right then and there at the obscene cry of pleasure you emitted at the feeling of his tongue swiping over your clit. 

He chuckled, taking the swollen bud between his lips and circling his tongue over it until you were clawing at the couch beneath you. It was too much, your inexperienced body trembling at the overwhelming pleasure on your sensitive clit. 

“J-Jimin…” You whimpered, eyes rolling as you mindlessly ground your hips against his tongue. 

The introduction of his fingers had you letting out a long, drawn out moan as he sunk the digits into your spasming cunt. 

“Shit, you're tight,” He muttered swirling his tongue over your clit as he pulled his fingers back out, scraping over your g-spot in a way that made you sob. 

You cried out his name again, the only thing you could think of as the coil tightened in your stomach— winding up until your whole body was locked up. 

With a well-timed thrust of his fingers as his tongue circled your clit, you came. 

He worked you through it, wrapping his free hand around his cock to keep himself from cumming untouched at the incredible display of you cumming for him. Before long, your whines turned into those of overstimulation and he pulled back, getting to his feet. 

“Are you ready now?” He asked, nearly groaning as you arched your back for him — your swollen, gushing folds making him want to dive back down for another taste. 

“Yes sir, please,” He growled at the title and eagerly began to push into your tight entrance. 

The two of you cried out in unison at the feeling — him stretching you deliciously and the hot tightness of your walls enclosing around him. You were wet enough for him to easily sink in completely. 

“Look at you,” He chuckled, pulling back to quickly push back in. “What would your friends say if they knew you were letting a wanted criminal fuck your little cunt?” 

Your walls clenched at the idea and he chuckled, picking up his pace. He nailed your g-spot perfectly and you buried your face into the couch cushion to muffle the complete sobs of pleasure. He growled, not appreciating you attempting to quiet yourself, and wrapped your hair around his fist and yanked up until you were on your knees only. 

The change in angle has him fucking against your spot even harsher, and your eyes rolled back at the feeling. It felt like you were losing your mind, losing yourself on his cock. You were soaking his member, gushing and dripping down your thighs. The sounds emitted every time he moved within your cunt were obscene and you would have been embarrassed if your mind wasn't completely fogged over with pleasure. 

“They'll be back soon,” He grumbled, reaching around to find your clit with experienced fingertips. “Better hurry up darlin’ or else they might come in and see you creaming all over my cock.” 

His filthy words paired with the deft circles over your bud sent you over the edge. He let your hair go and oh bonelessly fell back onto the couch, trembling through your high. 

Before you could even get through the aftershocks of your orgasm, Jimin pulled out and wrapped his fist around his cock — working himself to his own orgasm. Ropes of cum splattered over your ass and you sighed at the feeling, licking your lips as you wished you could taste it. 

As you both came down, he dropped onto the couch beside you and sighed. Running his fingers through your hair, he pulled the knots that formed, from his pulling, free. 

“Let's get you dressed,” He muttered, smiling when you whined as his warmth left you. 

You sat up and allowed him to help you dress back up — just in time for Jungkook and Taehyung to come barreling in. 

“We've gotta go,” Taehyung growled, grabbing Jimin's pack off the floor and tossing it to him. 

“W-Wait!” You gasped as Jimin grabbed your hand and pulled you off the couch. 

“You go with Jungkook, he'll drop you off closer to town so you can get home,” Jimin muttered, watching as Taehyung and Jungkook swept the area to make sure their belongings weren't being left behind. 

“Wh-Where are you going?” You asked. 

“Probably gonna head on to the next state, get away from the heat here,” Jimin grunted as he mounted his horse. 

“Take me with you!” You cried, wincing when three pairs of eyes were on you. “I...I want to stay with you, Jimin.”

“Shit, you got it bad,” He chuckled, narrowing his eyes at you. “Cute little girl wanting to come with the outlaw, huh?” 

“I…” You suddenly felt embarrassed, realizing he most likely didn't feel any real attachment to you like you felt. 

There was a beat of silence, Jungkook and Taehyung mounting their horses. 

“Hop on then, baby,” Jimin chuckled, holding his hand out. “We've got a long road ahead of us. I'm sure you'll enjoy it though.” 

You grinned, fighting the stinging tears of happiness in your eyes as you took his hand and let him help you onto the horse behind him. You wrapped your arms around his waist and rested your head against his back. 

With a swift kick to the side of his horse, the three of you were off. You turned and watched the little shack disappear from view in the darkness and you realized you didn't even feel sorry about your leaving. 

Maybe one day you'd see Yoongi again but deep down, you knew you were excited for the new adventure ahead.

© httpjeon 2019. do not modify or repost.

[brianc521]

Chaos in the Fog

Werewolf!Shawn

It really wasn’t a shock to you, or to Shawn really, that your relationship has come to this. You two barely had time for each other. With you going to school full time and also working at the local clothing store downtown and Shawn learning to run the pack, taking on the role as Alpha very seriously.

Plus, it all happened so fast. You were new to town, new to the pack, and you both knew when you saw each other. Something happened and suddenly Shawn was the only thing you wanted, and vice versa.

You jumped into the role of ‘mates’ rather quickly. Within a week Shawn had you moving into his room, since it was the biggest room in the house, I mean, Alpha, Alpha’s den. But soon you were in each others space, sharing EVERYTHING, without giving each other a chance get to know the other.

The fighting between you two was frequent, over stupid things because you were so fed up with each other. And slowly you both started growing apart, even though your wolves were crying out for each other.

It became very apparent at a pack dinner, and not only to the both of you, but to the rest of the pack.

You sat across the table from Shawn, eating at your spaghetti quickly, having not eaten all day because of how busy you were.

“Y/n!” Shellie, one of the three girls in the pack calls as she walks in the kitchen.

You, Shellie, and Lexi were the only girls in the house. Aaliyah will move in once she’s gone through her whole transition, and when she really wants too.

“Yes?” You look up, noodles hanging from your mouth onto your chin.

Shawn’s eyes flick up to look at you, a small smile running across his face as he notices how cute you look with your messy bun and bare face, mouth full of food. Something inside him whines, the feeling of missing you clenching his heart.

“How was the final last week? The one you were uber worried about?” She asks, sitting next to Brian.

“Oh, I aced it.” You smile, wiping your face with your napkin.

“Yeah and you also aced your essay right?” Brian pipes up, recalling what you told him when you got home yesterday.

“Yeah I did,” You smile, nodding.

“Did your work ever have that one on one meeting with you?” Geoff asks, and you flush under all the attention but know they are just curious.

“Yeah, we did that tonight actually, once my shift was over.”

Shawn’s watching with intense eyes, feeling guilty that he doesn’t know what anyone is talking about with you. He hadn’t even realized it was finals time for you, and that your boss wanted a one on one.

“How’d it go?” Lexi asks excitedly.

“I got the raise.” You nod, twirling more noodles around your fork.

“You got a raise?” Shawn asks, eyebrows raising.

“Yeah?” You nod, biting your lip as you look at him. “I was gonna tell you, but you were on the phone when I got home.”

He looks down at his full plate, suddenly not hungry as he realizes that he’s the worst boyfriend and mate. He’s had no time to even think about asking how your day was.

He looks up when your socked foot slides up his shin, catching his attention, but also calming his anxious feeling. His eyes meet your concerned ones as he utters, “I didn’t know you were even up for a raise.”

Everyone else around the table stares at the two of you, worry coursing through them as they feel their Alpha and Omega shift.

You clear your throat and shift in your seat. “Yeah I tried to tell you last week but you got home late, and I decided to stop waiting up and worsening my sleep habits for you not to show up.” You mutter coldly, anger coursing through you quickly.

Shawn stares at you and he knows he’s in the doghouse. He knows most of this was on him, and he knows somethings wrong. This isn’t a normal issue, like someone leaving a wet towel on the bed, or clothes all over the floor. This was more, this was bad.

Dinner continues with Shawn’s guilty, apologetic stare and your ignoring him.

Once the dishes are taken care of and the rest of the betas are content watching a movie with their snacks Shawn quickly pulls you into your den, shutting the door and slowly turning to you.

“We should talk about this,” He starts, dread running through his veins.

“Yeah I think we should.” You sigh, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“I know I’ve been the worst boyfriend lately, and an even worse mate, I’ve just been so busy taking over the pack and dealing with treaty issues.” He tugs at his curls.

“No I know,” You stop him. “And I’ve been going to school and working so much, rarely having a day off.”

“But that’s not your fault, you’re just living your life.” He shakes his head.

“But so are you,” You counter, looking up at him. “You’re doing your role as Alpha, you’re preparing yourself so you can take care of the pack. It’s your responsibility.”

“But it’s also my responsibility as your boyfriend to know what the fuck is going on with your life. To not be gone so much that you stop waiting for me.” He whispers the last sentence.

That really broke his heart. The thought of you waiting up so long that you couldn’t anymore. That you did that every night, and every night he never showed up in time.

“I’m so fucking sorry I made you wait,” He breathes out.

“You know, maybe waiting isn’t a bad thing.” You blurt, eyes wide at what you just said.

“What?” Shawn sputters out.

“I mean, maybe we should wait? This isn’t healthy for us, at least not for me. Because all I know is, I try to make time for us, for you but it never seems to work out. Our schedules are so crazy right now, and we’re so busy. Maybe we just need to wait, wait till things die down and then try this.” You point between the two of you.

“You want to break up?”

“I mean, if that’s what you want to call it.”

“Well what other way can we call it.” He’s hurt, and becoming defensive.

“I mean we can still like hug and kiss occasionally but like, living in the same room together? Expecting things and never receiving them? We’re mates, we know that, and I miss you so much but like maybe we need to get through this part of our lives before we devote serious time for this relationship.”

“I know what you’re saying, I get it. I don’t like it, but I get it.” He sighs, sitting next to you. “But I don’t think I can hug and kiss you occasionally without wanting or expecting more.” He hums, your head resting on his shoulder, his head resting on your head.

“Okay, so then we won’t.”

His heart clenches, his chest gets tight at the feeling of you not being his anymore.

“I’m still your mate,” You whisper, feeling the same way.

“I just don’t want someone else to swoop in and take what’s mine.” He responds.

“No one's gonna swoop in. I still want you, so much, I always will. You’re my mate Shawn. I think we just need time to figure ourselves out as individuals before figuring ourselves out as a couple.”

With that the two of you sit in silence, feeling your wolves cry for the other. Your hearts slowly breaking.

“So that’s it?” He whispers, tear in his eye.

“I guess so.”

“We’re just, over?”

“For now.” You shrug. “For now.” You nod, standing up and looking around. “Um, I’ll pack a bag.”

“Your room down the hall is still empty.”

“I think I need a minute.” You shake your head, stuffing clothes into your backpack.

“Wait, what does that mean?” He asks standing up, watching you move frantically around the den.

“I’ll stay with Grace or Dani or something.” You shrug.

“No, this is your pack. This is your home, don’t leave because of this.”

“I just need a day Shawn, I’m not leaving. I just need a second to think.”

He breaks watching you grab your things. Before you can leave the room he’s grabbing your arm. “Baby,” He sighs, resting his forehead against yours, soft purrs escaping him as his skin touches yours. “I don’t want to lose you.”

“You won’t, I promise.” You whisper, leaning up on your toes to kiss him. “I love you Shawn.”

“I love you too.” He cries, kissing you deeper, before letting you go.

He watches you grab your keys, telling your betas goodbye for the night and then walking out to your car and driving away.

**

This split is so uncommon for packs, it’s slowly working its way to hurting everyone.

Shawn’s so heartbroken without you. Because while, when you two were together, you were sleeping back to back you were still waking up wrapped around the other. And while you waited up for him, he still came home kissing your forehead and falling asleep to the sound of your heartbeat and the smell of your almond and mint shampoo.

For you it was just the same. No longer were you waking up to a mess of curls on your chest and the sweet soothing vibration of his purrs. You found yourself making two cups of coffee, and while Grace graciously took the piping hot mug, you know you poured it for Shawn.

The betas were starting to really worry, Shawn was making mistakes, he seemed so off kiltered. And you hadn’t been home all week, asking Aaliyah to stop by the house to pick up a few things for you, that way you wouldn’t risk running into Shawn.

You worried that if you saw him you wouldn’t be able to be strong. You thought this needed to happen. That way you could learn to be yourself before you learned to be his, but you still cried yourself to sleep every night knowing that a big piece of your heart was alone and hurting as well.

**

It was pack dinner, Friday night routine. One of the betas makes dinner and another makes dessert and everyone is to be home for Friday night dinner, so you can eat as a pack, and a family.

Shawn moped his way down the stairs, Geoff waiting for him with a stack of plates.

“What?” Shawn’s voice cracked at he looked at the curious wolf.

“Is Y/n coming? Should I set her plate up?”

Shawn hadn’t even thought of you not coming. It was tradition and routine after all. You’re a part of this pack before you’re his mate.

“She should be.” He answers with furrowed brows.

“I just wondered if you knew.”

“She’s coming back Geoff.” Shawn says, anger rising slightly.

“It’s just, she hasn’t been home all week. She sent Aaliyah to fetch a few of her things yesterday.”

“I knew I smelled her!” Shawn hissed, looking up the stairs at your bedroom door.

“Shawn,” Geoff whispered. “I don’t know if she’s coming back, I’m worried.”

“Me too Geoff,” Shawn whispers, looking at his best friend.

Geoff claps Shawn’s shoulder, giving him a small frown and nodding as he turned and walked to set the table for dinner.

The hairs on the back of Shawn’s neck stand, his head whipping towards the door as he feels the need to run out. He resists the urge, walking to the window and not seeing anything in the foggy night. Suddenly his hip hurts, he hisses, looking down at his right hip and rubs the sore spot.

“Shawn, dinner, come on.” Lexi says making him forget about the sore spot as he walks to the dining room.

It’s like a dagger to his heart as he stares at your empty seat for the majority of dinner.

“Is she coming?” Shellie asked, looking at Shawn. It was the third time he’d been asked this question tonight.

“I don’t know okay?” He snapped, eyes blazing red for a moment. “She hasn’t spoken to me all week, so no I don’t know if she’s coming. Why don’t you call her?”

“But if she’s driving,” Shellie trails off, everyone’s ears perking at the sound of sirens coming from down the road.

Shawn’s heart stops, that sore spot aching deep in his hip.

The pack stands as one, rushing out on the front porch, watching the ambulance and police cars rush past the house.

Shawn runs to the yard, on the curb, squinting his eyes through the fog and his breath catches as he sees your blue Nissan wrecked on the side of the road.

His eyes glow honey brown, his fangs come out as he growls a bit.

“Shawn,” Brian says watching his breathing become heavy. “Don’t shift right now,” Brian puts a hand on his shoulder, Shawn’s head snapping over to look over at Brian. “If that’s her then she needs you, not to be shot by a police officer. Don’t shift.”

Shawn looks back over and watches as the paramedics pull a young girl out of the car. You howl in pain when you’re moved and Shawn’s sprinting towards you.

The pack is behind him, but he’s on a dead sprint to you.

“What’s your name? Can you tell me your name?” One of the paramedics ask.

“Y/n,” You stutter out, hissing in pain.

“Okay, good Honey.” He nods, accessing your hip.

He looks up in surprise when Shawn crouches by your side, taking your hand in his large tattooed one, kissing your knuckles.

“Shawn,” You sigh in relief.

“I’m right here Baby,” He nods, looking to the paramedic.

“Who are you?” He asks.

“Shawn, her boyfriend.” He answers bluntly.

“Okay,” He looks back to you, getting a nod from you. “Can you tell me what happened?”

“I was driving home from work, going slow because of the thick fog and a deer jumped out and when I slammed on my breaks I lost control and ran off the road.”

Shawn looks up at your car, noticing how you hit a tree. His heart is beating too fast, his brain is running to fast with all the things that could be wrong.

“Anything but your hip hurt?” The paramedic asks.

“No,”

“Seems like the door and the airbag took most of the hit. I want to take you and get your hip checked.”

“No,” You and Shawn say at the same time.

The community doesn’t know what the pack is, Doctors meant tests, tests meant answers, and answers meant the truth coming out. You are a wolf, so you will heal quickly, you’re not worried.

“I think,”

“No, I don’t want to. It’s just a bit sore. I just want to go home.” You downplay it for the paramedic.

“Um okay,” The paramedic says, not really having the option to force you considering you’re conscious. “If it gets worse, please get it checked out okay?”

“Okay.” You say, looking up at Shawn.

“Let’s go home.” He says adjusting you into his arms,standing slowly, trying to be as gentle with each step as he can be.

The pack surrounds you, almost as your bodyguards as the police tow your totaled car away.

Shawn carries you up to the den, laying you on your side of the bed, the rest of the pack pacing downstairs while they wait to hear if you and Shawn make up or not.

“Baby come back,” You call as you hear him growl from the bathroom, where he’s looking for band aids for the cut on your face. “Baby,” You say softly, knowing he can hear you.

He sighs, letting his eyes close as his shoulders slump. He turns and stands in the doorway. “I was so scared.”

“I know.”

“Please don’t go.” He shakes his head, tears springing in his eyes. “Please.”

“I’m not going anywhere. Please come here.” You reach your hand out for him.

Reluctantly he crawls into bed next to you, being mindful of your hip.

“I’m so sorry,” He whispers. “I miss you, and I’m sorry, please don’t go.”

“Shawn,” You touch his chin, making him look up at you. “I’m not going anywhere.”

He blinks at you, a tear falling from his lashes, your thumb catching it quickly.

“I love you.” His voice is hoarse.

“I love you too.”

“I don’t want to do this break thing anymore. I want you back. I can’t do it anymore. I can’t sleep without you, and getting ready for work and workouts sucks because I just want to turn back and hear you whine for more cuddles but you’re not there. And being at dinner and staring at your empty chair tore my heart apart. God and I miss holding you, and hearing you talk, and your laugh. I’d kill to hear your laugh again.” He rambles, holding your hand tightly.

“Baby,” You stop him. “I love you so much.”

“But,” he sighs.

“But can we do this?”

“Yes,” He nods quickly. “I thought I was gonna lose you tonight.” He looks down to your hip. “We can do this. I’ll make sure to be home for dinner every night. And we can do lunch maybe some days?” He asks with a small smile. “And I know you have classes and work, but like you’re almost done. And then we can figure it out. But you’re my mate Baby, you’re my omega, my girl. I want you to run the pack with me, I want you with me, always.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, we can devote ourselves to each other and to our individual lives.” He protests.

“Okay,”

“Okay?”

“Okay Shawn, what else am I gonna say? I miss you so much, it physically hurt to be away from you.”

He sighed, leaning up and kissing you softly, and it’s like the whole world shifts back into place. The spark zaps between your lips, and causing you both to gasp a bit.

“We’ll figure it out?” You ask against his lips.

“I’m already figuring it out.” He nods.

[beardyallen]

Well, that went quickly...

What day is it? I’m starting to lose track of how long I’ve been here...

Well, it’s been a week since my last post, and it seems that a lot must have happened, but honestly I feel like I’ve just been cranking through a bunch of comic books.

But I do know that Friday and Saturday involved a good deal excitement, so I guess we had might as well pick up pretty much where we left off!

Last Friday was Orientation for ICB, which meant getting all of the 35-40 instructors, 10 staff members, and the 6-8 people in charge of this program together in a room to introduce us to...basically what we’d been doing all that week. Also, aside from a couple study-abroad-undergrads and my officemate and me, everyone there had probably already heard the spiel.

It was scheduled from 5p-6p with a buffett afterwards, but a bunch of the Communications people from my floor were going out to eat (again?) afterwards, so I made plans with NR. She wanted to try this Mexican restaurant in what I’ll describe as the “international district” of Beijing. Most everything around us when we got there looked like it belonged in literally every metropolitan area in the world. Every major brand you can imagine had a store. Multiple. Too many...

But the Mexican restaurant we visited is owned and managed by a Mexican expat, apparently. He even stopped by our table to ask how the food was, and let me tell you: that quesadilla was the BOMB!!! And the margarita was pretty good (not as good as MHO’C’s, though!). By the time we finished up dinner, it was kind of late, so we wondered around the shopping center, found a bookstore. You know: the usual.

Fun fact: when a store or restaurant wants to indicate to their patrons that they are getting ready to close, they play smooth jazz and turn the lights down. Like for real. Had their not been windows open to the pavilion outside with it’s hundreds of light displays, I would have been seriously concerned when the lights in the place just went out and Kenny G popped up on the speakers.

We entertained the idea of finding the cinema nearby to see Alita Battle Angel, but during the 15 minutes that we spent wondering around in search of the complex, it seemed to elude us. Plus it was getting close to that time when the subway shuts down, and I wasn’t exactly hankering for a taxi ride this early in my stay....if at all.

The next morning, I got up early to meet back up with NR at the National Museum near the Forbidden City. Now, for the most part, the stairs I get don’t bother me. But I will say, if you’re going to stair at the pasty white guy with a hard-to-describe-its-color-accurately-beard, maybe don’t do it when you’re going 15 mph on a bike, facing in the wrong direction! *sigh.....Some people’s kids...

But what really bothered me, especially at the time, was the father-of-three who straight-up filmed me on his phone from 5 feet away for a solid 6 minutes, three hallways, and two escalators! I get it, I’m funny looking. But I really think I a picture would have done just fine...

One of the things that bothered me the most about that experience was that (a) he had a shit-eating grin plastered on his face, (b) his daughters seemed rather embarrassed, (c) he filmed me with the screen aimed at me so I could watch myself on his phone, (d) there was text on the screen, and (e) it went on for a solid 6 minutes.

In hindsight, I was wearing sunglasses and a hat, in a subway system, in the morning, heading to the center of Beijing. Maybe he thought I was a celebrity? I had spoken to a Communications graduate student the other day who happens to be black, and he told me the story of how a citizen here pull out their phone with a picture of Samuel L. Jackson on it, and gestured to him as it to ask if it were him...even though SLJ is for sure at 70 years old and this kid is no more than 35. And he looks 25. #smh

Anyway, after dealing with whatever the hell that was, I got to visit the museum! They, for whatever reason, were not allowing people to bring their charging blocks into the museum (external battery that you can use to charge your cell phone and other devices on-the-go), but more surprising to me was just how many people carried one with them! At least, it was surprising until I took a moment to think about it. As I’ve mentioned before, basically every payment made in Beijing is through WeChat, which needs internet access, so I guess it shouldn’t be too surprising. You also really can’t navigate through the city with some sort of Maps app; there are just too many bus routes, train routes, terminals and stops to keep logged in your head.

As far as the museum itself goes, the gifts to China from foreign governments exhibit and the Ancient China exhibit themselves took most of the day. Also, no surprise: the gift that took up the most floor space was given by a U.S. President. I also got a refresher in 8th Grade Social Studies. Too many small countries to remember all of them, and that space made me feel somewhat moronic.

The Ancient China exhibit was exceptional, though. They broke up the last, oh...750,000 years of human-ish life in China into 8-10 separate eras, the first few cataloguing the life and evolution of Homo erectus pekinensis into Homo sapien, while the latter eras were segregated dynastically. I’ve never seen the progression of human evolution laid out in such detail! The rock tools became better rock tools, then pottery and paper, stamps, buildings and so much more! There were even ceremonial helmets that would put the Juggernaut to shame!

It was strange, though, to have all of this knowledge just beyond my fingertips both literally and figuratively. The literal sense isn’t too shocking, as I’ve been to a museum before and know not to touch the pieces, but to have placards written in a language that would take years to learn was frustrating. Fortunately, NR has a never-ending supply of patience, and she translated much of the text. She even quizzed me on several of the characters. I’ve worked out how to write “rock” for sure.

After the museum, we wondered over to a nearby mall that, honestly, puts the Mall of America to shame. No joke. This place was huge! It just kept going and going and going! There was a particular alley that has all of the “exotic foods” that you might see on The Amazing Race, which I haven’t tried yet but intend to, but the rest is mostly-outdoor shopping center. Our reason for being there was to find food (we had been in the museum for a bit over 7 hours), and then sit our fine asses down in a movie theater to watch Alita.

We found a restaurant that served food traditionally found where NR grew up. It was exceptional. And the beer just made it better. :P

The movie experience was something else entirely. I’ve gotten used to watching television and movies with subtitles so that, when people decide to talk to me, I can follow along with both bits. Or if people are just talking near me while I’m watching television, I don’t have to rewind the show. That helped a lot; the movie was still spoken in English, but there were Chinese subtitles. I recognized the Chinese character for “1″ frequently enough, but that was about it.

The movie itself was way more than I expected. I shouldn’t be surprised, given that one of the primary characters is played by Christoph Waltz. If you haven’t seen it yet, you should definitely consider it.

Also, additional fun fact: I’m thinking that most (if not all) showings of major motion pictures here are in 3D. *shrug* Side note: we’re going to see Captain Marvel tomorrow and I’M SO FREAKIN’ EXCITED!!!!

After the movie, we wandered back to the subway station and parted ways mid-subway-ride to head home. The next day I spent playing Kingdom Hearts 3 and sipping some beer in the 3rd Floor Lounge. All day. It was blissful.

This workweek has consisted of four main things: teaching responsibilities, a bit of dissertation work, trying out another one of the cafeterias on campus, and reading comic books. Oh, and beer. But that kind of goes without saying, doesn’t it? There’s a convenience store on the other side of the building in front of the Guest House that has cans of beer. You can buy them individual for 3 yuan, or roughly 45 cents. I won’t lie to you: I bought 12 of them and it didn’t cost me more than 6 bucks. And it’s really not bad, and even more convenient than the liquor store I lived by in Denver.

Anyway, as I said, I’m going to see Captain Marvel tomorrow, then to “W-Town” (originally Watertown...so glad they shortened it...) in northern Beijing, which sits at the base of part of the Great Wall. More than 20 people from ICB will be heading up to their on Saturday, so I imagine one of them will take pictures. Probably ML or S. So you’ll have those to look forward to since you know I won’t be taking any!

Oh!!! I almost forgot the biggest thing that happened this week! Actually, it might be the biggest news of my entire stay!!!

I did laundry.

And I washed my slippers. I’m not convinced that they’ve stopped smelling, but I’m holding out hope that I’ve finally figured out how to resolve an issue that I know humanity has been seriously struggling with for decades. I’m on the verge of a breakthrough, people, I swear!

Anyway, time to finish this beer, read a bit more of Scott Lynch’s Republic of Thieves (WE FINALLY FIND OUT ABOUT SABETHA!!!!), and head to bed. Big couple of days ahead...

Sláinte,

BeardyAllen

P.S. I bet you thought I was gonna forget! After class on Wednesday, I worked out how to make a phone call from here to the States to wish my Mom a Happy BIrthday. Caught her at work, and we got to chat for a good long while. It really put a nice cap on my evening, and it seemed it gave her a good start to her day. Anyway, I hope you had a great evening, found something nice at C&B and enjoyed that glass of wine you mentioned! Love you!!

[thebibliomancer]

Essential Avengers: Avengers #119: Night of the Collector

January, 1974

Oh gee, I wonder who the mystery villain this time is going to be?

Bonus points for the Collector using high tech pins to literally pin up the Avengers like they were insects. Although he was nice enough not to stick the pins through their flesh parts.

A villain did that to Hank Pym once. It was not pleasant.

We start off our issue with the Avengers having to bum a ride from SHIELD since they hitched a teleport from Dr. Strange to the Los Angeles battle. Along for the ride is Loki, ‘mind-drained’ as a result of having Dormammu blasted right through his brain in the penultimate issue of the Avengers/Defenders War.

There’s some casual conversation that serves to keep some plot points active. Cap reassures Vision that anyone can freeze up in a moment of danger like Vision did with the quicksand. Mantis worries about Swordsman’s wounds but he says he just feels a little weak. Iron Man privately hopes Scarlet Witch isn’t still on her anti-human kick after how she blew off Nick Fury’s thanks.

And there’s immediately an action scene as the Avengers accidentally set off their own defenses like idiots. I guess because the SHIELD jets were not recognized?

Everyone except Black Panther gets pinned down or blasted in some way. Black Panther manages to make his way to the door and activate the security panel and deactivate it.

Wanda is still in some mood so she criticizes Thor for how easily he was blasted, saying he’s no better than a human.

But since they’ve all just been through a stressful situation, Cap advises to just let it go.

Thor isn’t really that concerned since he has other things on his mind. Like what to do with Loki. Well, he’s gonna keep him.

Can’t return him to Asgard. Odin banished him. And I guess he won’t change his mind just because of a little Dormammu-brain-blasting. But in his childlike state, he can’t just be left to wander free. So Thor is going to confine Loki to a special top-security chamber. But he’s going to get Jarvis to make sure its a comfortable top-security chamber.

Gee! Thor as Loki’s keeper sure is going to change things around here.

Meanwhile, Black Panther pulls Mantis to the side to speak with her on a little one on one. But its nothing serious. Its just... well, nobody knows anything about Mantis’ background and that is a potentially interesting subject to the young absentee king.

During his studies, he was mostly interested in what Western technology could do for his people and never had time to study Eastern philosophies.

According to Black Panther or rather Steve Englehart speaking through Black Panther, Africa is neither Eastern nor Western but as an emerging continent able to profit from the knowledge of both.

So he just wants to know where Mantis studied and what she studied. Stuff like that.

She dismisses her story as an uninteresting recital and slips into some I’s. “As I have said, I am nothing to speak of.”

An answer that a caption highlights as evasive.

But no time to probe deeper. The plot is calling!

Mantis goes into a trance and gets a premonition of sorts that there’s.... danger! In Rutland! Tonight! Halloween!

Oh Rutland. You’re always with the danger on Halloween.

But also, Rutland is where Loki and Dormammu met. It could be connected!

Luckily, Iron Man and Vision had already finished taping a report on the ‘why everything went to hell for about an hour’ crisis for the news networks.

So off the Avengers go, to that most insidious hive of black magic and evil forces. RUTLAND, VERMONT!

And Jarvis watches them go in dismay. He had just finished cooking them a celebratory banquet with individualized dishes for everyone. And now they’re probably just going to stop at McDonald’s on the way.

Poor Jarvis. The forces of evil and sometimes the Avengers just don’t appreciate the work he puts in (Dude is really an unsung hero).

Anyways, Rutland! Its where the Rutland Halloween Parade takes place. Remember it? I talked about it before? It was a famous event organized by real life guy Tom Fagan? It appears in comics frequently and was home to one of the first unofficial crossovers between Marvel and DC?

Rutland!

The Avengers arrive and are greeted by Tom Fagan (dressed as Nighthawk in a little goof that he always dressed as Batman in the real life parade). He wonders if they’re here to join the fourteen annual Halloween Parade.

Scarlet Witch and Vision beg off. There’s danger here and they can find it more easily by themselves.

Swordsman and Mantis beg off too. Mantis doesn’t like the limelight and Swordsman gets itchy when there’s trouble afoot. But they might stop by the party at Fagan’s house afterward.

To that, Tom Fagan smiles deviously and thinks to himself that they have all walked into his most deadly trap! The caption box gets a bit panicked at its old buddy being so sinister.

You and me both, caption box. You and me both.

Thor, Cap, Iron Man, and Black Panther can’t think of an excuse to duck out. Or probably more likely, they love to help out and stand on a thing and wave at crowds. And that’s what they do for the next two hours.

Plus, they had also hoped that a public appearance in the parade would draw out the phantom menace. Which. I mean. Don’t use a parade as bait, you guys. So many bystanders. I shouldn’t have to tell you this.

With the parade over and the townspeople gone, Tom Fagan suddenly turns on the heroes! Just like foreshadowed in that panel on the previous page!

He throws down some pellets which grow into living animal hides that attack the Avengers!

Ostensibly the legendary coats of Hercules (‘from which no truly mortal being can break free!’). The animal hides wrap around the four Avengers and pin them down in what must be a snug, cozy embrace. They work a lot like constrictor snakes apparently. Tightening whenever they Avengers take a breath.

Hmm... who do we know that likes to use crap from mythology as a weapon?

Is Tom Fagan really Hercules in disguise?

No, that would be silly. Although, having the actual Hercules as a recurring character does kind of make it a bit weird to be busting out his wardrobe.

Tom Fagan is really and astoundingly the Collector in disguise!

He’s on the cover. And he’s the one that likes to use mythological crap as a weapon. It was not a hard conclusion to draw.

He was using the tendency for superheroes to show up in Rutland for Halloween to his advantage. Really, he just wanted to capture any superhero to use as a lure for the Avengers but having the Avengers themselves show up just simplifies the plan really.

But once again I’ll curse flawless latex masks. They should turn everyone in the Marvel universe into helpless trembling balls of paranoia.

Kinda impressed that the Collector could fit his dumb outfit under a skintight disguise.

We cut to the Collector already having the four Avengers pinned up in his trophy case. Yes, like on the cover.

And since he failed to get the Avengers twice before, he’s been preparing a long time for this. He acquired Tom Fagan’s old house in Spring and has been modifying it since.

Like most villains, the Collector loves talking to himself.

He explains to the unconscious Avengers that he has spent his lifetime secretly collecting the greatest prizes throughout space and his interstellar ship stores the best objects of all possible worlds.

But apparently what he really needs to highlight his collection is the Avengers. And he’s not picky. He’ll just take the current roster. Which does mean he’s missing four Avengers before he possesses the crowning trophies of his triumphant career.

But enough of that nerd and his shifting motivations (later it will turn out that he wanted the Avengers for a specific task and not just because they’d look neat on his mantle but y’know what they would look neat on his mantle).

We have to meanwhile over to see what Scarlet Witch and Vision are up to. And they are being accosted by fans who want them to sign shit. And Wanda is fed up to here with being harassed so she blasts them away. Probably non-lethally.

Swordsman decides that outburst of violence is as good a time as any to give Wanda and Vision some alone time and skedaddle.

Alone, Wanda rants to Vision. Yes the way she handled the crowd was probably an overreaction but every human always overreacts to them. All she wants is the same rights humans get. But she feels she’s just treated as a thing. Loved as a hero, hated as a mutant. With nobody seeing her as a real being with real feels. She’s just sick of their bigotry.

She wishes that she and Vision could just find an island somewhere and escape the rat race.

Vision replies that running away never truly solves anything. And Wanda says that he doesn’t understand her very well. Humans have been trying to get rid of her all her life and now she’s ready to take them at their word and go. And she thought that Vision would feel the same way and want to come with.

CUTTING AWAY FROM THAT AWKARD, lets see what Swordsman and Mantis are up to. They spend a little time talking about Mantis’ team-up with T’Challa against Dr. Strange but what Swordsman really wants to talk about is them.

“Let’s talk about how much your concern and faith have meant to me in my new life -- how much I’ve come to rely on you, when I never relied on anyone before! I love you, Mantis!”

Awww.

She says she loves him too. And starts to say that all her life she has wanted a strong, heroic man when the smooching couple is interrupted by muffled groans.

Yup. Definitely muffled groans. Swordsman has spent enough time in dark places to know what a gagged person sounds like.

(Swordsman brings so much expertise to the table!)

And they find... the real Tom Fagan?! Just tied up and left in the woods. The Collector, that is no way to treat Tom Fagan.

Mantis cuts Tom loose while Swordsman calls over Vision and Scarlet Witch for a huddle.

Tom confirms that he wasn’t the Tom Fagan that welcomed them to the parade. Tom apologizes. By starting the parade that superheroes would hang out at, he accidentally created the perfect opportunity for a trap. Unfamiliar country, surrounded by people in costumes, superheroes known to chillax here. It was only a matter of time before a supervillain capitalized on it.

But Vision says Tom has done nothing wrong. He provided pleasure for thousands of adults and kids alike. But someone tried to pervert that pleasure for evil and Vision will not let that stand.

He takes Halloween parades very seriously. He practically ‘in the name of the moon’d’ that.

But he also has a plan.

We jump forward twenty minutes later as the Collector prepares his trap. His foolproof plan goes thusly: disguised as Tom Fagan, he invited the Avengers to his party, the Avengers don’t know that Tom moved houses during the past year and that the real party is elsewhere. So they’ll come to this trap house and get trapped.

And he has just the trap for them. Four birthstones that will produce half-mythical Vultures of Nepenthe! (How can something be half-mythical?) But anyway, their electrically-charged talons means that even Vision will fall before them.

And when someone knocks on the door, the Collector prepares to greet his prey...

Tom Fagan?! And a bunch of children? Possibly some drunk adults? What’s going on here?

Well, the party-goers decided to bring the party back to its origins.

And the Collector is immediately besieged by his secret weakness. SOCIAL SITUATIONS (hahaha right there with you buddy)!

Party-goers surround him and insist on shaking his hand and complimenting his costume and trying to share anecdotes with him and

Nope. Nope nope nope. The Collector can’t take it anymore. He flees into the back room.

“Now more than ever, I know why I chose the life of a Collector! It is a solitary life!”

Right there in the black and white. The Collector is an introvert.

He doesn’t want to waste his mint-in-box arsenal on party-goers so he decides he’ll just lock himself in with the trophies and wait until the other heroes arrive

Oh. Hey. Hi guys. Um. Kind of awkward.

Okay. Yeah. Realizing now this was all a diversion.

“YOU THINK YOU CAN COLLECT THE COLLECTOR, DO YOU?”

And he pulls out some infinite bat rocks and bangs them together to summon thousands of vampire bats.

The bats will destroy Rutland unless the heroes let the Collector escape. And just to make sure they don’t get any funny ideas about taking the stones from him, the Collector drops them down a secret shaft. Its all bendy so nobody can climb down it but also wired to explode if the Vision tries to pass through the walls. There’s another secret way to stop the bats but its known only to the Collector. Checkmate, idiots.

Mantis has a counter offer.

And just kicks him right in the face.

She’s been kicking a lot of old people recently.

Mantis tells the other Avengers to protect people from the bats while she climbs down the shaft.

Because. Total bodily control means she’s really flexible.

Meanwhile, Iron Man rewires part of his armor to create an ultra-sonic signal to blanket the area and confuse the bats echolocation and possibly somewhere Matt Murdock has the worst minute of his life. But the power drain is bad so Iron Man can’t keep it up for long.

Thankfully, Mantis has finished wriggling through the mystery tunnel and brings out the two bat stones.

She slams them together and the day is saved, all thanks to Mantis being super flexible.

Afterward, Tom Fagan thanks the Avengers and wonders if there’s anything other than a parade the town can do for them. And Thor does think of something.

So after less than one day of being Loki’s ward, Thor dumps him off on Tom Fagan and Rutland to take care of. Perhaps the life of an Avenger is too hectic for the brain-wiped Loki, perhaps the peaceful cool forests of the Northlands will be a better environment for him, or perhaps Thor just didn’t want to be his brother’s keeper.

Seriously. Thor just passes responsibility for his brother off to Tom Fagan.

Geez, Thor.

Overall though, I really liked this issue. This is one of my favorite appearance for the Collector. Dude doesn’t want to rule the world. Dude just wants the best stuff and the best stuff includes the Avengers.

Also he’s an introverted nerd who uses random mythological crap as his weapons. He’s always doing new stuff because his abilities are only limited to his collection and his collection is only limited by the imagination of the writers which is probably why his stuff tends to be from Earth.

I like this Collector better than when he has an ulterior motive for trying to collect the Avengers or when its revealed he’s an Elder of the Universe, a secretive cabal of old people engaging in weird schemes. I like him as this super old guy, probably an alien, who collects random deadly knickknacks.

I fear that if he tried to collect all the Avengers these days, he’d have a coronary. Almost everyone has been an Avenger at some point now.

[flyerthan-you-blog]

Samsung Galaxy S9 review

– Here’s the new Galaxy S9 and S9+ from Samsung. And if you squint even slightly. You might think you’re looking at last years Galaxy S8. Because the differences between it and the S9 are minimal at best. (casual music) But this is the Android phone that more people will buy than any other this year. And it does come with a few new things that those people will appreciate. And besides, it’s not like the S8 is a bad phone to start from. The overall design of the S9 in unchanged from last year. It’s still a glass and metal sandwich. It still has curved glass in the front and back. It still has an extra wide by 9 display and minimal bezels. It’s really nice and it’s really well made.

But the glass back is kind of a fingerprint magnet and it can be slippery to hold. The smaller S9 is inch screen. While the S9+ is a inches display. Both are super amulet panels with 2960 X 1440 pixels of resolution. Both are really nice to look at with vibrant colors. Sharp resolution and excellent viewing angles. They’re also slightly brighter this year which is always appreciated if not always noticeable. And they still remain the best displays you can get on any Android phone. They’re even up to par with the screen on the iPhone 10. Provided you don’t mind slightly more saturated colors. The S9 has the same fast wired and wireless charge it had before.

The same IP 68 water resistance as before. And the same millimeter headphone jack as before. And if you’re looking for high end phone with a headphone jack in 2018. Your choices are fewer than ever. So it’s kind of great to see Samsung stick with it for the S9. The big design change is the placement of the fingerprint scanner. Which has been moved from the side of the camera to just below it. It’s much easier to use than the S8. Especially if you’re using a larger plus model. But it’s still weirdly small and too close to the camera. I frequently swipe on the camera lens when I’m trying to use the fingerprint gesture to see my notifications. Which is kind of annoying. And then of course there’s that dreaded Bixby button which is still there. Still in the same spot just below the volume buttons on the left side. Now you can disable it from launching Bixby Now which is progress. But Samsung still doesn’t provide a native way to reprogram into something more useful. Now at its worse, it’s annoying.

And at it’s best it’s a little fidget button that you can press without having to worry about doing anything if you actually disable Bixby. The other new hardware feature is stereo speakers. Which basically catches Samsung up to what everyone else has been doing for a couple of years. They are noticeably louder and fuller than the single speaker on the S8.

And they’re really great for watching video. So I’m not gonna say they’re the best phone speakers I’ve ever heard. But they’re still great and I’m happy to see them here. The rest of the hardware improvements are all on the inside. It’s got Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon E45 processor. Either four or six gigabytes of RAM. Depending on which model you choose. And the new LTE modem that’s of course even faster at gigabytes speeds. Those are specs we’re gonna see in virtually every Android flagship this year. But Samsung is the first out of the gate with them. Performance, at least during my review has been great. Everything is really fast and responsive. And the network performance is just as impressive as last years and to be honest. Noticeably better than the iPhones. Though unchanged in the size of the battery and the internal storage.

You get a 3,000 million power battery in the S9 and a 3,500 million power battery in the S9+. Both of them has 64 gigs of storage and micro SD card support. I really would have liked to see Samsung increase the battery size this year. It’s not to say that the battery life is bad on either model. But it’s not the best you can get and heavy users are gonna even deplete the S9+ battery after a long day. So despite all that sameness. Samsung did upgrade one important aspect of the S9 and it did so in a pretty big way.

The S9 rear camera is all new. It’s got an improved sensor and a new variable aperture lens. That can physically switch between a really bright Fand a smaller Faperture. The S9+ gains a second telephoto lens for portrait modes stuff like Samsung used on the Note 8 last year. On top of that everything is optically image state wise. Samsung claims significant improvements in low light photography over the S8 camera. And it’s true that the S9 definitely can take some really great photos in low light.

The Faperture lets in more light than last years Flens. And the improved processing helps reduce noise overall. And I’m less impressed with the switching aperture feature. It feels more like a parlor trick than anything else. Now since a digital camera can just compensate its shutter speed for how much light is in the room. I don’t really ever feel like I would ever need to shoot at F2.4. Now if you’re in the pro mode of the camera app you can actually switch between the two modes. So here for an example. I shoot this image at 1.5. And then I’m gonna shoot this image at 2.4. And overall there really isn’t much difference between the two images. The Fis a slightly blurrier background than the F2.4. Which has a little bit longer depth of feel. But in terms of sharpness.

It really isn’t any difference there. So, I’m not sure why I would ever shoot an Fon this phone. I’d probably just leave it at and forget about it. The S9+’s second telephoto lens is similarly gimmicky. Samsung’s live focus portrait mode just isn’t as good as Apple’s or Google’s at separating a subject from the background. And in challenging lighting conditions. Image quality is kind of bad. The S9 gives you 4K video at 60 frames per second or slow motion 1080p video at 240 frames per second. Which catches it up with what the iPhone can do. Now both loads produce nice quality video. But you have to make sure you have plenty of light for the slow motion mode.

Where you’ll see a lot of noise in the video. Overall, the S9’s camera is definitely improving and it’s very good on it’s own. But if you weren’t a fan of Samsung’s image processing before. You still won’t like it now. Sure, there’s less noise than before and the colors are pleasing. But all of the images definitely have Samsung’s look to them.

Which is different to what Apple or Google’s camera produced. At this point it really comes down to personal preference. But it’s definitely something to be aware of. And I wish Samsung did spend some time on is the front camera on the S9. It’s the same 8 megapixel camera as seen on the S8. It does have auto focus which no other front camera has yet to replicate. But its portrait mode just isn’t as good as Google or Apple’s. So all of that stuff is great and it’s gonna keep the S9 at the top of phone rankings for most of 2018. But there’s a ton of other things that Samsung is pushing with the marketing for the S9 this year. And to be honest, you’ll probably never use them. It’s almost as if Samsung just couldn’t help itself. The first up is AR emoji.

Samsung’s take on the iPhone 10’s Animoji feature. Here’s how it works. It scans your face and then it produces a bit emoji character based on the hundred points to your face that kind of maybe looks like you. Then it takes this character and it creates a bunch of reaction goes with it. You can then send in messaging apps. Then there’s also some weird looking animals that you can create video clips with. That you can do with Animoji on the iPhone. Now there’s a couple of issues with Samsung’s AR emoji. First off, Samsung isn’t using any special tactic to capture your face or movement. It’s just relying on the camera. So tracking is really bad. Second, the characters it creates are just the wrong kind of creepy. And nobody I’ve tested it with has been like that’s something I like. And then the animals on top of that are just kind of weird. It’s definitely something that Samsung built just to compete with Apple and frankly it’s not very good.

Now Samsung is also trying to ape the iPhone 10 face ID with its new intelligent scan feature. It combines iris scanning and face protection to unlock the phone. But it’s still slow and now it shines a bright red light in your face when it scans. Good thing there’s a fingerprint scanner that’s easier to reach on the back because it’s faster and more reliable than Samsung’s face scanning option. Next is a new super slow motion mode in the camera. The S9 can shoot up to 960 frames per second. Which sounds really neat. But it can only do so for .2 seconds at a time and only at 720p resolution.

There’s two ways you can shoot it. You can try to manually trigger it to capture the .2 seconds of action you want. Or you can use an automatic mode that looks for a specific movement in an area of the frame and then captures slow movement and detects it. But in practice both are really hard to use. And they’re really more frustrating than anything else. Worse, you need a ton of light to make it work and even if you have lots of light. Image quality is kind of crappy. And if that wasn’t enough. There’s the awful music the app overlays on the clip automatically if you don’t bother to edit it after the fact. (slow music) Now Bixby. It’s not new but it’s still here and it’s still bad. It’s got a fresh coat of paint and it’s slightly faster than before. But it’s still way slower than the Google Assistant and it isn’t as good at parsing my voice commands.

There’s a couple of new features like an integrated makeup store that let’s you try makeup out virtually and then buy it directly from Sophora or Cover Girl. But I really can’t image anyone using that more than once. Anyways, here’s what I look like with a face full of makeup. And then there’s the perennial complaint with Samsung’s software. Why are there so many duplicate apps? The unlock the S9 that I’ve been testing has two email apps, two gallery apps, two browsers, two app stores and two payment apps. Now a couple of Samsung apps is good. Mostly the Samsung browser and Samsung Pay. But the rest are inferior to the Google Apps that are also installed on the phone.

Which just makes it kind of annoying. And if you care at all about software updates. Samsung is one of the worst manufacturers when it comes to delivering new versions of Android. As of this review. Last years Galaxy S8 still doesn’t have Android in the US. And that was released by Google over six months ago. Alright, so it sounds like I just took a huge dump on the S9 but like I said. Most of these bad things can be ignored. You can turn off Bixby. Never bother to use AR emoji or super slow mo. And disable most of Samsung’s apps. The only real sticky point for some people will be Samsung’s poor update history. But that leaves the rest of the S9 which is actually really great. Still has a modern design. Has great performance. Great screen and a very good camera. Outside of the display the S9 isn’t a class leader in any category.

But it’s good enough in all of them that the whole package makes for a great phone. Chances are if you’re spending between $700 and $900 on a new phone this year. The S9 is gonna be one of the best options you can get. But if it doesn’t do it for you. You might want to wait for Samsung’s next big thing. – Sick. Wasn’t that cool? .

As found on Youtube

https://reviewsarena.net/smartphone/samsung-galaxy-s9-first-look/

[productreviewsappshopify-blog]

Samsung Galaxy S9 review

– Here’s the new Galaxy S9 and S9+ from Samsung. And if you squint even slightly. You might think you’re looking at last years Galaxy S8. Because the differences between it and the S9 are minimal at best. (casual music) But this is the Android phone that more people will buy than any other this year. And it does come with a few new things that those people will appreciate. And besides, it’s not like the S8 is a bad phone to start from. The overall design of the S9 in unchanged from last year. It’s still a glass and metal sandwich. It still has curved glass in the front and back. It still has an extra wide by 9 display and minimal bezels. It’s really nice and it’s really well made.

But the glass back is kind of a fingerprint magnet and it can be slippery to hold. The smaller S9 is inch screen. While the S9+ is a inches display. Both are super amulet panels with 2960 X 1440 pixels of resolution. Both are really nice to look at with vibrant colors. Sharp resolution and excellent viewing angles. They’re also slightly brighter this year which is always appreciated if not always noticeable. And they still remain the best displays you can get on any Android phone. They’re even up to par with the screen on the iPhone 10. Provided you don’t mind slightly more saturated colors. The S9 has the same fast wired and wireless charge it had before.

The same IP 68 water resistance as before. And the same millimeter headphone jack as before. And if you’re looking for high end phone with a headphone jack in 2018. Your choices are fewer than ever. So it’s kind of great to see Samsung stick with it for the S9. The big design change is the placement of the fingerprint scanner. Which has been moved from the side of the camera to just below it. It’s much easier to use than the S8. Especially if you’re using a larger plus model. But it’s still weirdly small and too close to the camera. I frequently swipe on the camera lens when I’m trying to use the fingerprint gesture to see my notifications. Which is kind of annoying. And then of course there’s that dreaded Bixby button which is still there. Still in the same spot just below the volume buttons on the left side. Now you can disable it from launching Bixby Now which is progress. But Samsung still doesn’t provide a native way to reprogram into something more useful. Now at its worse, it’s annoying.

And at it’s best it’s a little fidget button that you can press without having to worry about doing anything if you actually disable Bixby. The other new hardware feature is stereo speakers. Which basically catches Samsung up to what everyone else has been doing for a couple of years. They are noticeably louder and fuller than the single speaker on the S8.

And they’re really great for watching video. So I’m not gonna say they’re the best phone speakers I’ve ever heard. But they’re still great and I’m happy to see them here. The rest of the hardware improvements are all on the inside. It’s got Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon E45 processor. Either four or six gigabytes of RAM. Depending on which model you choose. And the new LTE modem that’s of course even faster at gigabytes speeds. Those are specs we’re gonna see in virtually every Android flagship this year. But Samsung is the first out of the gate with them. Performance, at least during my review has been great. Everything is really fast and responsive. And the network performance is just as impressive as last years and to be honest. Noticeably better than the iPhones. Though unchanged in the size of the battery and the internal storage.

You get a 3,000 million power battery in the S9 and a 3,500 million power battery in the S9+. Both of them has 64 gigs of storage and micro SD card support. I really would have liked to see Samsung increase the battery size this year. It’s not to say that the battery life is bad on either model. But it’s not the best you can get and heavy users are gonna even deplete the S9+ battery after a long day. So despite all that sameness. Samsung did upgrade one important aspect of the S9 and it did so in a pretty big way.

The S9 rear camera is all new. It’s got an improved sensor and a new variable aperture lens. That can physically switch between a really bright Fand a smaller Faperture. The S9+ gains a second telephoto lens for portrait modes stuff like Samsung used on the Note 8 last year. On top of that everything is optically image state wise. Samsung claims significant improvements in low light photography over the S8 camera. And it’s true that the S9 definitely can take some really great photos in low light.

The Faperture lets in more light than last years Flens. And the improved processing helps reduce noise overall. And I’m less impressed with the switching aperture feature. It feels more like a parlor trick than anything else. Now since a digital camera can just compensate its shutter speed for how much light is in the room. I don’t really ever feel like I would ever need to shoot at F2.4. Now if you’re in the pro mode of the camera app you can actually switch between the two modes. So here for an example. I shoot this image at 1.5. And then I’m gonna shoot this image at 2.4. And overall there really isn’t much difference between the two images. The Fis a slightly blurrier background than the F2.4. Which has a little bit longer depth of feel. But in terms of sharpness.

It really isn’t any difference there. So, I’m not sure why I would ever shoot an Fon this phone. I’d probably just leave it at and forget about it. The S9+’s second telephoto lens is similarly gimmicky. Samsung’s live focus portrait mode just isn’t as good as Apple’s or Google’s at separating a subject from the background. And in challenging lighting conditions. Image quality is kind of bad. The S9 gives you 4K video at 60 frames per second or slow motion 1080p video at 240 frames per second. Which catches it up with what the iPhone can do. Now both loads produce nice quality video. But you have to make sure you have plenty of light for the slow motion mode.

Where you’ll see a lot of noise in the video. Overall, the S9’s camera is definitely improving and it’s very good on it’s own. But if you weren’t a fan of Samsung’s image processing before. You still won’t like it now. Sure, there’s less noise than before and the colors are pleasing. But all of the images definitely have Samsung’s look to them.

Which is different to what Apple or Google’s camera produced. At this point it really comes down to personal preference. But it’s definitely something to be aware of. And I wish Samsung did spend some time on is the front camera on the S9. It’s the same 8 megapixel camera as seen on the S8. It does have auto focus which no other front camera has yet to replicate. But its portrait mode just isn’t as good as Google or Apple’s. So all of that stuff is great and it’s gonna keep the S9 at the top of phone rankings for most of 2018. But there’s a ton of other things that Samsung is pushing with the marketing for the S9 this year. And to be honest, you’ll probably never use them. It’s almost as if Samsung just couldn’t help itself. The first up is AR emoji.

Samsung’s take on the iPhone 10’s Animoji feature. Here’s how it works. It scans your face and then it produces a bit emoji character based on the hundred points to your face that kind of maybe looks like you. Then it takes this character and it creates a bunch of reaction goes with it. You can then send in messaging apps. Then there’s also some weird looking animals that you can create video clips with. That you can do with Animoji on the iPhone. Now there’s a couple of issues with Samsung’s AR emoji. First off, Samsung isn’t using any special tactic to capture your face or movement. It’s just relying on the camera. So tracking is really bad. Second, the characters it creates are just the wrong kind of creepy. And nobody I’ve tested it with has been like that’s something I like. And then the animals on top of that are just kind of weird. It’s definitely something that Samsung built just to compete with Apple and frankly it’s not very good.

Now Samsung is also trying to ape the iPhone 10 face ID with its new intelligent scan feature. It combines iris scanning and face protection to unlock the phone. But it’s still slow and now it shines a bright red light in your face when it scans. Good thing there’s a fingerprint scanner that’s easier to reach on the back because it’s faster and more reliable than Samsung’s face scanning option. Next is a new super slow motion mode in the camera. The S9 can shoot up to 960 frames per second. Which sounds really neat. But it can only do so for .2 seconds at a time and only at 720p resolution.

There’s two ways you can shoot it. You can try to manually trigger it to capture the .2 seconds of action you want. Or you can use an automatic mode that looks for a specific movement in an area of the frame and then captures slow movement and detects it. But in practice both are really hard to use. And they’re really more frustrating than anything else. Worse, you need a ton of light to make it work and even if you have lots of light. Image quality is kind of crappy. And if that wasn’t enough. There’s the awful music the app overlays on the clip automatically if you don’t bother to edit it after the fact. (slow music) Now Bixby. It’s not new but it’s still here and it’s still bad. It’s got a fresh coat of paint and it’s slightly faster than before. But it’s still way slower than the Google Assistant and it isn’t as good at parsing my voice commands.

There’s a couple of new features like an integrated makeup store that let’s you try makeup out virtually and then buy it directly from Sophora or Cover Girl. But I really can’t image anyone using that more than once. Anyways, here’s what I look like with a face full of makeup. And then there’s the perennial complaint with Samsung’s software. Why are there so many duplicate apps? The unlock the S9 that I’ve been testing has two email apps, two gallery apps, two browsers, two app stores and two payment apps. Now a couple of Samsung apps is good. Mostly the Samsung browser and Samsung Pay. But the rest are inferior to the Google Apps that are also installed on the phone.

Which just makes it kind of annoying. And if you care at all about software updates. Samsung is one of the worst manufacturers when it comes to delivering new versions of Android. As of this review. Last years Galaxy S8 still doesn’t have Android in the US. And that was released by Google over six months ago. Alright, so it sounds like I just took a huge dump on the S9 but like I said. Most of these bad things can be ignored. You can turn off Bixby. Never bother to use AR emoji or super slow mo. And disable most of Samsung’s apps. The only real sticky point for some people will be Samsung’s poor update history. But that leaves the rest of the S9 which is actually really great. Still has a modern design. Has great performance. Great screen and a very good camera. Outside of the display the S9 isn’t a class leader in any category.

But it’s good enough in all of them that the whole package makes for a great phone. Chances are if you’re spending between $700 and $900 on a new phone this year. The S9 is gonna be one of the best options you can get. But if it doesn’t do it for you. You might want to wait for Samsung’s next big thing. – Sick. Wasn’t that cool? .

As found on Youtube

https://reviewsarena.net/smartphone/samsung-galaxy-s9-first-look/

[productreviewstemplate-blog]

Samsung Galaxy S9 review

– Here’s the new Galaxy S9 and S9+ from Samsung. And if you squint even slightly. You might think you’re looking at last years Galaxy S8. Because the differences between it and the S9 are minimal at best. (casual music) But this is the Android phone that more people will buy than any other this year. And it does come with a few new things that those people will appreciate. And besides, it’s not like the S8 is a bad phone to start from. The overall design of the S9 in unchanged from last year. It’s still a glass and metal sandwich. It still has curved glass in the front and back. It still has an extra wide by 9 display and minimal bezels. It’s really nice and it’s really well made.

But the glass back is kind of a fingerprint magnet and it can be slippery to hold. The smaller S9 is inch screen. While the S9+ is a inches display. Both are super amulet panels with 2960 X 1440 pixels of resolution. Both are really nice to look at with vibrant colors. Sharp resolution and excellent viewing angles. They’re also slightly brighter this year which is always appreciated if not always noticeable. And they still remain the best displays you can get on any Android phone. They’re even up to par with the screen on the iPhone 10. Provided you don’t mind slightly more saturated colors. The S9 has the same fast wired and wireless charge it had before.

The same IP 68 water resistance as before. And the same millimeter headphone jack as before. And if you’re looking for high end phone with a headphone jack in 2018. Your choices are fewer than ever. So it’s kind of great to see Samsung stick with it for the S9. The big design change is the placement of the fingerprint scanner. Which has been moved from the side of the camera to just below it. It’s much easier to use than the S8. Especially if you’re using a larger plus model. But it’s still weirdly small and too close to the camera. I frequently swipe on the camera lens when I’m trying to use the fingerprint gesture to see my notifications. Which is kind of annoying. And then of course there’s that dreaded Bixby button which is still there. Still in the same spot just below the volume buttons on the left side. Now you can disable it from launching Bixby Now which is progress. But Samsung still doesn’t provide a native way to reprogram into something more useful. Now at its worse, it’s annoying.

And at it’s best it’s a little fidget button that you can press without having to worry about doing anything if you actually disable Bixby. The other new hardware feature is stereo speakers. Which basically catches Samsung up to what everyone else has been doing for a couple of years. They are noticeably louder and fuller than the single speaker on the S8.

And they’re really great for watching video. So I’m not gonna say they’re the best phone speakers I’ve ever heard. But they’re still great and I’m happy to see them here. The rest of the hardware improvements are all on the inside. It’s got Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon E45 processor. Either four or six gigabytes of RAM. Depending on which model you choose. And the new LTE modem that’s of course even faster at gigabytes speeds. Those are specs we’re gonna see in virtually every Android flagship this year. But Samsung is the first out of the gate with them. Performance, at least during my review has been great. Everything is really fast and responsive. And the network performance is just as impressive as last years and to be honest. Noticeably better than the iPhones. Though unchanged in the size of the battery and the internal storage.

You get a 3,000 million power battery in the S9 and a 3,500 million power battery in the S9+. Both of them has 64 gigs of storage and micro SD card support. I really would have liked to see Samsung increase the battery size this year. It’s not to say that the battery life is bad on either model. But it’s not the best you can get and heavy users are gonna even deplete the S9+ battery after a long day. So despite all that sameness. Samsung did upgrade one important aspect of the S9 and it did so in a pretty big way.

The S9 rear camera is all new. It’s got an improved sensor and a new variable aperture lens. That can physically switch between a really bright Fand a smaller Faperture. The S9+ gains a second telephoto lens for portrait modes stuff like Samsung used on the Note 8 last year. On top of that everything is optically image state wise. Samsung claims significant improvements in low light photography over the S8 camera. And it’s true that the S9 definitely can take some really great photos in low light.

The Faperture lets in more light than last years Flens. And the improved processing helps reduce noise overall. And I’m less impressed with the switching aperture feature. It feels more like a parlor trick than anything else. Now since a digital camera can just compensate its shutter speed for how much light is in the room. I don’t really ever feel like I would ever need to shoot at F2.4. Now if you’re in the pro mode of the camera app you can actually switch between the two modes. So here for an example. I shoot this image at 1.5. And then I’m gonna shoot this image at 2.4. And overall there really isn’t much difference between the two images. The Fis a slightly blurrier background than the F2.4. Which has a little bit longer depth of feel. But in terms of sharpness.

It really isn’t any difference there. So, I’m not sure why I would ever shoot an Fon this phone. I’d probably just leave it at and forget about it. The S9+’s second telephoto lens is similarly gimmicky. Samsung’s live focus portrait mode just isn’t as good as Apple’s or Google’s at separating a subject from the background. And in challenging lighting conditions. Image quality is kind of bad. The S9 gives you 4K video at 60 frames per second or slow motion 1080p video at 240 frames per second. Which catches it up with what the iPhone can do. Now both loads produce nice quality video. But you have to make sure you have plenty of light for the slow motion mode.

Where you’ll see a lot of noise in the video. Overall, the S9’s camera is definitely improving and it’s very good on it’s own. But if you weren’t a fan of Samsung’s image processing before. You still won’t like it now. Sure, there’s less noise than before and the colors are pleasing. But all of the images definitely have Samsung’s look to them.

Which is different to what Apple or Google’s camera produced. At this point it really comes down to personal preference. But it’s definitely something to be aware of. And I wish Samsung did spend some time on is the front camera on the S9. It’s the same 8 megapixel camera as seen on the S8. It does have auto focus which no other front camera has yet to replicate. But its portrait mode just isn’t as good as Google or Apple’s. So all of that stuff is great and it’s gonna keep the S9 at the top of phone rankings for most of 2018. But there’s a ton of other things that Samsung is pushing with the marketing for the S9 this year. And to be honest, you’ll probably never use them. It’s almost as if Samsung just couldn’t help itself. The first up is AR emoji.

Samsung’s take on the iPhone 10’s Animoji feature. Here’s how it works. It scans your face and then it produces a bit emoji character based on the hundred points to your face that kind of maybe looks like you. Then it takes this character and it creates a bunch of reaction goes with it. You can then send in messaging apps. Then there’s also some weird looking animals that you can create video clips with. That you can do with Animoji on the iPhone. Now there’s a couple of issues with Samsung’s AR emoji. First off, Samsung isn’t using any special tactic to capture your face or movement. It’s just relying on the camera. So tracking is really bad. Second, the characters it creates are just the wrong kind of creepy. And nobody I’ve tested it with has been like that’s something I like. And then the animals on top of that are just kind of weird. It’s definitely something that Samsung built just to compete with Apple and frankly it’s not very good.

Now Samsung is also trying to ape the iPhone 10 face ID with its new intelligent scan feature. It combines iris scanning and face protection to unlock the phone. But it’s still slow and now it shines a bright red light in your face when it scans. Good thing there’s a fingerprint scanner that’s easier to reach on the back because it’s faster and more reliable than Samsung’s face scanning option. Next is a new super slow motion mode in the camera. The S9 can shoot up to 960 frames per second. Which sounds really neat. But it can only do so for .2 seconds at a time and only at 720p resolution.

There’s two ways you can shoot it. You can try to manually trigger it to capture the .2 seconds of action you want. Or you can use an automatic mode that looks for a specific movement in an area of the frame and then captures slow movement and detects it. But in practice both are really hard to use. And they’re really more frustrating than anything else. Worse, you need a ton of light to make it work and even if you have lots of light. Image quality is kind of crappy. And if that wasn’t enough. There’s the awful music the app overlays on the clip automatically if you don’t bother to edit it after the fact. (slow music) Now Bixby. It’s not new but it’s still here and it’s still bad. It’s got a fresh coat of paint and it’s slightly faster than before. But it’s still way slower than the Google Assistant and it isn’t as good at parsing my voice commands.

There’s a couple of new features like an integrated makeup store that let’s you try makeup out virtually and then buy it directly from Sophora or Cover Girl. But I really can’t image anyone using that more than once. Anyways, here’s what I look like with a face full of makeup. And then there’s the perennial complaint with Samsung’s software. Why are there so many duplicate apps? The unlock the S9 that I’ve been testing has two email apps, two gallery apps, two browsers, two app stores and two payment apps. Now a couple of Samsung apps is good. Mostly the Samsung browser and Samsung Pay. But the rest are inferior to the Google Apps that are also installed on the phone.

Which just makes it kind of annoying. And if you care at all about software updates. Samsung is one of the worst manufacturers when it comes to delivering new versions of Android. As of this review. Last years Galaxy S8 still doesn’t have Android in the US. And that was released by Google over six months ago. Alright, so it sounds like I just took a huge dump on the S9 but like I said. Most of these bad things can be ignored. You can turn off Bixby. Never bother to use AR emoji or super slow mo. And disable most of Samsung’s apps. The only real sticky point for some people will be Samsung’s poor update history. But that leaves the rest of the S9 which is actually really great. Still has a modern design. Has great performance. Great screen and a very good camera. Outside of the display the S9 isn’t a class leader in any category.

But it’s good enough in all of them that the whole package makes for a great phone. Chances are if you’re spending between $700 and $900 on a new phone this year. The S9 is gonna be one of the best options you can get. But if it doesn’t do it for you. You might want to wait for Samsung’s next big thing. – Sick. Wasn’t that cool? .

As found on Youtube

https://reviewsarena.net/smartphone/samsung-galaxy-s9-first-look/

[productreviewsonshopify-blog]

Samsung Galaxy S9 review

– Here’s the new Galaxy S9 and S9+ from Samsung. And if you squint even slightly. You might think you’re looking at last years Galaxy S8. Because the differences between it and the S9 are minimal at best. (casual music) But this is the Android phone that more people will buy than any other this year. And it does come with a few new things that those people will appreciate. And besides, it’s not like the S8 is a bad phone to start from. The overall design of the S9 in unchanged from last year. It’s still a glass and metal sandwich. It still has curved glass in the front and back. It still has an extra wide by 9 display and minimal bezels. It’s really nice and it’s really well made.

But the glass back is kind of a fingerprint magnet and it can be slippery to hold. The smaller S9 is inch screen. While the S9+ is a inches display. Both are super amulet panels with 2960 X 1440 pixels of resolution. Both are really nice to look at with vibrant colors. Sharp resolution and excellent viewing angles. They’re also slightly brighter this year which is always appreciated if not always noticeable. And they still remain the best displays you can get on any Android phone. They’re even up to par with the screen on the iPhone 10. Provided you don’t mind slightly more saturated colors. The S9 has the same fast wired and wireless charge it had before.

The same IP 68 water resistance as before. And the same millimeter headphone jack as before. And if you’re looking for high end phone with a headphone jack in 2018. Your choices are fewer than ever. So it’s kind of great to see Samsung stick with it for the S9. The big design change is the placement of the fingerprint scanner. Which has been moved from the side of the camera to just below it. It’s much easier to use than the S8. Especially if you’re using a larger plus model. But it’s still weirdly small and too close to the camera. I frequently swipe on the camera lens when I’m trying to use the fingerprint gesture to see my notifications. Which is kind of annoying. And then of course there’s that dreaded Bixby button which is still there. Still in the same spot just below the volume buttons on the left side. Now you can disable it from launching Bixby Now which is progress. But Samsung still doesn’t provide a native way to reprogram into something more useful. Now at its worse, it’s annoying.

And at it’s best it’s a little fidget button that you can press without having to worry about doing anything if you actually disable Bixby. The other new hardware feature is stereo speakers. Which basically catches Samsung up to what everyone else has been doing for a couple of years. They are noticeably louder and fuller than the single speaker on the S8.

And they’re really great for watching video. So I’m not gonna say they’re the best phone speakers I’ve ever heard. But they’re still great and I’m happy to see them here. The rest of the hardware improvements are all on the inside. It’s got Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon E45 processor. Either four or six gigabytes of RAM. Depending on which model you choose. And the new LTE modem that’s of course even faster at gigabytes speeds. Those are specs we’re gonna see in virtually every Android flagship this year. But Samsung is the first out of the gate with them. Performance, at least during my review has been great. Everything is really fast and responsive. And the network performance is just as impressive as last years and to be honest. Noticeably better than the iPhones. Though unchanged in the size of the battery and the internal storage.

You get a 3,000 million power battery in the S9 and a 3,500 million power battery in the S9+. Both of them has 64 gigs of storage and micro SD card support. I really would have liked to see Samsung increase the battery size this year. It’s not to say that the battery life is bad on either model. But it’s not the best you can get and heavy users are gonna even deplete the S9+ battery after a long day. So despite all that sameness. Samsung did upgrade one important aspect of the S9 and it did so in a pretty big way.

The S9 rear camera is all new. It’s got an improved sensor and a new variable aperture lens. That can physically switch between a really bright Fand a smaller Faperture. The S9+ gains a second telephoto lens for portrait modes stuff like Samsung used on the Note 8 last year. On top of that everything is optically image state wise. Samsung claims significant improvements in low light photography over the S8 camera. And it’s true that the S9 definitely can take some really great photos in low light.

The Faperture lets in more light than last years Flens. And the improved processing helps reduce noise overall. And I’m less impressed with the switching aperture feature. It feels more like a parlor trick than anything else. Now since a digital camera can just compensate its shutter speed for how much light is in the room. I don’t really ever feel like I would ever need to shoot at F2.4. Now if you’re in the pro mode of the camera app you can actually switch between the two modes. So here for an example. I shoot this image at 1.5. And then I’m gonna shoot this image at 2.4. And overall there really isn’t much difference between the two images. The Fis a slightly blurrier background than the F2.4. Which has a little bit longer depth of feel. But in terms of sharpness.

It really isn’t any difference there. So, I’m not sure why I would ever shoot an Fon this phone. I’d probably just leave it at and forget about it. The S9+’s second telephoto lens is similarly gimmicky. Samsung’s live focus portrait mode just isn’t as good as Apple’s or Google’s at separating a subject from the background. And in challenging lighting conditions. Image quality is kind of bad. The S9 gives you 4K video at 60 frames per second or slow motion 1080p video at 240 frames per second. Which catches it up with what the iPhone can do. Now both loads produce nice quality video. But you have to make sure you have plenty of light for the slow motion mode.

Where you’ll see a lot of noise in the video. Overall, the S9’s camera is definitely improving and it’s very good on it’s own. But if you weren’t a fan of Samsung’s image processing before. You still won’t like it now. Sure, there’s less noise than before and the colors are pleasing. But all of the images definitely have Samsung’s look to them.

Which is different to what Apple or Google’s camera produced. At this point it really comes down to personal preference. But it’s definitely something to be aware of. And I wish Samsung did spend some time on is the front camera on the S9. It’s the same 8 megapixel camera as seen on the S8. It does have auto focus which no other front camera has yet to replicate. But its portrait mode just isn’t as good as Google or Apple’s. So all of that stuff is great and it’s gonna keep the S9 at the top of phone rankings for most of 2018. But there’s a ton of other things that Samsung is pushing with the marketing for the S9 this year. And to be honest, you’ll probably never use them. It’s almost as if Samsung just couldn’t help itself. The first up is AR emoji.

Samsung’s take on the iPhone 10’s Animoji feature. Here’s how it works. It scans your face and then it produces a bit emoji character based on the hundred points to your face that kind of maybe looks like you. Then it takes this character and it creates a bunch of reaction goes with it. You can then send in messaging apps. Then there’s also some weird looking animals that you can create video clips with. That you can do with Animoji on the iPhone. Now there’s a couple of issues with Samsung’s AR emoji. First off, Samsung isn’t using any special tactic to capture your face or movement. It’s just relying on the camera. So tracking is really bad. Second, the characters it creates are just the wrong kind of creepy. And nobody I’ve tested it with has been like that’s something I like. And then the animals on top of that are just kind of weird. It’s definitely something that Samsung built just to compete with Apple and frankly it’s not very good.

Now Samsung is also trying to ape the iPhone 10 face ID with its new intelligent scan feature. It combines iris scanning and face protection to unlock the phone. But it’s still slow and now it shines a bright red light in your face when it scans. Good thing there’s a fingerprint scanner that’s easier to reach on the back because it’s faster and more reliable than Samsung’s face scanning option. Next is a new super slow motion mode in the camera. The S9 can shoot up to 960 frames per second. Which sounds really neat. But it can only do so for .2 seconds at a time and only at 720p resolution.

There’s two ways you can shoot it. You can try to manually trigger it to capture the .2 seconds of action you want. Or you can use an automatic mode that looks for a specific movement in an area of the frame and then captures slow movement and detects it. But in practice both are really hard to use. And they’re really more frustrating than anything else. Worse, you need a ton of light to make it work and even if you have lots of light. Image quality is kind of crappy. And if that wasn’t enough. There’s the awful music the app overlays on the clip automatically if you don’t bother to edit it after the fact. (slow music) Now Bixby. It’s not new but it’s still here and it’s still bad. It’s got a fresh coat of paint and it’s slightly faster than before. But it’s still way slower than the Google Assistant and it isn’t as good at parsing my voice commands.

There’s a couple of new features like an integrated makeup store that let’s you try makeup out virtually and then buy it directly from Sophora or Cover Girl. But I really can’t image anyone using that more than once. Anyways, here’s what I look like with a face full of makeup. And then there’s the perennial complaint with Samsung’s software. Why are there so many duplicate apps? The unlock the S9 that I’ve been testing has two email apps, two gallery apps, two browsers, two app stores and two payment apps. Now a couple of Samsung apps is good. Mostly the Samsung browser and Samsung Pay. But the rest are inferior to the Google Apps that are also installed on the phone.

Which just makes it kind of annoying. And if you care at all about software updates. Samsung is one of the worst manufacturers when it comes to delivering new versions of Android. As of this review. Last years Galaxy S8 still doesn’t have Android in the US. And that was released by Google over six months ago. Alright, so it sounds like I just took a huge dump on the S9 but like I said. Most of these bad things can be ignored. You can turn off Bixby. Never bother to use AR emoji or super slow mo. And disable most of Samsung’s apps. The only real sticky point for some people will be Samsung’s poor update history. But that leaves the rest of the S9 which is actually really great. Still has a modern design. Has great performance. Great screen and a very good camera. Outside of the display the S9 isn’t a class leader in any category.

But it’s good enough in all of them that the whole package makes for a great phone. Chances are if you’re spending between $700 and $900 on a new phone this year. The S9 is gonna be one of the best options you can get. But if it doesn’t do it for you. You might want to wait for Samsung’s next big thing. – Sick. Wasn’t that cool? .

As found on Youtube

https://reviewsarena.net/smartphone/samsung-galaxy-s9-first-look/

[goodrocketenergy]

Samsung Galaxy S9 review

– Here’s the new Galaxy S9 and S9+ from Samsung. And if you squint even slightly. You might think you’re looking at last years Galaxy S8. Because the differences between it and the S9 are minimal at best. (casual music) But this is the Android phone that more people will buy than any other this year. And it does come with a few new things that those people will appreciate. And besides, it’s not like the S8 is a bad phone to start from. The overall design of the S9 in unchanged from last year. It’s still a glass and metal sandwich. It still has curved glass in the front and back. It still has an extra wide by 9 display and minimal bezels. It’s really nice and it’s really well made.

But the glass back is kind of a fingerprint magnet and it can be slippery to hold. The smaller S9 is inch screen. While the S9+ is a inches display. Both are super amulet panels with 2960 X 1440 pixels of resolution. Both are really nice to look at with vibrant colors. Sharp resolution and excellent viewing angles. They’re also slightly brighter this year which is always appreciated if not always noticeable. And they still remain the best displays you can get on any Android phone. They’re even up to par with the screen on the iPhone 10. Provided you don’t mind slightly more saturated colors. The S9 has the same fast wired and wireless charge it had before.

The same IP 68 water resistance as before. And the same millimeter headphone jack as before. And if you’re looking for high end phone with a headphone jack in 2018. Your choices are fewer than ever. So it’s kind of great to see Samsung stick with it for the S9. The big design change is the placement of the fingerprint scanner. Which has been moved from the side of the camera to just below it. It’s much easier to use than the S8. Especially if you’re using a larger plus model. But it’s still weirdly small and too close to the camera. I frequently swipe on the camera lens when I’m trying to use the fingerprint gesture to see my notifications. Which is kind of annoying. And then of course there’s that dreaded Bixby button which is still there. Still in the same spot just below the volume buttons on the left side. Now you can disable it from launching Bixby Now which is progress. But Samsung still doesn’t provide a native way to reprogram into something more useful. Now at its worse, it’s annoying.

And at it’s best it’s a little fidget button that you can press without having to worry about doing anything if you actually disable Bixby. The other new hardware feature is stereo speakers. Which basically catches Samsung up to what everyone else has been doing for a couple of years. They are noticeably louder and fuller than the single speaker on the S8.

And they’re really great for watching video. So I’m not gonna say they’re the best phone speakers I’ve ever heard. But they’re still great and I’m happy to see them here. The rest of the hardware improvements are all on the inside. It’s got Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon E45 processor. Either four or six gigabytes of RAM. Depending on which model you choose. And the new LTE modem that’s of course even faster at gigabytes speeds. Those are specs we’re gonna see in virtually every Android flagship this year. But Samsung is the first out of the gate with them. Performance, at least during my review has been great. Everything is really fast and responsive. And the network performance is just as impressive as last years and to be honest. Noticeably better than the iPhones. Though unchanged in the size of the battery and the internal storage.

You get a 3,000 million power battery in the S9 and a 3,500 million power battery in the S9+. Both of them has 64 gigs of storage and micro SD card support. I really would have liked to see Samsung increase the battery size this year. It’s not to say that the battery life is bad on either model. But it’s not the best you can get and heavy users are gonna even deplete the S9+ battery after a long day. So despite all that sameness. Samsung did upgrade one important aspect of the S9 and it did so in a pretty big way.

The S9 rear camera is all new. It’s got an improved sensor and a new variable aperture lens. That can physically switch between a really bright Fand a smaller Faperture. The S9+ gains a second telephoto lens for portrait modes stuff like Samsung used on the Note 8 last year. On top of that everything is optically image state wise. Samsung claims significant improvements in low light photography over the S8 camera. And it’s true that the S9 definitely can take some really great photos in low light.

The Faperture lets in more light than last years Flens. And the improved processing helps reduce noise overall. And I’m less impressed with the switching aperture feature. It feels more like a parlor trick than anything else. Now since a digital camera can just compensate its shutter speed for how much light is in the room. I don’t really ever feel like I would ever need to shoot at F2.4. Now if you’re in the pro mode of the camera app you can actually switch between the two modes. So here for an example. I shoot this image at 1.5. And then I’m gonna shoot this image at 2.4. And overall there really isn’t much difference between the two images. The Fis a slightly blurrier background than the F2.4. Which has a little bit longer depth of feel. But in terms of sharpness.

It really isn’t any difference there. So, I’m not sure why I would ever shoot an Fon this phone. I’d probably just leave it at and forget about it. The S9+’s second telephoto lens is similarly gimmicky. Samsung’s live focus portrait mode just isn’t as good as Apple’s or Google’s at separating a subject from the background. And in challenging lighting conditions. Image quality is kind of bad. The S9 gives you 4K video at 60 frames per second or slow motion 1080p video at 240 frames per second. Which catches it up with what the iPhone can do. Now both loads produce nice quality video. But you have to make sure you have plenty of light for the slow motion mode.

Where you’ll see a lot of noise in the video. Overall, the S9’s camera is definitely improving and it’s very good on it’s own. But if you weren’t a fan of Samsung’s image processing before. You still won’t like it now. Sure, there’s less noise than before and the colors are pleasing. But all of the images definitely have Samsung’s look to them.

Which is different to what Apple or Google’s camera produced. At this point it really comes down to personal preference. But it’s definitely something to be aware of. And I wish Samsung did spend some time on is the front camera on the S9. It’s the same 8 megapixel camera as seen on the S8. It does have auto focus which no other front camera has yet to replicate. But its portrait mode just isn’t as good as Google or Apple’s. So all of that stuff is great and it’s gonna keep the S9 at the top of phone rankings for most of 2018. But there’s a ton of other things that Samsung is pushing with the marketing for the S9 this year. And to be honest, you’ll probably never use them. It’s almost as if Samsung just couldn’t help itself. The first up is AR emoji.

Samsung’s take on the iPhone 10’s Animoji feature. Here’s how it works. It scans your face and then it produces a bit emoji character based on the hundred points to your face that kind of maybe looks like you. Then it takes this character and it creates a bunch of reaction goes with it. You can then send in messaging apps. Then there’s also some weird looking animals that you can create video clips with. That you can do with Animoji on the iPhone. Now there’s a couple of issues with Samsung’s AR emoji. First off, Samsung isn’t using any special tactic to capture your face or movement. It’s just relying on the camera. So tracking is really bad. Second, the characters it creates are just the wrong kind of creepy. And nobody I’ve tested it with has been like that’s something I like. And then the animals on top of that are just kind of weird. It’s definitely something that Samsung built just to compete with Apple and frankly it’s not very good.

Now Samsung is also trying to ape the iPhone 10 face ID with its new intelligent scan feature. It combines iris scanning and face protection to unlock the phone. But it’s still slow and now it shines a bright red light in your face when it scans. Good thing there’s a fingerprint scanner that’s easier to reach on the back because it’s faster and more reliable than Samsung’s face scanning option. Next is a new super slow motion mode in the camera. The S9 can shoot up to 960 frames per second. Which sounds really neat. But it can only do so for .2 seconds at a time and only at 720p resolution.

There’s two ways you can shoot it. You can try to manually trigger it to capture the .2 seconds of action you want. Or you can use an automatic mode that looks for a specific movement in an area of the frame and then captures slow movement and detects it. But in practice both are really hard to use. And they’re really more frustrating than anything else. Worse, you need a ton of light to make it work and even if you have lots of light. Image quality is kind of crappy. And if that wasn’t enough. There’s the awful music the app overlays on the clip automatically if you don’t bother to edit it after the fact. (slow music) Now Bixby. It’s not new but it’s still here and it’s still bad. It’s got a fresh coat of paint and it’s slightly faster than before. But it’s still way slower than the Google Assistant and it isn’t as good at parsing my voice commands.

There’s a couple of new features like an integrated makeup store that let’s you try makeup out virtually and then buy it directly from Sophora or Cover Girl. But I really can’t image anyone using that more than once. Anyways, here’s what I look like with a face full of makeup. And then there’s the perennial complaint with Samsung’s software. Why are there so many duplicate apps? The unlock the S9 that I’ve been testing has two email apps, two gallery apps, two browsers, two app stores and two payment apps. Now a couple of Samsung apps is good. Mostly the Samsung browser and Samsung Pay. But the rest are inferior to the Google Apps that are also installed on the phone.

Which just makes it kind of annoying. And if you care at all about software updates. Samsung is one of the worst manufacturers when it comes to delivering new versions of Android. As of this review. Last years Galaxy S8 still doesn’t have Android in the US. And that was released by Google over six months ago. Alright, so it sounds like I just took a huge dump on the S9 but like I said. Most of these bad things can be ignored. You can turn off Bixby. Never bother to use AR emoji or super slow mo. And disable most of Samsung’s apps. The only real sticky point for some people will be Samsung’s poor update history. But that leaves the rest of the S9 which is actually really great. Still has a modern design. Has great performance. Great screen and a very good camera. Outside of the display the S9 isn’t a class leader in any category.

But it’s good enough in all of them that the whole package makes for a great phone. Chances are if you’re spending between $700 and $900 on a new phone this year. The S9 is gonna be one of the best options you can get. But if it doesn’t do it for you. You might want to wait for Samsung’s next big thing. – Sick. Wasn’t that cool? .

As found on Youtube

https://reviewsarena.net/smartphone/samsung-galaxy-s9-first-look/

[productreviewsonebay-blog]

Samsung Galaxy S9 review

– Here’s the new Galaxy S9 and S9+ from Samsung. And if you squint even slightly. You might think you’re looking at last years Galaxy S8. Because the differences between it and the S9 are minimal at best. (casual music) But this is the Android phone that more people will buy than any other this year. And it does come with a few new things that those people will appreciate. And besides, it’s not like the S8 is a bad phone to start from. The overall design of the S9 in unchanged from last year. It’s still a glass and metal sandwich. It still has curved glass in the front and back. It still has an extra wide by 9 display and minimal bezels. It’s really nice and it’s really well made.

But the glass back is kind of a fingerprint magnet and it can be slippery to hold. The smaller S9 is inch screen. While the S9+ is a inches display. Both are super amulet panels with 2960 X 1440 pixels of resolution. Both are really nice to look at with vibrant colors. Sharp resolution and excellent viewing angles. They’re also slightly brighter this year which is always appreciated if not always noticeable. And they still remain the best displays you can get on any Android phone. They’re even up to par with the screen on the iPhone 10. Provided you don’t mind slightly more saturated colors. The S9 has the same fast wired and wireless charge it had before.

The same IP 68 water resistance as before. And the same millimeter headphone jack as before. And if you’re looking for high end phone with a headphone jack in 2018. Your choices are fewer than ever. So it’s kind of great to see Samsung stick with it for the S9. The big design change is the placement of the fingerprint scanner. Which has been moved from the side of the camera to just below it. It’s much easier to use than the S8. Especially if you’re using a larger plus model. But it’s still weirdly small and too close to the camera. I frequently swipe on the camera lens when I’m trying to use the fingerprint gesture to see my notifications. Which is kind of annoying. And then of course there’s that dreaded Bixby button which is still there. Still in the same spot just below the volume buttons on the left side. Now you can disable it from launching Bixby Now which is progress. But Samsung still doesn’t provide a native way to reprogram into something more useful. Now at its worse, it’s annoying.

And at it’s best it’s a little fidget button that you can press without having to worry about doing anything if you actually disable Bixby. The other new hardware feature is stereo speakers. Which basically catches Samsung up to what everyone else has been doing for a couple of years. They are noticeably louder and fuller than the single speaker on the S8.

And they’re really great for watching video. So I’m not gonna say they’re the best phone speakers I’ve ever heard. But they’re still great and I’m happy to see them here. The rest of the hardware improvements are all on the inside. It’s got Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon E45 processor. Either four or six gigabytes of RAM. Depending on which model you choose. And the new LTE modem that’s of course even faster at gigabytes speeds. Those are specs we’re gonna see in virtually every Android flagship this year. But Samsung is the first out of the gate with them. Performance, at least during my review has been great. Everything is really fast and responsive. And the network performance is just as impressive as last years and to be honest. Noticeably better than the iPhones. Though unchanged in the size of the battery and the internal storage.

You get a 3,000 million power battery in the S9 and a 3,500 million power battery in the S9+. Both of them has 64 gigs of storage and micro SD card support. I really would have liked to see Samsung increase the battery size this year. It’s not to say that the battery life is bad on either model. But it’s not the best you can get and heavy users are gonna even deplete the S9+ battery after a long day. So despite all that sameness. Samsung did upgrade one important aspect of the S9 and it did so in a pretty big way.

The S9 rear camera is all new. It’s got an improved sensor and a new variable aperture lens. That can physically switch between a really bright Fand a smaller Faperture. The S9+ gains a second telephoto lens for portrait modes stuff like Samsung used on the Note 8 last year. On top of that everything is optically image state wise. Samsung claims significant improvements in low light photography over the S8 camera. And it’s true that the S9 definitely can take some really great photos in low light.

The Faperture lets in more light than last years Flens. And the improved processing helps reduce noise overall. And I’m less impressed with the switching aperture feature. It feels more like a parlor trick than anything else. Now since a digital camera can just compensate its shutter speed for how much light is in the room. I don’t really ever feel like I would ever need to shoot at F2.4. Now if you’re in the pro mode of the camera app you can actually switch between the two modes. So here for an example. I shoot this image at 1.5. And then I’m gonna shoot this image at 2.4. And overall there really isn’t much difference between the two images. The Fis a slightly blurrier background than the F2.4. Which has a little bit longer depth of feel. But in terms of sharpness.

It really isn’t any difference there. So, I’m not sure why I would ever shoot an Fon this phone. I’d probably just leave it at and forget about it. The S9+’s second telephoto lens is similarly gimmicky. Samsung’s live focus portrait mode just isn’t as good as Apple’s or Google’s at separating a subject from the background. And in challenging lighting conditions. Image quality is kind of bad. The S9 gives you 4K video at 60 frames per second or slow motion 1080p video at 240 frames per second. Which catches it up with what the iPhone can do. Now both loads produce nice quality video. But you have to make sure you have plenty of light for the slow motion mode.

Where you’ll see a lot of noise in the video. Overall, the S9’s camera is definitely improving and it’s very good on it’s own. But if you weren’t a fan of Samsung’s image processing before. You still won’t like it now. Sure, there’s less noise than before and the colors are pleasing. But all of the images definitely have Samsung’s look to them.

Which is different to what Apple or Google’s camera produced. At this point it really comes down to personal preference. But it’s definitely something to be aware of. And I wish Samsung did spend some time on is the front camera on the S9. It’s the same 8 megapixel camera as seen on the S8. It does have auto focus which no other front camera has yet to replicate. But its portrait mode just isn’t as good as Google or Apple’s. So all of that stuff is great and it’s gonna keep the S9 at the top of phone rankings for most of 2018. But there’s a ton of other things that Samsung is pushing with the marketing for the S9 this year. And to be honest, you’ll probably never use them. It’s almost as if Samsung just couldn’t help itself. The first up is AR emoji.

Samsung’s take on the iPhone 10’s Animoji feature. Here’s how it works. It scans your face and then it produces a bit emoji character based on the hundred points to your face that kind of maybe looks like you. Then it takes this character and it creates a bunch of reaction goes with it. You can then send in messaging apps. Then there’s also some weird looking animals that you can create video clips with. That you can do with Animoji on the iPhone. Now there’s a couple of issues with Samsung’s AR emoji. First off, Samsung isn’t using any special tactic to capture your face or movement. It’s just relying on the camera. So tracking is really bad. Second, the characters it creates are just the wrong kind of creepy. And nobody I’ve tested it with has been like that’s something I like. And then the animals on top of that are just kind of weird. It’s definitely something that Samsung built just to compete with Apple and frankly it’s not very good.

Now Samsung is also trying to ape the iPhone 10 face ID with its new intelligent scan feature. It combines iris scanning and face protection to unlock the phone. But it’s still slow and now it shines a bright red light in your face when it scans. Good thing there’s a fingerprint scanner that’s easier to reach on the back because it’s faster and more reliable than Samsung’s face scanning option. Next is a new super slow motion mode in the camera. The S9 can shoot up to 960 frames per second. Which sounds really neat. But it can only do so for .2 seconds at a time and only at 720p resolution.

There’s two ways you can shoot it. You can try to manually trigger it to capture the .2 seconds of action you want. Or you can use an automatic mode that looks for a specific movement in an area of the frame and then captures slow movement and detects it. But in practice both are really hard to use. And they’re really more frustrating than anything else. Worse, you need a ton of light to make it work and even if you have lots of light. Image quality is kind of crappy. And if that wasn’t enough. There’s the awful music the app overlays on the clip automatically if you don’t bother to edit it after the fact. (slow music) Now Bixby. It’s not new but it’s still here and it’s still bad. It’s got a fresh coat of paint and it’s slightly faster than before. But it’s still way slower than the Google Assistant and it isn’t as good at parsing my voice commands.

There’s a couple of new features like an integrated makeup store that let’s you try makeup out virtually and then buy it directly from Sophora or Cover Girl. But I really can’t image anyone using that more than once. Anyways, here’s what I look like with a face full of makeup. And then there’s the perennial complaint with Samsung’s software. Why are there so many duplicate apps? The unlock the S9 that I’ve been testing has two email apps, two gallery apps, two browsers, two app stores and two payment apps. Now a couple of Samsung apps is good. Mostly the Samsung browser and Samsung Pay. But the rest are inferior to the Google Apps that are also installed on the phone.

Which just makes it kind of annoying. And if you care at all about software updates. Samsung is one of the worst manufacturers when it comes to delivering new versions of Android. As of this review. Last years Galaxy S8 still doesn’t have Android in the US. And that was released by Google over six months ago. Alright, so it sounds like I just took a huge dump on the S9 but like I said. Most of these bad things can be ignored. You can turn off Bixby. Never bother to use AR emoji or super slow mo. And disable most of Samsung’s apps. The only real sticky point for some people will be Samsung’s poor update history. But that leaves the rest of the S9 which is actually really great. Still has a modern design. Has great performance. Great screen and a very good camera. Outside of the display the S9 isn’t a class leader in any category.

But it’s good enough in all of them that the whole package makes for a great phone. Chances are if you’re spending between $700 and $900 on a new phone this year. The S9 is gonna be one of the best options you can get. But if it doesn’t do it for you. You might want to wait for Samsung’s next big thing. – Sick. Wasn’t that cool? .

As found on Youtube

https://reviewsarena.net/smartphone/samsung-galaxy-s9-first-look/

[wonderlvndx]

Samsung Galaxy S9 review

– Here’s the new Galaxy S9 and S9+ from Samsung. And if you squint even slightly. You might think you’re looking at last years Galaxy S8. Because the differences between it and the S9 are minimal at best. (casual music) But this is the Android phone that more people will buy than any other this year. And it does come with a few new things that those people will appreciate. And besides, it’s not like the S8 is a bad phone to start from. The overall design of the S9 in unchanged from last year. It’s still a glass and metal sandwich. It still has curved glass in the front and back. It still has an extra wide by 9 display and minimal bezels. It’s really nice and it’s really well made.

But the glass back is kind of a fingerprint magnet and it can be slippery to hold. The smaller S9 is inch screen. While the S9+ is a inches display. Both are super amulet panels with 2960 X 1440 pixels of resolution. Both are really nice to look at with vibrant colors. Sharp resolution and excellent viewing angles. They’re also slightly brighter this year which is always appreciated if not always noticeable. And they still remain the best displays you can get on any Android phone. They’re even up to par with the screen on the iPhone 10. Provided you don’t mind slightly more saturated colors. The S9 has the same fast wired and wireless charge it had before.

The same IP 68 water resistance as before. And the same millimeter headphone jack as before. And if you’re looking for high end phone with a headphone jack in 2018. Your choices are fewer than ever. So it’s kind of great to see Samsung stick with it for the S9. The big design change is the placement of the fingerprint scanner. Which has been moved from the side of the camera to just below it. It’s much easier to use than the S8. Especially if you’re using a larger plus model. But it’s still weirdly small and too close to the camera. I frequently swipe on the camera lens when I’m trying to use the fingerprint gesture to see my notifications. Which is kind of annoying. And then of course there’s that dreaded Bixby button which is still there. Still in the same spot just below the volume buttons on the left side. Now you can disable it from launching Bixby Now which is progress. But Samsung still doesn’t provide a native way to reprogram into something more useful. Now at its worse, it’s annoying.

And at it’s best it’s a little fidget button that you can press without having to worry about doing anything if you actually disable Bixby. The other new hardware feature is stereo speakers. Which basically catches Samsung up to what everyone else has been doing for a couple of years. They are noticeably louder and fuller than the single speaker on the S8.

And they’re really great for watching video. So I’m not gonna say they’re the best phone speakers I’ve ever heard. But they’re still great and I’m happy to see them here. The rest of the hardware improvements are all on the inside. It’s got Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon E45 processor. Either four or six gigabytes of RAM. Depending on which model you choose. And the new LTE modem that’s of course even faster at gigabytes speeds. Those are specs we’re gonna see in virtually every Android flagship this year. But Samsung is the first out of the gate with them. Performance, at least during my review has been great. Everything is really fast and responsive. And the network performance is just as impressive as last years and to be honest. Noticeably better than the iPhones. Though unchanged in the size of the battery and the internal storage.

You get a 3,000 million power battery in the S9 and a 3,500 million power battery in the S9+. Both of them has 64 gigs of storage and micro SD card support. I really would have liked to see Samsung increase the battery size this year. It’s not to say that the battery life is bad on either model. But it’s not the best you can get and heavy users are gonna even deplete the S9+ battery after a long day. So despite all that sameness. Samsung did upgrade one important aspect of the S9 and it did so in a pretty big way.

The S9 rear camera is all new. It’s got an improved sensor and a new variable aperture lens. That can physically switch between a really bright Fand a smaller Faperture. The S9+ gains a second telephoto lens for portrait modes stuff like Samsung used on the Note 8 last year. On top of that everything is optically image state wise. Samsung claims significant improvements in low light photography over the S8 camera. And it’s true that the S9 definitely can take some really great photos in low light.

The Faperture lets in more light than last years Flens. And the improved processing helps reduce noise overall. And I’m less impressed with the switching aperture feature. It feels more like a parlor trick than anything else. Now since a digital camera can just compensate its shutter speed for how much light is in the room. I don’t really ever feel like I would ever need to shoot at F2.4. Now if you’re in the pro mode of the camera app you can actually switch between the two modes. So here for an example. I shoot this image at 1.5. And then I’m gonna shoot this image at 2.4. And overall there really isn’t much difference between the two images. The Fis a slightly blurrier background than the F2.4. Which has a little bit longer depth of feel. But in terms of sharpness.

It really isn’t any difference there. So, I’m not sure why I would ever shoot an Fon this phone. I’d probably just leave it at and forget about it. The S9+’s second telephoto lens is similarly gimmicky. Samsung’s live focus portrait mode just isn’t as good as Apple’s or Google’s at separating a subject from the background. And in challenging lighting conditions. Image quality is kind of bad. The S9 gives you 4K video at 60 frames per second or slow motion 1080p video at 240 frames per second. Which catches it up with what the iPhone can do. Now both loads produce nice quality video. But you have to make sure you have plenty of light for the slow motion mode.

Where you’ll see a lot of noise in the video. Overall, the S9’s camera is definitely improving and it’s very good on it’s own. But if you weren’t a fan of Samsung’s image processing before. You still won’t like it now. Sure, there’s less noise than before and the colors are pleasing. But all of the images definitely have Samsung’s look to them.

Which is different to what Apple or Google’s camera produced. At this point it really comes down to personal preference. But it’s definitely something to be aware of. And I wish Samsung did spend some time on is the front camera on the S9. It’s the same 8 megapixel camera as seen on the S8. It does have auto focus which no other front camera has yet to replicate. But its portrait mode just isn’t as good as Google or Apple’s. So all of that stuff is great and it’s gonna keep the S9 at the top of phone rankings for most of 2018. But there’s a ton of other things that Samsung is pushing with the marketing for the S9 this year. And to be honest, you’ll probably never use them. It’s almost as if Samsung just couldn’t help itself. The first up is AR emoji.

Samsung’s take on the iPhone 10’s Animoji feature. Here’s how it works. It scans your face and then it produces a bit emoji character based on the hundred points to your face that kind of maybe looks like you. Then it takes this character and it creates a bunch of reaction goes with it. You can then send in messaging apps. Then there’s also some weird looking animals that you can create video clips with. That you can do with Animoji on the iPhone. Now there’s a couple of issues with Samsung’s AR emoji. First off, Samsung isn’t using any special tactic to capture your face or movement. It’s just relying on the camera. So tracking is really bad. Second, the characters it creates are just the wrong kind of creepy. And nobody I’ve tested it with has been like that’s something I like. And then the animals on top of that are just kind of weird. It’s definitely something that Samsung built just to compete with Apple and frankly it’s not very good.

Now Samsung is also trying to ape the iPhone 10 face ID with its new intelligent scan feature. It combines iris scanning and face protection to unlock the phone. But it’s still slow and now it shines a bright red light in your face when it scans. Good thing there’s a fingerprint scanner that’s easier to reach on the back because it’s faster and more reliable than Samsung’s face scanning option. Next is a new super slow motion mode in the camera. The S9 can shoot up to 960 frames per second. Which sounds really neat. But it can only do so for .2 seconds at a time and only at 720p resolution.

There’s two ways you can shoot it. You can try to manually trigger it to capture the .2 seconds of action you want. Or you can use an automatic mode that looks for a specific movement in an area of the frame and then captures slow movement and detects it. But in practice both are really hard to use. And they’re really more frustrating than anything else. Worse, you need a ton of light to make it work and even if you have lots of light. Image quality is kind of crappy. And if that wasn’t enough. There’s the awful music the app overlays on the clip automatically if you don’t bother to edit it after the fact. (slow music) Now Bixby. It’s not new but it’s still here and it’s still bad. It’s got a fresh coat of paint and it’s slightly faster than before. But it’s still way slower than the Google Assistant and it isn’t as good at parsing my voice commands.

There’s a couple of new features like an integrated makeup store that let’s you try makeup out virtually and then buy it directly from Sophora or Cover Girl. But I really can’t image anyone using that more than once. Anyways, here’s what I look like with a face full of makeup. And then there’s the perennial complaint with Samsung’s software. Why are there so many duplicate apps? The unlock the S9 that I’ve been testing has two email apps, two gallery apps, two browsers, two app stores and two payment apps. Now a couple of Samsung apps is good. Mostly the Samsung browser and Samsung Pay. But the rest are inferior to the Google Apps that are also installed on the phone.

Which just makes it kind of annoying. And if you care at all about software updates. Samsung is one of the worst manufacturers when it comes to delivering new versions of Android. As of this review. Last years Galaxy S8 still doesn’t have Android in the US. And that was released by Google over six months ago. Alright, so it sounds like I just took a huge dump on the S9 but like I said. Most of these bad things can be ignored. You can turn off Bixby. Never bother to use AR emoji or super slow mo. And disable most of Samsung’s apps. The only real sticky point for some people will be Samsung’s poor update history. But that leaves the rest of the S9 which is actually really great. Still has a modern design. Has great performance. Great screen and a very good camera. Outside of the display the S9 isn’t a class leader in any category.

But it’s good enough in all of them that the whole package makes for a great phone. Chances are if you’re spending between $700 and $900 on a new phone this year. The S9 is gonna be one of the best options you can get. But if it doesn’t do it for you. You might want to wait for Samsung’s next big thing. – Sick. Wasn’t that cool? .

As found on Youtube

https://reviewsarena.net/smartphone/samsung-galaxy-s9-first-look/

[paintingonrock101-blog]

Charlotte, United States Rock Painting Ideas

Rock painting celebrations are a lot fun and honestly, I'm not sure the children are going to hate any of these ideas. I state this since any kind of smaller as well as more youthful youngsters have a truly hard time attempting to paint designs on them (unless they utilize our favored rock painting pens). Discover how to paint rocks and discover the very best rock paint ideas for kids with the awesome concepts and rock paint pointers for kids listed below. The facility is simple: Gather a few products (level, paintable rocks, acrylic paint, sealer, paint brushes), decorate your rock-- obtaining as innovative as you like-- and secure it. Create directions under of the rock that inform the finder which Facebook group to upload an image to as soon as it's discovered.

Complying with a review of just how to collect as well as prepare your rocks, as well as a standard testimonial of the tools and products needed for every task, three gifted rock-painting musicians show a series of modern layouts featuring patterns, animals, mandalas, and also much more. I'm a big follower of making points simple, so I grabbed the bags I discussed (for support bags) and also the children got to take residence the bag, the artist palette, and also their repainted rocks. I wouldn't establish this up as a rock painting celebration task with young children, however maybe fun to have the whole group play together. When painting rocks, brilliant colored acrylic paints are extremely ideal. After you're finished with painting your rock, you require to secure it. You can utilize a sealant as well as paint added layers to ensure that your art will certainly last for an extended period of time.

"I repainted as a means to sort of take my mind off the tornado as well as loosen up a bit," said Justiniano, who then uploaded images of her repainted rocks on Facebook and also was told by a pal regarding rock paint groups.

If you're painting your rock all 1 base color prior to you begin on your larger design, paint 1 side, after that let it completely dry. For more motivation, we have included a couple of links to some gorgeous, creative, and enjoyable methods to repaint rocks that we have uncovered and attempted given that the very first time my daughter as well as I painted rocks with each other. Optional-Paint a single color acrylic base layer on each rock you will certainly be painting and also allow to dry.

You can likewise conceal your rocks in close-by parks and also public places so various other individuals can find them if you're component of the rock paint neighborhood in your area! Paint on rocks is a truly fun way to spend an afternoon with kids, senior citizens or just a team of buddies.

Unless the natural shade of your stone will become part of your design, begin by painting your rock with an undercoat, such as white, grey or black. I like this collection of brushes Although they state they are for watercolors, I have actually located they are the best brushes for paint rocks with acrylic paint. Jump on board the current fad in craft - the super-fun art of rock painting designs!After going out of print numerous years back, Painting on Rocks for Kids is arranged to be released in a changed edition with even more enjoyable and exciting projects for kids (of any ages- also grownup ones!) It will feature twice as numerous jobs and lots of originalities as well as methods, so stay tuned. Organized by county, town or state, the groups commonly come from on Facebook, gathering regional members who desire to participate the enjoyable of painting rocks, hiding rocks and also hunting for rocks repainted by others. Many thanks for this neat look at painting rocks/stones with every one of the enjoyable instances. I am an artist so I like painting and mapping out yet I have actually never ever painted on rocks I require to do this.

I repaint several rocks at one time, so I am able to work in cycles as well as save time contrasted to dealing with one rock at a time.I truly delight in paint on rocks.

The Best Way To Have Fun Within The Wild

Camping is the perfect wholesome activity that can be done with friends and family. Many people miss this excellent opportunity mainly because they feel it is sometimes complicated to accomplish it right. With the proper advice, it doesn't have to be. Continue reading to get advice that will make your camping trip more pleasant.

Ahead of the sun sets when you find yourself camping, look for shelter. Once it gets dark outside, identifying how to create a tent, finding wood and making food can get impossible. This is certainly particularly the case for city slickers who are unaccustomed to darkness. Just before the moon has gone out, avoid this situation by finding shelter.

It might seem that you could find all the wood you need to keep the fire going, but there is a good chance that this wood will probably be wet. It's always prudent to create wood you have gathered beforehand, as well as to store it within a location where it would stay dry.

Speak with your kids about common dangers before you take them with a camping trip. It is very easy to prove to them which plants they must avoid prior to your holiday.

Put a lot of thought into buying your tent should you use a tent for camping. Think about the climate. Consider your budget range. How frequently are you gonna be by using this tent? You don't want to purchase a tent that won't have the ability to stand up to the elements. As well, you don't need to pay a lot of money for a tent you intend to simply use once.

Kids might love a camping activity called the "jungle breakfast." Tie for the trees small boxes offruit and cereal, and juice boxes. Make the children "hunt" them inside the wild just like a great outdoorsman. It is actually a fun way to start the day and something for your kids to look ahead to in the morning.

Remember, if you are camping you will not have access to many kitchen luxuries. At many, you will have a can opener as well as a basic burner. Much better are things that need minimal preparation, like peanut butter sandwiches, even though this means canned foods come up with a great meal.

While camping seems synonymous with a campfire, that campfire doesn't necessarily really need to be made from wood. Actually, it will be safer and simpler try using a portable campfire unit powered by propane. Typically, these units are permitted unless there is a fire ban in place. Marshmallows taste just as good from all of these units while they do over an open, wood-burning fire, too.

Camping is tough work, but it's also really much fun. When you figure out what you're doing, the rewards are extensive. You get to experience nature as well as the outdoors picnics will always be fun, and you get yourself a chance to sleep beneath the stars. Nothing can beat some of the experiences you could have camping.

Wear a hat if you're having difficulty keeping warm through the night. It can get cold out in nature. As cold as it gets, however, it could be quite stifling to help keep your head tucked in your sleeping bag constantly. Pack a warm woolen hat to utilize when you sleep.

Charge all your electronic equipment including your cell phones and gaming equipment for the children for the max before heading to a camping trip. You need to get the most out of their charge when you do choose to use them, so make certain they are charged.

One thing that many people forget to pack for his or her camping trips will be the Sun-block. Even when you tan adequately, there is not any excuse to not protect from the sun. In the end it can provide serious problems with cancer, though in the short term, you may end up with a horrible burn.

It's incredibly much fun, despite the fact that camping is challenging work. When you figure out what you're doing, the rewards are numerous. You get to experience nature along with the outdoors picnics will almost always be fun, and you get yourself a possibility to sleep underneath the stars. Nothing beats several of the experiences you might have camping.

To your first camping trips, attempt to choose a place you could drive to. In case your car is nearby you can use it as a "fortress" of sorts while you are during nowhere. Not only can you enter it in the case of wildlife attack it can also protect you the elements.

When you don't love to drink water, you will end up in actual trouble on the long camping trip. Water is vital to staying hydrated, if you really hate the taste, purchase some one-use lemonade and combine it with bottles water. This will help you stay hydrated throughout your adventure.

Before going camping so you know which kind of clothing you need, check the weather conditions forecast. You can be very cold if a front blow through, and you also failed to pack blankets and jackets. Additionally, consider packing some rain ponchos in case any storm's blow through.

If you're bringing your pet dog along for that camping trip, ensure it's wearing its tags. Losing track of a dog may be heartbreaking. Be sure your pet dog is wearing its dog license plus an ID with information before you leave on the trip. Neglecting to accomplish this could have tragic consequences.

Before heading to your camping trip, charge your electronic equipment including your cell gaming and phones equipment to the children towards the max. You wish to get the most out of their charge when you do choose to make use of them, so make sure they are charged.

Nothing has the potential of creating lifetime memories quite like camping. Including your friends and family on the next outing can be a tremendous experience provided that you have a very good grasp of camping fundamentals. If you take the concepts inside the above article to heart, you will end up able to go through the outdoors as an expert.

https://urbancreativist.com/easy-rock-painting-ideas/ rock painting tutorials

To Nature, Fun Methods For A Fantastic Outdoor Camping Trip!

Camping is a terrific way to spend time alone or with a large group. Getting into nature can be a very soothing and relaxing camping and experience can offer that. Should you be looking for easy methods to create your next trip a calming one this short article will help.

Water is essential for your survival when hiking from the backcountry. Carry water purification tablets along with you or some type of water filter that is capable of filtering out bacteria. There are several kinds available at your nearby sporting goods store. Whenever you would like a water source, ensure that the water is flowing stagnant water can kill you otherwise treated properly.

Create a list of things you need to take before you go camping. You might think you might be great at packing, but little else is worse than being out during the woods and realizing you forgot your allergy medication. Sit down and create a comprehensive listing of everything you might need through the week before your camping trip.

Carry a bandana or handkerchief along with you. In a pinch, that single component of fabric functions as a potholder, carrying bag, blotter, hand towel and paper towel. There are numerous other purposes of such items, so try your very best to not forget to bring a bandanna or even a large handkerchief together with you.

Before you start out on that relaxing camping trip, it is important for your personal safety to be certain to allow someone know you might be going. Should you use one, offer a friend or neighbor the name from the campsite. Give your talk to a general notion of where you stand headed along with a timeline for the return should you be headed on a less structured trip. If something goes wrong, you will see a person to know where to look for you.

Be sure you see the campground rules and regulations. One of the greatest concerns is trash and in addition noisiness inside a campsite. Noise travels far within a campsite, however often think that people can't hear them. It is rather hard to have any privacy, especially when people are meant to be observing quiet hours.

Perform math upfront regarding simply how much baby food or formula they are going to need in case you have a young child along with you. Be sure to have supplies for them that will last the entire period of your holiday. You can find no guarantees a store near your campsite could have these products or can have the sort of items you want.

If you have a young child with you, carry out the math upfront regarding just how much baby food or formula they may need. Be sure you have supplies for them that can last the whole period of your trip. You can find no guarantees a store near your campsite will have these materials or can have the sort of items that you want.

When going for a dog along, be sure there is a leash and therefore are always supervised. Many people are scared of dogs. This will maximize the respect you have for other people while camping. You do not want then to ruin anyone's campsite because of lack of supervision.

mosquitoes and Bugs are a common camping annoyance. You can get a commercial repellent with chemicals, but an effective natural method to keep bugs away from your body is to utilize an orange peel. Rub the inside of the peel on the arms and legs. This can be a inexpensive, responsible method to repel annoying pests.

Be sure you possess everything you will require before embarking on your adventure. In the event you forgot something you really want just like your sleeping bag or possibly a tent, it wouldn't be good. Come up with a comprehensive checklist of all the items you will require on your own camping trip and double check products in your bags and car from the list to ensure that you will not forget anything.

An indispensable item to pack to your camping trip is Ziploc bags. Should they puncture they generally do not get on your gear, you are able to separate products in your gear like sunscreen and bug spray so. You may also use them to hold things like matches and cellphones dry when it rains.

When planning for a camping trip, make sure to consider arriving at your campsite before dark. This way you will get daylight as a way to put in place camp, look at your site for dangers, like broken glass, dangerous tree branches and other potential dangers or problems that could be fixed before bedtime.

Make sure to prepare beforehand before you decide to participate in a camping trip. Blankets are crucial, along with a sleeping bag, to maximize comfort. That way, you will end up ready for an unexpected chill, or you may have a softer spot to sleep.

Unless you are a wildlife expert, you need to never drink water that you haven't delivered to the campsite along with you. Water may look superior in fact be the location of numerous diseases or bacteria. Should you be in desperate situations, always choose running water over stagnant water.

Before going camping so you are aware what kind of clothing you will require, look for the elements forecast. If your front blow through, and you did not pack blankets and jackets, you might be very cold. Additionally, consider packing some rain ponchos in the event any storm's blow through.

First, aid kits are essential for camping. This kit needs proper emergency gear in the event there's a crash. Your kit for firstaid should contain painkillers, a kit for snake bites, bandages, and other things you think you'll need. So often be aware, because you will be camping does not mean you happen to be exempt from getting an accident.

Bring waterproof matches to make sure you will start a fire while camping. Use airtight container to support the matches. You can make regular matches waterproof by dipping them into either paraffin or nail polish. Create a match holder away from a plastic medicine bottle or even a 35mm film container.

You may relax when you're camping, and when you're having fun you can aquire a little more in tune on your own. Utilize the tips on this page to successfully enjoy all there may be to enjoy on your own camping trip. Try to find ways to help make your experience one you can expect to remember.

[endlessarchite]

How To Refinish An Old Clawfoot Tub

We’ve gotten A LOT of questions about how we’ve rescued the clawfoot tub at our beach house, so let’s just dive right into what worked (and what didn’t) and how we nursed this baby back to life.

The tub existed in the house when we bought it last October (Saturday will be our 1-year house-iversary!). But it was a pretty sad existence, as evidenced by the bathroom literally falling apart around it. Yes, this is what that bathroom looked like when we bought the house. You’ll remember we later had to fully remove and rebuild that entire side of the house because it was sinking into the ground due to a completely failing foundation (!!!). You can read more about that process here.

During demo, our contractor moved it out into the bedroom, which is where it lived for over half a year as destruction and reconstruction went on around it.

Once that side of the house was all rebuilt, it was pretty exciting to picture the tub going back in there – this time on stable footing. Here I am back in January standing where the bathtub now sits. Remember John’s best Boomerang capture of all time?

We pretty much ignored the tub during the entire gutting/rebuilding process of the house. We did keep it covered with a piece of plywood so it didn’t get dinged up, but we put off making a plan to resuscitate it until we actually had a bathroom to put it into again.

And then came that exciting day when the bathroom tile was in, the grout was done, and we needed to think about getting this tub back into the bathroom. It was finally time to assess the tub situation to see if it was something we’d have to pay someone to refinish, or something we could tackle ourselves. The first thing I did was wipe everything down (with a spare grout sponge) just to see how stained the inside of the tub really was. A remarkable amount of grime came off, so it gave us hope that we could save it without having to hire someone to professionally paint the inside (we hear that can flake and peel off down the line, so getting it back to its original finish would beat a rental with a peeling/flaking tub in 5-10 years).

We originally worried there were rust stains (which wouldn’t be something we could scrub off – rust literally pits the glazing and creates a hole that needs to be filled and sanded and typically calls for a pro to fix) but upon further inspection we realized that some of this “rust” was actually rubbing off! See the white speckles on those brown streaks below? Turns out nothing was pitted, but there were just some really really bad hard water deposits on top of the tub… which meant if we could scrub them off, we’d find more of that original white finish under them!

So a few weeks later, once the plumber had moved the tub back into the bathroom, we arrived in Cape Charles armed with an array of cleaners – ready to show the tub who’s boss. This is what it looked like when we started:

First, we wanted to evaluate what was just surface grime and what was a legit stain. So we sprayed the whole thing down with 1-part white vinegar, 1-part water and used a little elbow grease (and a green scouring pad) to get all of the superficial gunk off.

It made a HUGE difference, although not enough that I would be willing to actually take a bath in there yet.

The next tool in our arsenal was a bottle of Bar Keeper’s Friend Soft Cleanser, which a few people had recommended to us for old tubs (I just happened to find it for like $1.50 at Ross). We followed the instructions of applying it to a damp surface, letting it sit, and then scrubbing it off. Results were not very good. Confidence levels majorly wavered at this point.

Undeterred, we decided to try a more generous application of BKF (is that what the kids are calling it these days?) and let it sit for much longer (like 15-20 minutes). In the meantime, we also used a heavy duty Magic Eraser on some of the other spots, which is another tip you guys shared for trying to clean up an old tub. It certainly helped, but was a bit slow-going. We burned through a couple of them pretty quickly, but things were starting to look better…

After the scrub had sat for about 20 minutes, we tackled it with a piece of fine grade steel wool (along with hearing that magic erasers and fine steel wool can work, we also have heard that a pumice stone can buff out small stains too – so that’s something else to try if you have the same job ahead of you – we just didn’t have one with us). I’m not sure if it was the cleanser or the steel wool, but we finally started to see some noticeable progress.

It still required A LOT of elbow grease, but it was insanely satisfying to see those rust streaks dissipating. We also very gently scraped it in some parts with the dulled tip of our multi-tool. I didn’t take a picture because I didn’t want to necessarily recommend it since it can etch/scratch your tub which is NOT GOOD, but we checked frequently to make sure we weren’t scratching ours, and it was helpful in chipping off some large chunks of rust-covered hard water stains.

The final results are not flawless, but we are more than satisfied with how it looks. All the rusty looking rings you see below will be covered by a new drain, faucet and spigot once they’re installed, so aside from a few slight imperfections in the white interior finish, she’s gonna look pretty dang good. I’m officially more than willing to plop my bod down in there for a good soak. Just picture me in there wearing a black turtleneck for modesty reasons.

This feels like a good moment for a before and after. Again, this is all from just cleaning – no actual refinishing or reglazing went on with the inside. So we’re glad that there should be no issues with bubbling or peeling paint since we were able to restore the original finish of the tub. Those few sentences don’t adequately capture how elated I am, so I’ll add this: ALL THE JAZZ HANDS!

Now let’s talk about restoring the outside, because what good is a tidy interior if the exterior looks ready for a horror movie?

Our first step was to sand it down, mostly just to get all of the already flaking paint off so we could have a relatively smooth surface to paint. NOTE: always test old tubs for lead paint! Many have it, which is extremely dangerous, especially if kids will be bathing in them. We were thrilled to find out ours was clean- most likely since the outside was painted sometime after lead was phased out and since the inside had never been reglazed.

First we used some coarse sanding blocks to scrub all of the exterior by hand, which was slow going, but definitely knocked a bunch of old dry paint flakes to the ground. John had also bought this rust-removing drill attachment while we were at the store and it turned out to be the perfect tool for the job. It knocked off even more of the loosest parts of the old finish in no time. NOTE NUMBER TWO: we were both wearing heavy-duty lead paint removal masks during all this sanding just to be safe because tons of dust flies and even though it checked out to be lead free, we didn’t want to be inhaling a ton of tiny dust particles anyway, so you’ll catch a glimpse of those later in the post.

After a pass with the drill, we went over by hand with medium and then fine-grit sanding blocks to smooth it out a bit more. It would’ve taken us hours to get everything down to the original finish, but in about 20 minutes we got it down to a smooth-to-the-touch finish which is good enough. You just want a nice flake-free base for some rust-blocking primer and paint to adhere to without worrying it’ll flake and pop off down the line (primer & paint are generally only as secure as their base – so make sure that’s not crumbling).

After a wipe down with a clean towel, we were ready to prime. Based on a deep and meaningful conversation with the pro at our local paint desk, we chose this oil-based Clean Metal Primer to do the job. We obviously wanted something that not only covered the existing rust but helped prevent more – plus it would make the whole thing ready for paint that would last.

It’s very thin (read: drippy) so make sure your floors are well protected! We used small foam rollers to cover most of the large surfaces, and then a cheap chip brush to get under the lip and around the actual clawfeet. It’s also pretty stinky, so we opened every window, put on all the fans, and kept our masks on for this step too.

There was a moment when we were watching the primer dry where we considered just painting it white. It was so refreshing to see it all clean and “new” looking that we were very tempted. However, the room itself is very white (white floor tiles, white trim, white ceilings, white shower tile, and white inside the tub), so we thought a darker accent in the space would actually be really nice to break things up. Plus, the interior finish is a tiny bit off-white (you can sort of tell in the photo below), so matching the outside exactly would’ve made the whole thing a bit creamier than we wanted (which might have clashed with the bright white floor tiles). With all of those factors urging us to go deeper and more dramatic with the outside of this tub, we considered 45,731 paint swatches (just kidding, it was only 45,721).

You probably spotted some of our contenders a few photos up. We considered a whole range of colors for the outside of the tub, but we landed on Riverway by Sherwin-Williams because it was a pretty deep blue with a heavy dose of gray and a hint of green. All of the straight taupes or grays felt a little too boring for a room with such a playful floor pattern, and we wanted to go noticeably darker than the little accent tiles in the floor so it didn’t look like we were trying to match it or skew too “baby blue” everywhere. Also, ignore how dirty these tiles look. They have since been scrubbed within an inch of their life.

After choosing that color, we actually had to have it color matched at Lowe’s in this Anti-Rust Armor paint since it came so highly recommended from the paint pro we chatted with (it’s moisture and stain resistant and has some additional rust prevention built into it – so they thought it was the best bet for our tub holding up longterm). The literal description online says its great for “appliances, playground equipment, mailboxes, and tanks.” I know they probably mean things like propane tanks, but I got a good laugh imagining someone painting a giant military tank by hand with this stuff.

Oh and this paint was also pretty stinky (hence the masks we donned again for this step) but it went on much thicker than the primer did. Once again we used small foam rollers for most of it, and then we used a brush meant specifically for oil-based paints to get between the toes. Basically we gave our tub a pedicure.

A few people have asked why we chose to make the feet the same color, rather than accenting them with a white, silver, or gold finish. We just looked at all of our inspiration photos of clawfoot tubs (because you know I’ve pinned like ten million since we bought this house) and we liked the two-tone look better than a three-tone effect. That’s definitely something you can go for if you like that extra foot-bling though! It can look really cool too.

You can tell in these photos that the outside isn’t perfectly smooth – you can still see the subtle topography of the old finishes beneath the fresh coat of blue. We’re actually kinda happy that it will feel like a tub that has been in this house for decades instead of some new replica that we brought in, so we’re totally cool with that dappled texture – and the glossy shine from the fresh paint is a nice counterpart.

Dappled dots or not, it’s certainly a huge improvement! So for around $50 and a fair amount of sweat, we got something that looks pretty darn close to this Rejuvenation clawfoot tub that retails for $3,300!

I’m gonna hold off on sharing any more “afters” for now, mainly because we haven’t taken any. But late last week our plumber came back to install the faucet and connect the tub (and remove the cardboard!) so word from him is that it’s ready for use! We have to skip our weekly visit since the floors are being sealed and need time to cure before anyone walks on them, so we’re just over here holding our breath until we can go back over to the house and see the tub all hooked up (and the floors all refinished). You know I’ll take like ten million pictures for you guys, so stay tuned!

Psst – Wanna read more about this beach house rehab project of ours? Click here to see everything we’ve done for the past year to get it to this point!

*This post contains affiliate links*

The post How To Refinish An Old Clawfoot Tub appeared first on Young House Love.

How To Refinish An Old Clawfoot Tub published first on http://ift.tt/2qxZz2j

[statusreview]

How To Refinish An Old Clawfoot Tub

We’ve gotten A LOT of questions about how we’ve rescued the clawfoot tub at our beach house, so let’s just dive right into what worked (and what didn’t) and how we nursed this baby back to life.

The tub existed in the house when we bought it last October (Saturday will be our 1-year house-iversary!). But it was a pretty sad existence, as evidenced by the bathroom literally falling apart around it. Yes, this is what that bathroom looked like when we bought the house. You’ll remember we later had to fully remove and rebuild that entire side of the house because it was sinking into the ground due to a completely failing foundation (!!!). You can read more about that process here.

During demo, our contractor moved it out into the bedroom, which is where it lived for over half a year as destruction and reconstruction went on around it.

Once that side of the house was all rebuilt, it was pretty exciting to picture the tub going back in there – this time on stable footing. Here I am back in January standing where the bathtub now sits. Remember John’s best Boomerang capture of all time?

We pretty much ignored the tub during the entire gutting/rebuilding process of the house. We did keep it covered with a piece of plywood so it didn’t get dinged up, but we put off making a plan to resuscitate it until we actually had a bathroom to put it into again.

And then came that exciting day when the bathroom tile was in, the grout was done, and we needed to think about getting this tub back into the bathroom. It was finally time to assess the tub situation to see if it was something we’d have to pay someone to refinish, or something we could tackle ourselves. The first thing I did was wipe everything down (with a spare grout sponge) just to see how stained the inside of the tub really was. A remarkable amount of grime came off, so it gave us hope that we could save it without having to hire someone to professionally paint the inside (we hear that can flake and peel off down the line, so getting it back to its original finish would beat a rental with a peeling/flaking tub in 5-10 years).

We originally worried there were rust stains (which wouldn’t be something we could scrub off – rust literally pits the glazing and creates a hole that needs to be filled and sanded and typically calls for a pro to fix) but upon further inspection we realized that some of this “rust” was actually rubbing off! See the white speckles on those brown streaks below? Turns out nothing was pitted, but there were just some really really bad hard water deposits on top of the tub… which meant if we could scrub them off, we’d find more of that original white finish under them!

So a few weeks later, once the plumber had moved the tub back into the bathroom, we arrived in Cape Charles armed with an array of cleaners – ready to show the tub who’s boss. This is what it looked like when we started:

First, we wanted to evaluate what was just surface grime and what was a legit stain. So we sprayed the whole thing down with 1-part white vinegar, 1-part water and used a little elbow grease (and a green scouring pad) to get all of the superficial gunk off.

It made a HUGE difference, although not enough that I would be willing to actually take a bath in there yet.

The next tool in our arsenal was a bottle of Bar Keeper’s Friend Soft Cleanser, which a few people had recommended to us for old tubs (I just happened to find it for like $1.50 at Ross). We followed the instructions of applying it to a damp surface, letting it sit, and then scrubbing it off. Results were not very good. Confidence levels majorly wavered at this point.

Undeterred, we decided to try a more generous application of BKF (is that what the kids are calling it these days?) and let it sit for much longer (like 15-20 minutes). In the meantime, we also used a heavy duty Magic Eraser on some of the other spots, which is another tip you guys shared for trying to clean up an old tub. It certainly helped, but was a bit slow-going. We burned through a couple of them pretty quickly, but things were starting to look better…

After the scrub had sat for about 20 minutes, we tackled it with a piece of fine grade steel wool (along with hearing that magic erasers and fine steel wool can work, we also have heard that a pumice stone can buff out small stains too – so that’s something else to try if you have the same job ahead of you – we just didn’t have one with us). I’m not sure if it was the cleanser or the steel wool, but we finally started to see some noticeable progress.

It still required A LOT of elbow grease, but it was insanely satisfying to see those rust streaks dissipating. We also very gently scraped it in some parts with the dulled tip of our multi-tool. I didn’t take a picture because I didn’t want to necessarily recommend it since it can etch/scratch your tub which is NOT GOOD, but we checked frequently to make sure we weren’t scratching ours, and it was helpful in chipping off some large chunks of rust-covered hard water stains.

The final results are not flawless, but we are more than satisfied with how it looks. All the rusty looking rings you see below will be covered by a new drain, faucet and spigot once they’re installed, so aside from a few slight imperfections in the white interior finish, she’s gonna look pretty dang good. I’m officially more than willing to plop my bod down in there for a good soak. Just picture me in there wearing a black turtleneck for modesty reasons.

This feels like a good moment for a before and after. Again, this is all from just cleaning – no actual refinishing or reglazing went on with the inside. So we’re glad that there should be no issues with bubbling or peeling paint since we were able to restore the original finish of the tub. Those few sentences don’t adequately capture how elated I am, so I’ll add this: ALL THE JAZZ HANDS!

Now let’s talk about restoring the outside, because what good is a tidy interior if the exterior looks ready for a horror movie?

Our first step was to sand it down, mostly just to get all of the already flaking paint off so we could have a relatively smooth surface to paint. NOTE: always test old tubs for lead paint! Many have it, which is extremely dangerous, especially if kids will be bathing in them. We were thrilled to find out ours was clean- most likely since the outside was painted sometime after lead was phased out and since the inside had never been reglazed.

First we used some coarse sanding blocks to scrub all of the exterior by hand, which was slow going, but definitely knocked a bunch of old dry paint flakes to the ground. John had also bought this rust-removing drill attachment while we were at the store and it turned out to be the perfect tool for the job. It knocked off even more of the loosest parts of the old finish in no time. NOTE NUMBER TWO: we were both wearing heavy-duty lead paint removal masks during all this sanding just to be safe because tons of dust flies and even though it checked out to be lead free, we didn’t want to be inhaling a ton of tiny dust particles anyway, so you’ll catch a glimpse of those later in the post.

After a pass with the drill, we went over by hand with medium and then fine-grit sanding blocks to smooth it out a bit more. It would’ve taken us hours to get everything down to the original finish, but in about 20 minutes we got it down to a smooth-to-the-touch finish which is good enough. You just want a nice flake-free base for some rust-blocking primer and paint to adhere to without worrying it’ll flake and pop off down the line (primer & paint are generally only as secure as their base – so make sure that’s not crumbling).

After a wipe down with a clean towel, we were ready to prime. Based on a deep and meaningful conversation with the pro at our local paint desk, we chose this oil-based Clean Metal Primer to do the job. We obviously wanted something that not only covered the existing rust but helped prevent more – plus it would make the whole thing ready for paint that would last.

It’s very thin (read: drippy) so make sure your floors are well protected! We used small foam rollers to cover most of the large surfaces, and then a cheap chip brush to get under the lip and around the actual clawfeet. It’s also pretty stinky, so we opened every window, put on all the fans, and kept our masks on for this step too.

There was a moment when we were watching the primer dry where we considered just painting it white. It was so refreshing to see it all clean and “new” looking that we were very tempted. However, the room itself is very white (white floor tiles, white trim, white ceilings, white shower tile, and white inside the tub), so we thought a darker accent in the space would actually be really nice to break things up. Plus, the interior finish is a tiny bit off-white (you can sort of tell in the photo below), so matching the outside exactly would’ve made the whole thing a bit creamier than we wanted (which might have clashed with the bright white floor tiles). With all of those factors urging us to go deeper and more dramatic with the outside of this tub, we considered 45,731 paint swatches (just kidding, it was only 45,721).

You probably spotted some of our contenders a few photos up. We considered a whole range of colors for the outside of the tub, but we landed on Riverway by Sherwin-Williams because it was a pretty deep blue with a heavy dose of gray and a hint of green. All of the straight taupes or grays felt a little too boring for a room with such a playful floor pattern, and we wanted to go noticeably darker than the little accent tiles in the floor so it didn’t look like we were trying to match it or skew too “baby blue” everywhere. Also, ignore how dirty these tiles look. They have since been scrubbed within an inch of their life.

After choosing that color, we actually had to have it color matched at Lowe’s in this Anti-Rust Armor paint since it came so highly recommended from the paint pro we chatted with (it’s moisture and stain resistant and has some additional rust prevention built into it – so they thought it was the best bet for our tub holding up longterm). The literal description online says its great for “appliances, playground equipment, mailboxes, and tanks.” I know they probably mean things like propane tanks, but I got a good laugh imagining someone painting a giant military tank by hand with this stuff.

Oh and this paint was also pretty stinky (hence the masks we donned again for this step) but it went on much thicker than the primer did. Once again we used small foam rollers for most of it, and then we used a brush meant specifically for oil-based paints to get between the toes. Basically we gave our tub a pedicure.

A few people have asked why we chose to make the feet the same color, rather than accenting them with a white, silver, or gold finish. We just looked at all of our inspiration photos of clawfoot tubs (because you know I’ve pinned like ten million since we bought this house) and we liked the two-tone look better than a three-tone effect. That’s definitely something you can go for if you like that extra foot-bling though! It can look really cool too.

You can tell in these photos that the outside isn’t perfectly smooth – you can still see the subtle topography of the old finishes beneath the fresh coat of blue. We’re actually kinda happy that it will feel like a tub that has been in this house for decades instead of some new replica that we brought in, so we’re totally cool with that dappled texture – and the glossy shine from the fresh paint is a nice counterpart.

Dappled dots or not, it’s certainly a huge improvement! So for around $50 and a fair amount of sweat, we got something that looks pretty darn close to this Rejuvenation clawfoot tub that retails for $3,300!

I’m gonna hold off on sharing any more “afters” for now, mainly because we haven’t taken any. But late last week our plumber came back to install the faucet and connect the tub (and remove the cardboard!) so word from him is that it’s ready for use! We have to skip our weekly visit since the floors are being sealed and need time to cure before anyone walks on them, so we’re just over here holding our breath until we can go back over to the house and see the tub all hooked up (and the floors all refinished). You know I’ll take like ten million pictures for you guys, so stay tuned!

Psst – Wanna read more about this beach house rehab project of ours? Click here to see everything we’ve done for the past year to get it to this point!

*This post contains affiliate links*

The post How To Refinish An Old Clawfoot Tub appeared first on Young House Love.

How To Refinish An Old Clawfoot Tub published first on http://ift.tt/2r6hzQy

[truereviewpage]

How To Refinish An Old Clawfoot Tub

We’ve gotten A LOT of questions about how we’ve rescued the clawfoot tub at our beach house, so let’s just dive right into what worked (and what didn’t) and how we nursed this baby back to life.

The tub existed in the house when we bought it last October (Saturday will be our 1-year house-iversary!). But it was a pretty sad existence, as evidenced by the bathroom literally falling apart around it. Yes, this is what that bathroom looked like when we bought the house. You’ll remember we later had to fully remove and rebuild that entire side of the house because it was sinking into the ground due to a completely failing foundation (!!!). You can read more about that process here.

During demo, our contractor moved it out into the bedroom, which is where it lived for over half a year as destruction and reconstruction went on around it.

Once that side of the house was all rebuilt, it was pretty exciting to picture the tub going back in there – this time on stable footing. Here I am back in January standing where the bathtub now sits. Remember John’s best Boomerang capture of all time?

We pretty much ignored the tub during the entire gutting/rebuilding process of the house. We did keep it covered with a piece of plywood so it didn’t get dinged up, but we put off making a plan to resuscitate it until we actually had a bathroom to put it into again.

And then came that exciting day when the bathroom tile was in, the grout was done, and we needed to think about getting this tub back into the bathroom. It was finally time to assess the tub situation to see if it was something we’d have to pay someone to refinish, or something we could tackle ourselves. The first thing I did was wipe everything down (with a spare grout sponge) just to see how stained the inside of the tub really was. A remarkable amount of grime came off, so it gave us hope that we could save it without having to hire someone to professionally paint the inside (we hear that can flake and peel off down the line, so getting it back to its original finish would beat a rental with a peeling/flaking tub in 5-10 years).

We originally worried there were rust stains (which wouldn’t be something we could scrub off – rust literally pits the glazing and creates a hole that needs to be filled and sanded and typically calls for a pro to fix) but upon further inspection we realized that some of this “rust” was actually rubbing off! See the white speckles on those brown streaks below? Turns out nothing was pitted, but there were just some really really bad hard water deposits on top of the tub… which meant if we could scrub them off, we’d find more of that original white finish under them!

So a few weeks later, once the plumber had moved the tub back into the bathroom, we arrived in Cape Charles armed with an array of cleaners – ready to show the tub who’s boss. This is what it looked like when we started:

First, we wanted to evaluate what was just surface grime and what was a legit stain. So we sprayed the whole thing down with 1-part white vinegar, 1-part water and used a little elbow grease (and a green scouring pad) to get all of the superficial gunk off.

It made a HUGE difference, although not enough that I would be willing to actually take a bath in there yet.

The next tool in our arsenal was a bottle of Bar Keeper’s Friend Soft Cleanser, which a few people had recommended to us for old tubs (I just happened to find it for like $1.50 at Ross). We followed the instructions of applying it to a damp surface, letting it sit, and then scrubbing it off. Results were not very good. Confidence levels majorly wavered at this point.

Undeterred, we decided to try a more generous application of BKF (is that what the kids are calling it these days?) and let it sit for much longer (like 15-20 minutes). In the meantime, we also used a heavy duty Magic Eraser on some of the other spots, which is another tip you guys shared for trying to clean up an old tub. It certainly helped, but was a bit slow-going. We burned through a couple of them pretty quickly, but things were starting to look better…

After the scrub had sat for about 20 minutes, we tackled it with a piece of fine grade steel wool (along with hearing that magic erasers and fine steel wool can work, we also have heard that a pumice stone can buff out small stains too – so that’s something else to try if you have the same job ahead of you – we just didn’t have one with us). I’m not sure if it was the cleanser or the steel wool, but we finally started to see some noticeable progress.

It still required A LOT of elbow grease, but it was insanely satisfying to see those rust streaks dissipating. We also very gently scraped it in some parts with the dulled tip of our multi-tool. I didn’t take a picture because I didn’t want to necessarily recommend it since it can etch/scratch your tub which is NOT GOOD, but we checked frequently to make sure we weren’t scratching ours, and it was helpful in chipping off some large chunks of rust-covered hard water stains.

The final results are not flawless, but we are more than satisfied with how it looks. All the rusty looking rings you see below will be covered by a new drain, faucet and spigot once they’re installed, so aside from a few slight imperfections in the white interior finish, she’s gonna look pretty dang good. I’m officially more than willing to plop my bod down in there for a good soak. Just picture me in there wearing a black turtleneck for modesty reasons.

This feels like a good moment for a before and after. Again, this is all from just cleaning – no actual refinishing or reglazing went on with the inside. So we’re glad that there should be no issues with bubbling or peeling paint since we were able to restore the original finish of the tub. Those few sentences don’t adequately capture how elated I am, so I’ll add this: ALL THE JAZZ HANDS!

Now let’s talk about restoring the outside, because what good is a tidy interior if the exterior looks ready for a horror movie?

Our first step was to sand it down, mostly just to get all of the already flaking paint off so we could have a relatively smooth surface to paint. NOTE: always test old tubs for lead paint! Many have it, which is extremely dangerous, especially if kids will be bathing in them. We were thrilled to find out ours was clean- most likely since the outside was painted sometime after lead was phased out and since the inside had never been reglazed.

First we used some coarse sanding blocks to scrub all of the exterior by hand, which was slow going, but definitely knocked a bunch of old dry paint flakes to the ground. John had also bought this rust-removing drill attachment while we were at the store and it turned out to be the perfect tool for the job. It knocked off even more of the loosest parts of the old finish in no time. NOTE NUMBER TWO: we were both wearing heavy-duty lead paint removal masks during all this sanding just to be safe because tons of dust flies and even though it checked out to be lead free, we didn’t want to be inhaling a ton of tiny dust particles anyway, so you’ll catch a glimpse of those later in the post.

After a pass with the drill, we went over by hand with medium and then fine-grit sanding blocks to smooth it out a bit more. It would’ve taken us hours to get everything down to the original finish, but in about 20 minutes we got it down to a smooth-to-the-touch finish which is good enough. You just want a nice flake-free base for some rust-blocking primer and paint to adhere to without worrying it’ll flake and pop off down the line (primer & paint are generally only as secure as their base – so make sure that’s not crumbling).

After a wipe down with a clean towel, we were ready to prime. Based on a deep and meaningful conversation with the pro at our local paint desk, we chose this oil-based Clean Metal Primer to do the job. We obviously wanted something that not only covered the existing rust but helped prevent more – plus it would make the whole thing ready for paint that would last.

It’s very thin (read: drippy) so make sure your floors are well protected! We used small foam rollers to cover most of the large surfaces, and then a cheap chip brush to get under the lip and around the actual clawfeet. It’s also pretty stinky, so we opened every window, put on all the fans, and kept our masks on for this step too.

There was a moment when we were watching the primer dry where we considered just painting it white. It was so refreshing to see it all clean and “new” looking that we were very tempted. However, the room itself is very white (white floor tiles, white trim, white ceilings, white shower tile, and white inside the tub), so we thought a darker accent in the space would actually be really nice to break things up. Plus, the interior finish is a tiny bit off-white (you can sort of tell in the photo below), so matching the outside exactly would’ve made the whole thing a bit creamier than we wanted (which might have clashed with the bright white floor tiles). With all of those factors urging us to go deeper and more dramatic with the outside of this tub, we considered 45,731 paint swatches (just kidding, it was only 45,721).

You probably spotted some of our contenders a few photos up. We considered a whole range of colors for the outside of the tub, but we landed on Riverway by Sherwin-Williams because it was a pretty deep blue with a heavy dose of gray and a hint of green. All of the straight taupes or grays felt a little too boring for a room with such a playful floor pattern, and we wanted to go noticeably darker than the little accent tiles in the floor so it didn’t look like we were trying to match it or skew too “baby blue” everywhere. Also, ignore how dirty these tiles look. They have since been scrubbed within an inch of their life.

After choosing that color, we actually had to have it color matched at Lowe’s in this Anti-Rust Armor paint since it came so highly recommended from the paint pro we chatted with (it’s moisture and stain resistant and has some additional rust prevention built into it – so they thought it was the best bet for our tub holding up longterm). The literal description online says its great for “appliances, playground equipment, mailboxes, and tanks.” I know they probably mean things like propane tanks, but I got a good laugh imagining someone painting a giant military tank by hand with this stuff.

Oh and this paint was also pretty stinky (hence the masks we donned again for this step) but it went on much thicker than the primer did. Once again we used small foam rollers for most of it, and then we used a brush meant specifically for oil-based paints to get between the toes. Basically we gave our tub a pedicure.

A few people have asked why we chose to make the feet the same color, rather than accenting them with a white, silver, or gold finish. We just looked at all of our inspiration photos of clawfoot tubs (because you know I’ve pinned like ten million since we bought this house) and we liked the two-tone look better than a three-tone effect. That’s definitely something you can go for if you like that extra foot-bling though! It can look really cool too.

You can tell in these photos that the outside isn’t perfectly smooth – you can still see the subtle topography of the old finishes beneath the fresh coat of blue. We’re actually kinda happy that it will feel like a tub that has been in this house for decades instead of some new replica that we brought in, so we’re totally cool with that dappled texture – and the glossy shine from the fresh paint is a nice counterpart.

Dappled dots or not, it’s certainly a huge improvement! So for around $50 and a fair amount of sweat, we got something that looks pretty darn close to this Rejuvenation clawfoot tub that retails for $3,300!

I’m gonna hold off on sharing any more “afters” for now, mainly because we haven’t taken any. But late last week our plumber came back to install the faucet and connect the tub (and remove the cardboard!) so word from him is that it’s ready for use! We have to skip our weekly visit since the floors are being sealed and need time to cure before anyone walks on them, so we’re just over here holding our breath until we can go back over to the house and see the tub all hooked up (and the floors all refinished). You know I’ll take like ten million pictures for you guys, so stay tuned!

Psst – Wanna read more about this beach house rehab project of ours? Click here to see everything we’ve done for the past year to get it to this point!

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