Samsung\'s Biggest Phone, or Smallest Tablet

If you are the kind of person who likes to pore over a good owner's manual (or in this case, owner's Web page) you will love the Samsung Galaxy Note II.

The basic operation of the phone is as easy to grasp as with any Android phone, but the Note II is so loaded with trick features that you'll be using only a fraction of what it can do unless you spend a goodly amount of time reading how to operate it.

First, the basics. The most obvious feature of the Note II is its size. At nearly 6 inches by 3 inches by 1 ⁄ 3 inch, it is larger than the common phone, and smaller than a minitablet. Call it a tablette.

Thanks to the sizable Amoled screen, video looks particularly good, and even people not used to typing on a glass keyboard will quickly get the hang of it.

The processor is a 1.6-gigahertz quad core, whose ample processing power helps keep those big-screen videos smooth. It comes with two gigabytes of internal memory and can take an additional 64-gi gabyte MicroSD card.

The phone runs on Android's 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system, which of course means it syncs nicely with Google's suite of products, like contacts, Gmail, Google's maps and the like.

One thing that sets the phone apart is its stylus. It's not just a pointer; it has a button that allows you to do graphic editing as you would with a Wacom pen and tablet. Of course it also lets you write notes by hand, make illustrations and annotate PowerPoint documents.

It has both NFC and Wi-Fi direct, which means files can be shared with nearby phones, and purchases may be made from the phone at some special cash registers.

That just scratches the surface. The feature list is deep, but it comes with a steep learning curve. The phone can be set so that tapping it or holding it a certain way activates a command; there is a setting for one-handed operation; and customized vibrations can be created to let you know who is calling even when the ringer i s shut off.

To learn all of the tricks, prepare to cozy up with the Note II microsite; a printed user guide would be the size of an encyclopedia. Your contract will probably run out before you learn to use all of the features.

The Note II is $300 from AT&T, Verizon or Sprint and $370 from T-Mobile, with a two-year contract.

Tip of the Week: Sunrise, Sunset - at a Glance

As the year winds down, sunset arrives earlier in the day. If you want to see just when darkness will fall next, just type the word “sunset” and your current ZIP code into the search box on the Google or Yahoo home page and hit the Enter key to see the time of the next sunset displayed at the top of the results page. Typing “sunrise” brings up the time of the next day's first light. If your browser is set to use your computer or mobile device's location data, you do not even need to include your ZIP code in the search box because the search engine already knows where you are.

The Early Word: Entanglements

Today's Times

• Gen. George R. Allen has become ensnared in the spreading investigation of the affair involving David H. Petraeus, the former C.I.A. director. But he still has the support of the White House, Eric Schmitt and Elisabeth Bumiller write. In a news analysis, Scott Shane examines how the F.B.I. inquiry underscores a danger that civil libertarians have long warned about: that in policing the Web for crime, espionage and sabotage, government investigators will unavoidably invade the private lives of Americans.

• Compounding pharmacies have staved off tougher federal oversight with the help of Congressional allies, but the pharmacists are now facing a huge regulatory threat over questions about the nation's deadly meningitis outbreak, Eric Lichtblau and Sabrina Tavernise report.

• Now that Election Day is over, there is the matter of choosing the parties' Congressional leadership, Jonathan Weisman reports. For Republicans, tha t choice could become a battle to shape the party's direction. On the Democratic side, Representative Nancy Pelosi will clear up one question on Wednesday when she announces whether she will seek another term as minority leader. And Senator-elect Angus King of Maine, an independent, said he was likely to say Wednesday which party he would caucus with.

• Representative Paul D. Ryan's blunt explanation for the defeat of the Republican presidential ticket â€" that turnout in urban areas helped President Obama win â€" comes on the heels of other Republicans who argue that the party's lack of appeal to minorities has made it more difficult to win the presidency, Michael D. Shear and Jennifer Steinhauer write.

Around the Web

• Not a single person voted on Election Day in Ward 10, Precinct 3B in Minneapolis, probably because that precinct is in located in a lake, The Star Tribune reports. Ladies and gentlemen, redistricting.

• Sena tor Michael Bennet of Colorado has been offered the job as chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Politico reports.

• Nancy Pelosi took time on her first day back on the Hill host a social visit from former Representative Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona, Politico reports.

Happenings in Washington

• President Obama will have a news conference at 1:30 p.m. He and Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. will also attend a meeting with business leaders to discuss deficit reduction.