Device Review: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra on T-Mobile Network

Staring at the screen of a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is like getting lost in the eyes of a crush. The dazzling, 6.9-inch, 1440 x 3120 Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 120Hz display pops with scintillating color displays, a breakneck refresh rate and brightness that shimmers even in full sun exposure.

The display has been called by many outlets as the best screen on the market, and it's tough to argue with those accolades. And it's just the beginning of the device's marvels. The Qualcomm SM8750-AB Snapdragon 8 Elite processor tears through just about any multitasking difficulties you can hurl at it. Whether gaming, watching videos, taking notes with the S Pen or recording and editing audio-visual content, the S25 Ultra hums with vibrancy on T-Mobile's superb 5G network.

The AI assistant, accessible via the Galaxy Now button on the home screen, is dazzling on the surface, but when put into use can have some rough edges. Now Brief gives you a daily rundown of news stories geared toward your interests, location and tendencies, ideally giving you a one-stop focal point to start your day. The integration with Gemini streamlines your search, shopping and navigation needs, and enhancements to photo and video editing, not taking and writing are refined and seamless. You may find the AI a little off-kilter and overbearing at times, but the way you continue to use it shapes the way it adapts to your needs.

AI makes your photography talents seem stronger than they really are, and the camera suite gives a hefty boost to your capabilities as well. The 200MP main camera, bolstered with 3X optical zoom, helps you capture the action from distance, perhaps making it seem as though your seats to a concert or sporting event were a lot closer than they actually were. The 12MP selfie cam is also impressive, letting you nail up-close visuals, whether you're making influencer videos or face chatting for business or social connections.

If you're riding with T-Mobile, you can subscribe the T-Mobile Starlink service, which allows you to be accessible anywhere by connecting with a satellite connection to text. The invaluable service could come in incredibly handy if you find yourself in remote locations.

While the $1,300 MSRP can ignite sticker shock, the price is largely justified by the Galxy S25 Ultra's bewildering capabilities. In my time with the phone, I've found myself more productive and effective. This is a phone for the mover and shaker, providing capable, AI-fueled assistance to those who have big ambitions in ever-dwindling time frames. If you can't make a dent in your to-do list, it certainly won't be the S25 Ultra's fault.

T-Mobile provided device for review. For a look at T-Mobile's Spring deals, click here.

Box Break: 2024 Topps Baseball Series 1 Hobby Box

 Check out the relic I pulled from this box.

Early Game Review: 'Koira'

 

A lyrical sense of innocence and altruism courses through "Koira," an endearing and fascinating indie-style game from developer Don't Nod. The game is set for release today, and is a delightful experience for all who happen upon its twisting path.

You play as an outsider who stumbles into a dark, mystery-laden forest. Early on, you happen upon a puppy caught in a trap, and forge a tight bond while mirroring one another's musical expressions. The dog becomes your companion as you solve a series of whimsical puzzles, unlock new areas and wander your way through parts unknown.

An excellent selection for younger players, as well as for parents to play through with children, "Koira" touches on themes of loyalty, trust and honor. Relying on sounds, insinuation, rhythm and critical thinking, "Koira" eschews the spoken word in favor of subtle cues.

The game wears its "The Legend of Zelda" influence on its rolled-up sleeve. Progress bottlenecks often, but solutions that allow you to advance are always fair and in plain sight. Comprehensive walkthroughs will undoubtedly surface, but you'll enrich your experience by ignoring them and using your own deduction skills to wind your way through.

"Koira" isn't as flashy or bold as some of Don't Nod's other efforts, which include "Jusant" and "Life is Strange," but it's far from a throwaway. The talented dev team channeled its considerable insight and sentiment into every pixel of "Koira," and that love and commitment shines through every moment. "Koira" has a way of sticking with you in between sessions, letting you ruminate over what you've seen and done and anticipate what's next. The game is a delightful recurring daydream that you long to come return to again and again.

Publisher provided review code.

Arizona Theatre Company Review: 'Bob & Jean: A Love Story'

Before the common mode of long-distance written communication shifted from handwritten letters and telegrams to texts and email, words were ironclad documents of fleeting experiences rather than throwaways in between emojis. The intimacy of penmanship flourishes and inserted photographs forged a theater of the mind that helped hearts take flight, as well as shatter them.

"Bob & Jean: A Love Story" is true story about a man's attempt to piece together his parents' cross-global romance through the letters they left behind. Bob (Jake Bentley Young), a Navy sailor deployed to Europe during World War II, and Jean (Mary Mattison), a USO performer and aspiring actress, forge an indelible connection via pen and paper as both face their solitary struggles. They dream, they fantasize, they bicker, they pull back and they embrace.

Although the leads always share the same stage, they are most always half a world apart. Both Young and Mattison excel at expressing their yearnings, fears, loneliness and, especially, their deepening connection.

The narrator is their son, played by Scott Wentworth, who makes wry comments about the hokeyness, stubbornness and cluelessness both characters often demonstrate. He often adds in colorful anecdotes that foreshadow future character traits both will exhibit as parents. Wentworth's warmth and charm is key to bringing the audience into the story.

The latest effort from Pulitzer and Tony-winning playwright Robert Schenkkan is a deeply personal voyage that becomes a fascinating journey of introspection. Bolstered by an elegant stage enhanced with subtle flourishes of projection, the three actors cast a transcendent spell over the audience. It's in the second act that "Bob & Jean" truly comes into its own, with a pair of scintillating monologues and a tear-jerking epilogue.

I found myself as enraptured as I was when I was less than half my current age, savoring Schenkkan's ruminations in "The Kentucky Cycle," the only play that has ever made me cry. I had to fight back tears at the end of "Bob & Jean." I sort of wish I'd let them flow.

"Bob & Jean: A Love Story" plays through April 12 at the Temple of Music and Art. Buy tickets here.

Box Break: 2023 Topps Baseball Series 2 Monster Box

 See which 1985 and foil cards I pull.

Game Review: 'Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition'

Slowly but steadily, Nintendo has managed to revamp nearly every major first-party Wii U gem for the vastly more popular Switch. It may have taken until the end of the console's life cycle, but the publisher has now revitalized the beloved JRPG "Xenoblade Chronicles X" as the "Definitive Edition."

The 2015 Wii U classic, known for sprawling landscapes roamed by gorgeously detailed monolithic enemies, blossoms to new life on the Switch. Those who keep the old console around just to plunge into the realm of Mira can now give the Wii U its deserved Viking funeral. A few hours with "Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition" and you'll find it as tough to go back to the original as it would be an old toothbrush.

Developer MonolithSoft rebuilt the stunningly immersive saga from the ground up. In addition to HD visuals, buffed-up animations, smoothed-out battle mechanics and seamless loading, the dev team took an imaginative and holistic approach to removing the old game's irritants that disrupted the flow of play.

While the 2015 product was astounding, MonolithSoft took care to listen to fan suggestions to integrate a slew of subtle improvements that make the Definitive Edition play more like something akin to a new release than a last-decade relic. Inactive party members now rack up EXP in line with that accumulated by active party members, negating the need to distribute playtime equally among your benchwarmers. A new hot menu allows you to swap out party members at any time, rather than having to track your pals down in order to make substitutions.

While the narrative of "Xenoblade Chronicles X" may lack the depth of many other games in the series, the cinematic majesty of the landscape, bolstered by its myriad traversal options, more than makes up for the thin story. Every moment is fueled with a sense of forward momentum and steady, gnawing urgency, but the tone also allows you to make yourself comfortable with the thought of taking a step back and evaluating your methods.

Customization is king here. You can adjust your avatar's gender, attributes, class and abilities. Tinkering with various Arts and passive abilities helps you formulate ideal loadouts for various objectives.

Just as in the Wii U version, there is a multiplayer aspect that adds some spice to the package, letting you recruit allies for Squad Missions or take on frenemies in antagonistic Nemesis Missions. While many insular JRPG fanatics will ignore these features, their presence enriches the experience by allowing you to share in the glory, and sometimes agony, with familiar players and anonymous passers by alike.  

I was floored by the gloriously painstaking restoration of an underappreciated classic that "Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition" turned out to be. Like a Renaissance painting reconstructed with an artistic vision that matched the precision of the original mastery, this new edition adds even more heft and majesty to one of the greatest RPGs in all of gaming. Even if you wore the old game out a decade ago, it's high time to make your introduction with the version of the game that surpasses its legendary progenitor.

Publisher provided review code.

Book Report: 'Three Stories and Ten Poems'

 

Three Stories and Ten Poems by Ernest Hemingway
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ernest Hemingway's first published book is a mixed bag, with plenty of impressive moments that show the promise he would one day fulfill, bogged down with inconsistency and self-indulgent scene painting that goes nowhere.

I found the poems to be largely throwaways, and two of the three stories to be worthwhile. "Up in Michigan" is a heartbreaking tale of misplaced romantic yearning that leads to crass abuse and "My Old Man" is a stirring rumination of a child's experiences in the highs and lows brought on by his father's rise and fall in the corrupt horse racing industry. The other one, "Out of Season," falls victim to Hemingway's worst qualities as a writer, and is a dense bore.

The book is so short that it's worth reading for any Hemingway fan. If you can do without the author's low points, it's skippable.

View all my reviews